Notes: This was hard to coordinate. Just the mechanics of what Dick and Jason do in the first part of this chapter were difficult to put into words. I made an attempt? (a few actually - this is just the final one). Next chapter should be the stuff I know some people have been waiting for (the emotional hurt).

Part 8 – Rumours and Truth

Jason moved through the hall set aside for the intermission, chatting with those gathered. Never longer than a few minutes, enough time to exchange some pleasantries and spread some seeds of doubt. Questions about who Luthor would bring in next, about why Bane didn't join and what he might know that the members don't, about Kryptonite and why Luthor was hoarding it, questions about- "You know, it's good that Luthor hired the extra security," Jason heard another guest say to Dick. "After that robbery of serum."

"Someone was showing off," Dick agreed quietly.

The guest hummed in agreement.

Dick smiled pleasantly. "That's why we're here. Of course, I do believe we're only lending our skills for this night."

Worry showed on their face even as Dick walked away.

"Did you just get them to doubt everything without saying it outright?" Jason questioned in surprise. Because he could see the guest whispering to someone else, someone who was nodding and looking slightly frustrated. It was beautiful. Plus, Dick's comments could be explained as him attempting to sell their services as security, after all, they were only working this night.

"Luthor is smarter than this," Talia said in a disappointed tone. "He'll figure out that you two are behind this."

"What is this?" Dick questioned with fake innocence. "We are just making small talk. Perhaps also gathering a feel for those who might secretly be Luthor's enemies."

Talia huffed. "You had better not be including me in that list."

"Nope. You're only interested in power. As long as Luthor can sell you that fantasy, then you'll be here." Talia's face went a strange pink shade. Jason looked at Dick, his jaw dropping, once again glad for the hood that hid the motion. "But, I don't see the likes of your father here. He doesn't need to rely on morally corrupt billionaires, does he?"

Talia looked outraged. Jason was grinning even as she turned that outrage towards him.

"Nothing he said is technically false," Jason mused. "You like power, Luthor has power and I don't see Ra's here."

Talia turned on her heel and walked off. They had probably made an enemy out of her and while Jason found that sad as he didn't mind Talia, all was fair in love and war. Or in vigilantes and criminals.

Jason was a 'whatever it took' kind of guy.

News that Talia had stormed out quickly spread. It was not helped by Jason's and Dick's implications that maybe she discovered something that made being associated with Luthor a bad choice. After all, why hadn't Bane refused to join? Where was Deathstroke?

Whispers travelled through the crowd.

Jason had to take down the first person who took an angry swing at another.

"Sorry, orders," he said in an uncaring tone as he tossed the person out. Just as planned, whispers quietened but did not stop.

People were not happy. Jason had not been hired to stop anyone from leaving but he did pay attention to those that did. It looked like Luthor was losing support which served their purposes well.

The night was about to wrap up when there was a crash from outside. One of the other security members came rushing in.

"Superman!" he cried out in panic. "He's here! Superman!"

Jason's head snapped up and his hands went for his guns. A glance over at Dick saw that his partner had his escrima sticks already in hand.

"That's my cue," Luthor said, packing up and getting out.

"You want to follow him?" Jason asked Dick. Because if Renegade couldn't handle fighting against Superman because of old allegiances then Jason didn't want him here.

Dick shook his head.

There was a crash as the wall came down and Superman stepped in. His red cape swished behind him as he walked forward, stopping only as he scanned the room and took note of the two people standing defiantly before him.

"Yo," Dick greeted the man-of-steel calmly. Jason couldn't help letting out an amused snort. It was very like the older man to stand there and calmly greet someone who could pound him to dust without effort.

"Nightwing. Good to see you. Or so I would normally say."

"It's Renegade now," Jason corrected, stepping forward.

"Red Hood," Superman seemed confused. He turned from Jason to Dick. "And... Renegade? So the rumours are true? Are you a... 'bad guy' now?"

"I can't believe we're all grown men and can't come up with better descriptive words than 'bad guy'," Jason mused out loud.

"Hood!" Dick hissed at him in warning, although Jason could hear the amusement in his tone. Then he turned to Superman. "Sorry, but... yeah. Red Hood made me an offer and I accepted."

"I've heard about Red Hood." Superman glared at him. Jason didn't like Superman, who had rubbed him the wrong way even back when he had been Robin. Wonder Woman was better. "And his offers." Jason hoped Bruce told Superman about some of his actions upon returning to Gotham. Dick didn't back down as Superman turned back to him. "Have you really turned your back on everything you believed? Everything you were taught?"

"Believe whatever you want."

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in."

Superman moved forward and Jason grabbed at the personally-designed smoke grenade he had brought and tossed it between Dick and Superman.

He had enough time to see Dick's shocked expression before the room filled with gas.

"Please tell me that isn't deadly," Dick muttered as they made their way out of the room by one of the many exits. Specifically, the hole in the wall a certain hero made on his way in.

"Nah, it'll just mess with his vision," Jason responded with good cheer in his voice. "And make it difficult for him to know which way we went."

"We're not going to fight him?" Dick questioned, surprise making his voice sound young.

Jason laughed. Dick was really crazy, wasn't he? "That's Superman, Renegade. As in 'leap tall buildings in a single bound, stop bullets with his chest,' I'm not going to fight him unless I have to."

"Don't have any Kryptonite?" Dick joked.

"I'm a criminal, in Metropolis," Jason responded in disbelief. "Of course I have Kryptonite. That doesn't mean I'm going to use it on the guy. You probably have Kryptonite on you as well! Why don't you use it?" Jason just said it because he was frustrated and turning questions back on people was always a good fall-back plan. Therefore, it actually surprised him when Dick spluttered in shock.

"It's-! I-! Curse you," Dick grumbled.

"No way. You actually have Kryptonite on you? How?"

"I found your stash," Dick admitted, slightly embarrassed. "And, like you said, it's Metropolis."

Jason laughed out loud. They really made quite the pair. Either of them could have taken Superman but they both ran. Dick seemed embarrassed for the first few moments before he grinned and chuckled as well.

They reached the abandoned building they had been squatting in while in Metropolis and broke in via the roof.

Jason cursed as he entered the room they were camping in. "I should have shot him a few times."

Dick raised an eyebrow as he pulled off his cowl. "Really? It wouldn't have done anything."

"It wouldn't have done anything but, it would have been soothing."

Dick was silent for a moment. "From you, he probably deserves it," he muttered before yawning. The comment threw Jason for a moment; he thought that Dick loved Superman. "Are you taking first watch, Little Wing?"

Jason frowned at the nickname. "Fine. Whatever. Go sleep, you lazy tag-along."

"Yay," Dick responded sarcastically, pulling off the rest of this uniform and changing into pants and a shirt to sleep in. After storing his uniform in his bag, Dick curled up on the ground with a blanket and drifted off.