The Birds Who Smile, a Batman fanfic by Raberba girl

SRD: Jason's return

Jason jerked in the Kryptonian clone's arms. "Gah! I told you to wake me up when we were close to Gotham-" He squirmed as he spoke, trying to get free, "-not on the manor's doorstep. Biz, put me down!"

"Red Him home." Bizarro pushed amiably past Bruce, still carrying Jason even though the Red Hood was now struggling in earnest.

"Thanks for the invite, we'd be happy to stay a while," Roy said to Bruce with a grin as Kori walked past, still carrying him.

Bruce sighed and moved back, opening the door wider for Artemis.

Bizarro finally put Jason down and the lead Outlaw complained the whole time he brushed himself off and peeled away his mask. "You okay, Jay?" Dick asked in concern, stepping close and scanning his brother for injuries. "We thought you were dead again."

"Nah, just dead tired."

"You were gone for ages, Jay, all five of you, and no one could figure out where you were!"

"We are safe now, Dick," Kori said gently. "I am sorry you missed the adventure."

"What adventure?!"

"crow?" Jack's little voice piped up curiously, almost right behind Jason.

Jason spooked, leaping away and exclaiming, "HOLY crap, monsterbirds, I forgot!"

Everyone's attention turned to the trio of children near Dick. Peter giggled and said, "Dda't mmy Jja'ssonn" before shyly ducking to hide behind John.

The oldest bird's eyes were on Starfire. "Hello, Pretty Fire," he signed, and Dick interpreted.

"Hello again, little one." She moved close and stooped down to kiss his face. He frowned and rubbed at his forehead at the sensation of knowledge transferring from his mind to hers.

"Holy crap, they're people now," Jason breathed in amazement, taking in all the changes. The twisted, feral creatures he'd left behind were gone, and now in their place were three bright-eyed little boys in pajamas who looked like any other healing abuse survivors. It couldn't have been Bruce who'd brought about such a transformation... Had it been Dick's magic touch again, like he'd done with Damian? Was it Alfred? Zatanna?

"Wait, Kori, John's not fluent yet," Dick said. "You might wanna get another sample. Bruce knows ASL, too," he added, mindful of the other ex-boyfriend present.

Bruce took a step back, alarmed at the thought of being kissed by someone who could collect data from his mind in the process. Luckily, Roy, who was still on Kori's back, rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, it's not like I had sole kissing rights even when we were together. Just be quick, I'm injured and would really love a bed right now."

Kori stepped close and gently grasped Dick's face, drawing him in and pressing her lips to his temple. She pulled back and they exchanged a brief smile before she turned to the birds and signed with one hand, "I will take my friend to bed. Will see you in the morning."

"Good night," three sets of little hands gestured, and John added, "I love you."

"Love you!" Kori moved toward the stairs, where Alfred was waiting to show her and Roy to the guest rooms.

*idk transition*

"Jason, where were you?"

Jason exhaled sharply. "Look, Bruce, I tried, okay? First I was gonna be a good little time traveler and follow the rules, but that only lasted about five minutes; then I wasn't gonna save 'em because if you grew up happy, I'd probably die on the streets, but then they were screaming like that after they threw baby-you clear and I was like 'f-" He glanced at the children. "-'eff it' and saved them; except then it didn't flipping matter because you guys went out to a movie to celebrate surviving the fire and they got shot by some random mugger, but at least they went quick this time and didn't take five days to die in agony, okay? I did good; YOU'RE WELCOME."

Jason turned away, his face red, and went a little too enthusiastically to join Artemis and Bizarro in playing with the birds.

Bruce felt like his brain was broken for several full minutes. '...A FIRE...?!'

*transition

Jason formed a finger gun and pointed it between Bizarro's eyes. "Buddy," he said conversationally, "if you squish my little brothers, I will put a Kryptonite bullet through your head, I am so serious. Do not sit on them, do not squeeze them, do not break them. Got it? Be gentle with my baby brothers."

"Bizarro not squish Baby-them," the clone agreed.

"Good man." Jason went to crouch in front of the children. "Listen up, chickadees - my friend over there, he's a nice guy, but he's strong, and he's clumsy. Do not get behind him. Always make sure you can see his eyes. If you cannot see his eyes, he cannot see you, and he will squish you and kill you. Got it?"

They gazed at him solemnly.

"Tell me that you understand."

"We are cats, he is us," John signed. Jason cocked his head in confusion until Bruce explained that practicing with Damian's pets was how they'd trained the boys to interact with other small, fragile, precious things.

"All right, cool. Pete? Tell me you understand how to play with Bizarro."

"I nno bbe ssquisshh."

"You better not, or there'll be hell to pay when you get back from the Lazarus Pit or Apokolips or whatever the universe uses to barf up Bruce's next dead kid. Jack? How do you play with Bizarro?"

"I will always see his eyes."

"Perfect." Jason straightened up and gestured grandly. "Kiddos, these are my partners, Artemis and Bizarro. Guys, these are Baby-them: John, Peter, and Jack. Peter's basically me from some hell alternate universe, so if anything bad happens to him, I will be extra-mad."

The little boys curiously trotted over to their big brother's teammates. Bizarro crouched and cupped his hands together; Jack climbed into them and sat like a prince as he was lifted. John, clinging to Bizarro's giant forearm like a koala, giggled as he rose.

"Baby-them am cute," Bizarro remarked, studying the children as they clambered over him.

Peter, meanwhile, had headed straight for Artemis. "Hhelllo."

"Greetings, young one."

He raised his arms. "U'pp, plllease." Obligingly, she picked him up, and he gently touched her face just underneath a bright green eye. "Ppre'tty."

She shot a wry look at Jason, who grinned back. "See? I don't have to be grown up and tipsy to tell."

bruce lets barbara know jay's home and safe

artemis & bizarro shown to guest rooms for the night

Peter soon got over his shyness and wouldn't leave his older self alone. He hung onto Jason's hand and dragged him to the birds' room, where he started eagerly showing him toys, photos, posters, and other things of interest. "This is Dog," he introduced. "Say hello!"

"Hi, Dog," Jason chuckled.

[*i am too tired to birdify this dialogue right now] "Hey, hey Big Peter, I have to tell you something important," Jack insisted. "There are TWO places, see? Two! And...and there is a big me and a little me, oh no! And...a big Johnny and little Johnny, and a little Peter, and now look, there is a BIG Peter, too~! And oh no, that Bad Laugh Man, but he is SQUISH like bug and Daddy is a good boy and the Batman, he does not Laugh! He doesn't because it's bad, and yaaaaay!" He looked expectantly at Jason.

Jason stared back, looking perplexed. "Why are you guys so cute?" he asked, sounding like it was a legitimate question.

["Because we li'l monsta babies,"] Jack answered solemnly.

"Nope, that's it, you're mine now," Jason said decisively, scooping the younger boys into his arms. "All mine. I have three children now." Jack crow-shrieked in surprise and Peter giggled madly.

John glared. "They are my babies, not yours."

"But how can you have babies when you're a baby yourself?" Jason asked in all seriousness.

transition

Jason ended up sleeping in the birds' bed that night, with Peter cuddled in his arms, Jack curled up at his back, and John draped right over him.