Sleep was a rare commodity for Gotham vigilantes. Whether it be the nightmares that dragged Red hood back to his personal hell, or the undaunted nocturnal criminal scumbags that ravaged the city every time the sun sank into the sky. Jason Todd had nightmares worse than most did, but dying, going to hell, and being dragged back had that affect on most people.
He'd been busy lately, but when Tim Drake of all people tells you that you need to get some shut eye... well it must be time to get some shut eye. He'd just dragged himself in from the vigilante 'ghost shift.' That was the loving term used for the very quiet luxury sector where the rich people... minus Bruce... flocked together. It was stupid really, a bunch of rich old loons clumping together in one spot. In Jason's mind, that was a great recipe for disaster.
The cool night air had done a wonder at keeping him awake; but as he slipped into his apartment via the fire escape, his bed suddenly seemed to call for him, the thought of blissful slumber forcing his eyelids to droop. A fog settled over his brain, not a coherent thought in his head as he faceplanted on the bed. Sure, his gritty bikers jacket was staining the sheets with mud and some scum bag's blood, Sure, his boots were still laced; but darn it all. He wanted to sleep.
That was about the point that life reared its ugly head and tossed a wrench in the life of Jason Todd.
He groaned, barely registering the 'Imperial March' jingle from his phone on the nightstand. It did finally break through the haze of his slumber, and he blindly groped for the offending little device. He hoped somewhere in the back of his mind that he would accidentally hit hang up instead of pick up, but Oracle's voice dashed his hopes against the rocks of life.
Keeping his face buried in the pillow he shoved the cool metal screen against his ear.
"-llo?"
"Jason? This is oracle."
"Uh, duh... whd'ya wan? It's -ike..." He forced his gaze to the left, spotting the digital alarm clock. "three-fifteen."
"I know. It's not late yet, I figured you'd be out on patrol."
"Got the..." He broke off into a yawn. "Ghost shift. Thought I'd get catch some zee's. So I repeat... What. do. you. want?"
"No need to get snippy. I need you to run over to Bludhaven and check on Dick. He's not answering his communicator."
Jason groaned, burying his face again. Seriously? This must have been one of those, 'he hasn't answered his text messages in half an hour. Surely he's cheating on me' moments.
"-e's -robably sleepin.'" He muttered, voice muffled by a face full of soft pillow. He could practically hear the ire gauge rise on the other end of the phone. "or un'er cober."
"His tracker's offline."
Jason sighed and rolled onto his back. "Then he's probably in a dark spot where the transmissions are getting blocked. Listen, Bar-"
"His vitals are coming in loud and clear, Jason... And I'm really not liking what I'm seeing."
The Red Hood sat up straight, eyes narrow. Missing data was one thing, but if the vital read outs were still getting shot to Oracle's tower, then it meant something must be amiss. It didn't take a detective to put two and two together. Jason wondered what Dick had gotten himself into this time. He really didn't want to travel the half an hour to Bludhaven, especially not at three in the morning.
"We have no tracker, and no way of knowing where he is." Jason pointed out. "Batman's the better detective... not that I'll ever admit it to his face... why can't he do it?"
"He and Tim are tracking down a lead on a few Arkham escapees."
Jason groaned quietly. How many times had Dick pulled him out of the fire? Too many to count, more than he'd probably ever admit. He did kinda owe it to his 'big brother.' It was a running gag amongst the bat brothers- 'Damsel in distress Dick,' This was only because Dick didn't need their help very often. So when he did, they would tease him... unless he was at death's door. Then they'd wait for him to get better... and then tease him relentlessly.
He sighed, sitting up and pressing two fingers to his lips and shoving them against the pillow. "I'll be back." He breathed tiredly.
"Jason?"
"I'm going; I'm going... Just try and figure out where Dickie-bird is. I'd like to find him before daybreak."
"Where are you?"
"In Bludhaven. Stopped to get some coffee and call in a contact."
"How'd you get there so fast?"
"Trade secret. What can you tell me about Dickie-bird's cop boss?"
"Amy Rohrbach, Captain of the BPD, one of the clean cops. Apparently she's been covering for Dick ever since she found out about his 'night job.'"
"You're sure she's clean? She might know what Grayson's been investigating recently, but I'd rather not involve her if she's gonna shoot me in the back."
"Positive. She could have sold Dick out a long time ago. Her files indicate she's very dedicated to eradicating corrupt cops from the police force... and with Dick's help has done a pretty good job of it."
"Huh... Speak of the devil... gotta go Oracle, the Cap just walked in."
Jason took a long sip of his coffee, watching the redheaded cop enter through the smudged glass doors of 'Grannies Diner' to take a look a round. Her eyes settled on him. He wasn't wearing his hood, but he had slapped on a domino mask as a precaution. Just because Dick threw his identity to the wind around this lady, didn't mean Jason felt any inclination to do so himself. He had pulled his jacket up over his spandex top to avoid making an even bigger target of himself.
Of course, he wasn't too worried. Small diners like this didn't want to pay too much undue attention to their clientele.
The mask must have given him away. And she was quite clearly one of those 'stay out of my city types.' The irritated scowl remained firmly plastered on her face as she walked over, arms crossed in a silent challenge.
"Who are you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He replied, taking another sip of his coffee. He crunched the empty plastic cup in his fist and dropped his feet off the table."Let's go."
"Excuse me?" The disdain was very much present in her voice. Her hands dropped, left clenched, right poised over what was undoubtedly a gun carefully concealed under her pretty red blouse. "What is this? You call me up at two in the morning and say you have info on a kidnapping, and-"
"And you came alone. That in and of itself isn't real wise, Captain." Jason snidely cut her off. Her eyes flickered right, out the window. A silent signal? "Oh... I guess you are as smart as Dick seems to think."
Her eyes snapped to his face, narrowed dangerously. Her hand came to rest carefully on the pistol. "Where. Is. He?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Jason replied casually. "If you're going to shoot me. Do it outside where we don't traumatize these people, huh?"
Her eyes darted left and right, spotting a few kids in the next booth over. What they were doing here at three in the morning was beyond either her or Jason, but the cop had to cede that the masked kid was right. Her hand never dropped from the gun, but she nodded towards the seat.
"Sit."
"Aye aye captain." He fell back lazily, and she sat down in the next seat over. He heard a quiet click, safety being switched off on a pistol. He leaned forward, elbows propped on the grimy table.
"Now start talking."
Jason folded his hands. "I may have lied."
"I hadn't guessed." The sarcasm was dripping from her voice, along with distrust and disdain.
"I told you I had information on a possible kidnapping... but I need info."
That made Amy pause, the woman's grip on her pistol tightening. Was this a ploy? Some sort of sick game?
"Is this a threat on my life-"
"Hood, Red hood. And no, Captain Rohrbach; I believe I'm trying to save one. My brother, he's been... missing for a while now. More specifically, not picking up our calls. Then his tracker goes offline and his vitals take a negative dip."
He watched her eyebrows pinch together, hazel eyes boring into his distrustfully.
"I think maybe you know something." He added. "Because you know about his day and night job. Detective Dick Nightwing Grayson."
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Dick?"
"My adopted brother, fellow vigilante, and the world's biggest trouble magnet, yes. We think he might be in over is head, and the big bad bat is dealing with a bunch of Arkham numbskulls. Now I know I haven't given you much reason to trust me-"
"You haven't."
"But I know who he is, and I know what he does. Now it comes to reason that we both know he's in some sort of hot water... right?"
"Maybe."
"And it comes to reason that we should work together to find him... because he may be in serious trouble... We can go in circles about who should trust who and why, but while we do, who knows what's happening to Dick? Now please tell me how to find my brother."
Amy seemed to mull over his words, sitting back in her chair. She knew of the Redhood. She knew he was trouble, but the good time. From the GCPD's files, she had gathered that he walked the same moral lines as Nightwing, with the rare exception where a bad guy wound up dead. Overall, Batman had assured Commissioner James Gordon that Red Hood wouldn't be a problem. She only hoped the same could be said in her town.
"Under one condition."
"Hmm. surprise there."
"No killing in my town."
Jason chuckled, though the laughter was devoid of humor. "Trust me, Cap, if I so much as threw a dagger wrong, Nightwing would be breathing down my neck... again. I may not be in Gotham, but I'm still on Batman's moral leash..."
"Alright..." She leaned close to avoid prying ears. "I know that Dick was investigating a series of slum side kidnappings. Both as a BPD Detective and Nightwing. Three nights ago, he called my cell and told me had a lead. Then he vanished without a trace. I went to his apartment and found a mess of clothes all over the floor, the back panel where he keeps his suit was torn open. I found his escrima sticks stashed under the bed. Other than that, no prints, nothing."
"You took cops to Dick's apartment?" Jason let a little pent up ire into his tone, glaring at her from behind the white lenses of his mask.
"No. I told them he was on vacation and went alone. Didn't touch anything either, though I did put his sticks in my car."
Jason relaxed, nodding. This cop was good. Maybe it did serve to have an officer know who you were... as long as they were as good as this girl clearly was.
'Do you have pictures?"
She nodded, pulling her phone out and unlocking it with one hand. The other was still rooted on the gun aimed at his gut. Not that he cared. She handed him the phone. The apartment matched her description. He took careful note of Dick's suit cubby, and the way the clothes had been strewn about the room.
"Dick didn't get his suit out of the closet. The clothes are on a sliding rack. Normally, he would just push the hanging clothes aside and get his suit. He wouldn't leave his escrima sticks either."
"So clearly we're dealing with someone who knows his identity." The captain remarked.
"Do you have any of his case notes?"
'No... I think he kept them on his laptop. I couldn't find it though."
"Perfect."
"How is that perfect?"
Jason smiled devilishly. "Well, Captain, they may have disabled Dick's tracker... But they most likely didn't disable the one in his computer." He pressed two fingers to his ear. "Hey Oracle. Get me a beat on Dick's computer."
"Who's oracle?"
Jason shot Amy a smug look. "The Batfamily's eye in the sky. We need to go... Uh... Mind putting the gun away?"
Amy looked down at her lap. "Uh... right."
Amy still had a friend parked outside, so Jason let her go on ahead. He waited five minutes before following after her. He'd gotten her number, and as soon as Oracle had a lock on Nightwing's computer, she sent it to the HUD in his mask. It had been a long shot; and while it appeared that Dick's kidnappers were good, they weren't good enough.
They'd made several crucial errors so far. Had they been a little more attentive, Jason wouldn't have a lead. The second 'boy wonder' arranged to meet Captain Rohrbach about three blocks away from the blip at a small cafe. He was on a coffee spree this morning. He checked his watch- Four-thirty. He still had time to find Dick before sunrise.
"Are you addicted to coffee as much as Dick is?"
Jason turned to see Amy walking up, this time in uniform with a bullet proof vest.
"You should see our little brother, Red Robin. He's scarfing down more coffee than Dick, myself, and Batman combined." Jason stared at the murky brown liquid in his cup. "Honestly I haven't slept in days. I'm dead on my feet and this is barely cutting it anymore... But I can crash after we find Dick."
"Are you sure it's safe-"
"Honey, there's nothing safe about anything I do... ever. Oracle found Dick's laptop. It's three blocks away from here in the old Magna Theater. Place has been closed down for years; so it's more than likely not a wild bird chase."
Amy quirked an eyebrow at Jason's quip. The teen ignored the look and tossed his coffee away, sliding his Red Mask back over his face and unzipping his jacket to reveal the red bat on his chest.
"Shall we?"
"Lead the way, Red Hood."
The two sat crouched across the street overlooking the boarded up theater. Jason had binoculars out, hoping to scope out the situation from afar. "Got one... two... four guards on the parameter, rotations every two minutes. They're armed, clearly trying to stay in the shadows to avoid detection. I think I can slip by them."
"I'd say the legal thing to do would be get a warrant... but I'm covering for a vigilante... So that'd be pointless."
"You're two for two, honey." Jason remarked, never peeling his eyes away from the binoculars.
"But I'm still coming with you." Amy added, crossing her arms.
"Ah, no. It'd be better if you stayed back."
"This isn't a negotiation. If Dick's in there, you're gonna need help getting him out."
Red hood sighed through his nose, pulling the binoculars away and muttering something under his breath. She had no doubt it was the closest thing she was going to get to a confirmation. But tonight was full of surprises. "Keep up."
He put the binoculars away and tore off into the night. Amy wasn't expecting it, and thus 'keeping up' would prove to be a bit of a challenge. She was a yard or two behind him. He darted towards the chain link fence around the back loading bay. The guards were mid-rotation, and Amy knew time was of the essence. He had easily vaulted over, but Amy was forced to scramble over. By the time her feet crunched in the gravel on the other side, he was already sliding into the shadows of the back entrance. She silently caught up. He gave her a semi-impressed look from under the mask, but she couldn't see it.
Ducking down- "Cover me." He whispered, pulling a bobby pin out of his back pocket and jiggling the lock. Amy pulled her gun out and stood with her back to him, letting him work despite the screaming disapproval in her head. She was well aware this could be a trap, that he could be working for the bad guys... but her gut seemed to think otherwise. There were some things that helped her believe that he could be Dick's brother. For one, he always mentioned having little brothers. Three to be specific. Someone called Jason, who was a bit younger than him, another named Tim who was quite a bit younger, and third named Damien who was way younger. She suspected that this was Jason. The personality always fit, the height too. She'd seen a family selfie.
If Dick was Nightwing, Bruce Wayne was likely batman, meaning that this was likely Jason Todd. She didn't have to work hard to put two and two together. She had never told a soul, not even Dick, that she knew who his family was. It didn't matter. The door creaked open just as the guard rounded the corner, and a hand snagged the back of her vest, yanking her inside the dark doorway.
Jason closed the door, leaving them in absolute darkness... Well her at least. For Jason, his helmet provided night vision. Amy wasn't so lucky. His hand came to rest gently on her wrist, and he led her along in complete silence, not a sound made from his shoes. She tried to match, pressing her toes down first. If they were caught, then she could only imagine what would happen.
They came to another doorway, a small wave of light shining in under the door. Jason pushed his ear to the door and finally dared to open it. They were in a hallway, wooden, old fashioned, and looking rather worn out. It was lit by a series of lamps on the wall. Jason looked both ways, releasing Amy's hand and silently gesturing for her to follow. He stayed low, jogging silently to the left.
He peered around a bend in the hall before slipping around. Amy caught up. The hallway opened into a massive semi circular shaped theater with a wooden stage in the middle back. The tiered seats were wrapped around the stage like an old Greek Amphitheater.
Two men were standing in front of the stage. Jason put an arm out and stopped Amy from advancing, putting a cupped hand over his ear. listen.
"-auction is set up for tomorrow, Jedediah." The first man said. "We'll have our captive brought over in the morning before hand."
"Excellent. I spread the word amongst the criminal empires here in the Haven; and I'll suspect they'll pay top dollar for Nightwing. They have much reason to hate him." The second, a man in a metal armor with a bandana around his nose replied, crossing his arms. Jason tensed, ready to spring, but Amy put a hand on his arm. "The auction's at nine o' clock. Have him here at eight."
"Yes, sir."
Amy gave Jason a pointed look, motioning for them to go. If the kid wanted to protest, he didn't, letting out a quiet yet audible sigh.
"I could have taken them."
Amy nodded. There was no doubt about that. Still-"It wouldn't have done any good. Nightwing's not there."
"I know. I was hoping I could punch in their teeth enough to get them to talk... but I'm also not stupid. You had a good plan."
"And you know what my plan was?"
They were both sitting on a rooftop a few blocks away, Jason sipping on yet another coffee, helmet discarded. Despite the mask, she could tell he was beyond tired. How he was still functioning? She really needed to figure that out. He nodded tiredly, finishing off his coffee and looking glumly at it. She handed him hers.
"Thanks... and yes... You want us to wait until the auction. A lot of high profile police targets, all under one roof. That's a sweet score for the BPD."
Amy nodded. "I think it's time to get the my men on it."
'We need to secure Dick first."
"I agree. But how do you propose we do that? At the first sign of trouble, they'll haul him out of there."
"Easy. We buy him." The way Amy's eyes snapped open was almost comical, and Jason smiled slyly at her. "I have a plan... and you're gonna hate it."
Nightwing groaned when the door to the basement that had him chained up in creaked open. Light assaulted his eyes, forcing the bound vigilante to blink and groan as a pain stabbed into his head. They'd come into his apartment, beat him within an inch of his life, knocked him out, and tossed him in here... Then he was sure they'd beaten him again at least twice since. He was in a world of pain, at least a few cracked ribs, countless bruised.
"It's your unlucky day." A cold voice hissed. He remembered the boys calling this guy Wilson. He alongside Jedediah had thrashed him in his own apartment. How they knew his secret identity? He had no idea. But they did, and they'd assaulted him on his home turf. "Today someone a lot more malicious than me is gonna get their mitts on you."
Nightwing tried to scowl at him. But it fell flat. Two of Wilson's bodygaurds stalked in, dressed all in black with smooth featureless black masks. With no particular care to his un-numerous injuries, they yanked him to his feet, shoving him towards the door."
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to this... prestigious event!" Jedediah, now dressed in a fine suit with a featureless black mask that resembled the court of owls faceplate stood on stage. Countless criminals, mob bosses, gangsters, and powered nuisances stood around the stage, some sitting and sipping fine wines, others chatting quietly. At Jedediah's boom, a hush fell over the crowd. "As you know, I came to this wonderful city to begin my career of capturing heroes. I started with a much hated vigilante, someone who has stomped on your business! Turned you all into laughing stocks! He is the bane to the profitable, a psychopath who's done nothing, but terrorize you all! And I've brought him to his knees!"
The curtains behind Jedediah pulled aside, and a spotlight whooshed to life. In it's heat inducing light was a blue and black clad vigilante. He had been chained up well, and sat on his knees, two goons keeping him there by holding AK-47s to his head.
"And to any willing to pay the highest price, this vigilante will be yours within the hour, to do with as you please!"
Nightwing's vision was blurring, the pain debilitating to most vigilantes. Most of the time, his high pain threshold was a blessing. Today, it was far from it. He stared into the crowds. He could see so many of the Bludhaven underworld there, so many people he had ticked off... people who wanted to make him suffer.
"Shall we start the bidding at one hundred thousand?!" Jedediah called. And suddenly, with wild enthusiasm, hands tore into the air. It got up to three million before the bidding slowed to two or three people. Finally it settled.
"Going once, twice, and-"
"Four million!"
Joker
Dick's heart dropped as the green haired clown jumped dramatically over the seating and landed in front of the stage. Apparently he wasn't expected, if the gasps of the crowds were any indication. The clown prince of crime, in Bludhaven. Dick couldn't help but think back to what this freak did to Jason... Oh how far they'd come. He had no doubt the Joker had far worse in mind for the first robin, a much hated enemy. Dick sagged as he realized that no one knew where he was. He was going to die at the Joker's hands. It would be a long and painful procession too.
"Four million!" Jedediah cried ecstatically. "Do I hear four-million ten thousand?"
Another hand shot into the air, and Dick narrowed his eyes. The crowds gasped once more and rather quickly dispersed to create a spacious circle around the Red Hood. The masked man settled Joker with an unreadable look. Joker looked surprised.
"Well well... And here I thought I was the only surprised guest. Four million twenty-thousand!"
Red Hood silently raised his hand again, upping by another ten thousand. Joker looked agitated.
"Five million!" Joker cried, his voice cracking in irritation. "And as a bonus, I'll even lend you Harley for a spell! You can't seriously be considering selling Nightwing to this vigilante!"
Jedediah frowned.
Red hood raised his hand again, but Jedediah shook his head. No way in heck was a vigilante rescuing Nightwing so they could retaliate later. "Sold to the Joker..."
Dick stared at Red hood brokenly. His masked brother had actually stumbled back, looking horrified if his body language was anything to go by. A puff of smoke shot up from his feet as he vanished, wanting to make a clean break for it before people started shooting at him. Dick felt the weight of hopelessness. Jason had failed. A horrible and grating laugh tore through the theater.
"Oh Nightwing..." Joker hopped on stage, brushing past Jedediah and kneeling next to the bruised bird. He shoved his fingers against the corners of Dick's mouth and forced smile on his face. "Turn that frown upside down! Just think of all the fun we're gonna have! Just you... me... and a whole lotta pain."
Dick blinked back tears. They wouldn't fall. No. It wasn't over. He had to have hope. He pulled his face away, glaring daggers at Batman's arch enemy. The green haired menace laughed darkly, and pain tore through his back as a rifle butt slammed down on it.
Dick's head was on fire, the back of his neck aching. He was tied up with chain by the wrists, suspending him above the ground. His shoulders and rib cage were on fire, burning agony. Every minute shift sent fire tearing through his back and all the way to his wrists.
He was back in the basement. Jedediah was speaking with the Joker.
"My men and I are vacating the premise. After the police ambush, we decided it'd be better to make ourselves scarce. You may keep the place if you so desire."
"Why thank you, Wilson my boy... Now please... leave me in peace... I'd like to make his next few minutes as hellish as possible... until my men get here to transport him back to Gotham."
"Yes sir. If I may... How did you know about this?"
"Gotham's less than an hour away. I've been keeping tabs on Batsy's little sidekick over here for a long time now. My ears on the ground caught word of your auction... so I came running."
"Hmph. Alright. I'm the last one out... He's all yours."
Joker watched Wilson stalk out, closing the door behind him. The Joker waited a long moment before laughing deeply, his cackle going full pitch in a matter of seconds. "Well well well. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this."
Dick groaned, head sagging. He shuddered as the Joker dropped a duffel bag on the table, pulling out a crowbar and a bat.
"Before I get started... how about some fresh air, hmm?" Chuckles stalked over to the window, undoing the latch and cranking the narrow gap open. If Dick hadn't been gagged, he would have cried for help. He stared at the baseball bat and the crow bar with sinking hopes. The Joker was never very original, but on the uphand, there were a lot more painful things the clown prince of crime could be doing to him... or may even be planning to do.
As the clown strode over to the table once more, the basement door splintered under someone's heel. The Joker jumped as Red hood stormed into the room, gun in hand.
"Took you long enough." The Joker declared. Red Hood took off his mask... but it wasn't Jason underneath. It was none other than police captain Amy Rohrbach. He glanced over to see the Joker popping a disk out of his mouth. "I hate talking with that thing. Gives me a sore throat."
And coming out of the Joker's mouth was Jason's voice.
Now he could cry. A tear slipped down Dick's cheek as he sagged against his chains.
Soon Jason had peeled away the white mask that made him look like the Joker. Amy was sliding Hood's jacket off. She had buffed up with her bullet proof vest to fill out Jason's spandex top, making her look male to anyone who wasn't looking at her narrow her legs were... And quite clearly no one was.
"Dick." Amy called out, walking up to him. "Just relax. We're gonna get you down from there."
He let out a groan of acknowledgement. Jason picked up the crowbar and dragged the table over next to dick. "If I ever see another crowbar, it'll be too soon." Jason muttered, hopping on the table. "Hey, Dick... Did I give you a good scare?"
Dick closed his eyes and let his head fall forward.
"Hey, stay awake." Jason scolded patting his cheek. He jammed the crowbar into the bolt in the ceiling. "Amy he's heavy... brace yourself."
Dick felt her arms wrap around his waist as Jason groaned, tugging down on the crowbar. Dick felt the bolt shift and cried out as his damaged shoulders twisted.
"Shh, deep breaths." Amy soothed. "We got you. Hurry, Hood."
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Jason hissed, giving one last yank. The bolt tore free from the ceiling and Dick collapsed. Amy wasn't prepared for just how heavy the vigilante was. She did a good job of breaking his fall... by landing flat on her back under him.
"Ow." She groaned making sure to keep Dick's head from smacking the floor. Jason threw the crowbar far across the room with bitter fury and hopped off the table. Dick felt strong arms gently roll him off of Amy. The cold stone pressed against his back and he bit back a whimper.
The cloth gag slid from his mouth, and he felt someone messing with the chains chaffing his wrists. "Dick, can you hear me?"
He shifted his head in Amy's direction, sluggishly prying his eyes open. "C'ptain?" He croaked weakly, trying to sit up.
"Hey there... Dickie-bird?" Dick let out a longsuffering groan. Now Amy was calling him that too? He missed the proud snort from Jason. Amy's hand came to rest on his forehead, figuring it was one of the only undamaged spots on his body. "Don't try to move. You're in pretty bad shape."
Dick took stock of his injuries and grit his teeth to muffle a cry of pain as the chains rubbed his already raw and bleeding wrists.
"Sorry... But hey, on the bright side, at least you brought a whole lotta baddies down with you, right?" Jason huffed. "Totally your MO."
The chains came undone, and Red hood extricated his hands from the tangle of metal links.
"He needs a hospital." Amy declared firmly, taking a handkerchief from the pocket of Hood's jacket and mopping Dick's brow. He was sweating, more than likely from the pain, and an agonized wince had settled on his features.
"No." Jason shook his head. "That would raise too many eyebrows. I'm going to take him back to his apartment and call in someone from Gotham who's patched us up in the past."
"He could be bleeding internally."
"I doubt it. These guys are methodical, but they wanted Dick in good enough shape to sell to someone who'd finish him off. He'll live with a lot of bed rest. I came on my bike. Does your car have enough room?"
Amy sighed, looking down at Nightwing pointedly. His eyes were slits behind his mask, but he gave a wobbly thumbs up, groaning at the effort. How was he following the conversation? He looked even more dead than his brother.
'Yeah... Let's get him out of here."
Jason frowned. There was no painless way to get Dick out of there unless they broke the table and made a bulky gurney. Since being incognito was priority, they'd have to walk him out of there.
"Dick, you're gonna have to walk out of here." Jason warned him gently. "We're gonna help you. Just take it slow, put all your weight on us."
Amy gently lifted Dick's arm.
"Ah..." He hissed as his bruised shoulder was maneuvered so it came to rest over Amy's. Jason did the same on the other side, snaking an arm around Dick's waist, arm crossing with Amy's.
"All right... one... two... three." Both of them lifted simultaneously.
"Gah! Agh..." Dick tried desperately to drag his battered legs under him, to help, but his vision swam, pain shooting through his right shin as his knees buckled. "-s'rry." He murmured as Amy nearly lost her balance. Thankfully Jason had a strong grip, steadying all of them.
"Nothing to apologize for, Big bird. Take it slow."
They took a few baby steps, listening to Dick gasp and whimper as he put weight on his legs and tried to walk. Amy winced. She'd seen both Dick and Nightwing in rough shape before, but rarely this bad... at least not in the moment. She'd seen the aftermath of moments like these. It hurt because this was her friend, beaten and bruised to the point where walking with help was agony.
"j'ker?" Dick hissed as they eased him up a pair of stairs, Jason keeping a firm yet gentle grip.
The question made Hood realize that it was Dick's feeble ploy to focus on something other than the mind numbing pain.
"We needed to make sure we got our hands on you." Jason explained. "And I knew RedHood wasn't going to cut it. They wouldn't give you to a vigilante... So I dressed up as that freaky clown and Amy wore my costume to help sell it. It would have looked suspicious if I... or the joker was the only one from Gotham." Jason dawned a wolfish grin, glancing around his gasping brother. "Hey Amy, you rocked that suit. How'd being the mighty red hood feel?"
"Your helmet smells like cigarettes and coffee."
Jason pouted at that.
They walked on in silence, getting upstairs. They were almost to the door when Dick sagged, in way too much pain to keep walking. He made a pained noise in the back of his throat. "stop.." he gasped out after a moment. "Please..." The captain shared a look with Hood. Jason motioned for Amy to step away with his head, and she released Dick's arm immediately. Jason readjusted Dick's arm before leaning down and getting a grip under the older brother's legs, scooping him up. Dick tried to muffle his pain filled cry in the shoulder of Jason's totally borrowed 'joker purple' tux. "Easy... I got ya." He heard his younger brother murmur.
Jason made quick strides. Carrying Dick was by no means easy, but he'd done harder before. The red masked vigilante fixed Amy with a look. "We speak of this to no one."
"Well... unless I need to blackmail him." Amy said with dry humor, hesitantly squeezing Dick's hand in reassurance.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you." Jason retorted, following the captain outside. They were in a condemned building, and Amy had parked her car in the alley. She opened the back seat and between her and Jason, they got Dick sprawled out on the back seat. Jason crawled in with him. Amy hopped in the front seat and shrugged her -or rather Jason's- jacket off and handed it to the vigilante before buckling up and taking off.
Jason gently draped the coat over his wounded brother, tucking it under his chin and resting a hand on Dick's shuddering chest. Nightwing was shaking with pain, pale and sweaty. He jerked suddenly as consciousness briefly fled him. His head lulled before he twitched yet again, trying to sit up in a panic. "Hey, hey... easy. You're alright." Jason soothed, grabbing Dick's wrist and hand and making sure to stay in the wounded bird's line of vision. "You're alright... lay back."
Dick tried to fight, but it was a downhill battle. He grabbed Jason's knee and shuddered slightly. The younger bird took his hand and held it between his own, a display of hidden brotherly affection often masked by teasing or bickering. The action seemed to remind Dick he wasn't in harm's way, all the older needed to pass out.
Pain. Dick groaned as he felt hands pressing against his chest, methodically. Pain surged through his chest, earning a pained cry from the injured bird. Two different sets of hands pushed down on his arms- not touching his shoulder- to keep his back to the soft bed he was sprawled on.
"Easy, Master Dick. It's us. Just try and relax. I'm almost done assessing your wounds."
"Still not gonna get over that." Amy's voice said to Dick's left. "Nightwing has a butler."
"No no no. Batman has a butler... and Batman's butler is basically our grandfather." Jason supplied from Dick's right.
"How bad is he Agent A?"
"Alfred will suffice, Mistress Amy."
"If I'm calling you Alfred, you'd better darn well call me Amy."
"Fair enough. Master Hood was correct in his assumptions. While there are few broken bones, none of Master Dick's injuries are life threatening. I'm going to stitch up the few cuts he received. I would think it best to bring him to Gotham."
"No need Alfred. I'll stay with him until he's in better shape. No matter what town he's in, we know he'll be trying to go out on patrol... and Gotham has the nastier baddies."
"So you're staying in town, Jason?"
"Yeah, wait how-"
"Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake... Jason Todd? Not that hard to figure out."
"Hmm." Alfred hummed. "Amy, be a dear and hand me that syringe Master Dick, can you open your eyes for me?"
Dick groaned, fingers clawing at the sheets as the pain lanced through his skull. He fought to open them, staring blearily up at Alfred. The old man smiled squeezing his wrist before shining a penlight in his eyes.
"Pupils are reacting normally."
"Here's that syringe. What's in it?"
"A sedative." Alfred replied. "Master Dick, I'm going to put you under while we tend to your wounds." Alfred warned him, injecting the fluid directly into the IV stand next to his bed.
Dick felt the effects almost immediately, tensing up briefly out of habit before the darkness over took him.
Alfred finished binding the last of Dick's wounds. Amy was still sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking his hair. Alfred raised an eyebrow.
"It's not like that." Amy said as she caught his look. "I'm married."
"I see."
"It's just... he's put me through impossible situations, but I know he's good, and he cares about this city... We've been through so much... He's like my little brother."
"He speaks highly of you."
Amy smiled at that, a little touched that Dick would speak reverently about her to the vigilantes over in Gotham.
"Oh dear, it appears Master Jason has finally succumbed to exhaustion."
Amy glanced over to see Jason passed out on Dick's couch, arm draped over the back. He'd taken his mask off since his identity was no longer a secret.
"I'll keep an eye on these two if you need to get back to Gotham." Amy offered. "But something tells me both of them will will be asleep for a really long time."
Alfred nodded. "Very well. I shall take my leave. It was nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise."
Crowbars, pounding into his skin, shattering bones. He could see the Joker's sneering face, maniacal laughter shaking the room before a fiery inferno sent the walls flying outward, enveloping him in a wave of unbearable heat.
"NO!" Jason cried, bolting awake.
"Hey, hey, you're alright." Amy assured, putting a hand on his shoulder. He blinked for a moment, the memories of the last day rushing back at him. He shrugged her hand off.
"Dick?"
"Still sedated. Alfred left a while-ago."
Jason groaned. "Course he did."
"Go back to sleep. I'm gonna make some lunch in a few hours."
"uhuh..." But Amy realized Jason had fallen back asleep already. Whether or not he fully trusted her was unknown, but even trying to stay awake was too much of a chore for the exhausted vigilante.
"unnn..." Dick moaned, twitching in pain as the agony of his broken bones and countless bruises hit him full force. Before he could try and sit up, the bed dipped as someone sat on the edge.
"Hey, Dickie-bird. How're ya feeling?"
Dick tried to find the words to describe it, but his brain was still at 'pain-ville station' not quite at 'eloquence station.' He blinked a bit, letting his eyes slip shut. What was hood doing in his apartment?
"Me? I'm babysitting... obviously." Dick cursed the broken filter from his mind to his mouth. "Amy... I'm not so sure."
"I'm babysitting both of you until my next shift in... four hours."
"Think you can handle some broth?" Amy asked, emerging from his shabby kitchen with a bowl of soup. Dick's stomach grumbled at the thought of food. Heaven knew he needed that, but it had been days since he ate. He nodded regardless. He felt Jason gently slide a hand behind Dick's back. Nightwing didn't have time to shoot out some snappy jab because- "Agh..." his vision blacked with pain as Jason helped ease him into a sitting position.
"Easy... Easy... Catch your breath." Jason warned as Dick gasped and wheezed. Soon Dick could see straight again.
'Thanks... Amy, Jason... For saving me..."
"Anytime, Cowboy." His boss smiled. "What are bosses and friends for, huh? I want you to take it easy for the next few days, alright? And Jason? I don't want to see your ugly mask again until you've gotten at least twenty-four hours of sleep. Got me?"
"Yeah, yeah. mom."
"Orders from Alfred, actually."
"Oh no problem! Dick's always wanted me as his roommate." Jason grinned."We'll rest up together."
"Good."
Jason sighed, turning to the window of Dick's apartment. So much for saving his brother before dawn. He didn't know how long he'd stay here in the Haven. Dick's apartment had been compromised, the first good reason for Jason to stay until Dick could defend himself. Secondly, the Haven needed someone to keep an eye on it. Sure that meant adapting to Dick's moral code... but that was nothing new.
Dick had managed a few bites of soup before his appetite fled. Jason joined Amy in the kitchen. She finished the last of the dishes. "You were right by the way."
"You're gonna have to be more specific. I'm right about a lot of things."
"I hated your plan."
"Me too. Dressing up as the guy who killed me is not high on my to do list... now what happened to Wilson and Jedediah?"
"Our men apprehended them with lethal force. Wilson got caught in the crossfire. Jedediah got a bullet to the shoulder. We rounded up twenty high profile targets..."
"Good. Dick'll get his justice then. I still wish you'd give me ten minutes with Jedediah. I could guarantee that he wouldn't get closer than 100 meters of Dick again."
"No can do, Jason... but believe me... I understand." She put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "I really do."
Welp folks, this is part 3 of the Bat-brothers Forever series. This is not a oneshot, and part two will be coming along shortly. As always, your feedback is valued and appreciated, and I hope you'll stay tuned for part 2- Bl00dr4ven out!