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Dick Grayson is the older brother of five younger siblings, he knows how the words “Oh Shit!” can curdle his blood. He has heard those two words in a variety of different contexts, ranging from accidentally breaking a vase to accidentally breaking bones. So, when he hears them over the comms Tim groan those words he is immediately on high alert.
Dick had been sidelined due to cracking his ribs, and wasn’t allowed back in the field for another three days, so he gritted his teeth and settled on talking through the comms, wishing he could be out there. Because he hated it when his family was in danger without him. When he wasn’t there to take a the hits and they had to.
“Red Robin, what’s happening?” Dick asked.
“Hood took a hit.” Tim’s voice was tight, and not mission-tight, it was I-worried-but-can’t-express-it-right-now tight. “I think - I think he’s shrinking.”
That’s not one that Dick had heard before. Sure Atom has the ability to shrink and grow to size, but so far no one has really weaponized the process.
“Where are you?” Dick asked, already pulling up where he brothers were supposed to be. But Jason wasn’t even supposed to be out tonight, Dick’s mind was racing. He immediately sent Bruce over, fearing the worst.
When Bruce arrived it was silent for a long moment. Dick had a terrible flash-back, to when Tim had been taken, turned to a Jokerized minion. He remembered the silence that fell before Batman had whispered gruff into the comms the status. He didn’t want that again, didn’t want to hear another of his family got hurt. Especially not Jason, Jason who already went through too much.
“Status B!” Dick shouted, his mind whirling. Alfred put a reassuring hand on Dick’s shoulder, and Dick leaned into his presence. He wished he had Barbara’s skills with hacking so he could pull up a visual. “B!”
“It’s fine Nightwing.” Bruce finally said, and all of the air was punched out of his lungs. Bruce didn’t sound fine, but he didn’t sound raw and scared either, “We’re heading back to the cave now. ETA 20 minutes.”
Dick nodded and braced himself.
He never understood how Alfred could stand sitting down here in the dark waiting for everyone to come on. Dick needed to see his family, with his eyes make sure they were okay.
The purr of the Batmobile came through fifteen minutes later, and Dick was already standing ready to do any medical that was needed. But he wasn’t ready for Bruce to carry the deadweight of a kid from the car.
Dick did a double take. Because there was no way, no way in hell that that was Jason Todd.
It was a kid, scrawny and skinny swamped in the clothes of the Red Hood. But Dick took one look at that face, a face he remembered well even though it had disappeared from his life, and he gasped.
“Oh Little Wing.” Dick whispered, “What happened?”
Tim was behind them, holding the famous red hood and looking confused.
Jason’s face was slightly purple, a bruise on his temple, but otherwise he looked unharmed. The small scars that were all over his adulthood face melted away into smooth boyhood innocence. It made Dick want to wrap him up in a protective hug.
“Oh my.” Alfred whispered.
“I - we still have some of his clothes from this age.” Bruce whispered, putting the sleeping Jason on the cot in medical, and brushing a stray curl from his forehead. It made Dick feel something he didn’t want to name.
“Of course sir, I will retrieve it right away.” And with that Alfred was out of the cave.
“What happened?” Dick asked, looking to Tim carefully.
“I don’t know, seemed to be a new player. I though I had him cornered, but the guy was just playing with me, had this wand I think, and he was going to hit me, but Jason pushed me out of the way. I didn’t even know he was there! And then Boom! Jason was getting smaller.” Tim said, it all came out in a single breath of air.
“Did the guy say anything, or leave anything behind?” Dick asked, vaguely concerned it wasn’t Bruce asking. Because Bruce was still rubbing Jason’s hair softly.
Tim gave him a withering look, “You think I didn’t check? He said that I needed have happy ending, and then blasted Jason, and then was gone.”
Dick looked back at Jason again, it made his heart clench when he saw the boy like this, warm and pliant. And Bruce, he was softer now, he had always been softer when Jason was around. It used to drive Dick mad, that Jason was the favorite so easily, but now it gave him a soft longing. Jason deserved to be this loved, this cared for.
Alfred returned with a pile of clothes, neatly folded. On the top lay the red hoodie that Dick remembered his little brother never taking off.
“Should we leave them next to Jay?” Dick asked.
“That would probably be best.” Alfred mused.
“And when he wakes up in man’s clothing?” Bruce asked, tightening his hold on Jason protectively.
Dick sighed, “We don’t know if this is Jason from the past, or if it is our Jason in his old body. But if its our Jason he will kill us for dressing him up.”
Jason let out a groan and immediately everyone quieted. Bruce shook him ever so gently, “Jason, you awake chum?”
Jason groaned again louder this time, and his eyes cracked open. Dick had forgotten the icy blue that Jason’s eyes used to be. They were striking and almost as unnatural looking as his toxic green eyes.
“Dad?” Jason groaned, and Dick’s heart stopped. From the look on Bruce’s face his did as well. Tim’s eyes widened, and then he immediately turned so he wasn’t watching the display.
Jason tried to maneuver himself, but he was being held in Bruce’s arm. The boy blinked and looked around the cave, his eyes settling on Tim.
“What do you remember?” Bruce asked rather urgently.
But Jason looked down at himself instead, picking at the overly large clothes he was swaddled in. “Am I wearing your suit?”
“Jay, focus, what was the last thing you remember?” Dick asked, his heart beating too fast to handle. It rushed in his ears, almost drowning out Jason’s voice.
Jason blinked, trying to focus on Dick, but he looked confused. He shook his head, as if trying to wake himself from a dream.
“Big Bird whaddya doing here? Thought you had to go to space.” Jason asked.
Dick’s heart stopped, because he had been to space precisely once. When Jason had died.
Bruce drew in a breath too, he looked pale. Even the ever stoic and calm Alfred’s lips were pressed into a tight line. Tim watched the interaction carefully, he knew the significance of those words, but he didn’t have the same bone-deep trauma that the rest of them associated with Dick’s trip into space.
“Seriously, am I wearing your suit Dad?” Jason asked again, soundly less shaky.
Dick remembered this phase in Jason’s life, it had only started happening in the last few months in Jason’s tenure as Robin. The only solid months between all of them, when Dick had finally started coming around to the boy, and Jason had sheepishly asked them all if they would mind if he called them his family. He remembered getting a video sneakily recorded by Jason of Bruce actually crying the first time he called the old man Dad.
It was Alfred - because of course it was Alfred - who recovered first. “It seems you have had quiet a night Master Jason, but I got you a change of clothes.”
He then gently helped Jason out of Bruce’s grip. Dick could see how little Bruce wanted to let go, and lead the boy stumbling over the long legs of his pants to the locker room.
Dick puffed a breath out, and looked at everyone.
What the fuck just happened? Dick wondered.
Jason returned to the main part of a cave a few moments later, he had much more energy than he had when he first woke up. His eyes bright and excited.
“What’s going on?” Jason asked when he came back. He looked so small, even in his regular clothes. Had Jay always been so small? It almost hurt Dick’s heart to see him, skinny and short as opposed to the tall broad man he grew up to be. Jason bounced to Tim who was sitting at the computer, “Who are you?”
Tim blinked twice, almost owlishly at the bright and happy Jason.
“That’s Tim Drake kiddo.” Dick said, ruffling Jason’s hair, which Jason shuffled away from Dick’s grasp.
“No it isn’t.” Jason replied haughtily.
“Yes I am.”
“No, Tim Drake is like 11 and real small. You aren’t Tim Drake.” Jason said crossing his arms over his chest.
“You knew me back then?” Tim asked at the same time that Dick said, “we have so much to catch you up on.”
Just then the backup batmobile rolled into the cave and Jason snapped his head over to look at it. He tilted his head to the side, like a puppy, and Dick wanted to ruffle his hair again, because he was just so cute like this.
“Are we fucking multiplying now? Why are there so many people in the cave?” Jason asked, as Cass, Damian and Steph got out of the car.
Dick opened his mouth to explain, but Tim stopped him, “Should we be giving away spoilers?”
Dick hadn’t thought of that, if this kid was Jason from the past, letting him know things could change everything. He looked around the cave, at all the things that would tip Jason off to the future, and was exceedingly glad that Jason had finally convinced Bruce to take down the memorial case.
“Spoilers?” Jason asked his eyes alight with mischief. “Am I in the future?”
“No,” Bruce said, he had been staring at Jason as if when he blinked the kid would disappear. “You age has been reversed, but you are not from the past, and our Jason is not there as a replacement.”
“Oh boo!” Jason huffed, “That’s no fun.”
Dick laughed, leave it to Jason to be upset that he wasn’t in the future.
“Little brother is little.” Cass asked, appearing out of nowhere. She tilted her head the same way Jason had, like a puppy dog, and Dick just wanted to pull them both into a hug.
Jason’s face turned a brilliant shade of red and he puffed out, “I ain’t little!”
It was strange to remember Jason like this, the kid had been so scrawny. The doctors had guessed he would never grow to be average height, and even though he was technically at a normal weight now, years of malnutrition meant he would probably never be anything but skinny. Dick remembered how angry is used to make Jason, how bitter he was that he wouldn’t be able to grow upwards . Little did Jason know, he never had a chance to even grow up.
“Of course you’re not, Miss. Cass is just used to you at nineteen.” Alfred said diplomatically. Jason didn’t seem too placated but, he nodded.
“So who are you all?” Jason asked looking at everyone with wide eyes.
Introductions went quickly, and Jason looked at Dick after everyone, as if waiting for him to disagree. Everytime Dick nodded and smiled, Jason would frown more.
“How many years in the future am I?” Jason asked.
“You’re not in the future, your body and mind have just been-” Bruce started.
“Yeah, yeah old man.” Jason waved him off good naturedly, “I mean how many years have I been regressed?”
“Four years, give or take a few months.” Dick answered quickly.
“Wow.” Jason whispered, and it was mostly to himself, but they could all hear it, “Lot has changed.”
Sleep hadn’t come easy to Dick that night, it never really did in the manor. His childhood room felt like it didn’t really belong to him anymore, like it wasn’t his. But Jason had looked so resigned when Tim mentioned Dick returning home that night, and he couldn’t disappoint this younger version of his brother.
When breakfast came, Jason was already in the kitchen, chattering away to Alfred and helping him cook breakfast. Duke was sitting at the table eating his food while staring wide-eyed at the scene before him. Dick smiled softly, and went to make himself a coffee.
“Anyone else up?”
“I think I heard Master Bruce moving around this morning, and Miss. Cass should be downstairs shortly. If Master Timothy knows what is good for him, he will get at least another three hours of sleep.” Alfred said diplomatically, flipping and omelette.
“Someone’s on Alfie’s bad side.” Jason sang happily, “I would never get on your bad side right Alf?”
Dick snorted, because Jason definitely played pranks that got him into trouble at that age. Once he had left a glitter note on the Batsuit asking for villains to give Batman a hug. Jason also got into serious trouble when smoked, a dreadful habit that he hadn’t shaken by the time he got to the manor, which had always gotten him into trouble with Alfred.
“Of course Master Jason,” Alfred said dryly, “You are the pinnacle of all things good in the world.”
Jason threw his head back in laughter, it filled the room with a warm feeling, a feeling that made Dick’s heart clench. He had forgotten how free and bright this Jason was, forgotten that Jason hadn’t always been the dark and angry man he is now. It hurt to think of the changes. He had to look away, choosing to sit next to Duke.
It was like Jason was the sun, Dick couldn’t look right at him, but his presence warmed his soul.
It was just then that Cass and Tim entered the kitchen. Tim actually stopped at the sound of laughter, looking at Jason warily.
“Uh-oh, Tim’s awake, now he must face Alfred’s wrath!” Jason laughed louder, but passed a plate to Tim anyway.
Tim looked lost, taking the plate and glancing at Alfred sheepishly.
“Only one cup Master Tim.” Alfred warned.
Cass came over to Jason and pinched his cheeks, “Little brother,” She teased gently.
Jason didn’t seem to like this, but he didn’t say anything. Just pushed a plate into her hands. Cass frowned and tilted her head. Reading something in his body language that Dick couldn’t pick up.
“Little Wing.” Dick said, before an argument could start, just because this Jason was brighter and happier didn’t make him any less scrappy, “Sit with me and eat breaky.”
“Don’t call it breaky loser.” Jason snapped, but did as he was told, sitting so he was close to Dick, his back to the corner of the wall.
Bruce sequestered himself to the cave, and Jason seemed uncomfortable around everyone except Alfred or Bruce, so Jason spent most of the day in the cave with his father. Dick came down the stairs around lunch seeing Jason on the floor reading a book with a contented smile. Bruce was tapping away at the computer.
“Alfred says it’s time for lunch.” Dick smiled.
“I don’t want to go.” Jason sighed dramatically.
“You gotta eat Little Wing.”
“No!” Jason huffed, his face getting red with anger. This was one thing that seemed not to change from Jason’s childhood. How quickly Jason’s emotions could switch from calm to anger. He was a summer day just waiting to clap with thunder. “I don’t like it here!”
Bruce turned around, his face drawn tight with worry, “Why?”
“It’s different, it’s weird!” Jason yelled. He was getting more angry by the minute, and Dick wasn’t following.
“What do you mean?” Dick asked, trying to keep his voice soft and warm.
“That! What the fuck Dick?” Jason shouted, standing up suddenly. “You’re acting weird! You have never been this nice to me! Alfred seems more tired, he seems to avoid communal areas. And Dad, you have been quieter, you don’t laugh at my jokes anymore, you are acting weird and it has to be because of all these new people around, and I don’t want to see them if they changed my family so much.”
Dick opened his mouth, and then closed it again. How could he explain to Jason that the reason they were different wasn’t because their family had grown, but because it had shrunk years ago. They had changed because of the death of him , and they could never go back to those people that he wanted them to be.
“Things change Jaylad.” Bruce finally whispers, his voice soft, “We have all changed, you have too. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, just time.”
“You still love me the same right? You’re still my dad?” Jason asked, his eyes wide, and angry tears welled in the corners of his eyes.
Dick almost gasped, he hated how vulnerable his little brother sounded. How broken the boy was to think that love was conditional dependant on time. Dick wanted to wrap his arms around Jason and hold his until the world was kind.
“There is nothing in this universe that could stop me from loving you Jason.” Bruce promised with a voice that could move mountains.
Dick watched Jason throw himself into Bruce, who wrapped the boy up in a tight hug. It brought tears to his eyes, because this was the Bruce from his childhood, the Bruce that had disappeared after losing his son.
“Get in here Big-Bird.” Jason said in Bruce’s arms, and Dick could hear the eye-roll, but Dick wrapped his arms around them anyhow. Pulling Jason’s scrawny body towards him.
His eyes were closed, breathing in the scent of his family, heart fuller than he could remember being for a long time. So of course that’s when Jason had to start glowing, and amber aura coming off of him.
Dick was pushed off of Jason by Bruce, who looked worried. But Jason was growing, his body returning to its shape, the clothes he wore ripping under the new muscle mass. And Jason Todd, their nineteen year old Jason Todd was back, looking angry and confused, and completely naked.
“What happened? Where’s Tim?” Jason asked, toxic green eyes wide. Dick smiled, because as much as Jason claimed to hate them, his family was his first thought right now. He had been worried about Tim.
“Tim’s fine, you took the hit for him and he’s fine.” Dick said, placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder, but Jason wrenched himself back as if Dick’s touch burned him.
“So what am I doing here?” Jason asked darkly, “Did you guys kidnap me? And where are my clothes?”
“Do you remember what the man said to you, before you were hit by him?” Bruce asked ignoring Jason’s questions. His voice was tight, the opposite of what it had been just a few seconds ago.
“Seriously, where are my clothes?” Jason shouted, and Dick knew the conversation wouldn't go anywhere until Jason was dressed, so he got some clothes from the locker room, Bruce’s and Jason’s gear.
Jason looked appreciative as he slipped into the basketball shorts and tee-shirt. Then he looked at Bruce, “The guy said ‘I will take you back to when you were happy, and you can have your happily ever after.’ Now if there is nothing else, I’m going home.”
Dick looked to Bruce, hoping the man would stop Jason from leaving, but Bruce just gritted his teeth his eyes steely cold. Dick sighed, if anything were to happen, he would have to do it himself.
“Wait Jay! We are about to have lunch join us.”
Jason just flipped him off, before stepping on his bike and driving off.
“What the Hell Bruce! You just let him go off?” Dick shouted. How quickly Bruce had turned from the slightly emotional capable man he had been when he hugged his son, back to this incapable shell, it made Dick want to punch something. Instead he counted to ten, taking a deep breath.
“Did you hear what Jason said?” Bruce finally asked.
Dick looked at him, “Of course I heard him! I was standing right here!”
“Jason said that the last time he was happy was almost four and a half years ago.” Bruce almost whispered.
Oh.
Oh Jason.
Dick stared at the place where Jason’s bike that just been and felt a little sick.
“What can we do?” Dick finally asked.
“You can’t make someone else happy, we just have to wait for Jason to come back to us, when he does that, we can all work together to get him happy again.” Bruce said softly, heaving himself from his chair. He clapped a large warm hand on Dick’s shoulder.
Maybe Bruce wasn’t as emotionally constipated as Dick always thought.