Chapter Text
I opened my eyes to a very familiar ceiling, one I have seen many times before so many times, in fact, that I can recognize it no matter how out of it I am. And man, I am out of it right now, like my brain is ice cream and is slowly melting. Maybe that’s the reason I am in the Batcave medbay, although I don’t remember getting here.
I try to sit up and fail miserably, so miserably I stumble off the bed and kiss the floor hard. Then I hear footsteps and people calling my name. I try to focus and, hey, it’s bruce and jason.
“You okay, chum?” Bruce asks me after helping me up. “How do you feel?”
“I feel weird, like really, really weird but not in pain. Also, why am I in Gotham?”
“You don’t remember, dickhead?”
“Hi, Jay.”
“You got hit with a new drug which also works as a truth serum,” Jason says. He sounds amused at the last part. I don’t know why, but I like it when he is happy.
“Tim is working on the antidote right now. I will go provide him assistance. It should be ready soon. Until then, stay put,” Bruce says, in Batman voice.
I laugh. I love it when he does that.
“Jason, look after your brother. And...”
“Of course I’ll be on my best behavior.”
B didn’t look too convinced, but he didn’t say anything and left the room.
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It’s not always that Jason is this happy to be alive. Not only does he get to mess with Dick, but also no one is here to tell him how it’s morally wrong. Alfred is making dinner, Bruce and the replacement are working on the antidote, and the demon brat is out on patrol meaning no one will interrupt his fun, and you bet he is going to get as much blackmail material out of it as possible.
“Hey, Goldie, you with me?”
“Yeah.” Dick turns to him. His eyes are dazed; it looks like he is trying really hard to concentrate but failing nonetheless. Jason almost feels bad for what he is going to do. Almost.
“So, Boy Wonder, tell me all your little embarrassing secrets.”
“Embarrassing… ah, once I wet my bed when I was eight, and it had not been long since I got in the manor, so I absolutely didn’t want Bruce to find out. So I burned the bedsheet instead and told him I was trying to juggle fire sticks.”
“No way, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“And also the time I got suspended from school.”
“That’s not that bad. I think all of us have been suspended a dozen times before.”
“It was my first day. I lasted an hour… God, I hate school.”
“You, the perfect golden boy, hated school? That’s hard to believe. What, were you picked on or something?”
“My name’s Dick. I was raised in a circus, and I have two dead parents.”
“Oh. Right. Well, moving on.”
“What is going on here, Todd?” Damian says, entering the room.
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Am I awake right now, or is this just a very real dream? I’m not really sure, but Jason is here that’s good. And not only is he alive, he is also happy, or at least he was until Demi entered. Now they are arguing, going at it back and forth. It’s getting hard to follow. I feel really sleepy.
“Father will not be pleased when he hears about this.”
“Well then, don’t tell him.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Come on, don’t act like there aren’t things you want to find out.”
“Unlike you, Todd, I would not take advantage of a weak-minded individual.”
Is he talking about me? Is he calling me dumb? Why does he always talk like… like an 18th century aristocrat?
“You know, this is why everyone hates you brat.”
“Maybe I should ask Grayson what he hates about you.”
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Jason felt sick to his stomach hearing that. Like hell he wants to hear a completely honest review about how he is a murderer who let the great Batman down. Before he could say something, to the fucking brat Dick started talking Damian hadn’t even asked him that yet he had just said he would.
“Things I hate about Jason… hm. I can’t think of anything.”
“Grayson, I refuse to believe that you can’t think of a single thing,” Damian said, pointing both hands at Red Hood, who just stood there stunned.
“Well, hate is a strong word.” dick said blinking slowly
Jason started laughing because it’s so fucking ridiculous.
“Really I have literally tried to kill you several times, you forgiven me for that?” jason said sarcastically
“How could I ever forgive you for that?” Dick asked, confused.
Jason had no words. He knew Dick had every right not to forgive him for literally trying to kill him, but he thought maybe one day they could make amends. He never showed it, but it was he really regretted doing that.
“I mean, how can I forgive you for something I have never held against you in the first place?”
“Stop fucking with me,” Jason yelled, “because that makes no sense. How could you not hold it against me?”
“Because it’s you, and I love you."
Jason doesn’t even know what to do now. All he wanted was to get some embarrassing secrets out of Dick, not feel feelings.
“So even after everything I’ve done, you never once wished I’d stayed dead?”Jason knew he should not fucking ask, but he still did.
“No, never. I was so happy that you were back, Jay. I mean, sure, when I first saw you with your hair and gun and two masks, I thought this must be what a father feels like when his daughter becomes a stripper. But just because you are a stripper doesn’t mean I’ll stop loving you.”
“Oh, so now I am a stripper,” jason sounded annoyed, yet he didn’t sound unhappy.
"Are you now." bruce said
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Bruce had entered the room a few minutes ago, but none of his sons noticed him, which was disappointing because two of them were completely sober.
“Hi, B.” Dick leaned in the direction of Bruce and almost fell again for the second time that day, but Jason was there to grab him.
“Father, Jason has been taking advantage of Grayson behind your back.”
“So how’s the antidote coming along anyways?” Jason asked, changing the subject.
“It seems the drug will just have to run its course,” Bruce said in a voice that made it clear he was upset with the outcome, and Tim wasn’t with him, meaning he was still trying to make a cure, which made Jason and Damian a bit concerned.
“And how long is that?” Jason asked.
“It can take a few days.”
“Father, that’s unacceptable. Grayson is to take me to the zoo tomorrow.”
“I can still take you,” Dick said, his eyes barely open.
“Absolutely not. Until its all out of your system, you are not leaving the manor.”
Dick wanted to argue, but he felt too tired, and before he could even start to say something, he was already out cold.