Chapter Text
Jason hasn’t expected to see the demon brat tonight, and especially not in his territory. That was supposed to be off limits to the Bats and apparently, as Jason had just discovered, lost little birds weren’t included in that bunch. Something Jason would be sure to remedy ASAP.
For now though, he was stuck back to back with the kid, both fending off some of goons down y the docks.
The fight was fairly easy, the goons were under trained to a point where the kid could have easily taken them on by himself. The fight was smooth and going quickly and Jason was almost finished and preparing to tie up the thugs and head home. That’s why the coming scream sent him into as much confusion as he had.
The scream was younger, male, and most definitely Damian’s pre-pubescent voice. Jason whirled, dropping the man he had been working on tying up and springing into the direction of the scream.
It had come from behind a box of shipping containers. Two goons had managed to corner the kid, his dwarf abandoned on the ground, them between the weapon and Damian. The kid on the other hand was clutching at a rapidly bleeding wound not much above his knee. Most definitely from a bullet.
For Damian’s part, he was still in a defensive stance, weight transferred to favor his unharmed leg. He held a Batarang at the ready, using it to keep distance between the thugs and himself as he attempted to stem the bleeding.
Jason was enraged, this was a kid for crying out loud and these low life’s hadn’t had the decency to keep from harming him. He whipped out his guns (the ones with rubber bullets, mind you) took aim, and began to fire. Not a single missed, and soon the lackeys were in heaps on the concrete, Jason walked over quickly, kicking the slightly conscious one for good measure.
“Damage, Robin?” He asked, kneeling in front of the boy in attempts to coax the fingers away and examine the wound.
“No contact with the bone, no exit wound either.” He said. It was so superficial, so robotic and soldier like it was frightening.
“Can you walk?” Hood asked, surveying the boy as he re-straightened.
“Tt, of course .” Damian snapped, moving to stand. He didn’t make it far before he needed a moment to steady himself, the wound bled faster. His voice sounded different , Jason realized.
“B doesn’t know your out, does he?” He sighed, the truth to the situation finally dawning on him.
Damian scowls, eyes shifting gaze behind his mask before he answers, response carefully pieces together. “ Father thought it best to patrol alone tonight. I was simply adding another set of hands to the mix, crime does not stop so I may rest.” Jason has to fight to keep his jaw from dropping, this kid.
“Well not that I’m slightly suspicious that you may actually be a clone of B, we gots to go. You said crime doesn’t stop, but that bleeding isn’t slowing down either.”
Damian looking down, hand fully coated in slippery crimson and he pressed harder into his knee. He bit down a wince and gasp of pin as he took another step forward.
“Yeah, uh, no.” Within seconds, Damian’s feet were off the ground as he was lifted into Jason’s arms in a bridal carry.
“Hood- put me down!” The boy
squawked, struggling in the strong hold.
“Not a chance pipsqueak, I need to fix you up first.” Jason says, shifting the, surprisingly light, weight in his arms.
“I do not need fixing, Todd.” Damian snapped, scowling at his older brother.
“That gaping hole you have in your leg says otherwise.” Jason replied with as much sass as he could muster.
“Tt.”
“Yeah, thought so.” Jason said, taking off.
“Where are we going?” Robin asked, re-applying pressure to his wound.
“Safe house,” Red Hood replied, “got one right around the corner.” Damian nodded silently.
Ten minutes later the pair were situated in the safe houses living room, Damian on the couch, Jason kneeling on the shag carpet in front of him. A standard med kit open on the coffee table next to them.
“So, I don’t have any pain meds meant for kiddies kid you.” Jason starts, removing the tweezers and antiseptic from the kit.
“Unlike you Todd, I do not need pain medication.” Damian stated, even as he winced when Jason took his hands from the bullet wound.
“Doesn’t really matter, kid. Either way, this is going to hurt.” He applied the antiseptic, and started on his dig for the bullet.