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Jason and the bats had an agreement. One that bats found difficult to uphold and one that Jason wasn't going to budge on. It was for Dick's sake however so the bats managed. Or so Jason had thought.
"You had one condition. One. I allowed you into my home at any time Dick agreed to. I allowed you to invade my Red Hood business so you could ask me questions about Dick. I allowed you all that so you could see and help Dick. All of that and you had just one fucking thing to do: not put any cameras or surveillance equipment in my home."
"It was just-"
"Dickie," Jason ignored whatever Barbara was spewing. The called man flinched and looked at him with wide eyes. Jason hated that cornered wild animal look.
They all were doing well, Dick was getting better. And now this.
He should have know the temptation was too great. And as much as he understood that the bats were worried, he couldn't condone what they did. Dick felt safe here. Red Hood repeatedly tried to beat this into bats heads every chance he got. No, Dick didn't want to go back to the manor. No, Dick hated the constant monitoring that the bats were known for. No, that didn't mean he hated them. Yes, he trusted Jason more than them.
A trust Jason gained by taking into consideration Dick's trauma and potential triggers that bats were tripping over left and right while Dick recovered in the manor and offering him a place to stay without constant oversight. Once Jason got Dick into his apartment he made a show of getting rid of every camera and microphone he had installed inside. Then he proceeded to explain every detail of the security he had outside and asked about Dick's preferences. Dick didn't have much to contribute, Jason took his own safety very seriously, and seemed to accept the cameras scouting the perimeter once Jason pointed them out to him and gave him access codes. Being on the other end of the surveillance sure made Dick feel calmer about them. Jason couldn't do much about the CCTV spawning the city however, so Dick preferred to stay inside the apartment. With the bats whining about not being able to see Dick, he had to allow them access to his house. After the lengthy discussion with Dick, of course. So the condition was made. They could visit, but any and all surveillance equipment stayed outside.
And everything was fine. Jason wasn't pleased to endure the Bat and brats in his own space, but they behaved and Dick was happy.
Until a moment ago.
Jason was on a speaker with Barbara arguing about how he handled the recent gang war. So what if he shoot half the fighters with real bullets? They still lived.
Apparently that wasn’t enough for the mighty Oracle and their conversation quickly became a shouting match. Dick seated on the couch curled into himself more and more the longer they were yelling, so Jason stopped and took a deep breath to calm down.
“Now look, what you did,” Barbara continued, “Dick is all scared now. You should control yourself more-”
The rest of what she said flew over Jason head as he realized something. Dick apparently came to the same conclusion, because he looked around wildly before jumping behind the couch to hide.
“What did you just say?” Jason snapped, sweeping the room for the probable spots for the hidden camera. He took a few steps to the side to have Dick in his line of sight to check how he was doing.
“Jason,” Barbara cajoled. She clearly realized her mistake and tried to placate him.
Too bad for her and all the bats Jason was a man of his word and he kept promises he made.
“You had one condition,” Jason said with the deadliest calm.
He and Dick talked about this extensively. They were part of the paranoid brood after all.
Barbara was telling some excuses, but Jason didn’t even bother to listen.
“Dickie, go grab your things. We’re leaving.”
Dick hesitated long enough for Jason to open his mouth to tell him they didn’t have to leave if Dick didn’t want to, but then Dick gave him a firm nod and scurried away to get his pre-packed bag.
“Jason, please,” Barbara pleaded. She was probably worried what bats will do to her when they learn they lost Grayson because of her. Jason was tempted to stay and watch, but he wouldn’t compromise Dick’s safety for the satisfaction. “I just wanted-”
“I don’t care what you wanted,” Jason snarled back gathering a few things laying around. “I told you all over and over again that Dick didn’t feel safe with cameras and stuff around. I told you what would happen if you try to install one here.”
A gentle tug on his sleeve had Jason turning around to see Dick holding their bags. He put one of Jason’s hoodies on, the hood pulled as far over is head as it could go.
“Ready?” Jason asked taking his own bag from Dick and tossing in the items he picked up.
Dick glanced around and nodded.
“Say ‘goodbye’ to Barbara, Dickie.”
“Goodbye,” Dick whispered.
Jason ushered them out of the apartment, deaf to Oracle’s pleads and threats.
“Hey, Jason?”
“Yes, Dickie?”
“I… I don’t want to go back to the manor. And if- when they break your condition. Can we leave? I don’t want to keep wondering if they smuggled a camera or microphone or tracker after their every visit.”
“Of course, Dickie,” Jason agreed. He was trained by the Batman and League of Assassins. He could make himself disappear without a trace. And he was even more determined to do so now that he had Dick to protect. “I promise they won’t find us until you’re ready.”