Notes: Chapter title references some of the information passing between Roy and Jason. Everyone's making assumptions and Dick doesn't want to talk.

Part 6 – Misunderstandings

Dick tried to shove Arsenal off him but he wasn't having much success. It didn't help that he was shooting glares at Jason.

"Aren't you going to help?" Dick asked.

Jason looked at Roy. "Are you going to attack him?"

"Not if he stays still," Roy shot back without taking his eyes off Dick.

Jason grinned at he turned back to Dick. Amusement tinted his voice as he said, "I don't think you need my help."

The mask hid the intensity of Dick's glare but not the angry red colouring his face.

"Come on, Nightwing. Just tell me what happened. Why are you hanging around with criminals and calling yourself Renegade?"

Dick violently twist his wrists inside Roy's hands and let out a tiny growl.

"I know I shouldn't ask this but, does it have something to do with Blockbuster?"

Dick froze. Jason's attention honed in on him. He knew about Blockbuster, the crime lord in control of Bludhaven. Large and known for snapping necks with his bare hands. He was also smart, which is how he rose to power in the first place.

Now that Jason thought about it, he hadn't heard much about him recently.

"What happened to Blockbuster?" Jason asked.

"He's dead," Roy told him.

Jason gave a low whistle. Monsters like that were difficult to kill. "Good riddance."

"Yeah, if anyone deserved it, he did. Made a mess of Nightwing's life."

Wait. That sounded familiar.

"That doesn't make it right," Dick countered.

"Don't tell me he's the guy you let get shot." Jason rolled his eyes. "The one you feel you failed? Get over it. You didn't pull the trigger."

"I might as well have!"

Jason groaned. His hand reached for his face and rubbed against his hood in frustration.

"You're an idiot. Being a bystander to a murder does not make you a murderer."

"Actually, it can. Depending on the circumstances," Roy responded.

Jason glared at him. "You are not helping."

Dick took advantage of their distraction to roll and twist so that he was atop Roy.

"You're working together?" he questioned them both, glancing between Roy and Jason.

"All I did was give Arsenal a chance to talk to you," Jason informed him.

Dick stood up and stormed up to Jason. "You had no right! You're the one who decided I didn't want to see anyone and yet you teamed up with Roy to corner me?"

Jason straightened up, using his height advantage to stare Dick down. "Of course I did. You can't be this dense, Grayson. Bruce's golden boy, switching sides?" Jason let loose a laugh. "Ha! Unlikely! And if it is true," Jason leaned right into Dick's space. "You understand that we're going to be curious."

Dick punched him in the gut. Pain shot through Jason and he stumbled back. Pain shot up his body and he forced himself to straighten up to glare at Dick.

Dick twirled out of the way as Roy jumped in. Jason rushed at Dick. He caught the acrobat off-guard and they tumbled into the grass. Dick kicked his knee up, his attack missing as Jason rolled to the side and to his feet.

Jason grabbed him by the shoulder as they stood up, ready to throw a punch into Dick's nose.

Dick twisted out of his grip and moved around behind him. Jason sprung up and Dick's kick just missed him.

"You-!" Jason growled, springing around and punching Dick in the nose. Dick moved with the punch so his nose wasn't broken. However, blood started pouring from it. Dick stared at his blood stained hand for a moment before bringing his attention back to Jason.

Dick was having trouble breathing. Jason grinned at the sight, not that Dick could see that behind his hood.

"Um, this probably wasn't a good idea," Arsenal pointed out, having pulled back.

"Shut up Arsenal!" they shouted in unison.

"How about you share what's going on in your pretty little head?" Jason growled at Dick.

Dick snarled. "How about you respect my privacy and stop asking?"

"How about… no?" Jason said, although it wasn't a question. He dropped down and kicked Dick off his feet.

Ever graceful, Dick fell back onto his hands and changed his fall into a flip. Jason rushed forward and shoved him to the ground as Dick landed on his feet.

This time, when the tumbled onto the ground, Dick didn't kick up. He coughed and wheezed a little, blood staining his lips and chin as it dripped from his nose into his mouth.

"Is this how you treat all your partners?" Dick questioned tiredly.

"We're not partners," Jason reminded him. "I'm your boss. You follow my orders. My whims. Don't you dare forget that!"

"Whatever," Dick responded like he was the younger one and not Jason. Jason shoved his shoulder back against the ground as Dick tried to get up.

"Not done speaking, Dick," he said. "You'll follow my orders or I'll drop you off at the Batcave with a note about all the criminals you're watching others kill." That thought sent a flash of anger through Jason. He killed so that others wouldn't have to. But Dick... "I'm a 'bad' person because I don't manipulate other people into killing for me. I do my own dirty work."

Jason ignored Dick's flinch as he climbed off. Having said his peace, he felt slightly better. He turned to Roy, who was standing with a shocked expression on his face.

"Got something to say, Arrow-boy?"

It took Roy a moment to snap out of it. He shook his head, giving Dick an apologetic look. Dick had sat up and was holding a hand to his nose, attempting to stop the bleeding.

"Is he always like this?" he asked.

"Like what?" Dick questioned.

Roy stared at Dick and motioned at his face. "Punchy?" he suggested as an adjective.

Dick blinked, a couple of tears still making their way down his cheeks in reaction to the punch to the nose.

"Hey!" Jason growled. "He started it! He attacked you first!"

"Technically, Arsenal jumped on me first," Dick pointed out, wobbling to his feet. "That could be considered an attack."

"No way. That's trying to talk to my friend who keeps ignoring me," Roy countered. "But, seriously man, that looks bad."

"It's fine," Dick responded with a shrug, even as blood dripped down onto the grass. His lower face was stained in various shades of red smear.

"Arrow-head's right," Jason said, feeling a slight pang of guilt. Most of his opponents didn't get up and walk around while bloody and he found it hurt to watch someone move around in pain because of his actions.

"It's fine," Dick insisted. "I'll see you back at the safe house."

Jason watched Dick walk off. It wasn't until he heard the bike rev that he snapped out of it.

"Hold on!" he cried, too late as the bike roared away. How was he supposed to get back? "Dick!" Jason wasn't sure if he was shouting Dick's name or insulting him. Also, he was glad that Roy already knew who Nightwing/Renegade was and that Jason wasn't responsible for outing Dick's identity.

"I think he just managed to escape our interrogation," Roy sighed.

Jason agreed, although he was a little disturbed by how Dick seemed completely nonchalant about his nose pouring blood. Jason knew from experience that Dick's face was probably stinging and he would probably have a headache from sinus trouble caused by the punch. Dick thought that was 'fine'. He didn't seem to have any reaction beyond noticing the blood. His voice was a little nasally but he didn't spit out the blood in his mouth, he didn't give any indication of pain and his expression when he looked at the blood was blank. No surprise or shock or even a wince. Not even a playful 'ouch, that's a lot of blood' wince.

"Hey, are you sure this is about Blockbuster?" Jason asked Roy.

Roy shrugged. "Who else could it be? Blockbuster attacked his life."

And what kind of effect might that have had? "And there wasn't anyone with him?"

Roy shrugged again. "He kind of pushed everyone away. Like he was afraid of us getting caught in the crossfire as well. Although, I guess there was that chick."

"What chick?"

"Cat-a-something something. I don't know. Oracle mentioned her. Told me to just see if he's still involved with her."

"Involved?" Jason snorted.

Roy didn't laugh. "Apparently, Nightwing broke up with Oracle to be with her."

Jason was shocked. Not at the news that Dick and Babs had been dating; that was just a 'about time' kind of thing. Plus annoying. He didn't really have to imagine what the couple had been like; he knew them both. They would have been that one annoying couple who flirted and were just so sweet on each other that it would rot your teeth.

"They broke up?" he questioned quietly.

"Yep," Roy responded.

"Can you get me information on this girl?" Jason requested.

"I guess?" Roy said, giving him a suspicious and curious look. Jason pretended he didn't see it. He didn't care about whatever Roy suspected about him.