Hey Everyone!! Two chapters in one day... Look at what happens when you are procrastinating studying for finals! Anyway... hope you all enjoy! Leave me any comments you have, I love reading them! This is Whumptober prompt 20: Emotional Angst. This also is apart of the earlier shifter au. Not really super connected with it... but in the same universe. Lots or Love - Lorna:)
"You get to pick little puppy." Ivy crooned, voice dripping with movkery. "You can either be a rabid dog or a rabid man."
Jason's growl reverberated through the greenhouse, low and feral, as he pawed at the thick glass encasing that separated him from Ivy. Vines slithered along the floor, and Tim remained silent, tangled in the overgrowth behind him. The younger Robin's soft whistling—a sharp, familiar birdcall—caught Jason's attention.
"Hood, it's ok." He whispered, his voice steady, comforting even.
Jason's growl softened into a whine, the noise torn between his instincts and his human mind.
"It's ok." He repeated, soothing, though the tension in his body betrayed him.
Jason pawed at the ground in distress, frustration getting the better of him, but he knew a rabid wolf would kill Tim. He could already feel Ivy's toxin eating away at him, making his wolf instincts flare up into a deadly storm of untethered aggression. The pit-mad man, unhinged and murderous as he was, had a better chance of being reasoned with… or at least playing with his food. Please let Batman be on his way. Jason's form wavered, shifting violently as his human side clawed its way to the surface.
The world tilted. Colors bled together before sharpening into a harsh, sickly green tint. Jason staggered, unsteady on two feet after too long spent on four.
"Replacement." He croaked, voice rasping, raw and guttural. There was a little voice in his head that said Tim wasn't his replacement, Tim was his brother, Tim was pack, but the green didn't care about family. Pack stopped the bloodshed, pack soothed the hurt. Family quieted the rage and stopped the spreading poison.
Tim blinked, once, twice. His body was coiled tight with anticipation of pain, but something in his eyes spoke of a shocking amount of love and concern. Concern for Jason. Jason't chest got tight. He ignored it.
"Hood." Tim finally replied, or would have if Jason hadn't found it entirely too entertaining to cut him off with a cruel kick to the stomach, sending the boy doubling over.
"Somebody already clipped your wings Robin." Jason sneered, crouching to Tim's level. "I'm disappointed I wasn't the one to do it."
Tim was bent over his stomach protectively, even though by now the pain would have long since faded to a dull throb.
"Lucky for me." He grabbed the teen by his hair, yanking him up. Tim hissed under his breath, but didn't do anything to fight back."Little birds have lot of fragile bones to break."
He slammed Tim against a wall of overgrown weeds, a wicked grin curling his lips. Leaves exploded from the impact and Jason was glad Ivy had left. She would have had a conniption and he wouldn't have gotten to have his fun. Not that this was particularly what he wanted, the kid wouldn't even fight. The green went from a light tint to uncomfortably everywhere. He wanted his revenge, and he was going to get it one way or another.
Leaning in close, his virulent green eyes bore into Tim's."Am I not worth a fight Birdie?"
Tim's expression softened unexpectedly, his voice quiet yet firm. "I don't want to fight you Jason. You're my brother."
Jason froze, the murder in his veins going silent at his name and brother being connected in the same sentence.
Tim very gently moved his hand up to loosen Jason's grip on him. He didn't twist out of his grasp though. He stayed open, his actions deliberate, even as fear shadowed his face.
"What the hell…" Jason whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of the conflict raging inside him. No. It was easier to see green, to feel the rage. He lashed out, he kicked Tim's, no, Replacement's knees out form under him and dragged him back up the wall, pinning him with an arm to his throat.
"No No. I'm not—" Jason hissed. The poison in his mind was icing with something instinctual and it was giving him a crushing headache and a sense of impending danger. "I'm going to rip your throat out send all your broken pieces to the Bat." Jason hissed, his voice trembling as if the words themselves hurt to say.
Tim flinched, but Jason didn't think it was because the threat was all that convincing.
"Is that really going to make you feel better?" Tim asked, his voice small. Jason's brain basically short-curcuited. He released his death grip on Tim which he hadn't realized had tightened enough to leave bruising marks. Tim fell to the floor and stayed there.
"No." Jason admitted, nothing more than a whisper under his breath. "No, this isn't right." Everything was burning now, his head was ripping itself to ribbons and his chest was tight and getting tighter. The pain in his head flared, sharp and relentless, as though his very thoughts were at war.
"It's okay." Replacement - Tim whispered. It wasn't okay, Jason wanted to scream, he squished his eyed closed, wishing he could bang him head on the wall enough that the pain in his head would just stop. His hands flying to clutch his head as if he could physically pull out the madness. His vision blurred, and the sound of approaching footsteps barely registered.
"Red?"
"It's clear, N. Ivy left thirty minutes ago." A voice grated in his head. The green wanted to tear out it's vocal cords and the wolf wanted to maul the green until it stopped moving. "She put something in the air to control the wolf so he had to shift. Something is wrong though."
Shuffling and silence. Jason couldn't bring himself to care.
Two hand wrapped around his shoulders and Jason jerked, blindly lashing out and slamming the figure against the same wall he had held Tim against. Just like Tim, this figure didn't fight back. In fact, this figure was even more relaxed, completely unconcerned that that Jason could kill him.
"Little Wing, I'm so glad to see you." Dick said, a small, sad curve of his lips that reminded Jason too much of home. It was stupidly reassuring the way it had always been in the rare moments of Jason's youth when Dick and Bruce were on semi-agreeable terms. He had seen that smile a lot the past couple weeks.
"Go to H*ll Dick." Jason hissed, but the words were less harsh than he intended. He blamed it on the crippling headache that was making him see double.
He carefully reached toward Jason his fingers brushing over Jason's cheek, slow and deliberate before Jason pulled his head away in a jerky motion.
"He's okay Jaybird." Dick murmured. "You didn't hurt him. Tim's okay. He's tougher than you think. Can you let me go?"
Jason blinked, once, twice, three times before he managed to get his thoughts back on track. Tim was fine. He didn't know why that gave him such relief. He could let Dick go, he could loosen his arms and let Dick get his footing. He kind of wanted too, Dick wasn't terribly heavy by any means, but holding anything over a hundred plus pounds was tiring after a while. He didn't want to hurt his brother either, and he was pretty sure that was what he was doing with his arm pressing so tightly. But something was stopping him, keeping him rooted in place.
"You can do it Little Wing." Dick choked slightly. His finger wrapped loosely around Jason's arm.
Jason breathed, the haze of green retreating slightly. He loosened his hold, letting Dick take a deep breath.
"Good Job Jaybird." Dick said soft, and gentle, like Jason was something precious.Jason took a couple steps back separating him from Tim and Dick. "Good job, pup. I'm going to come closer alright?" He was close enough that Jason had the urge to push him back. "I'm going to help you out of here, then you can shift back, okay?"
"No." Jason mumbled, his eyes clenched tightly shut to stop the throbbing pain in his head. "No, don't."
He could still hear Dick's footsteps coming closer and closer. "Stop." He hissed. The green was pulsing. Tucked away for now, but it was still under the surface and it wanted to claw it's way free.
The hand on his arm was back gently pulling him one way or another. "It's ok pup."
"No it's not." Jason snapped, his fingers digging into his skin as though he could physically hold that Pit madness back. "I don't- I want to hurt you. That's not okay."
The fingers on his arm moved toward the back of his neck, tauntingly slow. Jason knew it was because Dick was giving him an opportunity to pull away. There was a small pinch, just under the hairline on his neck and submission coursed through his veins. He went slack.
"Look at me Jaybird."
Jason obliged, the submission humming happily with easy commands. No pain, no anger. Dick didn't even sound upset, just worried. Listen to pack was coursing through his veins.
Dick's eyes were obscured by the Domino, but Jason could imagine how they looked, so blue they nearly glowed in the darkness. There was something shattered in his expression, Jason couldn't figure out what it was though.
"Oh little wing. You're doing so good. I'm going to take you out of here okay?"
Jason blinked, eyes closing again.They were walking, but Jason didn't bother to force himself to care. Jason sagged against him, exhaustion weighing heavy as the toxins began to recede. The crushing madness ebbed, replaced by an ache—physical and emotional—that was almost unbearable. "Dickie, I don't want to be a wolf forever."
Dick's grip slackened for a moment. "I know pup."
Cold air hit his exposed face. Freedom from Ivy's toxin.
"Do I have to shift?"
He could feel Dick pulling him closer, warmth briefly overwhelming his senses.
"I think it will help you feel better Jay." Dick responded, "But it's your choice."
Jay nodded and bone shifted and turned until he was sitting as a wolf. The pain was gone. Jason opened his eyes to see Tim and Dick staring at him forlornly. He got up with a shake, his tail flattening in guilt from hurting either of his brothers, even if it was only scratches. He padded over to Tim, licking his fingers and pawing at his leg. Tim chuckled, patting him on the head.
"I already told you it was okay Jay. You didn't give me anything worse than a couple bruises."
Jason whined as he pulled Tim by the cape toward the bat-mobile.
Dick was smiling until Jason set his eyes on him too.
"Oh no Little Wing, I'm still your older brother. Can't pull me around and—"
Jason jumped on top of him, trapping Dick underneath his bulk, licking his face.
"Jay! Jason!" Dick was laughing now, full blown carefree laughter. Tim hadn't heard that sound in far too long. "Jason stop! You're slobbering all over me you giant puppy!"
Jason did stop with the obnoxious attack, and instead went to sit on Dick's chest. Dick wheezed. "I love you too pup, now get off me so we can get back home. Pretty sure Bruce is going to want to know about this little development."
Jason got up, every bit the proud wolf, and hopped into the batmobile, snuggling beside Tim.
Dick smiled. Jason had fought the pit and come out victorious. Spending time with the family was giving the madness less and less to hold onto. Bruce was going to be thrilled.