One's Not Enough
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the television series Titans and I'm not making any money from this fic
Summary: Tag to the episode Jason Todd. Dick figures someone really needs to step in with the new Robin
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the series Titans, up to and including the episode Jason Todd; violence; AU
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The scream echoed so loudly, there was no way of mistaking it. Dick jerked his head up from where he was checking on Clay; making sure the older man hadn't been harmed anywhere else and that the acid hadn't eaten away even more of his flesh. He'd need medical attention, but Dick had done the best he could in bandaging it.
Right up until that scream.
"No," Dick muttered under his breath. Ignoring the quizzical look shot to him by Clay (he was really going to have to work on making sure his alter ego wasn't recognised), Dick quickly headed back into the warehouse; to a scene that shocked him to the core and turned him cold.
Police officers lay scattered on the floor like fallen debris. Jason dropped one, kicking him in the back and then turning to face Dick with a grin. Like he expected applause.
Dick raced towards the younger man, before Jason could do anymore damage, and shoved him back against the wall. "What are you doing?!" he demanded, leaning in close enough that their faces could almost touch. "This isn't what Robin is!"
Jason laughed. Actually laughed, though maybe he didn't intend for the sound to be so broken. "That's the beauty of the mask, bro," he responded. "I can do whatever I want as Robin."
Dick gripped the two handfuls of the suit tighter. "Batman would never let you get away with beating up police officers."
"Yeah?" Jason made a show of looking around, his tone insolent as he continued, "I don't see Batman here. The cops beat up on me all the time. Now it's time for payback."
Dick slowly shook his head in disbelief. How did Bruce not see how broken the kid was when he recruited him? Then again, maybe he had. After all, Robin couldn't do the things Batman needed if Robin wasn't broken in some way.
He wasn't even sure if he liked Jason, but Dick was damned if he'd allow the kid to carry on down this dark path. Bruce might not be willing to step in, but he hadn't seen the same things Dick had. He was too high up on the social ladder to care about what those below did.
Dick used his grip on Jason's shirt to drag the younger man away from the wall, carefully stepping over the groaning forms of the policemen. All of them were still breathing, at least; he just wasn't sure how long they'd take to heal.
As they headed for the roof, Jason made a half-hearted attempt to pull out of Dick's grasp. "You can let go of me now," he muttered. "I left them breathing. Which is way more than they deserve."
The new suit was good for something, Dick couldn't help reflecting, as he tightened his grip enough to ensure Jason couldn't squirm free. It wouldn't tear; probably wouldn't even break if he took a knife to it. Not that he thought Jason did have a knife on him. If he'd had a weapon, he probably would have used it on the police officers.
Dick didn't speak until he'd dragged Jason all the way to the roof, away from any potential prying eyes. And then he turned to the younger man. "What the hell was that about?" he demanded.
"Hey, bro, you can't tell me you've never used Robin to take revenge. I just saw otherwise, so don't try that whole holier than thou attitude." Jason grabbed Dick's wrist and squeezed at a point just below his wrist.
Dick's arm dropped as his wrist went numb, but he followed through with his other fist, driving Jason back against the wall. "Looks like I'm going to have to teach you the same lesson I learned." He grabbed a fistful of the other man's shirt and jerked forward, grabbing Jason into a headlock and landing his palm firmly on the seat of Jason's pants.
"Hey." Jason immediately began to struggle, digging his nails into Dick's side. "Let me up."
Dick ignored the discomfort – he'd had far worse pain, after all – and continued to bring his hand down firmly on the younger man's backside. Each smack echoed loudly enough that Dick was relieved it was just the two of them on the roof.
Jason continued to struggle and scratch at Dick's side for the next few smacks and then snapped, "It doesn't even hurt!"
"You're right. It's not having nearly the right effect." Dick quickly sat down on the ground, dropping Jason across his lap.
"Let me up." Jason began to thrash around, struggling and kicking his legs.
Dick wrapped his arm around Jason's waist, grabbing his furthest arm and twisting it up behind his back. It didn't stop the other man's struggles. That happened when Dick yanked down the pants of his Robin costume.
Jason stayed frozen right up until the first crack of Dick's palm on bare skin and then he yelped and threw his other hand back. "Let me up right now."
"No." Dick grabbed Jason's other hand, holding it trapped with his other hand, and settled into a pattern of swats, covering the other man's whole backside down to his thighs before he started over from the top. It was partway through that circuit that he began to speak. "Maybe Bruce doesn't care enough about Robin to step in and correct your behaviour, but I do."
"That's not your responsibility!" Jason retorted. "I'm not your responsibility."
Dick found himself nodding. The younger man was right. Jason wasn't his responsibility. At least he wasn't unless Dick chose that. And that's what he was doing. Choosing. Because someone had to stop Jason from going too far. "You're right. I chose to leave Batman. Chose to leave Robin behind. But you're going about things all wrong. Getting revenge doesn't do anything for you. Take it from someone who knows."
Jason had continued struggling while Dick talked, but it slowly eased by the time Dick finished. "You're not better than me," he muttered.
"Did it make you feel any better to get that revenge?" Dick let his hand rest on Jason's lower back, rubbing gently for a few moments. "Cause I'll be honest with you. I thought it'd make me feel better to get revenge. It didn't. Revenge is a slippery slope."
"Fine. Let me up."
Dick could do that easily. He could let the younger man go; stop trying to change Jason's behaviour.
He couldn't. He wasn't sure he liked that Jason was the new Robin, but that hadn't been his call. In fact, if he removed Robin from the equation, he was left with a kid who needed someone. The same way Dick had needed someone.
He delivered another smack, one that was harder this time. Jason jumped and hissed out a breath. "You asshole. I told you I understood."
"That's not what I'm looking for."
"What? You want an apology? For me to say I was a bad little boy?" Jason's voice reached a new pitch as Dick responded by swatting the creases between his bottom and thighs; his sit spots. "Bruce never did this to me! And I bet he never did this to you, either."
"Maybe he should have done." Dick's palm was beginning to sting and he winced, pausing to shake his hand out. His other arm kept Jason pinned down firmly, as he tried to figure out where to go from here. The spanking wasn't working on its own.
Dick let his hand rest on Jason's bottom, feeling the warmth coming from the punished flesh. As he considered his next move, he rubbed the younger man's backside. "I know it feels like Bruce gave you a purpose, but you're so much more than just the next Robin. You can be so much more."
"What? You're going to 'help' me?" Jason's breath hitched; somewhere between a laugh and what might have been a sob. "The great Dick Grayson's gonna take me under his wing?"
"Yeah." Dick snorted softly. Why not? He had Raven and Gar to look out for; and Robin was so much more his than Bruce's. "You need a big brother. Someone to keep you on the straight and narrow. That's going to be me."
Jason slumped and his breath hitched again; this time more of a sob than a laugh. "Yeah," he whispered. "Okay. I...give up. Give in. Whatever."
Dick sighed quietly and gave the younger man's backside another rub. "Good. I'm going to give you my number and you're going to give me yours. We'll keep touching base."
"You gonna call me more than you do Bruce?"
"Shouldn't be hard to do," Dick mumbled; to himself more than to Jason. He gave the younger man's bottom another rub. "No more going after the cops."
"What if they're the bad guys?"
"I don't think you're the best person to make that call." Dick tightened his hold on Jason and resumed swatting.
This time, rather than full-on struggling, Jason just squirmed, though Dick was able to follow every movement, making sure each and every smack landed unerringly on target. He swatted until he could hear the tears and then paused once more, resting his hand on Jason's backside.
"W-what was that for?" Jason demanded, his voice heavy with tears.
"To make sure you don't forget. That I'm your conscience now." Giving Jason's bottom one last rub, Dick carefully pulled the suit back into place and then stood them both up.
Scowling, Jason reached back to rub his bottom. "I can't believe you spanked me," he muttered.
"I did. And I'll do it again when necessary." Dick reached out and grasped Jason's shoulder. "I'll be responsible for you, kid. In a way I know Bruce can't." He wrapped his arm around the younger man, giving him a tight hug..
Jason sighed and leaned into Dick, letting his head drop gently against his shoulder. He stayed like that for a few moments and then straightened, swiping a hand across his eyes. "Okay, bro. We good to go now?"
"Yeah." Dick watched him and then finally nodded. "I need to check on Clay. Make sure he's okay. Answer his questions," he added under his breath.
"Good luck with that, bro." Jason gave a quick grin and then headed down off the roof.
Dick wasted no time following, secure in the decision he'd made and the actions he'd taken.
The End