Part 9 – Unexpected Answers

The fasten seatbelt sign went out and Jason relaxed. Beside him, Dick was sitting with a bored frown on his face.

"Since we have some time, you want to tell me about that girl you cheated on Babs with?" Jason said. He figured it would be best to bring this up on the flight back to Gotham where Dick couldn't give him the run around.

Dick stiffened for a few moments before sighing and sinking a little in his seat. "I just don't know what I did."

Jason was tempted to punch Dick however he was too angry to react. Surely Dick could figure it out? Having a girlfriend a city; one for Gotham and one for Bludhaven, was asking for trouble. Neither of the girls deserved to be lied to and Babs especially didn't deserve to be hurt like that.

By chance, his silence gave Dick a chance to gather his thoughts and his next words gave Jason a chill which hardened his fiery anger to a cold lump in his gut.

"I just don't understand. What signals was I giving off?"

'Signals?' It was a strange way to describe a relationship and Jason hated that it rang alarm bells in his head. When Dick shifted nervously, Jason realised he was going to get up. The moment he left the seat, Jason stood up and shoved him back down onto it.

"No way," he growled, holding Dick down. In the tight space of the row, Jason was leaning over him as he held Dick's arms down and placed a knee atop his leg to press him to the seat. The back of the seat behind him helped keep him in place, making it difficult for Dick to shove him off. "You're not going anywhere. What do you mean 'signals'?"

"I-I didn't... I don't know what they were." Dick swallowed. "Catalina followed me. She was putting herself in danger. She just... she just wanted to help. I refused but she was going to get herself killed and I couldn't let that happen so I started helping her but I must have given her the wrong idea at some point because she started acting like we were dating." Dick's voice was a quiet whisper, despite the frantic undercurrent of emotion which made it hoarse. "I-I didn't mean to. Jason, what did I do? She took kisses, started turning up everywhere, she was planning this bright future for us but I couldn't... I tried. I really tried. I told her about Babs but then Babs and I broke up. I messed up. Barbara didn't deserve that and Catalina, she should have left me. Left me alone like I deserved. But she didn't. She stayed with me and I must have really wanted it because she didn't stop even when I..." Dick trailed off, curling up as much as he could in the seat. It wasn't much, since Jason was still holding him down. His head dropped to his chest and he rocked forward as much as he could. He took a shuddering breath and that's when Jason noticed the subtle tremors through Dick's body. As well as the clammy chill against his chest where Dick's forehead was resting.

"Dick?" he questioned, terror surging through him. He couldn't process this and Dick was shutting down.

"Dick?" he repeated. Nothing. He moved his hands from Dick's arms, waiting a moment to see if he would react. Nothing. One hand went under Dick's chin angling his face up a little so Jason would have access.

His other hand slapped Dick across the face. Jason ignored the people who glanced towards them and the looks he was getting.

"Sir?" Jason looked up to see a flight attendant standing there with a frown on her face. She looked disapproving and worried.

"He's-" Jason winced at the tremor in his voice. A calming breath later, he spun a tale, "he's my brother and I think he's having a panic attack," not realising it he was speaking the truth until after the words left his mouth.

"I'll get some water," she said, quickly moving away.

"Jason?" Dick mumbled. Jason looked down to see bleary, half-open blue eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, Dick?" he said as casually as he could manage. Which was pretty casual and he was proud of that when he had been internally panicking just moments before.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Okay," Jason hummed, feeling a bit calmer. He didn't want to talk about it either. "Do you remember where we are?"

Dick paused for a moment to think. "On a plane. Heading to Gotham."

Relieved that the worst seemed to be over, Jason slid off Dick and back into his seat. The flight attendant returned with a bottle of water and a damp cloth for Dick, who accepted them graciously.

"Just you and me," Dick muttered a little later.

"What?"

"That's what she said. It was me and her. And now I've left her alone."

"She'll be fine," Jason huffed. Catalina was probably hanging about in Bludhaven, wondering where Dick had gone to. Jason decided he needed to call Arsenal when they landed and get him to check out the streets around his safe house for her presence. The last thing he needed was that woman getting her hooks in Dick again.

Because, while Jason didn't want to think about what had happened between her and Dick, he sure knew it was messed up and that she was probably the source.

It was amazing how he had gone from wanting to punch Dick to wanting to guard him in one conversation.

"But, Jason-"

"If she had been hurt in any way, I'm sure Roy would have brought it up."

"Roy doesn't know her."

"But Oracle does. He's in contact with her," Jason pointed out. If Dick had been thinking straight, he would have realised that. "Have you been in contact with any of them?"

"No, Jason. I haven't sold us out," Dick said with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

Jason needed to be more specific. "What about Catalina? Did she want you in contact with any of them?"

Dick gave him a confused look. "Why are you asking? I don't know. It was just me and her. I didn't want to risk getting in contact with anyone. I'm poisonous, Jason."

"You're what now?"

"Get close to me and you get hurt. Catalina wanted to be a hero and I turned her into a killer. Like you said, I just manipulate other people into killing for me. Maybe you should just dump me in Blackgate when we get to Gotham," Dick sighed. "Bruce wouldn't want me after I failed."

Jason hadn't expected to hurt so much just thinking about what Dick had been through. He remembered Dick as a strong, fiery adult who followed rules but also carved his own path. Dick might still be that and he has seen glimmers of it while fighting Roy and while in Metropolis, however there was something else. The best way Jason had of explaining it was that Dick, rather than being poison, had been poisoned.

"I don't think Bruce will care if you ended up watching people get killed," Jason countered, hoping to stop at least some of what Dick was going though. "Anyway, if you really care about what he thinks, just blame me. He already thinks the worst of me as is."

Dick looked shocked. "No way, Jay. I'm not blaming this on you. It's my fault, I'm the one who failed."

While nice to hear that Dick wouldn't just toss him aside for his own benefit, Jason considered that a backfire. He changed tactics. "Whatever. If Bruce dumps you in Blackgate, I'll bust you out."

"Jason, no. Not for me," Dick sounded horrified but Jason was on a roll. This was getting a different reaction. Besides, planning prison breakouts was fun.

"I'm sure I can get Roy to help me. And Oracle might help us too, if it's for you. Roy will be backup while I break locks and maybe blow up a wall or two and Oracle can get us a map and disable alarms. Or maybe we could dress up as guards and have some kind of transfer papers for you but instead we'll drive you out of the city to freedom."

"Jason," Dick whined with a grin. "No."

"Come on Dick. Don't tell me you've never planned a prison breakout before." Dick's silence was all the response he needed. "You have." He grinned widely. "Tell me how you'd to it."

Dick signed dramatically but did. They both exchanged plans, changing the circumstances and making it challenging like a game.