batfakes | (no subject)

Terry would say stranger things have happened. But for him? They really hadn't. Compared to Bruce's tenure, Terry would probably say his was rather ordinary. If you could call folks like Blight and Inque ordinary. But at least there were no weird time shenanigans or dimension hopping. That had been more of the Justice League's gimmick than his own. And he did not envy them for it. Too many ways it could all go wrong. He much preferred staying grounded in a world that made sense. This one? Made no sense at all.

No automation. No hum of the hover cars in traffic. Not even a gang of Jokerz and Terry might have been thrilled to see them, if that didn't make him sound insane. All things considered, it was hard to believe he was even in the same place. And until he could be sent back home, he'd have to make due with it. Learn to adjust and hope it won't take too long to reverse whatever caused this whole dimension displacement thing in the first place.

He's careful not to stray too far into manor, considering Bruce had been kind enough not to kick his ass and toss him into Arkham the second he poofed into existence and claimed to be Batman of the future. He must have sounded absolutely insane and if not for the suit he had in the backpack still slung over his shoulder, absolutely unbelievable. It's strange being here, when the manor looks lived in and less gloomy. And it makes him curious to see more of it. But he stays where he's been told to wait. This isn't an old man he can outrun Terry's dealing with after all.

"Thanks for not immediately slagging me, Bruce." He doesn't sound very sure in how he addresses Bruce. Was it too weird? He was absolutely not the old man Terry had been with only the night before. But he ultimately decides it's fine. He had to have some kind of confidence if he wanted Bruce to believe his story, right? Right.

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Bruce can only assume 'slagging' means kicking his ass into Arkham where he still considers might be a better fit for the strange young man currently standing in the middle of Wayne Manor. Bruce had alerted Alfred, but he was actually away with Dick and Barbara on a mission in Peru. Something that was necessary, even if Bruce was loathe to loan out his closest partner. Alfred had given him some insight, but it wasn't much of anything Bruce hadn't already considered.

"I'll need to see the suit," he says instead of acknowledging anything else.

The suit. Right. Terry's quick to comply, slipping the strap of his bag off his shoulder and opening it up to reveal the suit tucked away inside of it, next to a math and a robotics textbook. He lays it out neatly so Bruce can get a good look at all of the tech that made it up. Lastly, he offers the cowl to Bruce.

"It was the last one he made before he had to stop. I, uh, kinda stole it from him the first time." It didn't paint him in the best light, Terry knew, but better to get that out in the open right away.

"Is that so?" Bruce asked, his lips pressed into a tight line at this information. More and more, this kid was reminding him of Jason, and one of those in his world was trouble enough.

Still, he took the suit and laid it out on one of the massive dining room tables, examining the tech that was, in a word, futuristic. Beyond Bruce's current understanding of physics and robotics, beyond what he thought could exist. He lifted a hidden flap in the back of the suit, eyebrows rising.

"You fly in this?"

Not a wholly inaccurate assessment. It wasn't something he was particularly proud of, but without it, he wouldn't have the best thing that's ever happened to him. "Yeah. It was. Complicated."

When Bruce finds the wings, Terry nods and points to the boots.

"There are rockets in the boots for propulsion."

Bruce's gaze flicked up to Terry's, trying to read him. Rockets. In the boots. For propulsion. To help him fly. He couldn't even believe his future self would allow a kid like this to fly around Gotham with rockets in his boots.

He fingered the threads, picked at the hidden zips, found some of the tech in the cowl that he wanted to take a deeper look at, and then folded his arms, fixing his eyes to Terry again.

"How far in the future did you say you were from?"

Terry was used to the old man's hard gaze because he'd match it. Challenge it with his own, especially when they didn't agree. The feeling wasn't the same here. He felt oddly nervous. Partly because he wanted Bruce to believe him.

But mostly because he felt like he needed to prove himself, prove that future Bruce hadn't misplaced his trust.

"2040. I've been Batman about year and he retired 20 years before that."

"Another dimension, then," Bruce said, his voice sure even if his brain wasn't. "The future of a parallel world where I retired and somehow let Gotham get bad enough to give it to a child." Bruce picked up the suit and handed it back to Terry. "I'll help you get back. But God help you if you're lying to me, about anything."

Terry isn't gentle in the way he shoved it back into his bag. He knew the circuitry could take the abuse. And he's annoyed. Being kind to the suit is the last thing on his mind. "It may come as a surprise, Bruce, but you don't stay young forever. Gotham needed a Batman and I've been there."

He slung the bag back onto his shoulder. "Besides, wasn't Dick like 9 when became Robin?"

He'll remember to say thanks for the help later.

Bruce felt his stomach drop. It shouldn't have shocked him that Dick, in every universe, became his partner at an age no child should have. And Jason to follow. Then Tim. Damian. Bruce knew he wasn't the best role model, but this kid looked...

"That was different," he said, folding his arms. "And it wasn't my first choice. But if you have Dick in your universe, then you know how persistent he can be." Bruce looked Terry up and down and then nodded towards the study. "Come with me. I want to see what you're capable of."

It didn't seem that different to Terry, but he let it go. Right now, this was the best chance he had to get home and he didn't want to argue himself into getting left here. "I've never actually met him. He doesn't come around much. Neither do the others." Barbara occasionally, but she was commissioner. Bruce liked his secrets so he never explained why and Terry didn't press it.

He followed Bruce, his annoyance tempered by his curiosity. He'd always wondered what training with Bruce in his prime would look like. Guess he'd find out now.

Edited 2025-01-22 06:11 (UTC)

Bruce led them down to the cave via the secret entrance in the study. Terry didn't seem all that surprised by the clock hands or the long, winding staircase. Then the Cave must have been somewhat similar. But this one wouldn't have huge momentos from various villains. It was simply dark, lit only where necessary, the sound of bats flapping on the ceiling and the drip of water somewhere nearby.

A massive stand of computers lining a bay. A room of mats, weapons, and suits. And a few display suits, including one Robin one.

He led Terry into the matted room. "Did you get proper training?" he asked, unbuttoning his shirt.

It didn't surprise him at all. It was how he figured out Bruce's secret in the first place. So the Cave was familiar enough that Terry could mistake it for the one he knew if not for the missing trophies.

In the matted room, Terry dropped the bag by the door and shook his head. "He's not in much of a position to train me formally. But I was on the wrestling team and...I was in a street gang for a while. So I can fight. Just not like you."

And he’s used to having Bruce in his ear, guiding him through those especially tough fights. Terry’s approach to the mat was slow, careful. Deliberate. He tried not to rely so much on Bruce these days but now? Terry kinda wished he could hear him. Just for the reassurance.

Edited (Thought of some more to add) 2025-01-23 17:00 (UTC)