Talia was partly horrified and curious as she looked over the boy standing before her.
He looked like her son.
He looked like that clown.
Joker Junior.
They called him.
Despicable.
She looked at her eldest son as he presented this child to her. Her apparent grandson. Jason was barely twenty. Raising a perfectly arched brow, Jason handed her the files that he had stolen from the facility he was trapped in.
She skimmed over them quickly picking out the most important facts. Apparently not everyone on Joker's "payroll" were idiots. They attempted to forcibly change her son into some kind of replica of that madman.
Jason had been living with a third entity in his head for months now, and she hadn't even noticed. She felt horrible. Her son had needed her, and she hadn't been there.
This Joker Junior had been a way for Jason to compartmentalize everything they were doing to him. They trying to make him become the next joker. It was just as bad as that whole three jokers' incident two years ago.
Something happened though according to the files. It was like being punched in the face and suddenly, the JKR experiment had its own body.
By the demons, Talia was just happy that Lazarus hadn't managed to gain himself one. She wasn't cleaning up that mess. Either way, the kid because that's what he was freed Jason around the same time, her men swarmed the place.
"I'm keeping him, T," her son stated firmly. "He needs support. He- he needs me."
Talia drops the paper and cups her son's face in her hands. She wipes away his tears. "I'm not taking him from you, my love. As I have grown, I've come to realize that nothing can heal the hurt in one's soul than parenthood. You and Damian have healed me in ways that I didn't even know I was hurting. If parenting this boy is what will help you and help him, I shall support you in every way."
Jason keeps his head bent to the ground as he tries to rein in his emotions. "I only implore that you speak about this with your partner. I know my beloved, Hal, has been teasing him about when the two of you shall give us a grandchild. But do not make any rash decisions without him."
Jason nodded his head before he looked back at her. At his son. "Yeah, I will. No matter what though, I'm not abandoning this kid. He has a legacy to live up to that is so harmful. I won't let him become the Joker. I can see it in his eyes, T. He's meant to be something much more."
Talia smiled softly. "I thought the same when I first laid eyes on you, habibi. Now, introduce me to my grandchild."
The child's hair was forest green in color, but he had bright blue eyes. Her heart ached for him. There was so much pain within them. A darkness that didn't belong on his face. He was dressed in rags, but it was painfully obvious that the child was underfed.
He was born from Jason's mind. Was this the child locked away inside himself? If so, it was heartbreaking to think about. The child barely came up to her waist.
[He reminded her of the images of Jason when he was first adopted by Bruce.]
"JJ meet my mother, Talia Head-Jordan," Jason stated crouching down beside the boy. Something inside of her softened the way the boy leaned closer to her son. He obviously knew that Jason would protect him and latched onto the young man. "If Kyle, my boyfriend, agrees, then she'll be your grandmother."
Talia's lips curled into a small smile, "Whether he agrees or not, you are a part of this family now. So, child, how about we give you a name that doesn't derive from pain? Joker Junior is a quite unsuitable, right?"
The child slowly nodded his head. Talia smiled a little bit more before sliding down the floor. What would you like your name to be? Or if that's too big to think about… what would like your name to start with?"
He tilted his head to the side like a puppy before turning to look at Jason and pointing. "Jason? Well it would be a little weird to have two Jasons running around. Would you like something similar?"
The child started to shake his head before stopping, "J-Jay."
Talia's brow rose just a little, "Something that starts with J and is similar to Jason? Hm, how about Jayr? It means the healer like Jason name means healing."
"Jay-err."
Wide smiles graced Talia's and Jason's features. "Yes, Jayr." The two stiffened when Jayr froze looking at something behind them before relaxing as arms wrapped around their waists.
"And who might this be," Hal questioned after he pressed a kiss into her hair. Kyle was content with curling himself around Jason like an octopus. "Because its looks like Jason somehow got deaged and cloned."
Kyle furrowed his brows as he looked over the child, "Jason, did you kidnap another version of you from the multiverse?"
Talia laughed at the disgruntled look on Jason's face. "No, I did not. Its kind of a long story, but I was wondering if you wanted to adopt him with me."
"Do it," Hal teased. "You're practically married already. And its about time you made an honest grandpa out of me."
Both men blushed deeply before Kyle pressed a kiss to the side of Jason's head. "Hal has point. I'd like to talk over it some more, but I do want to start a family with you."
Talia felt something loosen in her as she looked at the love shared so freely between her son and his lover. He looked content and at peace. He looked happy and that's all she had ever wanted.
"Yeah, I'd like that," he replied softly before turning to look back at the child. "Jayr Al Ghul-Todd, welcome to the family."