Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jason stood at Talias side, standing straight and keeping his eyes forward. The correct posture for one in the presence of Ra’s al Ghul. He had learned that the hard way, whipping only taught so much.

“Father, I beg you to rethink, Shiva has been training him. She has said many good things.”

Jason’s body gave a slight shudder, not that Shiva was a bad teacher, her lessons were brutal but he learned. No he knew what would happen if Ra’s won. The deal would be off.

A simple yet life saving deal. Damian would stay with Bruce and Jason would stay and train as pawn piece for Ra’s. He was just a piece to a puzzle for Ra’s, he could not make his own decisions. even choosing his own clothes was looked down upon. He was to train until he could take down any competitor without breaking a sweat.

Batman was not to know that he is alive, which also meant he and Damian could not see each other, he missed his brother dearly.

“He has yet to win every battle.” Ra’s countered whatever Talia had said. Jason had started to zone, thinking about the worst case scenarios.

“He is winning more than half and still in training.”

Talia looked sharp and precise, but Jason could see the tense lines that flowed through her body. It was a losing battle. He was the leader of the league and only so much could be said.

“Are deal is over, bring back the heir, he is to finish his training with us.”

Talia's mouth stayed closed, there was nothing more to be said. Ra’s words where law.

“You are dismissed.” Ra’s waved them away with a flick of his hands.

Jason trailed after Talia, a few steps behind like a good pawn. The doors opened as they reached them, Ra’s servants held them open. One of his more trusted servants followed them until they reached the end hall.

As soon as Jason and Talia crossed paths to her territory Jason switched to walking at her side.

“Did you really think that would work?” He hadn’t meant to sound as rude as he did, yet Talia chose to ignore his tone.

“I put more time into his thoughts than he did.”

She walked fast, her stride poured off power and grace. Something Jason had yet to figure out, Jason felt more like a school yard bully stalking the halls rather than a world top assassin.

“What exactly does that mean?” Jason didn’t want to deal with Talias manipulative way of speaking, he needed the truth. If not for him then for Damian.

“It means that Father is going to send someone to retrieve Damian. And you are most likely going to be his choice, a punishment of some sort.”

Talia turned a sharp corner. She was headed for the training quarters.

Jason made a signal to say he was going back to his sleeping chambers. Talia waved any thought of rest away with a ‘tt’ of her tongue and a motion with her hand.

Jason followed soundlessly, he knew better than to disagree.

________
Jason's body ached, Talia had him work until sunrise. Only a messenger from Ra’s quarters had given him a reason to stop. She had seemed determined to work him to death.

What the messenger said was why he now stalked the halls and passages towards the dining area, Ra’s private dining area.

“It is good to see you have come Jason. I thought my daughter would be keeping you busy until much later.”

He twirled his glass of whine, long fingernails held it delicately. But Jason was sure if he tried to kick it away he would be the one on the floor. Ra’s took a sip. His sadist smile never left his lips.

“Yes well we wouldn’t dream of disobeying when you called for me.”

Jason tried to force a smile, he used his fork to guid something with fish into his mouth. He wasn’t worried about poison, that wasn’t Ra’s way. He much preferred public humiliation.

“At least you have learned something here.”

Sucking up would be Jason’s only way of keeping the conversation slightly normal.

“I have learned a lot and I am grateful for what you have given me.”

Ra’s smile grew, not bigger but seemingly longer, Jason had a split second where he had to rethink Joker over in his head.

“That is good.” Ra’s took a sip of his whine. “So with what I have given you, you must return.”

Jason didn’t think you could just give skills back, the money it cost maybe, but Ra’s had plenty of that.

“And how could I do that?”

“I have a mission for you.”

Jason knew where this was going.

“You do owe quite a lot to this family, something you will have hard time repaying.”

Flattery wouldn’t get him anywhere, but snark would catch him time, and a punishment. But time still.

“As far as I was aware I was helping you, and I thought Talia had opened the family door for me. Seeing as I am Batman’s firstly adopted son, And now Talias.”

Jason hated to bring Talia in, he almost wanted to reach out and shove his words back into his mouth.

“I see. and you know disrespect will get you nowhere but the East Wing.”

“I mean it is technically getting me somewhere.”

Jason almost smirked at the anger that flashed through Ra’s eyes. Making emotionless people mad was his skill set.

“Well this was a fine dinner.” He placed his napkin from his lap back onto the table. “You should hurry up and eat, I’ll see you in the East wing.”

And with that he strolled out of the room.

Jason hated the East Wing, it served as many things but the most well known one had to be its punishing parts. Many integrations happened there. And Jason wasn’t a stranger to the punishments. He had spent quite some time in the East wing.

“Send my compliments to the chef.” He nodded to a servant as he passed through the doors.

No doubt he would see them again in the East wing. Many of Ra’s private men got to watch. He had met most of the servants here by them whistling, kicking and cheering on his punishments.

On his way to the East wing Talia caught up to him.

“What did Father say?”

He didn’t try to hide his position next to Talia from the other people wandering the halls, he was already in deep shit anyway.

“Shouldn’t you be asking me what I said, I mean I am on my way to the East wing.”

Talia huffed. She was not in the mood for games, Jason could tell by her face.

“You have a mouth and no way to control it. I already expected this. Why do you think I am on my way to the East wing.”

“Taking a leisurely stroll?” Jason's voice was light and teasing. He knew what lay ahead and really wasn’t in the mood to think about it.

Talia shot him a glare.

“Ra’s said the same thing you thought he would. Get Damian from the Bats.”

“Anything else?”

“Not really, just telling me about how I owe him everything and my chips.”

“Chips aren’t allowed here.” She stated it like it was a well known fact.

Jason and Talia were nearing the East wing. He fell back into pawn walk, a few steps back yet he did keep his head up. Ra’s wouldn't fully kill his street rat self.

“Really I never knew, maybe you should hire one of the security guards that pat you down. Like an airplane thing.”

“We already do have one.” Her tone was sharp. Yet she didn’t shut him down and her face had a little more glow than before.

Jason looked over at her, eyes wide. “Wait really, I never know!’

He really couldn’t tell if Talia was tricking him or not.

“I would assume so.” Her tone almost sounded teasing. A measurable feat only so many could accomplish.

“What does that mean?” He made an almost pouty face.

Damian had loved his faces. Being a kid where joy and fun were punished, he only got to laugh a few times. And Jason had vowed to be there when he laughed so hard something came out of his nose.

“Watch where you’re going.” Was Talia's simple reply. She turned yet another sharp corner, cutting off Jason so he almost smacked into it.

The East wing didn’t look like some sort of torture room. As you entered it looked just like any other over dressed parlor area. But Jason knew far better than that. He didn’t make eye contact or say anything to the waiting men as they grabbed his arms. They hauled him to a wall, pressed up a giant picture of something, Jason was too bored and worried about Damian to care what it looked like. He would look next time. The men dragged him down the steps.

The farther down Jason went the colder and murky the air got. The stone staircase wasn’t polished and cleaned like the rest of Ra’s private wings. Jason knew it was all for Intimidation. The glorious halls turning into a stairwell right out of any scooby doo movie or show. Cobwebs lined the corners and cracks, dust stirred as the men holding him dragged him farther down.

The guy holding his left arm twitched his nose. He had to sneeze, and Jason wanted to watch him. Any unplanned movement could send someone tumbling down the thin stairs. Jason hoped he inhaled more dust as he tumbled.

If not for the lit torches nothing could be seen. Jason was positive they were more than 200 feet Into the mountain now. If he were to blow out all the torches they would be completely lost.

“What a safety hazard to torture.” He thought.

Talia had left as he reached the polished room. There was a different way down for Al Ghuls. Damian had told him there were a thousands passageways that only a few knew. Some not even Ra’s himself know of. That thought had delighted Jason, when he thought there was a way to escape. He knew better now.

The men didn’t say anything as they shoved him to a thick metal door without windows. The sneezy dude opened his mouth.

“Ra’s does like to be kept waiting.” His partner turned but he kept his eyes on Jason.

“Ok, see you there.” Jaosn gave him finger guns and pushed the door open. It gave away with a squeak, that only rooms of pure horror could give. The door wasn’t loud enough to block out sneezies quiet. “I hope not.”

Jaosn didn’t acknowledge his words. They weren’t meant for Jason’s ears.

Sneezy turned away and followed his partner back up the stairs, becoming a fading shadow as darkness wrapped around him. The torches blew out, it was time he entered, or face a worse punishment.

Ra’s stood in the center of the room. Jason was surprised to see only Talia in the shadows. Usually Ra’s liked a crowd.

“Now do you know why you are here.”

Jason knew that snark was really the worst way to go besides running away. Yet it really was his true calling.

Jaosn put on his most ‘I haven’t done a thing voice’ and said. “Tattle Taling.”

Talia looked like she wanted to smack him and Ra’s looked murderous.

“Now boy, I wasn’t going to make this too bad, seeing as you have a mission but that disrespect is not going to work.”

Jaosn was hung from his hands by chains. Talia had been made to chain him, he could see the hurt in her eyes as she wrapped and locked each chain in place. 50 lashes and a few knife cuts graced his body. It was only supposed to be thirty, yet his big mouth got him in more trouble. If he was going in with snark he was going all out.

Only Ra’s desire to have Damian back stopped him from truly hurting Jason. He was a needed essential for Ra’s. One of his only men that could single handedly take down Batman, and Damian trusted him. Damian would never go with any strange league assassin, especially if he had back up from the other bats.

“Clean him up.” Ra’s hand waved servants over to Jason. Jason had been watching them since they had entered the room.

He felt like a feral dog with his fur spiked up. He could have made some good fighting dog. But then again that’s what he is. Ra’s points and he bites. Isn’t that sad, feared by so many yet just a toy for Ra’s.

It’s for a good cause his brain supplied. Maybe he had lost more blood than he thought.

The servants bumbling and moving him all around weren’t helping. Had these people even heard of a stretcher. Humans stopped doing everything by hand centuries ago. Someone needed to get Ra’s backup with time. He needs one new lango. Jason fell unconscious to that thought.

Jason’s eyelids flick opened. He was in his chambers. They semi hard bed and way too many pillows and blankets swaddled him. The glass Statue of a phoenix that Talia had gifted him, rest on the same place, giving off its strange glow.

His ears seemed to work next, they caught onto Talia's soft humming. She was holding a tray of breakfast food, clearly enough for both of them. Her other hand clenched a folder. Her eyes drifted over to him, she knew he was awake.

She walked over and placed the tray of food by his bedside. “Eat, and then we will discuss your mission.”

Jaosn was never one to turn down food. Especially good breakfast food. He chowed down, the meats, plants and egg burst into his mouth with vivid flavors. He wasn’t too food in grossed to remember his manners though.

He offered her half of the tray.

“I have already eaten, you will need your fill.” Talia said

Jaosn didn’t really think he could eat this much, but again the street rat in him could never turn down food.

He pointed towards the folder. “Mission?”

Talia gave a slight nod of her head, then passed the folder onto the night stand. A little ways away from the food, so not to dirty it.

“Go wash up and then we shall talk.”

Jason hummed his answer. He stretched his arms above his head. Cracking both his back and arms.

“My arms hurt.” He grumbled.

His body cracked and popped as he stepped out of the bed. The lash marks stung, but the pit was doing its job. The lashes had faded faster than it would for any normal person.

“I would hope so, you did hang for quite some time by your arms.” She said it more in a motherly way than matter of factly.

Her eyes raked over him. His chest was shirtless and covered in bandages.

Her hand gestured towards them. “I shall have to change those when you are done.” She handed him a pile of clothes. He had no idea where she had grabbed them from.

The soft black fabric was more of a casual training day then an intense day. Her way of telling him he would get the slightest of breaks, mostly for his body. She was just as passionate about growing his skill in the way of fighting as she was to growing his brain.

He hadn’t had a day focused mainly on cases in a while. And with his new mission he would have to be on his top game.

The water coming from his shower head was cold and didn’t change. A way of Talia punishing him. She never had appreciated his snark to those above him in power.

Jason stepped out of the cold shower. The water had woken him and his wounds stung slightly. Jason wrapped a warm fluffy towel around himself to dry off.

He picked up the clothes that sat neatly on the sinks counter. The soft black fabric fit him nicely.

As Jason returned to his chambers Talia gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

Talia passed him the folder as he sat in his bed.“When does Ra’s want me to leave?”

“As soon as possible, I believe tomorrow might be when.” Talia's tone was sharp and unforgiving. This wasn’t a good subject for her, he was being physically forced to steal her son back.

Jason scanned over the folder. The first piece of paper contained the new updates to the bat cave and bat family. The rest was about Damian and how he should be stealing him.

“Isn’t this like not legal, cause you know kidnapping and all?” Jason waved the folder as evidence to his claims.

“Everything we do is Illegal.”

“I suppose.”

That conversation ended after that. They spread the folder out and made plans. Plans to stop Ra’s.

The dark shone, their only light being the moon and a small nightstand lamp. Talia and Jason hunched over their plans and notes. Ra’s folder layed uselessly on the floor. They had stayed up all night devising a way to trick Ra’s.

Tali would settle for nothing unless she had both of her sons freedoms without the Demons hold.

“Do you think this will actually work?” Jason looked at Talia, scanning her face to find a lie.

“I doubt it will be 100% successful, I do believe the beloved could help.”

Jason scoffed and sorted around a few notes.

“In such a short amount of time, blood tests wouldn’t go through.”

Talia gave him a stern glare. “I know of your dislike for the Bat, but he is an essential to ensure you and your brother's safety.”

Jason didn’t say anything. He stared down at the writing and planning. They could find nothing to escape all the way from Ra’s.

“I don’t like this way.” Jason finally said.

Talia didn’t look up, she didn’t need to. She knew this wasn’t about the bat anymore. “My fate to the demon was sealed at birth.”

“You know some people say the only thing that seals your fate is death.”

“It appears they were wrong.” Talia brought one of Jason notes closer to her and scribbled an idea down. He would look at it in a second.

“So your fate doesn’t need to be sealed by an old vampire.”

Talia let out a dignified snort. Jason cracked a small smile at the snort.

“Yet it already is.” Her tone was hollow and sharp, the snort a thing of the past. This was not something that Jaso could talk her out of.

“Bu-.”

Talia cut Jason off. “Drop it, I shall see that you too are safe. When you are my life will be fulfilled.” Talia snapped, as she kept talking her words turned from commander into mother.

Jason dropped his head and kept sorting through notes. He reached to read the note that Talia had scribbled something down on. Her handwriting was excellent and well done even if it was a scribble.

“The moon sets at noon and rises at dawn.” That’s what she scribbled down.

A piece of common knowledge. Yet it held importance behind knowledge. If you held the time of day, the moon would be at your side.

Jason had learned that at the All-Caste. They had never told him what it meant. But it was important to them, so it became important to him.

Talia stood up. Her long black hair flowed down behind her back, clothes unrumpled and perfect as always.

“You should pack and prepare, Father wants you to be ready.”

“When did he say that?”

Jason was pretty sure Talia hadn’t talked to Ra’s anytime this day. Well yesterday, he checked his watch, 2:37. Definitely yesterday.

“He sent someone while you were showering.”

Jason nodded. “Did he say anything else? Or ask why you were here?”

“Ra’s does not give information freely” Talia said.

Her back turned to his closet. A giant closet,and bare to the brim. She sorted the rack of clothes, and picked out a few shirts and pants.

“We shall see about getting you more of a wardrobe.”

She bent down and picked up a tatted shirt that had been tossed some were in the back of the closet. Jason felt shame prick the back of his neck; she hadn’t even turned around yet. But he knew she was disappointed, Jason prided himself on his neat and well kept together quarters.

She didn’t say anything as she tossed the ruined shirt to him. He caught it perfectly, and mumbled something about being tired and forgetting it. She didn’t acknowledge it and went back to sorting and rummaging through his clothes.

“We shall have to get you stuff for the cold.”

Jason tossed the shirt into the trash.

“We could stop somewhere before Gotham.”

Talia made ‘Tt’ with her tongue, Jason could almost picture Damians perfect imitation of it.

“I'm not going to be with you.”

Jason sat there dumbfounded for a second. “What do you mean you're not, I thought..”Jason trailed off, his thoughts scattered. “But the plan.” His hand gestured towards their pile of papers and careful planning. “It wouldn’t work, you’d be trapped.”

“My fate is sealed.” Talia stood up and turned her back to the closet. “I shall see when Father has you leaving exactly.”

She passed a bag onto his lap, his traveling bag. Flowers dotted across it, a forest filled with bushes and wildlife were drawn across the front. It was a Damian drawing, it wasn’t his best, Damian had asked countless times to do it over but Jason liked it.

“Pack.” And with that Talia left the room.

Jason scanned over his clothes. A pitiful pile, he would have to get more winter clothes. He threw the bag down with the pile of clothes on his closet floor. He didn’t feel like packing clothes.

Jason left his bedroom and headed to his private training area. If anyone asked, he could say that he was packing weapons.

Jason wasn’t in the mood for swords or any weapons at that. He took the training dummies on without weapons. It was mostly a morning workout then fighting. Just blowing off steam.

The sun was rising, illuminating the room with a. Faint pink glow. Windows covered half of Jason’s training room. He could see the assassins down below training to become just another toy for Ra’s. They moved in sync, he could see trainers circling around them. Any out of place move granted a lashing.

Jason could remember those days. His back was proof that teamwork and listening were never his skill sets.

The hair on Jason's neck rose, someone was watching him.

“Ra’s was going to send a servant to get you. The women moved closer to Jason, the light bloomed across her face. “But I wanted to wish you off myself.”

“Thank you Shiva.”

Jason wiped away the sweat that creeped down his forehead. “Did Ra’s say what he wanted me for?”

Shiva looked him up and down. Her and Talia may not be related but Jason swore they were born with the same face expressions that were only used for Jason.

“I think you already know.” Her eyes rested on his face, she glanced at his disheveled hair. “And do clean up, I am sure Ra’s can live with the wait.”

Her way of saying it was an idiot mission. He was sure she had not been informed of the mission's details, but she had sources. And taking Damian from the bat, especially using Jason could only end in disaster.

“I will.” He wiped unlessy at the desert sweat gathering at his brow.

She tossed him a towel to wipe his sweat away “Do be quick. Talia said she will have more clothes sent to your room.”

He nodded his head in thanks as she left the room. Her exit was just as silent as her entrance. Jason followed after her, leaving the training room to bask in the sunlight alone.

This time his shower was cold on choice. It felt soothing to his burning body. The sweat and dirt was run off his body by the cold water streaming out of the shower head. His hair was flattened around his eyes and face, barely curling around the ends.

Jason stepped out of the shower and looked at himself in the mirror. He hated mirrors, they showed him what he was, not a little boy anymore, but a killer, a raged filed terror being used like a dog.

He hated the way his roots would show no matter what color he died them black, the white streak just like the red roots would never leave. The pit has seared them permanently to his head.

His chest, arms, back and legs were covered in ugly scars. They y shaped scar from when his autopsy was done stretched across his whole chest. Many other scars wound around it.

Damian had once said he was like a flowing river, and every scar and misfortune is a pebble being thrown in. Jason had said boulder more likely, Damian had given him a Talia famous glare for that. “A pebble will cause ripples just like a boulder.” That’s what Damian had said.

It was one of Jason's best memories of him.

Jason pulled on his dark blue shirt. He and Damian had been sitting at a river throwing in pebbles, and feeding the animals.

Jason’s boxers went on next. He had said Damian had too much wisdom for an eight year old. He had said Damian shouldn't be using it for ruling some league.

Black pants were yanked over black boxers, he was going to be late for Ra’s, later. Damian had said it was his legacy and he was the heir. Jason had pointed out that he was also a heir now, even if he was not blood related.

Jason pulled his bathroom door open and rounded the hall to Ra’s private wing. He and Damian were supposed to be training, but it had more been a bonding session. They played some screwed up version of tag. They had rolled around in the water and caught fish. Damian had forced him to let them back into the water. To not damage the environment.

“Good morning Jason, I do hope you are feeling better.” This wasn’t him asking about Jason's heath or if the almost halfway finished healing wounds were better, no it was him asking Jason if his attitude was ‘fixed’. It was not.

Ra’s looked like some cosplayer with a Dracula obsession. His green cloak seeped off the chair/throne he was sitting in. The white sides of hair were perfectly gelled back into a weird Wolverine like hair do, letting the top black half flow semi free.

“Well changing bandages when they're on ones back is always hard.”

Ra’s chose to ignore his comment and continue talking. “I’m sure you know why I called you here.”

“Yea.”

Jason just wanted to leave. Ra’s had always made Jason feel on edge, especially when Talia wasn’t around. And a glance around the room showed him that no one was here. It was just him and Ra’s, he would need to get this over with fast.

“You have read the folder. Correct?”

Jason nodded, his hair fell into his face again. He really needed to cut.

“I see, you have a flight scheduled to take you to Gotham, with few stops of course.” Ra’s looked at his watch. “In two hours.”

“Five of my top most trusted assassins shall be seeing to you most of the way there. I do hope that you arrive safely.”

Ra’s flicked his hand towards the door. A clear signal to leave. Jaosn kept his posture tight as he walked to the door, not lifting a finger as he approached. Ra’s had men waiting to open the door.

“Oh, and Jason, do not think about going against me. You will not win, you sealed your fate when you agreed to be an Al Ghul, and so has Damian.”

It was the first time Ra’s had actually admitted he was an Al Ghul, it sent chills down Jason’s spine. He was not a family member, he was a pawn. and so is Talia and Damian. Until Ra’s was gone they were goners.

Jason wasn’t surprised to find his bags packed, each pair of pants placed with perfect precision in a way only Talia could. Her way of apologizing.

Jason also found a knife engraved in the Al Ghul name. A gift given to young hairs of the Al Ghul family when a mission of importance was completed. In his case no mission had been completed, it wasn’t a token, it was a warning.

Chapter Text

“Anything I can get you sir?” A young plane assist asked.

Jason could only thank Ra’s and his money for his first class ticket. His boarding had been overseen by five assassins. Well placed but Jason has still plucked them out of the crowd. Only one was in first class like him. Three were second class seats, and one had left on a different plane. Chicago, Jason had no clue why but it was far enough away for Jason.

Jason put his book down to answer, he had been taught to be polite at a young age, Especially to working girls, he knew the crap that happened to them. “I can’t think of anything.” Jason tapped his finger across the chair arm. “But thank you anyway.”

The young server gave him a nod and headed off to the next passenger.

Jason was on the window side. He knew it was the worst side, especially when he was being followed. But Jason has always loved to look out and watch the world soar below him.

The clouds dimmed out as they rose higher. Only a few dotted across the sky. They created the look of a stone path across the sky. The sky was a pretty light blue. It was a pretty day.

Jason was sad to be spending a day like this flying to his least favorite place. Gotham. Jason was trying to enjoy the pretty as much as possible. Gotham’s sky looked like a fucked up gravel snow globe that some toddler kept shaking.

Jason’s book laid across his lap. With a quick bump of the plane it skidded to the other side. Right next to assassin one. He gave Jason a creepy smile as he reached down and picked up the book. He walked over and set the book on Jason’s chair arm.

“It appears this seems to have escaped you sir.” He stared at Jason’s face.

“Thank you.” Jason reached his hand out to take the book. The assassins gripped it harder.

“May I ask where you are flying to, or why you are flying this gorgeous day.”

Jason was Severely creeped out by the assassin. Luckily he could see a flight attendant looking them over, it looked like he was about to start walking over.

“I really don’t think that’s much of you business sir.” He made sure to emphasize the sir in a mocking and sneering tone. “Thank you for returning my book.”

But the assassin didn’t seem to be ready to give up. Jason cursed his book for screwing him over. He had treated his book with nothing but respect. Not even one dog eared page. And look how he goes and repays Jason.

“Pride and prejudice.” He gestured towards the book. “I heard it’s a good read.”

The flight attendant was slowly walking over.

“Yes it is a great read, I would recommend it.” Jason had to play nice. He could see other passengers glancing up to see what’s going on. There was a little six year old especially interested in his conversation. Her dark brown pigs tails were pushed behind her ears, as her deep blue eyes stared at Jason and his new assassin friend.

The flight attendant had finally made it over. He was holding a tray full of snacks and drinks. Eyes bags, there were hardly any eyes covered by horrible eye bags stared them down. He looked just as tired as a bat. But I guess being a flight attendant does that to you.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to sit down.”

The assassin focused his gaze onto the flight attendant. Jason got the feel of a snake gazing down a rat. “That’s quite alright, I was just returning this gentleman’s book.” His grip left the book.

The assassin slunk back to his seat, and pulled up a piece of newspaper. He wasn’t looking at it, but choosing instead to look at Jason, this time not even trying to hide it.

Jason was too uncomfortable by the staring to pick his book back up, instead he put it in his backpack. He didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

It wasn’t just the creepy assassin that was staring him down, the flight attendant that had asked him if he was hungry was eyeing him up. He didn’t think it was for the same reason that the assassin was though.

This wasn’t a new thing, he knew he wasn’t a bad looking guy. Not a pretty boy like Dickie either. He had a rugged look to him, big muscles, sharp and scared cheek bones. His hair was a little too long to be an attempt at a messy good looking guy either. He had been told countless times he grew up good looking, that included Slade Wilson.

The flight attendant seemed to get courageous as the plane headed to land. She slipped a free coffee with her number written on top. Two packets of sugar along with coffee, she wrote a note on them too, he pocketed the one with the note. Learning different handwriting was an essential. And he was way to gay for her.

Jason longing to see Damian grew as he passed a pet shop, with a puppies for sale sign. Damian may have acted like a tiny adult no matter the situation, but puppies or any animal really always brought out the little kid in him.

The folder had said something about having a cat and dog, Titus and Alfred. Jason was almost jealous, Bruce had never gotten him a dog no matter how much he begged.

Jason was also so happy that Damian had a place to get animals. He had no doubt they were the happiest animals in the whole world. Damian had told him countless times about how much he wanted pets, and how he didn’t have the best environment for them.

The door gave a slight chime as he opened the door. Jason was greeted with chirping and barking. A smiling teenager gave him a slight nod and then went back to work. Jason was grateful for that, he didn’t want an annoying teenager following him around. He preferred to shop in peace, like many others.

The store was a small family owned store, three parrots, only two were for sale the other was the owners, and seven puppies were the only living things besides the workers and him. The walls were painted a nice light blue with designs of bunnies, dogs and cats. The Isles were marked by animal.

Jason chose the one labeled dog. The shelves were stocked with plenty of feed and toys. Jason didn’t have room for any giant stuff. Yet he couldn’t help himself as he bought four dog toys. three stuffed and one rubber ball. He also bought treats and a giant dog bed, the most expensive one.

“New dog?” The cashier said as he scanned the items.

Jason pulled out one of Talia's gifted credit cards. “Little brother, I’m visiting and haven’t meant his dog yet.”

Jason was no Dick Grayson but he could still be a people person. He didn’t mind talking to low paid teenagers as long as they weren’t assholes. He knew what it was like to work a part time job. And the disrespect that people gave to workers astounded Jason.

“That’s a big dog bed. What breed?”

“Great Dane.”

The teen let a whistle as he scanned Jason’s last item. “Dang those guys are big. He bagged the last item and reached for Jason’s credit card. “I got German shepherd and I alway think how big he is, I can't imagine a Great Dane.” He passed The credit card back.

Jason snagged the card and picked up the bags. The dog bed was giant and Jaosn had no clue how the worker had fit the dog bed into one bag, even if it was bigger than the rest.

“Have a nice day.” The teen said as Jason walked out the door.

“You too.”

Jason dragged his bags and his newly acquired pet things towards the parking lot. According to Talia and the thick ass folder that sat at the bottom of his bag in a hidden apartment, a silver Honda should be there to pick him up.

If the guy didn’t ask him when the moon rises he was to shoot him in the face. Jason thought that was a little excessive even for him. But Talia had insisted that he would be a spy for Ra’s. And if they wanted the plan to work they had to keep Ra’s and his men at bay. Even if the driver was one of Ra’s men.

Jason found the Honda in a crowded parking lot. He yanked the door handle open, his hand going down to his gun as the man didn’t speak.

The man, a woman actually he couldn’t have been able to figure it out if she hadn’t said her name was Jackie. Finally turned her head to face him.

“When the moon rise.” This wasn’t a question, it was a statement so Jason didn’t answer. Opting to open the trunk and place his bags down. He kept the go bag by his side.

Neither of them spoke for five minutes of the drive. Jackie reached her hand up and turned the rearview mirror to face Jason better.

“You know where I'm taking you?” She asked.

Jason didn’t. “No.”

“You want to know?”

The car was driving fast. He could see farmland rushing around him. They passed a meadow with three full grown horses and two foals.

“Ra’s will kill you, I’m not supposed to know.”

“I’m going to die anyway.”

Jason was intrigued now. “How so?”

“Ras men will know I ave been involved, and they will come and they will kill me.” She slipped into a mexicen accent as she kept talking.

“Then why are you doing it?” Jason didn’t know why a complete stranger was risking her life to drive him some were.

“Cause I saw that boy, the one you're supposed to bring back. And no kid should be like that. I had a son, he died when he was eleven. And I will never let a kid go to their own death.” Her sentence was pieced together strangely, but Jason got the gist of it.

“I think you should live.” He said. “People like you should, people like you deserve to live.”

“People like me don’t live.” She was quick and right for the chase. And she was right, people like her don’t get to live. But that is why Jason had trained to let people like her live, he would be damned if she died on his watch.

They passed less farmland, nearing the city.

“I'm going to drop you off at a motel. Ra’s men are to subdue you. He knows you are going to try and help the boy.” Jason’s anxiety increased, Jackie must have noticed because she added. “He doesn’t know about the plan though.”

“You are a double man, Talias double man.”

The woman gave Jason the stink eye. “I am no liar or tattle tale, I see the right thing and I do it.”

Jason nodded, he understood. She was a good woman, a good woman who was mostly likely only a few hours away from her death.

They neared an old run down motel. She gave him a room key and card. Barely gave him enough time to grab his bags as she sped back out of the parking lot.

The motel was an old run down thing. With twenty seven rooms he expected nothing really. It was a Gotham motel, they were sold for their horribleness.

The ugly yellow-brown paint was peeling off the walls. A spiderweb graced every corner, dust lined and coated any surface. The mattress had odd stains that Jason hoped were from beer, he even went as far to hope some little kid just wet his pants. Jason didn’t trust the blankets, he stripped the smelling bed down and placed a blanket of his own done as a mattress pad and then put a blanket on top, like some weird sandwich of blankets.

Jason bags were stashed and hidden in arms reach, his pet bags were more lazyly thrown across the room. Maybe they would throw off any unwanted intruder. Jason was almost tempted to bring out the dog bed and sleep on that instead, yet he didn’t want Damians presents to touch a floor like this.

Jason hardly slept, he knew Ra’s men could be waiting for him at any turn. He honestly hoped getting three different motels all under names Ra’s knew and didn’t know would throw them off. He had burned the key to his original motel, he knew he wasn’t safe no matter what he did.

The sun hadn't even peaked over the horizon yet. But Jason was packed and ready to go. Not seeing a single assassin at all set his nerves off even more.

Ra’s wasn't dumb, he had connections. No one escaped from the Demon's head, it was a fact. He would hunt you down and kill you. Jason could only hope it was Talia's doing and not Ra’s planning something even worse.

The folder seems to way double as left the motel. Jason glanced at his watch, it was 4:28 am. Enough times to walk half the way and then hail a cab.

Jason started walking down the roads, he must look like a homeless man, with his dirty clothes, big eye bags, and plenty of bags.

Jason hailed a cab to Gotham, just as he reached Bludheaven. The busted up cab hadn’t even looked twice at Jason’s strange amount of bags and appearance, he saw stuff like that every day. As long as Jason could pay he would drive him, Jason thanked the Heavens for the under paid taxi drivers of Bludhaven.

The inside of the cab was fairly well maintained. The seats smelled faintly like smoke, they were worn down and tearing at spots. Someone had kicked a dent in Jason's door and It looked like someone had stolen the radio, Jason wouldn’t have been surprised if someone had. Money was tight, especially around places like here.

“Were you headed?” The taxi driver asked as he reached for a cig. Sticking it in his mouth he rolled down the window and then reached for a lighter to light his cig.

“Just drop me off at the edge of Gotham.”

The taxi driver pulled the cigarette away from his mouth with two fingers and blew out the smoke through the open window. “Ya from Gotham.”

He didn’t sound like he really cared, more after small talk. If you were talking then you weren’t mugging or killing, unless you were doing both.

“Born and raised, what about you? been in Bludhaven your whole life.”

The man took a slow turn and breathed out more smoke. “Nah, from a small town close to here though.”

Jaosn was surprised that man hadn’t moved as far away from the two sister cities of crime, but then again most people didn’t have a choice.

“Just drop me off here.” Jason pointed to a small local gas station, not exactly in Gotham, but he could see the torn and spray painted over, ‘welcome to GOTHAM’ sign.

“You sure? I can’t drop you off a little closer.”

Jason really hoped the league didn’t think this man had anything to do with him. Jason could see a picture of the taxi driver and two little girl’s, His family. Jason didn’t want to put him anywhere near the line of fire.

“Here is fine, thank you.”

The taxi driver nodded and pulled into the gas station's run down parking lot.

Jason reached into his wallet and pulled out four fifties. Far too much for what the drive had cost, but Jason knew a guy like him needed money.

Jason handed over the money and flicked his hand at any objections the guy had.

“Just give me a few seconds to grab my bags.”

“Sure.” The taxi driver was staring at the fifties like Jason had just given him the winning lottery tickets.

Jason grabbed the worn down handle and stepped out of the yellow car. The sun was blaring down on him now. It definitely wasn’t as hot as the Arabia desert, Jason could live. He could do heat.

Jason pulled the truck open and grabbed his bags. Talia has said she would have one of her safe houses open to him. The address to the safe house kept safely in his folder at the bottom of one of his bags. Jason closed the trunk down.

The driver nodded to Jason as he drove off. Jason gave a quick wave.

It was time he disappeared. Somewhere bats and assassins couldn’t find him.

Jason unlocked one of his hidden safe houses. A place not even Talia knew about. He carefully peeled back a layer of fake wood. Built to look like it was part of the house. If all went to shit, Jason would take up being a carpenter.

He placed the key back behind the fake wood and stepped into the open door, he scraped his muddy boot across the welcome mat that sat inside the door.

His safe house smelled like an old person's basement, dusty and stale. The dusty part was very true. He hadn’t used this particular safe house for years. Anything and everything was lined in dust.

The furniture was simple and all hand-me down. Most of his furnishing pieces were.

His grey couch was covered in dust . It sprung into the air and his face when he plopped his bags down onto it. The night stand next to his was also desturbed, sending a flick of its own dust into the air.

“I’m going to have to clean.” Jason mumbled to himself. Jason never had liked living in a dirty area. When he had moved to the manor and was given a room of his, he kept it mint condition. Bruce used to joke that it looked unused.

Jason shook his head, getting rid of any thought of Bruce. He didn’t have time for that. He needed to sort through his bags and put them into their proper places. Then he needed to go over the plan. And hopefully have enough time to clean some of the safe house.

Jason grabbed his bag full of clothes and ventured further into the SH. His kitchen was in view of the living room. Both his bedroom and the bathroom were hiding further down in the hallway.

Jason blew dust off of his shoulder as he walked into his bedroom. The bed was stripped bare. His small hand me down dresser was coated in dust, he saw a moldy plate of something and almost gagged. Ants crawled all over it. Jason really didn’t want to get ant spray. God help him if there are mice crawling in his bed sheets. He had enough of that through his childhood.

Jason set the bags into the floor and grabbed his curtains, he ripped them open, just a little too fast. Dust flung into the air, Stirring up dust all around the room. A domino effect.

Jason was getting real done with dust. It caited everything, made him sneeze, and was hard to breath in. Like domesticated smoke. Jason got an odd image of shopping and seeing a dust bunny in a cage. He shook that thought and dust away and off his head. He needed a real plan. And possibly an inhaler.

Jason pulled open the small closet doors in his bedroom. On the top shelf bedding for his shelf lay. Covered in dust. He grabbed the first sheet and shook it. Dust flared it out the air, creating a weird dust bunny tornado.

Jason shook the rest of his sheets and two blankets. One small and thin summer blanket that held heat well, and a thick comforter.

He grabbed two pillows from the shelf one down to the top shelf. The dust came off easily, adding to the growing one beneath his feet.

Jason ignored the pillow cover and just stuck them in his bed. Finally a dust free area. It felt nice to be able to stick his head into his bed and breath probably.

Jason placed his bags onto the bed so not to get them covered in dust. Then he worked on dusting and burning that disgusting plate of mold.

The ants scattered and a few climbed in his arms as he picked the plate up. The latex gloves covering his hands felt nonexistent as he breathed in the smell. He would have to bleach his hands to ever feel clean again.

Jason moved onto the living room, bathroom and finally the kitchen before he was satisfied with the state of his safe house.

Jason set his folder from Talia done onto his coffee table. His body faced the window so if you were able to see around the closer curtains the paper would be mostly blocked by his body.

He didn’t think he had been followed but better safe than sorry.

Talias notes and instructions varied between very detailed and helpful and what the heck do you want me to save your kid or not.

Many of them were unclear and confusing. He could see the small difference between Talia’s writing and her fake writing. Some notes came with doubles and some were just down right wrong. Jason knew if he were caught those would be the give up notes. They gave away enough information that he would have to

Most of them were attack plans. Jason had his own plan too. Notes and talking just ended in them agreeing if he really didn’t want to be near the Batclan then stalking from afar was his only option.

It wasn’t a good plan. There were a thousand different and better options. It was a toddler plan. But with their limited resources and short time span he and Talia could only come up with a few ideas.

Jason didn’t really have much he needed to do. Ra’s pawns should be here in two or so days according to Talia. Stalking Dami could wait until tomorrow, or late tonight. He would probably head out and watch him on patrol, even if he would be with Bruce assassins trying to sabotage him was still a probability.

Jason wouldn’t put it past Ra’s to try and hurt Damian before kidnapping him. It would make it easier.

Jason sorted the notes out into the timelines and information it gave and then placed them neatly back into the folder. He pried back a different wood barrier. One he had to search for before finding.

Chapter Text

Jason perched on the concrete roof of Gotham academy middle. He wasn’t going to waste a day of watching, even if he had to start at seven am. God he didn’t miss those days.

Sleepy children piled out of expensive cars. Buses were much too cheap for the rich people of Gotham. They all had to get their own private driver to drive their children to school. What a waste of money.

Jason's attention turned from the spoiled brats complaining about having to wake up at six to get to school on time, and onto the expensive car with a Wayne tech logo on the back of it.

He could see Alfreds perfectly maneuvered turns. Damian was in the back seat, Probably bitching about having to sit in a child seat.

Jason crawled across the roof. Getting a better view of Dami as he was dropped off.

He was too far away to hear Damian’s short goodbye to Alfred, but close enough to read it in his lips. So not even Damian could escape the teachings of Alfreds British politeness

He looked healthy, even if he had a slight limp on his left ankle. And he didn’t seem stressed or unhappy. Just the normal amount of Damian bitchiness.

Damian did greet any of his pairs. He stood off to the side, waiting for the school to fill in so he could follow. Jason wasn’t pleased.

He also wasn’t pleased when three young boys, probably a grade up or so from Damian, stalked up to him. Jason crouched down and tensed his muscles. He didn’t think those fourteen or so year olds boys were spies for Ra's, but you could never be too safe.

Damian tensed as they approached, Jason noted. Maybe not a threat to him, but they are a threat to his brother, making them a threat to him.

One of the boys, probably the ring leader, got too close for comfort to Damians face. Their noses only inches apart.

Jason couldn't hear what he was saying, but judging by the way Damian tensed and the other boys' jerky and cocky way of holding themselves, and the why their leader almost spat his words into Damians face, it was nothing nice. And Jason didn’t tolerate assholes preying on his brother.

Jason reached into his bag, that was strung across his back, almost like one would carry a giver full of arrows, and pulled out a small baggie of faint yellow powder.

He carefully and quietly uncapped his water bottle, grabbing a small clear container and a popsicle stick, tapped out a small amount of yellow powder into the container and mixed the water together.

In large doses his concoction would overdose someone’s senses, rendering them defenseless. In small doses, especially watered down ones, it would make someone tear up and give off an awful stench.

He was sure Damian would recognize it if he was given a chance, but what the hell, as Damian Wayne he could only be suspicious about it. investigation had to wait until night time.

Jason learned over the edge of the school building roof, and grabbed his watered down powder. Rolling it into a ball he readied his hands and judged the distance to the leader's face.

With a precise flick of his hand the yellow ball went flying. For being only the size of a penny it flew with perfect accuracy and landed directly above the leader's eyes.

The ball splattered sending yellow, wet powder all across his face. It looked like a giant bird had taken a shit on his face.

It was an instant change in hierarchy, instead of his two comrades leaning towards his direction and supporting his asshole ways they leaned away and pinched their noses between their fingers.

Damian also leaned away. Waving the stink from his face, his mouth moved with what Jason thought was a quick comeback from whatever the other kid had said and turned towards the school doors.

The kid looked humiliated and horrified. Just what Jason had expected, the brat would stink for days. He would have to throw away that overpriced school uniform. Only time could get the stink off of him.

Jason wasn’t too concerned about Damian getting kidnapped at school. He would still watch over him but moving from class to class with only bathroom breaks, left few spare minutes to be kidnapped

Jason scouted out the school's perimeter and checked all his added safety measures to make sure they hadn’t been stolen or not working for any reason. Before deeming it safe enough to grab a chili dog from his favorite restaurant.

A place he hadn’t been in years. Greasy’s, they had the best chili dogs in town.

Their old sign on the front door had been changed. Instead of fading and peeling paint that said ‘Greasy’s’ in bold letters, a red neon and glowing sign that broadcasted to the world with the obnoxiously bright colors was above their front door.

Jason pushed the door open. The smell of grease and safety violations filled his nose.

The store was almost completely empty. Not that he expected a full house so early in the morning. Only a teenager eating a burger while slurping a soda with his phone held close to his face and a young woman with a toddler were in the store.

Jason walked up to the empty counter to order his food. He could hear two men laughing about something as they cooked up the food for the lady and her kid.

Jason usually tries not to bug people just doing their job, but he didn’t want to leave Damian for too long.

Pressing the small bell once, he pulled out his wallet and waited. The service was quick, as soon as they had heard the bell ring one of them headed over to him.

The guy had to be in his early twenties, wearing a red ‘Greasy’s’ shirt and jeans. His shoulder length brown hair was tied behind low down on his head.

He was slouched and looked uninterested, not that anyone would really be that interested while working at a place called ‘Greasy’s’.

“What can I get for you?” His voice held a slight New York accent. He clearly wasn’t Gotham born and bred, but held himself like he had been in Gotham for years.

“Just a chili dog.”

“Any toppings?”

Jason shrugged, he really didn’t care. He was getting more and more antsy the longer he was away from Damian.

“Just throw whatever you got in it.”

The guy nodded, pressed something on the register before yelling a number back to the guy who was cooking the kitchen.

“Find a seat. If not, your meal is take-out.”

Ahh the Gotham charm. Jason clucked his tongue in acknowledgment and walked over to the take out part of the counter.

The food came out quick. The cardboard box holding his chili dog was dripping of grease.

Jason took a bite of his fabulous chili dog as he walked out the door. Back to Damian watching.

Jason rested on his heels. Jacket blowing in the icy wind, he watched from afar as Dami flipped across a roof.

His Robin suit was very different from Jason’s. The scaly panties and hideous yellow cape had been ditched. He went for a darker colored robin suit. Truly a better design.

Jason could see where Alfred had put in his own designs, and Damians touches. The hood and cape was definitely Dami. It almost resembled his league gear.

The fabric was the same color as his old suit, and the way each stitch was placed indicated several hidden messages, that even Alfred probably didn’t know about.

he moved with practiced ease. He wasn’t moving to perform. It was to impress, he could tell, especially by the way he glanced back at Batman. It looked like a resting bitch face, but Jason knew it was his way of saying give me feedback.

And by the way he held himself with such fake confidence, Jason would guess he didn’t receive the much needed feedback.

For a genius Batman sure sucked at reading people.

Jason crepted along after the newest boy wonder, staying a few rooftops away so not to be spotted.

Just watching Batman move sent shivers up his back. Memory’s dashed before his eyes. He had Bruce used to move like this, insync with one another.

But none of that matters. He gave up this life when he chose to stay with Ra’s. He gave up a lot, but the gain was bigger.

He hoped Dami had learned what a real (semi real) family was like. He really did.

The night was quiet. Crime was low, a good day to stalk.

It was also cold, very cold. If not for the pit flowing through his veins he definitely would have brought heated gloves and socks.

Thank god for Robin's custom change. He could remember wearing those horrible shorts and freezing his ass off. But being too proud to tell The Bats.

Jason didn’t feel the cold now. He had been trained against it, and the pit had damaged his nerve endings so bad pain wasn’t like it was supposed to be anymore.

Movement caught the corner of Jason’s eye. A tiny slip up, still even tiny was good enough.

A shadow darker then should be, leaned against a roof.

Jason wasn’t alone. It was too early, Ra’s men shouldn’t have been sent here. He had dealt with the ones of the plane.

Talia should have given him a heads up that assassins were coming, she would have. Something is wrong, if Talia doesn’t know something is going on.

Ra’s tells her everything. She is his number two, his daughter, his victim.

Jason cursed. The shadow danced across rooftops. And now that Jason had spotted one he could spot multiple, all moving in perfect sync. circling around his brother, like vultures waiting for their prey to take its last breath before diving to the kill.

His brother would not be vulture food. Jason would make sure of it. His attention was taken off the bats, and onto the assassins.

They had left a trail of crime. Jason could see the way they were edging both Batman and Robin apart and leading one another to different places. And Jason wasn’t up for it.

He tracked down assassins. Cleaning up crimes and leaving some of his own. Breaking the the trail. Leaving obvious marks, enough to catch oracles attention. He hoped she would catch onto the pattern being over behind.

He kept a close eye on Robin. To close for comfort. If it wasn't for the crime flaring all across Gotham, he was sure Batman would have caught onto him.

Jason crouched on a fire escape. Keeping his breathing low and controlled as to not It alert Batman to his presence.

The rusty fire escape creaked ever time he shifted in his heels. Thankfully it was windy enough the first time he did it, windy enough for Batman to not be concerned.

He wasn’t going to test his luck again. Even if it meant his heels were going to sting, and years of stretching wouldn’t fix the cramps spazzing through his lower leg muscles.

“Robin head West. I’ll take East.” Batman’s gravely voice said. Only a few feet away from Jason, the pit said to strike now. While he was distracted. He said that is bullshit, the bat is never distracted. “Do not engage unless you think you can handle it without my help.” Batman sounded like he wanted a response, and Jason knew he wasn’t getting one from dami. “Understand.” Batman asked it wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

Jason couldn’t hear a verbal response, but Damian must have said something, because seconds later a dark shape had flown above Jason.

It took everything he had in him not to flinch back and hide. He didn’t need to be spotted. He needed to put everything he had aside with Gotham and the Bat. He is here for Dami.

Jason didn’t dare move again until he saw Robin’s body dart across the roof, heading for the West side of Gotham.

Jason lifted himself from the fire escape and followed Dami on foot. Turning sharp edges and scaling buildings.

Thankfully the kid seemed to listen to some orders and head west, but it only lasted for five minutes.

A scream coming from the north made him jolt to the side. Forcing his grapple gun to the north with him. Jason followed along.

Jason scaled the roof in seconds. The fire escape didn’t even have time to creak before he had jumped off and shot his grapple gun onto the roof.

Jason is fucked. In half of a second all of his planning is ruined.

Nightwing is standing only four rooftops away, and Damian is being smashed through a window by Alex, one of the trainers who taught Jason hand to hand combat.

Jason lounged himself into the glass window. Glass shattered and flung across his body and the room. He ducked and rolled. Taking Alex with him. Both of them went rolling hitting a wall. Jason used that opportunity to roll on top of him, and smash his fists into the assassins face.

Nightwing must have seen both him and Robin be thrown and break into a window. And would definitely be here in a few seconds. Jason really didn’t need this kind of attention.

Grabbing Alex by his hood, Jason shot his grapple gun out the window. Pushing Alex in front of him, as a shield to the shattering glass.

Jason really didn’t need too much attention, he had blown everything. Plus his plan was screwed.

Nightwing would definitely try and follow him. He needed to distract him.

Jason stuck his hand in his many pockets. and pulled out a grey smoke pellet.

Retching his body around, Jason hurled the pellet into the small abandoned apartment.

Smoke filled the room, curling out of the broken windows. Anyone inside wouldn’t be able to see out.

Jason grabbed Alex and rolled onto a roof. He didn’t even give him enough time to find his bearing before throwing them into the air again. Flying towards a near by dumpster.

Bats never look down. They would be safe.

Jason crouched down and yanked Alex with him.

Alex looked sick. His face was covered in soon-to be bruises and blood. His body was no better, glass covered his arms, and if Jason had to guess he would say his foot was broken. If not it would be the worst sprain he had ever seen.

Alex didn’t even put up a fight. Just laid on the ground, surrounded by his own blood and black ripped up fabric.

Jason almost felt bad for him, but this asshole had hurt his little brother. And was going to give him back to the Ra’s.

Jason scanned the rooftops one last time. No sign of any bats. He leaned closer to Alex, until he was leaning almost over Alex. Like a predator waiting for their prey to take its last breath.

“Let’s make it simple.” He waited for any sign that Alex had heard him. Alex barely tilted his head, but it was good enough for Jason. “Why did Ra’s send his troops early? And how many more are there? I know you aren’t the only one!” He sneered.

Leaning closer so his spit landed in Alex’s face. The assassin didn’t flinch, even when Jason’s spit landed in his eyes.

“Hay asshole are you even paying attention.”

Jason kicked him with his steel toed boots. His body moved with the kick, but he didn’t try to escape.

Jason knew the signs of drugs. He killed himself. Jason cursed, Ra’s did some fucked up things.

Jason needed to get out of the open before the bats learned to look below their giant egos.

Alex’s body is no use to him, leaving evidence isn’t really something he likes to do. But hopefully if a bat finds him they’ll find his family, and maybe tell them what happened to him.

Jason ditched his mask. And tucked in his shirt, he looked like any Gotham slum.

Placing the mask strategically on Alex’s body. Taking his gloves off and placing them in his pockets. Leaving no fingerprint, he left.

Glancing out of the alley way he saw no danger. Unless a semi dead homeless guy counts. He strolled out of the alley, heading back to his safe house.

Chapter Text

He’s been following him for a while Bruce”

Bruce grunted in response.

“And why didn’t anyone spot him.” Bruce snarled. “You are supposed to watch are backs.”

Barbara turned her wheelchair around. So she was making eye contact Bruce.

“Do not blame me because you can’t fathom that someone might have stalked you without you realizing.” Barbara spat.

Bruce opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out Barbara cut him off. “And do not tell me I wasn’t doing my job. My job is to keep up with crime and warn you when something is going down. It is not to watch your children, who you brought into this.”

Dick turned his head to try and gauge Bruce's reaction. His face was as cold and shut down as always. But his body was tense. Barbara’s words were obviously sinking in.

Dick almost thought it was a low blow to bring up Jason. Even if she hadn’t specifically said his name, they all know who she was talking about.

Dami finally spoke up. Dick was surprised he hadn’t taken a stand earlier. Usually he was always quick to add his opinion in any argument, even if it didn’t involve him at all.

“I am not Todd. I am a trained assassin. Not some street rat thrown into an over glorified leotard.”

All heads in the room turned to him.

Damian stood his ground. Even if his shoulders did drop a little bit. But he never broke eye contact with Bruce.

“Don’t bring up Jason like that.” Barbara snapped. “You didn’t even know him.”

Damian huffed.

“He doesn’t know any better.” Barbara turned her glare onto Dick. Even if they hadn’t dated in years, it still made him want to apologize and then run far away from wherever Barbara was.

“I mean he’s probably just stressed. It's stressful to be thrown through a window and…”
Dick drawled off. They didn’t know exactly what had happened.

Barbara deflated. “Just don’t bring him up like that.”

Damian didn’t agree. But he also didn’t disagree. Which to be fair was the best answer they ever got from him.

“Look, just get out. I’ll look into street cameras and see just how long he was being followed for.”

“Thanks Barb!” Dick sent her a smile and grabbed Damian's shoulder. He led him to the door, which opened up into an elevator.

“That means you to Bruce.”

“You might need my help.”

Barbara sighed.

“You can do that from the cave.”

“Who says whoever went after Damian won’t come back for the rest of us.” Bruce raised his voice at the end of his words.

Dick could tell this was going to get messy. If he thought his fights with Bruce were bad, then Barbs were like setting loose five-hundred cows in the White House. Absolute precise Mayhem. And very messy to watch go down.

“Come on Dami let’s just wait down stairs for Bruce.”

“I am not a child. You do need to hide me away from every argument.” Damain huffed. But he didn’t fight back as Dick led him closer to the doors of the elevator.

“Well maybe I just don’t like watching them go down. And I want you to come and keep me company.” Dick smiled at Damian. And then Pressed floor one.

The doors closed. And right on time to. Dick could here shout starting from the room they had just left.

Dick hummed as the elevator went farther and farther away from Bruce and Barbs fighting.

“You all underestimate me!” Damian snapped.

Dick almost sighed. He wished he had enough energy to deal with conversation. They had it on a weekly basis.

He should probably take his own advice. If he preached patience to others (Tim), then he should also practice it.

“Damian you know have talked about this and-”

“Do not patronize me, I am not a child.” Damain recoiled and fluffed up like an angry cat.

“Actually you-” Damian cut him off.

“I Have spent my whole childhood training. Before I could walk I could sword fight! And yet you treat me like a sidekick!” Damian yelled.

His face was red and puffed up. Dick now know why he hadn’t truly snapped while Bruce and Barb were talking. He had saved it all for Dick. Of course.

“Damian!” Dick snapped, trying to get him off his rant.

Damian took no heed to Dicks attempt at calming him. He was on his horse of anger, and the only way to get him off was to let him run himself tired.

“I am not Todd. How hard is that to believe. You let one foolish child out without training and now suddenly everyone is wrapped up in bubble wrap.”

The elevator doors slide open.

Dick grabbed Damian by his hoodie. And yanked him into a corner.

“You will not talk about Jason like that. He trained just like you did.”

Damian opened his mouth to snap back. But Dick just talked over him.

“And who was it that was stalked since this morning, huh? Not Jason. No it was you!” Dick shoved his finger into Damians chest. To prove his point. “At Least Jason went down trying to do good! While all you do is bring everyone down with you in a fit of anger!”

Dick felt like a total, well, dick. He had just taken all his frustration out on some snarky eleven year old. Not just any eleven year old. His own little brother! God what kind of a big brother does that.

Damian huffed like an angry bull. And pushed past Dick, shouldering him against the wall. So the bruise on his left arm was bumped against the wall. Dick knew he had done it on purpose, and didn’t object. He deserved that for being such a dick.

“I'll be in the car, if Father is looking for me.” Damian's voice was cold and snappish.

“I’ll tell him.”

Damian didn’t say anything to acknowledge that Dick had spoken. Just shoved the door open, and let it slam back against the door frame.

Dick flinched when it hit. This wasn’t a good week for anyone. Jason death date was slowly approaching. And the closer it got the more cut off and cold Bruce became.

When it actually hit. Both Tim and Damian become Dick’s full time responsibility until Bruce feels better. Bruce was too clouded with grief to be anything of a parent.

Jason splashed water onto his face to wake up. He turned the handle on the sink off. The water flow stopped. Leaving Jason with wet shaking hands.

He couldn’t seem to get them to stop shaking, and really, he was blaming it on the coffee.

They should put up warning signs about coffee intake. Especially with all these vigilantes running around. God knows how many times Red Robin stops for a coffee.

Every time Jason pops into his new favorite coffee shop one of the employees are always gossiping about RR stopping by to grab a coffee.

Jason really didn’t find it as amazing as they did. It meant he was forced for mission sake to find a new coffee shop for when he craved a good cup of warm coffee late at night.

Jason reached for the towel to dry his hands off. It wasn’t there. He growled lightly under his breath. And shook his hand out over the sink.

Water sprayed across the bathroom. Hitting the mirror, and blurring out Jason's face.

He tried to rake his hand across the mirror to dry it of the water droplets. He only managed to make it worse. Leaving behind a mark where his hands had been.

Before he could turn around and open the towel cabinet to effectively dry the mirror. It shattered into hundreds of pieces. Spraying Jason in the face. He shoved his left arm to shield his face of the spray of glass.

Jaosn was quick to turn around, snatching the gun that he had lazy dropped on his sink counter after a hard day of fighting off Ra’s men, he pointed to the opening of the bathroom door.

Jason cursed softly when he saw no one.

He hadn’t known that they had found him. If they have tracked him down, and now are trying to kill him, it most definitely means they have a definite way to get to Damian.

He was only kept alive for that. And if there was no warning from Talia it meant she had been found as a traitor.

And a traitor to the league of assassins was as good as dead. Especially one held so close to Ra’s.

Jason wanted to mourn, he wanted to act as if he didn’t think this was a possibility, but he know when he stopped receiving updates it was mostly likely bad news.

He really wanted to wallow in his own sadness. If talia was found as a traitor, and he was no more use to the league, Damian had almost no hope left of staying with the bats.

The ceiling, closer to his shower then him creaked. Jason flicker the safety off, and pointed it towards that spot.

He kept his eyes trained to the doorway. There is no way someone could have shattered his mirror with a throwing knife aimed at his neck from the ceiling.

Jason growled softly. And yanked his gun away from the ceiling when a figure appeared at his door frame.

She was easy to recognize. While being trained at the league, they were often pinned against each other. Being one of the younger trainees, and both of them getting special attention from Al Ghuls led to many disagreements.

Mostly from her side. Jason couldn’t care less who pleased Ra’s. As long as he didn’t have to be in a room with him for over an hour. Yet she seemed to thrive on any attention from Ra’s. And when she was to get it, well all hell broke.

“Did Ra’s send you?” Jason was positive it was a yes. But he needed to be completely sorted before he did what he was about to do.

“Who else would send me.” She sounded like a knock off Catwoman, bad purr, and a suit that clung, leaving nothing to the imagination.

“Cool thanks.” Jason shot her straight in the head.

“Bruce!! Bruce!” Dick rushed into the clock tower, yelling Bruce’s name. He couldn’t find him.

Glass was sprayed everywhere. There clearly had been a fight.

Barbara’s wheelchair was turned over on its side, and the left hand brace was broken off, laying on the other side of the room. It looked like it had been used as a weapon.

There is a long line that looked like someone had dragged a lifeless body through the glass.

Dick inspected the room more. Keys on Barbara’s keyboard had been knocked off. There was a giant crack in one of Barbs Monitors.

Dick had only been gone for eight minutes. This couldn’t have happened any other time. But was it the same people who had taken Damian? It must be. This wasn’t a Coincidence, someone good enough to take out both Batman, Barbara and Dami, no this wasn’t a coincidence at all. And it couldn’t have all been one person.

Judging by the time period of which Dick had used the bathroom. Then circled the lobby area (Several times while wallowing in his own guilt because he had yelled at Dami). Then panicked that maybe in those few minutes that Damian spent sitting in the batmobile, probably one of the safest cars to be in, his stalker had found him and killed or kidnapped him. Dick managed to send himself in such a panic that he had to check on Damian.

Thankfully his panic was actually helpful for once, seeing as his panic was valid. Because the batmobile was in a state very similar to the room he now stood in.

So if that meant Damian stalkers are most definitely not one person, and that they weren’t only stalking Damian but all of the Bats, either he or Tim were next.

Tim hopefully is safe with the titans, but just in case he yanked his phone out of his pocket, and scrolled through his favorite contacts until he got to Babybird 2, and clicked the call button.

Tim picked up after two rings, they usually didn’t call each other without texting to make sure it was a good time, so Tim’s panic made sense.

“Are you alright?! Is everyone good?.”

“Not exactly, I’m fine but we may have a big problem on our hands.” Dick said, trying to calm Tim, he didn’t work well in panic, opting to instead ramble and make up plans no one else understood.

“What’s wrong? Do you need me to come down? Never mind I’m coming let me just ask-.”

“Tim chill.” Dick cut him off. “It might be safer for you to just stay there, and have someone with you at all times.”

Tim paused. “Where’s Bruce?”

Dick couldn’t answer, he didn’t really know.

Dicks silence seemed to be a good enough answer for Tim. “Yeah I’m coming down.” Tim declared. “Who else is down.”

Dick almost smiled at how mature Tim had become. Since Damain came into the family, and kinda wedged his way between Tim and the family, and took Robin from him (which was totally Dicks fault) he had really grown.

“Pretty much everybody. Barbara, Bruce Damian.”

Tim sucked in a loud breath. “That’s not good.”

“Yeah.” Dick agreed

“I’ll be there in a sec, Kon said he’ll fly me.”

“Alright see you in a few.” Right before Tim could end the call Dick quickly added. “I’m in the clock tower.”

“Got it, bye.” Tim clicked off the call, leaving Dick standing alone in a room full of broken glass.

Dick hardly had to to try and compose himself before Tim came. It was only seconds before Kon, with Tim in his arms, came relying through the broken glass window.

The glass at the edge broke off from the wind that blew behind him as he flew impossible speeds.

“Tim delivery.” Kon joked, as he plopped Tim onto the floor.

“God,” Tim said as he looked around. “What happened?”

Dick shook his head. “That’s the problem, I don’t know.”

“Any clues?”

“Actually maybe, not really a clue but something to build off of.” Tim nodded, to show he was listening, so Dick continued to talk. “Earlier, when we all went on patrol, crimes down in the alley skyrocketed. And then they started to patch off. Like a trail of tinier crimes would go one way and bigger crimes would branch off the other way. So Bruce thought it would be good for Domain to practice being on his own, so he sent him west after the smaller crimes.” Tim looked up from where he had fished out his phone and pulled up notes.

“West?” He asked.

“Yeah west.” Dick answered.

“Ok.” Tim started typing again, and made a clicking noise in the back of his throat to prompt Dick back into finishing the story.

“So at some point he must have veered North.”

“That’s where your patrol route takes you, right?”

“Yup. So I ended up almost running into him.”

“But you didn’t?”

Dick shook his head again. “No. I was only a few rooftops away when I spotted him, but he wasn’t alone. I couldn’t warn him in time.” Dick dug his nails into the balm of his hands. God he probably could have warned him, but of course he had to try and fuck around. Damian doesn’t even like rooftop tag that much. “Someone was behind him. And managed to catch him off guard.”

“Did anyone ask him why he had left his patrol route?”

“We tried. But you know Dami. He didn’t really want to answer.”

“Why don’t I just fly above and look for their heartbeats.” Kon interject, making both Bats jump.

“Jesus, Kon I thought you were leaving.” Tim said (yelped).

“That’s actually not a shit idea. They can’t have gone far.” Dick said, sending Kon a thankful smile.

“Jee, thanks.” Kon grumbled, sarcasm laced his voice.

“They probably haven’t made it out of Gotham yet. But someone one, or some people good enough to take out Bruce, Dami and Barb might have already prepared for a Super.” Tim screwed around on his phone, before he connected it to a small coffee table, One of the few things that made it out of the fight undamaged, and pulled up a giant 3D map of Gotham. “You might want to start here.” Tim pointed to the docks. “It’s one of the easiest spots to transport someone out of Gotham. No one bats an eye at shit over there.”

“How long has that been here? And why has no one told me about it?” Dick exclaimed in a fake offended voice, pointing to the coffee table.

“No one tells you anything Dick.” Tim said.

Kon cleared his throat, gaining the attention of both bats. “I’ll go circle around, and see if I can hear their heartbeats.”

Tim nodded, and Dick gave him a thumbs up.

“Finish with the rundown of what happened. I need it all on file while it’s still fresh in your brian.”

Dick nodded, Bruce made sure that they know to gather info while it’s still fresh in the mind.

“The person, or people, stalking Damian managed to tackle him through a window.”

“One or more people. Excluding you or Damian.” Tim asked.

“Two were there. But one showed up out of nowhere. And I don’t think they were on the same side as the other one-.”

“How so.”

Dick shot Tim a glare. “If you let me finish you’ll know.”

“After number one smashed Damian through a window two came barreling right after him. But seemed more interested in getting him off Damian. Apparently he attacked number one. And before I could get there one of them threw a smoke bomb. Damian said number two managed to subdue and escape with number one.” Dick finished the story and waited until Tim had trumped out the last word.

“So you think whoever went after Damian is also after all of us, and Damian was just their first victim?” Tim asked.

Dick nodded.

“So that probably means they figured out that they couldn’t take Damian until they started taking out the big guns. Has anyone got in contact with Cass or Stephanie?”

“Not that I know of.”

Tim turned around, and walked over to the giant computer. He started trying, on screen flickered to life. Clearly whoever had attacked Barb and Bruce did more damage to Barbs computers the. He had thought.

“What are you doing?”

“Pulling up security tapes.”

Dick felt like a total idiot, of course there would be cameras everywhere. This was Barb's clock tower.

Dick stared into space like an idiot as Tim started trying to reboot the computer, and cursed it out. He wasn’t any stranger to coding, or anything really with computers, he had essentially taught Tim everything he had known. But with the way his hands shook with guilt and worry over his family, he really wouldn’t be any good.

A light breeze blew hair out of his face. Dick glanced over to the giant hole in the glass, they would really need to fix that.

“Hey shouldn’t have Kon been back yet?”

Tim looked up from where he had been trying to reboot the computer. It didn’t look like he was having much luck. “Yeah.”

Dick and Tim looked at each other. This wasn’t good. Someone good enough to take out a super and most of the bats, was almost a lost cause.

“I think we should take this to the cave.” Tim suggested.

“Agreed.” Dick said.

Digging around in one of the many pockets in his Red Robin suit, he pulled out a small chip, shaped like a bat, and inserted it into the back of Barbara’s computers.

“What’s that for?”

“If Barb doesn’t kill me for this it will really up are chances for finding them.” Tim mumbled, but then realized it wasn’t a good enough explanation. “It will wipe everything from Barbs computer so no one can get ahold of that information, and transfer it onto this.” Tim waved around the chip. “So I can then transfer all that data onto the bat computer.”

Dick nodded his understanding.

Dick pressed down on the elevator keypad, and held the door open with his right arm. “Gentlemen first.”

Tim walked by him into the elevator without acknowledging his words.

Dick followed close behind, waited for tim to press the elevator button, but when he didn't Dick reached around him and pressed it.

The elevator hardly made noise as it slowly brought them down to the first floor. Tim had stopped typing on his laptop and had rereading over the report, crocheting it when he had messed up, and spellchecking. It is always important to have a report grammar checked and in order when carrying out a full on case, Especially one as big as this one.

Dick tapped a pattern on his leg. He hadn't even realized he was reciting the morse code alphabet until Tim had looked up and made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded scarly like something Damian might do.

It made dick feel even worse. He shouldn’t have taken his frustration out on an eleven year old. Even if that eleven year old can be a bitch sometimes.

The elevator doors opened revealing the lobby that he had fought with Damian in only thirty minutes ago. It seemed like a lifetime. He wished he had stayed with Damian and not let his robin training be an excuse to avoid arguing again. He would rather be arguing then thinking of worse case scenarios while slowly following behind Tim as they walked towards the batmobile.

The batmobile was just as trashed as it had been when he had left it in search of Bruce. The shatterproof glass was actually shattered. A tear ran through the fabric of the passenger side, where Damian would have been sitting. A batarang layed only a few feet from the car. It laye at a strange angle. Which probably meant Damian had been swarmed and overwhelmed , and in desperation threw it. Maybe to distract or just to try and scare someone off. He doubts it actually hit anybody.

Tim pulled a small camera and tossed it at Dick. he know what Tim wanted. Tim could have also
Taken pictures of the evidence, but he either wants Dick to get his mind out of the gutter, or didn’t want him handling the important things. A small mistake could mess the whole thing up.

Dick caught the camera and walked a few feet away from the baterange, snapped a few pics from different angles before heading over to the car. He stuck half his body into the car, and took a picture of the struggle that had obviously occurred, then he crouched and started taking pictures of the rim of the car and the wheels, that's when he spotted a dark, flaky, small red smudge.

While it could have easily been Damian's blood it was their only lead.

“Red!” dick called.

Tims head popped right up from where he had been bagging the batarang for evidence.

“Yeah?”

“I think I got something. Come look!”

Tim’s mob of black hair bounced right over to Dick. he had perked right up at the thought of finally having something to help find their family.

Dick felt bad. He hadn't thought of what Tim must be feeling, sure he and Damian bickered, and hardly agreed on anything. And he really didn’t do much with the family, but that didn't mean he isn’t feeling the dread that had taken over all of Dicks thoughts. He just was better at controlling it, always has been more professional.

“Look.” Dick pointed at the small, flaky spot of blood.

Tim crouched down next to Dick, he craned his neck to get a glimpse of the blood.

Dick felt bad and tried to scooch over so he had a better view of it, but Tim had already looked away and was rustling away at his pockets. Probably look for something to scrape with and something to hold the blood.

He glanced back at Dick, and Dick understood the silent question, he didn't have a test tube on his either.

“Let me check the batmobile.” Dick popped up and reached into the window of the batmobile. In the secret glove box under the real glove box was a whole set of test tubes, just in case they needed to do something right away.

Dick grabbed one of the smaller ones, with a green lid, he was pretty sure the green lidded ones were for Poison Ivy pollen, but without a Daddy Bat breathing down his neck he didn’t have the time to care.

Dick popped back out of the batmobile, shook the container a little to show he had grabbed it. That plopped down next to Tim again.

Tim snached the container and used a small spoon with a black handle and sharp tip to scrape all the blood perfectly into the container.

“I'm pretty sure this is for Poison Ivy goo.”

Dick shrugged. “Does it really matter that much.”

Tim snickered. “This is why i'm the detective of the family.”

Dick went to ruffle Tims hair, but Tim doged with the grace of a Bat.

“Come on, my bike should be outfront. I had Alfred send it.”

Dick didn’t spend too much time wondering when he had done that. Just accepted it and moved on to follow him to his bike.

They made it into the cave in record time. The sun was hardly peaking out, but in Dicks opinion it had already been too long. They had wasted over to hours, and not a in the least bit closer to finding all of their missing teammates. Plus the blood wouldn’t finish analyzing for another thirteen minutes.

Leaving Dick to just wonder uselessly in a circle.

They also hadn’t had any luck trying to track anyone. All of their suit trackers were offline, even the ones embedded into each of the bats arms had been disabled. Dick didn't want to think about how that had to be done, and the pain they might be in.

He hoped that if whoever went through all that work of disabling the trackers would be his family plus Kon would be left alive. There's hardly any point in hiding a dead body, mostly.

Aflred had tried to coax both Tim and Dick upstairs and had almost failed, until TIm had banged on the computer and cursed at it for not letting him look at the security tapes.

Because they were there, just sitting right in front of him. But whoever had hacked the computer was good, they couldn’t get through it. And Tim didn't work well off of anger.

Dick so wanted to start hacking to try and get through them, but Alfred had banned anyone from touching it until they had eaten and drinken. And Dick knew this was logical, he really did. Yet his finger itched to get on those keys and start typing, and maybe he could crack it.

He has cracked harder things under more pressure.

Dick was startled by the ding of the blood being finished. His fingers still itched to attack the computer but most of his focus now sat with the blood work. He hoped, dreamed, and pleaded it wasn’t Damian’s. They so needed this lead. And Damian didn’t need to be hurt.

Dick rushed over to the machine. He pressed a button and a small chip came out. Dick scrambled to grab it with the level his fingers shook.

He raced it to the small laptop Tim had left laying on one of the desks. Not wanting to let himself be anywhere near the bigger computer in case he spiraled and started the processes of receiving every camera in gotham for a single glimpse of his family.

He plugged the chip in. and a face pulled up. And then files and files.

It wasn’t Damian, but a man named Marcus Bates. And he had plenty of files on him. But the most notable thing to Dick was why he had so many files. Right under first base knowledge, status -League of Assassins.

This was what they needed. This was a major key part in this case. They had essentially found their villain. And god they should have thought of this sooner. Of course this all adds up. The attacks on Dami, trails of crime, creepy demanding letters from Ra’s. god they were so dumb.

“Tim!” Dick shrieked. The voice echoed across the cave. He didn't think Tim could actually hear him from up in the manor, but knowing Tim he wasn’t sleeping at all, was probably watching the security cameras that were hidden all across the cave, waiting until he had a good enough excuse to get past Alfred. And Dick finding a major break in the case, well that would probably do it.

And Dick theory was correct, only a few seconds later he heard feet pounding down the caves steps. Dick saw Tim turn the corner at amazing speeds. He almost trips over the red, comfy Pjs pants covered in robins he had stolen from Dick months ago.

So clearly Alfred had almost managed in making him sleep. While Tim believed in comfy clothes all the time, he strongly believed PJs were only to be worn when you were going to bed. If Dick had to guess he would say Tim had most likely picked that up from his time living with his parents.

Tim’s hair stuck up all over the place, he did not attempt to fix it as he normally would, instead opting to shove himself in Dicks’ personal space, and take over the computer. Dick watched as his eyes scanned every file, until it reached the one Dick had first seen. His eyes widened and the corners of his lips twitched up and down, as if he couldn’t figure out how he should react to Dicks findings.

“We need to read all of these.” he gestured to the files on Bates. “Someone needs to figure out where the league was last spotted.”

“I can start with Bates file’s, while you start with the league. But first a bit of tea to wake you up.”

Both tims and Dicks head shot up at Alfreds voice.

“Coffee?” Tim asked hopefully.

Alfred raised an eyebrow, but agreed. “And coffee for the young sir.”

Alfred turned to look at Dick. “would you like honey or sugar in your tea?”

“Both! Extra! Milk to please.” Dick said. Seeing Alfred's face he added. “It's going to be a long night.”

Alfred gave in with a sigh. “I shall be back down in five minutes.”

“Thanks Alfie you are the best.” Dick said, giving him a childish smile.

Tim gave quick thanks, to invest in tracking down all known places of the league, but Alfred understood and was not offended. When Tim got into his work he got in hard, it was almost impossible to distract him.

Dick turned towards Tim. “you start tracking the league's last known location. I’ll start looking over all the letters Dami’s been getting.”

Tim turned his head slightly to the side in curiosity. “Damians been getting letters?”

Dick nodded. “Yeah from the league, he wont talk about them but they have been really affecting him.”

“Not entirely. He said something really odd to Bruce.”

Tim’s clicking stopped, he didn’t turn to look back at Dick, but Dick understood the gesture, ‘keep talking i’m intrigued.’

“He got in a fight with B and yelled that, “Akhi was right and you are an ass.”

“Do you know what it means? Is it in Arabic or something else.”

While Tim was the smart one he was the most behind in languages, his parents never thought it a necessity was raising him, only teaching him a few phases so they could brag. Dick would like to think he was pretty experienced in the field of languages, but even he had missed out on a few, and Arabic just happened to be one. He was slowly learning it while being around Damian. When Dami had first been dropped with them he had put all of himself into learning it to try and make Dami feel more welcome. But Damian didn't seem to really appreciate him trying, he took it more as Dick tried to learn more about him and snoop. Making Dami close off. So Dick dialed it down a notch, and when he truly could understand a word Damian would help him if he asked so he took that as a win.

“It means brother.”

Tim looked a little bit startled and started picking at his cuticles, a nasty habit that Dick and Bruce had tried to break but never could. When DIck looked down at them he could see how red and irritated the skin on his left hand looked, with a wince at how that must sting every time he typed Dick walked closer to the computer and Tim’s face so he could gage how this conversion was going. He didn't want to blurt unneeded information to Tim just to make him panic even more.

“Have you been shit talking B?” Tim finally asked.

Dick shook his head, his hair followed along with his head, swishing in front his vision, blurring his sight of Tim’s confused face.

“Well I haven’t been shit talking to anyone. Maybe it means something different for a native speaker, like slang maybe?”

“Maybe, but Damian never talks like that.” Dick said.

“Maybe its different in his own native tongue.”

Dick thought that over. He hadn't considered that maybe Damian wasn't that comfortable in English. He always seems to speak it perfectly. And he understand slang, even when its older, that part Dick couldn’t understand, how the fuck did Damain know what a dab is, and how did he hate it with the same vengeance that Jason had.

Damain reminded so much of Jason, not in anything big. But small little things. His love for the theater, while it came out different then Jason’s had he still did love it. Alfred being his comfort person, preferring sugar cookies to chocolate chips, the way he knows just how to use a curse word to really make something hit. While Jason did curse all the time, he knew when and how to use it to really make an impact.

Dick could go on and on, but mainly their tempers are what he thought truly set the difference. While Bruce always talked about how he saw both his dead son and blood son through their tempers Dick saw something different. Yes both used them as a defence mechanism, but for different reasons.

Damian used his to hide his shame. And Jason to protect, to protect others and himself. Jason’s anger in Dicks opion was part of him, just how Dicks childness is part of him, Jason used that anger, it was his foil. But Damians anger is one of a childs, just a mood. And mood that is used so much it came be mistaken for a trait.

“I think I know where they are.” Tim yelled.

Dick snapped out of his thoughts and rushed his eyes up to look at the screen. A warehouse of course, on the otherside of town. Of course.

The warehouse was built back in 1976, very unsteady and a generally a safety hazard. So many villains had used it has a hiding spot that it was actually known as the Emerald. Spray painted over many times with the logos, and for some reasons most villains logos envovle green.

“If you look at this file and this date.” Tim pointed a small box off on the screen which he had started writing down minor details. Before connecting the dots. “You can see that the last known owner, James Nitch, sold the property over to a Mr, Griffon.”

“Ra’s.” Dick gasped.

Tim nodded. “So it looks like it was purchased two years ago. Mainly i think it was used to ship in and out basic needs. Some times as a meeting place and occasionally somewhere to trade highly valuable information.”
“So if its beens used successfully for years why change it up now. And why leave so many clues?”

“Becuase its a trap.” Tim answered.

The stairs gave barley a creak they usually would never do such a thing. Both Tim and Dick turned to look.

Alfred slowly walked down the stairs towards them. The creak clearly had been on purpose so as not to alarm them with his voice.

“Tea, Sirs?”

“Later Alf i think we have found the place.” Dick said.

“I know you are anxious to leave young Masters but i think it would bahoove you sit and think. Research a little more deeply before you dive in blind and clueless.”

Tim and Dick looked at eachother. Tim sighed and lowered his body back into the chair he had sprung out of.

Alfred walked over and handed them their tea’s.

“Thanks Alfred.” tim said, taking a big sip of his coffee, black no sugar.

Dick exceptted his drink with a “thank” before finding a chair and sinking into it. If it were up to him they would have left right now. But it wasn’t, so he would wait.

Chapter Text

This is not an update but keep reading please!

While this has grown bigger then I ever thought it would, it sucks. I wrote this when I had first started writing and I’m not happy with it, my writing has grown and improved and I want to try and rewrite this BUT I want to know what part of this fic intrigued you. What part did you like best? What is something you want to happen?

Before I start writing out a plot I want to see what you guys want from this. I’ll try to put my best writing foot forward and would love to hear from you guys.

So seriously tell me what you want, or at least tell me if you would like me to rewrite and continue this because if not I think I might end up just scrapping it and or deleting it.

Thank you!