Notes:
Warning for general sexism and rudeness. You may want to punch this character in the face. I know I do!
(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)
Chapter Text
"I won't leave him," Bruce whispered, more to himself than to Dick. "Whatever it takes, I'll be here. He's going to come back to us."
Dick gave a resolute nod, his own determination solidifying. "And I'll be out there finding whoever did this. I've got your back, Bruce." He squeezed Jason's hand, eye-watering. "And his. I've been a lousy big brother, but…" He sat on the bed beside Jason, running his other hand through Jason's hair, just as Bruce had done earlier. "I promise to do better, Little Wing." He choked out a laugh. "Birds of a feather have to flock together."
The door opened, and one of the police offers entered. Officer Banks, Bruce noted. He had met the man once or twice on patrol. As far as he knew, he wasn't corrupt.
"I'm sorry Mr, Wayne, but Mr. Milton Roberts is outside to see you. He says he is with the Omega Affairs Office. Should I let him in?"
Bruce and Dick shared a look. Neither had any dealings with the office, outside of the mask, and even than very rarely. They usually delt with the omega victim's alphas, not third-party sources. It was so normal that Bruce had never thought of it as weird. Not until now. It also made him rage again at how soon they were approaching. He had thought they would have the decency to wait until Jason had recovered more and the family had time to acclimate to their situation. But it appeared that this was not the case.
"Send him in." He said gruffly. The doctor nodded and left them alone.
The hospital room was quiet except for the soft beeping of the machines hooked up to Jason. He lay there, still and unresponsive, his face pale against the stark white sheets. Bruce sat beside him, his hand resting on Jason's arm, though the boy couldn't feel it. Jason's body, once full of life and rebellious energy, now seemed impossibly small, reduced to the most basic functions—breathing existing. Dick leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, his eyes dark with barely restrained anger.
The door creaked open, and the atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. Mr. Roberts stepped inside, his presence invasive. The portly alpha wore a tailored gray suit that strained slightly at the buttons; his clipboard clutched in one hand as he surveyed the room with a practiced indifference. His beady eyes flicked dismissively toward Jason, the young boy a mere afterthought to him. He smelt so heavily of cologne that it was hard to gather his real scent. Bruce had a feeling it would be no more appealing than the cologne.
Roberts cleared his throat loudly as if to announce his arrival, his oily smile widening as he approached. There was something repulsive about how he carried himself, as though the weight of bureaucracy had given him power, and he was eager to wield it.
"Mr. Wayne," he began, his voice dripping with condescension as he extended a hand, which Bruce ignored. Roberts glanced down at Jason, his lip curling in a faint sneer before he continued. "I'm here to finalize a few things regarding your… ward."
He paused as if considering his words carefully, though the malice in his tone was thinly veiled. "I understand the boy was once expected to grow into a capable alpha—a strong successor to the Wayne name, perhaps?" He let out a small chuckle that didn't reach his eyes. "But as we both know, that's not quite how things turned out, is it?"
Bruce's jaw clenched, but he remained silent, his gaze hard as he listened. Roberts moved closer, standing at the foot of Jason's bed, his eyes sweeping over the boy's lifeless form with thinly veiled disgust.
"Well, it's unfortunate, to say the least," Roberts continued, the tone in his voice now pitying but not out of sympathy—out of disdain. "Omegas, as we all know, have limited roles in our society. They're good enough if your the domestic type. But a man of your stature,"
He laughed as if saying some private joke. He looked towards Dick. "Well it must be such a disappointment. The betas are all good, but you finally had an alpha for yourself. Not much to say for the breeding but blood isn't everything." He laughed again. Bruce was starting to hate him.
"It must be such a disappointment for him to be an omega now. Such a waste. You've never been short on bedmates, and I hear you have already hired help to take care of your domestic duties. And Jason… well, in his current condition, he's not even fit for most of those, is he?" He let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head.
Bruce's eyes narrowed, and Dick took a step forward, fists clenched at his sides, but Bruce gave him a subtle look, silently asking him to hold back. Roberts didn't seem to notice.
"Omegas are good for a few things," Roberts went on, his tone turning lewd as though discussing livestock. He licked his lips as if tasting something delicious. "They're useful around the home if they've got enough sense left in them—cleaning, cooking, maybe providing some… comfort for their alphas. You know how it is." His smirk widened, clearly enjoying the vile implications of his words.
He glanced at Jason again, this time with open disdain. "But this one? Reduced to nothing more than his instincts? A creature barely aware of his surroundings?" He shook his head slowly as though he were truly disappointed. "He's hardly fit to fulfill even those basic roles now. Not much good for anything, really. Can't cook, can't clean, can't even walk down the street without supervision, let alone hold any meaningful conversation."
Roberts turned his gaze to Bruce, his eyes narrowing with a sick kind of satisfaction. "I assume you're aware that omegas, never mind someone in Jason's condition, are legally restricted. No schooling past the age of ten, no employment, no property ownership. Can't have a bank account, can't leave the house unescorted—no autonomy. It's the law of the land, as I'm sure you're familiar."
Bruce's hands gripped the arms of the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The system was suffocating. He had known the law, yes. He'd never questioned it. It was so ingrained into the culture that it might have been a simple fact. The sky is blue; omegas have few rights. Just another everyday thing, but hearing it applied to Jason—to his son—was a different matter entirely. Roberts's voice, oozing with condescension and malice, grated on his nerves, but he forced himself to remain composed.
"And, well," Roberts continued, his tone now dripping with barely concealed malice, "Jason's prospects are… limited, to say the least. With his omega instincts fully controlling him, he won't be able to do much around the home, let alone anything else. Frankly, Mr. Wayne, I'm surprised you haven't considered selling him off. A young omega like him, healthy enough despite his condition, would fetch a decent price or make for a good business deal. He'd still be good for something then, either for breeding purposes or, well, certain… other uses." He chuckled softly as though this were simply a practical suggestion.
Dick stepped forward, fury etched across his face, his voice trembling with rage. "You're disgusting," he spat, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. "Jason's not a thing to be sold. He's a person, and you have no right to talk about him like that!"
Roberts raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by Dick's outburst. "Oh, come now, Mr. Grayson. I understand your… attachment, but let's be realistic. In his current state, Jason is little more than a liability. He can't think for himself, can't make decisions, and certainly can't contribute to society in any meaningful way. I'm simply stating the facts."
Bruce stood then, his towering presence commanding attention, his voice low and dangerous. "Jason is my son," he said, each word sharp and deliberate, "and he stays with me. I don't care what the law says about omegas, and I don't care what you think he's capable of. He's not for sale."
Roberts's smirk faltered, but he quickly regained his composure, shuffling his clipboard. "Of course, Mr. Wayne," he said, his tone more cautious now. "But you must understand, legally, his rights are… limited. Omegas in his condition require constant supervision, and frankly, they're not suited for much beyond—"
"I know the law," Bruce growled, stepping closer, his voice filled with barely restrained fury. "But Jason is not a piece of property. He's not an animal for sale, and he's certainly not here for your amusement."
Roberts blinked, sensing the change in the atmosphere. He cleared his throat, his confidence shaken. "Well, then. If you're determined to keep him… the paperwork will reflect that. However," he added with a hint of spite, "Jason's been officially withdrawn from Gotham Academy, as omegas can't continue school past the age of ten. Not that it matters—he wouldn't be able to attend in his state anyway. He's no longer fit for education or much else."
Bruce's eyes darkened. "You can handle the paperwork," he said coldly. "But know this—I don't care what restrictions you or the law think you can place on him. Jason will always be my son. He's not an object for sale. Omega or not!"
With Jason asleep, he was free to let the anger ooze into his scent and could feel Dick doing the same. He wondered briefly if he'd get away with hitting Mr. Roberts in the jaw as he had with the earlier doctor. It wouldn't do much to hold up his Brucie Wayne persona, but it sure would be satisfying.
Dick stepped closer to Bruce, glaring daggers at Roberts. "You should get out of here before we make you," he said, his voice low with unrestrained fury.
Roberts paled slightly but managed a weak smile. "Very well, Mr. Wayne. If you need further… assistance, the Affairs office is always available." He turned and hurried toward the door, clearly eager to leave the oppressive atmosphere of the room.
As the door clicked shut behind him, the tension in the room seemed to deepen rather than ease. Bruce stared at the door for a long moment, then glanced back at Jason's pale, fragile form on the bed. His fists unclenched slowly, but the anger still burned within him.
"What an alpha-hole. ." Dick said, sitting back down on the bed and taking Jason's hand."
"You won't kick him out," he asked, looking down at his brother. "I can't legally take him and…"
Bruce took a deep breath. "He'll always have a home at Wayne Manor. He's not going anywhere, chum." He thought about his relationship with Dick, How badly everything had turned out when he'd fired Dick as his partner. With the way they butted heads these days, it felt like maybe he'd fired Dick as his son too.
He hadn't intended for it to happen. He'd meant to protect Dick after that confrontation with Two-Face.. Bruce had been terrified of losing Dick, as he almost had. He was terrified of any number of his rogue's gallery going too far with Robin one day. He'd been loath to give his son his freedom, too. And in the end, they'd fell apart. Bruce hadn't wanted that. He loved Dick. Still did, even if half the time, all they did was argue.
He took a deep breath. "You do, too chum. I know we've had our differences and you're busy with Bludhaven. But if you ever wanted to come home, you can." He gave a rueful laugh, and as if to hide his own feelings in the matter, "Alfred would be ecstatic."
Dick's gaze softened, but his expression remained serious. "I appreciate that, Bruce," he said quietly. "But we both know things aren't the same as they used to be."
Bruce nodded, unable to argue. "I know," he said. The years had changed them both in ways neither of them had fully anticipated. But that didn't mean he wasn't willing to try to repair the fractured bond they once shared. Bruce had never been good at expressing his feelings, but he hoped Dick understood what he couldn't say.
"I'm here for Jason," Dick continued. "Whatever it takes, Bruce. And I'm with you too. We'll get him through this as a family."
He could feel it then. The mending of frayed bonds between them. It wasn't nearly enough to remedy the situation. But it was a start.
Notes:
While omegas are very much a work of fiction, women around the world struggle with sexual discrimination.
WORK
The World Bank says there are 104 economies with labor laws that restrict the types of jobs women can undertake and when and where they are permitted to work. It estimates that this affects the employment choices of 2.7 billion women.
Iran
According to Sharia, women in Iran need a male relative's permission to work, study, rent apartments, travel, and more.
Yemen
The mahram system in Yemen's north requires women to have a male guardian to travel, which prevents many women from working independently. Yemen also has the lowest percentage of women in the workforce, with only 8.07% of the workforce being female.
Afghanistan
The Taliban imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, which banned women from working and attending school.
Sudan
The Islamist government in Sudan has codified laws that restrict women's right to work, making it one of the worst countries for women's economic empowerment.
Kuwait
While women have made progress in Kuwait, husbands can still prohibit their wives from working.
SCHOOL
Figures from the United Nations suggest there has been "almost zero progress" in the past decade in tackling the lack of school places in some of the world's poorest countries.
South Sudan: the world's newest country has faced much violence and war, with the destruction of schools and families forced from their homes. Almost three-quarters of girls do not even make it to primary school.
Central African Republic: one teacher for every 80 pupils
Niger: only 17% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 are literate
Afghanistan: wide gender gap, with boys more likely to be in school than girls
Chad: many social and economic barriers to girls and women getting education
Mali: only 38% of girls finish primary school
Guinea: the average time in education among women over the age of 25 is less than one year
Burkina Faso: only 1% of girls complete secondary school.
Liberia: almost two-thirds of primary-age pupils out of school
Ethiopia: two in five girls are married before the age of 18
CHILD MARRIAGE
One in every five girls is married worldwide, and more than 650 million women alive today are married as children. Every year, at least 12 million girls are married before they reach the age of 18.
This is 28 girls every minute. One in every five girls is married or in union before reaching age 18.
In the least developed countries, that number doubles: 40 percent of girls are married before age 18, and 12 percent of girls are married before age 15. The practice is particularly widespread in conflict-affected countries and humanitarian settings
DISCRIMINATORY LAWS
More than 2.5 billion women and girls live in countries with at least one discriminatory law, which can restrict their ability to make decisions about marriage, divorce, and child custody.
VIOLENCE AND ABUSE
One in three women and girls will experience violence or abuse in their lifetime.