Part 4: Reversals of Fate

Jason knew there was something they were not telling him. For one, he was forbidden from entering an entire section of the Cave, something that had never happened before. Sure, Bruce and Damian kept things from him, but never like this. For the first time in the three years as a resident of the Manor and the two and half years as Robin, it was like they did not trust him. A part of his brain knew that it was not mistrust of him, but everything else screamed that he was out of the loop because they did not think he was good enough.

That's why right now he was in the vent system, squeezing his way to where he should not be. Bruce and Damian were out on patrol, and he had actually gotten Dick to do something on his own for at least the next hour. The Cave was empty, save for whatever was being hidden, and the ventilation system was the quickest way to get to that area. It had been a while since he had used this means of moving through the Cave, and he knew it would probably be the last with how tight of a fit it was.

He finally made it just above the area when voices started to come up from below him. One he recognized as Stephanie's, though it was louder and more angry than he had ever heard it; and that includes the time he had put a (realistic) fake spider just under the seat of her car for an April Fools prank.

"You actually think I believe that load of bull?" She said, speaking to someone hidden from Jason's limited line of sight.

The reply was from a strained voice, definitely male and familiar but Jason could not place from where. "Believe whatever you like, it's the truth. Just because I'm still here doesn't mean I will stay."

Stephanie threw her arms up, moving out of Jason's sights allowing him to see some kind of medical set up. "Christ, Tim. Do you really think that you aren't needed here? Do you not know what you did to us when you left?"

Tim? Jason frozen, even his breathing seemed to stop as the name connected with memories and data. Bruce would not have him in the Cave, would he? Not Tim Drake, the Red Robin. The Robin would was supposed to be dead, but came back. Why would Bruce let him in here, and why keep that from him. He had his own feelings about his predecessor, all of which ending with being beat down by him in some rage filled desire to hurt Bruce.

He was almost too distracted to catch the other's reply. "What would I have had if I stayed? You were able to move on past me, same as I did."

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe." Stephanie said, the sound of footsteps meaning she or Tim were moving around. "I just came by to check on you, I have to go." There was the soosh of one of the cave's doors opening and closing, and then silence.

Jason's brain started to process what was going on. With Stephanie leaving the room, leaving Tim, meant he was for some reason confined to the room. Which in thinking made more sense than Bruce allowing him full range of the Cave and its systems, but something made Jason's blood run cold. It was like he was two moves behind an enemy, in an unknown playing field.

"I know you're up there, why don't you come down." Tim's voice calls out, less strained than before but still there is something in the way that he talks that plays at the back of Jason's mind.

Jason debates moving back, just pretending he was never here; but if he did that he would never get any answers. That is unless Tim rats him out to Bruce, and then it would be a different kind of questioning. Jason moves the grating from the vent shaft, moving so he could swing down. He was glad he had worn his mask, even if he just wore black cargo pants and a long sleeve shirt. The mask gave him something to hide behind, because Robin was definitely more prepared for a confrontation than Jason Todd right now.

Landing with a crouch, Jason was surprised to see Tim hooked up an IV drip. His face was paler than what it looked like in the rare photograph in the Manor. He was the first one to speak, Jason backing up a fair distance after he stood up. "If it isn't the little Pretender." His smile is a little off, like he's fighting something. "Not so little anymore, though." A small laugh leaves his mouth before he grimaces.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jason asks, keeping distance but trying to read anything off the situation. The IV fluid is clear, so probably some kind of saline or medicine.

Tim's smile stays on his face, though it seems more or less sane compared just a moment before. "You must be a delight for Alfred, mouth like yours. He always disapproved of Damian's condescending comments, must outright wash your mouth out."

"I'm not here to talk about Alfred." Jason snarls, fighting himself to keep his distance. Even if Red Robin was obviously injured, or at least drugged up, he was dangerous. "Just tell me why you're here."

Tim moves so he's sitting on the bed, and Jason notices his left arm is cuffed to the side of the bed. He relaxes as the vigilante speaks. "Bruce didn't tell you? Is that why you were in the vents?" He laughs, a disturbingly disarming sound. "He's just full of secrets, though he probably thinks he's keeping you safe. But it's the opposite isn't it, Little Wing? We're both the same, can't leave well enough alone."

"I'm nothing like you." Jason steps closer, eyes drilling holes into Tim's face.

"Sure you are, we all are. You, me, Damian, and Baby Bird." Tim shrugs, "Tell me, has the little one been told yet?"

"Leave Dick out of this." Jason growls, grabbing the front of Tim's t-shirt. "You'll stay away from him, or so help me…"

"What?" Tim interrupts, an unspoken dare in his voice. "You'll kill me, Little Wing? What would Batman think of his little Robins killing each other?"

"I'm nothing like you." Jason spits, eyes narrowed. He did not even realize that he had pulled Tim to his feet, his left side straining from where the cuff was being pulled. "But you better fucking believe you'll…"

"Robin, stand down." A new voice calls, making both Tim and Jason to jump back and straighten. Jason turns and sees Damian. The other is in black body armor, cape and hood gone but otherwise in his Blackbird uniform. "You were told to stay away from here Jason."

Tim's the first to reply, sitting back down as his face grew paler. "Don't blame the Little Birdie. You remember what's it like when Bruce tells us not to do something."

"Shut up, Drake." Damian says pointedly, looking squarely at Jason. "You were told to stay away from here, were you not."

"I was." Jason says, lowering his head. Any defiance to Damian, particularly when he was Blackbird, was possibly worse than showing defiance to Bruce. "But you could have told me it was him. Trust me, if I knew that I would have stayed as far as fucking possible."

"Todd." Damian's only warning for Jason to watch his language. "Do you really believe that?"

"No." Jason says after a moment of reluctance. "So what? You going to tell B. I was down here?"

"Father won't need to know about this." Damian says almost too quickly, "But you will have extra training sessions until further notice."

Jason groans, though this was probably the best option he has. Training sessions, even with Damian, were better than being benched. "Of course. Now why is he here?" It was just asking for trouble asking Damian, but might get the information now that he's been caught.

Damian sighs, glaring at Tim who's just watching them with a bemused expression before he talks. "Some person saying he was a Talon stabbed me. The blade was poisoned, BB here was kind enough to get me. Then they looked me up." Tim's voice is so nonchalant.

"Wait, wait, wait." Jason shakes his head, "A Talon… Like the Court of Owls?"

"Yes," Damian nods, "Father and I have been looking for any more leads, but it's cold. Just nursery rhymes and hearsay."

"Jason!" The sound of someone calling his name pulled Jason out of his musing as he looked up and saw Dick hanging upside down from a tree. "Jay, are you listening to me?"

It was the next morning, after Jason found out that Tim was being held in the Cave. Damian had kept his word about not telling Bruce that he knew Tim was there, but he was unofficially on house watch until further notice. The very thought that the rogue former-Robin was just under his feet made Jason nervous, but he could not let on that he knew the other was there. "Sorry Dickie, I was distracted. What were you saying?"

"Damian said he wanted to teach me how to fight." The very statement made Jason want to go and scream at the first Robin, but he knew it was probably best. If the Court was real, shit was going to hit the proverbial fan before anything got better.

Jason just nodded, "I see. How do you feel about that?"

Dick flipped out of the tree, landing near Jason with more finesse than his small body should be able to exhibit. "I don't know. It'd be cool… But why?"

Jason shrugged, knowing full well why but unable to say. "If you're going to stay here, it'd be better that you could defend yourself." Bruce had brought the offer up the day before, leaving the decision up to Dick but everyone knew the kid might very well choose to stay. He seemed to fit right in with everyone, and with him knowing it seemed like the right choice for them all.

"Does that mean I'll be Batman's sidekick too?" Dick asked, face showing a youthful excitement that Jason remembers himself having at the thought of becoming Robin. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I don't know." Jason said truthfully, though choosing his words carefully. "If he lets you, it'll be months of training before you would know."

Dick just nods, the idea sinking in and Jason wished he had said something different. "How long?"

Jason shrugged. "Six months of intense training, and then tests until he decides you're ready."

"And then I'd be a Robin?" Dick asks, completely enamored with the idea and Jason thinks he could be sick. He did not want Dick to be Robin, or for anyone else for that matter. He had taken the name in some twisted sense of remembrance for the boy who died and the world seemed to forget. Now though, Robin was a tainted name. Damian had no choice in the matter, Tim wanted to be Robin, and Stephanie, for her short tenure, was Robin by necessity. Jason was losing any reason to continue the name, save for that it was now his.

"Maybe." Jason said with a sad smile, "If you prove yourself, I'll give it to you."

Dick seemed to catch the sadness in Jason and sat by him. "Than who'd you be?"

Jason shrugged, throwing an arm around Dick's shoulders to pull him closer. "Don't know, but you'll have to prove yourself kiddo." He ruffled the boy's hair with his other hand before lightly pushing him aside to jump up. "And from the looks of it, that'll not be for a long time. Now how about you show me that flip you just did one more time."

Dick jumped up after Jason, running back to the tree and climbing it like a ladder.

A/N:

So I know its been like a month since my last update, but I blame work and responsibility and being an adult (it sucks, don't try it).

Anyways, I think this is the first chapter that I had all the Robins make an appearance (not together, but at least two were together at a time)...

So there we go, the Court is coming soon. Just be patient.

Y'all are definitely the best :)