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“Oracle, I’m turning in for the night,” Bruce sighed, pressing his fingers into the bridge of his nose. Any other night, he wouldn’t mind Barbara calling into the Batcave after patrol. It had been too long since Bruce got an actual night of rest and Dick and Tim had teamed up to make sure he stayed in for the night.
“It’s Red Hood,” Barbara said. Bruce froze. His eyes didn’t lift from the keyboard. Whatever she said next couldn’t be what Bruce was thinking. If something started going down with Red Hood, it meant him cutting through a few dozen bodies to get something he wanted (although, he’d calmed down a bit in the last few months). Nothing Barbara said would be panic inducing. “His alert lit up a few seconds ago, pinging his location.”
Panic inducing. Shit.
No time to alert Robin or Nightwing. The buzzing in Bruce’s ears grew as he pulled his cowl back on, not hearing Oracle as she spoke. He managed to read her lips and the mention of the two other vigilante’s caught his attention. Alongside their names were the words “already alerted and informed of his position”.
Bruce wanted to keep them out of this. He knew he had no chance to argue.
When he slid into the Batmobile, the coordinates to Jason’s location were already plugged in. Panicking would do him no good in this situation, even as it clawed it’s way up his chest and to his throat. Bruce had to shove it down. Shove it away. Reminded himself where they were and there wouldn’t be any repeats.
That had been the whole point of giving Jason the panic-button in the first place. Bruce didn’t know his son still carried the thing.
The Batmobile roared to life. Bruce didn’t look at the estimated time of arrival. No point in doing so if it would only make his hands shake and his driving erratic. He had to be focused and to be focused he couldn’t—
“B!” Dick’s voice filtered through the noise into his comm. He sounded out of breath. He shouldn’t be awake now. The boy had work in the morning. “I got the alert. ETA is fifteen, but I can cut it down if—”
“No.” Bruce swerved around a corner, the Batmobile leaning dangerously. “Head to the Cave. Get the infirmary set up.”
“But—”
“No buts. Fifteen is too long and cutting corners will only push yourself. Do what you can not what you want. Understood?” Static filled the comm. Bruce knew it wasn’t just Dick and Barbara on the line anymore. The sound of swinging and breathing wasn’t just one son, but two. There would be no dissuading Tim. The boy was probably right behind Bruce getting farther away the faster he pushed the Batmobile.
“Understood.” Dick finally bit out. Bruce let out a slow breath.
“Robin?” he said. “I’ll need you to keep any civilians clear when we get there, if there are any.”
“From what I can tell, there’s no crowd,” Barbara said, “There’s some foot traffic but not much.” Bruce nodded, clenching the wheel as he came to a straight-way. He dodged around cars moving far too slow.
“That’s good,” Bruce said, “Any idea what Hood was working before this?”
“I’m scrubbing through footage now.” They would have to wait. Waiting only made people anxious. As much as Bruce could give Dick and Tim something to do, they would still be trying to move. Help in anyway they could. Bruce may have known how to compartmentalize as best he could, but those boys hadn’t been in the field long enough to learn.
It took too long for the Batmobile to screech to a stop at the warehouse Red Hood had been pinged at. Bruce knew he should case the area. Check the perimeter. Compartmentalize like he had been doing.
But his boy was in there. Alone. Hurt beyond what he could handle by himself.
Bruce refused to wait.
In his ear, Robin’s breathing continued. Oracle had been right about foot traffic, there were a few stragglers walking down the road. A few shops around the area were closed, but during the day it might have been a good place to go shopping. The warehouse was out of place in the small pocket. Not unlike Gotham, though. Stitched together after breaking over and over again. A Frankenstein's Monster of a city.
An echo followed Batman into the darkness. Doors banging open to reveal… nothing. An empty warehouse. Shadows filled the space and Bruce didn’t see anything until he turned on night-vision.
There, hidden in the shadows of the stairs, Jason. Laid out on his back, fingers twitching and body shuddering every few seconds. The little device Bruce had made him take lay next to his twitching fingers as if Jason had dropped it and was still trying to grab it.
Footsteps echoed in the dark as Bruce ran to kneel next to Jason. He didn’t hesitate for a moment to look over him, hands hovering as he confirmed no bleeding or external injuries before resting his hands on Jason.
The moment he did, his boy sobbed and curled towards him. They made him sound so young. He would always be young to Bruce, but those sounds wrenched at something in him. It didn’t take much effort to pull Jason close, tucking him into Bruce’s lap and letting Jason grip the cape and hide his face in the crook of Bruce’s neck. The helmet didn’t bother either of them.
“‘M sorry!” Jason sobbed. “You said—You told me to stay back. ‘M’orry.” Bruce shushed Jason as he rocked back and forth, trying to ease whatever caused the onslaught of tears. Hiccups and cries followed.
“You’re alright,” Bruce said, “You’re alright, I’m here. What’s wrong?” Bile rose in the back of his throat. He already had an idea of where Jason’s mind had gone, for whatever reason. Something trapped him back to that night and…
“There’s—Bomb! He left… B, you gotta go.” Jason shuffled and shoved at Bruce. If he had any strength left, it might have budged Bruce an inch. As it was, Jason felt too weak. “It’s gonna blow.” The last phrase sounded like Bruce wasn’t meant to hear it.
“Perimeter’s secure,” Robin said, “Do you need back-up?”
“No, hold your position,” Bruce said. Jason shuddered in his arms so he pulled him ever closer. Jason didn’t fight against the feeling. “I don’t think anyone’s left. I’m bringing Hood out. Robin, get in the Batmobile.”
“I have footage,” Oracle spoke.
“Send it to the Batcomputer,” Bruce told her, “I’ll watch it when I return.” Jason hiccuped in his grip again and Bruce did his best to soothe him. It became more difficult as Jason repeated what he’d already said. Trapped back in a different warehouse filled with smoke and ash.
Bruce’s heart twisted as he changed his hold on Jason to lift him and carry him back through the doors Bruce came out of. When he did, Tim was there, leaning against the Batmobile. He perked up at the sight of Bruce and tensed again at the load in his arms.
“I’ll get the door,” he said. Bruce only nodded in acknowledgement.
Setting Jason in the backseat proved difficult. Each time Bruce drew away, Jason would panic and claw back towards him, screaming and sobbing.
“I can drive,” Tim said, “You taught me for a reason.”
“Are you sure?” Bruce asked. Rhetorical. Once Tim got an idea it was hard to pull him off it.
“Yup.” Bruce grunted as he climbed in the back. Jason kept trying to grab at him and Bruce allowed it as much as he could before getting them settled in.
As Tim drove, Bruce worked on getting Jason out of the protective gear he wore. It would help Dick when they made it back to the Cave. The helmet came first and revealed Jason’s bloodshot eyes. His face a ruddy red from all the crying and gasping breath’s. Pure fear filled his face.
It took effort to not react.
Next, the jacket and chest-plate he wore. Those were more difficult. Jason kept scrambling at any loss of contact and drawing in deep breath’s as if ready to start screaming again. Bruce pulled down the cowl to try and help. It seemed to work, if only a little. Something in Jason’s expression changed at being able to see Bruce’s full face instead of the mask.
By the time they made it back to the Cave, Jason had been stripped to just the clothes underneath all his armor. And he was clung to Bruce’s arm like a koala to its mother. Nothing pried him off.
Dick opened the side door to the sight. A wounded noise left his mouth and Bruce pretended not to hear. He couldn’t pretend to ignore the sound from Jason’s mouth at the sight of Dick. Even in this state, he recognized him.
“Dick!” Jason surged out of Bruce’s hold and into the open arms of his brother. Tim watched as he left the driver’s side, eyeing the pair. “There was—Oh god. The Joker. He… He tried… He wouldn’t stop—”
“Shh,” Dick ran his hand through the sweaty hair plastered to Jason’s forehead, “It’s alright, Little Wing. I’ve got you.”
Wordlessly, Tim walked around the Batmobile and watched as Dick kept murmuring to Jason and leading him to the infirmary. Bruce and him stood in silence for a moment as they listened to the quiet conversation in the distance. No words were parsed out from so far away.
“What do we do?” Tim asked. He looked up at Bruce as he waited for an answer. Hold steady for a few more hours. Bruce could do that. He’d grown used to it. He took in a deep breath.
“I look through what Oracle sent,” he said, “And you get a blood sample.” Bruce turned and walk over to the computer. He hid his smile at Tim’s muttered response:
“Sure, send the guy he barely knows to poke him. Great plan.”
Things were weird between him and Jason. It hadn’t been his plan to take the mantle, but he had and that irked Jason. Tim got it, really. He wouldn’t want someone strolling into his life and taking a place he thought belonged to him. It just made Jason’s reaction when Tim walked up all the more confusing.
From what he’d heard on the ride back, Jason’s brain had gotten mixed up in the past. It didn’t take a genius to piece together where he was trapped. It did take a genius to try and piece together why Jason had grabbed Tim’s arm the moment he saw him and tried to warn him of the danger.
“You can’t be here,” Jason hissed, “You gotta… Tim you need to go.”
“I…” Tim swallowed around a dry throat and looked up at Dick with wide eyes. His eyes were a similar shape. Great, both of them were in the dark. “I can’t, Jace. It’s okay, though. I’ve got a plan.”
Gently, he pulled his arm free from Jason’s grasp and moved around the gurney to collect everything he needed to draw blood. When he looked back, Jason was still watching him. He’d twisted uncomfortably in the gurney in order to do so. Dick hadn’t moved from his spot.
Tim cleared his throat as he moved over to Jason and started rolling up the sleeve of his shirt. Jason tilted his head to watch with a frown.
“I just need to take some blood,” Tim said. He wrapped the tourniquet and found a good vein, poking at it a little. Jason blinked. “Don’t worry. All part of my plan.”
“Okay.” Jason hummed.
It didn’t take much to collect the blood. With the promise of it being a part of Tim’s plan, Jason seemed to relax. When he finished, Tim had Jason hold the small gauze to the small wound and wrapped it. Jason kept following Tim with his eyes as he left.
Something about the weight of Jason’s eyes on him made Tim shiver. He knew a lot about the other man. The files that took Bruce months to allow Tim access to burned behind his eyes every time Tim looked at Jason. He knew so much about what Jason went through, what he experienced in the warehouse and what happened to him as Robin. Not just because of those files, but because of his own dedication to following the duo.
At least it was a two-way street. In a way. The murder wall Jason had on Tim in that motel room had to count as a file in a way. Not computerized, but at least Tim felt a little less guilty about what he’d read up about Jason.
They knew each other through that way only. Files and papers and arms-length away. Nothing solidified like what Dick and Jason had. Nothing like what either of them had with Bruce. And Tim was just fine with that. Bruce hadn’t even wanted another Robin, but Tim had seen what it did to the man to not have Robin.
It just didn’t help Tim understand why Jason cared so much about him being in whatever horrible fantasy his mind had concocted. From the few times they interacted after Red Hood’s debut, Tim got the impression Jason didn’t like him taking up the mantle.
Tim tapped the vials together as he walked up to the Batcomputer behind Bruce. On screen, grainy surveillance videos from the warehouse were playing. Something Barbara had managed to get her hands on. That woman’s skills knew no bounds.
“Lucky shot,” Bruce said, tiredness leaking from his voice. He rewound the video and pointed out a blur on the screen. Fast enough to be a dart and only just getting stuck in the chink between where Jason’s helmet ended and his tac-vest began. Tim let out a slow sigh.
“Damn,” he said, “I’ve got two blood samples. I can test them. And I’ll file the video.”
“It’s alright. I can—”
“Bruce. You’ve been awake for almost 40 hours. I’ve got this. Dick’s with Jason, we’ll take care of it.” Bruce made a half-hum noise as he turned in the chair. The look on his face was one Tim came to know as the one he made right before he gave in. It didn’t show often. Mostly after three days of little to no sleep. It showing up now only proved how much tonight weighed on him.
Bruce sighed and stood from the chair, patting Tim on his shoulder as he left. Tim made sure Bruce was careful to avoid stepping into Jason’s line of sight. That would only end poorly.
Tim left the computer on while he set the vials in the centrifuge. It would take enough time for him to be able to file away the videos Barbara sent over. Tim fell heavily into the chair, ignoring his own exhaustion from the last few nights. Nothing he couldn’t handle. Besides, the mini-fridge he’d managed to convince Bruce to install held more than a few Zesti. He cracked one open as he worked to name and properly file the folder.
He still had a bit of time after to lean back in the chair and close his eyes. Maybe he would be able to get access to Jason’s helmet. Tim didn’t doubt the man had retrofitted the helmet after its paint job from the Black Mask. If he could get the video it likely recorded into the computer, it would help pad the file for the report.
Tim would have to ask later. Asking now would only add undue stress to Jason.
Now, he could pull the samples from the centrifuge. Separated perfectly. Of course Bruce sprung for the best equipment. Tim had never had problems with it before. It took him longer than it should to move the samples over to be analyzed, though. When he finished, he leaned against the table, closing his eyes.
Bruce may have been awake for 40 hours, but Tim was going on at about the same rate. Not that he told anyone. He made sure of that. Still, sleep would be trying to creep up on him soon enough. Nothing downing the rest of his drink wouldn’t help.
Tim collapsed back into the chair at the Batcomputer. From the infirmary, he could hear Dick and Jason talking in muted tones. His chest ached as he listened, not parsing out words beyond their beats and syllables. He hadn’t lied to Jason when he said he had a plan. That didn’t mean the plan included going back to the infirmary until he had answers.
He didn’t have any reason, Tim told himself, to go back there. Jason had Dick and that was what he needed now. Someone he knew and who knew him to help keep him calm. When Tim had gone in there, it had only panicked Jason. From what he could hear now, Jason sounded much better.
Maybe Tim could even get a little shut eye while the analysis ran. It was hooked up to the Batcomputer so it would blip with any answers. Tim could just let his mind drift for a little while…
The computer blipped a few minutes later. Tim huffed and forced himself to sit up. He clicked on the report and scanned it over. It took a few looks before he swore. A very close match to fear toxin. Not enough to be the original, but enough for it to be someone’s attempt at recreating it.
Tim groaned as he stood, walking over to where they kept antidotes. They seemed close enough for it to work. Besides, with the basic principle of how fear toxin worked, Tim had hope. Much faster than making a whole new one (and Tim didn’t trust himself to make anything new at the moment).
When Tim walked into the infirmary, Jason sat up on the gurney, snapping his mouth shut from whatever he’d been telling Dick. He seemed even calmer than before. Either the toxin had lost its hold earlier, or Dick managed to keep his mind from slipping further into whatever the toxin had forced him down. Likely the latter since Jason seemed just fine with staying in the Batcave.
“What’s that?” Jason asked as he stared at the vial in Tim’s hand.
“Uh, it’s for you,” Tim said, “Some medicine, is all.” Jason shifted on the gurney and glanced over to Dick. That thing from earlier twisted in Tim’s chest again.
“Why?” Jason looked back at Tim after seeing the confused look on Dick’s face. Tim glanced over to Dick, not knowing how to proceed. Trying to pull people out of their fear toxin induced fears never went well. Even if Jason seemed to be more aware, having him confront reality might cause more harm than good.
“You were hit with something,” Tim decided. He faced Jason straight on as he spoke. He rounded the gurney as he grabbed a needle. Before he pulled the antidote, he raised his finger to point at the small wound from the dart. “Right here. This will help with what got you.” Jason’s hand rose and he ran his finger over the small hole.
“I don’t remember…” Jason said, brows furrowed.
“It’s okay, Jaybird,” Dick said. His hand enveloped Jason’s ankle. “We’re gonna help you.” Tim swallowed around the twisting and drew out the proper amount of the antidote. Jason offered up his arm without question. At least the weird trust they formed stuck with Jason. Another one of the reasons Tim wanted to wait to ask for the footage from his helmet: keep that trust.
“Alright,” Tim said as he smoothed a bandaid over the shot, “Let’s give that about an hour? If it doesn’t work, I can cook something else up.” Dick hummed, still not looking at him. Tim cleared his throat as he moved and chucked the syringe then out so he could put the antidote back in its proper place. No use to let things go unorganized.
Except a strangled noise left Jason as Tim went to leave. Tim turned to make sure Dick hadn’t done something stupid like let go of Jason. Except Dick was still right there, hand on Jason’s ankle. Tim blinked and took another step to leave, keeping his eyes on Dick. The sound left Jason again. Tim’s eyes snapped to his face.
Jason was staring at him. With teary eyes and fear painted on his face again. Tim stared at him. Blinked. The only way to test the theory in his head would be to take another step forward and—
“You can’t go,” Jason gasped, “You can’t—You have to stay here.”
“I’m just putting the medicine back,” Tim tried, “I was fine before.”
“It’s okay. You have Dick.” Jason looked between the two of them. On one of his swivels, Tim stepped the rest of the way out of the infirmary. Out of sight, out of mind, right? It had worked last time and Jason had been fine.
The calm lasted about five seconds before Tim heard Jason shout and the sound of clambering. He moved faster as he heard Jason and Dick arguing.
It just didn’t make sense. Tim ran through everything that happened with Jason and why he’d care so much about Tim in this moment. Nothing came up. No reason for Jason to care or for his fears to turn towards Tim. Still, he set the antidote away and made his way back to the infirmary in time to see Dick fail to wrestle Jason back onto the gurney.
Then, Jason landed eyes on Tim. Full of that fear from earlier but determination as well. Even dealing with the effects from knock-off fear toxin, Jason moved fast. Tim tried to dodge away from the lunge, but Jason only readjusted and grabbed him. Despite being similar heights—despite being taller—Jason had Tim over his shoulder and Tim yelped before he got deposited on the gurney and there were a set of hands digging through his utility belt.
“Wh—hey!” Tim shuffled away from Jason, further onto the gurney. “Dick? Want to lend a hand?”
“I think if I tried Jason would bring out the crowbar,” Dick said. Tim glared at him as Jason produced zip-ties from one of the pockets. The crowbar Dick mentioned was on the other side of the cave. Jason wouldn’t be able to get it easily and now Tim had to struggled against the man himself.
He’d already figured out Jason’s plan and figured he could maybe get out of it. Except whatever workout routine the man did outweighed Tim’s own and before he knew it, his wrist was stuck on the railing of the gurney. Tim winced as he tried to pull at it. He had more things to do. Reports to write about this whole situation.
“Great plan, genius,” Tim snarked, “Now where are you going to rest?” Jason blinked at him. He raised his arm and Tim followed the line of his arm to where Jason was pointing. Another gurney parallel to his own.
“I’m going to sit there,” Jason said with an inhale, “And I’m going to watch you to make sure you don’t try to run off again.” Tim huffed and motioned to his wrist stuck to the rail.
“What about Dick?”
“Dick hasn’t tried to leave.” Tim spluttered and tried to say something. Jason ignored him and walked around the feet of his bed to the other gurney. In order to watch him go, Tim had to lay on his back. With his arm restrained, he couldn’t fully lay on his opposite side to watch Jason easily. He still made sure to watch his movements as Jason hopped on the gurney.
There were a few of his throwing stars he could reach in his utility belt. Tim didn’t break eye contact as he started reaching for them. Jason glared at Tim.
“Just wait the hour, Tim,” Dick sighed, “If it doesn’t wear off, we’ll figure something else out.”
“If it doesn’t work, I should already be working on a new antidote,” Tim argued.
“You’re always trying to operate at one-hundred all the time.”
“Just… Stay there,” Jason interrupted. Tim grumbled, ready to start another argument as he looked back at Jason. It died in his throat as he saw the shine in the man’s eyes. Jason never liked to show emotion. “I can’t let him get another Robin.”
It sunk into Tim then. Jason hadn’t just been fighting off memories of himself in the warehouse. His fears of someone coming for the Bat’s were also swirling in there. If he was scared of that, it made sense it would extend to Robin. He’d already gone through it as Robin so of course Jason would projected it onto Tim.
Tim forced himself to relax on the gurney. Jason’s shoulders loosened and his grip on the edge of the bed relaxed. Dick sighed in his chair at the foot of the bed.
“Alright,” Tim said, “But if the hour is up and it doesn’t work, I’m cutting this damn thing off.”
“Okay.” Jason said. Tim rolled his eyes. He shifted on the gurney, let himself get comfortable. If he was stuck here, he might as well close his eyes. Not relax, different formula’s ran through his head. But he could just let his eyes stay closed for a little while. No one would blame him for that, right?
Tim’s chest rose and fell. It didn’t even take a full ten minutes before the kid’s breathing slowed and a few quiet snores left his mouth. If Tim slept, especially here in the Cave, no one could get to him. The Joker couldn’t find them here. The laughing in his head wouldn’t reach Tim.
Already he knew what he’d been hit with and what was trying to fight against it. The fog in his mind wasn’t as strong. The panic of having Tim out of his sight still clung to him. The idea of something happening to him filled Jason with an nauseating amount of fear. Even as logic told him the fear didn’t make any sense, it didn’t overcome the paranoia.
Bruce could fight well. It didn’t matter where he was, Jason knew exactly what kind of defenses the Manor had and that Bruce wouldn’t go out on patrol without letting someone know or stopping in the infirmary first. There were too many people here Bruce needed check on.
Tim was similar to Jason. Not in the bad ways, at least. In the way Jason knew the kid would go running off to find answers first and report back later. Like it didn’t matter what happened to him. Jason couldn’t let that happen tonight. Not with the threat of the Joker still ringing in his head.
“You can relax, Jaybird,” Dick said. Jason shook his head, still not taking his eyes off Tim’s form. They should have tried to get him to change out of the Robin outfit. It would be more comfortable for the kid if he wore pajamas or even day clothes.
“I can’t let him get Tim,” Jason whispered. He heard the stutter in Dick’s breathing. “What he did to me… I won’t let him do that to someone else. You don’t know what I went through with him.”
Dick stayed silent. Everything Joker had done to him, everything he would do if he got his hands on Tim, were things Jason refused to talk about. Nothing would help by talking about it.
“I read the files,” Dick spoke softly, “I know.” Jason choked. His vision blurred and he sucked in a harsh breath before looking over at Dick. As much as Dick could hide his expression, nothing would be able to shutter the devastation in him. Something lifted from Jason as he let a few of the tears fall.
“I can still feel his hands sometimes, Dick.” Jason said. “I don’t think they’ll ever leave me.”
“I know. You don’t have to deal with it alone.”
“I can’t—I can’t come back.”
“And yet we’re in the Cave. All of us.” Jason’s eyes stung. He had to look away from Dick and shake his head. There wasn’t a place for him anymore. Even if Dick wanted to argue against it, Jason had gone against so many of Bruce’s rules. He’s killed and maimed and done all of it without remorse. Those men were in his way and were dangerous. Nothing would stop them unless they were stopped.
Just like the Joker. Just like the man Jason had tried to kill and Bruce had stopped.
Even if Jason truly came back, what kind of relationship would be built out of that?
Jason swallowed down his tears. He raised his head. Jason kept watching Tim.
It would only be a matter of time. Dick could see the way Jason’s head nodded and eyes went unfocused before he shook his head. Everything weighing on Jason would pull him into sleep soon enough.
Dick would stay awake for both the birds. Protect the flock and stand as a bastion. Nothing would get to them while Dick looked over them.