"Alfred? You knew?" Dick's voice cracked as he heard Selina scream after Danny who undoubtably ran off. Big baby blue eyes stared up at wrinkly grey ones.

"Master Dick, please understand that this was for the better."

"Better for who? You know how hard we've been looking for him! If I had known where he was I-"

"Wouldn't have lost focus and nearly gotten shot leading to Master Bruce grounding you?"

"That's very uncalled for and you know it." Dick pouted as he started to walk back to his room to get dressed. He wasn't really angry at Alfred, they were right in keeping it secret until they got a better handle on everything. But why couldn't they just have let him know? He had been worried sick looking for his brother! He tried to look for Cujo too but nothing showed up, not even a singular camera glitch that he knows the little pup causes sometimes.

"And where do you think you're going, young master?" Alfred's tone didn't sound judging at all, more rhetorical if anything. Dick knew the man wouldn't stop him. He never had, not when it was important anyway.

"I'm going to look for my brother, and you are going to keep this quiet from Bruce." He could feel Alfred's look, the specific Alfred looktm when he raised one eyebrow and looked anything but impressed. If the circumstances were different he'd care enough to look at the man but right now he had a scared brother to find. "We both know you won't stop me, Alf. Might as well become even more of an accomplice after hiding Danny for who knows how long."

"How, pray tell, will you find the boy when he has the ability to avoid everything that would alert Batman of his whereabouts?"

Dick paused for a second, shoe halfway hanging off his foot. "I...I'll figure something out on the way there." He tugged on his shoe and quickly laced it up before walking past his pseudo-grandfather and making his way down to the Batcave. Luckily Batman was out and nowhere near Selina's place so that should give him enough leeway to get in and find Danny.

"If you do find the young master, please make sure he eats some of these." Alfred held out a small backpack that he got from who knows where.

"When, Alf. When, not if." Dick eyed him suspiciously while peeking inside. Speedster protein bars. Odd but fair. Danny was a meta now so probably needed extra calories or whatever. With a final look between the two, Dick got on his bike and raced off to Gotham. The moment he got out of the cave system, rain pelted down on him as thunder crashed all over. Whatever this storm was, it was strong and it was massive. He could see lightning hitting Wayne Tower off in the distance. Idly he praised Lucious for putting a lightning rod on the building to harvest the electricity produced during Gotham's storms. Yay for clean energy, one small positive thing about the hell that had been his week.

Once he got close enough inside the city limits, Dick checked his wrist computer. Right now Batman should be on the other side of Gotham unless Gordon asked for his help on something. Dick hoped it was the latter as he sped towards Crime Alley.

Trained eyes looked at every person he passed by, looking, hoping to see somebody that would match Danny's built. He really should have asked Selina for a description of what he was wearing but if Danny was really on the run again, he would probably ditch whatever made him recognizable.

He stopped at a small safehouse where he could store his bike. No sight of his brother yet but maybe he would have better luck up on the rooftops. It's where he would go too if people were looking for him. Rooftops move faster and have less camera coverage so it's easier to get around the city unnoticed.

Exactly why the Dynamic Duo preferred them as well.

Dick clutched the backpack close, making sure it was still secure on his back before climbing up the fire escape of the safehouse. He was about 4 blocks away from Crime Alley. 11 blocks from Selina's. He'd have to move fast if he wanted to have a decent shot of finding a meta in this weather but without the extra grip from his suit it made full sprints rather dangerous on the water soaked rooftops.

Still, Dick went as fast as he could, jumping or grappling faster than he should. As he landed on another rooftop, thunder and lightning crashed at the same time. He tried hard to not flinch but it was hard. Cold winds and freezing cold rain hammered down on him as he kept trying to look around. Every rumble of thunder shaking his bones. Every crack of lightning risking to be his last. Did his shoes even have insulators in case lightning hit the roof he was on?

Dick was struggling to focus. All this training and pride at how well he performed under pressure but none of it was enough right now. Panic started to set in as he looked around with absolutely no sign of anybody. Gotham was a big city and he knew well enough how easy it was to disappear without a tail on you.

Thunder filled the sky as lightning hit the rooftop next to where he was standing. On instinct, Dick yelped out and curled in on himself as electricity still hung heavy in the air. Breathing seemed to get harder as everything was so loud and overwhelming. He had no actual way of finding his brother. No way to contact anybody if he did. No way to call for help if he got hurt out here on his own. He couldn't help but let some of the tears fall that had been building in his eyes at the thought of yet again losing his brother when he got so close.

Faintly he felt a small pressure on his knee. A familiar presence.

Looking up from between his arms, Dick came face to face with a panicked looking Cujo.

Dick immediately reached out to the pup, grabbing him in a bearhug as thunder rumbled once more. The storm seemed to get even worse as the eye seemed to hover in place over the city. "Cujo!" He cried out as he rubbed his face in the soaked fur of the pup. He pulled away and held the green dog up to eye level. "Please, please say you know where he is." Dick pleaded with Cujo.

The pup seemed to understand the desperation he was in as he immediately started to struggle out of Dick's grasp. The moment he set down the pup, Cujo ran off to the edge of the rooftop. He looked back at Dick, barking furiously. A crash of thunder and lightning betrayed just how worried the pup was as well as for a second he grew into his hound form before shrinking again. Maybe he wasn't a fan of the storm either.

None the less, Dick scrambled to get up and follow the green dog. Cujo had yet to let him down before so he had faith in the pup. They made their way across rooftops as fast as humanly possible without risking slipping off. Cujo lead the way, shifting here and there as lighting got too close to either them or where they were heading. If it wasn't for the fact Cujo was in fact a glowing green dog, Dick would have lost sight of him long ago. Rain picked up harder, making visibility barely 15 feet as wind rushed all around him.

As they made their way across another rooftop, Cujo seemed to pick up pace a little. It was almost impossible to make out but as lightning illuminated the sky, Dick could see a figure off in the distance. Feeling reenergized with hope, he picked up the pace to try and match Cujo.

The closer they got, the more he could clearly see the figure. Whoever they were, they were clearly not a fan of the storm either. Nearly on beat with Cujo shifting forms, the figure would duck and almost slip. Perhaps that's why Cujo was so worried earlier?

As if luck was finally on his side, the figure slipped enough to take a second to get back up. Just enough time for Dick and Cujo to get close enough. Just close enough for Cujo to bark out and the figure to hear. Dick nearly lost his footing as the figure turned around to look at Cujo.

Bright white hair nearly covered up terrified green eyes that looked back at his as Dick sprinted to run towards his brother. "Danny!" He yelled out gleefully. Finally! Finally he found him! Dick's entire face became one big smile as he sprinted towards Danny.

That smile quickly faded as Danny almost tripped over himself while trying to get back up and keep running.

Confused, Dick followed him. Desperate to catch up he kept calling out his brother's name as he ignored safety precautions just for that little bit of extra speed. Only by the grace of the gods was Danny not just flying away or using any of his powers. It's the only reason Dick even stood a chance to catch up. "Danny! Wait!" He called out again, slipping on the slippery asphalt roof. He could feel he cut his hands as he tried to not fall while continuing to run.

Absolutely no way in hell was he going to give up now. Not when he was this close.

Giving it his all, Dick managed to slowly catch up to him. Cujo had run ahead to where Danny was and tried to block his way to very little avail. It only slowed him down enough that they were a rooftop or two apart now. Dick refused to give up, refused to let his brother slip out from between his fingers. Never again would he leave Danny alone. Never again would he let anybody separate them. Dick wasn't there for him and look at what happened. He had to make it up to Danny for failing him so badly.

Wind angrily rushed around him as rain was thrown in his face. Dick had no choice but to bring up an arm to shield his eyes as he kept running. "Danny, please!" Just one more rooftop. He was almost there. Just a little further

Dick jumped across, not even bothering to grapple as the rooftops should have been close enough.

Should have.

Dick felt his feet connect to the edge of the other roof.

He felt his feet slip off from the rain and lack of grip.

He watched as his brother disappeared from his view as he started to fall down.

He heard Cujo's bark echo as lightning cracked open the sky above.

It almost felt like everything started to slow down just before he felt something grab his hands. Dick looked up, blinking furiously as he looked up into surprised green eyes. Danny had caught him before he could hit the ground. His brother saved him.

Now it was his turn to save his brother.

Danny floated them back up on the roof where Cujo was waiting for them.

Both of them took a second to process what happened, catching their breaths. Dick had almost fallen, just like their parents, and hadn't even thought of using his grapple gun to escape. Danny had come back for him, even though he was trying to run away, and dragged him back to safety.

They stood there in relative silence, staring frozen at each other as neither of them dared to make the first move.

The world decided for them as a loud rumble of thunder and lighting came down on them again, causing both of them to flinch out of their statuesque stance. Danny seemed to be the first to recover as he slowly started taking a few steps back. Before he had a chance to run off again however, Dick's arm snapped forward and grabbed Danny by the wrist. He could feel that odd chilly sensation wash over for a second, the same one when Cujo helped him back when the reds attacked.

"Danny, please don't run again."

Danny looked back at him, almost scared of being close to him. "I...I can't. It's not safe." He tried to pull his hand back but Dick refused to let go, grabbing onto Danny with his other hand as well as lightning crackled again.

"Then let me make it safe. Let me protect you." Please.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut as he shook his head furiously. "You don't get it. I'm not safe." Dick felt the chill wave over him again as Danny tried to pull his hand away. Cujo pressed up against him and somehow that made the chill go away. Danny glanced down at Cujo, a soft and somewhat playful glare on his face. "Traitor." He whispered at the pup before looking up at Dick again.

"Danny," Dick tried to keep his voice steady, "if this is about the accident in Amity-"

Danny's eyes shot wide open as they glowed brighter. "You know about that?"

Dick could feel Danny starting to tremble a bit, naively hoping it's just from the freezing cold weather. "Of course I do. I've been trying to find you for weeks now but nobody would tell me anything." He took a risk, but pulled Danny closer so he'd be standing straight face to face instead of half twisted away. "I don't know exactly what happened but I know whatever it was, it won't change that you are my brother and that I love you."

Danny looked down, avoiding eye contact from both Dick and Cujo. "Even if it was my fault? I, well, not me-me, evil-me-from-the-future-me but still, you know?"

Dick had to blink a few times, trying to wrap his head around that sudden bit of information they hadn't found before. "What do you mean, evil future you?"

Danny shuffled his feet, looking like he'd rather run off again than have this conversation. "It's...A lot. But it was an evil me from 10 years into the future that did all that to make sure that version of me was inevitable."

Dick could barely believe what he was hearing. All of that happened and he had absolutely no clue any of it was going on? When was the last time he actually spoke to Danny before they stopped? How could he have let himself get so busy he didn't even notice Danny's life getting uprooted enough to have an evil future self?

"I have to make sure that doesn't happen. I need to change it, need to make enough changes so it won't be the same. You aren't safe with me until I know it won't happen, Dickie."

Danny sounded so small and broken, voice barely above what sounded like a whisper in this storm. Dick felt his heart break. Danny sounded exactly like those times when Uncle Barry came back from different time lines and saw horrors he didn't want to talk about. Those were the times they all had sleepovers together. Uncle Barry, Wally, Roy, him and sometimes even Bruce or Uncle Oliver would come too just to make sure the man was okay. Being close to loved ones helped recover better, so why didn't Danny come see him?

"But that was a different time line, no? Just one of the possibilities but nothing is ever guaranteed. I've seen and heard enough of that to know even the slightest thing can have big influences." Danny slightly lifted his head, searching for something in Dick's eyes to prove he's lying.

"Clockwork showed you?"

Dick shook his head. "No idea who that is, but I, ah, know some people who had their fair share of multiverse madness going on. Do you remember any key points? Maybe I can help change them? If you'll let me." He didn't want to sound too hopeful but it was hard not to when everything was literally within his grasp.

Danny looked unsure for a second, looking down at Cujo again who yipped softly. "Amity was a main point, but that already happened. Going to a family friend was another." Danny sneered at the mention of the person. Maybe not as friendly as that title would suggest.

"But you didn't, did you? You went to Waller instead." Dick realized. Is that how he ended up in Belle Rêve? For crimes he didn't commit? To escape from a future he didn't want? Wouldn't that already be enough divergence to prevent whatever would trigger that specific outcome?

"I...don't know." Danny answered as Dick had unknowingly spoken out loud on accident. "He did something that made everything escalate but I don't know when exactly in those 10 years that happened."

Dick's brows furrowed as he tried. There's only 9 more years left but Danny should have changed it enough already if Belle Rêve was never in the other time line. If he wasn't in Belle Rêve, M'gann and Connor would never have run into him and they'd never have found out about him. "I get you're worried, and for good reasons too. But from what I know, it should have changed enough already to not happen. If you want, we could go home and I could call-"

"NO!" Danny yelled out as he finally managed to rip his arm out of Dick's grasp. "They're still dead! They're dead and it's my fault! I wasn't strong enough to protect them and now their deaths are on my hands."

"Danny, that isn't fair!" Dick tried to make a grab for him again only for Danny to jump just out of reach. "You were outnumbered against an older you! The League should have been there, fuck they might have been if the entire town wasn't under a fucking radio block! None of what happened was your fault. If you want somebody to blame, blame whoever was cutting all signals coming from Amity!"

Danny froze at Dick's outburst, tears slowly welling in his eyes as he seemed to connect dots Dick wasn't aware of. "You? You never got any of our calls?" Dick shook his head. "But, we tried to often. All this time, I was on my own for nothing?" Tears started to slowly fall as Danny kept talking.

Dick slowly reached out again, gingerly holding onto Danny's hand as he fought to keep his own tears at bay. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Danny. Let me help you. Let me be there for you. Whatever that future was that you saw, we can stop it together. I know we can."

"But what about Batman? He's pretty clear on the no metas thing and he works for the government and, and I... wouldn't want to ruin your career for associating with a criminal." Danny's voice trembled as he whispered out those words.

"What Batman doesn't know won't harm him. I'll make sure he won't find out." Dick half grinned. He could give Bruce a taste of his own horrendous communication skills. That'll...probably not teach the man to talk about things more but at least it would feel like fair karma. It also felt like a chip off his shoulder to know Danny already seemed to know about Robin. "Plus I don't think many would care. Catwoman is basically part of the family and Penguin is like that one weird uncle nobody likes to talk about. But if anybody tried to protest, I'd fight the entire League if I have to. I'm not letting some idiots get in between us ever again, Danny. I swear on our parents graves I won't."

Dick held out his pinkie, ready to promise it even if it seemed childish. But pinkie promises in their family were always holy and nobody ever broke one unless it was by outside forces. He waited, hoping Danny remembered and would believe him enough to agree.

Danny stared at Dick's outstretched finger for a few heartbeats. Slowly, with a trembling and hesitant hand, he locked his finger in Dick's. A small sob escaped his throat as tears started to freely fall down. Brotherly instinct took over as Dick grabbed him in a tight embrace, hiding his own tears in Danny's shoulder.

Finally, it seemed, he could finally start moving forward with his life again. With both their lives, together this time. No dumb CPS idiots keeping them apart again. Hell he'd convince Selina to adopt Danny if necessary but Danny was never leaving again.

Their knees buckled out from under them as the storm decided to remind them it was still there. Cujo grew into hound form, trying to block both of them from the onslaught of rain as they slowly let out all the tears and sorrow they'd been holding back.

After a while, sobs gave way for little wet giggles as Cujo constantly tried to lick their tears away.

"We really should head back inside somewhere."

Danny broke away from the hug as he reached up to give Cujo some chest scratches. "Do you think Selina would let me back inside?"

Dick chuckled a bit, also petting Cujo. "So long as the cats won't maim us for smelling like wet dog we should be fine. Though she'll definitely force us to shower before we're allowed to touch anything."

Danny frog blinked at his brother for a few seconds. "Is that why she made me shower? I swear I wasn't that dirty."

Dick laughed as he helped Danny up on his feet again. "She isn't particularly the fondest of dogs, no. There's a reason she isn't Dogwoman."

"Wait, Selina is Catwoman?"