Chapter Text
There had been much study on the effects of the Lazarus Pits in the centuries they had been used. The fact that they led to diminishing returns and that eventually a body would give out even with frequent use was well known. The fact that exposure could lead to irrationality and extreme rage, particularly in the immediate aftermath was thoroughly documented. That some people had more or less extreme reactions than others surprised no one.
In fact, if you were to ask Ra's Al Ghul if all side effects of the Lazarus Pool were known (you shouldn't), and he were to answer you honestly (he wouldn't), he would say yes.
He was wrong.
The problem was the all the observers and most of the participants, were members of the League of Shadows. There are certain traits to be expected in such individuals. So no one had yet noticed the way the pit heightened paranoia. Because, after all, why wouldn't they be cautious and suspicious?
Even if Talia had known about that particular side effect, it probably wouldn't have changed her actions to use the pit on Jason Todd. It might, however, have changed how she dealt with him afterwards.
***
When Jason could finally see past the green and hear past the rushing of his blood in his ears, there was a woman there. A beautiful woman. A woman who screamed danger to all of his instincts. She was speaking to him.
"Hush, Child. All will be well now."
Jason eyed the stone room he was in. Was he in a mountain? A dungeon? Who was this woman who seemed like she could easily kill him herself without even calling on the armed guards standing behind her? "Who are you? What do you want?"
"I know your father." From there, she spun him a story. A story of betrayal, of Bruce not caring enough, and of being replaced. It was even mostly plausible. Jason had to admit she could be telling the truth.
But he didn't trust her. It also didn't help that he was clearly her prisoner. The more she talked the more trouble he realized he was in. The League of Shadows? He had heard of them and wasn't going to flatter himself that he could take them on. Even with his sudden new size and strength. Which he had no idea how to use!
She wanted him for something. That was clear. Few people did things for Jason out of the goodness of their heart. And if this woman was telling the truth, there were even fewer than he thought.
"I realize this is a shock to you right now. I will give you some time to think," she said. "When I return, we can figure out how I can help you."
"You didn't tell me your name," Jason said. "Or what you want to help me with."
"My name is Talia. And shouldn't it be obvious? We'll discuss it later." She made some hand motion and the guards left. Jason listened carefully. Sounded like there was at least one person, maybe more still by the door.
He was a prisoner. Talia. Dick had told him about her once. With the usual face that Bruce was involved with someone, sounding so over the top that Jason almost missed the signs of disgust and dislike.
"Okay, so it's bad enough to think about them like that. But what's the real issue?" Jason asked, before turning his attention to his ice cream cone before it melted over his hands.
Dick sighed. "She's... extreme. And she doesn't like anyone who gets in her way. Ignoring the whole League of Shadows, assassin thing, which is bad enough I think, she and Ra's decided they wanted to evaluate Bruce and try to provide her a way in, so they kidnapped me and she was supposedly helping Bruce find me."
Jason gaped at him. "Kidnapped you?"
"I was fine. They didn't hurt me. Though for the record, Ra's is one of the creepiest people I've ever met and that included Scarecrow and Joker. I was scared, I won't lie. I was younger than you and they had me for like three days. But I always knew Bruce was coming and they knew that if they hurt me, they wouldn't get anything from him at all."
"Did they get anything from him?"
"I doubt it. B was really mad when he realized Talia was in on it." He made a face. "They broke up not long after."
"Why wasn't that enough?"
"I don't know. But he told her that he would always choose me over her and that she had better not interfere with his family ever again."
If that was the case, then either Bruce no longer considered him family or Talia thought she could get away with something under Bruce's nose. None of this boded well for him.Jason forced himself through a couple calming routines that his (former?) family had taught him. When he finished, he had decided only a few things. One, he was definitely a prisoner and Talia probably wasn't going to let him go unless or until she though he would give her what she wanted. Two, he was going to let her think she got it. Do and say whatever he had to until he was free. Three, he wasn't going to trust anyone without proof.
***
It took almost a year to reach this point. A year of training, threats, and doing whatever it took. But he finally had a plane ticket to Gotham in his hands. Talia wasn't actually going to go as far as take him to the airport, but she wanted a few last minute words with him before he left.
As eager as Jason was to leave this rock compound of spies, secrets, danger, and death; he wasn't free yet. And wouldn't be for a while. Better not to do anything to trip on the finishing line. "You wanted to see me?" Jason kept the anger and suspicion from his voice. Even after a year, he didn't trust this woman further than he could throw the batplane.
"Yes." Talia still didn't look up from her papers for a full minute. Letting him know where he stood in her busy priorities. Not high, considering he probably hadn't seen her more than once or twice a week at most after the first month. Finally she scrawled a signature and put it away. Only then did she look him over, head to toe. "Your path of vengeance is not going to be easy. While your training is exemplary, it is still a lot to take on solo. You are certain you do not wish our assistance?"
"Positive. The more people involved, the quicker the Bat will catch on." He made sure that his disdain was heavy when he spoke of his former father. "Besides, this isn't your fight." He smirked. "Wouldn't want to ask you to go against your Beloved."
Talia went stiff and Jason mentally awarded himself a point even as he reminded himself that plane ticket or not, he wasn't free yet. And he wouldn't be until he was in Gotham and had time to dig out every tracker and bug they had on him and his stuff. Until he had his own safe houses and supplies and resources that they couldn't trace. Even then, the fact that they knew he'd be in Gotham would make it too easy for them to track him down again. But even knowing that, he couldn't quite give up Gotham. It was home.
"He may be my Beloved, but that does not mean that I am not sympathetic to your plight. And your goals could aid us. So if you require assistance, then you know how to reach me."
"I do." He resisted the urge to fidget. Yes, his plane didn't leave until tomorrow, but he still had to pack up and actually get to the airport. "Anything else?"
"No. Just remember your training and your resources." She waved him off dismissively.
"I will."
"Remember to report on a weekly basis."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Weekly? Really? It's going to take longer than that to make a dent. Give me a month at least."
Her lips thinned. "Contact me when you first reach Gotham, when you first encounter Batman, and then every month."
He nodded. "Understood." Jason walked out of the room. So that meant that if he made a check in call after landing in Gotham, he could ditch the phone, any trackers he could find, and not have his absence noted for at least two or three weeks. Good.
***
The plan actually worked pretty well, he thought. Despite his overwhelming fear that something would go wrong and prevent him from leaving, the plane actually took off, flying him to London. While Jason considered trying to ditch the trackers here, he decided against it. They already knew he was heading to Gotham, better play along until he got there. Besides, he was pretty sure he was being watched. That plane had a delay, but still took him to New York. From there, Jason used his provided bus ticket to Gotham. He was only about seventy percent sure that one of the other passengers was a League plant. Didn't matter. Look at him jumping through their hoops like a good boy. It would make it all the more likely they wouldn't realize when he slipped away.
Talia had even provided Jason with a safe house. While it was tempting to ignore it entirely, Jason rejected the idea as impractical. After all, this safe house would be the perfect place to call Talia from and thoroughly check himself and his stuff for any trackers. Besides, maybe the safe house had some resources he could take with him long enough for him to come up with his own place to stay. Better yet, places.
Within forty-eight hours, he was ready to abandon the place completely. He had found three trackers, scanned everything with black light and gotten rid of everything that was painted to show up, ransacked the place for food and clothes and weapons that weren't tagged, and had a new set of fake IDs. He had done a call in that he had seen the Bat (a complete and total lie) and that he would call her in a month (even more of a lie). Then Jason left the phone on the cot and headed out the door for the last time.