Note: I don't own any of the characters.
Note: Sorry for the late update, been really busy. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Please, please, review!
….
Chapter 8: Jason POV
I fell asleep after Tim and that brat left my room. Unfortunately, it was a fitful night with dreams of my past.
Just the usual nightmares that still plagued me.
I dreamed I was in a dark alley fighting thugs and villains. Every time I knocked one out, another appeared in his place, stronger and faster than the one before. As usual, I became frustrated; I began hitting blindly but to no avail. Finally, I was in a corner and I prepared myself for the usual end of my dreams. Bullets shooting out at me and the usual waking up sweating.
But something else happened instead.
Something that definitely wasn't normal in the Jason Todd dream department.
A strange white light appeared above my head and it seemed to scare away all of my assailants. In fact, the thugs just disappeared. The white light then transformed until it became figure of a girl. Her back was facing me so I couldn't see her face.
"Who the hell are you?" I questioned, freaking out.
She turned around slowly and my heart dropped.
I was staring into the eyes of Kara Kent.
Oh my freaking…
I woke up in shock. I was sweating and breathing heavily, and my heart felt like it could burst. I got out of my bed and sat on the side with my hands on my face and my elbows on my knees as I leaned down. It took me a while to calm down, and it was then that I realized I was just surprised not scared or angered by my dream. If anything, once I calmed down, I felt more at ease that I ever do after a night of nightmares.
Was that because of her?
I heard a knock; I snapped that it was already open. Diana and that demon, Damian, walked in. She looked intently at me and sighed, "Another bad dream?"
She gave me a sympathetic look, but I just scowled.
"Yeah, used to it," I said as she handed me a glass of water and sat beside me as Damian began playing around with my stuff.
"Stop or it will be the last thing you ever do, brat. I don't care if you're the youngest, got that?" I threatened before taking a big swig of water.
Damian glared but said nothing.
"Jason, you need to be more sensitive to others," Diana chided, "I understand that you were joking last night, but your words really wounded Kara. Sometimes there are things you shouldn't joke about. You should have known that if she had returned to our time that something must have happened with the boyfriend she chose to stay in the future with."
I knew she was right, but I remained silent.
Jason doesn't admit he's wrong.
Ever.
Diana looked at me and sighed again, "Well, I made my point. What you do with it is your choice."
She stood up to leave before glancing around my room, "Try to keep this place clean, Jason, it'll make Alfred a lot less snarky with you."
I nodded and smirked.
Alfred was even scary than Bruce sometimes.
Diana stood by the door waiting for Damian, but the brat wouldn't budge. Diana gave him a stern look which was returned with a stubborn refusal.
Diana then walked over and grabbed Damien by the shirt collar and carried him away as he struggled to get free, "Come on, Damien, you know you can't get out of your lessons."
"Stop struggling, Damian, you know these piano lessons are important. Normal upper class boys take music lesson, and so do you," she stated as she strode out.
"Save me, Todd," Damian gasped as he was being pulled away.
"No can do, brat. You're not getting out of mother's requirements," I smirked as I stood up to close the door.
I watched amused as Diana carried the brat through the hallway. Diana insisted that Tim and Damian take music lesson; while Cassie and Stephanie were required to take either music or dance lessons. Dick was too old to need these lessons or to be told to take them, although no one needed to force him to take ballet lessons. He was such as chick that if he had more time on his hands he would have been at ballet daily. I swear, it was a wonder that Bruce didn't question his eldest son's tastes. With me, well, I guess Diana realized that I was never going to touch a musical instrument in my life; so she settled with a college education.
Why was Diana putting us through torture?
I mean "broadening our minds"?
Yeah right. I don't need an education. I, Jason Peter Todd-Wayne, am already a genius!
Anyway, back to Diana's insistence on us getting lessons and going to college. This was all her idea to make us seem like the typical American billionaire family of educated spoiled brats. It was kind of like Bruce's playboy image, by making us look like smart snobs. The charade worked, we all were looked at as royalty, people with cultural educations far above most people in the world. Of course, Damian didn't need a charade to show his true face; a demonic spoiled face.
Besides, people would question where we all went during the missions and battles. Or they'd probable question why some of us weren't at home or where we went during the day and night. Music lessons explained why we never went out much, so people usually just assumed we were at home. College and school made us look normal and kept people from getting suspicious. Mostly, this was a front for the paparazzi to eat up and cover up our real secrets. Reporters gobbled up the whole royal family image, they loved to write about how they caught pictures of me at college with a new older hot girl who had actually dated Dick (not knowing that it was Babs telling me about a new case, since I would definitely not date her, she was like a sister to me) or how Tim was quickly becoming the most popular guy at school, or how Stephanie was probably going out with a millionaire's son who took lessons with her in dance, or how Dick was engaged to the commissioner's daughter (after they decided that Babs and I were "over"-this rumor was something Dick wanted, to get married to Barbara) etc. All this gossip kept us safe.
So maybe Diana was right, the snob family image helps.
Breaking my musings, I changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and stalked off to the kitchen.
I passed the huge and extremely expensive music room where I saw Damian execute a music piece while probably thinking of a hundred ways to make his hot teacher suffer. She gazed up and gave me an irritated look which told me to leave, and then she turned her blonde hair towards the now frowning Damian. I turned around and made my way to the breakfast room. For some reason, I noted to myself that the teacher's blonde hair wasn't as beautiful as Kent's cousin, and then I felt sick to my stomach. Suddenly all of those feelings from last night came rushing back. I realized that I was feeling guilty. Guilty for hurting the feelings of a Kent.
I must be going crazy.
I shook these thoughts aside as I entered the breakfast room. Bruce and Diana were drinking coffee and Tim, Cassie, and Stephanie were drumming their fingers waiting for breakfast. I sat down next to Tim without a word.
"Good morning to you too," Bruce stated with a slightly sarcastic tone as he kept his eyes on the newspaper he was reading.
I shrugged and said, "I'm not a morning person."
"Or an afternoon person," Cassie mentioned smirking.
"Or a night person," Stephanie piped in.
"Or really not a person who wants to get up and got to school at all," Tim said as he sipped some orange juice.
"Basically, Jason is never happy or friendly at any time of the day," Stephanie added snickering.
I stuck my tongue at them as Damian stomped in sulking. He took a seat by Stephanie with a huff.
"How was your lesson?" Bruce questioned.
"I had the piece perfect, as usual," Damian grumbled.
"That's wonderful, Damian," Diana smiled as she looked on proudly on the brat.
But we could all see the amused look in her eyes. She was probably punishing Damian for cursing at the part last week. I swear Diana was worse than Bruce in torturing us. Get her mad, and you are in for a painful experience.
"Where's Dickie?" I asked suddenly as I looked around for my annoying older brother.
"He's sleeping in, he had a late night," Bruce answered as he brought his coffee to his lips.
I fist pumped, "Yes!"
"Jason!" Diana scolded.
"Sorry, mom," I answered falsely.
Jason Todd was never sorry, never.
Except maybe for what happened last night with Kara.
No! I was never sorry! Never!
"Good morning everyone!" Dick suddenly appeared, greeting us all.
I groaned, why could he have slept in? And left us in peace?
Dick smiled at everyone and then took a seat by me and addressed me, "You know, Jason, you really should apologize for last night. You hurt a poor girl's heart!"
He was so dramatic sometimes.
"You mean you?" I retorted cheekily as I fought to stay calm
Dick glared at me and then smacked me upside the head. Furious, I pounced on Dick and knocked him to the floor. He stood up quickly and we stared each other down, daring the other to move. We were both about to throw a blow at each other when Bruce suddenly ordered, "Stand down and behave."
"But, I don't wanna!" I whined as Dick gave me an incredulous look.
"Stop being such a little kid, Jason," Dick stated annoyed.
In response to his comment, I'm proud to say I did the mature thing.
Not really.
I kicked him in the shins and then I sat down at the table and ignored the disapproving looks Diana and Bruce were throwing my way.
"Real mature," Tim commented as Dick took his seat and began glaring at me.
I shrugged my shoulders and dove into the food Alfred had served. Alfred gave me a warning look to slow down but I just ignored him and continued to wolf down my food.
Deciding to ignore and forget the previous events, Diana and Bruce began discussing plans for a garden party that was coming up. Clearly not interested, I tuned them out as I focused on shoveling food into my mouth. Nothing beats Alfred's cooking, absolutely nothing.
Suddenly, Diana's stern voice interrupted my thoughts of food, "Jason, were you listening?"
"No," I answered nonchalantly.
"Dick has offered to drop you and Tim off at school today," Bruce explained with a slight smirk.
My jaw dropped in shock and anger.
"What! Why the hell do I have to go with him?" I gestured to the now happy Dick who was clearly enjoying this situation at my expense.
"Language, Jason," Diana reminded not that I forgot, "Dick has offered to go out of his way to drop you, Tim, and Stephanie while I drive Damian to school. Isn't that nice, Jason?"
Her striking blue eyes dared me to disagree.
Even I'm not that stupid to argue with Wonder Woman herself.
"Yeah, won't that be great, bro?" Dick asked smirking.
"Screw you," I snapped.
"Jason…," Bruce warned.
"All right, all right, I'll go," I mumbled as I finished eating, "But when do I get my own car? I'm twenty!"
I slammed my fists on the table.
Yeah, I know; real mature.
"When you start acting like an adult, Jason," Bruce responded calmly as he looked at me with those piercing eyes.
"Which, with you, might take forever," Stephanie interjected smiling.
"I hate you all," I grumbled as Dick stood up and waited for us to finish.
"We better get going," Dick reminded us.
Tim and Stephanie stood up and grabbed their bags. I rose reluctantly out of my chair and gave one last wistful look at the breakfast table before grabbing the books Alfred brought me from the living room.
"Be safe, and don't get into trouble," Diana warned as she stared pointedly at me.
I tried to look innocent as I asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
"You know exactly why," Tim answered for our stepmother.
"What, so I'm a bad boy," I shrugged as Diana frowned at me.
"Jason," Diana warned.
I looked over at Bruce placed his coffee down and stared me down, even though I was the one standing up. He gave me a silent order with his eyes, obey your mother or else.
I sighed and promised, "Okay, I'll be good."
Biggest lie of the year.
We stepped inside Dick's car with me riding shot gun and Tim and Stephanie in the back.
After dropping Tim and Steph at their high school, Dick drove me to Gotham University. As we were traveling, Dick asked me, "So, any girls you're interested in?"
"You did not just asked me that," I stated annoyed.
"I did, and you will answer," Dick smirked as he made a turn.
"I am not having this conversation with you, especially because it's you," I retorted as I turned away from him.
"Come on, Jay, stop being so closed up. Just because it didn't work with her doesn't mean you should be afraid of a relationship," Dick advised as he stopped at a light and turned to look at me seriously.
A note before we go on with this story, her refers to the lying, cheating- you get the idea.
"Who says I'm afraid? I just don't want to waste time with stupid girls," I boasted.
"Really," Dick responded sarcastically as he faced the street as the light turned green and he took off driving down the street.
"Yes, damn you, really," I snapped.
Suddenly, the car came to a halt. Dick turned to face me and looked me straight in my eyes and said seriously, "Not all girls like her, Jason. There will be someone who loves you for you not because of whose son you are."
"And you're so sure that somebody like that will date me," I stated as allowed myself to open up a little.
Dick broke into an annoying grin, "I'm sure. In fact, I'm sure Supergirl would love to go out with you."
I glared at him and groaned at that inside joke Tim had created.
"I am going to murder Tim in his sleep," I muttered as I stepped out of the car, "and then I'm going to assassinate you if so much as utter a word about this conversation. This talk never happened, understand?"
Dick raised his hands in defeat, "Jason, you really are hopeless."
"And you're really girly, so there," I retorted as Dick grew annoyed.
"Really Jason, isn't that getting old?" he questioned frowning.
"Never," I smirked as I strode away.
…
End of Chapter
Well, I hope you enjoyed! Please review! Feedback is appreciated!
Next up: Kara's future plans! Where is she going to live? What is she going to do? And how is Jason going to deal with a new arrival to Gotham City?
Stay tuned for the next chapter…
