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The Batcave is silent during the debrief, Bruce's anger at a mission that almost went south filling up the space so much that words feel meaningless.
Jason doesn't quite understand why he is here since he was on the other side of Gotham when Dick made a last minute call. He had heard it over comms when Bruce had argued that his plan would work but Dick didn't listen. He did it his own way and while it did all work out that didn't mean that Dick was off the hook.
He is only in his domino since they already know his identity but he hangs around the edges of the group of vigilantes, always circling but never fully joining them. Both parties weren't interested in him joining so he never tried.
Bruce turns around to glare at Dick, finally starting to lecture him about his wrong call. Jason settles in for the screaming match he knows is coming. He has been through enough to know the spectacle they are.
Jason wonders if the kids have seen them fight before, it's like watching the wind attempt to blow away a mountain. Two bigger then life forces of nature going at each other with no intent on stopping.
He watches Bruce as he tears into Dick where he stands next to Tim and Damian. The two boys have both turned towards Dick like sunflowers to the sun. Jason has mixed feelings about that.
He wonders when Dick will finally let his anger out from between the cage of his teeth. It's there on the tip of his tongue and in the rigid straight posture of his back.
Bruce continues on, talking about civilian casualties and explosions but Jason isn't paying any attention to Bruce's meaningless rage. His focus is honed in on Dick, waiting, anticipating the eruption of words.
Nothing happens.
The kids shift uncomfortably as Dick is laid into. They have all gotten a lecture from Bruce but probably never to this degree. So it makes sense that they would not want to be near the force that is Batman.
Jason is confused about why Dick is just taking this. The Dick he knew would have been fighting back, throwing punches, anything but standing there and saying nothing.
What happened when he wasn't looking?
Where is the outrage he knew like the back of his hand when he was robin?
Who is standing in the place where Dick should be?
Stephanie looks unimpressed and wonders over to his side.
She is the only one of the bats to genuinely enjoy his presence. From what he knows she has been on the outside like he is from the beginning. Bruce, being the asshole his, only used her as Robin to make Tim come back.
"You can go you know?" She offers quietly, giving him an out to Bruce's anger. "He is going to go on for a while."
Jason shakes his head, "I'll be fine but is it always like this."
Stephanie chuckles with no mirth, "With them yeah. Dick doesn't argue with Bruce even though he should. I wouldn't be able to take this without fighting back. No man other then my father talked to me like that and I hate him for it."
"I can get you a way into black gate to beat his ass if you want." Jason says, finding joy in the idea of it.
That gets a true laugh out of her.
"No thanks Red, I did that long before you got here." She turns away with a wave, "Good luck with Batman."
Jason huffs in amusement and returns her wave, "Say hi to your mother for me."
She gives him a salute before swinging a leg over her bike and driving out of the cave.
Bruce's anger goes on for another fifteen minutes, Jason checks the his watch multiple times throughout the whole thing. By the end Jason is brimming with confusion and questions.
Batman storms away and up the steps into the house. Dick's two acolytes follow soon after with a couple glances at Dick who is still where he was when this started thirty minutes ago.
It's like he is frozen in time, stuck in one place.
Jason's approaching footsteps seem to wake him up from what ever was happening in his mind. He gives Jason a weak fake smile that makes this even more pathetic then before.
When he sees Jason's expression he knows that the act won't work with him and drops the poor attempt at a smile.
"What do you need Jason?" Dick takes off his domino mask with a sigh.
"That was pathetic Dick." Jason watches him wince. "I thought you would at least fight him a little."
"I don't want to talk about this." Dick tells him and tries to exit the space but Jason isn't going to let Dick leave this here.
"What the fuck happened the the Nightwing that would bite his head off for even suggesting that he was wrong?" Jason hooks his claws into his brother, goading him is a low blow but Jason doesn't know any other way to get Dick to be genuine with him nowadays.
"Don't your little followers think you do no wrong? You always were so willing to argue so why have you changed?" He is throws in the anger at the older brother that those two boys got that Jason never had while he is at it.
At the mention of Tim and Damian Dick whips around, that familiar rage in his eyes, "Shut up Jason-"
"If Bruce laid into you like that before he would have had a black eye so what happened to you?" He continues on this path, not caring about anything but answers.
"Maybe I fucking grew up Jason!" Dick throws his hands up while he deflects this onto Jason. "You might understand if you stopped your little rebellious phase."
"At least I have a back bone Dick." Jason spits out, hiding the hurt in his tone with more anger. "You don't seem to have one!"
Dick is up in his face now- when did his older brother start looking up at him- grabbing the lapels of his jacket.
"At least I don't murder people on a regular basis." He growls. "Does the blood on your hands keep you up at night?"
"I don't regret what I have done but maybe you are projecting Dickie." Jason says his name with years of withheld venom. "Did you actually hide the bodies yourself or did someone have to do it for you since you probably where too busy thinking about Bruce-"
Jason's jaw stings as Dick pulls back his fist, his knuckles red. His chest is heaving as he looks at the close thing to a brother he ever had. Dick looks ragged, he looks like Jason just touched an old infected wound.
"There you are. I thought maybe this version of you I knew died with me." Jason clutches his jaw as it pulses with pain.
"You self centred asshole!" Dick roars. "Who I am is none of your business since you aren't even a steady ally! You are only allowed in the city because Bruce allows you!"
"You're probably only allowed in Blüdhaven because Bruce wants you to be close enough to him to still have a leash on you but far enough that you won't notice it choking you!" Jason yells back. "You didn't grow out of Bruce's shadow you just took it across the city lines!"
"You certainly didn't grow out of Bruce's control since you still come back every few months to make him hurt then run away like a dog with it's tail between its legs!" Dick shots back.
Jason punches him, getting a hit on his eye which will definitely bruise later.
He doesn't need a lecture from Dick about his relationship about Bruce. Jason has long since come to terms with the cycle they are in but he isn't strong enough to break it yet- maybe he never will be able to walk away.
"Fuck you Dick," He screams, "roll over for Bruce all you want but I am leaving!"
Jason storms away from Dick, having more then enough from him for the next few weeks.
Dick doesn't stop him from leaving.
He never does.
They will pretend that this never happened in a few weeks when they need to work together again. Neither of them will apologize for the blows they gave each other, both physically and emotionally.
Jason won't ask about Dick's lethargy and Dick won't ask about Jason receding into himself.
Because that's how they always have been.