{the apologetic spoiler}
-Repentance is the bark which never sinks-
They'd all dozed off eventually, slumping against one another with the sounds of old Christmas musicals lulling in the background. Steph didn't know how long she'd slept, but she was undeniably grateful of the lapse of time. She was too exhausted to dream, but in the back of her mind she did know that her situation was only growing more complicated. Deathstroke would find out about this, and he would try and retrieve her.
And even worse, Ra's al Ghul would find out. That nagging in her head was a warning, a survival instinct. If she went down this road, there was a chance she wouldn't come out alive. Did she really want to risk this all for a stint at heroism?
She felt sick with anxiety and fear, but she could not let it control her. Because she knew she was stronger than that. And she knew that she could be free, if she played this right. She awoke with her mind buzzing, and her head against Jason Todd's shoulder. Heroes always win, she thought with a dim smile. If there's anything I've learned from being a criminal, it's that.
"Comfy?"
It took Stephanie a moment to realize that Jason was awake, and merely allowing her to use him as a pillow. Aw, she thought, that's actually really sweet. By the sound of his voice, he was trying to tease her into embarrassment, but honestly?
"Very," she said, burying her face into his very bony shoulder. "You mind?"
"Nah," Jason said smoothly. "It'd be cruel of me to deny a pretty girl her sleep."
"Stop flirting," Bart grumbled against Stephanie's knee. His head was in her lap, though Steph didn't remember it being there when she had fallen asleep.
"I've been in a coma for four years," Jason said. "Give me a break, okay?"
"I think it's sweet," Steph said, cracking her eye open to look down at Bart. "What about you, Bart? You comfy?"
Bart said something, but it was muffled as he curled up against her. She sat up straight and gave a shaky yawn. "What time is it?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes to clear her bleary vision.
"Almost nine," Cyborg said from the ground. He was sitting with the small girl, Cassandra, who was practicing writing in a spiral-spine notebook.
"Ick," Steph said, running her fingers through her knotted blonde curls. "It feels like it should be at least noon."
"How do you Bats do it?" Bart whined, sitting up straight and stretching. "How can you stay up all night patrolling?"
"Well, personally it's a mix of habit, caffeine, and the occasional smoke break," Jason said.
"You smoke?" Stephanie asked, peering at Jason's face.
"Yeah." He shrugged. "Well, you know, I used to. Shit, it's been four years since I actually smoked, how ridiculous it that?"
"Uh, yeah," Stephanie said, tilting her head. "That is kinda ridiculous. Ever thought about quitting?"
Jason's eyes flicked over her face once, and gave her a long, dull look. "Ever thought about shooting yourself in the foot?"
"Harsh." Stephanie smirked, and she shrugged. "Sorry. I mean, I totally get it. I have no right to judge you about anything."
"Nope, not really." Jason tested his metal leg tentatively, and he glanced at her. He smirked back, his brows rising. "But, I can't judge you too much either."
"I'm kinda not too concerned about that," Steph said. "I mean, I'm a pretty shitty person."
"No way," Bart chirped. "You're not like Deathstroke at all, Steph! You're really nice and stuff."
"Aw," Stephanie said. She nudged her shoulder against his. "You're really nice too, Bart."
"Yo, Cyborg," Jason called. "Do you think I can walk yet?"
Cyborg looked up from whatever he was teaching Cassandra, and he twisted his head to face Jason. "Hmm…" The man scratched his chin, and shrugged, rising to his feet. "Lemme see."
"What does it feel like?" Stephanie found herself asking as she and Bart peered over at the mechanical leg. Cyborg moved it delicately back and forth, testing the joints, the wires, and the plating.
"Um," Jason said, his expression twisting oddly. "Heavy."
"Does it hurt at all?" Cyborg asked, peering at the plating, idly stretching the metal and nodding a little to himself.
"No," Jason said. Stephanie looked at him, looked at the way his jaw was set, and the way his eyes were fixed in determination. His shoulders were squared, and his head was raised high, and he looked far too proud for a boy who seemed so broken. She could sense that it was a mask though. He was a boy of many emotions, and she could feel them all roiling inside his skin, squirming and ready to burst through his pores. He wouldn't let them.
"He lie," Cass said softly. Her voice was a quiet little twitter that cut through them all like a blade through bone. All eyes fell on the girl's face, a girl with large black eyes and a smooth round face, feathery soft black hair that burst from her head in a feverish array, and a smile so sad it seemed to break apart on her lips.
"And how the fuck would you know that?" Jason asked, his eyes narrowed.
Cass stared at him blankly. She was still in her pajamas— loose pants, tight shirt that bared her midriff. She was like, pretty much as flat as a board, but damn the muscle made up for it. Her stomach was so toned, it looked like she could take a hit from an iron fist, and probably not even flinch. She cocked her head, and she stood, raising her own head high.
"Feeling," said the girl, her dark brows furrowing at Jason. "I no know how to explain. But I have feeling. You hurt, yes?"
"I'm fine," Jason said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I don't need anyone getting all wishy washy over me because of some funky feeling you've got, kay?"
"But you hurt," Cass said, sound a little exasperated. She gave a short sigh. "Fine. No listen to me. I see."
"Nothing personal, babe," Jason said breezily. "I just don't trust your, uh… feeling."
Cass gave him a strange look, her eyelids drooping in a strange, sad sort of way. "Then," said the girl, her voice soft and lofty. "Maybe… trust your feeling?"
Bart and Stephanie glanced at each other in surprise as Jason fell silent. His entire body slumped forward, and he scowled at Cass, but without any real hostility to the expression.
"I hate cryptic shit," Jason said, shifting his prosthetic to and fro. "But, whatever, I'm too tired to fight at this point. It does hurt a little. But it's something I can get over. Not a big deal."
"It might not be now," Cyborg said, his voice dark. "But later down the line? Dude, prosthetics can be tricky."
"I wanna walk," Jason said firmly. "I'll just be an even bigger pain in the ass if I can't, and then I'll put all of you in danger and that's just bullshit, okay? I need to wa—"
There was a knocking at the door that shut Jason up. Cass was immediately on top of it, which made Steph wonder if she was eager for companions, with all her enthusiasm. She swung the door open, and Stephanie watched as her entire body seemed to tense in excitement. She tilted her head back, her tiny body hanging against the door as she twisted it in the direction of the kitchen.
"Helena!" she called. "Barbara is here!"
"O?" Bart asked, jumping to his feet. "Are we off guard duty? Because like, Kon and Cassie have done literally nothing of value the whole mission, and that, my friends, is unforgivable."
"Superboy saved me and Tim yesterday," Jason said absently. He leaned his body so he could peer at the entrance of the apartment. "Oh, shit, speaking of."
Stephanie smoothed her hair out subconsciously as Tim Drake moved cautiously into the room. He caught her eye, and gave a weak smile, his eyes dim and exhausted. Cassandra was standing beside him, watching his face with sharp, quick eyes that were staring pointedly at his abdomen. Stephanie could hear Oracle's voice resonating softly from the kitchen.
"Sorry to shove this all on you…"
Helena replied in a short, clipped tone, "Yeah, yeah. I get it, Dinah was busy, and I'm the next best baby sitter."
"Hey, guys," Tim said, rubbing his chest absently. Stephanie watched, and rested her chin on hands. If I live through this, Steph thought. I really want to make out with him again, holy shit. Or, well, maybe they could go on a date first. That would be nice. She found herself rubbing her neck as it warmed at the thought. "Cass, I see you're good."
"Yes," Cass said, nodding. "You not, though?"
"Eh." Tim gave a little shrug. "I'm so-so."
Cassandra watched him for a few moments, looking pensive, before she tilted her head and gave a dim smile. "Cool," she said softly.
"Totally," Tim said, running his fingers through his hair. Stephanie followed his gaze to Jason. "Um… okay, we have a lot to talk about."
"Are you okay?" Bart blurted, zooming to Tim's side. He looked a little scared to hug him, so instead his arms hovered outstretched, his body curling forward. "Dude, dude, dude, the blood—"
"I know," Tim said, grimacing as he rubbing his chest once more. "But I'm okay, I promise. Um… Talon, actually saved me. Saved my life, and… well, things got really complicated."
"But you're okay," Stephanie clarified. "Right?"
Tim looked at her, and he smiled gently. "Right," he said, nodding. "I'm okay."
"Good, because you look like shit," Jason stated dryly. His face broke out into a grin as Tim glared at him. "I mean that endearingly. Truly."
"Right…" Tim stared at Jason for a long time, and he sighed, shaking his head. Jason bolted up straight as if he'd been electrocuted, and Stephanie turned to look at him with wide eyes. His expression was suddenly incredibly suspicious, and his eyes were narrowed, and his shoulders were squared.
"Give me the bad news first," Jason said.
Tim leaned against the doorway, smiling dimly at Jason. His eyes were heavily lidded, and sad. "That would insinuate that there's actually good news," Tim admitted.
"Oh." Jason stared at Tim for a moment, and he slumped back against the couch. "Fuck."
"Yeah."
Oracle rolled into the room just as Jason began to chew at the skin around his thumbnail. Cyborg stepped up beside her, leaning downward so he wasn't towering over her. He spoke in a soft voice, his hand resting at the back of her wheelchair while she surveyed the room with quick eyes.
"Is everything good?" Cyborg asked. "What happened?"
"Way too much," Oracle said, looking a little distant. Tim stood a little awkwardly, as if he knew a horrible secret and was itching to run and run and run away from it. "But we don't have time to really dwell on it. I'll make this quick and blunt."
"Oh god," Tim murmured, averting his gaze.
This doesn't sound good, Stephanie thought. She looked to Jason's face, and found it stony and unbearably cold. "Do I even want to know?" Jason asked.
"No," Tim said quietly, raising his eyes. They were desperately searching Jason's face, pleading and wondering, and Stephanie didn't get it. She saw his wide blue gaze, and thought she saw fear glimmering behind the depths of them, pulsating outwards like a message uttered softly beneath a cloud of dismay. "But we need to tell you. And, um..." He glanced around. "Well…"
"Ghost was kidnapped this morning by the Comprachicos," Barbara stated sharply.
Comprachicos, Stephanie thought distantly. Okay, that sounds familiar. She felt a twist in her gut as she realized how fucked she was. Ra's would kill her. No, worse, he'd do worse, and this was all her fault. She should have found Ghost before this happened. She couldn't go back now, not with this failure. The steadily growing reasons not to return to Deathstroke were outweighing her other options. And she was terrified of the change, as it was a monster looming over her and threatening to devour her very existence whole.
"Comprachicos," Jason said. His voice was quiet, steadily devoid of emotion. His eyes were hard and glowing with a simmering type of rage, a good toil of emotions spitting up at the rims like waves breaking across palisades.
"Ghost and Talon saved me," Tim blurted, all but lurching into the room, his eyes wide. "If the Joker had been smart, he'd have killed me when he had the chance, but he waited. And then Ghost and Talon saved me, and took me to this place called the Rabbit Hole, where all these little kids were."
"Sounds like you were tripping hard, dude," Jason said dryly. "Please step away from the classic nineteenth century literature, it's obviously done some mad shit to your poor mind."
"Jason," Tim said with a solemn voice. "I'm serious."
"I know." Jason's eyes were still hard, and still glowing. "I don't know what you want me to say. I can't do anything to help with my leg like this, so I'm pretty much useless to you guys."
"Ghost wasn't the only one taken," Barbara said softly. "There was a girl, too." She studied Jason's face, and only Jason's face. "Artemis Crock. She's thirteen, and not a criminal. Her companions saw them get kidnapped, and ended up returning Titus— Bruce's dog— to the manor."
"Bruce has a dog?"
"Uh, wait," Bart gasped, flinging his arm into the air. "Question! What's a comprachiki?"
"Comprachico, man," Cyborg sighed, looking at Bart and shaking his head in disbelief. "It's not a hard thing to say."
"We need to get him back," Tim said softly. He took a deep breath, and shook his head profusely. "There's not time to banter about it. Jason, you get it, right?" Tim looked a little desperate as he stared ahead, his eyes wide and searching Jason's face with a pleading gaze.
"Well, I don't get," Jason said slowly, "what you're trying to say."
"Jason…"
The muscle in Jason's jaw jumped. And suddenly he looked livid. "What the fuck do you want me to do?" Jason asked, jerking to his feet. Cyborg gave a little shout of objection, a noise rustling at the back of the man's throat as he reached out for a short moment, one eye going wide in alarm.
"Jason—" Oracle started. Stephanie looked at her, tearing her gaze from Jason's trembling body, and she noticed the expression on the woman's face. There was defeat in her eyes, sadness and uncertainty glowing behind the gleam of her glasses. She opened her mouth, but she seemed to falter, as if the words had lodged inside her throat and gone dry, flaking away into the subtleness of a dying plea.
"What?" Jason snapped. "Jason what?"
"Hey, dude," Bart gasped, jumping to his feet as well, his hands outstretched. "Calm down."
Stephanie sat with her hands in her lap, and her neck craned upward to stare at Jason's face. He had grown pale, and Steph realized it had been growing paler and paler since Tim's arrival. Now his skin was a chalky white, sickly sallow and discolored as he reacted vehemently against Tim and Barbara's sudden presence with every fiber of his being.
"What the hell is going on?" Helena asked, appearing behind Oracle with a sharp irritation in her gaze. Her chin was pointed upwards in a clear sign of authority, telling her that the woman was prepared to kick them all out if necessary.
"Nothing," Barbara said immediately. Tim stood beside her with his body in a slump. He looked down at Barbara, and there was something strangled in his face— a scream was on his tongue, and Stephanie could feel it ringing in her bones. He's angry, Stephanie thought. Everyone is angry. Is that my fault too? She couldn't be sure, and it bothered her too much to really bear.
"Sure doesn't sound like nothing," Helena said, crossing her arms. Her eyes fell on Jason, who stood with his entire body shaking so terribly that Stephanie was afraid that he would collapse at any moment. "Is there something I should know?"
All eyes seemed to be on Jason. And Jason seemed to hate that more than anything, as his mouth opened, his teeth bare in a feral snarl. There was a fire that glazed over his eyes, and a fear that radiated off him with every rattle of his bones beneath his skin. He seemed to be so terrified that he was angry. And that rage felt like a hurricane ripping through the room as he burst like a swelling balloon.
"I have nothing to do with this," Jason said, his voice unsteady and rising as the pressure steadily built upon him. "I don't know what the fuck is happening, and… Comprachicos? Really?" He looked ready to snap something in half, his arms moving outwards ever so slightly reaching with fingers flexing and clenching in dismay. "What the hell am I supposed to say to that?"
"I'm sorry," Oracle said softly.
"Why?" Jason's lips were curling back. "Why are you looking at me like I'm—"
Jason stopped. His entire body seemed to jolt in shock— as if someone had rammed a fist into his gut, and he was left shaking in shambles. His face crumpled as he stared at Oracle, his fury melting into fear and then horror and then shame. Stephanie found herself on her feet as he buckled, and she reached out to grab him, but he jerked away from her touch as if thorns had burst from the flesh on the inside of her hands.
"Um, Jason," Stephanie said weakly. "Are you okay…?"
He ignored her completely. "You told her," Jason said in a breath. It was a wispy string of words that spilled from his lips like a choke of disbelief.
"I had to," Tim said. He was looking at Jason, but his head was bowed, and his shoulders were hunched, and he looked like he wanted to melt into the ground.
Told her what? Stephanie's fingers twitched against empty air, and she fell back, her shoulders bumping against Bart's. She looked around the room, and she felt lost as tension coiled around them like a fist clenching. Oh god, what the hell is happening?
"No," Jason said. His voice was soft and low and bitter. "No you didn't."
"Jason, please," Oracle said, rolling forward fast. "We need to find Ghost, and I'm so sorry, but you're the only one who—"
"No."
Stephanie watched in shock as he began to wander forward, his metal leg bending awkwardly. His knees buckled, and he gave a soft gasp of pain as he dropped, his body sinking into the floor as his body trembled and his eyes flew wide. He shoved a fist into the floor, and then pressed his knuckles to his mouth as he doubled over.
"Dude, you're putting way too much stress on Dea!" Cyborg gasped, jerking forward. Stephanie bent down beside Jason, and she reached for his back without thought. He looked pallid and shaky, as if he was about to wretch. In fact, his arm tucking into his stomach, resting against it in a way that suggested that it was aching. He made a very soft gagging noise at the back of his throat.
"And yourself," Stephanie said quietly, her palm pressing to his back. She could feel his quaking. "Um… these Comprachico dudes…"
"They're a gang," Oracle said. "Most missing children cases tend to trail back to them. They've got a huge network in Gotham, and—"
Jason pushed himself to his feet, his eyes on the ground. "Bathroom," he breathed.
"Jason—!" Tim gasped, reaching out when Jason shoved past him, staggering and swaying like a blind man.
"There," Cass said suddenly, pointing at a hall to the left. Stephanie sat on the floor and watched as Jason bolted, moving quickly and rigidly, his body moving with a strange, awkward gait. He's really in pain, Stephanie thought. Oh gosh, oh gosh, why…? But Steph couldn't think. She felt useless. How was she supposed to be a good guy when she couldn't even give herself some comfort?
Tim went after Jason almost immediately. Stephanie watched Tim disappear into the hall, looking horror-struck and scared. "What's…" Stephanie said faintly as Oracle rolled her chair before her. "What's going on?"
Oracle looked distant. She drummed her fingers against her armrests, and she gave a long sigh that drifted into the air and settled like a weight. "Ghost was taken by the Comprachicos, a gang that specializes and child trafficking," Barbara said. Something twisted in Stephanie's gut, like a knife sliding through her stomach and nestling to the hilt. "Jason has some bad history with them, but he's the only one who might know where they are."
Stephanie stood up, running her fingers through her hair as she tried to think. "Well," Stephanie said. "Um…"
"That's totally bogus!" Bart gasped, jumping up beside her. "I mean, like, this Ghost guy tried to kill him a few days ago. Yeah we should save him, but it's not surprising that he's a little on the fence."
"Maybe," Barbara said quietly. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and she shook her head. "Look, there's… more, but I'm not saying anything else until Jason calms down."
Stephanie wanted to speak. She tried to, but there was a buzzing inside her pocket. She froze, her entire body going rigid as reality came rushing to meet her, delivering a harsh punch to the gut. She stood for a moment in shock, and then she quickly fished her phone out of her pocket, staring at it in horror. It felt heavy in her palm. She looked up at Barbara, and she could see the woman's face had gone stony as she looked at the phone.
"I'm sorry," Stephanie choked out. "I… I forgot I had it, I—"
"Give it to me," Oracle said. Her voice was not sharp or biting or dark. It was very carefully devoid of emotion. And Stephanie all but shoved the phone into her hands, stumbling backwards with wide eyes. Oracle peered at the buzzing phone for a moment, before her head whipped to face Cyborg. "Vic," she barked, tossing the phone in the air and jerking her chin.
Cyborg seemed to read her expression, and he readied his arm cannon to shoot immediately. With quick aim, he shot Stephanie's phone out of the air with quick precision. It was blown to pieces, and the room was showered with smoking bits of metal and glass. Everyone shielded their faces, and Stephanie felt a strange sense of confusion and fear prickling her.
"That…" Stephanie had to take a deep breath. "That won't help. Slade's wouldn't have called me unless he decided to check up on me." Stephanie bit her lip, and looked around the room desperately.
"Um," Bart said weakly. The room seemed to be simmering with tension. "Uh oh."
"At the very least it'll stop him from tracking us from here on," Oracle said, running her fingers through her hair. Her eyes snapped sharply up to Stephanie's face. "Unless he has another tracker on you."
"He…" Stephanie didn't know. For all she knew, he'd had a tracker implanted in her at some point. She had no way to tell. "I don't think so. But we need to go. Like, now. He's bound to show up now, and if we're here when that happens…"
"It'd be bad, yeah, I figured." Oracle waved her hand around at them all. "Alright, everyone pack up. We're heading back to base to regroup."
"I'll go get the kitty and Jason!" Bart gasped, bolting down a hallway.
Cassandra stepped up to Oracle, pressing her hand to the woman's shoulder. Her large black eyes were wide and inquisitive. "What wrong now?"
"Deathstroke," Barbara said carefully, "is on his way."
"Uh…" Cyborg said, peering through the window. "Hate to be the bearer of bad news, guys, but—"
"Oh my god," Helena gasped. Cassandra grabbed her by the arm, and she yanked her back. Stephanie tentatively stepped up to the window, and she stared blankly at the view she got of a building beside the apartment complex. On the roof, a familiar mask glinted against the morning sunlight. There was a bazooka resting on Slade's shoulder as he stared up at the window. He was just standing there. If his face had been visible, Stephanie knew there would be a dark smirk there.
"Run," Stephanie whispered, her eyes going wide as she watched her old mentor take aim.
Alright guys, next chapter is the last of the chaps I have done. Meaning, I may not be updating as regularly after next week. I'm not totally sure. But I'll try my best!
Victor Hugo wrote the shit and I stole it. Oop.
