Chapter Text
Jason needed to shift. He hadn’t since he returned to Gotham and he was starting to feel the effects. The last decent rest he had gotten was a two-hour nap he had when he had settled Lian down for her own nap. That had been dangerous, he had woken up with his sense heightened, and his wolf starting to push past the wall he had built and the pit madness stronger.
He couldn’t trust his wolf to keep the pit madness away, and he knew exactly what that would mean for anyone in his vicinity. Unfortunately, that meant his physical health went neglected; Jason knew that he could easily go to the Bats for help, they could subdue the wolf, the problem was he wasn’t sure he could pull himself back from that pit.
The last time he went wolf, he was in that form for three months before Talia fed him some League herbal remedy. He couldn’t do that again, he’s lost too much of his life already to things he couldn’t remember.
“Jason?”
Jason leaped from the bed and pressed his back against the wall. His wolf pushed past the barrier some and his sense heightened. The scent hit him first and it registered as a threat, he pulled his lips back and sniffed again. This time the simple smell of Pack Leader was present, and he felt himself relax. He figured that being around his Pack would be able to help some with his body’s dumber necessities, but it was only his body that thought of the Batfamily as a pack and even then, it always registered as a threat first.
“Jason, calm down,” the voice was saying again, and he focused, “its Tim.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re in my territory,” Jason winced at the grave tone of his voice.
He needed to calm down or the wolf would come out.
Tim frowned, “you haven’t been on patrol for a week, usually you let someone know where you went.”
It hasn’t been a week. Jason narrowed his eyes, he didn’t remember the last time he left the apartment. Truthfully, he didn’t remember the last time he ate, it must have been hours ago.
“What day is it?” Jason growled.
Tim went lower, “it’s Monday.”
It has been a week. That’s not good.
Tim’s frown deepened, “Jason, what day do you think it is?”
"Thursday?” He tried.
That made Tim react, he sniffed the air and his eye went wide, “Jason when’s the last time you shifted?”
“What does it matter?” Jason closed his eyes to push back the wolf.
“Your scent, it’s wrong.”
Tim whined? He must be dying for Tim to vocalize anything wolf related.
“How do you know what my scent is supposed to be?” Jason pressed his back harder in the wall, he was losing this fight. His wolf wanted out.
“We’re Pack,” Tim nearly shouted, “it’s been five years, but your scent never left the walls of home. I could never forget it.”
Jason huffed, “sentimental.”
Tim shot him a look, “why do you smell sick?”
“It’s nothing you need to be concerned about,” Jason growled and moved from the wall.
He needed to put space between them. His control was slipping.
Tim stood in front of the door. His arms were crossed, and his posture was assertive but not aggressive.
Jason’s wolf didn’t react well to it, and he had to slam his fist into the wall to keep from shifting. Tim jumped at the sudden movement, but his eyes locked onto something on Jason’s arm. He closed his eyes, this was a conversation he never wanted to have. Resurrections didn’t happen, there was no research on what it did to a Pack bond.
He still had his mark claiming him as part of the Wayne Pack.
“Jason,” Tim’s voice was higher than normal, “you’re still-”
“Shove it, Timmy,” Jason growled, and his teeth started to elongate. He pushed himself away from the other and towards the window.
“Wait,” Tim shot out in front of him, “that’s not how this works.”
“It is right now,” Jason glared, “I need to get out of here.”
“You can’t leave,” Tim demanded, and his scent changed to angry.
Jason roared before he realized what he was doing and had to shove himself shoulder first into the wall to keep from fully shifting. The pain would only do so much, and the pit madness clouded his thoughts. It would be long before he succumbed, and if Tim stayed, and stayed angry, there was very little he could do.
Tim whined and it high pitched which meant he was scared. Jason responded to it automatically sniffing the area for something more of a threat, there was nothing but their two strong scents warring with each other. He relaxed marginally, but it didn’t answer the question of why Tim was scared. It was frustrating, but he wasn’t angry which was something Jason could work with.
“Why are you acting like this?” Tim asked.
“Pit,” he grunted out.
"The madness? I thought you could control it,” Tim pressed into his personal space.
Jason let out a warning bark, thankfully Tim backed up to the other side of the room.
"I can sometimes,” he forced out, “wolf can’t.”
He saw Tim’s face morph through several different emotions, finally settling on worried. Tim let out another high-pitched whine.
“So, you haven’t shifted since the pit?”
Jason shook his head, “no, Gotham.”
It was taking all his will to keep from shifting. His senses were fully heightened and the noise from the city was already grating on his nerves. Too much of it echoed the same noise he heard as a freshly disowned pup and it made his wolf even more on edge.
“Two years?” Tim gasped, “how are you-”
"Leave,” Jason ordered.
Tim narrowed his eyes, “no.”
"Please.”
That made Tim ease closer and this time Jason pushed back until his back was in a corner. Tim’s scent changed. Jason dug his nails into his palm.
"Don’t.”
"We’re Pack,” Tim mumbled, “you won’t hurt me.”
Jason growled. He shoved off from the ground and out of the window faster than Tim could react. His feet hit the fire escape and he leaped from the landing to the alley below. It jarred his legs, but he rolled with the landing which kept him from breaking them.
Like he had hoped the impact was enough to clear his head. Jason sprinted down the street. Tim would be able to follow him for some distance, but Jason was faster, and Tim was never the best tracker. He wasn’t on good terms with his Pack, but he wouldn’t attack them (again). His wolf would kill them, he was sure of it.
He needed to get out of Gotham City, even though everything told him he needed to go to Wayne Manor.