City of Wayne
Rating: T
Info: Silly stuff. AU starting in the second section of this chapter. Various pairings. Also, I'll keep the in-story science babble very brief and simple because I know not everyone enjoys it as much as I do.
-Anechoic chambers are really nifty dead rooms (sound waves are absorbed into the walls). We have one of these at work, which spawned the idea for this story.
-Faraday cages block electrical fields.
-Psionic shields don't exist and hopefully you know this.
Warnings: Nothing major for now, but it earns its T rating.
Disclaimers: This is fanfiction. Obviously.

Chapter One: Into the Drink

"Is this supposed to be a joke?"

Wally was the first of the boys to react to Artemis' snarled comment, answering her with only a short laugh. "Whoa. Seriously. No one told you to dress up."

The blond archer glared from the entrance of the anechoic chamber. If looks could kill, the metal mesh floor would have melted beneath the team's feet. "No one told me 'telepathy and concentration' exercises would require training attire."

"It was my fault," Megan said as she floated into the room, her heels mere inches from the wire floor. She smiled apologetically at Artemis. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested you wear those shoes to practice."

Artemis kicked off her strappy, heeled shoes before gingerly stepping onto the mesh. "No, it's fine."

As Megan closed the large door behind Artemis, Robin hummed in thought. "What are we doing here, Kaldur? Couldn't we do this back at the mountain?"

"Dude, Rob, you actually sound like a guy when there's no reverb."

"We are here," Kaldur said sharply, running over any comment Robin inevitably would have made, "because we needed a place to practice without outside interference. With so many telepathic villains on the loose, we cannot afford another mishap like the one on our last mission. Do not forget how easily they were able to track Megan's telepathic network. This is the safest place to practice with the connection while they are still out there searching for us."

Wally was at once skeptical, his gaze sweeping over the gaudy foam walls. "I don't think sound-proof walls and a Faraday cage are going to do much in keeping psychics out. Heck, even Megan can still talk to someone across the city if she wants to."

As if expecting that sort of argument from Wally, the Atlantean motioned to the ceiling. "True, but Batman said that this room was built with a psionic shield woven into the frame. Red Tornado has begun to work on replicating a shield for the mountain, but we will practice here for the time being. The school was kind enough to grant our request to borrow the chamber."

"Young Justice headquarters site B. Blüdhaven University. Catchy." Robin then plopped onto the mesh with a grin. "So, what do we do?

"Better be good," Wally muttered.

Kaldur frowned in the general direction of Wally and Robin. "There will be no more talking aloud for the rest of the exercise. Think you can handle that? Link us up, M'gann."

"Right." Megan settled onto the mesh Indian style and expanded the mental connection to the other teenagers. "Okay. Now, we're going to practice thinking about nothing. A clear mind is one step closer to becoming a strong mind. If you can sort and set aside your thoughts, you can begin working on protecting them from intruders."

"Good." Superboy scowled, obviously still sore over the events of the last mission.

After thirty minutes of showing the others how to properly clear the mind, Megan instructed the team on familiarizing themselves with the minds of the other team members. It was difficult at first, as not a one could instantly recognize any of the others unless they spoke over the telepathic connection. Kaldur emphasized the importance of recognizing the faint presence of the others while they were linked and knowing how to distinguish each other from a less friendly entity.

It wouldn't be easy. Wally continually complained that Artemis was being mentally obnoxious, and the two were at each other's throats more often than they weren't. It was enough of a distraction that neither one of them made any progress, though, in the end, none of the others did much better.

This was going to take a lot of work.

"If we keep practicing, hopefully one day you will all be able to shield your thoughts from outsiders while we keep the connection open within the team." Megan smiled fondly as she heard a collective groan through the link. A lot of work. "I think we all need a break now."

"Oh, thank you. I couldn't take any more of that," Wally groaned as the telepathic connection was severed. "Besides, it's getting creepy in here. I swear, my skin is crawling. Let's get out. Now."

"This was productive for a first attempt," Kaldur said, though his grin of encouragement was somewhat forced. He nodded for Megan to open the door. "Meditate every day. Clear your mind. M'gann will be able to tell if you have practiced or not."

Superboy gave a light snort. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here. My skin isn't crawling, but it feels like the walls are closing in."

Robin paused as the others began filing out of the chamber, easily blocking out a new wave of banter from Wally and Artemis. The hair on the back of his neck bristled suddenly, and he shuddered.

"This place is eerie. I would not mind if we did not come back," Kaldur commented, giving the chamber a swift glance before stepping through the door.

"Eerie", sure, but this was different than simply "eerie". Something was off, and it wasn't because of the chamber. Robin tilted his head back, examining the ceiling as a chill ran down his spine. "I think…"

"Hey, Rob, think fast!"

Just as Robin, startled, turned his attention to the entrance, he managed to see Wally pull the door closed, leaving him… "Hey, weak, man! Let me out! There…"

It was cold. The unnatural silence again roared in his ears, and he could practically feel the weight of it this time. After a moment, he realized that it wasn't the lack of sound itself, but that the pressure was certainly changing. Dropping, in fact, and…

"Wally, open the…" The corners of his vision were darkening, and good God his head was aching. Robin tugged at the long door handle, but it wouldn't budge. "There…"

The world tilted violently to the right, but he couldn't muster the effort to break his own fall. Before he could register the cool touch of the metal mesh against his skin, the world went dark.

::…::

"See? I told you he was fine."

That voice… It was male, deep, but still rather young. Dick didn't recognize it, and he couldn't decide whether the flippant tone was malicious or simply apathetic.

"I didn't doubt it. Now put that out before a professor walks by and throws us out."

For some reason that voice was vaguely familiar, but he could not quite place it.

"Make me."

"Jason."

What. Dick cracked open one eye to immediately see a young man kneeling beside him. The guy was currently looking over his shoulder to a slightly younger boy who was sitting on a counter, a lit cigarette in hand. They both had dark hair and their clothes were not of the inexpensive sort, but they did not resemble each other enough to be related. Though, from their tone of voice, Dick didn't think they were close friends, either.

The older teenager turned his attention back to the dazed thirteen-year-old and offered an amiable grin. His eyes were a very distinct shade of blue that immediately set off warning bells in Dick's mind. "Hey, you're awake. How you feeling?"

Dick sat up in an instant, bringing a hand to his cheekbone. Where are my glasses? I know I had them before! Noting the concern on the stranger's face, he attempted a weak smile. "Oh, I'm fine, I think. I was in the dead room with my research partners earlier, and…" What had happened? And, better yet, where was the rest of the team? They couldn't have just left him there! Or here, wherever here was. The tiles of the floor matched those of the university's physics labs, so he was at least in the same building. "I think I might have dozed off," he finished lamely, still trying to piece the earlier events together.

The boy on the counter –that one must be Jason- snorted as he twisted about to search through the cabinets on the wall. "Geeky friends didn't bother to tell you they were leaving, huh?"

"Ignore him. He's just sore 'cause a girl turned him down before he even asked." The blue-eyed guy grinned sardonically even as he easily dodged a box of latex gloves Jason tossed. "So." He got to his feet and extended a hand for Dick, who took it. "What should we call you?"

Dick ignored the sharp pang of vertigo as he was hoisted to his feet. Great. He was here as Robin with the rest of the team, but his sunglasses were nowhere to be seen. If the other members of Young Justice were still hanging about, running into them would cause problems, especially if these two knew his real name. "Fr-"

"Oh, seriously? He's about to say 'Freddie', isn't he?" Jason, having lost interest in the supplies in the cabinets, jumped to his feet and stalked toward Dick. His glare then shifted to his companion. "Let's just chuck him back and see what happens."

Though Jason was the taller of the two, the other teenager drew himself up with a stern glare of his own, refusing to be intimidated. But, he didn't bother to answer Jason. Instead, he looked back to Dick, though this time he didn't smile.

Well. Honestly, he hadn't been going to say "Freddie" at all, and he couldn't figure out why Jason was so sure that he would have. And, despite the apparent friendliness of the other guy, Dick knew there was something off about him. It was partly because he had a feeling that he had met this person before… But, there was a terrifying thought in the back of his mind that said he knew perfectly well who it was.

"Well, we can't just call him by his real name, can we?"

"We don't have to call him anything. We should get rid of him. Put things right."

Maybe he should just use his real name. The only problem with that was that he wasn't quite wearing the proper attire for the ward of a billionaire, and they probably wouldn't believe him. Unless… Dick met the currently nameless teenager's gaze, sincerely hoping that it would silence that awful voice in his mind.

It didn't.

"Woah." Dick's eyes widened and he took a step away from the duo. "You're…" How ridiculous would that sound? I can't say that! "You're, uh… Richard Grayson," he managed, his words turning flat as he realized just what he was saying.

"Richard Grayson Wayne. And so are you."

Jason leaned heavily on Richard's shoulder, watching the younger Dick's thoughtful reaction with disinterest. "Oh, the confusion and disbelief. It got old after the second time around, RJ. No sense in keeping him. He won't make it very long, anyway."

As the two began to argue, Dick turned away, attempting to tune them out. Right. No aster here. This has gotta be the future or another dimension or something else like that. Something happened back in the dead room… Ha. Right, just stay calm. This is not the strangest thing I've seen before.

"Guess he wouldn't respond to Dick."

At the sound of his name, Dick snapped out of his reverie. "What?"

In an instant, Jason's eyes went wide and he gave Richard's shoulder a shove. "Dude, he answered." For the first time, his lips curled into a smile, though it was more malicious than friendly. "So somewhere in some universe you really did use that nickname."

Who the hell was Jason. Dick could recall that there were universes where practically anything could happen, but seeing this callous person hanging over, well, himself was unsettling. I need to get back. Do the others even know I'm gone? These guys are acting like this kind of thing happens all the time! But… "Do you know how to send me back?"

The two older teenagers exchanged a look.

"About that…"

"There is no way back." Jason vaguely waved his hand in a circle, taking more interest in a loose thread on his sleeve than Dick himself. "You can go through the rift again, but it will just toss you to the next dimension on down the line. You'll spend your whole life jumping through that damn hole in time and space, but you'll never get back home."

Rift. Is that like a weak spot between dimensions or something? Well, maybe I can-

Jason flicked him on the forehead, dark blue eyes narrowed in agitation. "You're not the first person to fall here. Not even close. You're not any different than they were." Before Dick could even attempt to reply, Jason turned and headed for the door. "Don't get too attached, RJ. He'll be back here in a week, two tops. See ya this evening."

"You're already half an hour late! Hurry up!"

Though they had easily heard Jason hit the hallway at a run once he left the room, the two could hear a faint response of "shut up" to the command.

"Jason Todd Wayne. Charming, isn't he?" Richard caught Dick's attempt to hide a grimace and laughed. "He has a mouth on him, but he's harmless. Now, let's get you to Gotham. While you're here, might as well settle in as best you can."

::…::

Blüdhaven had turned out to be surprisingly brighter and busier than it was in his dimension, a change that Dick had to admit that he did not mind. However, the streets of Gotham looked mostly the same, though occasionally there was an unfamiliar building or company name. Dick pressed his hand against the car window with a sigh. It would be less creepy if he couldn't recognize the city. Even the silver school crest of Gotham Academy on the graduation tassle looped around the rearview mirror was almost exactly the same as he remembered. "So, I'm stuck here."

From the driver's seat, Dick's older counterpart echoed his sigh. "Well, technically not. Like Jason mentioned, you're not the first person to fall into our dimension from another using the lab's rift. Several of the other people who fell through had actually been to many other dimensions in an attempt to get home before winding up here. That's how we realized that trying to go back the way you came doesn't actually work." Richard narrowed his eyes. "We allow anyone to stay who wants to, but in the end they all end up going back to the rift. Something drew them there. Something none of them could ignore."

If he went back to that place, to the dimensional "rift", who knew how different the world on the other side could be from the one in this dimension or his own. The citizens of Gotham might not be as willing to help in one of those other places… If Gotham even existed there to begin with. Dick squashed the urge to bang his forehead on the window. "Well, thanks for letting me stay with you until I can find a way to get back."

"No problem. Besides, if anyone can find a way, it'll be you." Richard offered a wide grin.

Oh, great. Indirect self-flattery. I don't think I'll ever get used to this guy. He's me. Feels fishy. Fishful. Just full of fish in general. Besides, Richard was a student at Blüdhaven University. Ha! Bruce would scoff at the mere thought of that. Then again, who knew what Bruce was like here. He probably wasn't even Batman.

"Normally we let dimensional stragglers have an apartment, but since you're a little young for that you get the star treatment. Besides, Bruce won't mind having another kid running around. It won't be any more chaotic than usual."

"Are you really that much trouble?"

"I'm not. Jason and Damian? Yes. Then one of them starts bothering Tim and the whole place goes to hell. I swear, I don't know how Cassandra can put up with them."

Who were all these people? Bruce didn't bring kids home like stay animals. This did sort of explain why Jason had been hanging about at the university despite being a high school student, though. If this Bruce were Batman –or some variant of such- then of course he would keep tabs on things like 'dimensional rifts'. "Oh. It's just me back home."

Just as those words left his mouth, the mansion pulled into view and Dick glared. It didn't look any different than it did back home. If he weren't currently in a car with an older version of himself he wouldn't be able to believe that he was in another dimension.

Richard was laughing. "You might be in for a little surprise, then, even if Jason isn't here to make the insanity complete. Thank God for Thursday soccer practice!"

Suddenly, a dark-haired kid ran onto the mansion drive, planting himself in the car's path.

The car brakes were engaged so quickly that Dick didn't have time to comprehend the kid's suicidal act before his forehead smacked into the dashboard. Jeez, what kind of reflexes does this guy have? he thought, gingerly prodding at his forehead. He glanced up to see Richard hanging out of the car window.

"Damian, what the hell are you doing? I almost ran you over!"

"Yeah, right!" the kid screeched back, hand firmly planted on his hips. "You couldn't hit me if you tried!"

Richard set the transmission to park and tossed Dick a glare. "The terrible tens. Worse than the twos ever could be."

He hadn't heard. Not really. As soon as his vision cleared, Dick gave the kid a second glance. Damian had dark hair, what looked to be blue eyes, and just a faintly familiar look to him in general. Right. Better find a way back home soon. This is too weird. And where did Richard go?

"Damian, get back here!" Another boy, possibly about Dick's own age, suddenly tackled Damian and locked the younger kid's arms behind his back. Richard was quickly on his way toward the pair. "Give it back!"

A tap on the glass made Dick jump, and he turned to see a distinctly Asian-looking girl standing by the car. Was that…? Richard had mentioned a girl's name earlier. Cassandra. When she backed away, Dick slowly opened the door and hopped out. "Hi."

Instead of responding, the girl tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowing. It was almost as if she were attempting to see straight through him with those brown eyes. Maybe that was exactly what she was doing. It wouldn't be the strangest thing he had seen before.

Dick took a step back as Damian suddenly streaked by, the other boy hot on his heels. The younger one held something tightly to his chest. When Richard pulled to a stop at Cassandra's side, Dick shifted heavily to his left foot. Then to the right. Then back again. "So… What was that?"

"Damian," Richard said simply. He watched the two boys with what was probably supposed to be consternation, but it wound up just looking fond. "I couldn't get a word out of Tim, though. Cass?"

The girl's reply was a complicated hand motion that held no meaning so far as Dick was concerned. But, it must have meant something to Richard because the older teenager suddenly sighed heavily. "That doesn't sound too good. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Before Dick could say anything to the contrary, it glided into his peripheral vision. It's heading for… He leaped forward and grabbed the small, disc-like object before it collided with Cass. "Dude, that was way clo-"

Wait. It was no disc. It was a batarang. Well, it was slightly different than the sort Batman used, but there was no hiding it. And it had come from…

"Damian, stop throwing those around! You could have hit that kid" The other young teenager –Tim, right?- had Damian's wrist in a vice and was dragging him toward Richard. Tim released Damian when they were close before turning his attention to Dick. "Whoa. Hey, he looks kinda like…"

Cass finished Tim's thought by poking Richard in the chest.

Well, at least I'm not the only one at least a little bothered by the fact there are two of us. Dick extended his hand with the batarang, guessing that it might be the item Damian had taken from Tim. Also, this means Bruce is still Batman. Which means he still has connections with the other superheroes. Yeah, I'm totally gonna find a way home.

Tim took the batarang, still silently examining the newcomer. Just like Richard, Jason, Damian, and Dick himself, Tim had bright, blue eyes.

"I think we have to kill him now," Damian said.

Dick grinned. "Why's that?"

"He caught the batarang," Tim muttered, nudging Damian's arm. "He came through the rift, didn't he, Richard?" After receiving a nod of affirmation, Tim pursed his lips. "So, if he's like Richard, then maybe he's…"

Damian snapped the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, the lip falling to obscure the top half of his face. "Psh. Pansy." The boy then matched Dick's grin.

Cass put a hand on Damian's shoulder, but Dick shook his head at her. "No, let him try if he wants." Besides, it would help to prove whether they had proper training or not. It was not as if this little kid could- Whoa! Dick stepped aside as Damian lunged at him, instantly berating himself for thinking to underestimate a potential pupil of Batman's so easily.

That single motion was enough to wipe the grin off Damian's face, at least. The kid twisted about and lashed out, though he definitely had something in his hand this time…

Not often that I'm the taller one in a fight! Dick easily caught Damian's wrist with his left hand –that was another batarang in his grasp- and tugged the kid closer, latching the other arm behind Damian's back with his right hand in a matter of moments. Before the kid could come up with a clever way to escape the hold, Dick pushed Damian toward Richard.

"I'm a pretty tough pansy."

Richard grabbed Damian's collar just as the ten-year-old attempted to lunge after Dick again, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You're pretty quick."

"Bright, too. Bright enough to know a batarang when I see one and that any ten-year-old who knows how to use one so well isn't just the ward of the resident billionaire." And if that was just Damian, what about the older kids?

"See? He knows! He'll tell everyone!"

And Damian himself was oh so eager to confirm his suspicions, it seemed.

A single look from Richard silenced Damian, and the eldest of the Wayne kids squared his gaze to Dick. That was an expression Dick knew all too well. It was beyond the time to try and cover it up with an offhand comment now, and that meant Richard was walking on eggshells. "What are you implying?"

Really? Richard had reflexes that would put even many metas to shame, Tim had known the proper way to restrain Damian earlier (even if the scamp had found a way to escape), and, worst of all, Damian was proficient with a batarang. How painfully more obvious could it be?

Cass motioned at Richard, her gaze level and calm.

There was a moment of hesitation, not that Dick blamed his older counterpart. When Batman swore one to secrecy, that included keeping secrets from yourself… if said self comes from another dimension, that is. "It's the same where I'm from. I know who Bruce is."

Tim tried to cover a throaty laugh. "Bruce? Does everyone call their dads by their names where you're from?"

What. Dick looked to Richard, recalling exactly what the older teenager had called himself. "Grayson Wayne". But, that didn't mean… "You're all his kids?" Dick shook his head, reassuring himself once again that this was simply another dimension… It would mean nothing once he returned to his own. "I'm not related to Bruce, he's just my guardian. I'm the only one there." So far.

"He adopted us, so legally he's our father," Richard said, absently ruffling the youngest Wayne boy's hair. "Well, except for Damian, of course. Bruce really is his dad."

"I'm the frickin' Batkid," Damian whispered, raising his arms with curled, claw-like fingers.

Bruce had a kid. And… here, Richard Grayson had allowed Bruce Wayne to actually adopt him. I didn't want a "new" dad. Dick looked to Richard as if seeing him for the first time. How is he different than I am? And what else did that difference make, besides the line between "ward" and "adopted son"?

"Richard, is he actually staying with us? Really? Awesome, he can share my room." Tim clapped a hand on Dick's arm, a crooked grin forming. "Come on, I'll show you the place."

::…::

As soon as they were several rooms into the mansion, Tim slowed his pace, silent but obviously deep in thought. Of the Wayne kids, Dick guessed that Tim was the closest to him in age. Despite that, there was something in his eyes that made him feel older, a keen sense of command and calculation that Dick had never seen before in a kid. It was interesting.

"Jason wasn't at school for lunch today. Usually when he runs off he goes to bother Richard." Tim rolled his eyes, turning down a hall that Dick had never had much interest in. "Richard checks the rift every day in case someone falls through, so I'm gonna bet Jason was there, too."

"Yeah, he was there."

"Man, I am so sorry." And he had to be sincere or he was the best liar Dick had ever encountered. "What a first impression of our dimension."

Hm. Well, maybe they were not the closest family in every way. Dick peeked into one of the passing rooms, half expecting the deserted, skeletal sort of room he was used to. Instead, it looked quite lived in, with unfolded blankets thrown across a love seat and an open book on the coffee table. Huh. "Nah, it's been all right. Jason is all right, too. Just a little-"

"Trollish."

"I was going to say blunt."

"Eh. Uptight."

Dick grinned. "Can't blame him for that one. I don't think anyone knows how to be 'downtight'."

Tim conceded with a shrug, but he wasn't too impressed. "You'll understand once you've been around him long enough." Suddenly, he stopped at a closed door, his expression brightening once more. "You, my friend, are about to enter a totally awesome place. This… is the bird's nest."

AN:
AU!Richard is nineteen, Jason is seventeen, Cass is fifteen, Tim is fourteen, and Damian is ten (because giving Bat Dad four teenagers + Damian all at one time is amusing).

Jason. Harmless. Yeah. Sure. Also, RJ? Really? I hate that nickname (maybe because it was one of mine growing up), which is why I purposefully used it. Apologies to anyone who actually likes it.

Anyway, I've always adored YJ!Robin's wordplay mainly because my significant other and I have been making a game of it ever since we met. Therefore we have the following.

Word of the Day
(Brought to you by Boyfriend)
Downtight (adj.): serene, slow to anger, "chillax".