Title: knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend

Fandom: DCU animated/Avengers movieverse

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Donne

Warnings: Discussion of death/violence/torture – basically, everything Red Hood and Winter Soldier's respective backstories has.

Pairings: Jimmy/Jason, past-Talia al Ghul/Jason

Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1055

Point of view: third

Prompt: Author's choice, any, in alleys where the wind grows tired

Note: I got the mobster and gang from the DCU wiki. I know nothing about their canon storylines.

At mid-morning on a Wednesday, Jay and Jim go to Crime Alley, to where a boy once stole the Batmobile's tires. They're wearing frat boy clothes and neither has shaved. On a burner phone, Jim calls the Wayne Manor's home number.

"Wayne Manor, Alfred Pennyworth speaking," Alfred says. It doesn't sound like he's changed at all.

Jason can't breathe. Jimmy, with his mission mode voice, replies, "Give Batman a message."

"I beg your pardon," Alfred says, sounding puzzled. "Give who a message?"

"Batman," Jimmy repeats. "If he wants the Red Hood, he should be at the site of his first great failure at midnight tomorrow." He ends the call and drops the phone.

Jay and Jim wander away, hands in each other's pockets, two idiots on the wrong side of town.

.

"Oh, fuck, they must both be panicking," Jason says as they eat at a hole in the wall diner. He used to love this place; the owner would give away food to kids who cleaned the floor and tables. "Man, I wish we coulda seen the old man's face."

Bruce, he means. Not Alfred. Alfred was awesome. Jason never got the sense he was being compared to Dick from Alfred. Alfred's what he imagines granddads to be like.

The Red Hood's phone rings. King Snake is calling and Jason sighs. "Yes?" he says, rolling his eyes at Jimmy.

Jimmy steals a handful of fries off his plate so Jason moves the plate closer to him while King Snake says, "Four of my boys were making a run to Blüdhaven last night; they've been picked up by Nightwing."

"And you expect me to do what, exactly?" he asks, pouting as Jimmy takes more of the fries.

"Well, one of them was new," King Snake says. The man sounds very nervous. "So new he hasn't been initiated in yet. If he has to face Batman, the boy will break."

Jason goes still; Jimmy meets his gaze. "Edmund," Jason says softly, "what did I say about children?"

"He's nineteen!" King Snake protests. "He's the younger brother of one of my best men!"

"And what does he know?" Jason's voice is still too soft, and he focuses on keeping his breath steady. They are in public; he cannot rage here.

"Billy's been showing him the ropes," King Snake says. "He knows a lot."

"What does he know, Edmund," Jason asks, borrowing Ra's al Ghul's coldest tone, "about me?"

King Snake sighs heavily. "He knows this phone number."

"Expect a visit," Jason says, ending the call.

Jimmy pays the bill, though they're not even halfway through eating. Once they're outside, Jimmy takes the phone from Jason and crushes it with his metal hand, as ever hidden inside a black glove. When it is powder, he opens his hand and lets the wind scatter it.

"Shitting fucking hell," Jason mutters, running through various scenarios. "We need to find out if the kid broke, if Night—if Dickie even called the old man in, when he might've given up the phone number…" He pulls at his hair, wanting to light something on fire.

"When do you want that visit paid?" Jimmy asks, putting his metal arm around Jason's shoulders and guiding him down the street, easing through the crowds without touching anyone. He's so amazing. Jason doesn't even know what would've happened if they hadn't met in Baltimore. They'd both probably be dead now.

"Right now," Jason says. "I'll head to Blüdhaven, see if I can get in to see the kid. You, go deal with Eddie; it's time for him to retire."

Jimmy nods and presses a quick kiss to Jason's lips. "Lynx?" he asks as he unwinds his arm from Jason's shoulders.

"Lynx," Jason agrees. "Deliver the good news after Eddie's dealt with."

.

Why the fuck, Jason wonders as he strolls into Blüdhaven's main police station, would you give sensitive information to a newbie? No matter how promising he was, no matter who vouched for him. It was stupid.

So is this a trap? But why would King Snake be trying it? He had to know that Batman would see him in jail and that Red Hood would kill him – unless there's someone else who scared him more than Red Hood?

Charles Hue, younger brother of William Hue, King Snake's right hand man, has no prior record and the Blüdhaven cops don't like Nightwing all that much. So Jay Smith smiles and says, "I'm here to pay Charlie Hue's bail?"

Charlie is quiet until they're in the car. Then he asks, "Are you here to kill me?"

"Red Hood sent me, but not for that," Jay tells him, starting the car and sedately driving away from the cops. "Did you give them anything?"

Charlie's arms are wrapped around his middle, and he shakes his head. "Chen told Nightwing about a major drug trade between Escabedo and one of the Five Finger's in Blüdhaven."

"Red Hood will be glad to hear it." Jay follows every single traffic law all the way out of Blüdhaven. "And he will definitely want to talk to you himself, kiddo, but if you didn't do anything, you don't have anything to be afraid of."

"What about Chen?" Charlie asks. "And Dave, and Kai? Is the Red Hood gonna get them out, too?"

"Probably," Jay says. "But King Snake told him you were the weak link." He shrugs. "Don't worry, kid. Everything'll be fine."

Charlie sags back in his seat and mumbles, "I'm dead."

He looks really young. Jay repeats, "Don't worry."

.

When Jay drops Charlie off at his family's apartment, Charlie just watches him, flabbergasted. It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.

"You know that phone number King Snake or your brother told you?" Jay asks. Charlie nods. "Forget it. Anything they told you about Red Hood – forget it. It was their fuck-up, not yours, but this is the only second chance you'll be getting."

"I understand, sir," Charlie says, nodding firmly. "Thank the Red Hood for me."

Jason leaves the car close to a chop shop and heads back to their base on foot. Jimmy's not back yet, so he pulls out his notebook and crosses off Edmund Durrance, writing Ling Huang in its place.

He'll pay her a visit tonight, after Jimmy tells him how it went with King Snake.