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It was quiet in the War Room. Well, as quiet as the hums and beeps of the computers allowed it to be in it. The rush of the waterfall from the vehicle hangar could be heard in the distance.
Batman had his eyes trained on the main computer screen for any urgent alerts from the League members scouting the streets. He was alone in the room to enjoy monitoring the world for any activity from the Dark Legion members that appeared at what seemed to be random.
“Bruce,” Green Arrow greeted as he approached the panel.
Bruce took in Green Arrow's appearance from the corner of his eye. The hero was in his costume, mask on but hood down, whereas Batman was still in his full cowl.
The fact that Oliver had called him by his real name and not ‘Batman’ meant it wasn't about the entire world-ending situation they were currently in the midst of.
“Ollie,” Bruce decided to respond with.
“How's the situation?” Oliver asked, following Bruce's gaze onto the monitor.
Bruce hummed, his eyes trained on the screen. “Unchanging,” he answered truthfully. “What are you doing?”
Oliver sighed, “I’m everywhere. Taking a break right now. Have you rested recently?”
“I’m fine,” Bruce replied immediately. He’d handled worse than this, and, all things considered, this was a pretty good situation.
“Sure,” Oliver rolled his eyes. “You know it's healthy to take breaks. You give kind of a bad example to younger heroes with this habit.”
“…They’ll be fine.”
“Uh huh,,” Oliver hummed in disagreement. “Say, have you checked on the drone lab recently?”
Bruce had been working in the drone lab previously. The tasks he was doing all around the base were beginning to make him feel more like a manager of the base, rather than a detective or a vigilante that he was known for. He moved on to the drones that they were creating to help with many of those menial tasks, but eventually, it too became another manager-feeling task for him.
One of the monitors in the War Room had live footage of rooms in the Cave. The cameras were organized as the subfloors were. Bruce let his eyes wander to specific levels. On the 3rd level, the Training Lexus was where Batgirl and Robin were training for several hours, alternating to different areas regularly. The lounge, on the 4th level, Nightwing was currently having a snack with Flash and Shazam. Across the hall from the lounge was the library, where Red Hood was reading quietly in the corner. And on the 5th floor’s drone lab… Red Robin was working on the drones. He had taken an interest in working on them, so naturally, Bruce allowed him.
Bruce trusted that Tim was handling everything smoothly. “I haven't heard anything.”
“That's ‘cause Red Robin is in there,” Oliver confirmed. “Do you know how long he’s been in there for?”
Bruce paused. His gaze was trained on the monitor but suspicion rose. Unfortunately, Tim shared some of the habits that Bruce had, especially with their work ethic, and one of those habits was working for too long hours without sufficient breaks. Clearly, this was what Oliver had been hinting at.
Oliver seemed to notice the gears shifting in Bruce’s head. “You know, I’ve been on break for a while now, so I–”
“Your break’s over.” Batman swept out of the room quickly. He paused at the doorway, “Send someone to cover for the next few shifts in the drone lab.”
Oliver chuckled, “You got it.”
~0~
Bruce took the elevator down a few floors to the drone lab. When he entered, he found Red Robin at the computer, operating the machines as they constructed more drones.
“Tim,” Bruce said to the teen’s back.
“B!” Tim jumped in surprise. “You won’t believe the progress I’ve been making! I’ve updated some of the tech here to make sure the process is as efficient as we can get it. Drone production is way up now. But I’ll probably ask Babs to look over it later, too.” He paused after his excited explanation, considering Bruce’s presence. “Oh, did you need me to work somewhere else now?”
Instead of answering, Bruce asked, “When did you last take a break?”
Tim stopped to think about his answer. “Uhhh… Damian came by not too long ago? He threw a granola bar at me, but I ate it!” He grumbled, “You really need to teach that kid more manners, B.”
Bruce held back a sigh. He was right that Tim was showing his sleep deprived hyperness. “Damian and Barbara have been in the training room for the last three hours,” he said. “Yes, they have been taking plenty of their own breaks,” he added when Tim opened his mouth to retort.
Tim frowned, “Okay that's different. Everyone needs a break when training. I'm just handling the drones. Lab work.” He waved a hand in the air nonchalantly, “Completely different.”
“Your mind also needs to rest,” Bruce said pointedly.
Tim groaned, “Come on, B, you haven't taken a break, either. Get off my case.”
Bruce nodded once, “You’re right. That’s why we are going to take one now.”
Tim turned away. “I really don’t need one. Working right now is keeping my mind off of other things.”
That made Bruce pause. “What things?”
“It’s nothing,” Tim deflected again. “Just let me keep working.”
“Tim,” Bruce stepped up to the teen and rested a hand on his shoulder gently, “I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“It’s just… the Dark Knights.” Tim said. “Why are there so many dark versions of you? And who knows how many more versions– of us, even– there are like that! I just can’t stop thinking about the infinite universes. My mind won’t rest.”
Oh. Bruce realized. Sure, he had considered the alternate and dark versions of these universes. But Bruce was looking at it with his colleagues- many of the other League members had dark versions as well. While on duty in the base, he was disconnecting himself from thinking too much about these individuals. He needed to focus on the mission at hand: removing them and keeping his own universe safe.
He just didn’t realize that things would be affecting his family so deeply.
“I don’t know,” Bruce admitted. “I don’t know what the other versions of Batman have been through. They’ve made mistakes they can’t change. But those dark versions aren’t our reality.”
“How can we be sure we’re not one bad choice away from becoming like them? What if one of us breaks? Every time I get a quiet moment, I just think about all the moments we could have made a different choice. What if the next choice we make is our breaking point?”
“We don’t know how things will go,” Bruce agreed. “We all make our mistakes, but we are strong enough to move forward together. We don’t have to do things alone.” He paused. “All I can say about the alternate Dark Knights is that it can’t have been with you boys around. I would lose myself without any of you. That, I’m sure about on any Earth.”
“ Murder Machine, ” Tim whispered.
Bruce held back a flinch. The version of himself that disconnected himself from his emotions from losing Alfred and was subsequently lost to rage was not one of the best universes.
Tim pulled forward and wrapped his arms around Bruce. “I guess I needed to hear that,” he admitted.
Bruce hugged Tim tightly. “We’re together here,” he stated. “No matter what happens, I’m protecting my boys. So please, I need you to take care of yourself.”
“Bruce…” Tim pouted, “I honestly forget to, sometimes.”
“It’s alright,” Bruce said, smiling softly. “That’s why we’re a family. We take care of each other.” He released Tim and paused the active drone work on the computer. He put a hand on Tim’s shoulder again and guided him to the door. “Come on, chum.”
Tim sighed but gave in and followed, “I wish you would bother Dick or Jason.”
“You need my attention right now.”
“So I'm the problem child,” Tim huffed lightly.
“No, you’re just my child,” Bruce tugged Tim close and shook him playfully.
Bruce led them to the elevator and went down to the 7th floor living area where his sons all took rooms. Dick had wrangled all four of the boys into rooms in the same level, so it somewhat became a private floor for the family. Bruce had a room on another floor with Green Arrow, Superman and Flash.
Each room was very small; furnished with a single sized bed, a nightstand, a chair, and hooks for costume storage with not much room to move around. Large lounging chairs were in the common space outside the sleeping rooms. Bruce led Tim to his room.
“I don’t know if I can sleep,” Tim admitted, pulling down his mask and unclipping his wings.
“At least rest your eyes,” Bruce said as he pulled his cowl off.
Tim nodded and plopped onto the mattress. “Where will you sleep?”
Bruce sat down on the chair next to the bed. “I’ll be right here.”
Tim stared at him for a moment. He laid back on the bed and scooted over to the wall. “There's enough space here.” He patted at the half empty bed.
There was… barely. However, Bruce took the invitation and settled in beside the teen.
Tim rolled close, allowing Bruce to wrap his arms over his figure, his eyes fluttering shut. “Goodnight, dad.”
“Goodnight, son.”
~0~
Bruce woke up to muted voices.
“ They’re sleeping so soundly .”
“ It looks uncomfortable. ”
“ It is because these beds are unfit for sharing. ”
“ You’re one to say, brat. You’re so small, I bet you’d fit in with anyone here .”
“ You are one of the largest ones here! ”
“ And I’ll squish you like a bug! ”
Bruce carefully shifted away from Tim as he stood up from the bed. He paused when Tim took a breath, but he didn’t wake up.
“ Aw, Lil D, we can totally cuddle together comfortably! ”
“ Unhand me, Richard! Jason! This is your fault! ”
Jason cackled.
“Boys,” Bruce said, stepping into the space and closing the room’s door behind him quietly. Dick was holding a fidgeting Damian against his person and Jason was lounging casually on one of the seats nearby. All three had their masks off, or helmet, in Red Hood’s case.
“Bruce!” Dick called. “Did we wake you?”
“Great going,” Jason puffed.
Damian shoved Dick off of him and scurried over to Bruce. “Father, hopefully you had an adequate sleep despite resting with Timothy in these inappropriately sized beds.”
Damian didn’t realize that Bruce had been in charge of those beds. Perhaps in the next iteration of a backup Batcave he will add family sized rooms for parents and even couples. “Yes Damian,” he said instead, “I think it was quite restful sleeping with someone.” When Damian nodded, Bruce tried to throw an idea out at his young son; the one who no matter how much time he spent with, was never enough, “Maybe I can join you tonight.”
Damian seemed surprised by the proposition. “Of course, Father. That would be acceptable.”
Bruce smiled and kneeled down, “Thank you. Can I have a hug?”
Damian hesitated, confused, but quickly fell into Bruce’s arms.
Bruce held him tightly. “And please don't throw things at your brothers.”
Damian clicked his tongue, “ Tt . I knew he would tattle.”
“ No ,” Bruce defended incorrectly, “I just know.”
“Sure you do, old man,” Jason scoffed.
Bruce released Damian and rose to look at the older two of his sons. “Are you two alright?”
“All good,” Dick smiled, though weariness was on his face.
“Dandy,” Jason said.
The lackluster answers were expected, but not what Bruce was getting at. If Tim had been affected so deeply, he wanted to make sure the others were doing better, or that he could help.
Sometimes, though, directness wasn’t the best way to go in their family. Bruce threw a look around the room, eyeing the television mounted on a wall. “How about we all watch a movie tonight?”
“Movie night?” Dick caught on immediately, eyes brightening.
Bruce nodded.
Jason hummed, glancing around at the other lounge seats. “I bet if we pushed these things together we’d have enough space for all of us, unlike those beds.”
“For cuddling?” Dick added, eyes brightening some more, if possible.
Jason threw his hands up, “Actually no, I take that back.”
“No take-backsies!” Dick called as he captured Jason in his arms.
Bruce turned away from the two as they started to wrestle each other with a Batman-sized smile. “Would you like to join me back in the War Room, Damian?”
“Yes Father, let us leave the squabble,” Damian hurried to join Bruce on the way out.
“Hey!” Jason cried, jumping up. “I’m out of here, too.”
“Aw,” Dick said. “Be back after dinner for movie night, though!”
~0~
That evening, Bruce returned to the living space with Damian to find Dick, Jason, Tim, and Barbara already settling onto the lounge chairs they had pushed together as planned.
The movie chosen was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as the first movie for the night. The family settled into the makeshift couch; Bruce in the center with Damian and Tim on either side of him, Jason on Damian’s side, Dick next to Tim, and Barbara next to Dick.
A few sheets from the beds were brought over and thrown on top of them, and someone had found popcorn to munch on through the show.
Despite hours of sleep in the day, Tim fell asleep halfway through the movie.
“Timothy needs to sleep more,” Damian complained quietly to Bruce.
Bruce smiled softly, “We need to help him sometimes.”
Damian nodded, “I will make sure to watch over Timothy more while we are here.”
“Thank you, Damian,” Bruce said, pressing a kiss to his head. “But make sure you get enough rest, too.”
Damian flushed. He crossed his arms tightly, “I am capable of caring for myself.”
“I know you are,” Bruce smiled.
It wasn’t long after that Damian fell asleep against him.
“I’ll keep an eye on the brats,” Jason whispered over to Bruce.
Bruce looked up at him, but Jason had his eyes locked onto the TV.
“We take care of each other,” Dick said from his other side, giving Bruce a smile. “That’s what family is for.”
Barbara nodded, “Right now, that’s the most important thing.”
Bruce hummed in agreement. He pulled the sheets over himself and the boys around him closer. “I’m grateful for you all,” he managed to say, his gaze trained on the young boys.
“You don’t have to say it, B,” Dick said. “We know.”
“Being here is enough,” Barbara added.
Jason nodded as well.
Bruce reached over and patted Jason’s head, who leaned into the touch slightly.
The sound of Pure Imagination playing from the ending of the movie washed over them. No one stirred, cozy and comfortable as they leaned on each other, silent understanding between them. No matter how dark the night, they were family, and that was enough.