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A Time Of Forgiveness…
Damian waited, far enough away to be patient, but close enough that he could see Jason and father, keep a guard as the family had gone away to take care of Raven and their other casualties. He couldn't figure out how to help, he had never had to help Jason and the Pit's rage.
His grandfather's rages were uncontrollable, no one could stop his grandfather, the only thing anyone could do was get the hell out of the way.
His mother's rages were rare, but when they came they came like a cold fury which no one could stop. It was like his mother would turn to ice.
But Jason's… Damian hadn't seen this kind of rage, but all the indicators of the Pit were there. The brilliant, glowing green eyes, the animal rage, the way that the Jason was holding himself. No doubt that if Jason lost control, for real, there'd be no stopping him.
Wilson moved towards father and Jason then, which had Damian dropping down before her, his sword in hand. The silver woman glared at him behind her own mask and he sensed her malice towards Jason. Damian didn't want his brother dead.
"Back away," he snarled.
"Out of the way twerp," Wilson snapped.
"No."
The woman stood there glaring at him dangerously, but he could take her. It wasn't like Wilson was League of Assassin's material, he could take her, of this he was certain as he held his ground.
"THIS ISN'T OVER JAY!" Wilson shouted before she ran off. Damian waited until he was sure she was gone before he turned to father who had a slumped Jason in his arms.
"What is wrong with him?" Damian demanded as he ran over, sheathing his weapon. Dropping to his knees he looked at Jason, Jason was merely slumped over, but his breathing relaxed and there didn't appear to be green in his eyes that the optic lenses were showing.
"Get off me," Jason growled lowly. "I'm not rabid anymore," he snapped as he shoved away from father's grasp. Damian slipped around to support his brother's hip when Jason staggered, and father stood slowly.
"Get off!" Jason tried to shake him off.
"No! You imbecile you are hurt!" Damian snapped.
"I'll be fine!" Jason snapped and Damian stumbled back as he was shoved off his brother.
"Father!" Damian turned to his father at the obvious ineptness of his idiotic brother's choices only to see his father watching Jason carefully.
"Robin, return to the Cave, Now," his father snapped. There was no room for arguing with his father's voice like that. With reluctance Damian looked back at Jason who's back was too him before he jogged for a bike and took the quick route to the Cave.
The temptation to defy father and remain was overwhelming but Damian did not think it would be wise to push his father's boundaries when his father's tone was THAT tone. The tone reserved for Jordan or Queen. Yes, Damian had snooped and heard some JL teleconferences.
Bruce watched Jason's form carefully as Jason stood there before him, his broad back to him. This was the tricky thing about Jason, at least when his son had been a boy he'd been more open about his emotions, the man though was quick to sarcasm or anger, not much else was displayed though. The Pit's Rage had been visible and Bruce knew the dangers of stepping between Jason and the object of his Rage when he had. That was the dangerous thing about the Pit's Rages, they weren't stoppable.
Ra's al Ghul had never stopped them, and Talia's, when hers would come, was also unstoppable.
"Just stand away," Jason snapped when Bruce moved to check his son's bleeding wounds. "Stay away."
"Jason," Bruce started carefully, knowing that this part of the docks would have long since vacated when Raven's own power had started and definitely when the Bats had descended upon it. There was no thermal readings of people here, nor was there any readings of life at all beyond stray cats and other animals here.
"Back Off!" Jason snapped, his eyes had a green glow when he glared; his domino mask was broken enough to see an eye.
"Son," Bruce started again as he stood where he was. It was the first time he had a chance to really look at Jason, it was just him and his son, no one else there. No one there to take him, no one there to interfere or distract him. Bruce took this moment to memorize the features of his second child again.
Strong jaw line, squared, high sharp cheek bones, a nose slightly crooked, sharp eyes that were predatory like with their gaze, dark brows to match, a fuller bottom lip than upper, and an untraditional handsomeness. There were nicks, imperfect scars that were marring his face, two on his nose stood out against the freckles there. There was a nasty one on his chin, a few around his mouth, a couple on his cheek, a deep one on his temple. The dark hair of his son was shortly cropped, though the slight curl of it could be seen. The city's lights brought the midnight hair's undertones to light, the reds and browns of Jason's hair, and that white streak stubbornly flopping in his face still. There was a rough stubble on Jason's jaw, like no one had ever properly taught him how to shave and he didn't care enough to get a clean shave.
"Who taught you how to shave?" Bruce finally asked which had Jason stiffening in obvious surprise as his son's eyes finally landed on him. The one exposed eye that Bruce could see was that green, that unnerving, unsettling green. Jason's eyes had never been green before his death. They'd been blue, cobalt blue, not the bright blue Dick's were, nor the true blue Tim's were, or even the ice blue like his own eyes were, Jason's had always been cobalt blue. Now they were tinted with a green in them. They kind of reminded Bruce of Damian's eyes, that hazel tint that Damian's eye had that green-blue teal like color, except Jason's green tints were just another scar. Like those white bangs were a scar, as were the other little nicks and marks on his face.
"I did." his son stammered this, looking timid and unsure then.
"You need to relearn," Bruce stated bluntly. Jason just stared at him like he had lost his mind.
"What the fuck do you care about it!?" Jason spat out.
"I care," Bruce said levelly.
He had always cared. He had wanted so badly to watch Jason grow up, and he hadn't had the chance. The man before him was just as tall as he was, probably heavier, just as thick through the shoulders, narrower in the chest and hips, but Bruce had missed this! Missed seeing Jason grow up, missed teaching Jason to drive, going to school functions, helping with homework, bickering over colleges Jason could go to. Bruce had missed it! He had been going through it with Dick, the fights and seeing Dick grow up, he was experiencing it with Tim, and even had a chance with Damian. Bruce had been watching it with Cassandra, and witnessed it with Barbara, hell, he had even been watching Stephanie grow up and Stephanie wasn't even his kid! Now for the first time ever he was going to see Terry and Helena grow up, from babies (none of his boys had been babies when they were his boys), and he could watch it all again. But he had missed it with Jason.
Missed all of it. Except those brief years Jason had been with him.
Jason snorted at his statement.
"Jay," Bruce started.
"Fuck off!" Jason snarled. "I don't know what you're after! I don't know what you want from me!" Jason roared.
"Nothing," Bruce whispered. My Son! his mind screamed but he didn't say it. He didn't want to have his boy running off though, so he kept it silent.
"Then what the fuck does it matter how I shave!?" Jason spat.
"Jason," Bruce ignored everything about Jason that screamed to stay away from him right then, and gingerly he clasped his son's shoulder. He never wanted to let his son go but clinging to Jason was the fastest way to have Jason running off. "You're my son, you are my child, and I… I love you, son."
"WHY!?" Jason spat out venomously.
"You're my son," Bruce stated harshly as his voice felt jagged and he stared at Jason, bleeding, and standing there looking torn between punching someone or running. Bruce would prefer neither to happen, but if it came down to the two instincts he'd rather have Jason punch him than run away.
"But I was running away, I let everyone down," Jason whispered.
"I don't care about that Jason, you never let us down. Never. And you were a child, I… I should have been a better father," he admitted tightly.
"Not then," Jason whispered.
Walking into the Cave he saw Roy and Tim monitoring Raven, he paused a moment before walking up to them.
"How is she?" Dick asked.
"Leslie's coming," Tim said. "But all vitals are reading strong, low, but strong and steady. The big thing is the blood loss. We cauterized her wrist, and chest."
"Not much to do now," Roy muttered. "Just have to wait for her demon nature to kick start her healing."
Dick looked down on her then, her ruby was on the center of her brow again.
"I'm going up now, to get Lian," Roy said as he jogged off.
"Alfred announced that the girls had the babies and they were safe in the kitchen," Tim said.
"I'm changing and heading up," Dick said. "Call me if her status changes, even in the slightest." Changing into a wife beater, sweats was as far as Dick got as he tossed his domino mask aside then ran up the stairs, five at a time. When in the house he charged for the kitchen.
"Kori!" he shouted bursting through the door, she turned and he caught her tight as he swung her up as much he could before pulling her down for a hard kiss; his fat lip stung but he ignored it. He saw Roy from the corner of his eye hugging Lian and Selina holding Helena while carding her fingers through Terry's hair.
"Dick!" Kori gasped.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for… for everything!" he gasped.
"This was Slade's fault, not yours," she stated firmly.
"Rae's in the medbay," Dick said as Kori's brow rested on his, he noticed then she was wearing one of her sexy silk numbers. They had been snatched from their beds! The outrage had him wanting to track Slade down and beat the shit out of him.
"I know, I know where she is, Roy said so when he walked in."
"She's going to be okay," he assured her. Raven had to be alright, she had to be.
"I know, I know, she survived worse," Kori murmured.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he looked down to where their child was within her then back at her eyes.
"Yes, we are fine," she said softly. "We are fine."
"Thank God," he muttered.
"X'hal was merciful, he did not want us, he wanted Raven." Kori murmured sadly.
"You're both alright, you're alright," he repeated. Dick just sighed feeling like there was a weight lifted off of his chest. He caught how Selina was looking at him but he didn't care as he just held onto Kori. Dick didn't like knowing that tonight he could have lost it all, his family, his girl, his child, his world, this was everything to him. It was something so much more than he could even describe.
"We're alright," Kori reassured him.
"I love you," he said again, and saw Kori smile then.
"What?" Bruce asked.
"I… I was leaving, tonight," Jason admitted, and then it as like the world robbed him of air as he shook then curled into himself. "I lied! This is all my fault! I got her killed! I… I'm a coward!" he gasped.
The panic was clawing at his insides as he tore through his chest, freezing his blood, constricting his chest and he couldn't breathe! He couldn't breathe!
He had gotten Raven killed! This was his fault! He killed his only friend because he couldn't take it! Couldn't handle the stress of being here! She was dying because of him! He had put his family in danger! He had… he had run away again! And this time he hadn't been the one to die! Oh God! Oh God! What sort of monster was he! How could he…? That was his only friend! And he had gotten her killed! He had left! Oh shit! He couldn't breathe! He couldn't think! He could only see her laying in her own blood, and oh the rage he had felt seeing his friend like that.
"Jase, Jason, Jaylad, my boy, son!" Bruce's voice was distant, and Jason fell back then. He grunted hitting the rubble, but it didn't hurt as he clung to his scalp burying his face in his knees.
He had failed! Again! This was his fault! All of it!
"I killed her! Again!" he managed. He could see her, her light hair tangled, brilliant blue eyes and that sunny smile. He had killed her! He had killed her! All over again he had failed and gotten the person he cared about killed.
"Jason, Raven isn't dead," a voice shouted, it sounded murky and distant. Like a voice above the water he was drowning in.
"I killed them! I failed, I…" he gasped. He could see her, covered in her blood, staining the street beneath her. The image morphed, she wasn't sprawled over the streets anymore. The girl was laying awkwardly, brokenly, her dark hair spilled around her, her face one of apathy, bruised, and dark eyes. The blood, all that blood. She was so small! Was she supposed to have that much blood!? Yes, he knew she was, he knew how much blood the human body had, but still. It was staining the street, it was staining the broken ground, it was so dark, red, why was it there. She shouldn't be dying.
There were strong arms around him and Jason cried out at their pressure.
"You're safe, you're alright, lets get you up, to the Cave," he heard the voice ordering.
"I killed them," he whimpered out.
"Raven's alive, Selina is alive, Kori is alive, Lian is alive, Helena is alive, Terry is alive," the voice was repeating.
Jason couldn't take it as he cried out in agony. He had failed again! Goddamn it! He had failed again! He couldn't think past the blood.
All that blood!
"I'm a coward, I failed her! I lied. I ran away," He repeated.
"JASON!" a voice snapped, which had his head snapping up as he shook where he stood.
"Everyone is alive, you didn't fail, you didn't run, everyone is here," Bruce stated, it was only now that Jason noticed that Bruce's cowl was off. His icy blue eyes were boring back into Jason's, his face was covered in grime, his black hair was gray at the temples, and matted with sweat.
"I ran!" Jason shouted.
"You're back!"
"WHAT DO YOU CARE!" Jason roared again as he shoved at Bruce's chest, ignoring the pain of his arms which felt like they had been sliced to ribbons.
"Because You Are My Son!" Bruce shouted back grabbing his elbows firmly with a jolt Jason found himself looking at Bruce. Really looking at Bruce. "You're Mine! My Child! My Son! My Boy!"
"You Didn't Want Me! You Wanted Dick!" Jason spat out venomously. Then he found himself trapped a stronger body captured him and strong arms wrapped around him, gloved hands were in his hair which had him stiffening.
"I wanted you, Jason, I love Dick, I love you, I love all of you, and I will spend all my life saying that if you need it. I am sorry… for everything," Bruce said tightly, haltingly; like each word was foreign on his tongue. Jason just stared at the wall. The fingers slid through his hair and he could feel the fingers snagging on the tangles, despite his hair being short.
"I ran away," he muttered. "I lied. I was leaving. She's… she's dead because I lied."
"No one is dead," Bruce said pulling away. Jason looked at the ground. He had lied to Raven. He had lied to her. He had left, how was he supposed to live with that? Raven was so badly hurt because he had left. She might be dead, and B wasn't telling him.
"I let my friend down," Jason muttered.
"Let's go home, Jason," Bruce said pulling the cowl back on and Jason numbly allowed himself be guided into the Batmobile. He had let Raven down, he had broken a promise to stay there. This was all his fault. He didn't know how he was going to face that.
The drive was in silence, Jason just pulled off his domino mask as he stared out the window, clenching his hands and unclenching as he tried to focus on the breathing exercises Alfred had taught him as a kid. Jason stared at his reflection in disgust.
He had left her.
She was going to hate him.
And he couldn't fault her if she did hate him. He had broken a promise to her, and if she hated him… He'd take it. He didn't want her to hate him, but he could take it. He'd get it. He had let her down and broke his promise to her.
"She's going to hate me," he muttered.
A hand touched his arm gently and then it was gone as they drove to the Cave.
Tim had changed into civvies, wearing fleece pants, wool socks, a heavy sweatshirt, and his hair was pulled back a bit by one of Stephanie's forgotten clips. Everyone was upstairs, there wasn't any reason to be down here. Raven wasn't moving, she wasn't even stirring. Her vitals were strengthening though, steadily, slowly but steadily. It looked like there were slight burn impressions being remade on her skin as she healed; after he had washed the blood off. They were runes he didn't recognize at all.
The Batmobile came roaring into the Cave, slow and steady, but that engine roared as it was parked.
Bruce was out, he pulled off his cowl and Tim noticed Jason being helped out.
"Raven's stable, her vitals are improving, Leslie said she'd be by in two hours or so for x-rays and a double check. I called Vic, but he and the Amazons are still on that mission, J'onn said he'd pass the word though," Tim said when they came into range.
"She's… alive…?" Jason whispered uncertainly as he limped over, Tim caught his brother just when Jason's knee gave out and his big brother pitched forward.
"Whoa! Yeah! She's alive!" Tim huffed, struggling with Jason's weight. What the Hell! Jay was easily bigger than B! The weight was gone, and Tim blinked seeing Bruce pulling Jason's arm around his shoulder.
"Let's get you patched up Jay, after Leslie we'll move her to a room," Tim said.
Bruce grunted. Jason just blinked, his eyes still seemed not to be believing what he was seeing. Not that Tim could blame him. He had honestly thought Raven was dead a few times on the way here. But she was alive, which was a massive relief.
Ungodly pale, very sickly looking, and that wound on her wrist, the one on her ribs… those blooming bruises, she should be a corpse with how she looked. But she was breathing.
Tim moved his friend's errant hair off her face.
She twitched a bit before she shifted, there was a whimper of pain before she was still, the lax again.
Patching up Jason didn't take pain medication, which freaked Tim out as his elder brother didn't even flinch when the needle was pulled through his skin, or alcohol used to clean off his wounds. No, Jason just sat there like it wasn't important what was happening, like the pain wasn't there for him.
It wasn't until he heard Bruce's sharp inhale that he noticed the scars littering Jason's back. Yeah, sure, Tim knew Jay had scars, they all did, but none of them had shit like that.
There were burns, whips, blades, bullets, shrapnel, cuts, and what looked like road rash. It looked like Jason's body had been through hell and back, the scars marring his skin. They made it… personal, somehow, because these weren't scars anyone knew the stories too.
Tim sewed up the deepest cuts on Jason's hands before Jason started cleaning and wrapping his own knuckles. It was eerie how level Jason was about this.
Kori walked down to the Cave, an hour after she was sure Dick was sedated. Yes, Kori had sedated him. Asked Alfred for help because not sedating him was unhealthy for Dick. Dick was wired up and she knew there was no way she'd be leaving his sight any time soon.
However, now she silently floated down to the Cave, she floated so as not to make a sound.
Bruce was down here, Selina, Helena, and Terry were curled up with Bruce at the computer. Tim was sleeping too. She saw the slumped over form of Jason beside the bed. Jason appeared to be sedated as well, she knew the signs having sedated Dick a few times.
Raven's pale form was startling, her bandages were staining red, but they were startling white in contrast to her skin where the blood wasn't touching her. It was now that Kori noticed Raven wasn't wearing a shirt; her entire chest was bandaged, and her wrist, the dark scarlet stain of her blood stood out. Landing gently, Kori stood at Raven's head as she carefully drew her friend's hair back.
"Thank you friend Raven," Kori murmured. "I know the cost of your demon. It's too high, but thank you for protecting my child and Dick's family."
There was not a single sound from Raven, not a single blip on her machines to indicate that she had heard what was said. But Kori knew, Raven heard and felt everything.
Gently she leaned over her best friend's brow and brushed her lips to Raven's brow before pulling away.
"If you ever do something like this again, friend Raven, I will blast you myself," Kori avowed before she stopped in front of Jason. He was covered in bandages, he shivered a bit, and she noticed the blanket pooling around his lap. She pulled it up and around his shoulders before touching his hair and pulling away.
Flying up to the house she put on the image ring again.
Kori did not know what she would have done if Raven had not done what she had. Kori hadn't ever felt as vulnerable as that moment when she had heard she was trapped in power dampeners. Her child, her baby, it was in danger and she couldn't protect it! That alone had frozen her.
Then there was Raven, and Raven had done something so dangerous, something she had avowed to never do again, and she had done it intentionally with every lethal intent ever. Kori knew the cost of Raven's demon. Raven hadn't feared the cost.
But Kori felt it was too damn high.
The pain of the cost had tears streaming down Kori's cheeks as she choked back the sobs and fell to her knees heaving for breath. She had almost lost her best friend! She had almost lost her child and her family! The weight of that was crushing as she tried to catch her breath.
Garfield walked into Gotham General, after a call from a JL member saying Nightwing had dumped his girlfriend here. It was almost dawn, and he walked in to see Tara, bloody, torn up, and pale in a massive hospital bed and glaring out the window.
Gar stuffed his hands in his pockets. He knew exactly what had happened; Oracle had given him the dump of what had happened. And Gar wasn't as dumb as everyone thought he was; he knew the rest from educated guesses.
Clearing his throat he saw Tara turn to him, then she relaxed a bit.
"Gar!" she smiled.
"Tara," he replied coldly as he walked to stand at the edge of her hospital bed. "I know what you did, Tara. Even if they can't prove it, yet, I know."
"I…"
"Shut up!" he snapped icily as his eyes narrowed dangerously on her. her mouth slammed shut. "How could you?"
"Because she was taking you from me!" Tara hissed. "That evil demon witch was stealing you from me! And you were just going along!"
"Raven?" Garfield sputtered.
"Yeah, Raven, Miss Perfect. She's really a monster, and none of you see that!" Tara sneered.
"Shut up, Tara!" Garfield snapped.
"SHE IS! She's The Demon!" Tara shouted.
"I Said Shut Up Tara!" Garfield barked, and he saw her cower then. He was aware he'd used the Beast's alpha voice. "I don't have a shot with Raven, even if I wanted her! And I don't want her! I wanted to talk to my friend! I needed someone to talk to."
"Yeah right, Talk to her about what? Us? I've seen how you watch her," Tara scoffed.
"Yeah actually, about us. About you and me. And I don't watch her! Raven's… Rae brought you back to me, because she loved me more than us. Rae tried to help you because I asked her to. God!" Garfield shook his head as he gave an unamused snort. He could see where Raven could call him an ass here. He was her ex; he had done everything in his power as a teen to exert power over her, belittling her, crippling her, sharp jabs where he could, all to make her less. Despite all the times he'd try to patch up the damage he had done to her, he knew, he knew that he had wrecked him and Raven, they were too young, too stupid, too ignorant. And now! Now she wouldn't take less than whatever she felt she deserved; and Garfield feared he had set her standards pretty damn low because of what he had done when they were idiot teens.
However, Raven was actually doing better than he ever could in the relationship department.
Even if she wasn't actually dating Jason.
"Oh, Tara you're an idiot," he chuckled humorlessly. "I destroyed Rae, I made it my mission to make her feel like a freak and unwanted, and like I was the only one for her. Freaks belong with other freaks, right?" he mocked tiredly. "Yeah, took a lot of years to realize what the hell I'd done to her. The fucking damage I did. Oh, she hurt me too, but me, I made it my mission to destroy her in a way I can't even explain 'cause I can't tell you WHY I did it! I can't!
"And still, still!, Raven proved to be better than ANY of us! Demon or not.
"I broke her heart Tara, and you know what she did? She brought you to life, from stone! She did that, to make me happy, because she thought I loved you. And I thought I loved you, guess I did at one point, but there's something, something about you and me that's just broke. I don't know how long it's been broke.
"I wanted to talk to Raven about it, you know, my ex, the girl I hurt, the girl who could still grace me; the monster, the actual beast, with her friendship, because she's good at this. At helping people, at getting to the heart of people, because that's what Raven does. She sees through the illusions, the lies, the crap and sees people for who they are. She's always seen everyone around her, and she hangs around us, I think that makes her pretty fucking amazing.
"I wanted to talk with my friend, one of the best friends I've ever had, even if we were for shit as boyfriend and girlfriend, she's always been one of my best friends. And I wanted to talk to her, about trying to fix us, fix us! Fix You, And Me, Tara. But now, you…" he growled in frustration as his hands fisted. Waving them up in surrender he turned to walk out.
"Gar wait!" Tara shouted.
"Fuck NO!" he spun on her with a roar which had Tara cowering in her bed. He could feel his darker instincts pulsing forward dangerously. "Fuck No, Tara. We're done. We Are Done. Don't bother coming back to San Francisco, don't come back to the Titans, I never ever want to see you again. Ever. And if You Ever, Think to come after Raven, or my family, or friends ever again, Tara, I won't hold back. You stay the FUCK away from her."
Garfield walked out then, he couldn't stay else he'd kill her.
Raven wasn't his girl anymore, she would NEVER be his girl again. Hell, he didn't think he could ever win her back, not that he wanted to. Raven wasn't his girl, wasn't the girl who could ever be his. He was pretty sure she had a colony of Bats ready to defend her. Especially a very dangerous Bat who was twice Garfield's size and just oozed that alpha power of killer, protector, fighter. Yeah, Garfield doubted very much he stood a chance with Raven with Jason as her friend.
Also, Victor would so blast him after the last time he had broken Raven's heart.
Garfield hailed a cab and intended to go see his friend, make sure she was okay, he knew that her unleashing that much power; while rare, was painful for her. And Raven had always; despite everything that could be going on between them; been his friend. One of his best friends too.
Okay, before people jump me for hating BBRae know that I don't think that it was EVER a good display of a relationship between two people. I have come to tolerate the Friendship between Raven and Garfield, but I have never supported their ship. And NO, this isn't because I'm not fond of Garfield's character; I just think that whoever set up the BBRae ship (in the comics and in the original cartoon) did a very piss poor job of it with how Garfield nitpicked Raven and Raven berated Garfield. So No, I do not support the BBRae ship.
And it's not even because I'm so thoroughly for Raven and Jason's ship (friends or romantic) that I don't like BBRae.
That's all for now folks!
Enjoy Holiday Express Shipping =)