"I found out about you

Street lights blink on through the car window

I get the time too often on AM radio

Well you know it's all I think about

I write your name, drive past your house

Your boyfriend's over, I watch your lights go out"

Gin Blossoms, "Found Out About You"

If there was one thing I hated about how I lived now, scourge of the underworld by night and teacher by day - the classes, the grading, the lesson plans, the late night stakeouts on school nights, the times I've come to work with blood spatters on my collar, shifting bodies, killing a lot of people, living on forty percent of what I make, nights with the family at the Clocktower - it was how much I hated the car I picked up for the commute.

It was a simple four-door Ford, black, and absolutely spotless. There was nothing mechanical wrong with the damn car. I even put on undercoating so it wouldn't rust, but I still hated it. I hated the empty passenger seat. I hated the empty backseat.

I needed to drop by the Clocktower before I punched in for afternoon classes at Gotham High, so the slacks and button-down ensemble, the shiny shoes, the sprayed black white streak combed, clean-shaven and tie hanging over the rear view, would all have to come with me. I turned on the sound system while I was stuck in traffic, and as I was sifting through my CD binder, I caught some news about my exploits on the radio.

"-ed Hood, vigilante and mass murderer, has been identified as a lead suspect in what will be the most interesting assassination attempt in East Coast political history." I advanced another thirty feet down the street with a wry smirk on my face.

"Lex Luthor, presidential candidate and business tycoon, is now in Gotham City as part of the campaign trail leading into voting next month, but two nights ago, a bomb was placed in his office in LexCorp Tower and detonated hours before it was intended to kill Luthor himself."

I snorted and tossed the binder onto the passenger seat without taking a disc out. "Oops. Sorry, Lex."

"While security cameras have been erased on the night in question, Luthor is insistent that Red Hood is the sole culprit. Despite the fact that a secretary filed a police report saying that there was a second assailant, these allegations are the only ones Lex Luthor seems to care about."

"'Course it is." I took a sip from the protein shake I barely had time to make that morning.

Then Luthor's voice came through the radio, probably a clip from the public statement he made yesterday about what happened. I slept through it. "The Red Hood, whether he worked alone or not, is a delinquent, a murderer, an enemy of the state and a sick individual."

Why thank you, Lex. It would take one to know one, wouldn't it?

"This month, I will be focusing on exposing these so-called heroes for what they are: criminals."

I clicked the radio off and fished my phone out of my pocket. I dialed and put it to my ear, "You paying attention to the radio? We're public enemy number one."

I heard Roy's light footsteps, and a high laugh. "Hitting the big time! What else did he say?"

"Called me a sick individual."

Roy's theatrical gasp had me chuckling. "Sick? You? How could he say such a thing? Surely he doesn't see the real you. The sweet, kind, bubbly-"

I rolled my eyes, but I was grinning, laughing. "-dude, last week I cut a rapist's balls off and played hacky-sack with them."

"That's just poetic justice, friend."

"Thanks," I saw the Clocktower peek around a skyscraper. "How's Lian? She still sleeping?"

"Baby girl's up and fussing a storm," I heard a pattering noise from the other end. "Listen babycakes, you can't throw cereal on Jason's floor. We gotta be nice to the floor, mmkay?"

"Aww, c'mon," I said, and then made my voice louder. "Lian, if you can hear me, throw as much cereal as you want. It's all on me. You make the biggest mess you can, little lady."

A delighted squeal answered me, and Roy's scowl echoed through the line. "...Watch yourself, Todd. You turn into a bad influence on my daughter and I'm gonna have to call an intervention."

"Okay, okay, you're the dad," I leaned forward to check the clearance on my roof as I drove into the Clocktower garage. "So...when's her birthday?"

"You get my daughter a pony and I'll turn you over to Lex myself."

"Hey, who said anything about a pony?" I cleared my throat. "Alright, man, I gotta let you go. Need to brief the family on what's going on with you."

"Yeah...about that. Can you promise me something?"

I swung into my parking spot, and shut the car off. Roy didn't seem the type to ask favors often. Or at all. And he had that quiver to his voice I got sometimes when I talked about the old man. "...Sure. What is it?"

I realized that 'quiver' was exactly the right word. "...If they decide to call anybody in Star City to let them know I'm not dead...make sure it's not Oliver."

Maybe it was overstepping my bounds to say it, maybe he didn't want to have to deal with Oliver in general. Maybe he didn't feel about Oliver the way I felt about Bruce, maybe it wasn't returned. Still. I had to try. "...Y'know, maybe he'll want to know. That you're alive. Might come as a relief."

"Wanna put money on it?" He was half-laughing and half-scoffing. I could hear the harsh smile filtering his words. I did the same thing sometimes. "Two-hundred-and-fifty grand says that he'lll say 'Roy who?' if you told him I was alive. Two hundred dollar bonus if he isn't even around and you have to leave a message."

My brows lifted. Damn. No Oliver, then. "...Anybody over there you'd rather get a message out to then?"

There was a long silence on the other end, and then a short, defeated sigh. "Diggle. John Diggle. Works security over there. And I suppose you can tell Dinah. She can tell Oliver if she must. But if the Queen Industries jet shows up at Gotham International, then I'm out."

"Roy Harper?" Dick sat backwards on a chair, his hair disheveled and even in just a wife beater and jeans, he still seemed to be the leader of this team. Of every team. "I haven't seen him in years…When he disappeared, Dinah showed up at the Tower in a state...Don't think I've ever seen her like that."

"Him and his daughter, Lian, are at my place," I crossed my arms over my chest, looking from Dick to Tim, and then to Barbara at the back of the room, wheelchair by her keyboards. The big blue holographic screens washed blue lights over us. We were in one of the lower computer labs. "Talia was using him to pin the Luthor assassination on me, holding his little girl as leverage. And he really doesn't want us to contact Oliver about him being alive."

"Talia," Tim spat the name, his metal hand tapping fingers against each other. He sighed. "But if she's contacting Roy with instructions, then we can use that to find her. How is she contacting him?"

"He says that he'll wake up and find Lian gone, even if she was sleeping in his arms." I said, my lips twisting. I could relate to waking up to find the most precious person gone. "He gets a phone call shortly after, different number each time. They meet somewhere dark, he receives his instructions, and the understanding is that if he doesn't comply, they'll kill Lian."

Barbara put her hand over her mouth, her hair fighting its way out of her bun. She took off her glasses, cleaning them on the edge of her shirt. "Well, it's the best lead on Talia we've had in a year."

"And I don't think we're gonna get another one," Dick said, "I hate using a family for business, but…"

"He said he was willing to do whatever necessary to put Talia's head on a pike," I shrugged. "We could use another set of hands on this job. He can stick with me."

"Does he have a suit?" Tim asked, the blue of the screens shining off the finer threads of his business suit. When I nodded, he said, "Good...Moving forward, one thing we could do is try to induce an assignment."

I hummed in agreement, and pushed my thumb against my lip. "Try to produce a possible situation where the League might want Roy to go in. Maybe we could plant a chip on Lian?"

"Would Roy allow that kind of thing?" Barbara's eyebrows were together and I could tell just from how she asked the question that she wasn't a fan of the idea.

Dick shook his head. "I don't see how."

"I can pitch the idea to him," I offered, and my stomach clenched. I didn't much like the idea of the League searching Lian for trackers, or coming into my firehouse to kidnap her. "The League knows that the firehouse is where I live...if they come for Lian, the only hope we have of protecting her is capturing the kidnappers, learning where they plan to take her, and taking their places."

"For now, that's the plan we'll use, then." Dick said, getting up from the chair. He asked, a half-smile curling his face, "How's your Arabic?"

I smirked, and shot back a couple of words that translated roughly to 'better than yours'. But in truth, I was rusty, and there was no argument that I'd need to brush up. "With all the practice I've been getting fighting ninjas, I should fit right in...There is one problem, though."

"What's that?" Tim glanced sideways at me.

"There's no way in hell that we're involving his daughter in a plan without Roy going in with me," It was the plain truth, and I wouldn't want to ask Roy to stay home. To put his daughter's life in my hands. "He'd sooner kill me than let me to use his daughter as bait."

"We don't have much time - Luthor leaves Gotham soon," Barbara rubbed her palms against her thighs, a nervous habit. She kept trying not to look at Dick. "Teach Roy as much as you can, and involve him in the planning." I nodded, and she clapped her hands together. "Alright. Till then, we have to keep pressing where we can."

"I'll see what the GCPD knows about Lex's security measures when he does speeches." Dick said.

Tim adjusted his cuffs. "Wayne Enterprises is deflecting another of Luthor's attempts to secure the Applied Science division this week. I'll use that to figure out just how much Lex knows about the League. For all we know, they're working together."

"Even if they'd be stooping, asking that geek for help," I joked, and cracked my neck.

"Good luck, boys," Barbara said as the three of us ex-Robins got ready to leave, but before Tim could get on the lift, she called him back.

I caught her eye and I knew. She was going to tell him about what happened with her and Dick.

And then Grayson had to be the good guy. "We'll wait for you, Tim. It's a long way back up for the elevator."

"Thanks, man," Tim's smile was genuine, but I could see the fuse about to ignite.

I took Dick down the hall from the lab, checking over my shoulder. There were about fifteen paces between the door to the lab and where we were by the lift. I tilted my head back, letting the light burn my eyes to clarity.

"What's wrong?" A corner of Dick's mouth curled up. "What're you covering today in English class with Mr. Z. Hombie?" He laughed, "I still can't believe you took that damn alias."

"Not the stupidest thing I've done," I glanced over my shoulder at the door to the labs. No Tim. "...I've got senior literature to teach today. Covering Othello."

"Yeah?" Dick ran his fingers through his hair. "Isn't that the one about the mercenary who thought his girl was screwing someone el-"

"-You son of a bitch!" The snarl echoed off the walls, and Tim had his sport coat off as he power-walked down the hall. His cheeks flushed red, his arms flexed, and Barbara was frantically pumping at the wheels of her chair calling his name.

"Tim?" Dick sounded worried, but any concern he might have had was gone when Tim reared his metal fist back.

I slid between them, deflecting the punch with my forearm. The metal fist nailed a chunk of the wall, the rubble clattering to the ground. I had both of my hands on Tim's chest as he tried to swing around me at Dick, who was pinned between my back and the lift.

Tim muttered curses under his breath, and Barbara tugged at his waist as I tried to get his attention. "Whoah, Tim, back it up, what are you trying to do, huh?"

"Tim, what's going on?" Dick demanded, raising his voice. "Why are you trying to hit me? Barbara, what'd you say to him?"

"Don't talk to her, you backstabbing-" Tim shoved me back with his next lunge, and this time his fist flew true, knuckles rapping Dick's cheek.

Dick recoiled and I managed to wrangle Tim backward. "Man, you better relax while I have time to deal with you. What the hell is going on?"

I knew the answer. I knew Barbara would play along like I had no clue. It was better if I didn't. Tim seethed, his eyes on Dick as he responded to my question. "...They've been having an affair."

"Not an affair," Barbara was irate, her eyes shining and her hair a mess. "And it wasn't like that. We just kissed, that's it. A year ago. Nothing since and in a moment where it could have been the last time I saw any of you."

"Barbara, no…" Dick whispered over my shoulder, and I glanced at him. He held his bleeding cheek, a hand braced against the wall. His eyes met hers, and I saw a sigh leave him. Although if it was relief or defeat, I couldn't tell.

"Then why?" Tim whirled around and glared at her. He didn't seem to have heard Dick. "He left. All those years back, he left and I was there to pick up the pieces." He jabbed a finger into his chest, "Me. You told me you were in love with me before Joker shot you. You told me you wanted to be together. He was gone when you were recovering, and you know who never left your side? You know who always had the shred of hope that you'd walk again, even if you didn't see it yourself? You know who still keeps an eye on spinal research so when a possible operation comes up, it might be a viable option to give you back your cape? Me."

It felt like my back had fused with the wall behind me, and I was a wallflower. I was a witness. Not a participant. But when I saw the first tears roll down Barbara's cheeks, I couldn't stand by. I unhitched from just watching, and moved to stand by her side, slightly in front of her.

"Tim, I didn't do it to hurt you." She choked out.

"You kissed him," Tim said, and looked from her to Dick. "Didn't kiss me."

Something in me reached for Tim as I stood with my arms to my sides. He was as young as I was when I was broken. And physical torture rendered the same expression that was on his face right now. Anger, hurt, betrayal.

"Tim, you're my brother," Dick tried to step towards him, but Tim's stare made him rethink it. He held his hands out, "Tim, you know I wouldn't hurt you. I didn't do it to spite you and neither did Barbara. It was a…" His eyes darted to her for a moment. "Brother, you've known all the time you've been in the family how I feel about Barbara. I stepped aside when I came home from being with the Titans. I moved on."

"Don't lie to me," Tim's voice was quiet, a reed vibrating with rage. "It's clear you haven't moved on…" He shook his head in disgust. "Or was Kori a rebound girl?"

Dick flinched, but he didn't reply with shame. He did with anger, and I slipped around Dick to hold them apart. Grayson was making it hard as he growled at Tim, "Are you kidding me, Tim? A 'rebound girl', how dare you!"

Tim shouted back, "Don't try to tell me you didn't just let me be with Barbara. You knew how I felt, every damn day I looked at her and I knew it wasn't me she was thinking about-"

"-maybe it's because you can't take a goddamn hint!" Dick fired, and that's when I'd had about enough. I wasn't alone.

Barbara reached under the footbar of her chair for escrima sticks, screwing them into a staff. Tears on her cheeks and her nose pink, she whacked both of them in the ribs. "That's enough!"

I forced them apart, and glared from one to the other. "I agree, that is e-fucking-nough. I half-decently like you people, and I'm about to say this out of love, but I'm running so damn late right now thanks to you two punks, working a stupid job because y'all didn't like me having blood money sitting around and kept secrets from me. So I think I'm entitled to be a little pissed right now." I pointed a finger at both Tim and Dick. "You two ratchet-jawing fucks better count your damn blessings you've got people. I had a somebody but the damn mission took her away. And I know you must be tired of hearing me bitch about it-"

Dick opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "You got to say your piece, lemme say mine. You should've opened your mouth and said something, or just not left in the first place because the old man looked over your shoulder. I understand wanting to get out of someone's shadow, being your own man, but what are you, three? 'Oh, Dad's not giving me my independence, so I'm gonna go on a two year galactic expedition with a bunch of hyperactive teenagers to fight parademons and screw the first woman I see.' Not your best plan, Grayson."

Just when I caught Tim looking smug, I turned my sights on him. "Before you bust a nut smirking over there, Richard's got a point. Take a hint. I'm saying this as a guy that can't take one himself, so I can recognize the symptoms. If the girl is off and on with you for five years? Dude, she's just not that into you. She called it off because the mission's important, and y'know, she's not wrong. It is kind of important that we worry more about what's going on out there where people are in danger," I jerked my chin to the windows at the end of the hall. "And less about whether or not you're gonna be fat and lonely come Valentine's Day."

I turned to Barbara next, and I sighed. I wanted to brush her tears away, maybe scoop her up, call in sick for work, and hold her into the next millennium. But there was a lesson here for her too. "Barb, you can't keep two men in your back pocket. It isn't fair to either of them, and only creates fights like this. You have to make a decision and stick to it. If you don't, it won't be me that inevitably tears the family apart. Got me?"

She nodded, and wiped her cheeks. She sniffed, and looked across the room at them. I scanned their faces, all three. "Can this therapy session be done now? Can you guys keep it together until I get back? Or do I have to force a timeout?"

"We're fine," Tim cleared his throat and straightened his waistcoat. "I don't want either of you asking me for a single damn thing." He stepped forward and pushed the doors open for the staircase.

Dick frowned after him, and caught Barbara's gaze for a second before he turned for the lift. "I'll see you guys later."

He saw me stay where I was by Barbara, and he pulled the cage closed, pushed the button, and the lift began to descend.

When he was out of sight, I heard Barbara's voice beside me. "...They're never going to forgive me, are they?"

"I don't think Dick will hold it against you for telling the truth. At all. I'd worry about Starfire, though. Tim? I...think it's gonna take time." I rubbed my forehead before I crouched in front of her. I clasped my hands around hers, and told her something I'd only ever confessed in daydreams, in a voice I hadn't used since I was sixteen. "...Do you know what's funny? If I hadn't been kidnapped by Joker, I'd probably be taking them both on for the chance to be with you. The guy I used to be, the...whole, bright kid that smiled more, would've fallen in love with you too."

Barbara flashed a begrudging smile on her face, and she smacked my forearm. She shook her head. A silent laugh spread her lips, "I hate it when you do that."

"Make you laugh when you don't want to?" She nodded, and I smiled as she turned to roll her wheelchair back up the hall. "Isn't that what big brothers do?"

"Have a good day at work, Jay."

I heard the lift coming back up, and I watched her disappear into the lab. I knew that this wasn't her smartest move, and it wasn't fair to Tim or Dick. But she still deserved a break from it all, same as any of us. To be cut some slack.

Compared to what was coming, this was going to feel like a cakewalk. If what Talia said was true, and if she wasn't lying about what she did with the memories she took from me, it was going to get a lot worse.

It was going to be a nightmare.