Hey, y'all, how ya be?
So, my computer got hacked. That's why it's been awhile since you've heard from me. Luckily, it's been fixed and I bring you this short one shot of what happened when 3/4 of the Core Four returned to their universe.
Enjoy the chapter!
..................
This is a song about somebody else
So don't worry yourself, worry yourself
The devil's right there right there in the details
And you don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself
Looking too closely
Looking too closely
Oh, no, no, no!
......
Alright. Fine. Conner would admit it. They were a little ignorant of just how hard it would be to convince the bats that Cass was dead.
And he would also admit that he was extremely angry that none of them seemed to be effected by Tim's death at all.
"What do you mean, she's dead?" Bruce Wayne, Mr. Batman himself, shouted, face red with anger.
Cassie was not amused. "Exactly what I said. She's dead."
Dick stepped forward, tears in his eyes. None of them were sympathetic. "How?"
Bart spoke next. "When we couldn't find Tim, when we realized he was really dead, she ran off. We went after her. When we found her, she was surrounded by assassins, taking all of them on. She beat them all, except one. That one, she let stab her in the chest." he shuddered. "We couldn't save her."
"Tt." Damian sighed, an odd look in his eyes.
"Get out." Wayne snapped, fingers clutching a batarang threateningly.
Cassie scoffed, and Conner grabbed her hand, shaking his head slightly.
"Bru-" Dick started, but was interrupted by his dad.
"No. You're no longer welcome here. I want you out of my house. Out of Gotham."
"With pleasure." The three began to head out, and right before the left, Conner glanced back.
"Wayne, you best start taking better care of your kids." He eyed Damian and Dick, and the corner where Jason was sulking quietly. "Who knows which one of them will be next."
He sped out before Wayne could reach him.
...
They made their way to the next person, each filled with various feelings of nervousness. The next person on their list was one that nobody messed with. Ever. It would only end in a never-ending flurry of pain and suffering.
They weren't exactly sure what to say to her. The truth? What they told the other bats? Either way, they knew she would not be thrilled.
So they decided to vote on it.
"We should tell her," Bart insisted. "she'll kill us if she finds out the truth."
"Bats don't kill, Bart." Cassie said.
Bart quirked an eyebrow. "You think that'll stop her? Besides, it won't be physically killing us, it'd be mentally. She'd torture us for centuries."
Conner nodded. "He's got a point."
"But Tim said to tell the bats he and Cass were dead. Oracle is a bat!" Cassie argued.
"She's Oracle."
Cassie glared at her former boyfriend. "We shouldn't tell her."
"How about we vote on it?" Bart asked. "All in favor of telling Oracle the truth." Both he and Kon raised their hands into the air.
Cassie sighed, frowning. "Fine. We'll tell her." The two boys cheered, but then the blonde followed it up with, "Only if she gets suspicious."
"Ugh, fine."
Finally, they reached the Clocktower, and stood at its base, surveying the tall building that towered over them.
"Should we just... Knock?" Bart asked.
Before his family could answer, the doors swung open.
"Go through the door on your left." The familiar sound of Oracle's computerized voice said.
Glancing between one another, the three shrugged and followed her instructions.
They entered the room and found the one and only Oracle, aka Barbara Gordon sitting in front of a table, a computer in front of her.
She looked up as they entered, looking at each of their faces and frowning.
"So, Cass stayed with Tim, then?" she asked.
Their jaws dropped.
"How the hell-" Cassie started, before stopping when Babs raised her hand.
"Please." Babs scoffed. "You think I wasn't keeping an eye on you when you went out searching for Tim? I was watching the entire time. I heard everything."
"What the fuck." Kon said, shaking his head. "How did we not realize?"
Barbara smirked. "You think I'd be Oracle if I wasn't good at being invisible when I want to be?"
Bart grinned. "You. Are. Awesome."
Kon and Cassie nodded in agreement.
...
After explaining to Babs what had happened in the other universe, as well as what they told the other bats, they were on their way to the next meeting.
Anita opened the door to her apartment, raising her brow at the sight of her three friends.
"Cissie and Greta are already here. Is Tim coming too?"
Cassie exchanged looks with Bart and Kon.
"We have a lot to tell you."
.
"So, Tim's in another universe, with his girlfriend and sister, and is staying?" Cissie asked, looking at the three heroes in front of her in shock.
"Yeppers!" Bart said, munching on some fries.
"That's crazy, Mon!" Anita exclaimed, shaking her head. "He just gets into the weirdest stuff, don't he?"
"Is he okay?" Greta asked, her soft voice shaking slightly.
"Better then he has been for a long time," Cassie said, smiling sadly. "This'll be good for him. He'll be happy."
"Yeah, well we won't." Cissie snapped. "He's our best friend. It's not going to be the same without him."
"That's the best part! We get to visit him!!" Bart cheered.
Kon nodded. "Yeah, and he told me he's going to work on a prototype so we can talk to each other on the phone as soon as he's got time."
"When do we get to visit?" Anita questioned, going over to her mini mom and taking the fork she was playing with away.
"On the 19th of every month. That way, we'll be there for his birthday." Cassie answered.
"That little shit." Cissie said. "Only he would be from another universe."
Kon grinned, "If you think he's a shit now, just wait until his will comes into play."
Everyone blanched, their faces going wide in realization.
"You don't think he went too overboard, do you?" Greta said hopefully.
Kon's snort was answer enough, but even so, he still said, "It's Tim. Of course he did."
"Fuck."
..
Put your arms around somebody else
Don't punish yourself, punish yourself
Truth is like blood underneath your fingernails
And you don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself
Looking too closely
Looking too closely
Oh, no, no, no!
Oh, no, no, no!
.......
Title from Looking to Closely by Fink