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Batman had been avoiding talking about Red Hood to the Justice League. When he was forced to acknowledge him, he would say he had it handled. When in reality, he was way out of his depth. How was he supposed to tell the League that Red Hood was actually his dead son that came back to life? The League didn’t even know he had one son let alone a whole network of children and close family friends that he worked with regularly.
Plus, Red Hood was doing good work. Even if his methods were a bit unorthodox, his path rarely crossed with the Bat’s and he only killed those who, even Batman could admit, deserved to be killed. He was doing the mission his pseudo father had sent him on.
Their paths rarely crossed until Justice League business brought them to a drug/weapons deal happening in Gotham. Some of the weapons included kryptonite making it official League business.
“Batman,” Superman said at the gathering before they took the bad guys down, “I’ll let you lead this since it’s still your city but I’m sensing fear toxin in there. I know you’re the most susceptible to it.”
“Fear toxin?” Batman mumbled. There was no way it could be getting redistributed with Scarecrow in prison. “Just be careful, alright? All humans are to keep their guard up and flee if they see gas, meta humans included, you guys may be less susceptible but you are still susceptible, understood?”
There was a mutter of agreement from the other League members. Without saying anything, Batman silently dropped into the warehouse the deal was taking place in. He looked around, evaluating what he saw. “I see three guards around a truck, a couple people who look like they might be involved in the trade, and a bunch of guards around the warehouse. Twenty of them.”
He looked around the rafters he was hiding in, looking up to see Red Hood. He faltered for a moment before he nodded. “You guys have the all clear to come down,” Batman said, maintaining eye contact with Red Hood, who nodded in return before shifting into a lower spot in the rafters where the others wouldn’t see him.
It was safe to say that they didn’t see the Justice League coming. They took down most of the bad guys before there was a cackle followed by a voice, “you really think we wouldn’t put in a fail safe?” It was one of the goons that only held a small hand gun. “Say hi to god for me will ya? I have a feeling that’s not where I’m headed.” He then shot a canister before shooting himself.
“It’s fear toxin,” Superman said into the comms as a green gas started to escape the canister. Which was sitting next to Red Hood, who the Justice League had either just noticed or had been ignoring until now. “Everybody get out, now,” Superman yelled into the comms again.
Batman stood frozen, watching Red Hood getting engulfed in the smoke before he was grabbed by Superman, being flown through the roof. Superman went back in, grabbing the other human Justice League members before resurfacing with Red Hood. He was thrashing in Superman’s arms, clearly having been affected. Superman put him down slightly away from the League members before flying back over.
“Do you know of any antidotes?” Superman asked, trying to keep his voice level and in control as Red Hood sank to the ground, folding in on himself. “Batman?” His voice turned softer when he noticed Batman looking at Red Hood with a blank expression. And then Red Hood started screaming. Fully screaming and crying.
“Dad!” Red Hood wailed. Batman’s stupor broke, he blinked once before, “dad please I need you… please don’t leave me, not again.” Red Hood was fully sobbing now, curled into a ball on the ground.
Without thinking, Batman ran over to him, cautiously putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m right here, Jaybird, I’m right here,” he said, his voice low.
“Dad?” Red Hood asked, looking up. “Dad,” he sobbed again, gripping onto Batman’s suit, pulling himself up and into an awkward hug.
“I’m right here, I’m right here,” Batman repeated, holding onto him tightly. “Do you have something under your helmet?” Hood nodded against his shoulder, prompting Batman to remove it quickly, revealing a red domino mask under his helmet. Bruce held one hand firmly against Jason’s back, holding him up while the other ran through his hair. “Can I bring you home? Oracle can make you an antidote, we don’t have to talk about it, okay?” Even to his own ears, he recognized he was pleading.
“Please Dad, please help me, every time I close my eyes I see… it’s so dark, you left me alone again,” Jason rasped out, his voice breaking again before he started sobbing again.
“Shh, Jaybird it’s okay, I’m going to get you home. I’m not going to leave you again.” Bruce moved to stand. “Can you stand with me? I have the car.” When Jason nodded again, he helped the younger man stand. “Come on, it’s gonna be okay,” he held Jason up with one arm while the other hand grabbed his helmet off the ground. Hood was wobbly but overall able to walk which was good.
“Are we going to talk about this?” Green Lantern asked, earning a slap on the chest from Green Arrow.
“I’ll fill you guys in at the next meeting,” Batman said, his voice almost growling as he made his way to the fire escape with Jason still clinging onto him.
“No because it’s weird right? That’s not just me?” Green Lantern spoke again, earning another, more forceful slap to the chest.
Batman carefully made his way down to the Batmobile, helping Jason into the passenger seat before he slid into the driver’s seat. Jason curled in on himself again and it took everything in him to not pull him back into his arms.
“Oracle come in,” Bruce said, starting the car.
“Everything okay? Your heart rate is reading a little high.”
“Jason was hit by a fear toxin,” Bruce said, flooring it as he headed towards the Batcave. “I’m bringing him to the cave. I don’t want the others to know, not yet, but we need a bed and an antidote.”
“Oh—alright, I’ll see what I can do, B,” Oracle said, clearly not expecting that.
When Bruce got them into the Batcave again, he was able to coax Jason into the closed off room in the medbay. He was given a shot by Oracle that calmed him down enough to stop the crying.
“How did this happen?” Barbara asked once Jason was asleep, having gotten a second shot.
“He was busting a drug deal the Justice League was on too because of Kryptonite. He got hit with fear toxin and started screaming for his dad.”
“He’s never called you ‘dad’ before,” Barbara pointed out.
“They used to when, all of them, when they were sick or hurt. But-but the way he was screaming, I had to try something,” Bruce responded, grimacing as he recalled the way Jason had looked, curled in on himself as he cried for his dad. He had removed his cowl, leaving him in the rest of his suit.
“You don’t want to tell the others?” Barbara confirmed as she started to move out of the medbay.
“I don’t think he would want to.” She nodded before wheeling herself out, closing the door behind her.
Bruce sat down on the chair beside Jason’s bed, sighing as he finally let himself relax slightly. He’d have to tell the Justice League at their post mission meeting tomorrow, there was simply no way around it. He let himself drift off as he thought of that he could say.
—
When Bruce woke a couple hours later, the bed in front of him was void of a body and just held a note. In clean red writing he read,
B,
Meet me on the roof of WE at 11pm tonight.
Hood
Bruce sighed. He hadn’t expected Jason to stick around and at least he was making an attempt for further contact. That was a good sign. He glanced at the clock. 12:30. Their after mission meeting started in half an hour. He sighed, hauling himself up to his feet, pulling on his cowl before taking the zeta tube to the Watchtower.
“I’m just saying it’s weird okay!” Green Lantern’s voice was audible even before Batman walked into the meeting room. “He called Spooky dad!”
Everyone quieted down as Batman walked in. He sighed, sitting in his usual chair. “Look,” he started gruffly, “I know there are questions, some of which I likely won’t be able to answer, but I would like to clear up some confusion about the outcome of this morning’s mission.” He sighed again. “It’s true, Red Hood is my son.”
There were a few noises of surprise and some of acknowledgement. “There was an accident in the field years ago, I wasn’t able to get to him,” Batman looked down at the table. He always tried to remain calm and stoic. But not this, not when he was talking about his son’s death. “When I found him, he—I didn’t know the building was rigged to explode. Or the extent of damage the Joker had done to him. When I got to him, my son was dead.”
People looked around at each other, confused. “He came back to life by the doings of my ex-girlfriend and with the unintentional help of Super Boy.” Bruce ignored Superman’s sharp intake of breath. “He was nursed back to health by the League of Assassins before my ex-girlfriend helped him and my youngest son escape. My youngest came home but Hood resented me, and honestly, I can’t blame. I deserved it. But we’re starting to make amends I think.” Bruce finally looked up and everyone was staring at him like he had seven heads. “What?”
“How many kids do you have?” Green Lantern was the first to speak up because of course he was.
“It’s kind of complicated, there’s Nightwing, Hood, Red Robin, Spoiler kind of, Black Bat kind of, Robin, Signal, and there’s also Batwing and Oracle but they’re more family friends than children, so four legally, seven illegally. And there’s also Agent A, Catwoman, and Batwoman so my family is twelve people excluding myself.”
“Next he’s gonna say he has a cow too,” Flash joked.
“Oh, yeah, Bat-Cow, and we have Bat-Hound. Those are both Robin’s. He likes animals,” Bruce said, shrugging.
“Why didn’t you tell us you have a family?” Superman asked, trying not to show the hurt on his face.
“I don’t like meta humans in Gotham, most of you are meta humans, you all kind of assumed I meant everyone.” Bruce shrugged again.
“You should bring them to the tower sometime,” Wonder Woman said, smiling softly.
“That is most definitely not happening.”
“Wait Nightwing?” Flash said suddenly. “Nightwing like KF and Nightwing?” When Batman just stared at him, the younger man groaned. “My nephew is dating Batman’s son.”
“I’m kind of surprised you never figured it out,” Bruce said flatly.
—
At 10:55 Batman showed up on the rooftop of Wayne Enterprise. At exactly 11, Red Hood joined him.
“I wanted to thank you,” Hood said awkwardly, he moved to remove his helmet, his hair blew in the wind, making the patch of grey blaringly obvious, “for saving me earlier. You didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re my son, Jason, whether you choose to believe it or not.”
Jason moved closer until he was standing only a couple feet from Batman. “Well then you’re a pretty shitty father.”
“I know,” Bruce nodded softly. “I’m trying to be better.”
“So the demon brat has said.”
“Damian?” Bruce’s eyes widened under his cowl.
“Come on B, he was raised in the League of Assassins by his mother at the same time I was being nursed back to health by his mother. You can’t be telling me you’re that stupid.” Jason had a smile on his lips and it tugged at his heart. He missed his baby so much. He was so happy he felt comfortable joking with him again.
“No, it’s just I never really put two and two together you know? Robin never mentioned you.”
“I asked him not to,” Jason shrugged. “Wanted to reach out in my own time. Sorry for trying to kill you by the way. Dickface told Damian what happened.” Bruce nodded. They were quiet for a minute. “Do the others know who I am?”
“Some of them,” Bruce said, sighing. “Nightwing, Red Robin, and Robin do. Spoiler has a feeling and she shares everything with Black Bat so they probably do too. Signal, I don’t know, I don’t think he would know enough about you to have a feeling unless he’s talked to the others.”
“Wow, you really are running an adoption agency over there, huh?” Jason’s tone was still teasing.
“I help who’s needed.”
“I know,” Jason sighed. “Do you still do the family dinner bullshit on Sundays?”
“Alfred would love to have you,” Bruce said, nodding.
“Maybe I’ll show.”
“I’ll tell him to make an extra plate,” a smile appeared on Bruce’s face, Jason returned it for a second before he pulled back on his helmet.
“I’ll see you later, old man.” He didn’t let Bruce answer before he was grappling away. And Bruce had a feeling that maybe things would be okay.