chiefhexagon - Tumblr blog

chiefhexagon · 2 days

Text

Cardinal Sins Chapter 8

𓅪 Living with your vigilante boyfriends for the past year has been amazing, well, almost. Butting heads, old wounds resurfacing and a deadly threat still looming overhead could threaten the sanctity of everything you've ever fought for. Will you finally overcome your tainted past and survive the trials and tribulations, or will your relationships and your faith crumble under the pressure?

Rated: M | TW: drowning | 8.6k Contains: pool party fem!Reader x Jason Todd x Roy Harper [masterlist] Previous in Series: Art of Rehabilitating Snowbirds

Chapter 8: Pool

Just as you’d thought, when you show up a few days later at the manor, Jason and Bruce start it off by avoiding each other like the plague. Roy doesn’t even try to hide his distaste as he swerves your group over to greet Alfred instead. You know the main reason they even bothered coming after what had happened last night was for you and your benefit. Regardless of his rocky relationship with Bruce, it seems like Jason’s finally able to understand, or at least respect, that the man is important to you.

Being the last weeks of March, the Gotham weather has been consistently dreary and cold for months now. Lian’s currently on spring break and, upon learning this, Dick had begged Alfred to move the luncheon to the indoor pool area, thus everyone arrives dressed accordingly.

You’re almost grateful for the distraction the pool setting brings. For one, it’ll be easier to avoid Bruce without it necessarily looking so, but you still won’t be able to avoid him completely.

The only person, it seems, who’s actually going to enjoy today is Lian. As soon as she’s through the atrium doors, she immediately takes off and cannonballs into the pool right next to Stephanie and Connor.

Bruce’s new girlfriend Samantha is already here, draped against Bruce’s side as he makes them plates from the buffet when your group arrives. Eventually, no one can play it off anymore and you walk over to greet the two of them. A quick glance behind you proves Roy’s distracting Jason with sunscreen as they spread out the fluffy towels Alfred has left on each beach chair. Though you’re all technically inside and it’s a typical cloudy March day, all three of you know full well that Roy will burn under the atrium glass if he doesn’t put on sunscreen.

Bruce suddenly draws you from your thoughts.

He says your name with a well-practiced playboy air. This side of him is what you were used to witnessing from him back in high school, you know, back before you knew about his family’s caped secrets. “I don’t think the two of you have met yet,” Bruce says as he ushers you to shake her dainty, pale hand. “This is the Samantha I’ve been telling you about.”

“All good things, I hope,” she jokes, laughing in a way that can only be described as sophisticated. Everything about the woman looks expensive, yet somehow effortlessly so.

You put on your game face if only to save face for your boyfriends, who definitely aren’t in the mood to play family with Bruce today.

“Of course.” You meet her charming smile with as much a smile as you can muster. You didn’t realize how difficult it’d be to see Bruce so soon after… You clear your throat, along with your faltering thoughts, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

The three of you go on to make small talk for a few moments before you manage to ask more about his new girlfriend. Instead of Samantha responding, however, Bruce interjects to boast on her behalf.

Bruce smiles at the blonde. “Samantha here is a visionary for the city,” he says as if he hopes the two of you will get along. With you not getting necessarily along with Bruce right now, you’re finding it hard to pretend to care about a woman you and everyone here knows he’ll replace in another month or two.

“With the funds to match,” she jokes. Though her stare isn’t unfriendly in the slightest, it feels all too calculating. You, however, choose to chalk it up to your difficult relationship with Bruce right now and attempt to remain cordial.

“Oh?” You honestly have no idea how to reply to that.

Samantha, however, seems to misunderstand as she begins to offer you unwarranted advice. “It’s all about sticking to your guts when it comes to investments. Well, that and putting the right amount of trust in others,” she finishes, looking at Bruce teasingly.

They’re definitely a cute couple, but you can’t help but want to end this conversation like ASAP.

“This isn’t about that time I took you skydiving, is it?” Bruce teases easily.

“Possibly,” Samantha laughs beautifully, like she’d practice the ease it leaves from her lips for decades. Luckily, Samantha doesn’t stick around for too much longer. “I really do need to be going,” she says a few minutes later as she looks down at her rosy, Tiffany watch. “Truly was lovely meeting all of you.”

As soon as the blonde exits, it’s like you can finally be yourself. It seems like everyone’s in the same boat because they no longer have to watch what they say. Case in point being how Connor’s made his way over to Roy to ask how it’s been since their last talk.

Tim and Stephanie follow behind him and make small talk with Jason, but you remain standing next to Bruce. Neither of you has said anything and are mainly just listening in to Kon mention how coping mechanisms are even more important after your coma.

“Meditation always helps,” Bruce suddenly says. You suppose this is his awkward way of apologizing without having to apologize. Regardless, you don’t accept it. “Being in control is key out in the field. It takes a lot of mental fortitude that meditation can help with.” Another bout of silence from your end. “Controlling your own mind, your own emotions takes practice,” he says. Part of you thinks that he’ll keep uncharacteristically rambling when he suddenly gets to the point. “It’s something, obviously, that I’m still working toward.” Bruce looks down at you now, regret written all over his face.

It’s a nice sentiment, but ultimately, it’s not your apology to accept. “Maybe you should tell this to Jason,” you respond tersely.

He says nothing for a moment, merely clasping his hands in front of himself as the two of you watch your family from across the pool. After a beat, he says, “Perhaps I should.” His reply leaves you even more confused, especially after what he said in the garage not even 24 hours prior. You can’t imagine how Jason would feel if Bruce were to voice this to him so soon after. It wouldn’t be good, that’s for sure. “When you woke up from your coma, you mentioned something about visions and the subway system water,” Bruce says, effectively switching the topic. “Nothing conclusive came back.”

“So, did you retest it?” you ask, following along with the subject change if only to get more answers.

“You were pretty out of it when you came to,” Bruce starts and you can already see where he’s going. You barely contain your eye roll as he seems to backtrack on your credibility. “I think it’s best if my efforts are placed elsewhere. You know as much as I do that we’re running out of time.”

You bite your tongue. “That, I do,” is what you end up saying.

He really thinks you’re going crazy… Just another fucking dagger to the heart after last night’s massacre. You can no longer pretend with the niceties as you feel yourself recede inside yourself. Bruce seems to recognize this himself and politely excuses himself to his study, leaving you alone in the corner of the room.

You’re lost in thought when Stephanie calls you over. You hadn’t realized how long you and Bruce had been talking for because you hadn’t noticed the FaceTime Dick has pulled up on his phone.

You make your way over to the group just as Wally snatches the phone away from Dick’s tanned hands.

As soon as you sit down next to your loves, Wally excitedly says, “Alright, everyone here?” From the screen, you notice that their childhood friends Kori, Donna, Karen and Garth are all on the call. At everyone’s confused confirmations, Wally tilts the phone so he and Dick are the main focus. “You wanna tell them?” Wally asks his boyfriend.

“Tell us what?” Karen asks in exasperation. It’s clearly dark on her screen and you wonder where she’s calling in from. “I’ve got labs in the morning, y’all.”

“Tell us, tell us,” Donna and Garth start chanting simultaneously. Soon, Roy and Stephanie join in, too, then you.

“Get the fuck on with it, Grayson,” Damian hisses impatiently. You and everyone present, however, know that it’s just because he’d finally been about to get in the pool before the call started.

“Alright, alright. Quiet down,” Dick snorts, taking the phone back from Wally to announce. “Sooo,” he draws out the anticipation for just a moment longer before divulging, “we eloped!”

No fucking way…

Holy shit!

You join in with all the congratulations and are, luckily, not included in the pile that jumps on Dick and Wally after the announcement. You do, however, save Dick’s phone from shattering on the stone floor. You catch the cellphone milliseconds before impact and manage to flip the camera just in time to show everyone on the call the massive congratulations Dick and Wally are getting.

You’re about to hand the phone back off to someone when you hear Kori say your name. “Oh, I have heard the most glorious things about you, little one!” she exclaims.

You quickly flip the camera around again and come face to face with Jason and Roy’s former Titans teammate. Though it sounds like she’s insulted you, it’s obvious that you’re definitely little in comparison to the seven foot tall Amazonian goddess on the screen.

“Oh, it’s Tamaranian,” she replies to what you thought you’d said in your head. You blush, but she continues on as if she hasn’t noticed, “You are very observant, are you not?” Her beaming smile leaves you speechless. “Though I am no goddess. I am Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, but you, little one, may call me Kori.” Needless to say, her flaming, fiery hair puts Roy’s locks to shame.

“Yo,” you say, feeling entirely too awkward. It’s not like she’s not nice, she is, it’s just after everything that happened last night, meeting Bruce’s new girlfriend and now coming face to face with someone who’s position you’ve essentially filled, you feel like you’re at the end of your social rope. “It’s nice to meet you,” you add, seemingly forgetting how to make conversation.

“Well, this just got interesting,” Donna says coyly, watching her screen with avid interest. Garth quickly elbows her and instantly regrets doing so when she retaliates at full force.

“I am the most pleased to meet you as well!” Kori responds. There’s muffled talking in the background, effectively gaining her attention for a brief moment before she turns back around. “I really must be going now. May I say goodbye to Wally and Dick?”

“Yeah,” Karen chimes in sleepily. “As exciting as this all is, I need to get back to bed.”

“For sure,” you say, handing the phone back over to its rightful owner. “Nice seeing you guys,” you say, trying to make up for any previous awkwardness.

Everyone says goodbye, but one sticks out above the rest to you. Why? Well… From behind you, Roy suddenly calls out, “Bye, Princess!”

Your mouth drops, leaving Jason to shoot a smug look your way.

It’s in that moment that you finally understand why Jason was so hell-bent on not crossing nicknames with different people. You know it’s stupid as fuck and you know you made fun of Jason for being such a brat about this shit, but holy fuck do you get it now. Here you are thinking you’re Roy’s only princess, but apparently not. You can’t help but pout.

None of this, however, is evident to Roy, who continues to look between you and Jason in confusion.

“What?” Roy spouts. “What’d I do this time?

By now, Dick’s long moved on with Babs and Wally by his side, leaving the three of you on the pool chairs and Lian in the pool with Tim, Kon, Steph and Damian. Jon remains with his legs dipped in, clearly trying not to listen in, but with super hearing, you know it’s nearly impossible for him not to.

“Roy, seriously,” you say, “you’re not calling her that anymore if you’re going to call me that.”

Roy’s smile fades slightly as he tries to piece it all together. When he does, an evident smirk works its way across his freckled cheeks. “Going all Jay on me, baby?” he teases.

You huff, dramatically crossing your arms to emulate what Jason does when he’s irritated, “Maybe.”

The three of you can’t hold in your laughter any longer and burst out snorting. “I’m sorry,” you say, genuinely feeling it. “I don’t mean to come off like a jealous bitch, but I seriously don’t want to share a nickname with someone from your past.”

“I get you, princess,” Roy says and cuts you off before you can tell him off. “It’s just you, now. I promise, baby.”

“Sorry,” you say again, wishing you didn’t feel how you felt.

“I get jealous, too, remember?” Jason points out in lieu of accepting your apology. It’s as if the conversation completely shifts because Jason continues, “You both are so much more attractive than me. You both could do a lot better than a scarred, angry kid from Gotham.” Your jaw effectively drops for the second time today in disbelief of what you’re hearing. “You’re both out of my league and I’m-“

You cut him off, “Literally one of the hottest people I’ve ever met? Are you for real, Jay?” Somehow, Jason bringing this up makes you feel more human for your reaction. You don’t feel so alone now.

“She called you, Jay, Jay,” Roy teases. “You want me to kick her ass for you?”

“First of all,” Jason starts, “I’d like to see you try. Second,” Jason turns toward you, “stop smiling at me like that.”

“Like what?” you respond innocently, though the cheeky undertone is clearly evident.

“Like a smug ass fucking brat,” he jests back. “And, yes, babe,” he says, “you can call me Jay.”

You blush, smiling down to where he’s holding your hand. “I now understand why I couldn’t in the first place,” you say.

“No, that was just because I was angsty as fuck and possessive over Roy.”

“Yeah, we know,” Roy snorts.

“Whatever.” Jason rolls his eyes, taking Roy’s hand into his free hand. “Just saying, I don’t care what either of you call me as long as I can call you mine.” You smile lightly at this.

“So me and the babe should start calling Lawton ‘love?’” Roy teases and groans when Jason socks him in the stomach.

“Too far,” he growls suddenly.

Roy wheezes through his cheeky grin, “Got it, love.”

You finally feel an end to yet another contention. Well, at the very least, solidarity over the contention and, hey, you’ll take it.

With this resolution, your group makes its way over to the shallow end where Stephanie and Jon are playing with Lian. You go to dip your foot in but, ultimately, hesitate. You chalk it up to the stress of the overwhelmingness of today and push through.

When you reach the water, Stephanie waggles her blonde brows at you and your partners.

“What?” you ask, feeling entirely confused.

“Speaking of marriage,” Stephanie drawls teasingly, all while continuing to waggle her brows, “what are your guys’ plans?”

Oh, jeez.

Your wide eyes meet Jason’s, then Roy’s wide green eyes.

“Er,” you start, then trail off. The three of you have never really sat down and had this discussion yet. You’ve been together long enough that it’s definitely feasible and, hell, Lian already considers you her mom, but you’ve never put much thought to the topic. “I don’t think technically that we all legally can,” you trail off awkwardly.

As long as you’re with them, you’re happy.

“Well,” Roy surprisingly pipes up, “what about a spiritual wedding?” At this, he appears deep in thought, as if he’s really considering it.

“I want to play mermaids, mommy,” Lian suddenly interrupts as she swims over to where you’re at on the pool steps.

You don’t have time to contemplate the fear you’re suddenly feeling as you approach the water. You barely have time to think about how this will be your first encounter being submerged again since the incident in the subways because Jason and Roy sneak up on you.

Roy lifts you up from under your armpits while Jason grabs you by the ankles as they remove you from the water. They lug your struggling boy over to the deep end where they begin to swing you back and forth by the edge of the pool, teasing you and laughing as they do, but you’re too busy thrashing around in their collective hold. They obviously don’t pick up on the panic behind your screaming and must think you’re just being dramatic about getting your hair wet because they throw you in anyway.

Surrounded by water, your eyes surge open. You scream, releasing all your breath into bubbles that blind you, leaving you to thrash around in pure panic. This definitely isn’t the way you wanted to confront your newfound fear.

Though there are other people in the pool, you feel entirely alone as you choke and sink toward the bottom as your panic takes over. The water surrounds you with its familiar weighted blanket that urges you to close your eyes you. The telltale burning sensation blooms across your lungs as you force yourself not to inhale the water around you. Your head pounds as your will slowly slips away.

When it soon becomes clear that you’re not coming back up on your own, two figures dive in after you.

Upon surfacing, you lean over in Roy’s strong hold as you gasp. Coughs rack across your aching body and Jason comes over to help check on you. Luckily, no water comes out of your lungs so you won’t have to stay in the Batcave for observation later. Thank fuck. It’s been a tiring 24 hours and you don’t know if you’d be able to handle even more stress.

“Baby, we weren’t thinking,” Roy spouts rapidly, hands scouring your body as he tries to rectify his mistake. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t even thinking about the subway-“

Jason calls your name, stroking your face as the rest of the crew, Bruce included, surrounds you.

“Are you alright?”

Everyone’s eyes are on you and you can’t help but shrink away.

“Give her some space,” Bruce demands. His presence snaps you out of it, wondering when exactly the man had returned.

“I’m fine,” you insist. You refuse to ruin this day for everyone and, above all, Lian. “It’s good.” You smile the little girl’s way and exhale lightly when she smiles earnestly back. In a strange way, you needed this. You needed to face the trauma and what better way than facing it surrounded by the people you love most- the ones you feel safest around.

Roy and Jason appear horrified with themselves, but you assuage them with chaste kisses.

“We’re so sorry,” Jason laments quietly to you.

Tonight, you tell yourself, you can unleash it all once Lian’s asleep. For now, though, you push down the remnants of panic and bottle up your tears as you nonchalantly get up and slowly walk into the shallow end of the pool. Everyone’s still watching you carefully, but you merely roll your eyes and encourage them to join you.

It doesn’t take much coaxing after that. Soon, Stephanie leaps into the pool, followed by Jon and Damian.

Jason watches you with a knowing look but remains quiet. He doesn’t push the subject any further for now as he gently guides Lian over to the steps where you’re at.

All of this appeases Roy, who, with a wink sent your way, cannonballs into the deep end after pushing Dick in. Wally speeds out of the way before he can become a casualty and, instead, picks up Babs to place her on Dick’s shoulders.

You play mermaids with Lian and her daddy for a bit in the shallow end before Stephanie finally coaxes you and Jason over to join the rest of the group. Alfred taps in as a voluntary mermaid while the two of you join the all-out war going on a few feet away. In the deep end, Babs is already atop Dick’s shoulders and Stephanie atop Tim’s.

“Todd,” Damian grumbles, “I need all the height I can get to win.” Is the explanation he gives as he glares at Jason to let him up.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason mutters with a knowing smirk. Regardless, he picks Damian up, much to his chagrin, and situates him. “Stop digging your bony ass heels into my tits, Dami.”

“Fucking gross, you heathen,” Damian hisses and flings his leg out to do just that. Though they’re supposed to be teammates, they begin to wrestle with each other and you scurry out of the way and over toward your other boyfriend.

With Jon secured atop Connor, you meet Roy’s waggling brows with a fake sigh. Eventually, you accept his extended hand and allow him to lift you onto his shoulders.

“I’m so recording this,” Wally says. The redhead nudges Bruce next to him to takes in the pool with thinly veiled amusement.

“Yo, knock that shit off and let me be the one to kick your ass, little bird,” Stephanie taunts, well, more like screams. This all startles Tim who’d been attempting to secure her through her erratic movements as she teases Dami.

Finally, Jason and Damian cease their quarrel and move to face the circle of pairs.

“You fucking wish, Brown,” Damian scoffs. “The only team here with a chance against me is the one with two Kryptonians.”

“Half-Krypotonians,” Jon corrects him with a finger cutely raised as he does.

“You know what I meant,” Damian sighs with a half-hearted glare all of you know he doesn’t mean. “Go easy on her, though, Jon.” With this, Damian hikes his thumb over at you.

“Hey!” you gasp in jest. “I resent that, Dami.”

Then, the war begins.

Steph, of course, is the first one to make a move. She reaches down off Tim’s shoulder to smack Connor and Jon with a tidal wave of chlorine water but manages to hit mostly Dick and Babs instead.

“Still a win, though,” the blonde jests as she takes in her four wet opponents. She does a little victory dance while you and Damian begin to face off, catching the rest of Steph’s attention.

Babs takes the blonde’s distracted state as an opportunity to spur Dick forward to attack. Poor Stephanie doesn’t stand a chance.

“This looks like a horrible idea,” Bruce mutters to Wally as the two stand off to the side, observing the swarm of splashes and dunks happening in the pool to a highly amused redhead.

“I should say,” Alfred starts as he joins their group with a pruned Lian in tow, “by the time they’re done, there will hardly be much water left in the pool, Master Wayne.”

Jason and Damian gear up for action as they suddenly face-off between you and Roy.

“I think we can take ‘em, princess,” Roy says smugly, leaving Damian to tch. “There’s no way Jason won’t let his trophy wives win.”

Jason just snorts, “Just for that, I’ll kick your ass even harder, Harper.” Jason then turns to you, “You, on the other hand, babe, don’t stand a chance against me.”

However, you don’t have time to respond as Damian makes his first move. Your arms move at the same time Damian’s do. The two of you wrestle from atop their shoulders as Jason and Roy do the same, taking extra caution to make sure you don’t fall off.

“You’re really going to let her win, Todd? Fucking pathetic,” Damian grits out as he forces you backward with a push. Luckily, Roy’s grip is secure enough that you hardly budge. “Knock her off and we’ll take out your other loser together.”

As much as the three men jested amongst themselves, as soon as it comes to others teasing you, both men immediately come to your defense.

“Watch your fucking mouth, brat,” Jason hisses at the same time Roy exclaims, “You’re the loser, twerp!” Roy blatantly uses the hated nickname you gave to Damian back in freshman year of high school, much to the latter’s chagrin.

At some point during all this, Damian gets thrown off of Jason’s shoulders and ends up splashing down all the way in the deep end next to Dick and Babs. However, the raven doesn’t stay submerged for long. No, Damian goes directly for Roy from under the water as if he were fucking Jaws or something.

When you hit the water this time, you’re more prepared for its impact. You don’t freak out, but Roy and Jason still block you off from the others chicken-fighting as they gauge your reaction. With a thumbs up from you, both of them join forces with Tim and Stephanie to splash Dick and Babs.

“Guys, stop!” Dick exclaims with a slightly whiney voice. “It’s supposed to be play fighting, not a splashing war. You’re all messing up my hair and I just did my wash routine this morning.” His complaint, however, goes unheard as you and everyone else in the pool pushes nearly half the pool’s water onto his already. Just when he thinks it’s over, Damian climbs back on Jason’s back to dump a decent amount directly over his head. Dick’s mouth drops open, scandalized. “Et tu, Damian?”

“Fuck off,” Damian replies with a flippant roll of his eyes.

After a lengthy battle, you concede after getting dunked two more times. Jason follows soon after, claiming he needs a drink as soon as he sees Bruce’s watchful eyes meet his. The battle soon falls apart and the majority of the adults get out of the pool to allow Lian to swim freely without worrying about getting splashed by her crazy family.

From here, Jason consumes drink after drink, growing tipsier under Bruce’s unrelenting presence. By the time the hour’s up, Jason’s content to lounge with you away from the pool as Roy takes over playing mermaids with Lian. This, however, doesn’t mean the redhead isn’t watching as Jason gets increasingly touchy with you.

It’s something everyone notices, mainly because he gets up and loudly scootches your chairs together. From here, you can’t get him off of you. You can’t help but giggle as his calloused hands trail up and down your skin.

“Y’need more sunscreen, babe,” he slurs lightly, refusing to take no for an answer. At this, he motions for the sunscreen, which you reluctantly hand over, knowing this is about to get very PG-13. Well, hopefully only that rating; otherwise, Roy will have to come to pry him off of you before Lian and the rest of the room’s inhabitants can be scarred for life.

Jason’s tipsy, but he's very obviously in control of his actions as he gently glides the lotion over every inch of your body. Being the ass he is, he teasingly lingers over spots he knows drive you crazy.

“Jay,” you berate him when he’s milliseconds from drawing an embarrassing moan from you.

“Sorry, love,” he purrs against the shell of your ear, leaving you to arch into his muscular front. “Now, turn around so I can get your back.”

It’s then that you notice Roy’s all but forgone mermaids. His orange hair peeks up messily over the edge of the pool as his light green eyes latch onto you and Jason eagerly.

You oblige Jason’s request and flip over. You’re in a coral-colored bikini that he easily unties so he can get under the strings to fully cover your back.

“Jason,” you warn again when his touch starts to move south. “Later, my love.” You grab his wandering hand and place it firmly on your waist as he eyes you up and down with wanton, emerald eyes.

“Kiss me,” he growls, practically against your lips already.

You’re completely worked up and give in easily. Your lips slot languidly against his smooth lips and your legs intertwine with his. His calloused hand slowly drags up your side to cup your cheek, drawing a breathy sigh from you. You blush and shy away from his lips, but he won’t let you. He chases after you, nearly falling onto you as he positions himself over you now.

“Jason,” you giggle. Your laughter soon turns to a barely disguised moan as he flicks his whiskey-ridden tongue into your mouth. You allow it, sucking his appendage teasingly as your hands come to rest on his built shoulders. All the tension of today leaves your body as Jason carefully distracts you with his tender touches.

“I love my life,” Roy groans in appreciation at the sight. His face is entirely pleased as he slips out of the pool to join the two of you. Lian follows cutely behind him, shivering as she asks him for her Superman towel.

Around the time the sun starts setting, it’s just your group and Damian who remain. Honestly, probably the only reason your group even stayed so long was due to Lian’s excitement, but mostly the fact that Jason just started sobering up. By now, Alfred’s retired to the kitchen to start on dinner while Bruce lingers in the hallway outside the atrium.

Jason pushes past him with Roy and Lian following closely behind.

You wave awkwardly, but Bruce won’t allow this exit. He abruptly calls you and Damian over to him.

“About our discussion the other day,” he starts.

“Which one?” you interrupt, brow raised challengingly. It’s been a long fucking day and you’re ready to get into PJs and cuddle with your family. Right now, the only obstacle standing between you and this is Bruce.

Bruce, however, takes this in stride. “The Court,” he replies calmly. “I know what you’re planning and I would strongly caution you against it.”

The conversation is suddenly cut short as Bruce and Damian both suddenly get alerts on their phones.

“The scrambled footage from Wayne Enterprises’ security system has finally been enhanced, father,” Damian interrupts. At this, Jason and Roy finally come closer to see what all the ruckus is about. “There’s a license plate,” he adds after a beat. He zooms in on the footage to run a search on the plates of the van they drove off with the emitter in. “We’re already behind. We need to track them down now,” Damian insists sharply.

Bruce ignores him, however, in lieu of continuing your conversation. “If it really is The Court, we’ve all got bigger problems. You can’t just go busting into their headquarters and expect it to go smoothly. They’re dangerous,” he says before reiterating, “the most dangerous people in Gotham, in fact. They won’t repent without making you pay the ultimate price, believe me.”

“Father,” Damian warns.

“The Court is compiled of ruthless killers,” Bruce warns, “who will take everything from you until you’re no longer who you once were. From there, they’ll use you to do their bidding.” Though Jason and Roy are right beside you, his blue eyes are solely focused on you as if you’re your family’s only chance to have the sense talked into them. “There is no redemption in this for anyone, not when it comes to an unredeemable underground secret society of killers like this. Not for what happened to you last year, nor for anyone else in here,” he says your name as he finishes.

“So, because they kill, they’re unredeemable?” Jason huffs in aggravation, completely skipping over the rest of what Bruce said. Jason’s clearly sobered up from earlier, but his loose verbal filter stemming from it still remains.

“We’re not having this discussion again. Not in front of our kid, love,” Roy pipes up quickly, warning both Jason and Bruce against the argument that’s quickly brewing between them.

Jason glances at the redhead briefly before his emerald ire scorches his father’s way once again. “What does that make my situation, then, Bruce?” Jason asks icily, already knowing the answer.

Bruce glances at his son out of the corner of his eyes before responding, “Complicated.” Well, if the situation in the garage was anything to go by, complicated is something this family knows all too well. “All I’m trying to say is that this could be a dangerous trap conspired by very dangerous people,” he says with a finality in his tone that Jason doesn’t even bother combating. No, instead, Jason squeezes reassuringly at Lian’s shoulder, who’s begun to stare at her daddy with concern.

“Father, we really must move,” Damian insists.

Having gotten his point across, Bruce finally heeds Damian’s urgency.

“He’s right.” Bruce nods as he quickly creates a plan. “Damian, you stay with me. Jason and Roy will go into the field.”

Damian scoffs, glaring at his father at the odd decision. Everyone in the room seems surprised, especially after Bruce had essentially called Jason and Roy unredeemable for what they’d done in the past.

“What about Lian and me?” you ask.

“You’re staying here,” Bruce says.

No one seems to know what to do. Roy stares at Jason, who, along with Damian, stares at Bruce, who stares at you. Your eyes shift across the men in the room, then to Lian.

Damian’s the one to break the brief, but very awkward silence as he huffs at your boyfriends, “Hurry the fuck up, then.”

Not even 30 minutes later, Jason and Roy as Red Hood and Arsenal are en route to an unknown destination. Guess your feelings discussion about the pool earlier and the fear you felt will have to be put on hold again.

You’re attempting to follow Bruce and Damian down to the Batcave, when suddenly the older man halts in front of a grandfather clock.

“Just the three of us from here on out,” Bruce says before instructing Alfred to take care of Lian.

“Then why even have her stay?” you question angrily. Have you mentioned that you’re at your wit’s end yet?

“More of a test than anything,” Bruce supplies with a practiced nonchalance. Your mind instantly flashes back to the Wayne Garden fountain during the Wayne Gala when Jason had randomly spouted much of the same. “I can’t be out in the field because Batman doesn’t patrol this early. I need Damian here because his co-chair, Luke, was the one to uncover the footage,” Bruce lists, though none of it explains why you’re here.

“And?” you ask irritably. “What about me? Why am I here and not out there with them?”

Was it a test for Jason and Roy, or a test of your loyalty as Jason’s had been all those years prior?

“That, I don’t know yet,” he replies cryptically.

Reluctantly, you follow after Bruce and Damian once Lian’s left the room.

Luke’s already online, giving Red Hood and Arsenal directions as he uncovers more footage. Damian wastes no time in assisting him with various street cameras to follow along the van’s route. The license plate comes back a dud, but not all is lost yet. All the while, Bruce stands behind you. You can’t tell if it’s an intimidation thing, or if it’s something else, but it’s pissing you off. Coupled with Lian not being allowed down in the Batcave- you’re irate.

How could Bruce accept you so easily into his family but not Lian?

The makeshift team’s comms are linked, so your outburst is audible to everyone.

“Why exclude her? She already knows about her dads. What difference does knowing about this cave make?” He just glares at you, leaving you to snarl, “Let me get this straight: you expect me to sit here and just follow you blindly at the cost of my own family?”

“Now’s not the time for this pettiness. We have work to do.”

“What’s going on?” Red Hood asks over the comms.

Damian seems entirely uncomfortable as you inform them that their daughter was barred from the Batcave.

“Her past goes deeper than you’ll ever know. I can’t have that kind of liability on her for me,” Bruce continues simply.

“What does that even mean?” you ask before Hood and Arsenal can spazz. “Cheshire?”

“Not just Jade,” Arsenal sighs. “Her parents, too.” There’s a brief interjection by Luke as he directs them to turn left and continue down Billingham Street. “Her mom used to go by Tigress but is reformed. She got out of the game and has laid low since then.”

“Because she was crippled and sent to prison,” Bruce interjects suddenly. “You’re forgetting to mention that her father is Sportsmaster who is not reformed and very much active. It’s a liability to us all that Lian even knows Jason’s alias.”

“I was getting to that,” Arsenal grits out. The bike revs and you watch on the Batcave’s system as they turn the corner onto the street Luke had directed them to. “Does Jade’s sister being a superhero, not to mention an ally to Batman mean anything to you?” he asks suddenly.

You’re more familiar with Artemis than you are Jade at this point. Any time Dick can’t look after Lian, Artemis is the next number you call.

“Guess not, but then again, his logic hasn’t always been the most sound,” Hood snaps in response.

“What about me?” You turn to Bruce, now, slightly scandalized at the recent development. “Am I not a part of this family regardless of my fucking upbringing?”

After your parents had rejected your olive branch so blatantly at the dockyards, Bruce was the only chance left you had for a real dad. This man is the only parental figure you’ve ever known and, yet, here he is rejecting your child- Jason’schild. Where exactly does that leave you? You hate to admit that the answer is clear.

It’s as if your thoughts read clear upon your face because his glare diminishes and is replaced with what you’re 80% sure is remorse.

“I-“ he starts, then cuts himself off. “No.” Well, there’s your fucking answer. You turn away from him, you turn away from Damian’s owlish confusion, and make your way toward the exit. Before you can call out to Jason and Roy to let them know, Bruce speaks again, “I misspoke.” His sturdy hand rests on your shoulder, gently preventing you from starting up the stairs. “You aren’t your family,” he says, “you’re one of us.”

Before you can process his words, Bruce phones for Alfred to bring Lian down. The little girl is ecstatic as she takes in the new space with absolute awe, though Bruce still seems hesitant. Upon her gleeful giggle as you hug her and take her over to the giant penny that Bruce at least has the decency to think her reaction is cute.

“What’s going on over there?” Hood demands.

Damian clears his throat, “Everyone’s down here now.” It’s enough information from the man of few words for them to know that you’ve gotten your way. “We really must focus on the mission at hand. We can’t afford to be sloppy when it comes to them.” His words hang like a threat in the stale air of the cave.

After a few more minutes pass with still no destination in sight, Bruce speaks up.

“Damian,” Bruce’s deep voice reverberates against the empty chasm of the cave, “show them around.”

“Father,” Damian protests, acting exasperated as if Bruce has gone completely off his rocker.

“So,” Hood starts, “you ban her from the cave and now she’s getting a tour from the brat?”

“I resent that, fat ass,” Damian snarls.

“Fat ass,” Lian giggles as she repeats her uncle’s unfortunate choice of words.

“Seriously?” Arsenal sighs, obviously having heard his sponge of a daughter.

“Apologies,” Damian offers sincerely. He takes one look at the excited little girl before begrudgingly following along with Bruce’s wishes.

You can’t deny that you’re excited to see what Batman’s headquarters have to offer. After all, you’ve only seen med bay portion and, even then, you were pretty out of it.

Damian shows her and you around, much to your partner’s chagrin who hear as he walks you about the different area. Lian’s exclamations and little shrieks only add to Jason’s annoyance that, god forbid, Damian’s the one from the Bat Family to show the two of you around their sacred grounds. You know the jealous make-up sex will definitely be worth it, though.

All the while, Luke finally tracks down the van’s destination to a warehouse five blocks over from Arsenal and Hood’s location. From here, Alfred finishes the tour with Lian as you and Damian rejoin Bruce in front of the cave’s system.

You watch as Arsenal kicks in the door, Red Hood behind him with guns drawn. He’d reluctantly switched to rubber bullets, respecting Bruce’s wishes without him ever having to ask. Though Bruce will never mention this, nor think differently of him for doing so, Jason has once again shown respect even in the wake of his father (your father??)repeatedly beating down any form of an olive branch from his son.

Upon entering the empty room, they come upon a jack-in-the-box.

“Careful,” Hood mutters to his partner who trains his bow on the box.

Suddenly, the box springs to life. Its mechanism clinks as it begins to turn on its own accord. A creepy tune plucks out while both men stand at the ready for whatever the box will reveal.

When the box stops, you see Hood’s aim falter. It’s only for a brief second, but it’s long enough for you to catch his evident confusion. Before either of them can do anything further, the box pops open. At first, you think it’s a distraction from the crazy owl soldiers Damian had warned you about. After nothing happens for another minute, your partners slowly inch closer to the colorful box, inspecting it seriously as they come upon the joker puppet sticking out of it.

It’s as if they’ve tripped something because, all of a sudden, gas slowly squeals from the puppet and into the room. The plume of green slowly spills into the closed quarters of the building. At this, both men start to cough and complain of a rancid smell.

“Is everything alright?” Luke questions. Instead of answers, the comms are met with more coughing.

Arsenal quickly masks up while Red Hood turns on his filtration system through his helmet. Neither are risking further exposure to whatever’s spreading throughout the building, especially not when they’re up against such heavy hitters.

“Hood, Arsenal,” Bruce demands, “respond.”

Arsenal wheezes and you think he can’t breathe until you hear it. The eerie laugh that you’d spouted all those years ago at the very gala you’d been reminded of earlier. The one where Joker and his goons had restrained you and injected you with a strange neon liquid that reared its ugly head again last year at the dockyard fight.

“Answer, dumbasses,” Damian hisses, hitting at the screen as if it would somehow produce a response. You don’t have time to chide him for cursing with Lian so close by because both men drop to the ground, clutching at their sides as they begin to inhale in an exaggerated manner. “What’s going on?”

Luke’s video feed suddenly flickers off the screen. You think something maniacal is going on until the man’s voice crackles through the comms, “I’m suited up and on my way to them.”

“Batwing, do you need backup?” Bruce asks.

You watch with bated breath as Hood and Arsenal attempt to remove their gas masks as they continue to struggle on the floor. You think it’s sheer luck that no one’s shown up to ambush them when you see it. Bruce picks up on the figure instantly. Though the quality of the security camera inside doesn’t pick up on too many details, Bruce is able to zoom in on the live footage and enhance it enough for you to realize that the man looks like to one from the dockyards last year. Squinting harder, you realize this may very well be the same man who was in the subways with you a month prior.

Just who is this masked man?

Before Bruce can get a clear read on the man’s masked face, he flees. Two minutes later, Batwing arrives to collect your howling partners.

“You seeing this?” the vigilante asks. In the dead center of the room is a piece of paper. Walking closer to it, Batwing picks up what ends up being a card- a Joker card.

“Get out of there,” Bruce warns darkly, “now.”

Batwing doesn’t stick around to find out why Bruce sounds so grim and quickly flies off with Red Hood and Arsenal secured at his sides.

“What was that?” Damian questions.

You shrug, not having a clue what just went down. Bruce, on the other hand, has his dark brows drawn together as if he’s mentally connecting another piece of the puzzle. However, you don’t have to wait long before he supplies an answer.

“Last year,” he starts, “I had a run in with the Joker. It was about a month after the bombing at your apartment.” Bruce regards you briefly before continuing, “It was a typical patrol, kind of quiet, honestly. I didn’t suspect there was an ulterior motive to the alley mugging I stopped. As soon as I’d knocked out the man, I noticed a Joker card, similar to the one we found tonight,” he sighs. “There was a jack-in-the-box just like that with what I’m guessing is a similar concoction to what they faced tonight. I called it ‘Laughing Dust’ in my files.” With this, he pulls up a file with a grainy still from his bodycam of the aforementioned dust. “Further analysis revealed the dust was made from a combination of hydrogen cyanide salt, strychnine powder and something I was never able to detect.” He pauses as if he doesn’t know whether or not to reveal the next bout of information but, ultimately, does. “It seems like whatever the final compound was,” he trails off, “well, that it had come from some kind of tainted blood.”

“Hate to state the obvious,” Batwing chimes in, “but that wasn’t dust in there. It was gas.”

Bruce appears grim as he rewinds the footage from mere moments ago as if it confirms his worst fear.

“So, Joker’s engineered some kind of Joker Gas,” Bruce trails off pensively.

You say what’s been on your mind since you saw the figure in the warehouse, “Whoever that man was in there tonight, I’m guessing he was the one to help concoct it.”

It goes unsaid that, if The Court of Owl’s was involved, this could end up so much worse than any of you ever could’ve imagined. Though the previous clue was a feather left at Wayne Enterprise, it didn’t necessarily mean the person in the warehouse was from The Court. After all, there’s still one person you haven’t been able to identify from your visions. Not only could the man have been a free agent who’s unrelated to The Court, the man there tonight could’ve also easily been the missing link between your visions and reality.

If anything, this entire situation only furthers your previous logic on the matter. Whether it’s Joker and some accomplice that’s not even on your radar, or Joker and The Court, you know the only way you’ll find any answers is by infiltrating their upcoming meeting. You know you need to crash that meeting and finally get some fucking answers.

Fuck what Bruce said. Hell, he obviously doesn’t have as sound of logic as you’d once previously thought. After last night, no, after today, the man is not who you once thought he was, so who is he to continue to control your fate? You’ve been on your own as long as you can remember; no, it’s nothing new to you. Though his approval means everything to you, you logically know you don’t need it. Even after admitting this to yourself, you’re pretty sure that actually experiencing his rejection would cripple you entirely.

You heave a heavy sigh as these thoughts slam against your skull.

On the screen, Batwing arrives on the scene and quickly removes the incapacitated vigilantes. Not even five minutes later, they’re arriving in the cave. Bruce busies himself with Alfred, escorting Lian from the cave while you take in the distraught state of your partners.

Luke retracts his mechanical cowl as he addresses you, “Whatever they inhaled, they put on their gas masks fast enough that it didn’t affect them too much luckily.” He pats Roy on the back when he starts to choke and supports his weight to help him sit up straighter as he comes down from whatever shit Joker had left behind in that warehouse. “They should be back to normal any minute now, I think,” he reassures you, though his face looks anything but. He looks scared.

You swallow down your own fear, looking around to make sure it’s just you, Luke and Damian around to hear. Bruce had made his stance on your visions very clear earlier today at the pool and you didn’t need any more judgment from him on the matter today, but you still needed to be heard.

“The three of us went to the Stacked Deck yesterday, chasing down a lead on The Court of Owls but ended up finding information on the Winter Rose instead,” you say quickly in a hushed tone. Damian and Luke lean in closer to make out your words as you continue on in a rush, “Scientist from Cadmus said the plant was not only symbiotic but water soluble.” When you finish, you stare at both of them meaningfully, hoping they’ll take what you say next seriously. “I think this solution is what they’ve been putting in the subway water. I think that whoever’s helping The Court, or, at the very least, Joker, was in that warehouse tonight and I think they’re the one who knows how to fully utilize the rose’s power.”

“You saw that in your visions?” Luke asks suddenly.

“You know about that?” You hadn’t expected it to get around the Bat Family so fast, but you supposed it was only a matter of time before everyone in this family of detectives found out.

Luke looks a bit guilty, but he still indulges you. “Bruce mentioned something about it.” It's all he needs to say for you to know that Bruce told him not to pursue anything related to your visions. However, it’s what he says next that surprises you, “I’ll grab a sample of the water and bring it into the lab here.”

You thank him, though part of you doubts he’ll actually follow through based on your judgment over Bruce’s.

Once Arsenal and Hood calm down with help from Batwing, it seems like they finally realize that things are officially getting to the point of no return. The event horizon.

Regardless of both Damian and Bruce’s warnings, you know the only way to get anywhere is through the elusive Court of Owls.

“We need to get disguises for The Court meeting,” you say resolutely to your partners. They’re still somewhat out of it, but you need to get it out in the open with the people you trust endlessly. “It’s time we stop sitting around and get some god damn answers. It’s time to find out if these owl fucks actually have the emitter or not.”

A/N: long author note y'all- chap 9 will get more into the aftermath. i didn't really explain this in the notes of last chapter but I felt it necessary to add the slap because I feel it's imperative to his rocky relationship with jason (specifically gotham war series which I cant even fucking read anymore it's absolute bssss yall and also ofc under the red hood series). I felt like ARS really glorified bruce and I wanted to show this other side of him as it pertains really well with the rest of the plot. this is a messy series- no one is perfect and I wanted to make this clear early on as it only gets messier. personally, for me, the messiness is what makes these characters truly come to life and I hope you can see why I made the decision I did when this is all finished :p

ALSOOOO finally an explanation for why jason was so uptight about nicknames!! I've never written actual lore like this before BUUUUT in this AU, jason and roy were both part of Teen Titans (Damian is currently in it) and the Outlaws weren't really a thing in this universe due to timelines not adding up. Also, the Artemis mentioned is based on Artemis from Young Justice, not Outlaws bc, again, outlaws doesn't add up in this timeline OKAY I'm done rambling lmao

[next: coming soon] || masterlist || pinned || ways to support

#jason todd x reader #reader x jason todd #reader x jason todd x roy harper #reader x roy harper #jayroy #hex recs #everyone give it a read nyeow 🫵

12 notes · View notes