B'shert

The Way of the World is More than it Seems

And while Cyborg, the Flash, Batman, Nightwing and Kid flash try to figure out what went wrong with the boom tube that Niki and Tye had run into, and how to reverse its effects and try and get them back, Tye had nothing much to do. So he hangs around the tower, reads. Does a strenuous looking workout routine and hums instrumentals. And as much as Damian knows he shouldn't he can't help but want to talk to him. Learn about him. Tye moves with grace, not the lethal grace of an assassin but with a gentle grace that neither he or Raven (to his knowledge) possesses, and he wonders where he got it from. He wonders if his long hair is naturally silver. He wonders what his hobbies are, what kind of music he likes and what kind of person he is. He has a lot of questions and he's not sure if he should ask them or not. (But he is very tempted and well on his way into giving in)

And his (Or some version of him self's) sons name is Tiberius Timothy Roth Wayne (Tye for short) and he's fourteen and a figure skater and bi and in a relationship with one of his bond mates; Nikita West. And no his hair isn't naturally silver; it's actually ebony and he's just dyed it that way to go with his costume. And he's been growing it out since he was ten to show his support to Nikita in accepting who they were. And Damian thinks he's amazing and can see pieces of himself and echoes of Raven in him. And Damian also thinks that the version of him that gets to call this child his son is a lucky man.

(Damian wonders why Raven disappeared, to where she disappeared. He wishes she was here.)

Dick can't help but want to learn more about Niki because while he's definitely straight in this reality, he's still some version of his son. Or daughter. Apparently Niki is short for Nikita and Nikita is gender fluid and dating Tye. And Dick can't help but miss his best friend, the pain and grief surrounding his death coming back to stab him in the heart. Niki is so so much like the Wally he remembers, the friend that he lost, and he will forever regret not fixing their friendship before it was too late. (He will never forgive himself for letting there be such a thing as 'too late'.)

*****

And then they finally manage to recreate the boom tube. Some people who shall remain nameless want to ask if they're sure they want to go, because from what they said had been happening when they'd been brought here anything could have happened to their world. And of course, this is assuming that the boom tube works and will lead to THEIR world and not another alternate version. (Of course no one says this, but they think it all the same.) They leave because they know they can't stay, and that's the end of that.

Raven has yet to return a day later and Damian isn't bothered. (He's not.) -We all know he is. - But anyway, he goes back to Gotham because he hasn't been home in a while. And it's nice to play with his little sister, though she makes him think of Tye. (And he should really stop that, because Tye is some other version of him's kid. He's from an alternate universe and Raven and he weren't even close friends.) (But maybe their closer than he thought because Helena asks where 'Auwty Rae'was. Maybe they're friends.)

Nope, apparently they're more than that. Because Damian finds a dark leather box in his closet with words 'My beloved Raven,' on the side and a white gold ring inside