Alright- first off, fI'm so, so sorry I didn't update sooner. I've been having a lot of technical difficulties, blah blah blah. Anyways- I did my best to get this chapter to you asap, so I'm sorry if it's a bit choppy, but I did my best with what I got.
Also- I started writing a Rick and morty fanfiction (not yaoi like most of them), and I'd appreciate it if you'd check it out, if that's your fandom. It's called So, I guess this is it, , and it's pretty dark- trigger warning, suicide attempt, but it's also pretty cool. Thanks again, guys!
"Stay awake for me, alright? Scarlet?" Jason had to yell to be heard over the roaring of his motorcycle, and he shook Scarlet gently from where she was sitting in front of him. She blinked sluggishly- she was struggling to stay awake, she'd started deteriorating rapidly, and he was scared. He urged his bike faster.
"A few more miles, kid, and we'll be home. Please hang on- just a few miles..."
"Are we going home?" she rasped, and Jason nodded, glad she could still put together a sentence. "Yeah, Scarlet, we're going home. I promise. Stay with me, alright?"
She nodded, dull eyes fluttering shut before she forced them awake again. His heart was pounding in his chest, but they'd reached the gates of Wayne Manor. He ditched his bike altogether, pulling out his silenced pistol and shooting the lock off the wrought iron-gates before gathering Scarlet into his arms, running up the dark driveway towards the door.
He set her down on the doorstep, brushing a strand of hair from her face before letting out a breath. They'd made it, Bruce could take care of her injuries, she'd be fine. He tucked the handwritten note he's scribbled down before she'd started deteriorating so rapidly into her hand, ringing the doorbell and turning to leave.
He couldn't, though. She was holding onto the sleeve of his jacket. He turned, surprised, Alfred would get the door any second now...
"Scarlet, I need to go!" he spoke, voice rising as he grew frantic.
"You said you were coming home, Jay. You promised." her voice broke, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Jason simply stared, shocked. She thought he'd been going to come home with her? He'd promised he'd keep her safe on the ride here, not that he'd come back to the family, she'd misunderstood...
He didn't have time to explain it, either. But he didn't have the heart to leave her here, crying.
"Listen, Scarlet, you misunderstood- I have to go..." he tugged on his sleeve gently, but it was of no use. She had a deathgrip.
"But Jay..."
"Scarlet, I have to go!" he shrugged off his coat, leaving it in her arms. "I can't stay here. I'm sorry-"
The door to the manor swung open, then, and he came face-to-face with not Alfred, but Bruce himself.
He froze for a minute, shocked, before he was turning, sprinting for the gate.
Bruce ran after him- "Jason!" the boy was here, he had to try to talk to him, to try and repair how shattered everything was. Truthfully, he couldn't believe Jason, in all his madness, had actually returned his daughter.
Jason vaulted over the wall of the Manor as Bruce's fingertips brushed the back of his shirt, and a moment later there was the sound of an engine revving as he was on his bike, speeding away. Yet again, he'd failed Jason.
"Master Bruce! You're needed!" Alfred yelled from the doorway, where he was attempting to console Scarlet. He knew the butler was right, of course, but he felt as though his heart was made of led as he trooped back towards the house.
"Okay- I'm officially sick of this." Scarlet sighed, swinging her legs over the side of the medical cot. "What's the deal? Why's everyone like this?" she'd since recovered from a mild concussion and exhaustion from two days ago, and she looked around, surprised.
It was unnaturally quiet in the Batcave- as though the energy had been sucked out of the air.
Dick sighed, looking at the band of misfits laid out on medical cots before him. Tim was doing better and could walk, and Scarlet and Damian had healed within the point of two days that they could walk and move without too much trouble, but they were forced to sleep in the medical bay, as per Bruce's order.
"Everyone is off patrol until further notice. Bruce wanted me to tell you." he turned to walk away, not wanting to deal with their indignant replies.
"Grayson- where are you going?" Damian's steely voice rose above the cacophony of protests and stopped him in his tracks.
"He's going on patrol." Scarlet said, realizing it was the only possibility. "Oh, so everyone's off patrol but YOU!?"
"Bruce asked me too, okay!? I don't like it anymore than you do, but would you rather have him out there alone?"
They fell silent at that, realizing the truth in his words.
"When will he allow us back, Grayson?"
Dick sighed, turning away and starting towards his motorcycle, the sound of his boots on the stone floor nearly drowning out his reply of- "I don't know."
And he was gone.
As soon as the roar of his motorcycle engine had died away, Scarlet jumped to the floor, nodding to Damian. "This family is falling apart." she said simply. "Wanna spar?"
Damian wordlessly nodded, following behind her, expression blank. The only sound in the cave was the grunting of their struggle- it was as though all the air had seeped out of the cave, allowing the true darkness of the cave to sneak in- without the family, there was only darkness. Not the kind they bantered in, the kind they hid in- rather, it was the kind of darkness that seeped inside, slowly poisoning your soul until there was nothing left.
"They deserve to be here, Bruce. They didn't take it well." Dick, yet again, felt as though he were speaking to a brick wall, as Batman perched on a gargoyle, back to his ward.
"You can't just take it away from them- don't you even care that you're destroying them!?" Dick snapped, finally losing his cool.
"I'd rather have them mad and alive than heroes and dead." Batman ground out, in a voice devoid of all warmth. "I never should've brought them into this game."
"Do you hear what you're saying?" Dick's eyes were wide behind his mask. "You MADE us, Bruce. You can't just take it away from tem- this is there LIFE. It's all Scarlet and I have ever known-"
"Have I been that poor of a father to you two, as well, that all you remember are the nights you worked?"
Nightwing froze, surprised at the hurt in his voice. "Bruce- no. That's not what I'm saying-"
Bruce's eyes softened beneath the cowl, and his head bowed. "I failed you two. Just like I failed him..."
Nightwing's eyes widened when he saw Bruce was clutching a crumpled up note in his gloved hand. He must've found it on Scarlet, when Jason had brought her home- suddenly, it all made sense.
"Bruce- you didn't fail us. You didn't fail ANY of us- Jason understood the risk when he signed on. I mean, yeh, he's angry, but you can't take what he says seriously- he's- he's DAMAGED, Bruce, he was ressurected, you know what that does to people..."
"That doesn't excuse his death, or what he's doing now. That's on me. Just like you- you never had a childhood, you were so busy trying to join me in my fight... I robbed it from you. I never should've done that.
Dick gaped. "Do you hear yourself? Scarlet and I had an AMAZING childhood, Bruce- yeah, it was a little unconventional- but Wally, Roy, we all had the time of our lives as kids. You didn't fail us, Bruce- you're killing them. Damian thinks you think he's unworthy, Tim's confused, and Scarlet's just angry- you aren't saving us, Bruce. If anything, you're tearing them apart."
"You almost died. Tim was shot, Scarlet was taken by Jason, and The only reason Damian wasn't killed was because you saved him. I won't lose anymore children." his voice was like cement, and Dick watched his fist tighten around the note he clutched like it was a lifeline.
"Well then, watch how they act, now that you've taken everything from them. They'll fall apart, Bruce- nights are the only thing that keep you sane. It's the same for me, for them- nights are the only justice we get. Don't say you don't understand, because I know you do. No more orphans- remember?"
Bruce was silent for a long moment before he spoke. "I'll consider your opinion." was all he said, before he trned and leapt into the night, leaving Dick to swing after him, into the abyss that was Gotham.
Dick nodded to his family later that week. "Alright, Bruce had to step out. League mission. That being said, he gave me explicit instructions to patrol without you, due to... events we're all familiar with. However- given it's a stupid ass decision, I've decided to ignore it. Suit up."
The entire Justice League had been crippled in a matter of minutes. They'd agreed to supervise a secret exchange of nuclear codes- one that took place in the middle of the swamp bayou- they hadn't expected to be attacked as soon as they landed, nor had they expected kryptonite-laced bullets to cripple Superman or Psimon to win in a telepathic battle against Martian Manhunter. Using their fallen comrades as hostages, they'd had no choice to surrender- canisers of knock-out gas exploded into the air, and the next thing they knew, they were unconscious.
"Guys- I was checking the monitors- nearly the entire league's distress signals went on just now." Garfield got out, bursting into the main room of the cave anxiously.
The room was instantly in motion- anxious chatter filled the room, they were breaking into nervous voices-
"QUIET!" La'gaan's authoritarian yell made everyone fall silent, and all eyes were on him.
"The Justice League is in trouble- nearly everyone's in distress. WE are the backup plan. I say we go in there and help them..."
"Are you insane? We don't have Me'gaan or Connor, they're in school, taking exams-" Jamie fell silent at La'gaan's glare.
"We don't have time for this. We might not be the best team, but we're it. Has anyone tried to contact Nightwing?"
bumblebee nodded, looking anxious. "He hasn't picked up. Neither is Robin- nobody from Gotham is answering."
La'gaan nodded, taking things into stride.
"Alright- suit up. We're it, guys. Wondergirl- you can fly the bioship, right?"
Wondergirl bit her lip but nodded.
"Look- I know we haven't been the best team- but we need to pull it together now. Anyone who doesn't wanna go, spit it out now- because once we get on that ship, there is no turning back. Any takers?"
The room was silent- everyone's expressions were serious, and La'gaan nodded satisfied. "Let's go."