Story Synopsis: Time flies when you’re fighting evil mages, morphs, and metas.
A/N:
“Chasing the Moonlight: One Year Later”
It was one of those cases you just didn’t talk about, and if you weren’t with the Batman when it happened, then you didn’t even make a report. Bruce just wouldn’t believe the story.
Of course, Batman was “dead,” and instead of crashing in the Wayne Manor study and watching reruns of old sitcoms with tubs of ice cream and birch beer, Dick and Tim did the next best thing—found a dingy, all-night diner off the New Jersey Turnpike, crashed in a booth in the corner, and picked up the pieces.
“You can’t be more wrong,” Tim laughed after his third cup of coffee. “Totally Babs.”
“Oh, come on. Even Babs makes a better cup.” Dick took another sip of his brother’s cup and managed not to wince, though his go-tee twitched with the buzz. “Maybe Cassie’s brew.”
Tim blinked. “Cassie? I’m sorry. Who?”
Dick rolled his eyes. “Don’t go there, Timbourine.”
“Don’t call me that, and please, you hated her.”
“I didn’t hate her. I just didn’t trust her, and…”
“And you hated her.”
“Tim,” Dick stole the younger man’s
cup and lifted it to his mouth. “
“Yet,” Tim added.
“So she must be keeping him in line—”
“You hope—”
“I hope—*sip*—ugh! Dude, why’d you order another two cups?”
“To answer the
latter—because it’s funny watching you keep drinking it and to answer the
former—because if
“Me?” Dick whirled his pointer finger in the air and then directed it toward Tim. “You mean we.”
Tim laughed and stole the cup. “Oh, no. You’re second-in-command. You’re the eldest, B-man’s next-in-succession. When he comes back, you better pray Gotham’s not gone, Jason’s not over the edge, and Little D’s not in Juvie, or you are so— *sip* —ugh! That is horrible.”
“Jason horrible.”
“Little D horrible.”
“Man, I miss Alfred’s hot chocolate.”
As soon as the words left Dick’s mouth, his face fell, and Tim sat back in the booth. Yeah, they both missed Alfred—and Leslie and even Jason and Damian and Cassie and…and…
Tim dipped into his jacket’s pocket and flung a small, wrapped box onto the table.
“Speaking of being away from home…” He glanced at his watch. “It’s two-fifty-six. Happy birthday, bro.”
His
birthday. Oh, God, had it really been a year since they left Gotham—the manor
in rubble,
Wow. Time flies when you’re fighting evil mages, morphs, and metas.
Dick picked up the small gift and tore the paper. “How’d you get this? We’ve been together, like, thirty-one.”
Tim blinked. Dick knew the phrase “thirty-one” and actually used it? The surprises on their journey just never ceased. “Just open it.”
Complying, Dick lifted off the top
and froze. A simple platinum necklace lay in the box among the stuffing. It was
his—a Christmas gift from Bruce was he was sixteen—and he thought he’d lost it
forever in
His trembling eyes slowly rose to meet Tim’s. “Kiddo…”
The younger man pulled the tie from his long hair and once more pulled it into a low but kept tail. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m re-gifting. Raze made me have this, and now I’m giving you half, but—”
“Tim, w—what are you thinking? This keeps you in this realm! This keeps you from becoming—”
“—completely Syren. I know, but even Atlan said it’s better if I split up the amulet, so even if Raze destroys one part, we still have the other. And I can’t think of a better person to give it to.”
Dick’s fumbling fingers finally managed to clasp the necklace, but he couldn’t lift it from the box. “Tim, I—I don’t want to—”
“You won’t, and this will protect you.” Tim reclaimed the coffee cup from the table. “I mean, you won’t be able to talk to spirits or conjure up anything, but you’ll be able to make shields against those fireballs that keep being thrown at us—ugh! Take this away from me.”
Dick’s face remained serious as he
glared at the necklace. He didn’t want to put it on. He didn’t want to think
that losing this piece of jewelry could mean the end of his brother’s life here
on the mortal plane and the beginning of a new crusade, one he would even
abandon their current one for. After all, Tim was right. He’d left Jason and
Damian and Cassandra—three known killers—in charge of
But nothing would compare to what would happen if he found Bruce without Tim.
And if Tim was gone, nothing would ever save Dick.
He’d already lost one little brother and two fathers. He’d be damned to lose Tim, too, and there were very few people they could trust with half the amulet, and no one Dick trusted more with his brother’s life than himself.
He didn’t remember working the necklace over his head, just felt its presence upon his chest under his T-shirt. Like usual, he threw on a strong front. “So, pretty much, you gave me you for my birthday? Bro, that’s just sick.”
“Not that way!” Tim shrieked and shook his head. “Hey, we’ve been eating, sleeping, and living together for the last year. You really didn’t think I haven’t noticed the worried glances you throw my way while you’re driving and think I’m asleep?”
There was a moment of silence before Dick worked out of the booth and urged Tim over in his own. Sitting down, he threw his arm about the teen’s shoulders and pulled him close. “It’s the best present ever. Thanks, Tim.”
“There’s more!” Tim added. “It’ll give you some feeling back in your hand.”
That drew Dick’s eyes to the leather glove he wore over left hand. “It’s fine.”
“It has its uses, but it throws off your high bar routine.”
Dick’s eyes grew. Tim noticed such a thing?
Tim grinned as if he heard his brother’s unspoken question. “Yeah, I’m getting pretty good, aren’t I?”
“Yeah…you are,” the older brother confirmed with pride.
They sat in comfortable silence for
what seemed like the longest time, and Dick caught a glimpse of them in the
window’s reflection. They’d changed. There was no denying it. He grew a goatee
to hide his identity, while Tim agreed to grow out his hair. They no longer
appeared that the polished rich kids they might have been (or at least Tim was
once), and their eyes both were marred by what they’d seen. They’d lost
everything when they left
Each other.
“So, what’s next on the list?”
Tim snapped his fingers and appearing in a puff of black smoke hovered a small, orange book. He placed on the table and opened it with a wave of his finger. The pages seemed to flip themselves before they stopped halfway through. Without touching the page, Tim swiped a finger, crossing out a line.
“Well, the New Jersey Devil is
simply a morph in mage clothing, so that leaves vampires in
“Let’s see if the undead know anything about our undead dad.”
“But…” Tim hesitated when Dick looked at him but eventually spilled. “We’re this close. Shouldn’t we at least—”
“It’s better this way, Tim. You
know that.” It broke Dick’s heart to say it, but it was true. With a Syren
assassin on the tails along with the numerous people who could recognize them,
Tim nodded sadly. He’d known it, too, but it didn’t make the decision any easier. Then again, nothing was very easy on their trip.
Dick ruffled Tim’s hair, causing his younger brother to protest, then stood and reclaimed his jacket. The waitress came over, a wide smile upon her exhausted features.
“Would you like some more coffee?”
Dick and Tim met each other’s gazes and declined thoughtfully, even adding a few bills to her tip.
“She’ll need it for barista lessons,” Tim snickered.
Dick elbowed him in the gut and proceeded outside. “You’re one to talk.”
After the horrible fiasco of the
Holiday Inn Express in
Dick threw a hand out, stopping Tim instantly.
“What is it?” the younger asked.
Dick wasn’t sure himself, only felt the hair prickle upon the back of his neck. He knew better when he looked at their Ferrari, seeing the trunk popped open. God, if Raze found them, he’d—he’d—he’d give them clean clothes?
Sure enough, their old duffles, which spilled of muddied and torn shirts and jeans, were missing, replaced by two nicely packed ones apiece, one filled with clothes, one filled with bat-equipment.
“Dick!”
Tim’s cry brought Dick about the back of the car to see the teen’s pale face and the single finger pointed toward the inside. What was it? A dead body, a werewolf eating their moldy cheeseburger—or two thermo-mugs in their cup holders along with a paper bag on each seat and a note taped to the rearview mirror.
Oh, and all their McDonald and KFC and Burger King cartons? Totally missing.
There was only one answer to their unspoken question. They slowly dropped to their respected seats—Dick’s the driver’s, Tim’s the navigator’s—and the older brother opened the letter.
“Richard and Timothy,
My sincerest wishes of happiness and hope on your birthday (and my sincerest apologies for the belated message, Timothy). I hope you both find what you seek and you return home to us as safely as you left. You are not forgiven for the avenue by which you took your leave nor for the way you young gentlemen have maintained your living arrangements; however, you are forever in our minds, our hearts, and our prayers.
Safe journey, lads.
Love,
Alfred
P.S. Call when in need and perform proper grooming. You look like ruffians fresh
from a local alcoholic establishment.”
Dick folded the note and met Tim’s watery eyes. “He knew.”
“He always does.”
The alluring smell of hot chocolate only lasted a few moments before they opened their mugs and tasted home, and Dick looked out the window to see the lighter sky toward the north.
Perhaps they weren’t so far from home as they thought.
He looked back at Tim and ruffled the boy’s hair one more. “Ready?”
Tim snapped
his fingers and a map of the East Coast popped up before him like a transparent
image. “Yeah. Get back on the Turnpike and head south. We hit I-95 just before
the
“ETA?”
“Regular speed limits? Eight hours. The way you drive? Just under five. More like six and a half if we stop for a bath, haircut, and shave.”
Dick put
the car in reverse and took them out. Even though the lights of
And one day, they would return—together.
The End
A/N: Hey everyone.
Thanks for the kind words and support. I opened my first comic book yesterday (It was Superman, sadly enough), so I’m slowly but surely getting there. It’s just great to know that I have so many great friends here. I probably wouldn’t have posted this so soon, but I figured the challenges were there. I probably should get on with it.
Dev