Time Loop vs Ethiopia

Chapter 2

Turned out Tim had come prepared.

It hadn't taken long to return to Dick's apartment: a small, obviously lived-in apartment that was pretty nice for Bluudhaven and somewhat substandard for anywhere else. (Yep. That was Bluud for you.) After Dick had turned the latch, checked the security by the door, and toed off his shoes (with Tim instantly stooping to take off his own, Dick noted with amusement), they had retreated to the couch, Dick taking one end and Tim perching on the opposite side.

And then the kid was pulling file after file out of his backpack. Because he'd been prepared to prove to Dick that there was a time loop, apparently.

"But since you already know," Tim continued, "I'll just pull out the files on Jason."

...Jason?

"Wa-wa-wait," Dick said, waving his hands. Tim looked up at him from across the couch, several files strewn across the space in front of him. "Jason? Why do you think Jason's in trouble?"

"I'm... not really positive he needs our help," Tim said, fiddling with the edge of one of the folders. "But something seems... really off, and since we're looping this day..."

Apparently this trip to Ethiopia wasn't as benign as Dick had assumed.

The information Tim had pulled definitely painted a confusing picture. The kid pinpointed the days both Bruce and Jason had disappeared from patrol (a week ago for Robin, a day for Batman), and when they had left the country (a day apart, using Bruce's credit card). Which. Weird. For several reasons. And at this point, all the red flags were popping up on Dick's radar. (Also, he was just going to ignore the part where this kid knew what was happening with Bruce's patrol routes. And credit cards.)

At this point, Tim brought up that Jason had been seen one other time– going into Crime Alley. And he was confirmed leaving... with a box.

Several clues and possible leads secured, Dick figured it was time to call in backup.

On Tim's phone.

Because apparently Dick's was still in space.

(Because of course it was.)

20 minutes later, Alfred had found the box Jason had stashed in his room and filled Dick in on what had been happening around the Manor lately.

Tim and Dick had retreated to his bedroom (which... unfortunately was pretty messy from when he had been throwing things into a suitcase for the space mission but eh. Tim didn't seem to mind.). The blinds were closed and they were huddled around Dick's laptop, which was connected to the Cave's computer system, throwing blue light into the room.

"So after a rough, drawn-out mission that hit on a personal level," Dick summed up drily, "Bruce came and asked Jason what had happened– but he's Bruce, so it probably came off like he was accusing Jason of murder– and then benched Robin, so Jason went back where he grew up and found out his mom wasn't his mom and his birth mom was alive and... ostensibly, in Ethiopia."

"Sounds like a rough week," Tim said, eyes blown wide beside him.

Dick huffed a laugh. "Yeah, no kidding." And here he was, one week into the time loop, just now figuring out that something was seriously going down in his family. He sighed, rubbing a hand against his face. "I wish I'd been here..."

"You are now, Master Richard." Alfred's voice crackled out of the phone, laying on the desk and put on speaker. "And from what you have told me about the nature of your return... there is likely much good you can do."

Well. Alfred hadn't really been wrong thus far in Dick's life, so he and Tim promised to update him, then dove back to work.

"Sheila Haywood," Dick muttered, pulling up her file. "It looks like she's the last one Jason searched."

"Found them," Tim reported at the same time, tapping away at his phone. "They landed kinda in the middle of nowhere."

"Humanitarian worker at a camp in Ethiopia..." Dick continued, scrolling through the information. With a few quick taps, he pulled up the location of the camp and jotted down the results. "Probably where Jason was heading, so Bruce shouldn't be far behind."

"Do you think he made it?" Tim asked, looking up.

"Hopefully," Dick said. "It's a place for us to start looking either way."

Tim blinked. "For us to– We're going to Ethiopia?"

Dick's fingers paused over the keyboard, and he spun around in his chair. Tim sat on the edge of the bed, something light and excited beginning to shine in his eyes.

"We've gotta figure this out together, right?" Dick asked, eyebrow raised. "...That is, if you want to come with, of course."

Tim sucked in a sharp breath, splitting into a wide grin. "Yes. Definitely yes!"

"Alright then," Dick said, answering with a grin of his own. "Let's go get Jason."

Tim grinned, and Dick spun back to the computer.

Some shuffling on the bed behind him and then Tim stood beside Dick at the computer. He looked over hesitantly. "...how are we going to get there?"

"Well..." Dick said, thinking for a moment. "You said Bruce chartered a plane, right? Went as himself?"

Tim was nodding when Dick glanced over.

"Alright then," he continued, smiling slyly as he side-eyed the kid. "...You ready to see the Batcave?"

...

It... looked like Tim had forgotten how to breathe.

A/N: Thanks for reading everyone!  Let me know what you thought in the comments below and get ready for next week as Dick and Tim make for Africa!