To deter negative reviews for this right now…this is very obviously an alternate universe fic.
Jason looked like he seriously wanted to be anyplace other than that, and I couldn't blame him. Last time I'd checked, we were still enemies. I mean, it's not like I don't get along with my siblings—okay, so maybe it is. But never in a million years did I ever expect Jason to take me in. And I wasn't expecting him to keep me, either.
He strode right over to the couch and pushed me back down onto my pillow none-too-gently. "You stay here," he ordered. "I'm going to go call somebody who knows what to do with you—like Dick or Bruce."
My hand shot up and gripped his wrist. "No!" I cried sharply. "Don't!" The last of what little bit of strength I still had left drained from my body, and I eased back onto the couch slowly, taking a deep breath. "I…I don't want them here."
In any normal situation, that wouldn't have stopped him from calling anyway. But, thankfully, absolutely nothing about that situation was normal (including the fact that we weren't trying to kill each other yet), so my words at least distracted Jason for the moment. He took a seat on the edge of the coffee table and gazed at me with something like mild interest. "That's something I never thought I'd hear out of you, kid."
I draped a forearm over my eyes to block out the light and maybe help that damn stress migraine. "Yeah, well, this is someplace I never thought I'd be," I sighed. "So…why? Why'd you bring me here? Did Bruce send you?"
"Oh, no, Ali did. She's worried about you, you know. Told me you've been…up to stuff. Actually, I'm a little surprised about that. I didn't think you had it in you."
"That makes two of us."
Everything was quiet for another few minutes, and I thought Jason might actually leave me alone until he spoke up again. "So, is there a reason you've been sick on my couch for the past few days or so, kid?"
The information was not lost on me, I guarantee you, but I was too busy debating whether or not to give an answer that was honest versus simpler to care. I chose simpler, because I was hoping it'd end the conversation. "Yeah, but I don't think you'd want to hear it."
"Try me."
His tone said that he was crossing his arms, glaring at me with enough blazing anger to singe my hair. I could feel the heat of his frustration radiating off of him, and I knew, right then and there, that he wouldn't leave me alone or do what I asked or stop glowering until I told him, because he wanted to know why he'd been put in the position of having to deal with me when I was out of it. I sighed. "You watch the news at all lately?"
"Why the hell would I watch the news? I'm never awake when it's on."
"Good point. I've kind of been…in the news…for the past few months."
"You mean whatever your alter ego happens to be right now has been in the news for the past few months."
I nodded. "They're making me into a criminal, Jason. I only ever…I did a few things. But I never did anything like what they're trying to make everyone believe."
"A classic frame job, then, huh?"
"You got it."
"Anybody I know so I can go beat the shit out of them?"
"I sincerely hope not." I moved my forearm slightly to peer out at him, gauging his response. He was nodding very slowly, his eyes still trained on me. Well, he hasn't kicked me out yet, so…keep going? "Did I say anything?" I asked, straining my neck so that my head was upright. "When I was out of it, I mean. Did I say anything?"
Jason scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You asked where Bruce was, you mumbled something about the League of Assassins, and you asked if the Imperium had showed up for you yet," he replied.
My eyes closed, a sigh escaped my lips, and my head was back down on the pillow before I knew it. "Damn," I breathed. In case you hadn't noticed, my luck is so bad that it doesn't exist.
"I take it you weren't planning on explaining that, were you, kid?"
"Well, to be fair, I never planned on ending up here." I took a deep breath. "It's just more of the crazy life of an ex-Bat. It's really nothing I'd want you to get dragged into."
Jason reached over and flicked me, his middle finger thumping against my temple. "I made a promise, okay? I promised my wife that I'd be here to make sure your precious little head doesn't get shot off your damn shoulders, and I can't do that if you don't tell me everything. So, suck it up, be a man, and just let your mouth move faster than your head. You're real good at that, anyway. Besides, you forget that I'm also an ex-Bat. Not too much you can say that'll surprise me, little bird."
I decided to let that one slide and opened my mouth to start talking and finding that letting my words come out faster than my thoughts could hinder their progress was easier than it sounded. "The Imperium is running the world, and not necessarily behind everyone's backs. There are front-page news stories all the time that they're responsible for; people just don't realize…just don't know it's them. I know how crazy this sounds, and I know it's probably just a suicide mission, but—"
"You have to bring them down," Jason finished for me. "You feel compelled. It's beyond you to just stand by and watch them think for everyone else."
I gave a tiny nod, drowsiness beginning to creep back in. "That's pretty much it."
We sat there in silence for awhile, neither of us really sure of what to say. I could feel my breathing slowing and my body relaxing back into the couch. I was almost asleep again when I heard Jason proclaim, "I'm in."
My eyes snapped open, and I propped myself up on an elbow, eyeing him incredulously. "What?"
"I'm in. I don't like it any more than you do, kid, but regardless of how much we might hate each other, I promised to protect you, and I'm planning on keeping that promise. If this all-powerful secret society or whatever the hell you call it really is after you, you can't trust anyone, right? You can't let anyone in? Well, you're wrong, because you've got me. And I will personally kill anyone who screws with you. But just so we're clear...it's for Ali, not for you, okay?" He shrugged. "Besides, it sounds fun."
I thought about it. I could've told him any number of things. I could've said I was just fine on my own, but, well…we both had ample evidence to the contrary. I could've told him that I already had someone in the League of Assassins looking out for me, but I knew better. By then, Pru, if she'd been found out, would've already been dead. I could've told him that I was going to turn myself then, but I wasn't sure how he'd react to that. So, at long last, I realized what he was saying. If I wanted to survive—and I did—teaming up with Jason was my only option. He was the only person who was even remotely close enough to being an ally I could trust that was qualified to help in this situation. I nodded slowly. "Okay, then. I guess we're going in together. I have promises of my own to keep with this. But make no mistake, Jason; I'll trust you with my safety, but I'm not stupid enough to put my life into your hands. If you try anything at all, I swear you'll regret it."
Jason locked eyes with me for a moment, his gaze cold, hard, and unwavering. I was surprised that I had the energy to hold his stare without lying back down. After a moment or two, he snorted out a laugh and got up to go back into the kitchen. "Good. I'd consider it an insult if you'd said anything else there, kid."
