Chapter Text
Jason sighed as he slumped back in his seat. The kid, Damian was finally asleep in the seat next to him, his head resting on window, drooling slightly.
While he didn’t pay much attention to League politics even Jason knew that something had been brewing. Of course everyone was keeping it tightly under wraps, hiding their thoughts and claiming loyalty to the head honcho, but Jason had been trained to look for the little lies, the shifting postures, the eyes darting off to the side.
It wasn’t any of his business, not really. He was not a member of the League; he was just a student of their teachers. But Talia had been good to him. If she had asked him to stay and fight alongside her, he would have put off his own plans and done just that.
He had not been expecting her to hand off her own son into his protection.
Jason glanced around subtly one last time before pulling out the book Talia had kindly left in the bag she had packed for him. Clothes, money, fake IDs and passports for the two of them, as well as a couple of fun toys in case they were followed, were all included in the bag as well. All things that they would need to get her son to safety. So it was a pleasant surprise to see that she had gone out of her way to add this collection of short stories.
He was never entirely sure where he stood with Talia. Sure she took him in, saw that he was trained up, but she could have had her own reasons for it that had nothing to do with his own well being. But she trusted him with her kid. She cared enough to pack a book.
She had used to read to him.
The previous week was a bit of a blur. They traveled for a full day before they even paused. Damian fought him most of that time. He had to carry the kid for a bit when he refused to be pulled from his mother.
Jason carried Damian as far and long as he could, while the kid kicked and screamed. The ground above them shook and Jason kept going. When he finally set the boy down he immediately tried to run back to his mother. Jason had to subdue him before doing his best to explain why going back would only put Talia in more danger. The kid wasn’t having it though having been raised to believe that he was an elite fighter, could take on anyone at any time. Finally Jason simply picked him up again and told the kid if he couldn’t even escape being carried, then he was a liability.
Thankfully the boy calmed down not long after that. Jason’s not sure how much longer he would have been able to carry the kid and both bags, and if he showed any weakness at the beginning he doesn’t doubt that the kid would have found a way to run.
It took them a few days before Jason was confident enough to take them in to a city where they liberated a car. They moved from place to place, stole cars and hopped trains, without a specific destination in mind. Any safe house Jason knew about was already compromised, so it seemed smarter to him to just stay lost. If they didn’t know where they were going, it would be harder for their enemies to be laying in wait when they got there.
Jason scrubbed his eyes and tried to refocus on the book. He was exhausted. Even when they found somewhere to rest for a bit Jason didn’t feel safe enough to sleep. When Damian was worn out Jason stayed awake to keep watch. When Damian was alert Jason kept an eye open in case the kid tried to take off in the night.
He was used to a lack of sleep, his dreams were often too disturbing to allow him to rest for long, but he was at his limits here.
Jason dropped the book to his lap and slammed his head back into the head rest. The next place they landed, he decided, they were getting a room and after they secured it, he was passing out. A shower would be nice but that could come later.
Opening one eye he glanced over at the kid who had woken up enough to eye him warily. He seemed to find nothing interesting as he closed his eyes again with his customary scowl.
Jason had grown up with the poorest of the poor but he never knew a kid to frown so much. Maybe it was a rich kid thing. Because certainly Br- well. Maybe it was just genetic.
He shook his head to rid himself of that train of thought and wake himself up a bit before picking the book back up. Two more hours until the next stop. So, if he was incredibly lucky it would only be another three hours before he was face down on a bed.
His eyes tracked another passenger walking past them. Female, mid to late 30s, no jacket, no bag. No indication of weapons, but not everyone needed one.
They would need to come up with a plan eventually. Find a place where they could hole up for a bit and recharge and maybe build up some defences around the base.
Maybe they should find a shop somewhere so he could find some hair dye. The white stands out, and he can’t rely on a hat all the time. If something happened to his hat then his hair could give them away and their pursuers would find them and that would be a dumb reason to be found.
No one around them on the train carried themselves like a warrior or a soldier, but a skilled assassin would probably know to act different when hunting people like them. Anyone could be an enemy.
Jason held his breath in and slowly blew it out.
Realistically he knew where he wanted to take Damian. Maybe if they could get back home he could set up a safe house and start enacting his plans for Gotham. Take over the underworld and come home to cook dinner for the two of them. Maybe enroll the kid in elementary school. He could meet friends his own age to play with while Jason was getting rid of a bunch of drug dealing scum.
Jason jumped and looked around before realising that he had started to nod off, his book hitting his knee as he began to relax.
He sighed. He knew his mind was drifting too much to plan anything at the moment. And if they were attacked right now he would be no use to anyone. He glanced over and was relieved to see that the kid had gone back to sleep.
It was stressful being responsible for someone else. Jason was great at taking care of himself but he hadn’t had to protect anyone else, long term at least, since he was a kid. And back then he didn’t even have to worry about fighting off assassins, he only had to keep his mom healthy. He hadn’t even managed to get that right.
The train rattled but a quick glance showed him the kid slept through it. Maybe Jason could close his own eyes for a minute or two. Just a light rest. If someone looked over and thought them vulnerable and made their move now, at least Jason and Damian would know that they had to keep moving.
“-Up.” He heard as his shoulder was shoved roughly by small hands. Jason jolted awake and glanced around to see people gathering their things, then to the side to see Damian glaring at him and waiting for him to gather his own things and lead him off the train.
Jason rolled his head, his neck giving a couple of satisfying cracks before he grabbed his bag and headed out, Damian following closely.
Crowds, Jason was learning, freaked the kid out. He was good at sticking close when they walked through the busy streets or markets.
The nap had been a bad idea. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep so completely. If they had been attacked who knows if he would have come to in time. And it only served to remind his body just how badly he needed to sleep. He felt worse now than he had before. His limbs felt heavy and unwieldy. His brain was filled with cotton.
Damian grabbed onto his arm suddenly. The small boy glared at him with a ferocity.
“There should be places near the station where we can stay. Are you hungry, should we grab something to eat first?” Jason asked as they began to walk through the station.
The kid made a noise, a ‘Tt’ sound that Jason was left to interpret as ’Don’t be foolish’. Jason just nodded and looked around the street. Damian was still holding onto his arm, but he decided not to draw attention to it.
They crossed the road and luckily not too far down there was a hotel. Jason stumbled slightly as they entered into the lobby. The AC was on high, Jason didn’t even realise how hot it had been outside until he entered the building. The sound of it running could be heard as they crossed to the front desk. There were a few other guests in the lobby, a family getting ready to head out, a couple of men sitting in the lobby’s chairs, and a couple in front of them at the desk. Jason tried to keep track of everyone as they were called forward to talk to a concierge.
Distractedly Jason tells her that they would need a room for one night, but Damian tugged on his arm pointedly. He looked down at the kid who frowned up at him, trying to communicate through the look alone. The poor guy was probably exhausted after the week - was it a week? More? -they had. They couldn’t afford to stay still for long… but maybe they could take a bit more of a break? “Two days actually.” He amends.
It seems to appease the youngest al Ghul. The air conditioner hummed.
Jason will need to set up some better security to adjust for the change. Maybe he will have time to run into the city- town? Where were they right now? - and get his bearings, maybe get some supplies or find a way to make some quick cash.
And the added time could give them a chance to actually recharge instead of just resting. It was a risk to stay still, but maybe it meant that if they were caught they would have the strength to fight off whoever found them.
“On a pretty loose schedule?” The woman laughs as she types something into the computer. Finding them a room. Probably.
The ice in her glass shifted.
The men by the entrance left, laughing to each other.
Jason shook himself out of his daze. “Yeah, we’re just drifting, backpacking.” He shrugs the shoulder holding his bag and gives her a smile.
“Oh, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to go backpacking at your age!” She smiles down at his companion encouragingly, unfazed by the look the kid gives her.
“Yeah, it was just supposed to be me, but he had no summer plans and needed to get out of the house for a bit.” He tried to give his most charming smile. Hopefully people thought they looked enough like siblings that they wouldn’t really question why the two of them were traveling alone together. So far it hadn’t been an issue.
She tucks her hair behind her ear looking a little more shy than before as she hands him the keys. The family in the corner gets into an argument while the woman tells them their room number.
The other couple moves off and before he can get the keys the woman also hands him a couple of pamphlets for places to visit and she mentions one of her favourite places to eat.
Damian huffs and goes to stand by the elevator, muttering something too low to hear as he walked past. Jason quickly grabbed up the keys and pamphlets, remembering to thank the woman for her help before taking off after Damian.
They rode the elevator in silence and found their room on the fourth floor. Lower down than Jason would have liked but still defensible.
Once they got inside Jason did a quick once over of the rooms, Damian doing his part too. He would do a better job later. Putting the duffle bag on one of the two beds Jason opened it only to be stopped by Damian.
“I can do this by myself.” The kid growled. It would be more intimidating if he wasn’t tiny.
He wasn’t making eye contact with Jason, just glaring in his general direction while holding onto his arm. “I don’t doubt you can.” Jason stated slowly. And he didn’t. The kid was raised by Talia. Survival skills would be things taught alongside the ABCs probably. And he had been helping with everything when they stopped, the kid always determined to pull his weight.
“Then I will do it this time.” The kid continued like it was an order.
“I know it was a long trip…” Jason tried. “And you are probably tired. It’s fine if you-”
“I had more rest than you did.” The boy huffed, making that tutting noise he always did. “Get some sleep before you become completely useless to me.” And he turned on his heels and began the process of rechecking the rooms.
Jason watched him, completely baffled, for a solid minute before trying to mask his huff of laughter. Damian was completely serious. And well, Jason was so very tired. It didn’t take him long to give in.
He kicked his boots off as he collapsed onto the bed. “Just…wake me if you need anything. Alright?” The kid made a vague noise which wasn’t good enough. “I mean it.” He must have conveyed his this in his voice because Damian actually turned to look at him. “Anything at all- if a shadow looks out of place, if you hear a noise in the hallway, hell if you’re hungry, you wake me up.” They held eye contact for a moment before the kid nodded slowly. He quickly gathered his regular attitude back up and stuck his nose in the air.
“Tt. I understand. Go to sleep, I’m working.”
Rolling onto his stomach to hide his smile in his pillow, Jason was out almost instantly.
Jason woke up feeling groggy. He glanced blearily to the side, the light was on and Damian was sitting up in the other bed holding on to a book. The boys head was bobbing slightly, as though he was struggling to keep holding it up. Jason pushed himself up enough to grab the alarm clock sitting on the stand between the two beds. Just after one, and judging by the darkness in the room it was in the AM.
Sitting up properly he scrubbed his hand over his face. They had arrived just before noon so he had been asleep for over twelve hours at this point. And he still felt tired. So tired and groggy that he thought he might be sick for a moment.
“Sorry,” His voice came out thick, “I didn’t mean to be out for so long.” Damian looked over in his general direction, Jason felt something was off, and he looked closer. Damian's jaw worked for a moment, as if he was going to say something, but when he didn’t Jason continued cautiously. “Are you hungry? I can-“
“I fed myself.” The kid gestured to the empty wrappers on his own bed. “I’m not a child.”
He resisted the urge to snort at that. He was most certainly a child. An assassin in training sure, but a child all the same.
“Get some rest.” Before the other could protest he tacked on “I’ll take the next shift. In the morning we’ll figure out what to do next.”
After a moment of internal debate, the kid nodded and set the book down before laying down.
Jason watched him while the kid settled in to sleep. He remembered being that age and thinking he had to be so grown up. For a different reason of course, Damian was forced to be mature or risk a stabbing every day, and Jason had to grow up or else he’d go hungry. And adults had this terrible tendency to treat him as a kid when they wanted to feel superior and an adult when they couldn’t be bothered to be one themselves.
So it was going to be an interesting balancing act, treating the kid like an equal while also protecting him. So far they had been managing, though there had been no significant issues in their way yet, they just had to keep moving. It was becoming clear, as of the last few hours, that they couldn’t keep going the way they were though. Jason knew he had to get them somewhere where they could disappear, lay low.
And what the hell was he doing taking care of a kid. What was Talia thinking. She must have had some one else she could trust with her son.
But there was no point in thinking about that now. Now he had to focus on what they were going to do.
They still had a good amount of money. They had a sick amount of money. If they had this much money when he was a kid...well in their neighborhood it would have been stolen real quick.
Getting transportation or accommodations wouldn't be a problem in the immediate future.
They have this room for one more night, good chance to pick up food...and maybe look into getting a second set of passports in case the first ones get compromised.
And then he would need to work something out with the kid. Seems he settled down enough, or at least figured out it would be difficult and dangerous to travel on his own, so Jason might start getting the chance to sleep from time to time. He’d have to take measure of the kid tomorrow to make sure this wasn't just a fluke.
He moved off his bed and peeked out the window, nothing of note there, and checked their hallway but it was quiet.
After coming back from the washroom Jason moved to collect the book off of Damian's bed. The kid’s feature were relaxed, his breathing even. Most people would believe him to be asleep.
Instead of putting it down on the nightstand Jason sat back down on his bed and once he was comfortable, he opened it up and began to read it out loud in a low voice.
He watched Damian from the corner of his eye as the kid tensed for a long moment before he slowly began to relax. It was almost a half hour before the boy fully fell asleep.