Wayne Manor - Three Days Later

Being grounded sucks.

The fallout of Bane's new variant of his venom wasn't a complete shitshow for the rest of the clan. Robin and Nightwing had no trouble with the Ventriloquist and Zsasz.

The latter was not much of an combatant so Robin had pretty much played tag with the suddenly hulking puppeteer. Zsasz being Zsasz had tried to go on a killing spree, but Nightwing had the rep of being one of the best young heroes for a reason.

Dismantling the serial killer was a piece of cake for the OG boy wonder, even if the killer was hulking mess.

Spoiler was still grumbling about how she had to face Clock King, a man who was even less of an combatant then the Ventriloquist.

And KGBeast was laughingstock when you compare the man to the likes of Orphan, it's not even worth mentioning to be honest.

The girl next me, may have had her share of problems, she may be lacking in mental efficiency by design, but if you're facing Orphan in a fight one on one. I'd feel sorry for you for the most part, the one-sided beat down would be brutal.

I toyed with the idea of sparring with her before, yet neither of us ever stepped into the ring by my own admission. There were somethings that needed answering and some things that didn't.

Boy Steph was annoyed when I said that, and quickly announced Cass as a girl boss and claimed I was scared to fight her. Her smirk died when I admitted to it easily enough. I just didn't point out I wasn't scared of losing, I was scared that neither of us would give up, and we'd beat each other bloody.

I looked at the small girl and saw she was in a deep concentration as she attempted to learn simple additions. She gave me the barest of greetings, as I sat next to her with a book in hand, but she was the only one treating me normally.

The clan may have been made up responsible and mature individuals, but everyone was bound to let a bit of pettiness seep through once and a while.

They searched for me.

Two days of scouring Gotham both in and out of costume. Regrouping to where I took down the Wilson father and daughter combo, and then to the battle ground where One destroyed the area in attempts to kill me, which in lay had also a unconscious Scarecrow lingering, close to a burnt down lighthouse which was a melted and crushed remains of a corpse in the burnt wreckage.

Its only when I messaged Steph that did the worry and lingering grief turn into anger.

Which is fair, and I accepted the heat with no complaints for a while, but damn it they all were grating on my nerves now.

Bruce benching me for the foreseeable future was a given.

I hadn't told him what happened not outright anyhow. A jumbled mix of toxin induced delirium, fighting for my life, my augmented half being locked out due to heavy tranquillizer's. Bruce chipped One's death as an accident caused by the fire and his own arrogance.

I wouldn't be surprised if he ran an investigation on it, no I would be in for a shock if he didn't.

Even still, circumstances being what they were, Nightwing had my back on the matter, he even brought up how the likes of Joker fell into the vat all those years ago, hell there were a number of villains that bit the dust due to situations that they created.

I was taken off roster, to be in the field in case of emergency, and my lax therapy sessions with Black Canary were increased.

Could be worse.

Arkham or Blackgate coming to mind, but then again Red Hood has killed people and he's a 'peace' with Bruce at the moment. However, I could do without the deciphered pity mixed with disappointment from the man whenever he looked my way.

Steph was outright ignoring me, giving me the whole silent treatment, I had joked it was more of a blessing than a punishment just to get under her skin and get a response, but she didn't fall for the bait.

Damian was acting like I was a preambling child that needed assistance to wipe my own arse.

Babs threw a college textbook at me on bio-chem, and convinced the head of the household that it would some good that I went for some evening classes now that I was benched. Alfred was all for it.

Speaking of Alfred, his petty bitch behaviour was the worst. He put sugar in my tea, the monster! I drink like 5 cups a day, I can't put sugar in them, I'd fucking die! He gave a me narrowed look when I told him people have died for less, as if he was begging me to declare war.

Not much else to do, I decided to join my favourite badarse, with the bio-chem book. A dull read if there ever was one. The topic was fascinating when applied to the real world, and my mind picked up on the subject with unfair ease, but it was still a textbook with clinical facts that people were expected to memorise.

Steph came into the room with a rueful grin as she greeted Cass and ignored me. That was fine, its been going on for a couple of days now, but what really annoyed me was Cass actually made an effort to acknowledge Steph, unlike when I entered and got a bare nod.

"You're fucking kidding me?" I said with annoyed snarl, "Fuck you Stephanie." I spat out as I directed my ire at the blonde.

She didn't answer me, but the smug smile said it all, did she play Cass into joining her silent treatment.

"Intermission." She said suddenly, "I didn't trick her or play her." She rolled her eyes when she saw that I flinched at her guessing my thoughts, "Boys." She mumbled, "She was worried also. Even in her limited scope she knew to be worried, and when you gave me a bare bones message to say you're okay and we'll see you later. She couldn't even understand what to feel."

I let out a scoff, "So what, I hurt you," All, I left out all, not wanting to give her any further ammo, "so you hurt me in return?"

"You, simple minded, idiot!" Steph snarled as she got in my face, "We were worried, we still are. Even Bite-Size Wayne." The hurt that leaked from her voice wasn't what I excepted from her, "Where were you?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I thought about the bewitching red head that saved my life, sheltered me, and well fucked me.

Bruce didn't track the ping, and I eventually scrambled it, and set the ping across the city in multiple spots. Baby wasn't something that could be located easily either, unless you were literally looking at her you wouldn't be able to track her.

He didn't mention it, but it was another straw to add onto the reasons why I needed to be benched. I admired the man, but I wasn't blind to his flaws, he held all his cards to his chest, dealing out when it best suited him, but he expected us to be forthcoming with everything at all times, the clan were great at many things, but trust wasn't one of them.

If it were any other time I would've felt a semblance of sympathy for Bruce, a situation where he couldn't bug the person, as they were tech-savvy enough to find it, couldn't trail the person because their awareness was peaked as could be, and the person couldn't be strong armed, because they were someone who could hold their own against him.

But when its me being subjected to this BS, my sympathy was tapped out.

"I won't say."

Steph groaned, "You're supposed to say can't, and then I accuse you of meaning won't." I let out a snort, something she matched before she schooled her features,

"You know the regular cliché BS and me." I shrugged.

"Look Ammon…" She let out a sigh as she rubbed her forehead, "Just give it time."

"Aren't you supposed to say, you'll never forgive me? Cliché hurtful guilt-trippy BS."

She gave me a half grin, but she looked away, "Dumbass. Cass loves you too much to ignore you for long."

I looked at the girl who was just staring us with confusion, fair, she doesn't understand the basics of emotions, and human emotions are anything but, "Oh yeah Cass, right."

"Resume." She tried to say it as flatly as she could, but it failed with the way the corner of her lips quirked.

Trust took time to build and seconds to destroy, but I hadn't completely obliterated it… I haven't lost the people I care for yet… and to keep them, they would never know what happened at the lighthouse.

Red Hood's Homestead - A Day Later

Jay walked into his base of ops, well he snuck in through the window, a gun raised and pointed at me, when he clocked who had broken in, he lowered it and looked around for Bruce I'm assuming. When he eventually confirmed that the Batman wasn't lying in wait he turned his attention fully onto me.

"What the hell am I looking?"

"Oh no Jay." I cried in false exclamation, "You're going blind in your old age."

Jason huffed and walked over to the mixer and turned it off, "Why are you here imp?"

"Imp?" Checking the batter, I agreed with him that it didn't need further mixing, so I started to dish it out with the ice-cream scooper onto the oiled tray.

"You're short and a creature from hell. I called you freak, and you owned it." The man grumbled and took a seat on the countertop, he then plucked a cooling cookie of the racking taking a bite out of it.

"I'm shorter than you by like an inch." I squinted at him, maybe a slightly more but who was counting, "Plus you're old so of course you're taller. Though you'll probably shrink with age and all."

"Hilarious." He said with his mouth full, "So why are you here? And baking of all things."

"I'm bored, and you're the only other person I know that has their own mixer." I placed the tray into the oven, and then knocked the crappy kitchen equipment, it was a piece of crap compared to the one in the manor, but it still beat mixing by hand.

"I have a mixer 'cause I make pizza dough from scratch." It sounded like he was trying to defend himself there, "Beside that doesn't answer either of my questions." He plucked another cookie off the tray and headed to the fridge, pulling out a carton of milk he drank from it, reassuring me that it was a good call I brought fresh baking supplies instead of relying on his poultry stock.

If there was anyone who understood how the Manor could be stifling it was him, and Dick, yet really as much as the latter was great and gave off the goofy older brother vibes, this was something only Jay could understand.

I looked at the man in front of me. The black sheep of the clan. Jason Todd. A fan favourite when he literally returned with a vengeance, constantly getting done dirty by the writers when he was a work of fiction. Jason was more than an idiot who loved killing for the sake of killing.

He was many things, but the one I was focused on, he was a victim.

He understood what it was to be prey, to live in fear even after those that hurt you aren't there, the terror that they leave behind.

The one person who wouldn't judge me, well not harshly, he still sat on top of a high horse.

"I killed him." I uttered softly.

Jay let out a huff and sat back on his countertop, carton in hand, "I checked the lighthouse first." He admitted much to my surprise, no one really mentioned the details, they just went over the broad days I was healing with an annoyed painted picture, "The body was crushed under rubble. Seems to me the moron got cocky and paid for it. Its like you said, you don't need to save them, or are you going back on that."

"No, its still the same." No matter how conflicted I was about One's death, I would never save the likes of the Joker, "But this was different." He didn't say anything, but he did roll his eyes, "I jammed my knife in his neck."

"Oh." He stated lamely.

I stared at him blankly after he didn't care to elaborate, "That it? That's all you're going to say?"

"What do you want me to say, congrats you popped your cherry?"

"I'm talking about killing someone. Not fucking." I said with annoyance.

"Wait, have you-"

"Not important right now!" Jay mumbled under his breath that this was Dick's job not his, "He wouldn't understand."

He gave me a flat look, "Don't underestimate Grayson. The guys heart is bigger than his moral compass… and if you tell him I said that, I'll kick your ass."

"You'll try." I snorted.

"Look," He said firmly ignoring my snipe, "what went down there, be honest with me? Don't leave out details because you want to be some martyr."

Martyr? "I don't have a…" He gave me a flat look, daring me to finish the sentence, "Fine."

So, I did, I explained who One was, how we were split apart, how he ambushed me, and negated my demon half temporarily. How despite trying to fight him off, it was a one-sided beat down with the fear toxin/tranquillizer, effectively cripplingly me. How Pam busted out and restrained him, saving my life and giving me the opportunity to kill him and be rid of the possible threat to everyone's secrets. Though I didn't go in depth how much he and I to the extension we knew.

"Then Pam crushed his head."

Jay just stared blankly at me, "I'm tempted to hit you now." I scrunched my face in confusion, "You didn't kill him."

"I pretty much did. Pam just-"

"Another thing, why are you calling her Pam instead of Poison Ivy? Plus, why did she save your life?"

"We're sort of friends." I defended.

"Sort of friends." He repeated, "How can you be sort of friends with a supervillain?"

"She's not a bad person." I said heatedly, "She saved my life because we're friends. Though its in question now…" I mumbled the last part to myself, we haven't really talked at all after, well to be crude, fucking and running.

"Wait… did you…" Jay's hands were pressed flat against each other in front of his mouth, then motioned them at me, "Did you fuck Poison Ivy?"

"I just explained how I killed someone and that's what's got your attention."

"You fucked Poison Ivy! She's a supervillain!"

"She saved my life." I argued back.

He let out a scoff, "Remind me not to save your life then."

"Oh, my daze. Can we please focus on the matter?" I clapped trying to bring him back the conversation I wanted to talk about.

"No." He said flatly, "You're not me, or the Bat. You're you."

"Such a way with words." I snarked.

"Shut it." I closed my mouth and rolled my eyes, "Maybe you have the stones to do it, but you were jacked up on fear toxin and were pushed in a corner about to die. You didn't present like a submissive little bitch, you grit your teeth, snarled, and you bit back, when push came to shove. You did what you had to do to survive, and…"

"And?"

"And," He said with clenched teeth, "we're all glad for it. Because Freak, we like you. I'd rather have you around then your evil counterpart. Batman would've fell on the sword then risk his code, and this city would be worse off for it." He grumbled, "I'm not talking about righteousness, codes, or even its right or wrong here. I'm saying, no, I'm telling you to live, to always pick the option that lets you walk away, walk home." He finished his heated rant with a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair, his eyes avoiding mine.

I didn't feel better about any of it, but a small part of the burden was lifted, not enough that I would forget it all happened, but it wasn't so suffocating.

"How much did it hurt for you to say that?" I said with a sly smile trying to change the dour mood.

"I'm guessing as much as my boot going up your ass." He warned. Raising my hand in surrender my smile was on my face still, though his next words wiped it off my face completely, "So you and Poison Ivy?"

"Let's not." I groaned.

"No, no, let's." He was grinning, "I'm not sure if you knocked Dick's reigning title as 'dumbest hook up'."

"Look I don't even know what it meant, we haven't talked since," I tried to defend myself, whatever it was, I needed to talk to Pam about it, and not Jason, yet the bastard opened a can of worms and reeled me in, "Who the hell did Dick hook up with that would construe as worse?"

"Well maybe not worse, but plenty of bad calls." He shrugged.

Dick's tragic love life was something we shouldn't have been poking fun at, but it did confirm that the Blockbuster events didn't/haven't taken place yet, and they wouldn't here with me around. I refused to allow them to festering in the Circus boy's life.

Even if he did bring up Pam every now and then, my mind was taken off the lighthouse, I was assured that Jay was going to keep what we talked about to himself.

It was nice, to speak frankly about stuff that was bothering me… Fucking hell I owe Dinha an apology for being such a stubborn twat during my forced therapy sessions.

A/N - Published 2023/07/17

Yo, thanks to all, who've shown interest in this story. Be reading, following, favourite it, and reviewing.

Trying to stay consistent with my writing, but I know better than to make any promises, because life… enough said.

Just wanted to point out, that while Ammon is someone who is very much clued up on how Bruce works with his allies, and that doesn't mean he knows everything the man knows and how he acts/reacts. Ammon may think he's pulled a fast one with Bruce, but that doesn't necessarily mean he did. He only see's things from his point of view, that doesn't mean he right all the time.