Flashpoint Universe-1, Gotham City, Batcave.
Red Robin, Tim, hadn't slept the entire night. His eyes were bloodshot, his face filled with exhaustion, yet his mind was still highly alert—or rather, he was far from calm.
"Tim, get some rest. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet," said Stephanie, his girlfriend and fellow Robin, sitting beside him with concern.
"I can't sleep." Tim shook his head. His thoughts were a complete mess.
Pietro had already told him yesterday about the plan to bring in a Batman from another universe. Even after all this time, Tim still couldn't settle his mind.
Batman.
A Batman from another universe.
A younger Bruce Wayne—or rather, Batman at his true peak.
This was something Tim had never encountered before. Even though he understood that bringing in another world's Batman to take over the Batcave was the best option right now, it was impossible for him not to have complicated feelings about it.
Having lived with old Bruce Wayne for so long, no one was more worried about his condition than Tim.
The truth was, Bruce had already reached retirement age decades ago. As his successor, Tim sincerely didn't want Bruce to take up the mantle again. But having another Batman replace him—it left Tim with an indescribable, unbearable feeling.
Stephanie saw the turmoil in Tim's heart and spoke gently. "Don't overthink it. The Justice Society collectively decided on this, and it's for the good of everyone."
"For the good of everyone? You mean bringing in someone we don't even know to take over Gotham?" Tim lifted his head.
"The fact is, neither you nor I are anywhere near Bruce's level. Having another Batman lead the operations is the best solution."
Stephanie sighed heavily. "Bruce is in a deep coma right now. No one knows if he'll ever wake up. And even if he does, do you really want to see him go through another war?"
"Of course not!" Tim clenched his fists.
Right now, he hated himself. Why? Why hadn't he trained harder? Why had he been so gravely injured by Steppenwolf? Why, even now, was he still unable to stand on his own?
When Bruce risked everything and went alone into the enemy's stronghold for the sake of the world, why had he been lying on a medical stretcher, completely powerless?
Tim shut his eyes in agony.
He had always wanted to inherit Batman's mantle so that the exhausted old Bruce Wayne could finally enjoy his retirement.
So why had things turned out like this?
"It's my fault," Tim said hoarsely. "If I weren't so weak, Bruce wouldn't have ended up like this. The battle at the Fortress of Solitude… I should have been the one to act."
"Tim." Stephanie grasped his hand, feeling his warmth. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself. This isn't your fault. No one could have predicted when the enemy would strike."
"I wasn't prepared. I didn't train hard enough," Tim shook his head.
He was well aware of his shortcomings. He had a talent for investigation and detective work, but his combat abilities were far too lacking.
And now, it was too late to say anything.
What's done was done.
Bruce had lost consciousness, and starting tomorrow, the Batcave would be handed over to a total stranger.
Lowering his head, Tim's hands trembled slightly, as if trying to suppress some emotion from bursting out.
Watching him with concern, Stephanie whispered, "Tim… don't do anything reckless."
Tim instantly froze.
After a moment, he slowly turned his head toward Stephanie. "You actually reminded me of something."
"You—" Stephanie opened her mouth, suddenly regretting that she had spoken at all.
"This is my home. This is Bruce's home. This place holds the legacy of Bruce's entire life. I won't let the Batcave be taken over so easily," Tim said calmly.
"But they're here to help us," Stephanie reminded him.
"I know. That's why I won't do anything drastic," Tim glanced at her. "Relax, I just want to see what this Batman is really capable of."
Stephanie frowned. "What exactly are you planning?"
Tim didn't answer.
He simply smirked, a meaningful expression on his face.
---------------------------
Early Morning.
Wayne Manor's Entrance.
"I'll drop you off here. Maybe this place is a bit different from what you remember, but I imagine that as Batman, you won't get lost in 'your own' house," Tony Stark said with a smile, addressing the four people behind him.
Batman remained silent, carefully observing the grand building before him.
As Tony had said, this Wayne Manor was quite different from his own—at least in terms of details. But overall, it was just as magnificent.
"This place looks pretty nice. Guess you're a rich guy in every universe, huh, old man?" Damian grinned.
"That's true," Dick laughed. "But apparently, this universe's Bruce never got married or had kids. Meaning… you don't exist here, Damian."
Before they arrived, Tony Stark had prepared a detailed report about this universe for them. It contained thorough descriptions of its superheroes, their origins, their abilities, and even secrets about the Bat-Family.
It also included extensive information on the supervillains and Apokolips forces present in this world.
These details had been provided by the Justice Society and Tim.
"Tch." Damian folded his arms behind his head, looking indifferent. "Whatever. Not like you two exist here either. I heard Robin in this universe is a girl."
"It was a guy at first—Tim Drake," Jason interjected.
"Tim Drake, huh…" Dick repeated the name, then muttered, "I had a childhood friend with that exact name."
"Oh ho, getting replaced by your best childhood friend—how does that feel?" Damian leaned toward Dick with a grin.
Dick rolled his eyes and shoved Damian away. "There's no such thing as 'replacing' anyone. Every universe has its own path. I'm just happy for him."
"Alright, enough chit-chat. You can catch up with Tim and Stephanie when you see them inside. I've got other things to do, so I'm heading out." Tony Stark spoke up.
As he spoke, he pulled out a red device, designed like a wristwatch.
"This is a communication device for contacting the Overseers. Right now, both universes have the same time flow. If anything happens, let us know immediately."
Batman took the device and nodded. "What about Pietro and the others?"
"They're either at the Justice Society or in Central City. Pietro, Kara, and Barry Allen go way back—they've been sticking together these past few days."
Tony shrugged, then added, "Oh, and one more thing—I need to ask you to handle Wayne Enterprises. Old Bruce Wayne is in a coma, and someone has to take over his position at Wayne Group.
The board is stable for now, but if we delay too long, things could get messy. The Justice Society wants you to take over his shares and authority—as Bruce Wayne's son."
"Huh???"
Before Batman could respond, the three Robins all gave him incredulous looks.
'He, becoming an alternate version of himself's son? What kind of plot twist is this?'
"Damian, congratulations—you've got a new grandpa now!" Jason laughed loudly, completely ignoring the fact that Batman was standing right next to him.
"Isn't this a bit too ridiculous? There's got to be another way." Dick turned to Tony Stark.
"This is already the best option. This world's Bruce has no children, and no one knows about his identity as Batman. If news of his condition gets out, the global economy will be in turmoil by tomorrow."
As one of the richest people in the world, Tony Stark understood all too well how disastrous it could be if a figure like Bruce Wayne suddenly disappeared. When he shut down Stark Industries' weapons division, it caused chaos—and even led to the rise of supervillains who became direct threats to him.
Looking at Batman, Tony smirked. "You already look exactly like this world's Bruce. A DNA test won't be a problem. And with your skills, running Wayne Enterprises shouldn't be difficult for you."
Batman showed no reaction, his expression remaining as calm as ever. "Understood. I'll stabilize Wayne Enterprises."
"Good. As long as you know what to do." Tony nodded. "Pietro and I will be staying here for a few days. Once you guys have fully adjusted to this universe, we'll head back to the Wasteland. You know how short-staffed the Overseers are."
Just as he finished speaking, Tony suddenly paused.
At that exact moment, the group, who had been joking around just a second ago, all sensed something—instantly turning serious. Then, from above, a metal canister came hurtling down at high speed.
Thick smoke erupted from it, rapidly engulfing everyone in its dense cloud.
.....
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