Chapter Text
“He actually goes by Brad” Dick says and B nods like he received important information on a case.
‘I don't trust him’ Jason thinks to himself. And he won't hide it. Before B goes into the medical room he grabs his bicep. If **anyone** is as paranoid as he is, it would be Bruce.
Bruce waits for Jason to start talking, looking his son in the eyes. Jason just breathes through his nose and thinks. Before deciding 'Fuck it'. “I don't trust him. And you shouldn't either.”
Bruce gives Jason a look over. Who is Jason kidding? Bruce loves hard, but he is not stupid. He won't trust Brad until he figures everything out about him. Jason lets go of Bruce's arm and walks in the room behind him. Looking at the dazed kid with scrutinizing eyes.
“Hello Brad, I'm Batman. I would like to thank you for what you did today. As soon as you are healthy you will be free to leave.” Batman says in a strategic voice.
After Brad acknowledges it with a small, star struck, “okay” B leaves the room and Jason is shocked. He didn't expect him to break down in tears over seeing his ‘kid’ for the first time. But full-on calculating Batman was not what he was expecting. ‘I thought we made progress with him having emotions behind the cowl.’ Jason thinks but then it hits him. He is trying not to be attached, at least not in ‘bat-form’. Jason smirks at the knowledge, slowly leaving the room of the stunned college kid.
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“I lied” The voice rings from all around. Everywhere and nowhere all at once. Banging off the sides of the warehouse as he looks up at her, wide eyed. Before feeling a blow on his back. The pain shot up like fire through his body. As he met the cold floor.
Shelia was handed a cigarette by the man. That man, man of crumbling face paint. The man who laughs as he screams. Taunting, striking him again and again as his mother- no not his mother…betrayer watched. His mother is dead; she died in that worn down apartment as he screamed and tried to drag her body outside where someone- anyone could help. When his legs gave out and his mom fell on top of him. Horrible choking sounds now rivaling his own that once come out of her mouth.
His lung was pierced. His right side if he can tell. Choked sounds come out as he tries to breathe, blood filling them. He's drowning… He's scared of drowning. Being disposed of in the harbor chains tied around him because he saw too much. He saw it happen. It's not peaceful, it's painful. Your body sinking knowing you will never see anyone again…well except for the other corpses.
Panic seizes him as he forces himself to be in the moment. He is not in Gotham. He is not with Batman. And it hurts so much. ‘I thought I would die in Gotham’ He thinks to himself solemnly.
He kept his eyes on her. Maybe, just maybe she could escape. He could save her! He heard the ticking. Repetitive, calculated, uncaring. **tick…tick…ticck**
Out of his only working eye he can see the outline of Joker retreating. Sheila is crying, looking down at the broken boy but not daring to come close. Jason looks around for something- anything to get her out. Maybe he could-BOOM!
—--------------
Jason wakes up. Eyes opening, he's tired. He's tired of it, the nightmares, the resentment, the feeling of green that flows through him. Jason's mind swirls with oh so familiar thoughts. But one lingers longer than the rest. The one he can never answer. ‘why?’.
He wishes he could ask Sheila that, but he can't. And he knows that his experience is not singular and it makes the green flow faster. He vowed to himself… to his old self. ‘Do not trust family blindly’.
But after years of being with his family the sentiment has faded slightly. He trusts his family. He would die for them; he would kill for them. He would rather die again than let someone who is ‘family’ deceive them. Hurt them. Kill them.
He tenses up when Dick barges into his room looking for his hoodie Jason stole a while ago. They make eye contact.
Jason knows he has issues; any psychiatrist could tell by just a look. And it seems like Dick just got his degree.