Notes: On my tumblr, I reblogged a bunch of questions for fanfic writers to answer. If anyone is interested in getting answers to questions like 'favourite pairing to write' or 'do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind?' (some people might already know the answer to that one) head over and put a number or question in the ask box (I'm Quinquinis on there).

Part 12 – Tarantula

Jason was glad that Roy didn't want to travel back to Gotham unless they had to. Contacting Oracle was simple enough as long as they had a computer however, this one also had a webcam installed.

"Do we really want her to be able to see us?" Jason grumbled as they sat down in front of a computer at the library.

"Stop complaining," Roy said. "We'll be lucky if she doesn't freeze our accounts-"

"Your accounts," Jason interrupted.

"Because we kept her out of the loop for as long as we did- What do you mean my accounts?"

"I have a number of secure bank accounts and I bet that she can't find them all. I did get them with her in mind."

Roy looked at him in shock. "You Bats are insane."

"I'm not a Bat," Jason growled quietly at Roy, wanting to yell that at him but mindful of their secret identities and the public setting.

"Sure," Roy agreed. Jason decided to ignore the muttered and sarcastic, "whatever you say. Just as terrifying as Bats though," since he couldn't decide if he should feel flattered or not.

Jason had the computer pinging Oracle's and the screen going blank as she hacked in.

"I didn't think I would be hearing from you again." Jason decided to believe that was sarcastic and ignored the worried tone in her voice.

"Yeah, well, Harper figured you decided to know what's going on. We probably made you curious."

"I can't deny that. So, tell me, why are you looking into my private life?"

Jason rolled his shoulders in annoyance. "Not your private life. Dick's."

"If you think you can control him through me then you're mistaken," Oracle threatened, voice crackling with computer effects. There was no hint of worry in her voice now.

Jason grinned threateningly back. "Hey now, he joined me. But that's not what this is about."

"What is it about?"

"Catalina. The woman who kissed him in front of you." Jason was certain he could feel the spite through the screen. "We have reason to believe she hurt Dick."

Oracle was silent as she tried to figure out what to say in response. "Dick's a big boy. He can deal with it."

"I don't think he can," Jason snapped back. "He proved that when he let Catalina break you two up, even after refusing to date her."

"What?"

"He didn't cheat on you and Catalina planned it all," Roy summed up, helpfully.

"But, why? Why would she do that?"

"That's a question for a psychologist, not me. I'm going to say that she's crazy and focused on him. And he's probably too much of a good guy-"

"Actually, I think his self-worth is probably almost non-existent," Roy mused and then flinched as he felt two sets of eyes stare at him. Yes, he could feel Oracle's stare through the screen.

"Ah..." Jason started, ready to automatically deny that because Dick was the Golden Boy and Jason didn't call him that for nothing, the man practically shone confidence. But, Jason had been spending more time with Dick now than he could remember ever doing and he was starting to see through the act. The little times the smile dropped or the way he analysed Jason's movements even around the safe house after a tense night, like he expected Jason to explode at him. "Yeah. You're right."

It made Jason's heart twist when once it might have made him angry. Like back when Jason would have assumed Dick thought him dangerous because of Jason's actions. Now he knew it was because of Dick's own feelings and the way he needed to be praised and to feel useful instead of the worthless feeling he was probably carrying around.

Admission time. And this admission would be easier than admitting what had probably pushed Dick this far. "He's adjusting his behaviour into something he thinks will make me happy. Something that will make me accept him."

"Are you certain?" Oracle said.

Jason sighed. "Yeah. He still wants to take down the society and he's the kind of guy who can find a way to do that while being a 'bad guy' but, he's working that goal in a way which allows him to please me. I assume, if he went with Deathstroke, he would have played the role in a way which would have pleased him." The reason Dick picked Deathstroke was probably because he could act out. Deathstroke would have expected him to fight back and would enjoy watching Dick fight against him even while working for him.

It was just his luck that he got Jason instead. It made Jason determined to do the right thing by Dick. And Nightwing.

"That's not creepy at all," Roy muttered with a shiver.

"He's doing what he thinks he needs to do," Oracle said in a sad tone.

Jason didn't really care about that. He couldn't change what Dick thought but he could do something to make Dick safer. "And so are we. We're going to track down Catalina."

As expected, Oracle questioned what Jason was going to do when he found her. Jason had to admit, he had no idea. Shooting her was the best idea but he knew Dick wouldn't like that.

Oracle insisted that if Jason was going to go after Catalina, then he was going to take Roy with him. Jason agreed to that for two reasons.

Firstly, it would keep her off his back and allow him access to Oracle's information network which could find almost anyone, anywhere. Secondly, if he couldn't kill one abuser with an Arrow tagging along, then he should hang up his hood because his skills were slipping.

The only frustrating part was that Catalina's last known location was in Gotham.

"Why is it always Gotham?" Roy whined, not for the first time, on the train over there.

"If you don't shut your gob, then I'm going to make you travel the way Nightwing travels," Jason threatened.

Roy looked confused. Jason pointed to the roof.

"Seriously?"

"Blindfolded too." Jason gave Roy a savage grin. He was kind of hoping Roy would keep whining, then he could take him up atop the train. Train surfing was thrilling when you could see and could be horrifying when you couldn't.

Roy closed his mouth and seemed determined to not say another word.

Despite the fun moment on the train, messing with Roy, Jason's night went downhill. They found Catalina hanging around some abandoned buildings in costume.

"Are you Tarantula?" Roy questioned. He had decided to do all the talking for them since Jason's 'people skills' were apparently too harsh for this.

Jason thought his people skills were just what Catalina needed.

The orange colour to her Tarantula costume made him feel like throwing up.

"Oh? Who are you, Arrow Boy?" she questioned with a grin between snide and lusty.

"It's Arsenal," Roy corrected.

"And your friend?"

"Red Hood." Jason had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything more.

Tarantula hummed thoughtfully, twirling a knife in her hand. "I've heard about you. You're a criminal. Why hadn't Batman hunted you down yet?"

Jason grinned under the hood. It was too bad for Roy but it looked like Tarantula was adamant in having him join in the conversation.

"I'm just that good." He stepped towards her. "I'm here about what you did to Nightwing."

She frowned at him. "We only did what you do. We stopped Blockbuster from hurting anyone else. You can't turn me in because we killed him, you kill too!"

"You killed Blockbuster?" Roy questioned in shock. "And Nightwing-"

"He was right there with me!" she cheered. "Oh, it was so nice and afterwards, well, I don't kiss and tell." She laughed.

Dick's words floated into the forefront of Jason's mind. "I must have really wanted it because she didn't stop even when I..."

"What did you do to him, you -?" Jason growled at her, calling her what he thought was an appropriate name at the end.

"Well, that's not nice. There's nothing wrong with celebratory sex. I quite enjoyed it, even if I had to do all the work."

Jason ignored Roy's flinch at her words and went for his gun.