Chapter 14 - A Different Point of View
Summary: Things that happened that you weren't aware of.
Word count: 9,163 words
A/N: Thank you for being so patient with me. I struggled with this chapter due to its nature. I had to further dive into Bruce and Dick's character that I wasn't too familiar with.2020 was a very tough year for me. I lost lots, learned lots. And I thought that the quarantine would mean I would write more. But I was wrong. Life hit me hard, and I stopped doing a lot of things I used to enjoy.Despite being virtually absent last year, you guys stuck by me anyway. Thank you. I love you all for that.Special thanks to my two beta readers. You know who you are. Here it goes.
(i recommend you guys read previous chapters to refresh coz I had to lol)
Ao3
Masterlist
The roles that people played were false- a mere necessity for their career or survival. Everyone was playing a role, whether it was of their own accord or not.
Bruce Wayne was a role- superficial, fake, yet vital to Gotham. Batman, on the other hand, was a completely different role, born out of exigence and a sense of justice.
Dick Grayson, however, genuinely enjoyed playing his role.
Nightwing felt right to him. Being a police officer felt right to him. And especially, if not ultimately, being an older brother.
He listened to the dial tone of his phone, which rung for a few seconds before you finally picked up.
“Hey,” Dick heard your voice, the usual chirp absent that day.
Dick frowned to himself. Bruce was right about you being troubled after all.
“Hey, sis!” he forced the concern out of his voice. “You busy?”
“Nah, I’m just going over some old case files. What’s up?”
Dick leaned back into his sofa. Aside from the traffic blaring outside, the silence in his apartment made it easier for him to concentrate on analysing your speech patterns.
“Can’t I call just to ask how you’re doing?” he teased, easing into the conversation.
Everyone had always told him how he was natural at talking.
“You already called last week…”
Dick smiled to himself. He could already picture your narrowed eyes regarding him with suspicion.
It was good that you were always on your feet, but it was becoming borderline unhealthy. It reminded him of Jason and how he was always so guarded .
He pushed the memory away.
“I can’t call you again?” he rolled his eyes at no one.
“Bruce put you up to this,” you accused.
That’s because he’s worried about you, kid.
If only you knew how much Bruce had changed for you. Dick was glad that you were being loved by Bruce, yet he still couldn't help but feel slightly bitter that he never got that kind of treatment from his father- not the same treatment he gave you.
But he would rather die than admit his selfish thoughts to anyone.
“Yeah,” he conceded, “He was worried about you after last night.”
“I’m fine, Dick,” you insisted.
How many times has he heard those very same words from Jason?
“Well, if you’re not, then you can talk to me,” he offered.
A short pause.
Your response would be what differentiated you from his late brother.
“Actually, yeah,” you admitted.
There it was. No matter how stupid he knew it was for even comparing the two of you, he found that he always had to remind himself not to.
“How did you deal with it? Did it affect you?”
Dick told you his own experience with gore and dead bodies, how he overcame it, how he coped. There was silence after, and he just somehow knew what you were going to ask next.
“How did, uh, he deal with it?”
Your voice came in a whisper, hesitation evidently clear.
Dick was expecting it, but his heart still sank. He knew how everyone acted when Jason was brought up in conversation- he was guilty of reacting as well. He also knew how you were smart enough to avoid that topic.
It had been years. They should all have moved on, because Dick knew that they were also hurting you.
“He came to me as well.” Dick recalled Jason’s hesitant voice over the phone, never directly saying what was wrong, just rambling about things other than what was really going on in his head.
“Then he gradually called less and less when he learned how to deal with it himself.”
The day Dick noticed it, he was happy for Jason, but a small part of him was saddened that his little brother no longer needed him.
“I’ll have to look for that cognitive therapy, then. Thank you for calling, Dick. Talking to you helped.”
Did it really? He noticed your voice had changed again. Maybe he shouldn’t have gone on about Jason like that.
“No problem, kid. Call me if you need to talk, okay?”
The familiar beep left him isolated with his thoughts, wondering if you would trail in Jason's footsteps.
When will the day come when you eventually stop calling altogether?
***
He felt indebted to his city- the city he loved. The city he hated. The city that robbed him of his childhood.
He felt indebted to his family- the family he would give up everything for, the family he couldn’t stop hurting.
And he was sorry. God, he was sorry.
Sorry for everything he’s said and done- or didn’t do. But he still couldn’t stop. Because he didn’t know how.
Yet, no matter how much he claimed to love his family, the problem with Bruce Wayne was that he always expected them to be the people he wanted them to be.
Never like himself, though. No, he would never want them to turn out like him.
“That’s an order. Stay-”
The silence that followed the click in his ear represented the first time you had ever disobeyed a direct order.
It was a little late on your side. Dick and Jason had begun to disobey him within their first six months in uniform. But you had always been obedient- which made it easier for Bruce to trust you in the field.
This first time came as an unexpected and unwelcome surprise. And Bruce was…
Disappointed.
He grit his teeth when he saw you on the ground with the warehouse burning behind you. If he had just been a few seconds late, would you be in the fire, too?
“I almost had him.”
Bruce didn’t miss the wince of pain as you got up to your feet.
He had heard those exact words before countless times from J- no.
Bruce shoved that thought away.
“He would have gotten away, and we wouldn’t have known who it was that did this,” you argued, brows drawn together in a frown, mouth downturned. Your respiratory rate was high, and you were having trouble breathing.
When did you grow so tall? So confident?
Bruce silently pointed to the active security camera he noticed the minute he arrived and saw your expression fall- only for a second.
“I still think I made the right decision,” you insisted.
“You disobeyed a direct order.” He hated his own voice. The way he spoke sounded too militant.
“I acted how I saw fit,” you continued, “You always say to follow my instincts-”
“Not if your instincts contradict my orders.” He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. He thought he had changed. But no, Bruce was still a dictator.
“Wow. Just- wow.”
He could see the little twitches of annoyance within the disbelief on your face. He understood it completely.
You were walking away, clutching onto your side and weakly limping to your bike, adamant on not seeking his help.
He hated seeing you injured, in pain. It was his fault. If only he was faster, he could have stopped Red Hood from beating you up. If only he predicted it sooner, if only-
“I’ll be heading back now.”
He missed what you had said before that.
“Robin,” Bruce forced out, “Have Alfred check your injuries.”
He should have been there.
When you drove away, he lingered at the crime scene.
Bruce flipped a switch in his helmet, and his lense changed. Non-organic material lighted up bright white. He noticed a fractured piece of shrapnel lying on the ground, less than a centimeter long.
He picked it up and placed it into a test tube from his belt. Switching his view to normal, he saw that it was red, maybe made from fiberglass. He could only deduce that it was a piece of Red Hood’s helmet.
Despite Bruce’s frustrations at you for disobeying him, he felt a swell of pride. You probably landed a hit hard enough to crack the helmet just a little bit that you yourself probably didn’t even realise it.
He shone a UV light on it. A small portion of it glowed.
Bruce had always been numb when he played investigator so that he would remain impartial and objective. That was true justice.
But when he pocketed the evidence and sped to the Batmobile, he felt something he had never felt before.
Against all logic and rationality, he found himself dreading to uncover who the blood belonged to.
***
Bruce never drank his sorrows away. It was dangerous, too easy to develop an addiction to. He could have easily drowned in alcohol at any given chance, like when he thought of his parents, or when he thought-no, knew- he wasn’t enough.
But no, he only restricted his drinking for leisurely activities. He was disciplined. It was the reason why he was who he was.
However, in that moment, staring at the results of the DNA analysis after hours of anxious waiting, he wished he allowed himself a drink.
Not because he was distraught, not because he was in grief- but because he just didn’t know what to feel.
It wasn’t numbness. It was just plain confusion, an internal tornado of emotions whirling inside him all at once.
Footsteps.
He tapped on a button once, immediately closing the window of the test results displayed on the screen.
Composing himself, he clicked on another pending case to pretend he wasn’t on the verge of a breakdown. It’s just another role.
“Master Bruce.”
Why was he still up at this hour?
“Yes, Alfred,” he turned to meet the butler’s tired eyes- just as tired as his own.
Tired because of him.
Alfred was always up because of him. Because Bruce was a disease, constantly burdening others, dragging them down, keeping them up at night.
“I made some sandwiches. They’re light. Please do eat them,” he set the tray on the cluttered desk, simply pushing aside the numerous stacks of papers.
“Go to bed, Alfred,” he told him. Alfred was too old to be up at this hour. And whose fault is that?
“In due time,” he responded calmly, “What of the blood results, if I may ask?”
“Inconclusive,” Bruce lied.
“I see.”
Suspicion shrouded Alfred’s voice.
“How are her injuries?” Bruce asked, the pain finally creeping in, seeping into his bones.
“I commend you for asking about your daughter’s injuries after only four whole hours of staring at the screen, Master Bruce. You would definitely win father of the year.”
“I was occupied,” he sighed, “Please.”
“Her injuries are only superficial,” Alfred said, “Surface contusions at most.”
He still hurt her.
“Thank you, Alfred. Now go to bed.”
“It was only a little more than two decades ago when I was telling you the same,” he grumbled away.
Bruce made sure Alfred was gone before pulling up the results on the screen again, the glaring ‘MATCH’ sign staring angrily back at him as if it were shouting at Bruce, yelling in rage.
And Bruce understood completely. He had failed Jason Todd. He had betrayed him. And now he was back, vengeful, and full of resentment.
But that didn’t matter to Bruce.
Because despite it all, his son was alive.
In the end, that was all that mattered.
***
What did my son do to my daughter?
Bruce watched in horror as you lay unconscious on the hospital bed, hooked to the IV bag. He couldn’t stop staring at the bruises littering your neck.
Bruises that were far too small and evenly shaped to be the effect of a mere throttling.
He knew how the people close to him viewed him. He knew they thought he was strong, unforgiving, cold, emotionless. Especially when they put him side by side with Clark.
But he forced himself to be those things, because if he didn’t, he would have broken down years ago.
He was used to it. The pain. The darkness.
But this time, he felt like he was being crushed.
He felt like he was hanging on by a thread- no. A delicate strand of thin, brittle hair.
“It’s okay, doctor,” you had said, “I know what you’re going to ask me. No, my genitalia does not hurt. He didn’t do anything to me.”
He felt a wave of relief crash over him.
Jason wasn’t that far gone, then.
But as Bruce looked at your neck again, he still couldn’t help but feel nausea crawling into his core.
He still touched her.
Jim left after his questioning, and you drifted to sleep. He went over to you and looked down at your face, taking everything in.
Since when did you look so mature? When did you get so beautiful?
He couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Even in sleep you had your eyebrows tugged down, as if you were angry that you had to go to bed. He didn’t know why he never saw that small part of you that shouted rebellion despite you almost always following his orders.
He realised that when he watched you sleep, you looked a bit like- no. Don’t ever compare the two.
He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to your forehead, trying to convey all of his feelings to you.
He was sorry. So god damned sorry for dragging you into this, for hurting you, for pulling you down to the depths with him.
Hoping you didn’t feel the teardrop that fell to your forehead, he quickly wiped it away before leaving for his press statement.
***
“Master Bruce, please!”
Another crash.
Alfred’s plea snapped him out of his blinding fury, his crushing pain.
He was standing at the hallway near the Manor entrance, glass and broken wood shattered at his feet, feeling the walls closing in and narrowing as Alfred looked at him in alarm.
“I-I’m sorry, Alfred. I-” he stammered, feeling like the small, helpless boy who watched his parents die before him.
He remembered the time when he was little, only a couple of months after the tragedy. He had done the exact same thing, taking out his anger and anguish by destroying things, triggered by something he had long forgotten about.
At that time, Alfred had held him closely in his arms as he stained the butler’s suit with his snot and tears. Again, a burden to the man who raised him.
This time, he refused the old man’s offer of comfort, walking past to descend to the cold darkness of the cave he was so familiar with.
Bruce didn’t usually drink his sorrows away, but this time, he did.
***
Dick wasn’t a good person. He was far from it.
Case in example, it was the first time he saw you after your kidnapping.
He meant to come sooner, he really did. But he was just so busy in Bludhaven, he couldn’t spare any time to rush over the moment he heard his sister was hurt. He tried to justify it in his head by thinking that you were probably handling it fine.
But he was just trying to make himself feel better.
What a great brother he was.
“So, why are you obsessing over violent crimes?” he asked, trying to keep his voice from breaking.
Desensitization was one thing when you worked in that field, but obsession was a whole other problem. And he didn’t want to see his sister walk down that path.
“A lunatic just kidnapped me a couple weeks ago, Dick, maybe this is my coping mechanism,” you huffed, giving him your signature eye roll.
A lot of things start with just a coping mechanism, kid.
Dick knew it about it all too well. The people he brought in on an almost daily basis, high as kites. The accident last week on the highway at three in the morning, two innocent lives taken because of a drunk man who had started drinking three years ago to cope with his mother’s loss.
The man downstairs in the cold cave, who was just a little boy when his parents died, now living with the trauma while going out night after night to beat up criminals, sleeping only three hours a day at most.
“I don’t want your pity, Dick,” you huffed, “I’m fine.”
Yeah, you were. And that was what worried Dick the most.
“I know you are,” he tried to smile, “Which is why I don’t think this is your coping mechanism.”
You talked to Dick about Red Hood, sharing your concerns about him. This is what made you, you. Opening up to him, offering your thoughts and feelings. It was something he never had with Bruce or Jason. The both of them were similar in that sense.
“He won’t tell me either,” Dick huffed, “It’s always been like that with him. No matter how hard I try to get closer to him, sometimes it feels like he’s getting further away.”
It was the same with Jason as well. Did everyone he cared about just end up running away from him?
“I can relate to that,” you sighed.
“But I have a feeling that he will tell you eventually,” Dick tried to comfort you, “It seems too important not to.”
Dick knew better. Bruce had always excluded information from him, whether it was important or not.
“And,” Dick hurriedly tried to change the subject, “I heard from Alfred that you’re not talking to Bruce. May I ask why?”
“So that’s why you’re here,” you eyed him suspiciously.
.
“I came to check up on you,” he stated, “I’m sorry I couldn’t come here right after, but my little sister did just get kidnapped.”
When are you going to stop putting your guard up around me, kid?
“I told you, I’m fine,” you insisted.
“Then you’re fine enough to tell me why you haven’t been talking to Bruce,” Dick pushed, “I won’t judge. I’ve had my fair share of cold shoulders and fights with him too. I know first hand how frustrating he can be. So come on, tell.”
He saw you hesitate for just a moment, before conceding.
“We fought,” you began, “It was when I got back from the hospital. He wouldn’t tell me who Red Hood was. And he- he called me ‘Jason’.”
Ah, fucking hell, Bruce.
“Jesus,” he whispered, “What did he say exactly?”
“‘Back down, Jason’,” your voice cracked.
Dick saw the way Bruce spiraled after Jason’s death, and he would never tell you this, but deep down he was against Bruce adopting you so soon after. He thought that Bruce was using you to fill up the hole he too felt with Jason’s absence.
You were so like him, yet so different. Still, Bruce must have been really distracted if he could slip as badly as he did.
Dick would ask later.
“Now that’s something I haven’t heard in years,” Dick chuckled humorlessly.
Jason arguing with Bruce about using excessive force. Jason sneaking out to go for patrols whenever he was grounded. Hell, even Jason stealing whiskey from the cabinet at the age of fifteen.
He could still remember it so clearly. Jason with his dark hair poking into his eyes that were full of fury, cheeks puffed up and red as he pouted angrily at Bruce for making him stay at the Manor on nights Bruce insisted on going alone.
Dick tried to shove the past away. He knew he was making you even sadder.
“Has Bruce made any attempts to reconcile?” Dick remembered the conversation he was having with you.
“Yeah, but I’m still mad at him,” you pouted.
“And you have every right to be,” Dick nodded, “But Bruce, well, you know Bruce. He keeps these things to himself, but obviously he’s still hurting.”
You have know idea how much he’s hurting, Little Wing.
You avoided Dick’s eyes, looking down at your fumbling thumbs as the room became silent.
“I’m seeing someone,” you changed the subject.
“You are?”
Interesting.
“Yeah,” you blushed, “It’s still very new, and we’re not official yet or anything. But we’re definitely testing the waters.”
“That’s great,” Dick grinned, “Who is he? Tell me the deets. Spill the tea.”
He sort of loved gossip. It wasn’t a secret.
“I met him in the library a while back,” you excitedly said, “We exchanged numbers. Started texting, meeting up from time to time. He’s really cute.”
Ah, young love. What Dick would give to be at that age again.
“I bet he is,” Dick teased.
“What’s with that face?” you laughed, “He is! He’s slightly older, and he’s got this sexy bad boy look, you know?”
“I thought you liked the nerdy types?” Dick responded. He saw a picture of you and your classmates on your Instagram. Typical prep school kids.
“I never had a type, you ass!”
.
“You’re right. I thought you were completely uninterested in boys,” he wondered out loud, “Is he nice, at least?”
“Yeah he is,” you smiled to yourself, “He didn’t know I was Wayne until 2 weeks ago. Before that, we were mainly texting. Now we’re meeting up more. I feel like I can be myself with him. I don’t know, there’s just something about him that makes me trust him.”
So you still have some of your walls up with me, but you trust a stranger? Who is this guy?
“I’m not going to tell him anything!” you quickly added, “I’m not stupid. I know I shouldn’t trust someone I just met. It’s not about the confidential stuff. It’s the little things like how I feel, and my problems, and just- stuff, you know?”
The thought didn’t even cross his mind. Dick trusted you enough with their secret, just as how Bruce did.
“I get it,” Dick tried to rationalise, “You don’t know what it is about the person, but you feel like the two of you just click, am I right?”
It had been like that with Barbara. It had been like that with Kory.
Now Dick was alone, and deep down he knew that they saw him as how he truly was. Selfish.
“Exactly,” you smiled, “Been with anyone like that before?”
“One or two,” he brushed it off, “People like that- whom you just click with- they’re hard to come by. You should see where this leads. Who knows, maybe he’s one of those that would stick around, huh?”
What he would give to have at least one person who would stick with him.
After he met with Gordon, Dick went to the cave to see Bruce who was, of course, facing the computers.
“I know what you’re going to say,” his father’s voice echoed without even turning to look at him.
“Then you know how much you’ve hurt her?” he crossed his arms.
Bruce did turn around to face him, and Dick suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.
He knew that Bruce hardly ever slept, but this was different. He looked disheveled, his complexion pale, his eyes more bloodshot and the dark circles even more prominent.
Alfred did say how badly Bruce took the kidnapping, finding him passed out on the cave floor with an empty bottle of scotch in his hand, but he thought that Bruce would have gotten himself together by now. It was surprising to see him that way, and Dick felt… Uncomfortable.
Something was wrong, and it wasn’t just the kidnapping, nor his fight with you.
“You found out something,” Dick narrowed his eyes, “Something important. What is it?”
He caught a flash of guilt in Bruce’s eyes. “I’ll tell you some other time.”
“Bruce,” Dick groaned, “This is why you keep on hurting her.”
Hurting us.
“I’m protecting everyone.”
“You can’t use that excuse with me anymore,” he sighed, “I don’t need your protection. So tell me.”
“No.”
That was his final word, and he knew that Bruce would never budge.
“Fine,” he let out a breath, “Did you know that she’s seeing someone?”
Bruce frowned.
Which made Dick frown. Since when did Bruce miss things? What the fuck was going on with him?
“Name?”
“Dunno. Didn’t ask. And no, don’t you dare,” Dick pointed an accusatory finger at him, “Do not do a background check on him. She deserves privacy. Hell, don’t even bring it up. You have no right to go poking into her relationships.”
Dick was being defensive, but that was because he was trying to convince himself as well, which was why he didn’t ask you for a name. He knew he wouldn’t be able to resist.
“I wasn’t going to,” Bruce reassured, “She… She deserves a life. A normal life. Not this- not-”
Dick knew then he had to leave, because Bruce’s voice breaking meant he was far from okay, and he knew that Bruce hated to show his vulnerability to anyone.
“Bruce,” Dick said, this time softly, “You’re not alone, you know. I’ve been with you since the beginning, and I’m still with you now.”
And with that, Bruce turned his back towards him again, silently going back to his goddamned computers.
“He’s been that way ever since the kidnapping,” Alfred informed him when he walked up to the manor.
“I don’t think it’s just the kidnapping, Alf,” he frowned at the butler, “There’s something more to it. Did he figure out who Red Hood is?”
“Perhaps,” Alfred pursed his lips, “But he refuses to tell me.”
“That means we know him personally,” Dick theorised, “Who the hell could it be that he’s so adamant on keeping it a secret?”
“I do not know Master Dick, but it can’t be anyone good if he’s got Master Bruce drinking during the day.”
***
Bruce knew that he was wrong to call you by his dead son’s name.
But his dead son was supposed to stay dead instead of haunting him with that glaring red bat across his chest, and having that thought in his head all the time, he slipped up.
He prided himself with his contingency plans and detective skills and preparations, but no amount of time could ever prepare him for when he found out his dead son had sexually assaulted his daughter.
You seemed to have dealt with it surprisingly well, exceeding his expectations. In fact, Bruce thought it was a bit odd that you weren’t as affected by it.
And then he saw it.
He saw what he thought was the internalized anger you felt finally bursting through the seams of your tightly lidded emotions.
And he wasn’t prepared for it.
Bruce didn’t think you had it in you, or else he would never have made you Robin.
But there you were on the ground, beating a man beyond recognition.
He couldn’t dread this moment because he never saw it coming. Not from you. Never from you.
He hurriedly ripped you off the man, flinging you away with force.
Pulse was present, but weak. Flail chest. It took him only a few seconds to observe the damage you did to the man’s face. It didn’t look good.
“Stay back,” he growled at you when you came close.
He couldn’t look at you. He didn’t want to.
“I-I didn’t mean to,” he heard you whisper.
“Call an ambulance,” he ordered.
There was no other choice. He had to take the fall for you.
“NOW!” he snarled at you again. In the background, you were on the phone, but Bruce’s thoughts were elsewhere, calculating what needs to be done.
You moved-
“Leave. I’ll deal with this.” You needed to go. You couldn’t be here when the ambulance and police arrived.
“Batman-”
“I said leave,” he snapped. He couldn’t even hear your voice.
He waited for the ambulance to come before leaving, making sure they saw him escape. Making sure he would be the one the media would attack.
And while he drove back to the Cave, he decided to give his son a call.
“Bruce?”
“Dick,” he sighed. He knew he had always been unfair to his eldest, giving him so much pressure to perform, pushing him to be his best- and ultimately away. He knew that he never showed it, but he was proud of Dick. He always had been from the very beginning.
“What’s wrong?”
It wasn’t a surprise that Dick picked up immediately that something was wrong. If it wasn’t for the fact that calling him out of the blue was what gave it away, Bruce himself trained Dick.
“She- she crossed the line tonight,” he tried to explain, “Jerome Miller. She attacked him. The damage she’s done to him is irreversible. I suspect he will be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.”
“Jesus,” Dick breathed from over the line, “Why didn’t you stop her?”
“I wasn’t there,” he grit. He thought he could trust you.
But deep down Bruce knew that it was all his fault after all. Who was he to act so righteous when he was the reason your parents died?
“I don’t know if she’ll talk to me, Bruce,” Dick sighed, “Not about something like this. She’s probably beating herself up over this already.”
“As she should.”
“Bruce.”
“Please,” Bruce asked, “I’m worried. She isn’t herself and I can’t blame her for it, but the chances of her talking to you are much higher than if I were to try.”
“I’ll try,” Dick agreed.
“Report to me after.”
“Bruce, we’ve talked about this,” Dick grumbled, “I am under no obligation to report to you. I’m doing this for her. Not you.”
He was trying not to go back to the man he was before, but sometimes he couldn’t help it.
They’re your children, not your soldiers.
He had to remind himself time and time again. It was easier to be just a father to you as compared to Dick and Jason, yet even then he made slips.
“I know,” he apologised. “Thank you.”
Click.
And then Bruce was alone again.
***
Bruce watched you from the corner of his eye when you came back. He noticed that you had put more effort into dressing up when you left the house that day.
There was a slight bounce to your step and a small smile that played on your lips.
Dick was right after all. There was someone you were seeing.
But no, he couldn’t look into it. In fact, it would be hypocritical of him if he did. Dick had many girlfriends and flings, and Bruce didn’t want to know about any of them. Mainly because Dick was his first, and the thought of a boy he raised maturing and having relationships made him feel confused about parenthood.
Not that many of them lasted too long anyway.
Jason was a little different. While Dick had girls lining up after him all the time, Jason was much more subtle about the girls he liked, and that made Bruce more curious- but not enough to investigate.
He thought about when Barbara had caught Jason looking at her, making him turn red. He wondered if Jason would like you.
A tight squeeze in his chest.
He didn’t let his mind linger there.
Bruce felt obligated to protect you, which tempted him to investigate the boy you were seeing. It could be a trap, it could be someone using you for fame and money, or something even more sinister. Hell, it could be Jason himself after that stunt he pulled off.
But there was no evidence, and Bruce wanted to be a father to you this time instead of Batman the mentor. So Bruce would have to trust you on this one.
***
There was something holding Bruce back from telling everyone the truth about Jason.
And because he is who he is, Bruce knew what it was.
Guilt. He blamed himself for what had happened, and telling others about it meant owning up to his mistakes. Bruce never ran away from his fears and feelings despite what others might think. On the contrary, he held to them very strongly, using them as a motivation to fight head on.
This time, though, he felt more self destructive- the worst he had ever felt since he carried Jason’s corpse from the rubble- and so he tried to delay the inevitable.
But time was running out. He had enough time to wallow in self pity. It was time to pull himself together, and the first step began with Alfred.
The Cave was colder than usual that night, air thin and darker despite the illumination he had provided. Bruce was slumped in his usual wheeled chair, cowl resting on the desk after patrol, the weight of his suit almost crushing him in his weakened mental state.
“Alfred,” Bruce sighed, “Please, take a seat. I have something to tell you.”
“I assume this is about the identity of one criminal who has been terrorizing your daughter?” Alfred retorted, sitting down anyway.
“Yes,” Bruce nodded, “This… This won’t be easy, Alfred. I suggest you prepare for the worst.”
“And the worst being..?”
Bruce wheeled himself closer to the butler, leaning forward. “It’s Jason.”
Alfred merely blinked. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid my ears have caught up to my age. I must have misheard you, because for a moment, I thought you said that Red Hood is Jason.”
“You didn’t mishear me, Alfred. It’s him.”
Bruce saw the confusion in Alfred’s eyes, the frantic search for reason. “Our Jason? Jason Todd?”
“Yes, Alfred.”
And then, Bruce felt it. The pain he had been suffering with for weeks spreading to the man who raised him. Alfred clutched his chest with one hand, the other clenching tightly over the armrest of his chair, his breathing quickened.
“Impossible,” he whispered, “Jason died. How?”
“There was an event regarding The League and Superboy punching reality. I won’t get into details, but I suspect that was what caused the initial resurrection. The restoration, however. We know of someone who has been continuously restored time and time again.”
“Ra’s Al Ghul,” Alfred concluded, “But why? Why on Earth would he restore Jason?”
“I don’t know,” Bruce frowned, “But it is an almost perfect revenge plan. I would like to entertain the idea that he has brainwashed Jason into thinking we are the enemy, but I can’t put it past him to develop a hatred for me. I… betrayed him.”
“Master Bruce, this is not your fault,” Alfred rose to his feet, “If it is indeed Jason, we can still help. I have faith in the boy.”
“Me too, Alfred. Me too.”
Bruce didn’t miss the sob that echoed faintly through the cave when Alfred ascended back up.
***
As if in slow motion, he saw every change of emotion on Dick’s face. The way he blinked once in confusion, the surprise approaching as he widened his eyes, and then his eyebrows stitching together in a deep frown, his lips downturning and nose flaring in anger.
Bruce saw the punch coming, but he did not do anything to counter it. Gladly, he took the right hook Dick gave him, appreciating the sting that radiated from his cheekbone to his jaw.
“How long have you known?” his son shook in anger.
“Dick-”
“HOW LONG, BRUCE?!” Dick roared, fists clenched, voice echoing in the cave.
“Since the night he blew up the warehouse,” Bruce replied.
“Jesus, fuck,” Dick ran his fingers through his hair, “Jesus, Bruce. That was over a month ago.”
“I know.”
“We-” he choked on his words, “We deserved to know.”
“I know.”
“So why the fuck didn’t you say anything?!” he slammed his fists on the desk. Bruce caught a few drops of tears that fell to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” Bruce apologised, and meant it. But he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything more.
“You’re sorry?” Dick looked at him with eyes far too cold than he knew, “He was my brother, Bruce. He told me things he never told anyone else. We shared secrets and jokes. We went to the same diner once a week to catch up. He asked for my help and I asked for his. And then he died. Just like that, because you couldn’t keep him on a leash. And now he’s back, and you knew it was him, and you’re just sorry?”
Dick’s eyes were wet and red, and filled with contempt. Bruce couldn’t blame him. He hated himself, too.
“Does she know?” he whispered, “Does she know that the man who attacked her is your son, and is my brother?”
Like always, he pushed the pain away efficiently, logically, objectively.
“Yes,” he confirmed, “I told her this afternoon.”
“And she’s not angry?”
“If she was, she did not show it,” Bruce described, “In fact, she looked… Worried.”
“Of fucking course she would be worried,” he snarled, “She’s worried that she’s going to be irrelevant to you now the dead Robin is back.”
“She’s not,” Bruce growled at that, “She’s not his replacement. She never was.”
“Does she know that, Bruce?” Dick snickered, “Did you finally get over yourself and tell her that? Because the last fucking time I spoke to her, you called her Jason.”
Bruce didn’t know how to respond to that. He was good at smiling at the cameras and making speeches and charming an audience, but he was never good with words, real words that described his true feelings to the ones he cared for the most.
“I’m sorry,” he simply said, now numb to everything throughout years and years of practice. “I promise, I will bring him back. Will you help me?”
“What can I do that you can’t?” Dick scoffed.
“You knew him, Dick,” Bruce said, “You knew him in ways I never did. I can predict his movements, but to accurately guess what his motivations are- you knew him better than I did.”
“Fine,” Dick conceded, “But I’m not forgiving you for this, Bruce. I swear, you’re going to pay for all the secrets you’ve kept from us, be it by my hand or someone else’s.”
***
“Did you know that your daughter went out last night to see a boy while we were patrolling?” Dick brought up.
He was looking at Bruce’s back, as he always was.
Bruce was on the computers, going through hours upon hours of security footage and traffic cams for Red Hood- for Jason.
It was difficult for him to put the two together. Jason had always been his little brother. Young, naive, inexperienced. And now that same person was the leader of the underground.
It was definitely difficult.
“Alfred mentioned she went out, but I didn’t know it was to meet a boy,” Bruce replied without glancing his way.
“Well, she lied to me about it at first,” Dick sank in a chair, looking at his nails. “Got pretty defensive when I brought it up. Even tried to deflect by using Jason against me.”
Dick knew you meant to hurt him with your words, and it worked.
He was definitely surprised that you would stoop that low because he always saw you as a sweet, kind girl.
People change. That’s what happens when you stick with Batman.
But Dick didn’t expect you to change so fast.
“She… used Jason against you?”
Bruce finally turned towards him, the ever constant frown a little bit deeper that moment.
“Yeah,” Dick straightened, “It was the first time she’s ever spoken to me that way.”
“What did she say exactly?”
“That I was distracting myself by using humor as a coping mechanism, and that I should come to terms with the fact that it was my brother who kidnapped and sexually assaulted her,” he repeated bitterly.
“What did you say to her that she responded that way?” Bruce asked.
“I was just making fun of her boyfriend,” Dick shrugged, “Why? Do you think she’s hiding something?”
At first, Dick thought that you were genuinely angry at the both of them because you were right- Jason did kidnap you. Jason did do those things to you. And Jason was supposed to be under both Bruce and Dick’s responsibility.
Dick didn’t blame you for it, because he would have probably been angry if the situation was reversed.
It was one of the mistakes he always made as Robin when Bruce was teaching him how to accurately deduce by reading people. Never assume that someone’s motivations would be the same as your own.
“She hid that she has… someone from me. There must be a reason why.”
“Or she knows how you are and would rather not have your nose in her business, Bruce. She did find out about that tracker you put in her necklace. How did she even react to it?”
Bruce had done the same with both Dick and Jason while they were Robin, though it didn’t come disguised as a pretty, shiny piece of metal.
On the contrary, during Dick’s Robin days, Bruce had hid it behind his third molar while he was unconscious. He only found out after a year, when he was held hostage by a mercenary who wanted to use him to lure Batman. Said mercenary had detected the tracking device and pulled it out along with the tooth.
It made him increasingly more hostile towards Batman and his never ending need for control, but at least it saved him a trip to the dentist.
From what Dick knew, Jason died with his tracker on him.
Bruce had said that it was all done in the name of safety.
But would you tell Jason the same thing now?
“I apologised and never replaced the one Red Hood damaged. I thought that would have been sufficient for her to trust me again.”
Dick let out a bark of laughter at that, but it was void of any humor. “Only you would think that not replacing her damn tracker would make her trust you. No wonder she hasn’t told you anything.”
It was probably best not to mention that you were now also sexually active.
“Do you think she’s hiding something important?” Bruce asked.
“Are you actually asking for my opinion?” Dick smirked, “No, but it’s too soon to tell, anyway. Relax, Bruce. It’s like you forgot what it was like to be young and in love.”
That was obviously a joke. Bruce grew out of his childhood the moment he saw his parents getting killed in that alley.
As for being in love, did Bruce ever allow himself that?
***
“What did you say she called herself?” Nightwing asked softly.
The poor girl was scared out of her mind to the point where Dick found it difficult to extract important information from her ramblings.
Well, that’s what happens when someone makes you kill a person.
It was difficult, so difficult, to face the fact that it was Jason behind all of that.
“I t-think, V,” the witness- Elena- stuttered. “She with him. But try to stop him.”
Behind him, he felt Batman pause. He was walking around the club and analysing evidence while listening to the conversation.
“She tried to stop him? Him as in Red Hood?” Dick frowned.
“Yes,” Elena looked down and rubbed her arms.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but,” Dick tried, “You told me they were partners.”
“Yes, but she try to stop him,” she repeated, “I don’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Dick offered a smile, “Thank you very much. You’ve been a huge help.”
“Am I going to prison?” she looked at him with big, wet eyes.
“We’ll make sure you won’t,” Dick assured, “You’ll get the best defense team in Gotham.”
“You can do that?” she asked, hope in her voice.
“It’s the least we could do,” Dick answered, a sad smile playing on his lips.
He’s our responsibility.
“Thank you,” she gave a watery laugh, “Even prison better than with him, I want to be free.”
Dick heard footsteps approaching. As he turned around, Gordon entered the crime scene, followed by his team.
“Of course you’re here first,” he sighed at Batman.
“Gordon.”
“You might have to speak to the police again, okay?” Dick told Elena who was suddenly nervous again by the presence of so many people. “I’ll make sure they know you’re innocent. Gordon is the only one you can trust, okay?”
She nodded, her gaze turning downwards.
“Gordon,” he approached the aging man. He was used to talking with Gordon in Batman’s stead, even when he was Robin, and remembered feeling proud of himself whenever he finished speaking to Gordon regarding cases without Batman having to add anything.
“Nightwing,” he blinked, “It’s been a while.”
“Desperate times calls for desperate backups,” he grinned, “Anyway, the girl. She’s a victim of Victor Ibenescu’s human trafficking trade. Romanian, only thirteen when she was kidnapped. She was forced to shoot Victor by Red Hood.”
“This Red Hood likes his poetic justice,” Gordon snickered.
“It’s still first degree murder, or at least, that’s how the law would make it seem,” Dick reminded him, “But I assure you she’s innocent. Red Hood threatened to kill and rape her if she didn’t shoot.”
That was a lie, on both his part and Elena’s. Judging by the way she averted her eyes and touched her own arm, Dick could tell that she wasn’t telling the whole truth about being threatened by Red Hood- but he also knew that he couldn’t expose her and get into more trouble.
He wanted to let out a tired sigh, but that would give him away in front of Gordon and the other officers. He still needed to maintain his air of hopefulness, and he couldn’t seem like he was troubled by his thoughts.
Time to meet Bruce back at the cave and watch the surveillance footage.
***
“He’s got a partner now,” Dick voiced out his findings, “Since when did Red Hood partner up?”
Bruce’s frown was deep as he stared at the screen.
Dick pursed his lips. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Whether this is Red Hood or Jason?” Bruce hummed, “This definitely does not seem like anything Red Hood would do. He’s always tried to separate himself from others because it furthers his authoritarian agenda. He does not get friendly with people because people are disposable to him.”
“So you think this is Jason, then?” Dick concluded, “Well, Jason never had much of a problem working with others in the past, and he made some friends. He wasn’t the type to be hostile to people.”
“He did have trust issues,” Bruce pointed out, “At the very beginning.”
“Yes, and he kept a lot of things to himself,” Dick agreed, “But he did have friends.”
“Special friends,” Bruce added, “Friends who gained his respect and trust. So the question is- who is this girl and how did she manage to gain his trust?”
“Hey, play it back again,” Dick said, “Those moves.”
Bruce played the security tape, showing the mysterious girl and Red Hood taking down Victor’s men.
“Arnis,” Bruce pointed out.
“It’s a little different.”
“She has incorporated silat in as well. Low stance,” Bruce observed. “She’s skilled, but not polished. It could be anyone.”
There was something familiar about the girl that Dick couldn’t pinpoint. Dick usually had strong intuition- a gut feeling that enabled him to know which facts to focus on during an investigation, or a strong ability to see through people.
But the problem was that it wasn’t solid proof or evidence, something Batman heavily focused on. It was a gut feeling that told him he knew who the girl was.
“Do you think it’s-” he broke off without completing his sentence. There was nothing to back his claims.
“She has no reason or motive to work with Jason,” Bruce shot the idea down, “He’s hurt her. And… She wouldn’t betray me like that.”
“She’s been keeping secrets, Bruce,” Dick reminded, hating the fact that this time it was him who was suspicious.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
Because he never would have thought that Jason was capable of torture and murder, either.
Why didn’t he come to me?
“As you clearly pointed out prior to this,” Bruce grit, “She has her reasons as to why she’s keeping secrets. And it is most probably because of me. All of you kept secrets. But this time, I’d like to let her keep hers.”
It was sweet, seeing Bruce that way.
“Is it guilt?” Dick asked.
“It’s repentance.”
Dick hated playing the bad guy.
Because he wasn’t supposed to be. He was the one people looked up to for inspiration, he was the light to Batman’s darkness, he was the smiles and charms and laughter.
He wasn’t the one who would accuse his little sister of fraternizing with the- was Jason the enemy?
Shit. Jason had messed with his senses. Dick’s head was chaotic, his emotions causing him to tense up.
Was he wrong? Was he just like Bruce? Was he jumping to conclusions just because Alfred told him you were out? Should he investigate this Carter you said you were with?
No. I’m not Bruce.
And now, you were looking at him with angry eyes, betrayed and appalled by his accusation.
***
Large.
That was the first thing that came to Dick’s mind when he saw his little brother.
The last time Dick saw him, he was much shorter, and definitely not as bulky.
And the last time Dick saw Jason, he was giving him a hug goodbye, complaining that Dick had messed up his hair.
And now, Jason was aiming a gun at him.
The gunshot didn’t hurt nearly as much as the thought that Jason had indeed shot him. Did Jason hate him that much?
You’re almost as guilty as he is, Jason’s voice echoed in his head.
“Bruce,” he gasped in the comms, “I’m down. They got away.”
“I heard a gunshot,” the deep voice in his ear spoke.
“Yeah, Jason shot my leg,” Dick winced, “Didn’t hit bone but I think it nicked my artery.”
“There are children here,” Batman said, “I was right. He’s sabotaging the Powers’. Gordon should be here soon. You control your bleeding.”
Dick nodded to himself and took a deep breath before plunging his finger into the gunshot wound to keep himself from bleeding out.
***
“...suspects that the crime lord only known as Red Hood and an unidentified female were behind the home invasion. Maria and Joseph Powers were left in a gruesome state according to reports, but their only child Carrie Powers was unharmed. The authorities are not sure what Red Hood’s motive was, but more will be elaborated during Commissioner Gordon’s public address later this afternoon...”
Dick heard you close the door.
“You didn’t come home last night,” he lowered the volume of the television.
“Uh, yeah,” you answered.
Dick looked over at you. You seemed tired, eyes swollen and red from crying, wearing an oversized t-shirt that he didn’t recognize.
“I was at-”
“Carter’s?” he finished your sentence for you.
“Yeah,” you nodded, sitting down next to him on the sofa.
Dick frowned to himself. Your arms were crossed, you were avoiding eye contact, your body was angled away from him.
“You heard about the Powers’?” he turned his gaze towards the television.
“I saw the news on the way here,” you monotoned.
You smelled like a different shampoo. It was familiar, but Dick couldn’t remember where he had smelled it before.
“So you know that-”
“Yes, Jason did it,” you said rigidly.
“Along with-”
“His partner.”
Ah, now he remembered the smell. Jason’s favorite shampoo. He used to make fun of him for choosing one that was called what it was called. He didn’t really care about it, Dick kept his hair soft and fluffy with multiple women’s hair products. He just liked to rile Jason up because he was so defensive about it.
And with that, Dick let out a long, disappointed sigh.
“Bruce is in the cave. I suggest that you think long and hard about what to tell him,” Dick offered you a soft smile, “But no matter what you choose to say, you’ll always be my sister, and I’ll always love you no matter what, okay?”
You gave him a look of shock, and then realised that he had figured it out.
“I’m sorry, Dick,” you lips trembled, your eyes started brimming with tears.
“No, kid. I’m sorry,” he replied, “Go.”
You nodded and left.
Despite being right all along, he didn’t feel any sense of achievement. Dick couldn’t help but partly blame himself. For being so absent, for being neglectful, for being a bad brother.
Dick wasn’t perfect, but like hell would he stop trying to be.
***
For years Bruce had tried to stop feeling guilty for being relieved whenever someone else takes care of a problem he couldn’t solve- especially when it involved murder.
Bruce had tried to take down the Powers for almost a decade, and everytime he got close, there was always another obstacle in the way. It was difficult to expose the rich and powerful without resorting to violence, without resorting to breaking his principles.
So Bruce was ready to stop himself from internally celebrating their deaths. This time, however, he wasn’t as pleased. Because this time, it was Jason who brutally murdered two people. Jason, who was supposed to be under his care and responsibility.
“Bruce?” he heard your timid, small voice from behind him. “I have to tell you something.”
And there it was.
Bruce turned around and looked straight at you, piercing your eyes with his own as he waited on your confession.
A minute passed.
“I’m V,” you struggled to speak, “I’ve been meeting up with Jason for a few months now. I didn’t know he was Red Hood until you told me. But when you did tell me, I chose to confront him and team up with him anyway.”
Bruce didn’t say anything.
“He- he’s not a bad person, Bruce,” you justified, “He’s just really hurt. He needs help.”
You were telling Bruce things he already knew.
“I- I fell in love with him,” you continued, “And I let my feelings cloud my judgement and betrayed your trust. At first I thought that he was onto something, that his… methods were better than yours. And I was angry that you kept secrets from me. But after last night- after what I saw- I couldn’t- I couldn’t stay.”
Bruce clenched his jaw.
He suspected it. Dick suspected it. But for your sake, the both of them chose to put their trust in you. He had tried so hard to change from his old ways. He learned his lesson with both Dick and Jason.
He didn’t want you to go through the same thing they did.
So, he chose to blindly trust you anyway, hoping that he wasn’t right.
“I’m sorry, Bruce,” you were sobbing now, “I’m so sorry. Please, say something.”
After another minute of watching you break down in front of him, Bruce finally spoke up.
“Hang up your colors. You’re no longer my Robin.”
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Would love to see a wired autocomplete interview with coops! 🥰
Anon, did you read my mind? These two have such chaotic energy when they’re given an outlet and it was a true pleasure to write it. Dorcas is exhausted. Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!
“Wait, I want to pull the tab,” Remus said, tugging on the edge of the cardboard lightly as Sirius tried to hold it out of his reach without falling off his chair.
“I get to read it out loud for you and then we switch!” Sirius protested, smacking him gently on the head with it. The resulting bonk noise made them both break down laughing.
“You guys know we’re rolling, right?” Dorcas asked as she gathered a stack of cards in her lap, looking highly amused.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” She turned to the camera with a bright smile. “Welcome back to Lion Pride, hockey fans! I’m Dorcas Meadowes and I’m here today with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to answer some of the internet’s most pressing questions. How are you two feeling?”
“Terrified,” Sirius said.
“The internet is like the Twilight Zone,” Remus agreed. “Who goes first?”
“Sirius, you’ve got a card already. Take it away.”
He cleared his throat and grabbed the edge of the first pull tab, ripping it off slowly. “That is so satisfying, woah. How tall is Remus Lupin?”
“I am five foot eleven and a half.”
“That half inch comes from your sneakers and you know it.”
“It does not!”
Sirius just smiled and removed the next paper slip. “What language does Remus Lupin speak?”
“I speak English and a little bit of French. Tried to learn Spanish in high school, but failed miserably.”
“I love the wording on this one,” Sirius said as he turned the board toward the camera. “Remus Lupin Green Bay Packers.”
“Dammit, now everyone knows my full name,” Remus sighed. “Uh, the Packers are cool.”
“I think people were wondering if you ever played on the team,” Dorcas said.
Remus raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like a football player to you?”
“Next question!” Sirius ripped the tab off and took a good section of the paper above with it. There was a beat of stunned silence. “I am…so sorry.”
Behind the camera, Marlene burst out laughing, along with most of the camera crew. “It’s fine, keep reading.”
“Okay, um…” Sirius squinted at the partially torn-off question. “Remus Lupin name meaning.”
Remus groaned. “I hate this question. Yes, it does mean Wolf Wolf. Yes, my dad’s name also means Wolf Wolf. Yes, my mother’s maiden name is Howell. I’m aware of the endless puns.”
“Don’t you mean a-were?” Sirius asked as a slow grin spread across his face. Remus grabbed the card and bonked him over the head with it.
“Remus, your turn.” Dorcas handed him a poster board and took the blank one.
“I’m going to be careful with this one, unlike somebody,” he teased, kissing Sirius on the cheek. “Is Sirius Black…related to Pascal Dumais?”
“In all the ways that matter, yes.”
Remus grinned when he read the next one. “Is Sirius Black missing a tooth?”
“No!” Sirius gave the camera an offended look. “I have all my teeth, thank you very much.”
“Is Sirius Black mean?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Reporters don’t like you very much.”
“The feeling is mutual. I love the fans though, most of them are so sweet.”
“Oh, I like this one. Is Sirius Black married?” Remus rested his chin on the top of the card and batted his eyelashes, making Sirius laugh.
“Almost! Ask me again in July.” Remus set the card on the floor and Dorcas passed Sirius a new one. “Does Remus Lupin wear glasses?”
“Nope.”
“Does Remus Lupin—I have never said your name so many times in one sitting, my god—does Remus Lupin have siblings?”
“Yup.”
“Does Remus Lupin—”
“Can you elaborate?” Dorcas asked with a laugh. “How many siblings? Names? Ages?”
Remus turned to the camera. “I have one brother named Julian and he’s ten years old. He likes piggyback rides, ice cream, and hockey.”
“Much better. Take it away, Cap.”
“Does Remus Lupin have allergies?”
Remus frowned in confusion. “Why do people want to know that? Uh, yeah, I’m allergic to some pollens. Spring is hell.”
“How many of these do we have?” Sirius asked as he tossed the board over his shoulder and crossed his legs.
“Quite a few! Loops, you’re up.”
“Where is Sirius Black from?”
“Canada.”
“Where does Sirius Black live?”
“The Lions ice rink. I set up a tent in the middle of the goal posts every night so that I’m never late to practice.”
“Sirius Black gay.”
Sirius paused. “I think we’re missing a couple words in there.”
“That’s literally all it says,” Remus laughed, moving it to show him. “Sirius Black gay. I don’t know, honey, Sirius Black gay?”
“Sirius Black very gay,” he confirmed. “Sirius Black thinks people need to have better grammar.”
“Is Sirius Black’s hair naturally curly?”
“No, I use a curling iron every morning to do each individual curl,” he said. “It takes me seven hours and thirteen minutes, and I use a full can of hairspray.”
Remus scooted over so Dorcas could hand him a new card. “He keeps a stopwatch and tries to beat his personal record every time.”
Sirius pulled the first tab away and immediately started laughing too hard to speak.
“What does it say? You can’t just leave me hanging!” Sirius turned the board around and Remus leaned down to read it. “Is Remus Lupin hockey? Yes. I am the entire sport of hockey condensed into one being. I’m coming for basketball next. Thanks for asking!”
It took a few seconds for Sirius to get his breath back. “What is Remus Lupin—”
“I thought we just answered that.”
“—what is Remus Lupin zodiac sign?”
Remus paused. “Is that the thing Pots was talking about the other day? With the quiz?”
“That was love languages.”
“Your zodiac sign depends on your birthday,” Marlene called. “When were you born?”
“March 10th.”
“You’re a Pisces.”
“I’m a Pisces!” he said brightly to the camera. “No idea what that means, but it sounds cool.”
“It means you’re two fish.” She laughed as Remus sucked his cheeks in for a fish face. “Very nice.”
“Thank you.”
Sirius was especially careful as he pulled the paper slip off the next question. “What is Remus Lupin first job?”
“The grammar of these questions is killing me. Um, I worked in the university bookstore during college.”
“On the list of ‘things that don’t surprise anyone’,” Dorcas joked.
“Did Remus Lupin go to college?”
Remus gave the camera a look. “First of all, I have a medical degree. Second of all, did people completely forget about the whole ‘about to be drafted right out of college’ thing? It was a grand total of four years ago! Google it!”
“That’s what they did,” Sirius pointed out, gesturing to the board.
“True.”
“Last one for this card: how old is Remus Lupin?”
Remus thought for a moment. “Y’know, I kind of lost track after the first few centuries. My turn…what is Sirius Black real name?”
Sirius glanced at the camera. “It’s Sirius Black? Is this a trick question?”
“There are people out there who think that’s a fake name,” Dorcas said.
“Um, okay. Yeah, my real name is Sirius Black, my brother is Regulus, my dad is Orion, and I have cousins named Andromeda and Bellatrix.”
“What’s your uncle’s name again?” Remus asked.
“Which one? Cygnus? Phineas Nigellus? Arcturus?” At Dorcas’ surprised look, he laughed. “Oh, I could go all day long with this. That’s the tea on old French families with weird-ass naming traditions.”
“This next one is similar: Sirius Black middle name?”
“Orion.”
“Fun fact: the first time I saw your full name, Moody had written it and I thought it said ‘onion’.” Remus laughed as Sirius’ jaw fell open. “Those three seconds were a highlight of my life. Alright, what’s next…what color are Sirius Black’s eyes?”
“Blue.”
Remus shook his head. “They’re gray, almost silver.”
“Basically blue.”
“There’s nothing basic about you, babe.” Remus slid the board onto the floor and passed Sirius a new one. “Hit me with your best shot.”
“Is Remus Lupin Canadian?”
“I wish.”
“Is Remus Lupin left-handed?”
“No, but a lot of people seem to think that I am.”
“Is—” Sirius cut off with a snort. “Is Remus Lupin scrappy?”
“Are you fucking with me?” Remus asked, leaning over. “Is that actually what it says?”
“Yep.”
“Scrappy? Really?” He shook his head, lost for words. “I mean, I guess. Nobody’s ever called me scrappy before.”
“I don’t like this last one. How much is Remus Lupin worth?” Sirius wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his temple. “You’re priceless.”
“I’m worth at least half a PB & J, but only if you use the good peanut butter. If you use the shitty Skippy stuff, hand over the whole sandwich. My turn! Does Sirius Black have piercings?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Does Sirius Black have an Instagram?”
“I do. Sblack12, if you want to see pictures of my friends’ kids and this cutie.”
“Is Sirius Black Australian?”
“Fuck off. I’m French Canadian, how the hell did anyone think I was Australian?”
“Sirius Black birthday.”
“I have one.”
“What is it?” Marlene asked. “I’ll tell you your zodiac sign.”
Sirius rolled his eyes. “November 3rd.”
“Scorpio bitch.”
“Hey!”
“On the bright side, Scorpios and Pisces are super compatible.”
“What a relief, I was really banking on our astrology compatibility,” Remus said drily.
Dorcas handed Sirius a fresh board. “First up: can Remus Lupin sing?”
“Eh.”
“The correct answer is yes. What is Remus Lupin like in real life?”
“I’m horrible. I kick every puppy I see and carry one of those sticky hands from arcades to steal candy from children.” A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth and Sirius’ cheeks turned pink from suppressing his laughter. “Like Spiderman, but evil.”
“What happened to Remus Lupin after college?”
“What didn’t happen to Remus Lupin after college?” he laughed, leaning back in his seat. “These past couple years have been bonkers fucking yonkers. I became a PT, got a secret boyfriend, and now I’m engaged and an NHL player. There were, like, three seasons of character development squished into eighteen months.”
“Alright, last one. Why Remus Lupin kissed Sirius Black?”
“Because he’s hot and nice. Also, because he’s my fiancé.”
“Is that the criteria for kisses?” Sirius asked. “I just have to be hot and nice?”
“Pretty much. You’ve got both boxes permanently checked.”
“Final card,” Dorcas warned as she handed it to him. “Make it count.”
Remus cleared his throat. “How does Sirius Black work out?”
“I rollerskate and hula hoop for six hours a day simultaneously.”
“How old is Sirius Black?”
“Ageless.”
“How did Sirius Black meet Remus Lupin?”
“Fun story, actually. You know the movie Ocean’s Eleven?”
“Are Sirius Black and James Potter—”
“Dating.”
“—still friends.”
“Damn, I thought I had that one.” He did a double take. “Still friends? What happened? I saw him an hour ago, tops.”
“You might have to google it,” Remus suggested as he slid the board across the floor. “That’s it!”
“Way to go, guys,” Dorcas laughed. “I know literally nothing new about you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sirius said as the two high-fived. “We were completely honest the whole time.”
She faced the camera with a poorly-hidden smile. “Thanks for joining us today, Lions, and remember to like and subscribe for more content!”
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The Rise Of Iron Maiden
Chapter 5: The Return of Iron Maiden
Word Count: 2.9k
Originally Requested by: @amateurwriterbigdreamer
Previous Chapter: Failure to Launch
Next Chapter: Whatever it Takes
A/N: hope y’all don’t mind it from Tye’s POV, it just adds to the story and develops his character. Y/N gets her character arc going too towards the end.
5 YEARS LATER
•
Tye sighed in boredom as he wandered around the halls of the Avengers Compound, his home for 8 years now. He was 21 now, legally an adult. He could’ve gotten his own place 3 years ago, but he felt he would truly be alone if he did that. You lived with your parents and younger sister in the countryside, your dad wanting to isolate you from the hero life. This meant Tye hadn’t seen you for almost two years now, his only friend left was taken from him. He knew Tony didn’t mean any harm, he just wanted his daughter safe, but it still confused him.
Tye was always confused these days. He lived with Natasha Romanoff at the Compound, the only one left that was willing to stay with him. Clint had disappeared off the face of the planet, despite not being taken in the Snap. Tye was lost without his own best friend, Jaime Reyes. Jaime and him stuck together no matter what, and Tye never knew what to do without him. He was confused, on why the world seemed to take everything away from him. His mother, his father, his grandpa, his best friends, his team, his mentors...
“...Will you find out where he's going next?” Natasha asks holographic Rhodey. Tye realized he walked into the meeting room, where Natasha was having her weekly check in with the other teams.
“Nat...” Rhodey trailed off.
“Please.” She took a shaky breath.
“...okay...” Rhodey nodded, saw Tye, then cut off his side of the connection.
Nat started to cry miserably, and Tye didn’t know whether to make his presence known or just leave. He decided on the latter, turning to walk out silently.
“Tye?”
Tye winced, feeling like he was intruding. He turned slowly, a pang of sadness stinging through him when he saw the sorrow in Natasha’s eyes.
“Nat, Uh...Sorry, I didn’t mean to just barge in-“
“It’s okay.” She chuckled, wiping her eyes. “You want some dinner?”
“Uh...no, I’m good.” Tye shook his head, seeing the half eaten PB&J on her desk. “See you’re eating healthy.”
“Oh, what’s the point of keeping up a proper diet anyways?” She laughed, despite the few tears rolling down her face.
“Good point.” He cracked a grin, which she rarely saw the young man do. “So...anything bad happening anywhere?”
“No. Everything seems under control.” Nat shook her head. “Why? You worried about something?”
“It’s nothing, mom.” Tye shook his head. When he didn’t get any response, he looked up from staring at the floor, seeing Natasha staring in surprise at him. “What?”
“You called me mom.” She said, the shock evident in her voice.
“I did? Oh...uh...sorry, I didn’t mean to it just kinda-“ he started to awkwardly walk away.
“No no no!” She stood up, clearing her throat and a smile spreading across her face. “It Uh...you think of me as a mom?”
“I mean...yeah.” Tye mumbled, embarrassed. He wasn’t used to letting his emotions or thoughts be exposed like this. “You practically raised me ever since I got...stuck here. I’ve always looked up to you.”
“That...really?” She smiled wider, tears running down her face again.
“Oh don’t cry! This is sappy enough as it is!” Tye grumbled as Natasha laughed at his reaction. She rounded the desk and pulled him into a hug, Tye stiffening at first. He eventually grew comfortable enough to hug her back, feeling safe in her arms. It reminded him of his mother’s hugs, but somehow Natasha’s were more...genuine. Loving. It was nice. Something Tye wasn’t used to.
“I’ll tell you a secret, kid.” She ruffled his hair as she pulled back. “I’ve always wanted a son, and I am so happy you’re the one.”
“Okay, that’s enough love and affection for one night, Nat.” Tye shuddered, making her laugh again.
“Don’t you mean mom?” She teased.
The mother and son (sort of) whipped around when a hologram popped up, seeing footage of what looked to be a security camera.
“Oh! Hi. Hi! Is anyone home? This is Scott Lang. We met a few years ago, at the airport? In Germany? I got really big, and I had my mask on. You wouldn't recognize me.” Scott Lang, AKA Ant Man waved at the camera.
“Is this an old message?” Tye asked.
“It’s the front gate.” Nat stared in disbelief.
“Ant Man? Ant Man, I know you know that. I need to talk to you guys.” Scott shouted.
Nat typed a few things into a control panel, and the door opened. Scott looked between the camera and the door for a moment before finally letting himself in. Scott found his way to where they were standing, in complete shock. Scott Lang was supposed to be dust right now, along with half the universe.
“Scott? Are you okay?” Tye asked the man, now nervously pacing.
“Yeah. Fine. So you do know me? Or are you just going with the name I gave you?” Scott asked.
“No uh, my friends broke into your house a few years ago. Before the Snap, remember a guy in a spider suit and another in a beetle suit?”
“Right! The Bug Squad!” Scott smiled excitedly. “That was so cool.”
“Scott, focus.”
“Right. Have you guys studied Quantum Physics?”
“Only to make conversation.” Nat said, though neither guy could tell if she was joking.
“Sorry, no.” Tye pursed his lips.
“Alright. So... five years ago, right before Thanos, I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. The Quantum Realm is like its own microscopic universe. To get in there, you have to be incredibly small. Hope, she's my...She was my...She was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there.” Scott explained.
“I’m sorry, that must’ve been a long five years.” Nat said.
“Yeah, but that's just it. It wasn't. For me, it was five hours.” Scott shook his head rapidly. Tye looked at his mom, bewildered.
“See, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable. Is that anybody's sandwich? I'm starving.” Scott asked, already shoving half of it into his mouth.
“Scott, what are you talking about?” Tye asked, crossing his arms.
“What I'm saying is, time works differently in the Quantum Realm. The only problem is right now, we don't have a way to navigate it. But what if we did? I can't stop thinking about it. What if, we could somehow control the chaos, and we could navigate it? What if there was a way to enter the Quantum Realm at a certain point in time but then exit at another point in time? Like... Like before Thanos.” Scott slowly explained, motioning wildly with his hands.
“Wait, are you talking about a time machine? Like from Back to the Future?” Tye raised his eyebrows.
“No. No, of course not. No, not a time machine. It's more like a... Yeah, a time machine. I know it's crazy. But I can't stop thinking about it. There's gotta be some way...There's gotta be...some w... it's crazy.” Scott rambled.
“Scott, I get e-mails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore.” Natasha scoffed.
“So who do we need to talk to about this?” Scott asked them. Nat and Tye exchanged glances again, both knowing the answer.
•
You tapped your fingers impatiently on your windowsill, looking out the window of your bedroom.
You had received a text from Tye Longshadow for the first time in months, and they were coming to your house. You were sworn to secrecy, so that your dad couldn’t prepare for the attack. You were anxious, wanting to see them so bad.
Your dad had isolated you from anything that had to do with being Iron Maiden. That included a lot of people in your life. You were mad at your dad, for taking you away from what little you had left. You missed Tye, you missed Natasha and Steve, and Rhodey and Dr. Banner. Thor and Clint, even though they weren’t really around anymore. Even Nebula and the rude raccoon. You were forbidden from putting on the Iron Maiden suit, and you didn’t know why you listened to him. You were an adult, you could make your own decisions. Plus, you’d never listened to him before. Maybe you listened this time because the guilt of not listening before the Snap dragged you down. But it also dragged you down as a person. You weren’t as happy or sarcastic anymore, you’d lost the classic Stark Charm™️.
You looked at the photos on your window sill, smiling sadly as you reminisced about what felt like your past life. One photo was you and your team after your first official Avengers permitted mission, all beat up and tired, sitting at a pizza booth. The other was of you and Peter in middle school, holding the first prize ribbon of the science fair. The last was of you and Eduardo, the love of your life. Peter had snuck a picture of you two sitting across from each other at a diner, smiling and looking into each other’s eyes. Your fingers were intertwined in the picture, and all you wanted to do was feel his hand in yours again. To hear his voice in person, not just from old videos. To smell the scent of his fancy cologne. To look into his beautiful, big brown eyes. To feel his lips on yours...
You look up when you see a black Audi pull into your driveway, and you bolt downstairs. Your mother was thankfully working in her office, so you didn’t get scolded for running in the house. You ran down the gravel pathway, passed your dad and little sister, running to your last friend standing. He let you hug him, and to your surprise he hugged you back.
“Good to see you.” You say as you pull away from Tye.
“Yeah, you too.” He nodded.
“You still wear a headband, I see.” You grin teasingly.
“You still haven’t gotten taller, I see.” He retorted.
•
“Now, we know what it sounds like...” Scott trailed off after the heroes explained their (currently) hypothetical plan to you and Tony.
“Tony, Y/N, after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?” Steve asked. He knew you had taken up your time studying everything, following your father’s footsteps.
“Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition.” You mumble, lost in thought.
“Can we agree on that?” Tony asked his fellow Avengers. They all look at each other, clueless. “In Layman's terms, it means you're not coming home.”
“I did.” Scott shrugged as Tony handed them drinks.
“No, you accidentally survived. It's a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a...What do you call it?”
“A time heist?” Scott suggested, a goofy grin on his face.
“Yeah, a time heist. Of course, why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable? Because it's a pipedream?” Your dad scoffed.
“The Stones are in the past. We can go back and get them.” Tye explained.
“We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everyone back.” Natasha added.
“Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?” Tony raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t believe we would.” Steve said confidentially.
“Gotta say, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism. However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise.” Tony ranted.
“Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel. That means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events-“ Tye listed.
“I'm gonna stop you right there, Tye. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back To The Future?” Tony asked his ex-mentee. “God, I’m gone for a couple years and you start saying stupid shit like this?”
“...no.” Him and Scott mumbled in unison.
“Good. You had me worried there. 'Cause that'd be horse shit. That's not how quantum physics works.”
“Tony...We have to take a stand.” Natasha tried to persuade him.
“We did stand. And yet, here we are.”
“I know you got a lot on the line. You got a wife, daughters. But I lost someone very important to me. A lot of people did.” Scott said desperately. “And now, now we have a chance to bring her back. To bring everyone back. And you're telling me that won't even...”
“That's right, Scott, I won't even. I have kids.”
As if on cue, Morgan runs out onto the porch, your dad picking her up.
“Mommy told me to come and save you.” She said shyly, weary of the new faces.
“Good job. I'm saved.” Tony kisses her on the head as he picked her up, before turning back to the heroes. “I wish you'd come here to ask me something else. Anything else. Honestly, I...I missed you guys, it was...Oh, and table's set for seven.”
“Tony, I get it. And I'm happy for you, I really am. But this is a second chance.” Steve tried to reason with him.
“I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can't roll the dice again. If you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch.” Tony said, and it stung when he didn’t point to you too. You watch him leave, ignoring his orders to come inside.
“I’m in.” You tell them.
“Won’t your dad...?” Natasha trailed off.
“He’s not in control of me.” You shook your head. “If there’s even the slightest chance this will work, I’m in.”
“It’ll definitely work if we have a Stark with us.” Scott grinned.
“Glad to have you back, Iron Maiden.” Steve pat your shoulder.
You smile, not hearing yourself be referred to by that name in such a long time. It made your heart fill with pride, and fueled your determination.
“Y/N Stark.” Tony said from the doorway.
“Don’t leave without me.” You tell them, glaring at your father as you push past him.
“Y/N, where are you going?” Your dad demanded.
“With them.” You spat as he follows you upstairs. “I’m going to try. Unlike you, I have hope.”
“It’s not that I don’t have hope. I just can’t risk any of this.” Tony insisted.
“Any of what? What kind of life is this, dad? Sure it’s great for you, but did you ever stop to look at it from my perspective?” You ask as you grab a bag from under your bed, tossing your photos from the windowsill into it.
“All I’ve ever done is protect you.” Your dad says through his teeth. “Why are you doing this? To get back at me?”
“No dad! I’m doing this because I want everyone back! This is my chance to save everyone! It’s my fault Thanos did this in the first place! If I was stronger, Eduardo would still be here! Peter! Jaime! Bucky! Wanda! The Guardians! Doctor Strange! Sam! Don’t you care about any of them?”
“Of course I care about them! But I care about my family more!”
“They’re my family!” You yell at him, the frustration that you’ve been bottling up for years finally pouring out.
“So that’s it?” Your dad scoffs and shakes his head in disappointment. “What if you screw this up? Huh? What if you make things worse. You’re willing to risk your mother’s life? Your little sisters, for your boyfriend?”
“You know what? Yes.” You snap, zipping your bag up and tossing it over your shoulder. “Not just for him. For everyone. For my life. I want my life back, and apparently that’s something you can’t give me.”
You storm out of your room and down the stairs, seeing Morgan sitting at the table, eating lunch. She grins when she sees you, looking at your bag.
“Where are you going?” She asked as you walked over and kneeled next to her seat.
“I’m gonna go see some old friends for a little bit. Think you can hold down the fort around here?” You ask her.
“Yeah.” She smiled.
“Are you sure? It’s gonna be tough without me.” You tease her. “You’re gonna have to make sure daddy does the laundry right, you know how he always mixes up the soaps. And you have to make sure to save daddy from mommy’s scolding. Think you can take it, soldier?”
“I can take it.” She nodded happily.
“Alright.” You hug her. “Love you, kiddo. See ya later.”
“Bye.” She waved at you until you shut the door, and walked down to the car with the others.
“Iron Maiden and Apache Chief, back again.” Tye fist bumped you.
“Iron Maidens back in the game!” You cheer happily.
“He’s scared.” Natasha said to Steve and Scott.
“He’s not wrong.” Steve shrugged.
“Yeah, but I mean, what are we gonna do? We need him. I mean, we managed one Stark, but we need both. No offense, Ms. Tony Starks Daughter. What, are we gonna stop?” Scott rambled nervously.
“No, I wanna do it right. We're gonna need a really big brain.” Steve shook his head.
“Bigger than his?”
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