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-Steve/Bucky

Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1300

Point of view: third

Prompt: MCU, any, "Be the lamb, or the knife. Try to be both, you'll end up slaughtering yourself."


Jimmy knows that whatever Jason is expecting, it is not what he will get. His need for vengeance was satisfied with the Joker's execution – what he's doing in Gotham, the way he taunts Batman…

What Jason desires is less-clear, here. He wants Batman to suffer but to live with it. He wants Batman to see him, acknowledge him – and what?

Phase Four has never been detailed out beyond a single word: Win.

And because it was Jason's mission, Jimmy had simply nodded. He will keep Jason safe. From what or who doesn't matter.

.

Batman whispers, "Jason."

Red Hood flinches back.

"Jason," Batman says, "what happened to you?" He stumbles forward, the least-precise motion Jimmy has seen from him, and Jimmy aims at his mouth, unprotected by armor or mask. "Ra's put you in the Pit – but where did you go?"

Jason laughs, moving away, out of reach. "Of course you went and talked to Ra's. Did he tell you it fucked me up, that I, I came back wrong? This is me, Bruce!" he shouts, gesturing at the hood. "This is what I've always been."

Batman says, "Jason, come home with me. You can get help. This – this empire you're trying to build, it isn't –"

And Jason's entire body goes still, taut. "No," he says. "The Joker's dead. Gotham's safer than it's ever been 'cause all those fuckers answer to me. You try to keep order through fear, Bruce, but it never goes anywhere because you never make the lesson stick."

"You're killing people!" Batman roars, lunging forward.

"Don't!" Jason shouts at the same moment, dodging Batman's grasp. Jimmy doesn't pull the trigger till he's aiming at Batman's left shoulder.

It won't go through his armor, but it'll sting like fuck, and it knocks him into the wall, where he just tries to breathe, stunned.

Jason jumps up to grab a fire-escape and once he's high enough, fires a grappling line. "Watch and see!" he calls down to Batman. "I'm showing you how it's done!"

Jimmy waits until Batman pushes off the wall to drop down in front of him. "You did this, didn't you?" Batman asks. He sounds tired. Worn out.

"No," Jimmy answers. "I'm just ensuring he lives, no matter what idiocy he tries."

Batman tries to lunge at him; Jimmy shoves him back into the wall and holds him there, the gloved not-hand tight on his windpipe. "Keep to your madmen and psychopaths, Mr. Wayne," Jimmy commands. "The rest of Gotham's underworld is ours. Civilians and non-combatants will be protected."

When Batman tries to say something, Jimmy tightens his grip. "Your way isn't working. It never will. Like Red Hood said – you rule through fear. But there are many who will never be afraid because you hold back."

Jimmy drags him forward and then slams him back into the wall. "You let the Joker live – you let him live no matter what he did and he killed Jason."

He wants to tear off the mask. Wants to see Bruce Wayne realize the cost.

Instead he lets go, backs up. Instead, he says, "Gotham is Jason's. He wants it, and he's more than earned it."

"Who…" Batman coughs a little, reaching up to touch his neck. "Who are you?"

Jimmy laughs. "Way above your pay grade, rich boy."

He turns his back and leaps, using the not-hand to scale the wall. He feels Batman's eyes all the way to the roof, where he leaves three trackers next to the pile Jason already removed from himself.

.

Jason is in the shower, just standing beneath the spray, head down. Jimmy slips in next to him and pulls him close.

"Do you think he's ever gonna get it?" Jason asks softly.

"I think… I think he's afraid of death," Jimmy says. "My research into Bruce Wayne – he watched his parents die and he never wants to cause death."

"But me and you," Jason says, "we've both died and come back."

"Yeah." Jimmy presses a kiss to his temple. "We're not afraid of dying," he murmurs, chuckling sadly. "We're afraid of not staying dead."

.

Batman's mission is commendable, his methods less so.

Red Hood's mission is the same, his methods – well.

"What's the rule, Carter?" Red Hood asks. The Lords of the Avenues, what remains of them, are ringed around Red Hood and their leader, Carter Yates.

"Don't… don't deal to kids," Yates answers.

"And what did you do, Carter?" Red Hood asks, louder.

The gang is entirely silent, not making a single move to protect Yates. They know Jimmy is present; they don't know where, or what weapon he has.

Jason thinks they should both be known, both get the credit, both have a name that people fear.

Jimmy – Jimmy is a shadow. That is more terrifying than any name.

"I – he was fifteen!" Yates protests, his terror turning to anger. "That's old enough!"

Red Hood's chin tilts up and his fists clench. Jimmy goes still.

Jason died at fifteen.

"Marco," Red Hood says.

Yates' second-in-command, Marco Silva, steps out of the circle. "Yes, sir?"

Red Hood asks, "You want a job?"

Silva nods. "Yes, sir."

"You gonna deal to anyone still high-school age?" Red Hood hasn't turned away from Yates, who has paled, who is trembling so much it's surprising he's still on his feet.

"No, sir," Silva says.

Red Hood pulls his gun from his shoulder holster and shoots Yates in the head. "Good."

.

Batman gives innumerable second chances.

Red Hood gives only one.

.

While Jason sleeps, Jimmy heads up to the roof. It is a pleasant night, the quiet hours before dawn. He knows – Bucky Barnes used to sit outside and pray though he didn't truly believe. But he prayed for Steve.

Jimmy doesn't pray. Instead he calls Steve and asks, "Am I good man?"

"Yes," Steve answers immediately without hesitation.

"I mean me," Jimmy clarifies. "Not Bucky Barnes."

"I know," Steve says.

"I am a criminal," Jimmy adds. "I've killed – hundreds of people."

"Were any of them good people?" Steve asks. "'cause if we're counting Hydra – well, I've killed quite a few myself."

Steve is quiet while Jimmy thinks back. He finally says, "No. None of them were good people."

"You're a good man, Jimmy," Steve says firmly. "Would I be your friend otherwise? You remember, don't you? I always was a picky little snot."

Steve is perhaps the best man Jimmy, the asset, or Bucky Barnes has ever known.

"Okay," he breathes out, sighing and sagging down. "We've got only Phase Four left."

"How's Jason?" Steve asks.

"He'll be fine," Jimmy says. "I'm looking out for him."

Steve laughs. "You were always so terrifying when you had someone to look out for."

Jimmy – doesn't reply for a minute, and he hears Steve's breath catch when he realizes. But as Steve begins apologizing, Jimmy says, "All I wanted was for you to be happy. And you never… never seemed like you were. Picking fights. Always looking for something better. I just wanted… we had it good, didn't we?"

Bucky Barnes wanted a better life for Steve and his sisters and his parents, but he was also content for himself.

"Yeah, Jimmy," Steve says softly. "We had it good."

Jimmy stares out over Gotham and he and Steve listen to each other breathe. Finally, Jimmy says, "We're gonna be fine, Stevie. Go back to sleep, y'hear? You looked awfully tired in that interview this morning."

"Alright, Jimmy," Steve says. "You go to bed, too. Crime lords gotta be well rested, don't they?"

"Night, Steve," Jimmy murmurs, waiting for Steve's, "Night, Jimmy," before hanging up.

.

Jimmy carefully pulls Jason in, wrapping around him. His not-hand rests against Jason's throat and his real hand stays over Jason's heart.

"You're a good man," Jimmy tells him. "I just wish you believed it."