Family quarrels are bitter things. They don't go according to any rules. They're not like aches or wounds, they're more like splits in the sin that won't heal because there's not enough material. -F. Scott Fitzgerald

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, Red-X would really be Peter Parker.

...jk

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Chapter 8: What Up, Bro?

Four kids walk into a pizza parlor.

And realize that there are no empty tables.

"Good going, slum slurper. Had to pick the one pizza place that's the busiest on Friday nights, didn't ya?"

Said 'slum slurper' fights back a glare, instead he shrugs nonchalantly. There was a reason he picked this place, but he wasn't gonna tell them just yet.

Or ever.

What they didn't know wouldn't kill em.

He spies a few empty chairs at a table with five kids their age. He catches a glimpse of violet hair.

And smirks victoriously.

Walking over to the table, he puts on a friendly smile and greets with a, "Hey."

All five look up. "Are these seats taken? My friends and I just wanted to get some pizza, but there's hardly any free seats."

"Sure, go ahead," grins the big bald one.

Jason waves his friends over. The Hive students begin to sit down.

"Jason?"

There's no mistaking that voice.

Eyes flick towards a boy with dark spiky hair.

"Dick."

Neither makes any move to greet the other.

Jason's kind of regretting picking this table.

Who knew Violet would have been in Dick's circle?

His 'brother' was always the perfect boy, always doing the right thing and getting everyone to love him.

And Jason?

He'd always been the one that messed things up. He rarely did anything right. He always rushed into things too quickly and Uncle Bruce was constantly having to bail him out of trouble.

And now, after spending so many months trying to avoid the Boy Wonder, here they are.

Face to face.

What did the universe have against him?

"Old friends?" Violet asks, eyebrow raised.

"Something like that," Dick says.

Oh no. If Dick wants to play it that way, Jason is definitely not cooperating. Not this time.

"We're brothers," Jason says with a smirk. Dick might be able to get everyone to like him, but Jason can still get the upper hand.

Everyone gasps, Hives and Titans, trying to figure out how this managed to escape their attention all these years.

"Sort of," Dick adds in quickly. "He was adopted. We both were, actually. Uncle Bruce took us in back in Gotham."

"Dick was always the little angel," Jason says sweetly, sarcasm dripping like venom.

"And what would that make you?" Violet seems to be the talkative one tonight.

"Well, sweets, if I told you, I might be compromised," Jason says with a wink.

"Raven."

For a second, he's taken aback. "What?"

"My name. It's Raven."

Well. That was easy. "A pleasure indeed," Jason says, bowing. He grins. "And I'm Jason Todd. Nice to meet you all," he says to the table. Turning to Dick, grin never faltering, he asks, "Are we still allowed to crash this table or should we find some other pizza place?"

Dick's eyes narrow almost imperceptibly at Jason's snarkiness, but it's likely that no one else catches it. He doesn't miss a beat though, and replies, "Of course. Go right ahead, little bro."

Jason's sure that he felt his eye just twitch.

Sitting in the only remaining vacant seat (next to Raven, what a coincidence), he forces himself to keep smiling.

"Little bro, huh?" Jinx laughs.

"Never knew you had a big brother watchin out for ya, Jace," Mikron snickers.

He strongly represses the urge to roll his eyes. "Hardly. And he's only older by half a year, but somehow that makes all the difference."

"Especially if you were adopted. Kids do it naturally, to establish themselves and have a 'heirarchy' of sorts," Raven says, unashamedly joining their conversation.

Jason cocks his head. "Were you adopted?"

"Many times," is the curt reply.

Jason smiles genuinely for the first time tonight. "Finally, someone else who understands."

Raven gives a small but bitter smile back.

"All too well."

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A/N: So, this one's just a tad longer, but please realize that not only am I really busy with work but I have to type everything on my phone. And bc my phone hates me, after I type it and copy n paste it all in, I have to go back and re-enter all the spacing. But you guys give me a measure of dedication. So thanks! I leave Sunday for the Philippines, so depending on how much time I have and how much people actually want an update...we'll see. Thanks for the reviews, you all are AWESOME.