This took way longer then I thought I would, but it`s here, Yay!
Guest: Thank you, and here is that next chapter you`ve been waiting for.
Konohflameninja: Jason is doing well in the whole getting better phase of it :) I love the Tim and Cassandra Dynamic, in the comics it was really like brother sister :3 Bruce has it pretty rough when it comes to the fear toxin stuff, but yep Joker`s back in Arkham...for now. Thanks for the great review :D.
"Jason," Jason stopped as he just passed the doorway to the study, backing up a few inches he looked in to see Bruce sitting at the wooden desk just inside the study, this made him frown. No one except Alfred ever really used the study for anything other then headed down to the cave. seeing Bruce sitting at the large dark wooden desk, working of W.E paper`s Lucius brought him earlier this morning, it gave the room a different feel.
For some reason this scene made him feel like a a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Yeah?" Jason asked warily.
"A moment?" Bruce asked, though it sounded more like a demand, but he couldn't hear any anger nor disappointment hidden in his mentor`s voice, and if he`d done something wrong and Bruce was trying to intimidate him; wouldn't he of kept the mask on? Either way, Jason entered the room and didn't stop till he was parked right in front of the desk, the whole time Bruce was still looking down at his papers, though now he could see a batarang twisting in his fingers like a Quarter would for any other normal person.
"Wha`d you need?" Jason asked swallowing.
"We need to talk," Bruce said placing down the pen softly. Personally he was more worried about the batarang still in his 'father`s' hand, "about yesterday, or last night, either way we still need to talk, something I think is long over due."
Jason frowned, "`m not following."
Bruce took a deep breath and placed the batarang down (thankfully) before leaning back in the chair, "Jason, even before what happened with Joker happened we both had problems communicating, a problem that has gotten better in few area`s but worse in others, I like to think that you can come to more with problems and advice."
"I do." Jason nodded but Bruce raised a hand for silence.
"But as of lately the only area we`ve worked well on is work, I want a healthy relationship with you Jason, and with Dick also, I fell like I`m failing as a good father figure and over succeeding as a drill Sargent, you, Alfred, Dick, Barbara and even Ace are very important to me and if we do not have a stronger connection outside of costume and computers then like before, in the beginning, then I dont know how we can ever right our wrongs, and hope to better our-self as more then people with similar sights and fighting styles and start actually being what I should have been working towards the moment I brought Dickhome, then maybe your predicament wouldnt of happened, and Gordon wouldnt be in the hospital. Do you understand?"
"I think so." Jason thoughtfully, "But Bruce, whatever brought this on, it isn't necessary, you were the best dad under the circumstances."
Bruce smiled slightly, "I suppose that most families dont dress in flashy attire and scare criminals for a living."
"Your learning this now?" Jason chuckled, Bruce`s smile furthered, Jason continued, "and Bruce, you really don need to be tell this stuff to me, I mean, were good. right? Were good?" Jason asked and he used every once of his detective skills, what ever ability he had to read people and used it at this moment before Bruce spoke.
"Actually, there is something that I would like to deal with."
Jason swallowed, "Oh yeah?"
Bruce nodded, "Yes," he ran a hand through his hair, "Jason do you remember the day before your accident?"
He shrugged, "tell the truth? the whole week is kind of a blur really, I mean I remember but it`s really all kind`a veg, up until we i remember that gory shit."
Bruce`s jaw clenched and Jason swore he saw a flash of guilt, quickly he tried to move this on, "Why?"
"Because, just before you ran away, I wanted to talk to you, about your parents, and now I still do, and about that night, I feel like this is the last straw before we can really...move on."
Jason laughed, it was bitter and cold and he tried to swallow it down, "Bruce, If- if i was going to talk about that or my parents to anyone it would be you, or Dick, it`s almost been a full year since my 'accident' and I havent really said a word about it or them. Bruce, I-I`d love more then anything to spill my guts about my whole life and what Joker did but who would that help? You, me? You`d just get angrier and dont deny it, and an angry you is a misguided, blind, hulk of an ass and one day it`ll get you killed, and it`ll only bring up bad memories for me, why not just leave it where it all belongs?" Jason asked, tapping the side of his own head with a finger.
After a long moment Bruce finally nodded, "Alright, but I want you to know if you ever change your mind, I`ll be right here."
"You have to get out of that chair sometime Brucie." Jason smirked.
"shut up smart ass," Bruce chuckled, "fine then, go on, go do what you do, actually where were you going if I might ask."
"I`m meeting up with Timmer`s, his parents are still in Star city and I promised him I`d come over to play a few video games with him, give him some company and get myself out of the cave."
"Alright then," Bruce nodded, "Tell Tim he`s still welcome at any time, and dont be home too late."
"Will do boss man." and Jason was gone. Bruce sighed tiredly, running a hand through his glossy hair once more before running a hand over his scruffy face, he needed to shave, hell he needed a three hour shower, there was still pink under his finger nails from the blood that he beat out of criminals, and a some of it his own. He looked down at the batarang on the table, it was small and light and shaped like a bat of course, it was also a different type of steel, the tips were laced with an iron that could cut concrete.
He picked it up again looking it over before he threw it, just like any other time it him the mark, the top book of the top shelf, and iff he looked he knew the tip of the metal would be digging into the middle of the spine of Gotham History: Volume three. He also knew it would have hit the second 'O' in the title.
"I admire you pushing your aim to extraordinary levels sir," Alfred said, suddenly appearing in the door way, "But might I add that the study is not a firing rang for your toys, might i suggest the actual firing rang?"
"Sure thing Alfred." Bruce nodded with a small smile as he got up to retrieve the small weapon, once once Alfred was gone was he able to let his face drop into a small wave of emotions, sadly enough, this wasnt his weapon. He owned it, created it, cloned it, but this was not his.
This was Black Bat`s.
True, he never returned home with the same number of batarangs as he left with, but Black Bat seemed to have not only shockingly identical weaponry, but also seemed to have an unlimited supply. He`s remade the last batch of Bataranges three months ago, and the only other person he knew made anything like that was Lucius, which is why last night he called him to ask if anyone familiar was taking in more batarangs then monthly shipment provided.
"Actually you did, just last month." Lucius stated over the phone.
"I didnt ask for any other shipments though, not that I recall." Bruce said, confused.
"Well not you specifically, but Jason said you were running low, why is there a problem?"
"No, no, I think I just slipped my mind." Bruce stated, "Thanks Lucius."
Bruce threw the batarang onto the desk softly before sitting in the chair once more, the age showing on his face, and he ran a hand over his eyes, "Jason, what`ve you done."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"So your ditching me?" Jason asked, slightly amused by the exasperated sigh on the other end that was his 'younger brother' or so he liked to believe, Tim Drake. Jason sat at the Diner alone as of right now, Cass was working a solo case, maybe she just felt bad for being played by Joker in the fear toxin game and an exploding building, and she was just trying to return to her feet.
"Shut up Jason, I dont need the onslaught of guilt right now," Tim breathed quietly, "My parents got back early to attend this charity ball thing at the museum tonight, and I need to get ready."
"You do know it`s only like noon, that thing wont start till eight." Jason stated clearly, raising his eyebrow as he played with the Sweet`n Low packets.
"I`m going to get a suit tailored and my parents are meeting friends for lunch before, but I might see you at the event, Bruce will probably be there and you`ll have to go."
"Na`da Captain Wrong, " Jason smirked, "I`m staying out of Bruce`s and Alfred`s reach for the rest of the day, no way I`m going to that thing, I might just get take out, head to Cass`s place and watch Psych while I wait for her."
Tim made this little groan that made Jason chuckle, "Do you have any idea how awesome that sounds right now?" Tim asked more of a statement then anything else.
"Then rebel Timmy, break the chains, let lose, be a wild card, blondes have more fun and all that Jazz, in fact, put on some jazz, that might help you decide." Jason said.
"Jason quit rambling," Tim demanded, "I cant leave, you dont know how my folks are, I-I just, cant."
"Okay, if-," Jason was cut off when Tim hung up, shrugging he pulled out his chair, unfolded it and started towards the counter to order that take out instead, before he got there he passed a very...insulting conversation between a richer looking man and the waitress, or it was more like an action. the Dude Grabbed the girls ass and she sent him this dirty glare that could rivial his own, though the man didnt get the warning, "Hey doll, why dont you get us something sweet to drink."
"I-" The waitress looked to the bar at a man who gave her this look and Jason understood, she couldnt slap the shit out of this guy or she`d lose her job, figures. Thankfully he didnt work here. Jason grabbed a drink off of a close counter, and tipped it over the man`s head, at moments like this was was rather proud to be so blunt when this action earned him ever eye in the place.
The man instantly stood up, blond hair wet with Coke, or Root beer, either way, Jason was sure it wasnt the sweet he`d been asking for, "What the- You little shit!"
"Oh?" Jason asked pretending to look confused, " I was under the impression you wanted something to drink, silly me."
"Your about to be more then that in a second pal!" The man hissed and Jason gave a the man a shrewd grin.
"Oh, your right, I`m sorry, you wanted something sweet," The man didnt notice he`d grabbed the plate of half eaten spaghetti and before the man could do anything Jason grabbed the front of the man`s buckle and poured the Italian treat, still hot, down the front on his pressed suit pants, "Enjoy." Jason smile, he handed to blonde woman a generous tip she wouldnt of gotten from the other man and rolled out of the little Diner. Feeling slightly better by moral standards.
Until he was jumped, apparently these people werent under hitting crippled teens, and he was the child? Please.
A fist met his temple before he could comprehend what was going on and it only brought back that angry boy when he realized how he was tring to use his head before his fist, he never used to do that, never. The man was kneeling over him so it was easy to spin from his side to onot his back, using all his upper body to shove his elbow into the man`s nose, hearing the sweet sound of breaking body parts.
He missed it.
Jason pulled the tazer Dick had given him out of a hidden spot under the seat of the over turned wheel chair and he pressed it then threw it into the puddle where another man was standing, One man left, Jason reached over and was a second late as a bat connected with his shoulder roughly, he hissed in pain and cried out when a foot hit his gut.
But years of training kicked it and he steeled his arm and swept out one of the man`s legs, seeing the man falling back, Jason was about and grab a hole beer bottle and chuck it at the man`s head to knock him out when a fist came out and punched the man so hard in the jaw Jason was sure it was going to start to swell before he hit the ground.
"Jack ass."
Jason looked up, winching at the pain in his temple as he did so when he saw her, the waitress. Jason blinked, smirking slightly, "Night right hook."
She walked over and didnt hesitate to help him back into the chair, "I could say the same to you."
Jason`s head was still kind of reeling after those hard hits that he didnt notice the pretty blood was checking his head till he felt her fingers on his sore head, he hissed and the girl found, "Your bleeding." she proclaimed, "you should get cleaned up."
"No offense but I`ve dealt with my fair share of head injuries." Jason said.
"Is that why you did that in there."
"You mean defended you?" Jason asked, "I`m a feminist down to my core, sue me."
"I dont think I`ll have much of a case." She said and Jason laughed, but stopped when his stomach hurt to show he amusement, "Ow." he muttered.
"Okay then," The girl stated with a finial sigh, "your coming with me."
"Where?"
"My house," she stated, "It`s barley a block from here and that way you can get cleaned up and besides I`m feel a little bad if the person that defended me crashed on the side of the road."
"Just a little?" He smirked and she smiled, "You want my help or not?" she asked.
"Lead on." He stated, "I think I`ll be safe in your hands for now, unless your a ceareal killer or a rapist, then I`m in trouble."
"Yet, I spend my days working hard ours at a minimal paying job then I go home and kill people to releve the stress." the girl stated optimistically. "The logic in that is endless."
"That`s my middle name." Jason chuckled.
"Endless or Logic?"
"What?"
The girl giggled sweetly, "How hard did you hit you head again?"
"I hit my head? Why would I do that?" Jason asked, mentally patting himself on the back when he got another soft giggle out of the pretty blond girl wheeling him to her house or as he saw the neighborhood, town house.
Finally they reached her home, and Jason was looking at the framed phones on the table top as the nameless girl got what ever she was getting for his supposed brain injury. He blinked curiously and picked up a photo looking at it and smirking lightly, at the two identical people in the picture, his nameless rescuer and another woman. "Is this your room-mate?" He called.
"Who?" the girl asked walking in with a towel the tossed onto the coffee table, it was filled with bandages and neosporen and cotton swabs, she came over and leaned over to look, he felt her smiling next to him, "No, thats me and my mom."
"Your mom?" he asked, he looked at her side ways, now that he was actually really looking he noticed she looked younger then he`d originally thought, interesting, "Nineteen?"
"Seventeen genius." She stated.
"Your older then you look." he stated.
"What every girl wants to here." She stated, "Well, come here so I can fix you up maker."
He obliged and rolled over to her as she sat on the edge of the coffee table and began gentle rubbing the dried blood from the temple of his face, "You know," She said, concentrating on her work, "I think It`s customary to actually know someone before you invite them into your home."
"I think we`ve gone way past Customary." Jason chuckled.
"What`s your name?" She asked.
"Why do I have to go first?" he asked.
"Because your older." She stated.
Jason grinned, "Wrong, I`m Sixteen, as of August."
"Hm, I`m...two months older, hm, it must be because you look older then you actually are."
"Awesome, means no one`ll check my Id when I head to the bar." Jason grinned impishly and the girl smiled.
There was a long moment of silence as she cleaned the cut.
"Jason." He muttered.
"Hm?"
"My name, Its Jason Todd." He repeated and the girl smile.
"Nice to meet you Jason, I`m Isabel Ardila." She said with a soft smile and Jason smiled back with a look that he`d usually see on Dick`s face when he was talking about Barbara.