Chapter Text
Jubilee had given Red all day to think about how he was behaving, to reflect on the shit he said, but it had been all day. She pressed her ear to his door, trying to get an idea of if he was awake or not, but was only met with silence, which honestly was a drag. She wanted to talk with him, get to know him, have a new friend who was down to cause a little chaos every now and then.
But she also wanted him to learn his lesson, and to learn some boundaries. She was excited for a new friend, but not so much so that she would let herself get walked all over or make her friends uncomfortable.
She knocked again before trying the handle, which moved, so unlocked. She hesitated a moment, she shouldn't pry. But… what if something was wrong? What if they got hurt after she left? What if-
Before she could finish that chain of thought, she found herself pressing it open, just enough to get a peak in. Just to make sure he was ok, at least thats what she was going to tell herself. “Red?” She whispered, looking around before realizing the lump on the bed. Remy was spread out, with Red curled up half on him, drooling on his shirt, and Rogue behind them, arms wrapped around him protectively with her head on Remy's shoulder. All three were asleep and oh it was so cute! She pulled out her phone, prepping to take a photo to capture the moment before hesitating. This was already a huge invasion of privacy. She could see he was ok, that nothing terrible happened, so instead she tucked the phone away, took it in for a moment more, before closing the door and heading off to go find someone else to be her entertainment. She would check back later, maybe bring the cats she knew were smuggled away in Gambits room right now as a peace offering of sorts.
You can't stay mad with cats in the room, right?
___
Tim shot his head up at the sudden thump, someone trying to break in? That was definitely a door he heard. Maybe it was just Damian messing with his stuff again, or Duke trying to find some old school work. Everything was still fuzzy with sleep, and his head was pounding with the workings of a killer headache. With a groan, he flopped back down, hitting his head off of something definitely more firm than a pillow and wet, matching the crusting drool he was now hyper aware of.
He wiped at his mouth with a poorly coordinated hand and took a moment to center himself, eyes closed for just a moment. It was likely that he had fallen asleep on patrol, maybe after a mission? What was his last mission?
Quick stock of himself told him that his entire body was stiff, his head was pounding, and both ears stung like hell, nothing overtly worrying, no life or death pains.
It was probably Kon under him, probably latched on in his sleep and his friend was too nice to kick him off.
Or maybe it was Dick if it was on patrol? His brother would definitely take the excuse to cuddle any one of them.
What was he doing? Right. Mission. Where was he? Something…
That's right, he was going after Jason but why? What happened?
After another slow breath he finally blinked open his eyes, forcing back the wince from the sharp spike in pain his head received for the effort. He looked down at the sleeping guy under him, not one of his team mates, definitely not Jason, not someone he recognized.
He quickly pushed himself up and away, taking quick stock of himself and any weapons as the two people on the bed slowly woke up, their confusion matching his internal thoughts.
“Who are you?” Tim pulled his limbs close, sinking into a defensive position before immediately regretting it with the pain that shot through his knee. Its fine, he could deal with it later. Compartmentalized it away with everything else that wasn't making sense. “Where am I?” He knew both questions were likely to be answered with a lie, but he had to at least try. At the very least it would buy his fuzzy mind time to catch up. Time to shake off whatever felt so wrong.
“The names Gambit, Chérie. But you can call him Remy” Remy started, yawning and stretching out the creak in his neck.
“Rogue, and you are at Xavier's school for gifted youngsters sugah” she leaned her head against Remy's shoulder, still waking up herself. “You came in with Ororo and Scott, I imagine they may have more information to help”
Tim took mental note of all names, just in case they were telling the truth. “where exactly is here?” He narrowed his eyes at them, not dropping his guard despite how half asleep the duo still seemed.
“Upstate New York, ol Charles didn't tell us much but you were all sorts of out a it last night, so me and mon amour here stopped by to help out a bit. Though Gambit does have some confessin he needs ta do”
Upstate New York, so at least he was in the same state, but how did he get here? Why was he here? How long was his mind resting while his body took the wheel over for them?
Them? Who was them? Why did his mind jump to plural? Or even singular pronouns he did not use?
Tim shook his head, dismissing the thoughts before they could bubble up and consume him. He had more important things to handle right now. “What?” Tim tried to reel in the bite from his words. He was usually much more collected than this. Years of emotional repression would do that to a kid. But he wasn't a kid, he was a successful CEO, a vigilante on the side, and more importantly too smart to be falling for such easily laid traps.
Remy rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away, shame dusting across his cheeks. “Well, last night when you were all up and depressed? One of Gambits mutations is empathy. Means he can sense and influence others emotions”
“When I was… it wasnt… I don't get depressed?” There was so much to unpack there. Did he make him depressed? Is that why his head hurt so much? Why he still felt like he was underwater? Was this stranger messing with his emotions? Was it just emotions? Could he manipulate more? Did he manipulate more?
He felt like he was playing a mind game that he never received the instruction manual for.
“Sorry, Red was depressed” Remy corrected quickly.
“Red? Who is Red? Like the color?” Tim's mind was spinning and spinning, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Oh… Not important right now, well Gambit couldn't stand there and do nothing, so he influenced your emotions back to a more neutral state” Remy quickly added, holding his hands up in defeat. “He feelin real bad about it”
“Remy, love, not the time. And sugah?” Rogue looked back up at Tim, who took another step towards the door. “Go talk to the professor, he will explain everythin. Do make sure to grab some breakfast on the way? His office is down a floor and end of the hall, can't miss it”
Tim didn't know what to think or how to process any of this. His mind racing in a desperate attempt to piece together what happened and why he was here. Why any of this was important. Who Remy and Rogue were, why were they there, cuddling him, holding him, letting him drool all over them.
He nodded and stumbled back out of the suffocating room, head pounding with the might of a thousand red suns. God damn, what the hell happened?
He went to run a hand through his hair, a nervous tick that helped calm his nervous system down, but recoiled quickly when he hit his ear, sending a sharp spike of pain, adding to everything else. Cautiously he moved a hand back up, checking for injury. An injury would explain some of the confusion, maybe if he had a concussion. It surely made more sense than the metal studs he hit instead.
He quickly veered to the side, finding the first reflective surface he could and what the hell did he get up to? His hair was unevenly chopped, messy in a way his parents would be ashamed of, and his ears now had a couple new holes punched into them.
How could he not remember that? What else had he forgotten?
Shit, he needed to clean these, but after he figured out what the hell was going on. After everything stopped spinning around him and dashing away in a blur of lost memories and phantom thoughts. They were sore and red, but not puffed with pus and rampant infection. He would survive waiting a bit longer.
Besides, he needed to find this so-called professor and start getting answers.
He managed to stumble his way down the stairs, squinting against the lights before looking down to see huge ornate doors. That must be it. He headed towards them, but before he could get to them, a gust of wind zipped past him before he found himself being gathered into a tight hug by notably not his speedster, but in a way so familiar it made his heart hurt. Before his feet found the ground again and his hands were taken into their's.
“Oh we have been so worried about you Red, I'm so happy to see you're ok” the speedster let out a breath before grabbing Tim's face in his hands, tilting it to look at the red rimmed piercings. “You need to get these cleaned up, oh gosh wait you should probably eat to, we didn't see you at any meals last night”
And in the blink of an eye Tim was stumbling in the kitchen, feet barely catching up to catch himself, and it was only from Bart doing the same that he didn't face plant. “Uh, coffee is fine- im sorry, who are you?” Tim looked around the kitchen. It was barely large but nothing special, aside from the speedster occasionally leaving a cabinet open as he dashed around trying to find… something?
“Who… do you not remember me?” they finally froze, staring at Tim in a way that made him viscerally uncomfortable, like maybe this was the first time they were actually looking at him. Their bright smile fell, forming a small oh as if something just clicked into place.
Must be nice, Tim was just even more confused now than before.
“Tommy, Tommy Shepard. I guess I met the other guy and not you, oh shit i've been so- ugh. Uh, nice to meet you I guess? Shit sorry this must have been- let me grab that coffee”
In a green blur, Tommy was in front of him, a coffee in hand from some small café, and not something that was made. “So who are you? What's your name? Do you not remember me at all?” The pain slipped through on the last question.
Tim wasn't prepared to answer any of them yet. He held up a hand and took slow, calculated sips. He actually would have preferred some tea this early, something to ease the pain from his head, but he had a feeling he was going to need all he could get to piece together this puzzle. He let his mind wonder as he took a long, slow sip. Trying to calculate what he knew, and to arrange his thoughts in a way that made sense. He needed to be calm, collected. He needed to find this supposed professor to talk to, to fill in the gaps. Figure out how long he was missing.
Usually it was only a short bit of time, maybe a few hours at most. Chances were this was at least a few hours to find his way up here from the city, but it could have been longer. He was losing more and more time, but he didn't understand why.
He let his eyes drift to the little watch on his wrist. Another mystery left unsolved and pushed to the back burner.
Maybe it was because of the multiversal travel? But if that was the case, he needed to speed up his timeline, because if it was getting worse the longer he was here, then what was happening to Jason?
And who was that Red that keeps being referred to?
Was Red his multiversal equivalent? Were they merging? Did he hijack their body? That could explain the gaps, the weird way everyone seemed to know him and have growing attachments. Was that even possible? Was any of this possible? He supposed technically Barry and Oliver had switched before, and it wasn't unheard of for multiversal others to come and mess around.
He took another comically long sip, feeling the warmth in his body.
Was Red a nickname? Like Red Robin? A short hand version of his hero name? He would have to do some research. Maybe at the very least they would have a computer here he could use. But right now, that theory at least felt plausible, and it would help explain away some of the other thoughts and questions that burst forth. If he had simply hijacked his own body, and there was in fact another consciousness in it, then the gaps made sense, the false memories made sense, the weird way others he never met before made sense, hell the new piercings made sense. It didn't explain everything, but it explained a lot. He would have to put a pin in it to revisit.
If Red was his multiversal equivalent and occasionally hijacking his body back, what was he like? Was he fun and friendly? Surely to have this many people caring about him he must be better at the whole… peopling. Tim knew he always struggled with following, with picking up non-verbal signals. Knew he accidentally had a knack for accidentally pushing others away and being left alone, always alone. Red must have had himself more put together, maybe he learned those integral ways to communicate in early childhood that seemed to fade with the gaps in memory for him. Lost to the rough sea that tossed him back and forth, back and forth. Maybe before he left, he could find a way to communicate with them? Surely they were just as confused as he was now.
That is, assuming his theory was correct.
By the fourth long sip, he was running out of coffee, and the speedster was probably getting annoyed. He knew Wally would grow tired of such shenanigans, but it did give him the time he needed to arrange his thoughts, even if he was still confused. To be spiteful, he took another long, slow, drawn out sip. Savoring the last drips of warmth that did nothing for the pounding in his head. If anything, it made it worse.
“I need to speak with the professor, if you don't mind. Thank you, Tommy, for the coffee” he set the cup down, making a note of the brand on the side. It was at least decent coffee, and if he is stuck out this way he would like to see what else they have to offer.
“Oh… yeah, yeah of course! I'll catch you around!” The smile the speedster put on was fake, Tim could tell from years of practice with Bart. But right now he couldn't be bothered with it. If he was ruining a friendship for his multiversal equivalent he would feel a little bad, but surely they could fix it later. He just… he needed answers, or even a path to go down to get them. He watched Tommy a moment more before turning to leave. He had no idea where the kitchen was in comparison to where he was before, but how hard could it be to find?
Tim peaked down the hallways, stepping lightly as he made his way down one side, following the wall, because at least it would prevent him from getting lost. Each turn he veered to the right, hand tracing the wall with each step. It helped ease his mind, helped him to focus on the tactile sensation of the small bumps and rough surfaces of the walls, each an unintentional crevice to dig into the flesh on his fingertips.
Eventually, Tim ran into someone else, this time around the person he did not recognize was some old guy who stared only a beat before his features softened and a small smile pulled on his face.
“Good morning, Tim. I do believe we have not been formally introduced. My name is Professor Charles Xavier, I believe we have some things we must discuss. If you would follow me to my office, perhaps we can answer a few of one another's questions”
Tim gave a quick nod, making a mental note that he was rather dizzy. He should probably eat something? Maybe it would help with the pounding in his skull. Or maybe he just needed to chug a gallon of water and crash for the next 16 hours. Both would have to wait for now, he had a swarm of questions buzzing about his skull and the person he needed was right in front of him. So instead of saying anything, he followed behind the professor and let his eyes wander around, tucking away each hallway into his mental map of the building. It would help if he needed to run, to get away.
Tim tried to stay quiet, to focus on the path, but his mind was buzzing with a horde of bees, overwhelming the senses and forcing their noise past his lips, a small question to ease the building pressure before he got lost in them.
“So… where are we?” He hoped it wasn't too weird, but it was one he at least had a grounds for. Some information to build the picture, or see if one of them are lying. Always good to assume that humans are capable of lying.
“Well, that is a rather complicated question. We are at my school for gifted youngsters, but right now it is summer break so a good chunk of my students are back home or off campus. More over, we are a safe haven for those with the x gene” Charles started, eyes flickering up at Tim. Listening to the teens thoughts was dizzying, a jumbled mess tumbling around and around. But he was getting the idea that he was not a threat, not a danger to anyone other than himself at this point. He tried to not delve to deep, to allow that say in autonomy. But for his students, his kids, he owed it to them to assure he was not welcoming a threat in. He pulled himself back and continued down the hall, taking the last turn that led to his office. “We also happen to have some of the most advanced state of the art technology at our disposal, and are thrilled to help you in any way we can. Perhaps later, if you are feeling up to it of course, I can have someone show you around those parts. Though, you will need one of the xmen members accompany you in order to make it past security. That should not be a problem as most remaining individuals have the clearances”
Tim wished he had grabbed his notebook to take notes, to follow along and reference back, and also maybe to see if he had written anything during his latest gap in memory. He usually had a pretty photographic memory, but recently… he wasn't sure if he could trust his brain not to slip away, or to switch with his alternate universe self, because so far that was still his best explanation. He needed to move fast, figure out what was going on, and get out of here before anything permanent was damaged or altered. Before he started to lose himself to this Red guy.
He winced slightly as his head throbbed, god he felt atrocious. But there was no time to ruminate.
Tim entered the office space and joined the professor at the sitting area. Really it was two small sofas with a table between them, a board of chess set up but not touched. Based off the small coating of dust, Tim would surmise it hadn't been touched in a little while, but why have a game set up and unplanned? Why even bother?
“I usually play with an old friend, but he has not been around in a while”
Tim startled slightly, looking back over at the professor who seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. But that wasn't possible… Actually, it was definitely possible. He was a fool to assume otherwise. Mind reading was not unheard of, and Bruce had trained him for this. So he tried to focus on those mental barriers, one slow breathe as a time. “An old friend?” He prompted, slowly taking a seat across from him.
“Yes, well, it is complicated. We have differing views, but I do always hope he will find his way back” Charles kept his eyes on the untouched game for a moment more, before looking back at Tim. “I believe we shall start with your questions, and proceed from there”
Tim kept his eyes on the game, it was easier to focus when not trying to force eye contact, even if it was a bit rude. He figured maybe this time should be an exception with everything going on. Besides, not like anyone of importance was going to know, going to get upset at him. His head throbbed again, with the might of a million buzzing wasps. He tried to force past it, shifting his stiff aching limbs a bit in a futile attempt to get comfortable.
“Perhaps a spot of tea and some light snacking to help?” Charles offered, eyes focused on the teen in front of him before looking at the board, cautiously shifting a piece forward. It would give them both something to focus on, if nothing else. Besides, it was about time the old board received some use again.
Tim moved a piece in response before speaking, “that wont be necessary, thank you. Though, I would not object to a water” based off how dry his everything was, dehydration was almost a given. Hopefully it would help some. “You knew my name was Tim, but everyone else has called me Red… how did you know?” He started as he shifted his pawn forward, mind focusing in on the task at hand.
Charles reached behind the desk to a little minifridge, grabbing a small bottled water and handing it over. “I do apologize, my mutation is telepathic in nature, I do try not to use it without consent, but I could sense the change and wanted to assure my students would be safe”
The thought made Tim's skin crawl, and he shifted a bit more focus onto his mental barriers. Not that he wasn't used to it, just never enjoyed the knowledge that another could go rooting around in his subconscious. “I see” he watched Charles move the next peace as he took a sip of the bottled water. “So… you and Red…” he trailed off, trying to think about how to word this without sounding absolutely crazy.
“Only just met the other day, he made quite the impression among some of my children though” Charles moved his next piece, taking one of Tim's. But it was at least thought provoking, unlike most he went against.
Tim nodded slightly, it made sense if he drug them here, or did they drag him here? All of this made his brain hurt, maybe he should have taken along someone with more multiversal experience. Someone who would understand what was going on, why he and presumably his multiversal self were sharing a body. Or what else might be going on if not that.
“Perhaps I may ask a question?” Charles glanced down at the piece he took, it could be a good tool to bargain answers. Make it feel more deserved to Tim, even if a bit manipulative. Once he saw the little nod, he pushed on, brushing away any concerns he may harbor. “How did you initially come to this universe?” It would be good to know if others could easily do the same. If other threats could be coming.
“Oh… I uh… I used some simple base equations to calculate the location of my brother and built a portal to find him, though I failed to calculate my return” Tim admitted as he moved his next piece.
“Oh simple equations?” Charles prompted and waited a moment for the teen to finish his move before he started going into more detail. It was… nice. To watch that spark light behind his eyes once more as he explained every little step, in amazing detail for it not being listed in front of him. Charles nodded along and prompted for more information as needed, but truth be told he did not need as much detail, just wanted a better idea. Nevertheless, it was nice to spend time with him, to get to know Tim, who he already liked much more than Red. Though, he understood the other posed a purpose, and that he was a necessity. A part of Tim just as much as Tim is a part of him.
They went back and forth like that for a bit. Charles allowing Tim to lead the questions and answering them as openly as possible before doing the same to the teen. In the end, Charles won, but it was a close fight, one that would challenge even the best of them, and this was with the teen only half paying attention.
He wanted to see how Tim did fully engrossed. Fully engaged in the game.
He wanted to test Tim's smarts, and maybe DNA. Perhaps he had a latent ability, a genius level IQ. Perhaps linked to whatever these Metas were that Tim accidentally used to refer to them as over mutants.
It would be interesting, fun even, to pick his brain and see just how far it went.
Charles didn't want to scare him off, though. He enjoyed their time, and in a way it almost reminded him of his actual kid, hours spent talking to him over something trivial like chess, though David hated such games usually.
Tim would be quite the challenge, but when was Charles ever one to back down from a challenge?
By the end, Tim still had questions, but he was at least satisfied. It sounded like this group had the funds and materials accessible in order to build his portal again, and maybe even the ability to go back and forth between it.
Why would he want to come back though?
He didn't quite understand, but the idea of leaving left something hollow echoing in his chest. Maybe he would address that later, or maybe it would blend in with every other weird thing that has happened.
He helped reset the board before heading back out the large ornate doors, offering a small wave to the professor and a verbal thank you.
Now, he just needed to find his book to write all this information down in case he forgot again. After all, it would not be the first time his mind failed him.
At least leaving the little office, part of him felt a bit lighter. Like maybe the air he was breathing was not as suffocating.