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“Please, help her.” The boy with Dick’s face pleaded, eyes gentle and worried in a way that was eerily familiar to him.
Bruce stood frozen, arms full of baby and no idea what to say. And so, he didn’t. He just stared, eyes darting between the boy who looked like a younger, stranger version of his oldest son and the baby that had just been dumped into his arms by said boy.
He looked like Dick, if Dick were a young meta with glowing green eyes and bright white hair. He was wearing a hazmat suit, the front soaked with what looked like Lazarus Waters. His ears and teeth were slightly pointed and his skin, too pale, was tinted the same green as his eyes. A constellation of freckles lit up the boys face and shone slightly in the nighttime.
Bruce blinked and could’ve sworn acidic green eyes turned a familiar soft shade of blue.
The boy looked alarmed at his silence, worrying his lip with too-sharp teeth and wringing his clawed hands. “Um, please? Batman, sir, I really need your help.”
Bruce blinked slowly, his brain firing a mile a minute but his mouth not cooperating. Was this a clone situation?
He looked at the boy for a long, hard minute, barely hearing the panicked rambles as he took in the similarities and differences between the boy in front of him and his son. Not a clone. A secret sibling? Doppelgänger?
“I will help both of you.” Bruce rumbled, interrupting the frantic pleas for help. “Come with me.”
The boy’s eyes widened, becoming slightly crazed. “Oh no, not me. It’s not safe. Not safe. I beg you. Please, just take care of Ellie. Protect my daughter.” He was pacing back and forth now, arms waving wildly as he broke down. Or well, floating back and forth.
Bruce looked down at the infant in question, now identified as Ellie, and pulled her closer to his chest. His heart clenched as she peered up at him with baby blue eyes and let out a cheerful babble, arms raising as if to grab at his cowl.
When Bruce looked back up, ready to argue that he could keep them both safe, no matter what, the boy was gone.
When he got back to the Cave, everyone was already there, waiting for him. Bruce had called Alfred to gather them the moment the boy disappeared.
Dick was standing with Damian, Steph, and Jason next to him, all of them focused on the Batmobile pulling up.
Dick’s brows were furrowed in concern and Damian was mimicking the expression, though with much more intensity.
Steph and Jason had been mid conversation but had since cut off to look over in Bruce’s direction curiously.
He could see Tim and Barbara alongside Duke at the computer, but they too looked up to the Batmobile as he turned off the engine. Cass was nowhere to be seen, though, Bruce was sure she was here.
Stepping out of the Batmobile with Ellie clutched in his arms, he waited for the cacophony of voices to die down before speaking.
“This is Ellie.” He said, holding the sleeping girl forward so they could see. “She will be staying with us for the time being.”
Muted whispers erupted, while everyone moved closer to get a better look.
“Okay, the hell did you get a baby?” Jason deadpanned, sounding as unimpressed as he looked.
Bruce’s brows furrowed. “I didn’t steal her.” He defended.
Dick smiled in amusement, shaking his head. “Nobody accused you of that, B.” He said, huffing a laugh. “We’re just curious.”
Bruce blew out a breath, striding forward and removing his cowl with one hand. He approached the computer, tapping a few keys and brining up the footage from his patrol. He spun around as the screen lit up. “Earlier during my patrol I was approached by an unknown meta. He-“
“Holy shit!” Stephanie swore.
“Is he glowing?!” Duke gasped.
“He looks just like-“ Tim analyzed.
“Danny.” Dick gasped and Bruce’s gaze snapped over to him.
Well, there goes the coincidental doppelgänger theory.
Dick snapped to look at Bruce, face fierce. “Where is he? Was he okay? What happened? What did he say? Where has he been? Why does he look like that?”
“Chum…” Bruce started sympathetically, brows furrowed.
“What?!” Dick snapped. “Is my little brother okay or not?”
Several sudden intakes of breath. Damian took a step back but it went unnoticed by Dick.
“I don’t know.” Bruce admitted, chest tight. “He only stayed long enough to request protection for Ellie.”
“You just let him leave?!” Dick bit out, voice sharp and worried. Everyone had turned to look at Dick, several varying emotions passing over all of their faces.
Bruce shifted Ellie closer to him, feeling a pang of hurt go through him. “He disappeared.” Bruce defended. “One moment he was there and the next, nothing.”
Cass had appeared without a sound and put her hand on Bruce’s shoulder, patting him comfortingly.
Dick deflated, eyes darting towards the child. “Is she-“
“She’s healthy.” Bruce confirmed. “Your niece is healthy.” He said again, a little bit incredulous at the fact himself.
“Can I?” Dick softened and slowly moved closer, holding his arms out.
Bruce ignored the pang in his chest, not really wanting to let go of the baby, and nodded. He transferred the sleeping girl into Dick’s arms, withholding a coo as she smacked her little lips together.
The rest of the family didn’t care for the same restraint, oohing and ahhing as she settled comfortably into Dick’s arms.
Bruce felt something in him soften as he watched all of his kids quietly crowd around Dick. Dick who was holding Ellie with a sort of reverence that was usually reserved for his siblings.
His oldest son stared, eyes tracing the lines of the little girls face, undoubtedly picking out the parts of himself and his brother that he couldn’t help but notice in her appearance. It’s definitely what Bruce had been doing the whole drive back to the Cave.
Ellie had woken due to all of the commotion but seemed to settle down after everyone had a chance to say hello to her.
She was clearly fighting sleep now, her eyes falling shut every few seconds before popping open. Blue eyes intelligent and focused, even when drifting.
Ellie was not a normal infant, that was for sure. Not that Danny had looked much like a normal human. Honestly, if he hadn’t looked so much like Dick, Bruce would’ve assumed alien.
Dick looked up after a few minutes, eyes wet. “Was he okay?” He asked again, choked and desperate.
Something in Bruce ached. His son had clearly been grieving the separation from his brother for longer than anyone could have known. Why hadn’t he ever said anything?
“He looked healthy but seemed impatient.” Bruce said slowly. “And afraid.”
Dick’s eyes squeezed shut for a beat. “Did he say anything?”
Bruce nodded, turning back to the computer to press play on the footage from his cowl.
“Please, help her.” “Um, please? Batman, sir, I really need your help.”
“I will help both of you. Come with me.”
“Oh no, not me. It’s not safe. Not safe. I beg you. Please, just take care of Ellie. Protect my daughter.”
“He very quickly disappeared after that.” Bruce concluded, throat tight as he saw the look on Dick’s face. Filled with equal parts hope and pain.
“Oh, Danno.” Dick whispered under his breath, looking back down at Ellie. “What have you gotten yourself into now?”
“Dick has another brother?” Duke piped up, a bit timidly.
Tim blinked slowly, clearly struggling to sort through all of the new information. From the bags under his eyes, Bruce would say it’s been at least 36 hours since the boy last slept.
Damian stiffened, eyes flashing with fear and slight reproach. Bruce tried to catch his gaze but the preteen expertly avoiding eye contact.
Jason scoffed, maybe a little bitterly. “News to us all, kid.” He said blithely.
Cass stepped forward, a small smile on her face. “New brother.” She informed them all firmly and sweetly.
Bruce smothered a smile at that. Trust Cass to be the first person to show understanding and acceptance in a situation like this.
Damian made a sound in the back of his throat. Almost a scoff, but not. Slightly smothered.
Dick’s gaze shot towards the sound, sadness rising in place of hope.
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Bruce had to ask. He would have taken in Danny in a heartbeat and he hoped Dick knew that. But still, in all the years they’d been family, he’d never heard a word of another Grayson.
Dick flinched back, arms tightening slightly around Ellie, as if to keep them from taking her from him. “I- you only fought to get me, legally. They- they sent Danny to a different orphanage the second legal processes began.” The wind had visibly been taken out of Dick’s sails. “I thought you knew.”
Now Bruce flinched. “You thought I-“
“Well, I know now!” Dick promised. “But by the time I’d figured it out it had been almost three years!” He said tightly. “And by then there was no trace of Daniel Grayson to be found.”
“Dick…” Bruce murmured, unsure of what to say.
“He must have been adopted.” Tim piped up, eyes a bit clearer now that he seemed to have gained his bearings. “And changed his last name. I’ll start running facial recognition.” He said, spinning towards the computer.
“Tt. You’re okay with this deception, Drake?” Damian spat, speaking for the first time since Bruce entered the cave. His voice was filled with poison.
“Uh huh.” Tim nodded without pause, entire focus on the computer in front of him. Babs had turned away from the conversation to help him.
“It wasn’t a deception, Baby Bat.” Dick promised, looking as though he’d been stabbed. “It wasn’t.” He repeated, more to himself than anyone else.
Jason rolled his eyes. “Fuckin hell, Goldie. Ya coulda said somethin. We coulda helped.” He said, accent thick with emotions.
“I know.” Dick choked out, staring at Ellie and avoiding everyone’s eyes.
Dick didn’t know how to feel. He looked down again at Ellie and felt a little bit like his chest had been cracked open. He sniffed back his emotions and finally looked up to meet Jason’s gaze.
Jason looked conflicted, flickering between apathy and sympathy at a rapid rate. His brows were furrowed as he stared Dick down, waiting for a better response.
“I was afraid.” Dick finally replied after a minute or two of silence.
“Of what?” Steph questioned, tone carefully neutral.
Dick shrugged helplessly. “Of finding him. Of not finding him. Everything. All of it.”
“We help now.” Cass spoke, tone firm and unyielding. Words not to be questioned. “Find brother. Protect.”
Dick smiled back shakily. “Thanks Cassie.” He murmured.
He didn’t turn at the sound of Damian’s scoff, he couldn’t. His chest hurt and his throat thickened but he didn’t turn.
“How did he even know to come to Batman for help. Is it a coincidence?” Duke asked curiously, tapping a finger against the desk.
Dick hummed. He was also wondering that. His eyes darted back up to where the footage of Danny was paused. His brother had grown up. And changed.
The Danny he knew was a little four year old with a mop of black hair and blue eyes that matched Dick’s own. He was a tiny ball of energy, constantly radiating enthusiasm and laughter. He used to hang on Dick’s every word, listening to his stories and watching his acts with bright, curious eyes. They were attached at the hip, people rarely seeing one without the other close behind. Danny was kind and sweet and so, so happy. Dick loved him more than anything in the whole world.
The last time Dick had seen him had been a week after their parents died. Danny had been so small and confused, not really understanding what had happened, and Dick had been too young and exhausted to explain.
They’d been at an orphanage in Gotham together the whole time until someone came and took Danny away. Then, soon enough Dick was on his way to live with Bruce Wayne.
At first, Dick hadn’t known enough English for Bruce to understand what he was screaming and crying about. By the time he did, he was too scared to ruin what he had, much as he hate to admit it. And then years had gone by.
But Dick never forgot about his first brother.
This version of his younger brother was almost unrecognizable to the picture he’d carried in his mind all these years. He was grown up. It was the first thing Dick noticed, before anything else. His baby brother had grown up.
Grief choked him for a long moment, scattering his thoughts. God, he was such a coward. He’d abandoned his brother so that he could have a comfortable life.
He scanned the rest of Danny’s appearance, taking in the pale skin and strange features. Instead of the black hair and blue eyes that they had previously shared, Danny’s hair was glowing a bright white while his eyes shone lazarus pit green. He was wearing some sort of jumpsuit, a ‘D’ on the chest. He looked ethereal, with his pointed ears, fangs, and sharp features. He looks almost like a fae, Dick thought.
It was strange and impossible. Neither of their parents had the meta gene but the evidence was staring him right in the face.
He looked down at Ellie for a moment, softening at the sight of her sleeping happily in his arms. “I don’t know.” Dick said, answering Duke’s question. “But either way, I’m glad it happened.”
Cass stepped forward, repeating her previous statement. “Find brother. Protect.” She said firmly, then she pointed at the screen. “Scared. Hurt. Angry.”
A few people winced, Dick included.
“We’ll find him.” Bruce rumbled, voice filled with concern and care.
“And take care of this lil nugget in the meantime.” Steph cooed, leaning back over to where Dick was gently rocking Ellie.
Dick wanted to pull her closer but refrained. He had no right to be possessive over her. She wasn’t his. Danny hadn’t brought her to Batman knowing he would be bringing her to Dick too. Even as his family rallied around him, a thought clawed at the back of his mind. Where had Danny gone? And more importantly… was he in danger?
Dick choked out a breath, hands shaking slightly. “We have to find him.” He muttered hoarsely, looking back up at the screen.
“We have to.” He repeated more firmly, looking around the room at his family.They nodded in agreement, ready to help in any way they could.
Still, Dick couldn't breathe.