Chapter Text
The halls of Watchtower buzzed with subdued nervous energy. Hal could feel it in his bones. Everyone was nervous, awaiting the return of their unofficial leader and part of the leaguers that went on a mission on X’ahon in outer space. And everything would have been good, if it wasn’t to the fact that during their absence some new faces had joined the League. Some faces that Bat has a strong opinion on.
So obviously, everyone felt a tiny bit nervous.
Hall walked into the landing area and instantly pivoted to stand near the far wall, next to Barry.
“So,” he walked to his friend and snatched a snack, pushing it into his mouth instantly. “Do you think Bat will chase him out?”
Barry shrugged. He looked around the room, where the major part of the leaguers had already assembled. They all were curious and weren’t going to miss the oncoming show. They all knew that the de-facto leader of the league, the dark knight, the batman, greatly disliked Nightwing, for whatever reason. He always spoke stiffly about Bludhaven’s hero, never mentioned him out of his deeds and that small amount of missions where his expertise as a leader of Titans was required. And that one time Barry dared to suggest him as a new member… Bat snapped a sharp ‘no’. Without explaining. So now, when the kid was finally in the roster… Sue them all, they wanted to see Bat’s reaction.
“Sorry, we are late!” The silver blur rushed into the room and stopped in the middle. Another Flash, aka Wally West, Barry’s nephew and former member of Titan’s first generation slowly lowered down another figure clad in black and blue, whom League came to know as Nightwing, Bludhaven’s hero and former Leader of Titans. The new kid has a huge grin on his face.
“Did we miss anything?” He asked walking forward into the room, Wally in tow. If Hal didn’t knew wally was married to Linda, he would have thought that the two were a thing, so close they acted.
Nightwing walked to the front and stood near the Wonder Woman, who smiled down at him.
“Hello, little one,” she greeted and Nightwing beamed. “No, you didn’t miss anything. The ship has just entered the outer layers.”
Kid nodded. Hal will never be able to comprehend how on earth he wasn’t intimidated by neither of the Trinity. Wonder woman adored and respected him, Superman called him his nephew more times than anyone will be able to count, and kid had straight on disrespected Batman that one time the League barred into his city unannounced. That was a spectacle to see, that’s for sure. The great dark knight berated by a twenty something years old. Hal had thanked whatever being up there that he was on site to see it that day. That shit was golden.
So, yeah, majority of the League gathered in the docking room to watch the return of their comrades and film the reaction of one bat to one newly added bird.
“Here they come!” Exclaimed cheerful voice and Hal’s attention snapped to the docking platform where the large spacecraft was slowly landing. After several long minutes, the vehicle hissed and opened a shaft. The returned Leaguers descended the trap in all their victorious glory (the mission was a success, Hal read the files) and the room held their collective breath as Batman came into view. Seeing a greatly familiar uniform in the crowd of Leaguers, he paused mid step. His blank white lenses darted across the room then roamed over the figure in black and blue suit.
“What happened?” Bat took the steps for at a time before he finally stopped in front of Nightwing. Gloved hands came up, and Hal saw several Leaguers tense. However, the heavy gauntlets just pocked and probed younger vigilante’s sides, turning him and checking for injuries. Nightwing spun around easily, allowing the bat to check him. Then he laughed.
“Everything’s fine, B.” Batman stopped, looking vigilante in the eyes. Or mask, if Hal is more precise. If he didn’t know better, Hal would swear that Bat was confused.
And he was right.
“You are here,” came half-growled question, and Nightwing rolled his eyes under his domino, somehow making it a full body motion.
Wally snickered, and Hal noticed that Vic, aka Cyborg, aka another former member of Titans, too was smiling.
“Someone didn’t check his phone,” Nightwing prodded and Bat released his shoulders in favor of checking mentioned phone. For several long tense moments, there was only silence.
“Is this real?” Came the question at large and Batman looked across the room before zeroing his glare on wonder woman. “Is this real?” He asked again and she nodded.
“Yes. He accepted.”
The bat turned to Nightwing and the room held its breath once more.
“You accepted?”
Hal’s mind froze. He expected anger, he wanted it to be honest, however what came out of bat’s mouth sounded almost… hopeful? What the hell?!
Hal looked at Barry who somehow was only slightly confused. Not Hal level confused. As if some information wasn’t adding in his brain. He looked at Wally, who was too standing in front of the silent bat.
“Yes, I did.” Came Nightwing’s reply and Bat stepped forward. The motion was so sudden and so unexpected that leaguers almost rushed forward to save Wing from being beaten to death by…a hug. Batman was hugging Nightwing (who easily hugged him back, what a fuck what a fuck what a fuck), and Hal’s brain short circulated.
Batman in this time released the younger and instead put a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m proud of you,” said the dark knight whose usual praises were luck of negative grunting.
Nightwing though wasn’t taken aback in the slightest. He grinned.
“Gee, thanks be. You finally got me into your old-men’s little club.”
Batman huffed and several leaguers, as in Trinity plus ex-Titans, snorted or smiled at that.
Hal’s brain wasn’t computing.
“What the fuck is going on?” He murmured to his closest friend, and Barry looked at him confusedly.
“What?” He murmured in return and Hal gestured to the front of the room.
“What the fuck is that?” He hissed. “Why is Bat, like, hugging Nightwing? Or saying that he is proud of him for joining the League? Didn’t he hate him or something?”
Barry looked even more confused.
“Why would Batman hate his son?” he asked looking at Hal as if he was a bit insane. And truth be told, Hal did feel insane in this moment.
“What?” He asked dumbly and Barry rose a questioning eyebrow at him.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know, dude.”
Hal shook his head feverently.
“No!” He whisper shouted. “I didn’t know Batman has a son!”
Barry laughed.
“Son,” he snorted. “Nightwing has siblings actually. Like, several.” He then looked at Hal something like pity in his eyes. “You didn’t know?” He asked gently and Hal… Hal’s worldview crumbled. He looked at his friend, at his slightly quirked up lips, pointing at a hidden smile. And he understood.
“Fuck you!” He laughed hitting Barry in the arm. “You had me there for a moment.”
Barry looked confused.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Batman has kids!” Hal didn’t noticed that he was almost shouting through laughter. “Kids! Batman! What a joke!”
He extended his arm to lean on something while he laughed and soon found the purchase. It was solid and cool, and steady.
“Come-on, Barry,” he laughed. “How have you even came up with such a joke? That’s like the wildest conspiracy I ever heard!”
His friend looked at him with pity.
“You are such an idiot, uncle Hal.” Said someone from his left and Hal’s head swiped in that direction noticing that every member in the room was now looking at him. Beside him stood Nightwing in the flesh, he was the one who spoke earlier. The young vigilante had an amused smile on his lips. Superman, who stood several paces behind the kid, looked at Hal almost apologetically.
“Oh!” Hal straightened and cleared his throat. “Um, kid, how much did you hear?”
Instead of Nightwing however, someone else answered.
“He heard all of it, Jordan.” Hal swirled around fast enough to give himself a whiplash. There, only a step behind him stood the dark knight himself. With lead dread Hal saw how his arm still rested against Dark Knights armor. So that was a steady surface he found purchase in.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“Oh, hey Bats.” Hal carefully retracted his arm. “What are you doing here?”
“Listening too stupid people apparently,” came the growled reply and half the league startled. Batman stepped forward getting into Lanterns face. “Now,” he growled. “Enlighten me why my children are so funny?”
Holy fucking shit, thought Hal in that one brief moment between panic attacks. Batman do has kids.
Nightwing rolled his eyes and pulled Batman back by his arm.
“Come-on, B, you know he didn’t phrase it like that. Let him breathe.”
Batman relented, allowing Nightwing to pull him back. Then he smirked.
“I know,” came his surprisingly light reply. “It’s just funny.”
Nightwing rolled his eyes and muttered ‘this family and its dramatics’ under his breath. Batman didn’t retaliate.
Hal watched them, still wrestling down his own heart. He looked at Nightwing, young hero who was one of the most proficient heroes despite his age, who wasn’t afraid of Batman and acted strangely familial with him. He looked at Dark knight who allowed said hero to get into his sacred space, who worried about the kid and said that he was proud of him.
Hal shuddered.
“You are really his kid?!” He shouted and Nightwing nodded, exasperated.
“Yes I am.”
Before Hal could open his mouth to ask the follow up question, loud crash came from the rear of the room and the whole League turned in that direction. There in the doors stood Green Arrow, mouth agape and equipment scattered across the floor. He looked at the Bat, then at Nightwing, and shrieked,
“He is your what?!”