Roy was spread out in front of the TV, a half full carton of orange juice hanging from his hand. Season three of "Friends" played as background noise. His eyes were unfocused as his mind drifted over the last few years.
A banging sound came from his front door, followed by Jason yelling for him to open up. Then more banging and yelling about how he knows Roy is in there, and he can hear the TV. It quiets again when his neighbor Mrs Henderson - who has three cats that like to sneak into Roy's apartment even though the building has a no pet policy- opens up to tell Jason to quiet down.
They chat for a little bit, Jason always had a way with Mrs. H, then he waits just long enough for her to go back into her apartment and picks Roy's lock.
"The Fuck?" Jason greets, like this isn't a typical Thursday.
Roy groaned, taking another swig of OJ, knocking it back the same way someone would take a shot from a whiskey bottle. He tuned into the TV in time to see the gang try to poke the possibly dead Fat Naked Man with a makeshift pole of chopsticks and other things from around the apartment.
He snorted, Wally loves this one.
"You have vodka in that or something?" Jason asked, watching with a critical eye.
"Nope, just the juice that came in it." Roy went for another drink, but Jason snatched it from his hands. The younger man sniffed it then took a sip for himself.
"It really is just OJ." He said, surprised.
"Yep," Roy took the offered carton back. Making a show of wiping off Jason's germs from the mouth.
Jason snorted, "Then what's wrong with you?"
Roy gave a half shrug.
"Are you on something? Are you sick?" Jason pressed, "You got to give me something."
"It's nothing man, just thinking."
"Blew a gasket?" Jason's joke falling flat. There is a tense moment of silence. "Wanna talk about it?" He was clearly uncomfortable, edging towards panic. It was a stark contrast to Wally's calming presence last night... earlier that morning.
Roy knows Jason cares, but he was more about action. He didn't want to talk about things, and usually neither did Roy. It's why they worked together so well.
"Not right now." Roy pulled himself into an actual sitting position and turned down the volume on the TV to a nice hum. "What's up?"
"I need a beer for this," Jason started, already standing.
Roy waved him towards the kitchen, calling no when Jason offered to grab him one.
He came back with a beer, placing an empty glass next to Roy. "Don't be a heathen," he instructed, pointing to the orange juice then the glass.
Roy rolled his eyes, maintaining eye contact while taking another drink from the carton just because he can. "What's got you all wound up?"
"Goldie and the Demon Brat," Jason huffed, collapsing into the hair again. Roy perked at Dick's nickname, but the other didn't seem to notice. "We had a drug busy scheduled for the day before yesterday, B called in everyone on Sunday. He wanted to come together to discuss the plan, typical Bat paranoia."
Roy nodded in understanding but Jason was too swept up in his rant.
"Wing went back to Blud that night and the shit never came back."
Roy felt as if he was doused with a bucket of ice water.
"We had to change the plan last minuet and the little shit wouldn't shut up about something probably being wrong with Grayson."
Because something was, his mind whispered.
Jason kept talking "Goldie finally texted earlier today. Apologizing for bailing but he wouldn't tell us what happened."
This was the part where Roy usually jumped in, this was a practiced conversation. Jason would complain and Roy would agree and tack on his own two cents.
Roy wondered just how many of these stories were missing the important pieces of information. How many times has he been pulled into and wrapped up in a story, that had an honest explanation no one wanted to hear from Dick.
He didn't show up because he was kidnapped and I am 75% sure he was being tortured, Roy didn't say.
"Do you have access to footage from the batcave?" He asked instead.
Jason blinked "Why?"
There's a reason we have Code B.
"I need to see something." Roy didn't want to explain, probably couldn't explain. He didn't want Jason to see this if he was right, but Roy knows he can't get in himself.
"If you want to watch some drama turn on a soap opera." Jason looked uncomfortable again.
"I know this is weird, I do." Roy was suddenly desperate, the feeling if he didn't do this now, he would never get the nerve to try again. "But just, if I'm right you'll understand."
Jason hesitated for just a moment, "Don't know what is so important that you need to creep on my family." He muttered, pulling the bag he brought with him and grabbing his computer.
Dick is my family too, he didn't say.
WILLINGLY
"What am I looking for?" Jason asked.
Roy listed off a date that will forever be burned in his mind. Jason gave pause, "The day Dick fake died?" His voice was rough.
"And the few days after." Roy said, "I can take it from there. Like I said once I verify-" he swallowed, "If I'm wrong I'll buy drinks for the next month." He itched to snatch the computer from his friends hands but held himself back.
"Roy."
"Next two months."
"ROY!"
"What?"
Jason glanced up from the screen, eyes wide. "There isn't anything here."
There was a sinking feeling in Roy's chest.
There's a reason we have Code B.
"There's two weeks of missing footage. But if you look at footage before that point and after you can see some changes. The window of the batmobile is smashed. And you can see cracks in some or the display cases. The sparring mats were moved, looking recently scrubbed clean." Jason trailed off. Any other moment Roy would have been proud of Jason showing off his detective skills. But not when he was solving something like this.
"Roy what are you looking for?" Jason asked. He had a white knuckle grip on the computer.
"I don't know," he admitted in a whisper.
"What were you expecting?" The computer let out a grown, straining under the pressure of Jason's hold.
Willingly
Roy opened and closed his mouth a few times before settling on the closest thing to an honest answer, "The truth."