Chapter Text
Sunday, October 9th, 2022
Jason scrubbed at his face and threw his phone down after erasing a message to the “BatKids” group chat for the fifth time. It bounced on the mattress and came back up to hit his knee. He snatched it back up and fell backward onto his pillow typing a single word to his group chat with the Outlaws.
OUTLAWS
Jaybird: Help
Royz: Are you dying?
Jaybird: No
Royz: Then suffer in silence
Art: 😂
Jaybird: I don’t know why I ever expect anything helpful from yall
Kori: Nooooo, we’ll help you Jay!
Biz: Biz am want to help Red Him
Royz: Whatcha need?
Jaybird: So remember how my therapist said I should reach out to people if I want to make amends?
Biz: Biz remember
Art: That was Kori but go ahead
Jaybird: Kori is my therapist she gets a check every month
Jaybird: How do I invite the Batbrats over to have a game night without sounding like a whiny bitch?
Kori: Awwww that’s so sweet Jason!
Kori: However I am wondering where this month’s check is
Art: 👀
Royz: Game Night. My place. If you don’t come you get shot.
Art: Yes do that
Art: Or
Art: A second option
Biz: Biz think Red Him Two idea bad
Art: UwU do my favwotiste people want to pway wedio games wif me?
Jaybird: I hate that you made me see that with my eyes
Royz: Please send that
Royz: I’m literally begging you to send that
Kori: “After patrol, I’m ordering a pizza and gaming for a few hours. If anyone is interested, I’ll just order a few extra pizzas. BYOC”
Kori: It’s very simple Jason
Jaybird: …
Biz: Star Her am kind and Biz love Star Her
Kori: Awwww, love you too Biz!! 💜
Royz: Damn
Royz: Someone stole my bitch
Art: Yeah
Art: Me
Jaybird: Thank you Kori
Art: *sends link*
Kori: Of course! 😀
Art: Dove Cameron was actually talking about ME AND KORI when she sang this song
Royz: 🖕
Kori: Ooh I’ve never heard this song!
Jaybird: You should listen to it, it’s good
Royz: Hey can somebody grab the knife Jay just stabbed me in the back with? I cant reach it
Art: 🙄
Biz: Biz worry for me friends brains
Jason flicked over to the BatKids group chat, a smile flickering across his face as he read the past messages again. Steph and Tim had been arguing over which Waffle House in Gotham had the most chaotic energy. He’d largely ignored it when it was happening so he’d felt weird about replying two hours later with “you’re both wrong, it’s obviously the one in Crime Alley” so he’d said nothing.
BATKIDS
Jason: Hey after patrol Im orderin pizza and gaming for a few hours. If yall want, I’ll order a few extra pizzas. BYOC
He threw his phone down and started changing into his Red Hood attire, not wanting to stare at his phone like Jane Bennet waiting at the window for Caroline Bingly to call on her while he waited for a response. He needed to get ready for patrol anyway.
He heard his phone vibrate against the sheets a few times but ignored it until he’d finished changing.
BATKIDS
Damian Wayne: Pizza is the food of the commoners, Todd. I will, however, be joining you regardless so I hope you prepare an adequate replacement meal for me.
DickieBird: He can get you a veggie pizza, they exist
Damian Wayne: I think you are missing the point, Grayson.
Timmers: What console do you have?
Jason blinked. He didn’t…he didn’t think Tim would say anything back, much less imply that he wanted to come over.
BATKIDS
Jason: Switch and PS4
Timmers: Sweet
Timmers: By BYOC I’m assuming you meant controllers and not consoles then?
Jason: Yeah
Timmers: Okay, I have two pro controllers and three joy-cons that I can bring. Steph do you have my ps4 controllers?
Duke: I have a couple for the ps4
Duke: Also I’m lactose intolerant sooooooo
Dickiebird: I think all of the pizzas at GothamSlice are lactose-free?
Jason: They’re also hella expensive
DickieBird: Okay, well, too bad
Jason: I’m not goin to fuckin Gotham slice.
DickieBird: You’re being rude.
Duke: It’s not that big of a deal, I can just take a lactate or something
DickieBird: It is a big deal!
Jason rolled his eyes and muttered a few choice words.
BATKIDS
Jason: I know that Dickface
Jason: I don’t buy from GothamSlice on fuckin principle
Jason: They overcharge on purpose because they’re in Bristol
Jason: Sal’s – the pizza place I was already planning on going to – has several options for dietary restrictions including lactose-free
Steph: @Timmers yeah you left them here after the Titans hangout last week
Jason: I’m not paying those assholes for an overpriced slice of garbage when Sals sells better pizzas for half the price
Timmers: Cool, bring them with?
Steph: Sure
Steph : Also @Jason I prefer cheese pizza 😊
Jason: Aight blondie
Jason: @Duke I got you man, don’t worry abt it
DickieBird: Okay, sorry.
Dick was clearly not sorry if he was using a period at the end of his sentence to indicate anger still. Jason rolled his eyes again, plastering on his domino. He didn’t really feel like wearing the helmet tonight so he left it in his apartment as he ducked out through the window.
BATKIDS
Duke: Thanks Jason
Cass: Gotham Slice 🍕 is the one that looks too 🧽🧼 isn’t it?
Steph: How can a restaurant look TOO clean?
Jason: Bc it’s in fuckin Bristol
Jason fired off his grappling hook and swung through the city, headed for the warehouse he was staking out that night. By the time he landed on the roof, he had twelve new messages from the group chat.
BATKIDS
Damian Wayne: Don’t be ridiculous, Cain.
Timmers: According to my parental units it was not clean enough actually
Timmers: So obviously the second they left for another trip after saying that I went in and ate as many pizzas as I could before throwing it all up in the parking lot
Timmers: Good times
Duke: 😭
Damian Wayne: You are disgusting, Drake.
Steph: I love that every single time you’ve tried to rebel it’s ended with you just hurting yourself 💜
Timmers: I love to cause myself pain 😌
Steph: Timmy you kinky bitch
Cass: 😂🤣😭
Damian Wayne: None of you know when to stop talking.
Babs: What games do you have Jay?
Jason: I don’t know
Jason: A lot?
Babs: How do you not know what games you have?
Jason: I don’t keep a fuckin catalog
Jason: If you ask me a specific game I’d know but I can’t just list them all off
Steph: Do you have animal crossing?
Steph: I bet he has animal crossing
Jason: I do have animal crossing actually
Jason: For your information Blondie, I have a four star island 😌😎
Babs: Good for you. Do you have any of the Call of Duty games?
Steph: Might bring my switch then. Visit your island
Jason: Obviously. I love killing people.
DickieBird: 🙄
Jason: I got black ops 3, advanced and infinite
Babs: Awesome
Jason : @Steph feel free
Timmers: We should do a Mario Kart tournament
Steph: LE GASP
Jason: I’m 90 percent sure I have Mario Kart somewhere in my apartment
Steph: TIMOLAS YOU KNOW YOURE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY THAT ANYMORE
Timmers: I’ll bring mine just in case
Timmers: I don’t know what you’re talking about Stephabeth
Duke: I’m down for Mario Kart
Steph changed their name to Stephabeth
Stephabeth: Duke no
Stephabeth: You don’t know of what you speak
Timmers: You’re just still pissed I beat you
Stephabeth: THROUGH CHEATING
Jason: How the fuck do you cheat at Mario Kart?
Jason, unfortunately, couldn’t really wait for a response because the truck he’d been waiting for showed up. He stood from his crouched position and dropped down on them, knocking out the driver. Thankfully it didn’t take too long and he was able to reply to Dick’s last message before it got too late to say anything. He fired off his grapple gun, keeping his phone out as he made his way to the next stop on his patrol.
BATKIDS
Timmers: You cant she just sucks
Stephabeth: DON’T LISTEN HES EVIL
Timmers: Yes, I am so evil and bad and terrible
Timmers: They should lock me up
Timmers: The GCPD hates me
Timmers: I’ve committed the worst of crimes
Timmers: I use the shortcuts in Mario Kart 😔
Duke: Oh no guess I’m going to jail too
Babs: Can’t wait to see the disappointed look on my dad’s face when I turn myself in
DickieBird: Maybe we can all get like a joint cell together
DickieBird: When B comes to visit us he can smuggle in Mario Kart
Jason: Bold of you to assume B would visit you in prison after so egregious a crime
Stephabeth: I can’t believe there are so many hardened criminals in this chat
Stephabeth: Friendship with you all ended
Stephabeth: Jason is my new best friend now
Jason: no❤️🔥
Stephabeth: how dare you
Stephabeth: I come offering friendship and you have the nerve to reject it?
Jason: You have Cass
Cass: 🥰😇🥳
Stephabeth: No I know Cass, she will also choose the path of evil
Stephabeth: It’s preemptive
Cass: ☹️😢😤
Stephabeth: Also Cass is girlfriend, so different
Babs: and how do you know Jason hasn’t also walked down this evil path with us Steph? 👀
Stephabeth: …
Stephabeth: he would have said something about not wanting to be in the same cell as yall
Jason: Or maybe I just don’t trust y’all enough to admit to my crimes 😇
Timmers: Fair enough, pls enjoy your freedom while you can
Jason: Thank you, I shall
Babs: Too bad Dick and I have already played Mario Kart with you
Jason: God fucking damn it
Jason: There goes my freedom
Timmers: So sorry for your loss
Damian Wayne: Stop conversing while we’re on patrol. Father keeps glaring every time my phone gets a notification.
Jason: Then silence it
Timmers: Just silence it
Jason huffed out a laugh as his and Tim’s texts came in at the same time saying the same thing.
Stephabeth: lol I was gonna say the same
Duke: same
Damian Wayne: It is silenced. I’m not an inept fool. The vibrations are still too loud.
Jason: You can mute the chat, Habibi. Click on the icon with three vertical buttons on the top right side and you’ll find the option
Damian Wayne: Thank you, Akhi, for being the only useful person in this chat.
Jason smiled at the endearment from his baby brother before exchanging his phone for his guns and shooting a drug dealer who’d been selling to kids in the face.
OUTLAWS
Jaybird: *sends attachments*
Jaybird: I’m so fucking good at un-estranging myself
Kori: Yay!
Kori: Proud of you! 😄
Royz: “I love killing people” fucking hell Jay 😂
Jaybird: I am nothing if not hilarious
Art: It’s two in the morning, shut up
Art: Congrats Jason. *Sent with confetti effect*
Jaybird: Thanks. *sent with echo effect*
Royz: Do you not do your crime fighting at night?
Art: No I usually work the day shift for my vigilante shit
Art: Perk of not being a Gotham or Star City BITCH
Royz: Rude
Jaybird: Rude
Jaybird: Also it’s only 12 here
Kori: Why are you not Jaybird in the chat with them? Is this not a nickname given to you by Dick?
Jaybird: It’s complicated
Royz: I actually take full credit for the creation of Jaybird as a nickname thank you very much
Art: what part of shut up escaped you people
Royz: Just mute the chat goddamn
Art: No
Art: This is a you problem
Royz: I’m glaring at you, I hope you know
Art: Don’t strain your eyes
Art: I might steal Kori away while you’re blinking
Art : @Kori 😘
Royz: shut up
Art: you first bitch
Jason swung around his city for a few more hours before dropping back into his apartment to change. He took out his phone.
BATKIDS
Jason: About to go order the pizza, besides the veggie for demon brat and the cheese for blondie I was going to grab three meat lovers and two supremes. They’ll all be lactose-free except for the cheese because Sal is weird about his cheese pizzas. Any other requests?
Babs: You haven’t ordered them yet?
Babs: Also, they’re all just getting back from patrol and changing in the Cave so they won’t be able to respond for a bit
Jason: Someone tell Alfred I said hi then
Jason: and no I was on patrol
Babs: I could’ve placed it online
Jason: no decent pizza place has the option to order online
Jason: That’s why Timbo puked up his guts after eating GothamSlice
Babs: hmmm yes, definitely has nothing to do with the fact that he ate 10 large pizzas
Jason: Jesus Christ
Jason: How did his tiny child body handle it
Jason: Well…guess it didn’t lol
Timmers: in my defense, I hadn’t eaten in two days so I was hungry
Timmers: and the pizza choices sound fine to me Jason :)
Cass: 2️⃣🥦🍕❓
Jason: Sure, I’ll grab two
Jason : Also…why the fuck did you not eat for two days? @Timmers
Timmers: Parentals were home and forgot to feed me but also they didn’t let me leave the house when they were there so 🤷🏻
Jason stared at his phone as he stopped in the middle of the staircase leading down to the street.
BATKIDS
Stephabeth: Tim we’ve talked abt trauma dumping
Timmers: not me forgetting that wasn’t a normal human experience for a second haha 😳
Timmers: sorry everyone
Duke: Tim how are you alive?
Timmers: In my defense, Jason did ask
Timmers: I am not sure
Timmers: Spite?
Stephabeth: Oh it’s definitely spite
Stephabeth: ALSO CASS, DAMIAN, AND DICK HURRY THE FUCK UP
Cass: Talking to Bruce
Jason: Tell Dick he’s in charge of buying drinks
Jason: I’ve just decided
Duke: Steph just leaned out of the car and screamed at Dick to let him know and now B is coming over
Jason: not to my apartment
Timmers: no to the car
Babs: The front seat better be empty when you get to my place Richard Grayson.
Duke: Tim just fucking DOVE into the middle seat from the passenger seat 😭
Duke: *sent attachment*
Duke: His foot got caught in the seat belt 😭
Babs: *loved an image*
Stephabeth: *laughed at an image*
Cass: *loved an image*
Damian Wayne: *laughed at an image*
Jason: *loved an image*
Timmers: *disliked an image*
Duke: Bruce is trying really hard not to laugh at him
DickieBird : @Jason Alfred says hello and hopes you’re doing well
Jason smiled as he entered the pizza place and pressed the love reaction on Dick’s text.
“Hi, welcome to Sal’s!” the girl at the counter – Kim – had taken his order a few times before so she beamed at him, “Your usual, Jace?”
He shook his head, “Nah, gotta couple more than usual tonight.” He rattled off the various pizzas and she punched them into the system.
“Party tonight?” she asked after sending the ticket to the back. Since it was so late, he was the only customer so he leaned against the counter on his elbows and grinned up at her.
“Something like that.”
She grinned back, popping her gum, “Sounds fun.”
Jason hummed noncommittally, “Hopefully.”
Kim tilted her head, “What’s up? You usually ask me what time I get off by now”
He laughed, straightening, “All right, Kim, what time you get off?”
“Seven. But you know that.” She said before he could ask his next question, twirling one of her curls around her finger. “You also know that I’m gonna go straight home and sleep for five hours before going to my next job and have absolutely no time to go on a date with you sweetheart.” She leaned forward, “No matter how much I might want to.”
He grinned at her slowly, “Kim, what are you saying?”
She poked his chest, her long nail sharp even through his shirt. “I’m saying I know this dance and if you miss a step it’s because your brain is thinking of things.”
Jason rolled his eyes, “My brain’s always thinking of things.”
She rolled her eyes right back, “Sure sweetheart. Tell me what it’s thinkin now then.”
He stared at her for a second, considered lying. “My…adopted siblings are coming over. I had a…pretty nasty falling out with them a few years ago, still trying to patch things up.”
Kim nodded, resting her chin on her hands as she propped her elbows up on the counter. “You close with them? Before I mean?”
Jason pressed his hip into the counter and sighed, “Only the two older than me. I hadn’t…I wasn’t around with the younger ones. I don’t even really see them as my siblings yet except for one of them – the youngest – and that’s only because we…were in a foster home together for a few years. But even with my older brother and sister, we weren’t that close. My…my brother tried but he was…going through his own thing. The falling out happened because I went through a very similar thing and just…handled it so much worse than he did.”
“But they’ve forgiven you?”
Jason shrugged, “I guess so.”
“Have you forgiven your older brother?”
“I…” Jason huffed a laugh and kicked the counter lightly, “I’m trying to. I need to. But it’s hard because he’s…constantly worried about the others, how badly I hurt them. He doesn’t even realize how he hurt me I think.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“We don’t really do emotions and talking well.”
“Try tonight, if you’re feeling up to it.”
He looked up at her, “Do you also have a secret third job as a counselor or something?”
Kim shrugged, “Sometimes I’m a substitute English teacher.”
He grinned, “Oh that counts. One of the city schools or Gotham Academy?”
She smiled back, “Gotham Middle. My favorite teacher was my sixth-grade English teacher so it just felt right.”
“Who’d you have?”
“Mrs. Baker. You?”
“Also her!” He grinned, “She was the best, wasn’t she? I was in drama with her too.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Wait, hang on. How old are you?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Huh. You would have been a freshman when I was a senior then.”
“Oh I didn’t go to Gotham High, I went to GA for high school.” Well, he would have if he hadn’t died.
She grinned, “Ooh, won the lottery?”
“Order up!”
As she turned to grab his pizzas he nodded, “Something like that yeah.”
She started stacking his boxes on the counter, “Did you want plates or anything sweetheart?”
He shook his head, “Nah, I got stuff at home. They’re all so fuckin bougie, probably don’t know how to eat off a paper plate,” he grinned.
She laughed, “Have a good night, Jace.”
“You too, Kim.”
Thankful that Sal’s is only a block away from his apartment, he started walking back. As he reached his block, he heard a car honk its horn behind him. He adjusted the pizza boxes so he could flip the driver off without looking back.
“Jason Peter Todd, you better not be flipping me off.”
Jason turned with a grin on his face to see Barbara in the passenger seat of the Subaru Dick had bought to lug all the Bat children around. She’d rolled the window down as Dick slowly drove down the street, keeping pace with Jason, “Oh never you, Barbara. It was aimed at Dickie, of course.”
She smiled back at him and inclined her head toward the pizzas, “Want a hand or two with that?”
Jason shrugged, “I guess.”
Dick stopped the car and the back door opened. Tim, Steph, and Duke – who had been sitting in the middle seat – tumbled out into the street. Steph and Duke took the boxes from him while Tim grabbed some bags filled with 2 liters and a couple of six packs from Cass in the backseat.
“Oh,” Jason said, seeing the beer, “I had alcohol, sorry. You drinking, Timmy?” He asked jokingly.
“Absolutely not,” Dick said quickly.
“I’m driving back so no,” Tim said, pulling the door closed. “Otherwise I would.”
“This is your reminder that I am a cop and you are underage,” Dick said with a frown.
Steph rolled her eyes, “Despite the soccer mom car, you’re not our dad, Dick.”
Jason managed to stop himself from laughing but Tim and Duke glanced over at him as if they were also holding back a laugh, making it harder than it should have been. Dick drove off to park and the four made their way up the stairs to his apartment.
“Personally,” Jason began, “I’m surprised you haven’t drank already, Tim. Figured Blondie would hook you up.”
Steph smirked at him, “Who’s to say I haven’t?”
Jason laughed, pulling his keys out of his pocket. He opened the door, “Just put the pizza on the counter. Are the drinks cold?”
“No,” Tim said.
Jason led Tim to the fridge. He grabbed two half-empty liters of Sprite and Dr Pepper that he was pretty sure were flat but hey, at least they were cold. He handed them to Tim, “Put those on the counter would ya?”
Tim nodded, leaving the six packs and two liters on the floor. Jason took out the beers he already had and stuffed the new ones in his empty crisper.
“Isn’t that where the vegetables are supposed to go?” Jason could hear the smirk in Tim’s voice as he stood behind him.
“Just shut up and hand me the soda, replacem –” Jason turned to look back at Tim, “I…Sorry.”
Tim shrugged but wouldn’t look him in the eye, “It’s fine.”
Fuck. He’d thought they’d been making progress to become friends and now he was fucking it up again . “Tim, I didn’t mean –”
“Just take the soda, Jason,” Tim said tiredly.
Jason swallowed and stood, opening the freezer and putting the drinks in there. Tim started to head for the couch where Steph and Duke were already sitting. Jason grabbed his arm to stop him. “I really didn’t mean to say that, Tim. I’m sorry.”
Tim glanced at Jason’s hand wrapping around just below his elbow before meeting his eyes, “I know. It’s genuinely okay.”
“It’s not okay,” Jason muttered, staring at his feet and refusing to let go of Tim just yet, “Every time…every time Dick looked at me like I had stolen something from him when he thought I wasn’t looking…fucking crushed me when I was Robin. I can’t…” he took a breath and looked up at Tim, “I know it’s got to be even worse for you because at least Dick didn’t actively try to kill me.”
“You’re not actively trying to kill me,” Tim smiled but to Jason, it looked forced.
“That’s literally not the point, Tim.”
Tim rolled his eyes, “Jason, it doesn’t –”
“Let us in!” Babs called, hitting on the door.
Tim rushed over to do so, yanking his arm from Jason’s grip. Jason picked up the beers, adding them to the counter.
Dick carried Babs into the living room on his back, her arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders. Cass followed behind with her wheelchair and Damian followed her with a red backpack in his arms.
“Jason, you should sue your landlord. That elevator clearly hasn’t passed inspection since at least the ‘50s.” Babs said as Dick lowered her to her wheelchair.
Jason leaned against his counter, “Oh yeah, sorry I forgot to mention. I forgot I even had one.”
“How do you forget an entire elevator, Todd?” Damian asked as Tim took the red backpack from him and moved towards the couch.
Jason shrugged as Steph held out her hands to Tim and made grabby motions, “Gimme, gimme, gimme I want to make fun of Jason’s island.”
Tim snorted, “Maybe look at it first so you can insult it properly.” He handed her a purple switch case and sat beside her on the floor.
Jason strode over to his entertainment center and unhooked his switch from the dock, “Friend code?”
Steph rattled it off and Jason added her as a friend.
“Wait, what’s yours, Jason?” Duke asked, looking up from his own switch.
Jason blinked but looked back down at his switch and told him. Immediately he had four new friend requests. He looked up to see Babs, Tim, and Damian looking at him expectantly. He quickly accepted their requests.
“Jesus, how the hell have you racked up over 100 hours in Unpacking?” Steph asked, looking up.
Jason shrugged, “I dunno. Helps me relax.”
“Jaybird.”
Jason tried not to flinch at the nickname and turned to Dick, “Yeah?”
“Say your friend code again?” Dick asked, pulling his switch out. Cass, who’d just taken hers from the bag, nodded, indicating she wanted it too.
Jason rattled it off again before handing his switch to Babs, “Let them on my island while I go downstairs for ice?”
“Course.”
“Don’t let them steal anything!” Jason warned, running out the door.