Damian stared at his inbox. There was an impossible email, addressed to him, in his inbox
Addressed to DamianinRobin’semail.
If this was a prank from one of his insipid teammates, Damian was going to eviscerate them.
Damian clicked on the email.
There were barely 3 lines of text, not even 20 words total.
And yet, 3 lines of text and a singular sign-off brought Damian’s world crashing down around him.
To: Robin encryption-B01
From: unknown
Damain, I’m alive.
Mother has found me.
Would our Father help me?
-Gemini
——
Chapter 2:
After fighting back and forth on if it was even worth it to reply, he settles on something small.
How?-is it really you?-
What happened?
Of course he would. What do you need?
There are few that even know of his existence.
Fewer still who would try it, try to claim to be his brother.
And there’s only one who ever called them Gemini.
“Danyal, we’re not Gemini, we were born in January. And anyways, the stars have no effect on our strength, nor our abilities as an opponent.”
“But we’re twins. So that makes us both Gemini. It can be like our secret name for each other.”
Gemini, the sign of twins. Histwin.
But then how??
A knock sounds on his door. Damian whips his head up.
“Damian, it’s time for patrol.” Grayson’s voice sounds through the wood.
Patrol. Of course.
He was patrolling with his father tonight. Not just his.
Danyal’s too.
He had to know.
“I will be down shortly.”
——
Damian entered the Batcave, stepping down from the last step with a slight sound.
It was enough that both Tim and Dick looked over in confusion.
Damian ignored them, staring resolutely at his father in the suit in front of the batcomputer.
Once he was within a few feet he steeled himself and cleared his throat, “Father.”
Bruce turned around, looking down to see Damian and then glancing around confused.
“Damian..? Why aren’t you dressed? I want to leave soon, there’s been trouble at the south side and I-“
“I have an issue I believe I need to share with you.” Damian interrupted.
Bruce shut his mouth with a click and Damian could hear as both Drake and Richard’s eyes bored into the back of his head.
Damiannever interrupted Bruce.
He clasped his hands behind his back in a rather desperate attempt to stop them shaking.
“Of course, what’s wrong?”
Damian paused, took a deep breath, tried to convince himself of the inevitability and then blurted out, “I have a brother.”
“Aww, Dami, you’re finally calling us your broth-“
“No.” Damian cut Richard off sharply, “From the league. I have a brother from the league.”
“..What?” Bruce’s voice came out thick, strangled by an emotion either anger or something stronger.
“He is- was- I- I believed he was dead.”
Bruce’s fists clench and he almost growls out, “Explain, Damian. Now.”
Damian allows himself to go numb to explain it without wavering, “We were twins. Grandfath- Ra’s had no use for both of us. When we began to advance in training individually and stagnate as a pair… We fought.” He paused and forced the words out, “To the death.”
“I won. And Danyal…”
“Didn’t,” Richard finishes for him.
Damian twitches forward but hesitates as his father nearly drops himself to one knee, supporting himself on the chair next to him.
“Danyal…” His father says despondently, “I had another son… named Danyal.. and she took him from me… Again.”
Richard is already next to him reaching out.
“Perhaps not.” Damian whispers.
Both of their heads snap to him. “What?”
“I have been… contacted..by someone claiming to be Danyal. He says Mother has found him and…” Damian grows unsure, “He asked if you would be able, be willing to help.”
“He’s alive? You’re sure it’s him?”
“He used a code I’ve never shared with anyone else and that no one else in the league knew.”
“How can we be sure? I mean, Bruce’s kid? Asking for help?”
“Shut it, Drake.” Damian snaps, Drake raises his hands in surrender.
Just as he opens his mouth to talk again, his phone gently chimes with an email notification.
It’s him.
Damian races to open it.
“He says he’ll be in Gotham tonight. And that he’llfindme.” Damian says as he looks up at his father. The panic, relief and desperation warring in his own eyes reflected back at him.
“Then let’s make it easy for him. Still up for patrol, Little D?” Richard sounds with a smirk.
—-
The night is quiet but tense between Batman and Robin.
They hop the rooftops in sync, stopping a small crime here or there. There’s been no sightings of anyone unusual, even with Nightwing and Red Robin scattered across the lower districts. Even Red Hood was called in about the situation, though they’re not sure he’s really looking as all they got in response was a scoff and a derisive “Another one? Really, B?”
Damian shoots his grapple after his father over one of the main roads, only to get yanked back. For a second, he fears he will plummet into the sea of cars below.
Then his back hits the gravel rooftop.
The shouts of his family are but white noise in his ears as he stares at the dark, hooded figure in front of him.
“Hey, brother. Long time no see and the first thing I catch you doing is jumping off a building? Not a great start.” The figure-his brother- says with a sharp smirk.
Damian stays awestruck for a second before scowling, “I had a grapple.”
“Robin!” His father barks from above them, swinging down from a water tower like a vengeful shadow.
Danyal makes a suspicious squeaking sound and vanishes from sight.
Both are immediately on guard as Batman puts himself between Damian and where the stranger was.
“Are you Meta? Who are you? Stop hiding!” Father says again, growling.
As Danyal’s shape fades into existence yet again, Damian tries to push past his own questions for the sake of them all.
“Father. It is alright, this is… Danyal. My.. twin.”
Here, his father falters. Apparently, so does Danyal if the cringe he gives is anything to go by.
“I don’t really go by- anyways, yes I’m Da..mi..an’s? twin. And I need your help. Talia’s found me and she’s trying to make me join back with the league.”
Damian tensed even more as the person in front of him stutters over his name, “Why don’t you know my name? What did you call me when we were younger? The code you signed on your email.”
Something in Danyal’s eyes went pained, “I called you Gemini, because that’s what we are, even though you always emphasized that we were Sagittarius and ‘besides the stars have no effect on..”
“On our strength or abilities as an opponent.” Damian finished for him, “It is you..” he said amazedly as he stepped closer, “But how? How are you here? How are you alive?”
“Simple answer?” Danyal pulled down the hood of his black sweatshirt to reveal a head of fluffy white hair, “I’m not.”
“And as for how I’m here? Well that’s a rather complicated answer, but it all starts with one thing. Ghosts.”
Their father made a strangled sound beside them and Damian took a stuttering step back, “You’re a ghost?” “You mean, you didn’t survive? … I killed you?”
Danyal’s eyes zoned out before flaring an angry green and then settling as he looked back up, his edges going fuzzy for a second, “Yeah, I mean.. I guess? Listen, I don’t really remember much from when I- we- were 6, and I don’t much care to. My ghostliness, I think it’s why Talia is trying to get me back. I can’t think of another reason.”
Damian scowled, “Perhaps it is because she is our mother and believed you dead and lost-“
“That woman is not my mother!” Danyal shouted, glow flaring, eyes flashing as he leaned in.
He took a breath and pulled back to collect himself, “Talia was not a mother to us. You have to know that by now at least, Damian.”
Damian looked away and scowled again.
“You barely knew her,”
“Because she sent me to my death!” Danyal flung his hands up.
Batman struggled to choose a side between the two children in front of him. He had loved Talia once too, but he had also seen the toxicity of their relationship.
“Danyal, Robin, we need to focus. If Talia came to recruit one of you, she might be coming for the other.”
“She is. She kept saying some nonsense about ‘making our family whole again’ now that she’s ‘in control.’ I came because I had a feeling she’s not gonna take my Hell-No as an appropriate answer with that goal.”
Batman froze, “The League of Assassins. She’s finally been able to regain control over all of them and become the Demon’s Head after Ra’s Al Ghul’s death.”
Jason knows it’s naive, but it was all too easy. He wants revenge against Bruce, against the Joker…. But the Joker doesn’t even exist here. He’s as far from that monster as he’ll ever be able to be.
And there’s no one here that knows him. He has a chance to get away from Talia and the League.
He knows Talia is keeping him away because Ra’s will kill him if given the opportunity.
But here?
Here, he’s free from Batman, from the League, from anyone who wants to try and control him.
A bullet ricochets off the building next to him.
Well.. free as soon as he gets these German octo-idiots off his tail.
They’re morons. But by god, they’re well-connected morons. Somehow they’ve managed to chase him across three borders, from bum-fuck-nowheresville, Russia to mediocre-as-fuck City, Turkey.
You’d think they’d be less attached to him after spending barely a week with him before he burned down their base and killed all their men.
And right after he killed his first German asshole too.
Egon and HYDRA are two different types of scumbags. But they’re still scumbags.
Jason hops another fence, scrambling to the top of the dumpster and then up the first level of the fire escape.
He pauses as he hears shouts around the corner. Well, it’s as a good a time as any.
They corral themselves into the alley way, fully dressed in their tactical gear, blaring red Nazi-armbands and all.
The first guy is the biggest, Jason takes him down fast, the second… he gets a little sloppy but honestly, he doesn’t care when the spare asshole impales himself on Jason’s knife. Gonna be a bitch to clean though.
The third guy takes a bit more of a tussle and right when Jason gets in his face to start asking questions, the jerk smiles.
“Hydra will get what it wants from you child. Cut off one head, and three shall take its place.” There’s a suspicious crack before the man’s mouth fills with foam as his eyes roll back.
Jason drops the body in disgust. A waste of information. He glances at the first guy, it’ll be a pain to lug to an abandoned floor but… probably worth it to find out why they’re chasing him.
Jason walks over and yanks open the guy’s mouth. Now where….? Ah ha!
It takes a bit of prying with his blade but moments later, Jason holds a bloody cyanide capsule in his fingers.
It crushes uselessly beneath his feet.
After getting leverage under the guy, Jason is able to haul the limp man up the two flights of stairs to his current empty safe-house.
Okay, yes, safe-house is a bit of a stretch. As it is neither safe anymore, nor been a livable house in a long time.
It’s because of this that Jason doesn’t even bother putting a tarp down before tying the man to a chair.
“Wakey wakey, assface.” Jason says.
There’s no response except a mild groan.
Then screaming as Jason plunges his still-dirty knife into the man’s collarbone.
He smirks. Time to ask Nazi Number 1 some questions.
———
When Coulson gets the assignment to Northern Turkey for the bodies of two dead Hydra agents, he’s almost expecting it to be boring.
Of course, the moment he lands he finds out they’ve found the third body. Any hope for boring goes out the window as he looks at the multilated corpse of what used to be a Hydra agent.
This was torture. Expert torture. Combined with the skill of the two dead in the alley below and the chase his ground agents have been able to track.. they’re dealing with a professional here. And not a new one.
But somehow, they have nothing on the assassin. That makes him dangerous.
Coulson steps into the hallway of the abandoned building to make a call.
One ring.. two… three..-
“Hello?”
“Hawkeye.”
The tone changes over the phone, “Coulson? What’s wrong?”
“Care for a search and remove mission in Akyaka, Turkey? We have an unknown assassin that’s popped up with three dead Hydra already under their belt. Could use a good pair of eyes.”
Coulson could hear the smile on the other end of the line, “You know I’m always up for some sightseeing.”
“I’ll send for transport.”
The call ends and Phil glances back through the open doorway at the body. Whoever did this… they were looking for something. He thinks they must have found it.
Clint shows up on a private red-eye the next afternoon; and with barely a greeting, the two launch into the search.
Between the two of them and the bevy of SHIELD agents at their beck and call, it should be a straightforward mission.
It’s not.
The killer is always a town or a city ahead of them. There’s no aliases to track or face to ID, with the red sweatshirt he wears constantly, hood up, head down. They barely have a height or body type estimate by the time two weeks roll past.
Seven more Hydra agents show up dead in that time, and it’s becoming the most dependable way to track him.
When they realize the man is making towards the airport in Erzurum, Clint calls in Natasha.
It takes them another week stillto find where the man will be staying for a few days before moving on.
When they find it though, Coulson has the place locked down within the hour, entirely discreet.
He and Natasha are acting as the front, hopefully this will go diplomatically. If not.. that’s where Clint comes in.
The man walks through the darkness of the apartment, heavily dropping groceries on the counter.
Just as they’re about to wonder if perhaps they were wrong about this person or their skills, the man pulls two guns directly at them.
“Who the hell are you and what the hell do want from me?”
“Mr. Smith. I’m glad to see you are the person we’ve been looking for. However, it would be best if would lower your weapon and cooperate with your arrest.”
“Phil, wait-“
“I’m not cooperating with shit, baldy.” The man cocked his guns, completely ignoring Natasha.
She quickly flicked on a light switch, illuminating the shadows of the man’s face.
But that was the problem. It wasn’t a man, it was a kid.
“How old are you?”
The kid hesitated, already a bad sign, then he snarled, “What does it matter, lady?”
“It matters because this changes things. Coulson,” She looked at him, “He’s just like us. We can’t just let him be.”
Coulson’s face was serious and understanding, “Listen, kid, we can help you. Now that we know-“
“Now that you know? Know what? You know nothing,”
“We can help you, please just come with us, SHIELD can-“
There’s a spark of recognition, “You’re Shield.” He raised his guns back up from where they’d gone slack, “Which makes you Black Widow. Greatest living product of the Red Room.”
A flash of surprise passed through her eyes, “How do you-“
“I read a lot about you. And let me tell you this. Both of you. I just got free from one shadow organization, I’m not about to join another. I’ve been both soldier and weapon, now I’m neither. I plan to stay that way. Even if it means killing you and every black ops agent in this building.” The kid growled, finger pulling on the trigger.
An arrow pierces through his forearm, forcing him to roll backwards into his kitchen. Natasha leapt towards him, halting when he raised a gun back at her face.
He wavered between pointing it at Coulson or Natasha, breathing heavily through the pain.
“Tell your buddies thanks but I’m good. Freedom suits me just fine.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he leapt for the window over the sink, crashing through the glass and into the air outside.
Natasha didn’t even have time to stop him before the kid was gone. No sign of him on the street below save for a blood trail that tapered off quickly.
——
Hours later, Natasha’s eyes flicker open from sleep in the darkness of their safe house.
Why was she awake?
A small creak sounded from outside the room.
An intruder.
Slowly, Natasha wrapped her hands around her gun and slunk out the door, tapping Clint on her way.
There was a groan and slight clatter in the kitchen.
She motioned for Clint to go around.
As she came to the kitchen, she flipped on a light, immediately aiming her gun at the figure.
It was- the kid?
“Hey,” he groaned, leaning on the counter, blood on his face and clothes, “you said SHIELD could protect me?”
Natasha nodded, not lowering her gun.
He pulled his hand away to show the blood oozing from a large wound on his stomach and looked up at her pleadingly, “That offer still available?”
Jason slowly crawled his way back to consciousness, fully aware of the screeching pain in his side and arm.
He wanted to grimace but held back when he registered the presence of other people in the room. Three.
Two were at least 10 feet away, the other was…
Jason grabbed the wrist of the person leaning over him, twisting it backwards as he sprung awake and upwards.
A syringe dropped to the floor next to them as Jason slammed him to the ground.
“Clint, wait!” The man below him stopped struggling. Jason looked down at him.
“Clint Barton. Hawkeye.” The night came flooding back to him, “What was in the syringe?”
The man grunted uncomfortably from the awkward position, “Morphine, you brat.”
Jason scowled and let him up with a tight smile and a wince, “I don’t do morphine. Or any pain meds.”
“Yeah, well you can just suffer through that torn stitch all on your own then.”
“Considering you’re probably the one that shot me with an arrow, I think I’ll manage.”
Jason snapped back and then paused to take stock of the room he was in.
Small. Living room. Old couch, half-filled bookcase by the front door.
One window with a fire escape. Adjacent bedroom and 2 kitchen entrances. Likely with windows.
The other two people - Black Widow and ‘Coulson’- stood by the bookshelf, both armed.
“I know I should regret shooting a kid, but considering your attitude, I’m finding it a little hard.”
Jason huffed a laugh then winced and clutched his side when pain flashed through it.
“Ha. Karma.” Hawkeye chuckled as he rubbed his wrist.
“Barton. Behave.” ‘Coulson’ stepped forward, shooting a sharp look at the other and holding up a placating hand, “You’re going to want to be careful about that side, reopening a would like that so fast would not be good.”
“I’ll be fine.” Jason snapped, then quieter, “Been through worse.”
“Be that as it may…” the balding man came closer, stopping when Jason glared at him, “I think we got off on the wrong foot, my name is Agent Coulson, this is Agents Barton and Romanoff. Or as you seem to know them, Black Widow and Hawkeye.”
“Don’t sweat the first impressions. Breaking in and threatening me is generally how I meet new people, so it’s not like you’re anything special. How long was I out?”
“Just under three hours. We expected you to be out for a while longer. Care to explain why it is you’re awake? Or how you came to such a state in the last 6 hours since we saw you?”
“Not particularly and the usual assholes being sent on missions way out of their league. One got a lucky hit in, that’s it.”
The man in front of him hummed and raised an eyebrow, “So you came to us for protection from ‘the usual assholes’ then?”
Jason tensed.
“Or protection from the ones sending them?”
Jason gritted his teeth, “The ones sending them. Listen, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to be, but things have… changed for me recently and I’ve found myself in dire need of new allies.”
Widow stepped forward, “So enlighten us. Who are you running from?”
“I can’t tell you and I’m not running. I just… I was given a chance to get out, more than that, get away. I want to take it. I can’t do that with Nazi assholes and Ninjas bearing down on me like I’ll change my fucking mind.”
“Hydra?”
Jason sighed and rolled his shoulder to test it, “Yep.”
“That’s a powerful enemy to make, kid,” Hawkeye piped in.
Jason smiled cynically, “Yeah, well, I’m a worse one. If they want to keep sending their guys at me to get put down I have no problem with it. And I’m not a kid.”
“Ehhhh, looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, I’m gonna say you’re what, 13?”
Jason growled at the archer, “Old enough and skilled enough to skin you with your own bowstring, asshole.”
Widow stepped between them, “You said Ninjas as well?”
Jason clamped his mouth shut.
“If you want SHIELD’s protection, we need to know who we’re protecting you from.”
Jason clenched his jaw, “I can’t tell you their name. And nothing about them can show up anywhere. If it does, they’ll know who it came from and where I am. Then you’d be useless.”
“How about you then?” Widow said.
Jason paused, stunned, “What?”
“Tell us about you. We don’t even know your real name, because ‘John Smith’ is definitely not it.”
“John works. ‘J’ works better.”
“Alright, Jay. Age?”
Jason looked away, “Somewhere over 14.”
“The hell does that mean? ‘Over 14’ Like months or years over?” Hawkeye said with a bewildered face.
“If I knew I would tell you. But unfortunately, I don’t, so the best I can tell you is somewhere over 14.” Jason snarled.
Coulson and Widow gave each other a look, one that he was sure Hawkeye picked up on without even looking.
“Alright, easy goes it kid. Birthday?”
“August.”
“Wow, that is frustratingly vague. Any chance you’ve got a year to tack on that?”
Jason thought for a second, “Nope.”
Black Widow took over again, “Skill set?”
“Most of it.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Most of what?”
Jason gave a mean smirk, “Everything.”
Romanoff glanced back at her partners, Barton just shrugged and Coulson answered, “We’ll have to test you on that for more specifics.”
“Go ahead. As long as you know it’s the only kind of test I’m gonna let you do.”
Even though his face stayed empty, something flickered in Coulson’s eyes, “Of course. Any parents we should be thinking of?”
Green tinted anger coursed through Jason’s body so fast the chair he was gripping creaked under his hand, “None that are worth it.” He growled through clenched teeth.
“Anything else we should be aware of? Favorite color? Hobbies? Hopes and dreams?” Hawkeye quipped lazily.
Jason ground his teeth together, “Currently? Stabbing you through the neck with same arrow you shot me with sounds nice. But seeing as I snapped it in half and dumped it in an alley, I’ll settle for breaking your kneecaps.”
Barton looked unfazed, “Is that categorized under hobbies? Or hopes and dreams?”
Jason stood with a snarl, hand twitching for a weapon, “I’m always up for finding out.”
“Ha! Try knitting next time,” Clint laughed and looked past him, “Geez, ‘Tasha, he’s worse than you were.”
Natasha’s lips settled into a grim line as Coulson pulled Barton back with a hand on his shoulder.
“Kid-, Jay, we need your cooperation on this. We can’t stop whoever’s coming after you if you don’t work with us-“
Jason scoffed, “I don’t expect you to be able to stop them. You couldn’t if you tried. I’m just hoping you’ll delay them enough for me to run like a bat outta hell.” He said with a smirk at the inside joke.
Hawkeye rolled his eyes, “And isn’t that a comforting thought.”
Just as Jason turned to snap at the man again, something beeped on Coulson’s watch. He held it and read the small screen.
“Our ride’s here. We need to blend in to get out,” Coulson looked at Jason, “Any chance you know Turkish?”
“I dabble.” He answered in Turkish, then changed, “My Russian or Romanian is better.”
Everyone in the room raised an eyebrow, even Widow’s twitched.
Coulson nodded, “Hopefully we won’t need to talk, but just in case.” He turned to Barton to, “Barton, get him some new clothes without blood on them. We leave in 20. Can we trust you not to kill us and run or do we need to remove more of your weapons?”
Jason scowled- not pouted- “You got my favorites so we’re good provided Katniss over there doesn’t get on my nerves enough to put him down.”
“I resent that remark!” Hawkeye said as he dug through the bag they’d confiscated from Jason’s safe house. He chucked the new clothes at Jason with a smile.
Jason caught them with a grunt and winced as sharp pain struck up his leg and his side. He stomped past them to the bathroom as best he could without a limp. Pausing briefly to grab the first aid kit from the wall.
“For the popped stitch.” He said blandly and then shut and locked the door behind him.
Hawkeye sighed, shoulders dropping, “Damn, that kid is messed up.”
“I hope the people chasing him dare to try and come for him.” Natasha said darkly, face cold and hard as stone.
“If they do, I hope I get to put an arrow through a least a few of them.”
Coulson cleared his throat, “Let’s focus on getting him out of here before we start planning the next step.”
“Come on, Phil, you can’t tell me that just guessing at what that kid’s gone through doesn’t make you want to punch someone.”
“I never said anything about that, just that it’s not our first priority.”
I do like the reaction that Talia and Ra’s have to Damian Wayne and Flatline sharing their first kiss together.
On a side note I’m just glad that Damian seems happier for once. In the comics he has been through the shitter for a long time. I also really like his dynamic with flatline so far. She’s a fun character who has been a standout in the Robin book so far. I look forward to seeing how the book develops their relationship in future issues.
Damian Wayne is back with a new Solo book! I’m glad that after all the shit his character went through the past few years that we finally got something good coming up. It was rough for awhile but things are looking up.
Life must be hard for Damian having a milf mom, a dilf dad, a himbo older brother, AND a gilf grandfather
My favourite part in this post is people in the comments not only discussing the amount of himbo older brothers Damian has but which grandad is op referring to. Because, apparently;
Damian Wayne was a survivor and anyone who claims otherwise is an ignorant fool.
Damian Wayne was born into the madness of his house, a child raised in a burning house thinks the whole world is on fire.
His actions were cruel, yes, but how can you blame a delicate lamb for acting like a wolf all dressed in red when he was raised by their pack. He simply did not know better.
i wish dc knew how to write non-white women bc i want talia to be more involved in raising damian and being the overly worried and sarcastic middle-eastern mom that we deserve
damian wanting to sleep over at jon and talia being like
“why? you have a bed at home. you will sleep here.”
I need more of this
ok.
damian wanting to go out on patrol and talia is like
“What? You went out for patrol yesterday. No. Absolutely not.”
“But Father said-”
“And I said no.”
Really not wanting damians pets at first and when titus gets per by her she looks damian and bruce dead in the eye “Clearly he knows who the smartest person is. He loves me the most. You have lost.”
When Damian wants money she’s like
“Why? What happened to the five dollars I gave you three months ago?”
Plus whenever damian is having a hard day or they had an argument she brings him cut up fruit to cheer him up
talia making damian dress up for any occasion, no matter how trivial.
“mother the gold embroidery on this is itchy.” “oh hush.”
damian wanting to go out with his friends and talia’s like “no. i must meet them. bring them here, bring them all here.” and anyone damian invites over is mildly terrified because talia offered them food on a serving tray but she’s watching them as they eat it.
and talia may be the demon’s daughter and may know how to lead the league of assassins and tangle with the most dangerous people in business and politics, but she is always late. to everything. damian hates it, he tugs on her sleeve and complains loudly and makes pointed comments about the time. doesn’t matter. if talia is going anywhere, or if she’s taking damian somewhere, she will never be on time.
Talia embarrassing damian when she comes to one of his schools bake sales is peak middle-eastern mum vibes.
“ what do you mean this tiny piece of chocolate cake is 10 dollars ” “omg mum please stop the prices are set they’re not gonna change them and besides you’re literally rich~ ” “well this is how you stay rich , now hush ya amar ( my moon ) Mummy is trying to buy you this delicious looking brownies”
She then procedes to tell the kids mum whos selling it how unappealing it looks and how it shouldn’t even cost 1 dollar. Damian is literally dying. He is straight up praying the ground opens up and swallow him.
Talia sensing damian sneeze and shoving him in bed with a Vicks steaming bowl, like 5 gazillion blankets, then forcing feeding him the whole kitchen is such a middle-eastern mum thing to do.
“ damian why are you up? Go back to bed . Ohhh so you’re fine now but when I ask you to clean your room its always I’m tired~, I’ll do it later~”
“ did you finished steaming?, I know you don’t like it but its going to make you better”
“ and wear your scarf today the winds a bit chilly.” “ mum its like 100 degrees!” “ did I ask for the weather report or did I ask you to put on a scarf?.” “…..” “ thank you ”
Jason: *helping Alfred clear out the dinner table* You think we should’ve asked Harley to stay for dinner?
Alfred: If you wished to see Master Bruce’s hair turn to grey as you ate dessert, I don’t see why not.
Jason: *burps loudly and fans his breath away* Whoops. Sorry, Alf. Just my way of complimenting your cooking.
Alfred: *carrying the dishes to the kitchen* Then perhaps you should come here more often, Master Jason.
Jason: *following Alfred* I’d rather not cause any trouble.
Alfred: *stops in his tracks and turns to face Jason with a stern expression* And you don’t think it troubles me that you feel unwelcome here?
Jason: *takes the dishes from Alfred’s hands, sets them on the kitchen island, and pulls him in for a hug* Alf, hey… I didn’t mean it like that. I know you guys care about me, it’s just…
Alfred: *sobbing into Jason’s shirt* We’ve already lost you once… Once is enough, Jason…
Jason: *tightens the hug and gently plants a kiss on top of Alfred’s head* I know, I know… I’m back, Alf. I’m back.
>>> *** <<<
Dick and Barbara: *sitting on the carpeted floor in the study, enjoying the heat from the fireplace in front of them, going through a stack of photo albums*
Dick: *smiling fondly* Wow, these are old-old…. I should probably scan them before they crumble to pieces.
Dick: *stops at a page and points at a picture of Bruce and Jason on a boat, smiling, and holding up a tuna* Check this out, Babs… Aw, I love this one. I had a few days off from work, decided to spend it here. Somehow Jason convinced Bruce to take break from himself and go fishing.
Dick: *talking animatedly* So, there we are on Bruce’s huge fishing boat, the Bat-2-Sea – And Jason’s starting to get seasick because he’s been hanging out by the edge, waiting for a bite for hours – The persistence on that kid! – And he finally gets one! A big one, Babs – *spreads his arms* – and it was pulling down hard like you wouldn’t believe, but Jason just wouldn’t let go! – So Bruce drops the glass of wine he’s holding and runs to grab him –
Barbara: What were youdoing?
Dick: Who do you think took the picture? As I was saying – Bruce, he – he – *starts to laugh so hard that he tears up* trips over Jason’s line somehow and falls into the ocean! *slapping-the-floor laughing* The World’s Greatest Detective, in his Batwaders, drenched like a wet bird… *sighs happily* You should’ve seen his face!
Barbara: *turns the page* Oh, I can see it now. Still stone-faced, but wet.
Barbara: *stops at a page and giggles* Aw… Will you look at that?
Dick: *looks at the photo Babs is pointing at and chuckles softly* That’s adorable.
Barbara: Those scaly leotards fit him better than they ever did you, Boy Wonder.
Dick: *smirks* Whatever. But I have to admit, he did look great. He looked really… happy. I wish… I wish I saw more of him in action, you know? *voice breaking* I could’ve maybe trained him the way I did Tim and Damian –
Barbara: *rubs his back comfortingly* Dick…
Jason: *walks into the study* Dickie, I took some of your –
Dick: *clears his throat and wipes his eyes haphazardly* Hey, Little Wing!
Jason: Wait, are those our old family photos?
Barbara: *pats the empty spot beside her* C'mere.
Jason: *sits down and rubs his hands together* Where’s the one where Bruce goes kersplat in the ocean?
Jason: *flips through the pages and grimaces at his photos as Robin* You’re not gonna use these to blackmail me, are you?
>>> *** <<<
Duke: *watches as his RPG character explodes for the fifth time in a row and shakes his head* You beat me again! You’re so good at this game, man.
Jason: *snorts and puts his controller down* Dude, you weren’t even trying. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were letting me win.
Duke: What? Naaaah… That’s… Come on, why would I do that?
Jason: *gets up and shrugs, grinning knowingly* I dunno… ‘Cause you like seeing me alive?
Duke: Yeah. It’s pretty awesome, actually.
Jason: *offers to bump fists* I gotta pack up. Good game, though. See you around, bro.
Duke: *exploding-fist-bumps with Jason* You too, bro.
Jason: *pats Ace the Bathound’s head as he exits the game room*
>>> *** <<<
Steph: *examining Jason’s face* You look really pale.
Cass: *pointing at various spots on his face* And you have a lot of… scars.
Jason: *sitting on a stool in front of Cass’s vanity dresser, staring at himself in the mirror and absentmindedly running a finger over the shirt-covered scar on his chest* Yeah? That bad, huh?
Steph: *grins* Nothing a little makeup can’t fix.
Jason: *rubbing his chin* You think so? I mean, I just came here to borrow a few weapons from Cass, but if you think I need a makeover…
Steph and Cass: *look at each other and squeal in delight*
>>> *** <<<
Tim: And this *holding up a minuscule gadget between his fingers for Jason to see* generates a force field over your entire body. The more the impact, the greater the energy generated. Schway, huh?
Jason: *nodding his head appreciatively as he takes the gadget and sticks it on the lapel of his leather jacket* Schway.
Tim:*proudly shows Jason a Bat-shaped breastplate * Now, this – You’re gonna love this – It can turn you invisible to the naked eye for roughly 34.5 seconds, giving you time to do all kinds of offensive or defensive stuff. They won’t know what hit them, Jay. You’re basically gonna be invincible and Joker… Joker, he’s… he’s not… not gonna… *drops the breastplate unceremoniously*
Jason: *places a hand on Tim’s shoulder* Thank you, Timbo. Really. But I’ll be fine out there. You don’t have to worry about me.
Tim: Yeah? Can you promise me that? Because I don’t think I can live through another one of Bruce’s meltdowns.
Jason: *chuckles softly* Aren’t they the best?
>>> *** <<<
Jason: *staring at an empty grave layered with concrete in the backyard*
Jason: *rolls his eyes* I know you’re there.
Bruce: *comes out of the shadows and stands next to Jason*
Jason: Why’d you keep it?
Bruce: Because I’m a sentimental old fool.
Jason: This is just… creepy. Even for you.
Bruce and Jason: *stare at the empty grave in silence*
Jason: I’ve forgiven you.
Bruce: *glances at Jason, who could’ve sworn his adoptive father’s eyes were bloodshot*
Jason: You know that, don’t you? I mean, I know we’re always going to disagree about Jok– about him, and a few other things, but… You’ll always be family, Bruce. My family.
Bruce: *looks at Jason, smiling wearily*
Jason: *grinning back at Bruce*
Bruce: *puts an arm around Jason’s shoulder* Thank you… Son.
Jason: *pulls Bruce in for a tight hug*
Bruce and Jason: …
Jason: Hey, remember that time you went kersplat in the ocean?
>>> *** <<<
Damian: *knocks softly on Jason’s bedroom door* Todd.
Jason:*stuffing a duffel bag with clothes, homemade snacks, and weapons* Hey, kid, come in. I’m just getting my stuff ready –
Damian: These came from Mother. *drops a pile of books on Jason’s old desk*
Jason: *picking one after the other up excitedly* Tolstoy, Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Shakespeare, Marx… No way…
Damian: They’ve been with me for a while. But since you rarely come over, they’ve been collecting dust and taking up valuable space in my room. -Tt-
Jason: *wiping the dust off with his shirt and hugging each one* She kept them… These were my friends back when I was in the League…
Damian: I didn’t realize we had more in common than just being my Father’s sons.
Jason: Wow. I have no idea how I’m supposed to bring all of these home. I mean, I got here on roller blades, for Bat’s sake–
Damian: *thrusts a piece of paper into Jason’s chest* This is for you.
Jason: *gingerly uncrumples it, revealing a painting of him and Damian*
Jason: *reading the writing in calligraphy underneath* “The Second Chance Robins”… *looks at Damian, feeling the tears well up in his eyes* You made this?
Damian: *looking down at his feet* When it’s my day… M-my d-day… Will you come over, too?
Jason: *gets down on bended knee to be at eye level with his little brother* Hey, buddy, look at me. Damian, look at me. Of course. Listen, we’ll do whatever you want. We’ll, um… We’ll take bad guys down together! Pull pranks on Tim! You name it, I got you.
Damian: Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Todd.
Jason: I promise that I’ll do my best, okay?
Damian: You could stay the night, you know. You’re home anyway.
Jason: *ruffles Damian’s hair and grins* I’d like that. As long as you hang out here with me. And I promise I won’t tell anybody because it’ll ruin our reputation.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
If truth be told, @wingedskyes , Jason makes himself available on his Death Day. Because even if neither he nor his family and friends mention it, he knows that they need him just as much as he needs them.
Thank you for this Ask. It was both fun and just a tad bit heartbreaking to write.
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