Ghost
Jason spent a lot more time as the Red Hood over the next week or so, utilizing all his resources for one goal; finding and killing the Joker. So far, nothing came up. The Joker, apparently, didn't want to be found. That bothered Jason, because that meant that he was up to something. And if the Joker was up to something, it wouldn't be good.
Meanwhile, at home, Dick was less than pleased with how much he was gone. He got it, Jason was trying to protect him and Kaden, but it was bordering on obsession! But tonight wasn't about that. Oh no, Dick had something else in mind. He'd been watching Kaden since that night they discovered he was running around as 'Poltergeist' behind their backs, and he noticed a distinct change in their son; he seemed a little...unhappy. But when he got to talking with the teen, he discovered that he enjoyed helping people. So once again, he was just like his father, no surprises there.
He'd caught Kaden trying to sneak out once or twice too, but opted to keep that a secret from Jason, because he had an idea. So that night, after Kaden went to bed leaving he and Jason to snuggle up on the couch to Netflix (because Jason was taking one night off from the Red Hood!), Dick decided it was time to broach the subject.
"So Jaybird," Dick began, popping a piece of popcorn in his mouth. He sighed contentedly and lay across Jason's lap, looking from the tv up to the man's eyes and continued "I've been thinking-"
"Thought I smelled smoke," Jason teased, earning an elbow to the gut. Dick chuckled in amusement and shook his head.
"Ass."
"Dick."
"Yes?" Jason snorted at the man's reply, then grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. Dick flashed him an appreciative smile.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I've been thinking," Dick sat up and moved the bowl to the coffee table, giving his husband a thoughtful look "and I've figured out why you and Kaden are always arguing." Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"This should be good," he said in an amused tone. Dick snorted and slapped his arm.
"Shut up and listen."
"I'm listening!"
"It;s because you two are practically the same person." Jason didn't seem at all phased by the information. Instead he gave a shrug of his shoulders.
"You're not telling me anything I don't already know, Dickie-bird," Jason replied casually. Dick huffed and shook his head, shifting in the couch a bit.
"No, I don't just mean his anger issues and his inability to listen," Dick replied, emphasizing that last word, earning a snicker from Jason.
"I mean, everything. I don't know if you've noticed since you've been busy as the Red Hood almost constantly-"
"Oh come on, this again? When are you going to drop that?" Jason snapped, annoyed. Dick glared at him, tempted to tell him off, but tonight was about Kaden, not his husband being a neglectful, borderline obsessive asshole lately. So for now, he chose to ignore the comment. In truth, perhaps he could had worded that last sentence a bit better, but he was still a little annoyed about the whole thing.
"Save for a few quirks here or there, like his love of computers, or his loathing of guns, he is you, Jason," Dick explained to him. Jason still didn't seem affected much by the information.
"Okay, so my son is just like me. Is there a point here, Dick?"
"Actually, yes. He's more like you than you know. I think he actually enjoyed being a vigilante-"
"No, stop right there. We're not having this conversation," Jason interrupted, knowing where it was going as soon as that last word had been uttered. He pushed himself up off the couch and retreated into the kitchen, but Dick was not letting it go that easily. He glared at the man and then followed him.
"Hey, I wasn't finished you ass!"
"I was! The answer is no! A definitive, absolute, resounding no! And just to make that absolutely clear, non, nicth, niet, and-" Jason turned to Dick, and in Romani "nu." With that, he pulled open the fridge and grabbed a beer, but as soon as he turned back around, he was met with an annoyed Dick Grayson, who grabbed the beer right out of his hand.
"Shut up and listen for god's sake!" Jason scowled and pushed past the man and tried to retreat to the bedroom; he usually didn't back down from an argument, but anything involving Kaden, and vigilantism was a definitive 'no' so there was no point in carrying on this conversation. However, Dick was not about to let it go that easily. He blocked the man's path, earning a glare from Jason, which he gave back.
"Kaden is not going to be a vigilante, Dick. No 'ifs', 'ands' or 'buts' about it, so you may as well just drop it. And Especially not while the Joker is running loose in Gotham!" Jason replied, opting to return to the living room. He flopped down on the couch and crossed his arms over his chest, glancing back at Dick as the man sat down beside him.
"Jason, we both know that there's a very distinct chance he's going to become one anyway, but listen-" Dick began despite Jason's silence. He tossed the words over in his head a few more times, thinking carefully about how to proceed and then he said "I think I have an idea where everyone can get what they want." Jason glanced over at Dick an quirked an eyebrow.
"Really? This, I have to hear." Dick smiled at him and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's actually very simple; Kaden gets to keep being a vigilante, and he'll be completely safe, so you have nothing to worry about."
"And how do you intend to accomplish this?" Jason asked.
"Barbara."
The next night came around and Kaden was more or less in the living room, watching Netflix (thanks to his pa for getting him this much at least) while Jason and Dick were gearing up for patrol.
"Love you Kade, I'll see you in the morning," Jason called to him, pulling on his helmet. Kaden looked up from the tv, momentarily, to look at his father. He flashed a smile and gave a wave.
"Love you too, dad. See you in the morning." Hood went to leave the apartment, but then stopped and turned to Nightwing. He approached him and jabbed him in the chest with his finger.
"You better know what you're doing, Dick. Not one hair out of place on his head, you hear me?" Nightwing raised his hands defensively and laughed.
"Relax, don't you trust me? You know I'd never let anything happen to him!"
"You I trust. Gotham, not so much. I'm just telling you, this was your dumbass idea, so if he gets hurt, I'm kicking your ass." Hood replied, before retreating out the window. Nightwing turned to Kaden and grinned, the teen quirking an eyebrow.
"Shouldn't you be going out on patrol?" he asked. Nightwing retreated from the room and Kaden turned his attention back on the tv. Moments later, a lockbox bounced onto the couch, startling the teen.
"W-what is this?" Kaden asked, but Nightwing didn't answer. Not until Kaden opened it and saw his Poltergeist gear. He looked up at his papa with a dumbstruck expression.
"Gear up, you're coming with me," Nightwing replied. Kaden's face lit up as he started putting on his gear. In all reality, he was being a bit misleading; Kaden wasn't technically coming with him, but he couldn't run around as Nightwing with a civilian teen behind him. Especially not one as high profile as Dick Grasyon's son.
Once Kaden was all geared up, the two of them left out the window and disappeared into the night.
"Now listen up, Poltergeist," Nightwing began. The teen felt a rush of excitement at hearing Nightwing call him that. He couldn't believe he was going on on patrol! How the hell he convince his father to let him go?! Well, that didn't matter, not really, because he was actually going!
"There are rules. You stick with me, at all times. Got it?" Nightwing explained. Poltergeist gave a nod.
"Got it."
"When I tell you to do something, you listen."
"Sure."
"And remember, call me by my code name, at all times, got it?"
"Got it."
"Say it a few times right now, get used to it," Nightwing told him. Poltergeist gave a nod.
"Nightwing."
"Good. Who am I?"
"Nightwing."
"Once more."
"Nightwing."
"Good. Remember to use that," Nightwing said with a smile, patting the teen on the back. He gestured for him to follow. Nightwing dived off of the top of the building and Poltergeist followed suit; the Wing Glider flew past moments later and the two of them grabbed hold.
"Wow, this is amazing!" the teen shouted with a laugh. Nightwing flashed a grin in his direction before turning his attention forward again. The clocktower came in sight and Nightwing steered it in its direction.
"The Clocktower? Why there?" Poltergeist asked, but Nightwing didn't answer. When they landed, he headed inside with Poltergeist behind him.
"Oracle, hey," Nightwing called. Barbara turned around in her wheelchair and flashed the two of them a smile. Nightwing hugged her, but Poltergeist was too busy staring in awe at all of the equipment in the room.
"Woah...so cool," he murmured, walking around to check out the computers, the monitors, everything.
"Hey, how's my favorite nephew?" Barbara asked. Poltergeist was snapped out of his thoughts and flashed his aunt a smile, giving her a hug.
"Doing great, Aunt Babs. So, this is what you do as Oracle?" he asked. Barbara smiled and gestured toward the computer.
"It is. And call me Oracle while we're here, okay?"
"Got it."
"Well, I'm out. Poltergeist, you stay here," Nightwing said smoothly, moving to leave the building. Poltergeist turned and frowned.
"What? I thought you said I was coming with you?" he asked, feeling slightly betrayed. Nightwing gave a shrug.
"I did. And you did. But I think you should stay with Oracle. You should see what it is she does for us, I think you'll like it." Nightwing flashed another smile before he retreated out of the building. Kaden pulled off his blindfold and huffed in annoyance.
"He lied to me. What an ass," Kaden muttered.
"I heard that, and watch your language please. He's still your dad," Oracle said to him. Kaden flinched when she spoke, certain he'd said it soft enough so she couldn't hear him. Clearly not.
"Well, sorry aun-er-Oracle. But I was really looking forward to joining him on patrol. And instead, he dumped me here with you. Er...no offense." Oracle laughed in amusement and wheeled back around to her computer and started typing away.
"It's alright. I get it; the thrill of fighting crime, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. For a teenager, it's pretty appealing," she replied, with her attention fully on the monitors. Red Hood and Nightwing were on a few of them. She used to advise Batman, until Bruce retired and became sort of like an Oracle to Damian. Now she handled just Red Hood and Nightwing.
"Hood, one of the rival gangs is attacking one of your drug shipment at Admiral Docks," Oracle told him. Kaden, curious, moved up beside he and watched as she began informing both Red Hood and Nightwing.
"Hacking security...give me a minute..." Oracle said, typing away as she began hacking into the security systems of the building Nightwing was infiltrating. Kaden watched in awe as she hacked through the security with relative ease. He then turned his attention to some of the other monitors, showing news reports, others containing internet articles, mostly relating to the Joker, or Gotham's various gangs, those not under the Red Hood's thumb.
"You're good to go, Nightwing. The security system is mine now," Oracle told him.
"Thanks Oracle," Nightwing replied. Kaden moved back to his aunt's side, and she looked up at him and flashed a smile.
"Pretty cool, huh? It's night beating up criminals, but it's still a pretty important job," she explained.
"And bad ass," Kaden muttered. He looked down at his aunt who was smiling up at him and he shrugged.
"What? You just effortlessly hacked a building's security system and turned it on its owners. That's freaking cool." Oracle chuckled a bit and glanced over to Hood's monitor. She did a double take then wheeled over to it.
"Shit! Hood, you've got a second group closing in on your flank! Harley Quinn is with them!" Oracle called, typing away furiously.
"Oracle, the door is code locked, I need a bypass!" Nightwing called. Oracle glanced back at the monitor and wheeled back over.
"I can't, I'm kind of busy, Hood's in trouble."
"Is he okay?" Nightwing asked. Oracle wheeled back over and started typing away again.
"Hood, I've got the docks' security feeds here-"
Kaden turned his attention onto Nightwing's monitors and saw several thugs moving in on his position. The door was still locked and he needed to get through or he'd be cornered.
"Oracle!" Nightwing called. Kaden nodded to himself and then started typing away, drawing Oracle's attention.
"Ka-Poltergeist, what are you-" Oracle began, but her attention was drawn back to Hood's monitor as gunfire started breaking out.
"Nightwing, it's me, Poltergeist. Listen, you've got a group of thugs headed your way. I'm hacking the door's controls now. I should have a bypass ready in a few moments," the teen said to him. There was a brief silence, save for the sound of keystrokes both from Oracle and Poltergeist.
"Great, thanks!" Nightwing replied. Poltergeist got "Access Denied" three times, but that just made him even more determined. On the fourth try, the screen lit up green with "Access Granted".
"Got it! You gotta move, they're right around the corner!" he shouted. Oracle glanced over her shoulder at Kaden and smirked; he was pretty good at this. For a beginner anyway.
"Great, okay now listen..."
It was early in the morning, roughly three in the morning when Nightwing swung back by the clocktower. Oracle was still wide awake and helping Red Hood with a cup of coffee at hand. Nightwing glanced around the room and found Kaden passed out on a couch, wrapped in a blanket.
"Hey, thanks for letting him come by," Nightwing said smoothly, patting Oracle on the shoulder. She looked up at him and flashed a smile.
"No problem. I think he enjoyed the work though."
"That was the plan. Still, I didn't expect him to jump in like he did."
"I know, right? He's good. And I wouldn't mind having an extra pair of hands around here," she said. Nightwing chuckled in amusement and moved over toward the couch.
"You sure you wouldn't mind having him around? I was kind of hoping-"
"Of course not! But only if he wants to." Nightwing smiled and shook the teen a bit.
"Hey, Kaden. Wake up," he said softly. The teen groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Mm, papa?" he murmured. Nightwing smiled at him and ruffled his hair.
"C'mon, we're going home. Sorry I was out so late, it took a bit longer than I expected," he replied. Kaden yawned, stretching a bit as he got to his feet.
"It's fine. It was...kinda fun. Helping you I mean," Kaden replied with a lazy smirk. Nightwing chuckled in amusement and patted the teen's back.
"Thinking of a change in profession, are we?" he asked. Kaden glanced over at his aunt who smiled at him, then back to Nightwing.
"I think so, yeah. It felt really good to help you, and I got to use Oracle's wicked computer, so that was kind of a bonus." Barbara laughed at the comment and wheeled around toward him.
"Well, I was just telling your dad that I could use an extra set of hands around here. How about it? You want to be a vigilante with your aunt Barbara?" she asked, Kaden grinned widely and nodded eagerly.
"Oh yeah, definitely. But I need a different name, I think. Poltergeist doesn't really fit when I'm not kicking ass," Kaden replied. Nightwing and Oracle exchanged glances before turning their attention back on Kaden.
"Call me...Ghost."
