Chapter Six

The Cave

Few people in Metropolis left their homes anticipating a beat down from a child. In Gotham, it was an eventuality every competent criminal planned for.

"Can't any of you whack this fucking brat?"

"Maybe, if you could – umph!"

Jason halted midstride as he witnessed the withering blow that landed right between the thug's shoulder blades. His buddy's neck was attacked with a similar level of force resulting in a sharp cry that rang clear all the way to Jason's position at the top of a ten-story rooftop.

There were three of the thugs in total. In some cases that could be a formidable number. For this group, the number served no advantage against the bite sized crime fighter. Jason eyed the scene with renewed interest. This new Robin had something brutal in him.

"Urmph!"

"Argh!"

The kid was really dishing it out tonight. Jason moved back a step; the shadows of the nearby rooftops clothed his form. The latest boy wonder was a curiosity to observe unnoticed. Jason hadn't had the opportunity to assess the kid in action. Damian. Bruce's true son. The one Robin who might not be so quickly replaced.

The thought sent Jason's gaze ricocheting off the surrounding rooftops in a hunt for the familiar set of pointy ears. He narrowed his eyes, bringing them down to scan the alleyway Robin was in. From Jason's memory, a Robin was never truly allowed to patrol alone.

Failing to spot the old bat, Jason brought his attention back to his assessment of the little crime fighter. He took care to remain still in the comfort of his shadows. It was in Bruce's character to reveal himself at inconvenient times.

Down in the alley, Robin delivered each of his blows with perfect form. From the resulting groans of the men it was clear the kid made no attempt to soften them. He was good – Jason would give him that. A perfect model of Talia's ruthless training. The non-lethal spin on her work was Bruce's doing no doubt. That part didn't come as naturally to the kid. It held him back.

Every one of the kid's attacks fell on his victims in a series of calculated hits designed to cause pain. Yet all parties were still conscious. Even Kiteman would have knocked them out by now. The kid was intentionally prolonging the fight. Neither of the Robin's mentors would have taught him that.

Dragging his focus from the technique, Jason brought his attention to the boy. The kid had been oddly silent during the fight. A quality Jason would never have thought to attribute to the sharp tonged assassin. The frown was expected though. The closest thing Jason had witnessed to a smile on the boy was a condescending sneer.

Now that Jason had noticed it, there was a simmering anger that seemed to roll of the kid. His hits had an aggression to them that had little to do with efficiency. Jason very much doubted that the thugs were the true cause of it. As Jason continued to observe him work his anger between the three targets, the scene in front of him started to make sense.

The big bad bat wasn't around because this little Robin had run away.

When the stinging sensation reached its peak, Tim finally pried his eyes away from the Bat Computer. Rubbing at them, he took a moment to rest. Tim had spent hours flicking through every Gotham camera feed he could think of.

The communicator buzzed provoking a tired frown from the teen. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since the last check in.

"No Bruce," he answered, cutting off the obvious question. "Still haven't found him."

"Keep looking."

The low rumble of the Batmobile was the only sound Tim heard before Bruce turned his communicator back off. Sinking back into his seat, Tim let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't shake off the niggling sense of unease that had be clawing at him the whole night.

"A little pick me up, Master Timothy?"

The tray of orange slices was set before him the same instant. Tim shot Alfred a grateful smile as he reached out to grab a slice. The butler never failed to anticipate their needs.

The juice from the fruit coated his mouth in a cooling sweetness. Tim let out a soft hum of appreciation as he quickly finished the slice and reached out for another one. It might not have been caffeinated but the fruit served well enough as an energy booster.

"Thanks Alfred," Tim mumbled, through the second slice. "Just what I needed." He swallowed the last of it before turning his chair to face Alfred. "You know…" He started. "Dick and I almost had a bet running once - about whether you were psychic or not."

Alfred arched a fine brow. "Almost, Master Timothy?"

"Yeah," Tim laughed. "We couldn't actually go through with it though."

"Oh?"

"We both wanted to bet on you being psychic – didn't really work."

That elicited a small smile from the butler.

"No psychic ability I'm afraid - merely a healthy helping of common sense." Alfred gave Tim a pointed look. "A trait I sorely wish I could grant the rest of the family."

Tim scoffed, burying the instinct to respond into another orange slice. He knew better than to enter a verbal match with the butler. One learned very quickly that Alfred always got the last word.

Bringing his eyes back to the camera feeds, the unease gnawed at Tim again.

"Alfred," He started, deciding to put a voice to his thoughts. "Don't you think this is all going a little… overboard?"

Alfred remained silent. Tim pushed forward taking the signal to continue.

"It's not the first time Damian has run away," he elaborated. "And sure – he's an insufferable sullen prick when he comes home." Tim brought his eyes up to meet Alfred's. "But he does come home."

Alfred nodded once, letting Tim know that he understood.

"It would seem that in this case, Master Bruce believes the extra action to be necessary."

"But it doesn't make any sense," Tim protested.

"In my experience," Alfred began slowly. "When Master Bruce's actions seem devoid of any sense – it is usually because we do not have all the information."

Alfred rested his eyes on Tim's for a moment before turning away. TIm swivelled his chair back to face the computer screen.

What hadn't Bruce told them?

Seeing enough of the pet assassin, Jason decided to leave Robin to pummel the thugs. It was best to leave before the kid finished anyway – he didn't really want to be spotted here. That would result in an interaction Jason did not want to have.

Halfway across the rooftop, a faint whistling sound made Jason pause. A tendril of unease coiled inside him. He'd worked with Roy long enough to recognise the launch of an arrow.

The groans and grunts that had permeated the air only moments ago fell silent now. As had the sound of any struggle. The uncharacteristic silence that had taken root in its place was wrong.

With careful movements, Jason drew closer to the edge of the rooftop and peered down into the alleyway.

"Shit!"

The thugs were all down, unconscious. Robin too. An arrow was sticking out of the kid's chest.

"Shit!" Jason cursed again.

He did a quick scan of the rooftops trying to spot the archer, there was nothing. Whoever it was – they were skilled. Jason risked getting shot himself if he went down to into that alley. Trying to quell the rising sense of panic, he brought his eyes back to Robin.

Bruce wasn't here. The kid was going to die waiting for a rescue that wouldn't come. Jason clenched his jaw, silently cursing the man. A dormant sense of hurt and rage flared inside of him reaching the crescendo that it had all those years ago.

No child should have to go through that.

Praying the archer had left, Jason found himself speeding down the building toward Damian. Reaching the kid, Jason examined the wound as best he could; careful, not to disturb the arrow. He may not have known how long the arrow was meant to be, but he took comfort when he saw a lot of it sticking out. It couldn't have been too deep.

The kid had passed out though. Was he weakened already? Somehow Jason didn't think the pain would be quite enough to knock the him out. Jason took a deep centering breath and tried to work through this the way Bruce had taught him as a kid.

There was an arrow – though not deep. Jason's eyes were pulled back to the rooftops. Whoever shot him had an elevated position. He scanned the roofs again though he knew it was a futile effort. The archer wouldn't be spotted like this – if they were still here at all. Jason brought his focus back to the scene before him. If the person who shot Robin intended to assassinate him… why the non-lethal shot?

The kid's chest pulled Jason's attention back. Each rise and fall of his breaths had a staggered quality. That wasn't right. Jason brought his ear near the kids' mouth. Damian's breathing sounded laboured and difficult. His brows drew together beneath his helmet. The damage couldn't have been-

"Shit." Jason pulled the arrow out, using his hands to stop the sudden stream of blood.

It was poisoned.

The panic welled up in him again. No. He was not going to let this kid die.

Not alone.

Jason reached over to one of the thugs and ripped a large strip of their shirt. Working fast he fashioned a makeshift bandage and wrapped it around the wound. He pulled back to eye his handywork. It would slow down the blood flow, but the poison was still there. He needed to get the kid out of here now.

"I didn't expect to run into two of Talia's pets tonight."

Jason froze. He knew that voice. Keeping his movements slow, Jason rose from his position bedside the kid. For the hundredth time Jason was thankful for his helmet as he turned to address the voice behind him.

"I've gotta say," Jason answered, forcing a calm he didn't feel. "didn't expect to see you either, Lady Shiva."

Oh, the kid was really in trouble now.

"Move aside Jason," Shiva said. "I have no obligation to harm you tonight. Talia is rather… fond of you."

"Yeah," Jason scoffed. "The feeling isn't mutual."

"Move aside," She told him again.

"Not happening."

He caught the hint of an amused little smirk before her first blow landed on him. She was fast. He staggered back a few steps and unholstered a gun. It was knocked out of his hand before he even had the opportunity to fire it. He had been an idiot to let her get this close.

Jason spotted her leg swinging up and managed to dodge the brunt of her next kick. It still had a lot of force behind it. He had to get the kid out of here. But there was no way he was going to beat Shiva in a fight.

Another blow was on him but this time he saw it coming. He threw out his arm in a sharp backhand, trying to take advantage of her momentary loss of balance when her fist didn't make contact. Shiva caught his arm and used his own momentum to flip him over. Jason was thrown down on his back – hard. He fought back a groan. The ribs definitely felt that one.

Ignoring the flare of pain in his side, Jason quickly brought himself back onto his feet. Shiva knew every fighting form in the book. That meant he had to come up with something stupid.

Jason charged toward her legs, throwing the full force of his weight into knocking her down. Unprepared, Shiva fell to the ground. Tying to quell his heavy breathing, Jason used his size to keep her locked onto the pavement.

"You… are slow to finish the job."

Jason would finish the job - if he could reach a damn gun. But any movement he made would give her the opportunity to gain the upper hand. He should have paid more attention to Talia's lessons.

Before Jason could think of a next move, somehow Shiva's legs had lodged themselves around his neck. He bit back a curse. That was bad. Using the strength in her legs, Shiva slammed his body back against the pavement.

The pain sent a shock wave through his body. The throbbing in his ribs became an explosive wave sending him a momentary flash of nausea. Jason couldn't hold back the groan now.

Shiva rose from the ground in an elegant movement and stood over Damian. That was it. Pain or not, she wasn't killing the child. If Bruce had any goodwill toward Jason left, it would all be gone if he let the man's real son die.

Jason braced his good arm against the ground, using it to help push up his aching body.

"Shiva," He called as he lifted himself off the ground. "Don't—"

"Hush," She interrupted. Shiva was still looking down over Damian as if assessing her handywork. "He'll live." She squinted her eyes a little as if contemplating the truth of that assessment. "That is – if his mother didn't oversell his strengths."

"Huh?"

It was the only intelligible word he could let out. Jason was beyond confused. She kept mentioning Talia. Was Talia the one who had sent her? But Damian was her son.

Shiva scowled. Jason was sure he heard her mutter a few curses about Talia and the Bat, before she finally turned back to him.

"On another night I might have killed you for interfering with my work." Shiva told him. "be grateful it was Talia who hired my services this time."

"Somehow," Jason eyed her warily. "I didn't think that would stop you."

"I am a professional." She answered him. "Besides, I admire a warrior's courage – even foolish courage such as yours."

Jason might have felt a pang of indignation at the backhanded comment, but it was buried beneath the pain. His eyes trailed back to Damian's form on the ground. He had more important matters to attend to.

He had barely even noticed Shiva starting to slip away until she turned around to give him one final address.

"I do not grant favours for free, Jason." Leaving him alive. That's what she meant. Considering the shape he was in, Jason hardly thought that qualified as a 'favour'. "I intend to collect my payment in full."

With those words she disappeared into the rooftops. Jason let out a curse once she was far enough to slip out of his sight. He brought his focus back to the more pressing issue of Damian.

There was only one place to take him now.

An unfamiliar roar filled the cave, sending the bats into a screeching frenzy. That was not the sound of the Batmobile. Tim grabbed his bo staff from the ground and got ready to face the intruder.

"Master Jason!" he heard Alfred yell.

Jason? That did nothing to relax Tim.

The roar grew loader as Jason skid his bike into a rough halt. Though he'd never admit it out loud, the sight of the red helmet coming toward him was a little intimidating. When Jason took it off, Tim's eyes fell to the body he carried with him.

"Damian…" Tim realised.

Jason wasted little time with formalities as he unceremoniously lay Damian down on the operating table.

"He was shot in the shoulder." Jason held up an arrow. "With this. The poison might still be on it."

Alfred nodded quickly, taking the arrow from Jason's hand. The butler was beside the young Robin in an instant, working quickly to assess the damage.

"You did well to bring him here, Jason." Alfred told him.

Though Jason didn't respond, some of the tension seemed to roll off him in that moment. Tim was reminded again that Jason had been another person before he'd become the Red Hood.

"Master Timothy, "Alfred called over his shoulder "Fetch the portable medical kit."

Tim jumped to the task, glad for something to do.

"But all the strong stuff is right here," Tim heard Jason say, "Trust me Alf the kid will need it."

"I am fully aware, Master Jason," Alfred said, as he flushed out Damian's wound. "The kit is for you."

Tim paused for a second, the portable kit in tow. Jason didn't even spare it a glance. Now that Alfred had drawn attention to it. Jason looked to be in pretty bad shape himself. Though most of his face was protected by the helmet – there was some bruising on his left cheek. There were also some tears in the shirt around his arms. No doubt there were a few injuries buried beneath the Kevlar too.

"No." Jason said, backing away from Alfred now. "Pretty sure the kid needs your attention more than me."

"Correct," Alfred answered him. "Which is why Master Timothy will be attending to your wounds."

Jason's eyes snapped to Tim then. It was probably the first time Jason had really noticed him since he set foot in the cave.

"I can take care of it myself." Jason said, edging toward his bike. "At home."

"Master Timothy is more than capable of addressing your wounds."

Despite the situation, Alfred's words stirred a small sense of pride in him. Alfred had been showing him a few things lately. He was glad the man approved.

The words didn't appear to sway Jason as he only drew nearer to his bike. Or perhaps, he was trying to put distance himself and them. As if the gap gave him some comfort.

"I was heading off anyway." Jason said, striding toward his bike with more purpose now.

Tim wondered for a brief moment if Jason would have reacted differently had Dick been the one holding the medical kit.

"Master Jason!" Alfred called, his tone carrying enough force to halt Jason before he got on the bike. "You will remain until Master Timothy has tended to your wounds. I will not see your stubborn behaviour risk even more injury for yourself." Alfred turned to look at Jason before he delivered his next words. "Do I make myself clear?"

To Tim's surprise, Jason averted his eyes before letting out a mumbled "fine."

Tim decided to approach Jason slowly. Much the same way he would approach a wounded animal. A very angry and unpredictable wounded animal. Luckily, Jason didn't offer him so much as a scathing glance. Instead, he removed the upper layer of his Kevlar armour, leaving his chest exposed to the cold air inside the cave.

Tim paused as he came across the patchwork on Jason's chest. He had expected some bruising but some of these looked bad. Tim tentatively reached out to feel out the length of one bruise right below his rib. Jason let out a sharp hiss of discomfort.

"Try and avoid that one kid."

Kid. Not replacement. It was an improvement.

"I think you might have some broken ribs Jason."

Jason winced as he shifted some of his weight.

"Yeah," he grunted "I think so too."

There wasn't a lot Tim could do about the ribs right now other than to give him some ice. Instead he set to work on the cuts on his arms. He got to work cleaning the wounds out, pretending he didn't notice when Jason tensed at the pain.

A deeper, more familiar roar reverberated through the cave. Disturbed for a second time that night, the bats formed an even loader swarm at the roof of the cave.

Bruce speed in, guiding the Battmobile to a controlled stop along the landing strip. Within seconds he had jumped out of the car and was at Damian's bedside. Alfred must have alerted him as soon as Jason had arrived.

Tim could feel the way Jason tensed beneath his hands as he finished dressing Jason's wound. The former Robin clearly itched to leave. Yet, he remained. Did he really want to see how Damian turned out? Maybe Dick was right. Jason might care a little more than he let on.

With his work done, Tim backed away. Jason seemed like the type to care about personal space.

"How's he doing, Alfred?" Bruce's rough voice rang clear even through the recent activity in the cave bats.

Jason silently put his Kevlar back on. Tim caught the slight wince as he smoothed it back over his ribs.

"Master Damian is a stubborn one," Alfred answered. "He will get through this."

Bruce said nothing, bringing his eyes on Jason. Even Tim couldn't quite decipher the expression he wore. That cowl hid too much. He must have been burning with questions though. They all were.

"Jason," Bruce finally spoke. "What happened?"

The words were spoken gently. Though he stood as an imposing figure as he waited for a response. Tim fixed Jason with a questioning gaze of his own.

Had Tim been standing any further away, he might not have caught the deliberate intake of breath before Jason brought his eyes back up. The action struck him with the realisation that Jason might be nervous. In all the time the Red Hood had defied Batman, it had never occurred to Tim that the person beneath the mask might actually be afraid of the man who had been his father.

"Shiva attacked him."

When it was clear that Jason was not going to elaborate on that statement, Tim spoke up.

"Shiva?" He asked. "Why would she have any reason to—"

"She wouldn't," Jason cut him off. "Talia would. But of course," Jason continued, throwing an accusatory look at Bruce. "He already knew that."

Tim's eyes snapped back to Bruce. The man remained carefully still. An impassive brick wall against the accusation. Jason was telling the truth. The frantic calls…the extra urgency in his search tonight… Bruce had known something.

Why had he kept it to himself? Tim could have helped. They all could have helped. This hadn't been the first time Bruce had kept something from them. It had ended as badly as it usually did. Tim loved Bruce – truly he did. But right then, the traitorous part of him had to acknowledge that maybe Jason was right to look at him like that.

Finally, Jason broke his gaze and reached out for the helmet beside him.

"Look Bruce," Jason's voice wasn't angry anymore. He sounded tired. "Whatever crap you have going on with Talia right now? Sort it out before you go and get another Robin killed."

A heavy silence followed those words. Even the cave's bats had fallen quiet as they too seemed to realise the gravity of the moment. Jason slowly moved from his position and made his way over to the motorbike. Tim snuck a glance at Bruce. Although the cowl masked his expression, his silence was enough of an indication that Jason had landed his blow.

Displaying the nonchalance that Tim was accustomed to seeing, Jason mounted his bike and drove out of the cave without another word.

Okay so I was starting to think this chapter would never happen - but here it is!

Now to get to work on the next one...