#Talia doesn't know what to make of it when Jason says he's hearing voices but she doesn't have any trustworthy psychologists on hand so

[cologona]

Jason has been through a traumatic experience which has deeply impacted his perspective. Things he wasn't aware of before, he can't help but notice now.

Given that his experience was of death, it's only natural that he should hear the dead.

[prlssprfctn]

In his new room - in his new house - Jason searches up for a circus performances and stares at them for hours. First, he watches at them mindlessly, unconsciously curious, and then, he starts to take notes.

He is a street kid, and everything about him screams of that. So, he is nowhere near the grace of these performers on the screen. His arms are not that strong, too, but he is agile, and his legs are much stronger - he can think of something.

He can be just as good as the boy he is replacing.

It is not like someone tells him to match Richard Grayson, and it is not like someone admits that Jason is here to replace the first Wonder Boy, but Jason heard Bruce's conversation with Dick earlier. It was meant not for his ears, but it doesn't matter now.

"So, now what, you exile me, and bring a boy to replace me?!"

Jason is not mad. All of it ‐ adoption papers, the manor, the school - is much more than he ever thought he would get in his life. Being replacement doesn't sound as bad anyway; especially, if his brother is so cool.

So, he makes notes on circus performances and slightly chopes his hair. They are much curlier than Dick's - he has more of a wavy ones, and the only ever look that way, when they get long; his childhood photos with short hair looks too straight - but the cut does its magic.

The next day, Bruce compliments his hair absentmindedly and is positively surprised by his new moves on the patrol, asking where he learnt it from. Jason lies about not remembering, but his cheeks are flashed, and his smile is all about teeth. He can't wait to show it to Dick once they finally get on a mission together.

Expect, when they do, Dick just nods and mutters a light-hearted "good job" before leaving to talk with his team. And Jason knows Dick doesn't want to be mean - he gets it; no one feels good about having a replacement, especially the one that seems so cheap in comparison - but he still cries that night in his pillow, feeling himself a little kid, even if he isn't one. Even if he never was.

Jason wonders if his own replacement would make him understand Dick.

But Jason never gets replaced.

No matter the taunting voice of the Lazarus Pit in the back of his head - that sometimes sounds suspiciously like Talia's; you remain unavenged and replaced - and his own intrusive thoughts that spiral in uneven lines, Jason doesn't think Tim was ever meant to be his replacement. Being replaced means to match the person that was meant to be left behind. And no one asked Tim to be like Jason.

If anything, memory of Jason was thrown under the rag, hidden and locked securely in heads of those who survived. And if they brought Jason up, then it was always an example of what Robin shouldn't do: run away, disobey, and allow emotions to consume you. So, not much of an exemplary original. More like an opposite.

Jason feels an urge to explain that to Tim once; when they sit together on the rooftop, almost like a proper family, instead of broken pieces of someone's idea of a one.

'You could never replace me,' he says, and the instant it leaves his mouth, he knows it came out wrong.

Tim rolls his eyes.

'Yeah, dude. Whatever.'

'No, I mean—' He grits his teeth, scrapping slightly the back of his hand. 'I mean... You could never replace me, because... Because you were always better.'

Tim freezes. His big blue eyes shift in something more confused, and it is almost as if he is not sure how he needs to react — to protest? To agree? To thank him?

Jason doesn't know what to do, too.

He wants to say: it is easy as that, babybird. They wanted to have someone who would have nothing in common with me — someone who could help them to forget about my existence, about the existence of the failed Robin.

But he can't make himself speak again. And he is not sure he wants to stay any longer to hear Tin manging to put his thoughts in the words; he is better than him at this, too, and he almost always sounds convincing.

So, he leaves.

In his room - in the building he owns now - he ruffles his outgrown hair, fluffs up the white streak, and passes by his only remaining photo with Bruce in the frame, on the shelf under the stolen tire.

He still does this semi-circus move in his fights - almost frozen in the air, with his back arched - but he doesn't expect anyone to compliment him anymore.

[sguidwards-bestfriend]

Dp x dc thoughts and stuff

New Dimension, Who's This?

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Okay okay wait what if ghosts sort of feed off their own energy supply or like humans make our own blood they make their own ecto.

But Danny is a halfa.

Maybe he doesn't make any or just not in his human form. So when his powers use it up he has to find a way to get more.

In Amity that isn't really a problem, but if he's not in Amity? If he's not even in his dimension?

...

Danny is king, he has been for a few years now. Lets say he's 20 something and he's still learning his og powers as well as his new kingly eldritch ones.

He makes a portal, goes in to check it out, and gets stuck when he doesn't have enough juice to make another one to go back.

Portals aren't simple, even a portal for something human at a lower power level needs a lot to make a portal in their own dimension.

Creating one for an eldritch being, the king of the infinite realms, to another dimension requires an insane amount of energy. so he's stuck... somewhere, with no energy source. Transforming back into something vaguely human looking is taxing so he sits on the ground to take stock. The extra arms, paper white skin and hair, and the many ever shifting eyes are gone, but he can still feel the fangs and pointy ears, his crown shrunk down to a broach keeping a cape in place, it's covered in a frost so cold the fabric around it crystalizes, and his clothing is an odd mix of ghostly regalia and a black hoodie. It doesn't look bad, but he doesn't know how this dimension works just yet and he doubts this will help him "fit in".

Thankfully invisibility and intangibility come so naturally to him it's just the switch that requires ecto, similar to transforming, once he's there that's where he'll stay.

He needs to find a power source, wherever it is he's ended up, so he goes looking. He finds Lazarus pits but they aren't bottomless like the lakes in the zone. Some are like a dripping faucet, sure it'll fill back up at some point but who knows how long that'll take. Others were artificial, someone ripped a hole between realities, probably a small one since the leftover feeling of a portal wasn't there.

Danny stays invisible for nearly 2 months as he searches for a way home, time can act differently between dimensions, in Amity he might be gone an hour or a decade. The best thing to do for now is to get in contact with Clocky and hope they can figure it out together.

While emptying another pit he hears an angry man yell "You said this one wasn't empty."

An obviously nervous voice answers, "It was full this morning, Sir."

"This is the last one we have any record of!" there's a crash that intrigues Danny so he pops above the surface to catch a glimpse.

His stomach falls when he sees a Vlad looking fruit loop tearing apart a makeshift lab in a cave. Equipped with the same ridicules cape and beard.

There is a woman sitting on a folding chair, her legs are crossed and she very obviously is done with whatever fruit loop 2.0 is doing.

He was expecting to find more than 4! If that's the last of the leaks he needs to find another source asap.

"We can head to Gotham." the woman says, still uninterested as she pulls at a thread on her sleeve. "That place has always been a cesspool for everything weird."

"Nyssa." the man takes a breath, no longer yelling he continues, "We've tried that."

The woman stands, she looks scarier calm than the fruitloop does angry. "No, we tried to find one. We couldn't search there cuz of the bats, but if there are a few diversions we could get enough equipment into the sewers and we'd continue our search unnoticed."

Danny doesn't care much about the rest, he needs to get to Gotham before they do. He just needs to find where that is.

...

Jason Todd came back from the dead a few years ago. [We can leave him at around 23, idk what age he was when Talia plopped him into the pits.]

He's angry ALL the time, it fogs his mind so much it feels like he's no longer in control of his body. He knows he nearly killed one of his brothers, possibly two, but they ignore it so he does too.

He hasn't seen his family much since he was... brought back. As always, something pushes him to take action when he would rather not.

This time it's a rumor amongst his lackeys about someone planning on killing Redhood. They don't know he and Red are the same person, so he was planning on leaving the helmet at a safe house and sticking around to give orders and keep an eye on things.

That plan falls through when a group of three come up to him, they think he spends the most amount of time with the boss and want to keep their leader safe, but don't feel they have that kind of relationship with him to show how worried they are. They push Jason to take Redhood and hide.

His way of doing things creates a pretty even playing field amongst the lackeys, other than Redhood himself. If he refuses he's not a team player, if he tries to advise against it they'll think he's the one trying to kill his own alter ego.

He has to go somewhere none of his enemies know of, but also where none of his allies know.

That's how he's ended up being shuffled into the manor by Alfred, duffle bag in his arm and a headache so horrendous it's hard to understand what Alfred is saying.

~

Jason had been at the manor for two weeks, in that time he'd heard of two territory fights by crime alley, someone emptying the Lazarus pits around the world, and the assassination attempt on him hasn't played out yet.

He was going insane with his family on him at all times. No matter what he did someone was with him.

He knew telling them he felt ill and didn't want to hurt an innocent if the rage took over wasn't the best idea, but he couldn't think of one that would work as well to get them on his side.

That meant, however, that he wouldn't be able to go out on patrol at all nor leave the manor alone.

Damian, of all of them, was the one that helped him. He still acted like the spoiled brat he always was, but he'd grown. He was calmer, not by much, but it took him longer to be set off than he used to.

It wasn't hard to convince him not to say anything, he still knew his brother after all he came prepared. An intricate knife from 15th century china he nabbed off a man with a sword collection that could rival Damians and a story of wanting to get back his cat that he had to leave at his main safe house was all it took to get Damian to agree.

With his needed entertainment (books and videogames), his cat stuffed inside his jacket (which yes, Emma did exist), and ice cream; they were making their way back to the manor at dusk. Jason froze, someone something was following them.

"Dami, do you have your sensor turned on."

"Of course I do." he puffed out his chest and stopped to push back his sleeve.

"Don't stop walking, check what's to my left." the building was boarded up. It hadn't been like that last time he was here.

"Don't tell me what to do." Damian caught up with him before adding, "The building has no electricity or anything in it, but it's weirdly cold."

Just as they both look over to the building something phases through the boarded up window. "Run, now!"

As they take off towards the manor the creature follows them. He can't hear it, no footsteps, no heartbeat, no breathing, but he can feel it. And he wants to fight it.

"It's still following us." Damian whisper yelled. then Damian answered a question he didn't ask. "We're half a mile from the manor, on the road with the ice-cream shop."

"You have your com on?" His need to fight this thing only grew.

"Just with Tim. We should never have them fully off, something could happen."

Of course, he knew that, he suffered those consequences. He was probably the reason it was so enforced... and why it was followed.

Suddenly the roaring of an engine and a black car with all it's doors open comes racing down the road. Damian jumps in first, with Emma stuffed in his jacket he can't just throw himself in so he chucks his games and slides in feet first, hugging his chest to keep her safe.

The doors shut and the car speeds off past the entrance to the manor.

The winding roads should have shook the creature off their trail. It's not long before the car takes them down a secret entrance to the bat cave.

There's yelling before he's even out of the car.

"You could have got hurt!" Tim is yelling at him, "I don't care who you think you are, you put our brother in danger!" The rage starts back up, he was here first, he was the one who could protect Dami not him.

"Timmothy I fight crime."

Tim swivels on his heels, "That thing wasn't human. How would you have fought it exactly?"

Jason can feel himself being engulfed in it again, he's vision going green and his whole body tensing. "Listen here replacement."

"I am not!" Tim turns back around, the steam in him vanishes when he looks at Jason's face.

"Boys," a calm voice echoes through the cave. "No fighting in the cave. Go up stairs to breath or finish outside."

Jason ignores Tim and Dami as he walks to the elevator. He can't look at Alfred, can't let him see him like this.

Once out from behind the bookcase he lets Emma down gently, then flops onto the couch. If they know what's good for them they'll find another way up.

They don't apparently and all three walk out the same exit, bickering.

The noise erases the effort he'd made to quite the pits, as he stands to shut them up the creature floats up through the table.

A terrifying creature with long teeth, pointy ears, long curved nails and a cap hiding a thin hunched figure leans towards him. As he jumps away the thing grabs him and latches on.

Jason tries to shake it off, but it's almost like it's stuck to him. Not physically, but there is something holding them together and it's not the creature.

Suddenly a bright light flashes and the creature turns onto a young man.

"Why's the ecto in this dimension so shit." It... he looks tired, there are bags under his eyes and his skin looks sickly. He's draped over Jason, at first he thought the man was holding Jason in place, but it seemed more like he was holding himself up.

Tim stopped in his tracks. "What the fuck?"

"Language."

"Sorry Alf, but uh... What's happening?"

The man mumbled something, he rested his head on Jason's shoulder, he could see the effort it took to speak louder. "I'm so hungry dude. Why are you the only liminal person I've come across? It makes no sense."

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

[willow-scorp]

Thinking about a Jason Todd priest au in which after he is thrown in the Lazarus pit, tries to kill Tim and then the Lazarus rage calms down rather than become a crime lord he decides to turn to the church and become a Catholic priest. And part of his journey he decides to separate himself from the batfam and vigilantism for his mental health and stuff. The batfam by this point has realized he's alive and tries to get him back, not into the life but just into the family again. He makes a point not to interact with them in their civilian form (doesn't wanna be in the public eye and they are literally public figures) or in their vigilante form. He also doesn't talk to Talia because interacting with the league of assassins is kind of looking for trouble.

The family still wants to contact him tho so they make it a point to attend church every Sunday so that they can sit in the confession booth and talk to him. They don't say things like "hi Jason" because they know he wouldn't like that they used the confession box to talk to him. So they sit there and talk about their day. About what they've been up to, their regrets after he died, how much they love and miss him, and overall try to give him a sense that hes back in the family without having to rejoin that life.

It isn't just the batfam either, Talia comes by every once in a while, she makes a point to check up on her boys (Damian and Jason) because Jason is her son. She stops by and talks about how Damian is doing, how she is doing, asks questions about the church and confesses some of the things going on in the world that she thinks Jason would like to hear.

How do they know if Jason is the one listening? They just do because they other priests don't let out a soft chuckle when they make a joke about their injuries, and they certainly don't let them stay in the box for extra time. And they of course, can recognize Jason's voice from the other end no matter what. (Jason may or may not have slipped the time table to dick in the booth after dick accidentally confessed to being a vigilante to one of the priests and Jason had to convince him that the man was probably mentally ill.)

The first time Tim came to the booth. It was so quiet. For the first few minutes neither could say a word. Tim's thoughts caught in his throat before he finally blerted out everything. He let it spill how much he cared about Jason despite not knowing him. Jason couldn't hold back the tears that day because one of his biggest regrets was attacking a child. A child who may have taken his place but a child none the less. And for that child to not only forgive him but to love him like a brother? That was a lot.

Eventually, either through pushing from other priests, or him missing his family. Jason makes a visit to the manor. Just to see Alfred, maybe get a glimpse of Damian and Steph. The hug he received from dick and bruce is bruising and he doesn't miss the awkward but if happy smile Tim sends his way. Alfred makes his favorite meal. And he listens as Damian muses about his animals and drawings to his big brother like there has been no time apart. Jason sits happily with Alfred (the cat) in his arms as he listens. This becomes a weekly occurrence.

[glitter-stained]

That makes a lot of sense! I do acknowledge how silly it is to do in-depth psychological analysis about characters in the universe of the Joker, unfortunately that is the way through which I enjoy any work of fiction and I sometimes forget about the possibility the writers did not in fact care- or your theory, which sounds pretty plausible, that Winnick did not find the word "dissociation" impactful enough! It is pseudo-science with a level of suspension of disbelief, however I can't manage that when it comes to psychiatric/neuro disorders (and does he know that a single dissociative episode can last several years in extreme cases? Does Ra's know this? So many questions.)

I see why your brain went to dissociative amnesia/fugue, especially in the context of lived experience, but I personally like to stay far far away from that idea because of how widely contested it is and its ties with psychoanalysis. Yes, it is reversible, but we're also not sure if it exists- because cases of dissociative fugue are almost always found to be associated with events in which a hit to the head has occurred (aka further investigation reveals the possibility that a mild tbi went unnoticed in almost all reported cases that were analysed.) And if it does exist, the description I've been taught m listed wandering and amnesia but not necessarily the dissociative symptoms Jason shows in UTH.

The reason I'm talking about age is because I feel like, both from clinical description and lived experience, being in a years long deep dissociative state doesn't feel like lived experience at all. The way I would word it is like, catatonia is lived experience because it's a "the lights are off and the door is locked but somebody is home" situation: if someone is home, they're living in the house. However, with dissociation, it's closer to "the lights are on but nobody is home" (Ra's hypothesis) except Talia also has a point when she points out "hey he has some level or responsiveness to his environment" because altered states of consciousness exist on a spectrum, so I'd say it's closer to: "there is a house with three basements, one is close to the house and has a glass ceiling that shows the inside of the house and you can hear the doorbell, one is a little deeper, one is deeper even and almost completely shut-out from the rest of the house, no way to hear anyone ringing the doorbell. The lights are on. There's a person who's been holed up in a little room in the third basement for years. Is she living inside the house? What about if she were in the second level?" And the first?

So yeah I'd say to me the question of Jason's lived experience in Lost Days is less about the experience as in the memory of it and more as in the almost philosophical question of what does it mean to experience life. If you're shut down so deep inside your mind you barely interact with the world because you're trapped due to the effects of a tbi and vicious trauma, can that be called lived experience? Functionally, Jason doesn't learn any knowledge, his brain certainly doesn't mature, he doesn't "learn any life lesson" so to speak. As to whether he socialises, that's a good question. He's shown to be able to hear Talia speak to him about Bruce at one point, but it's unclear whether it's what Talia says or Bruce's name that causes Jason to shed a tear. He has a clear level of familiarity and attachment to Talia, but is he attached to the sound of her voice, her intonation, her gestures, etc.? How much of what he's hearing is getting through? The issue is Jason doesn't talk but we don't know why. Does he have aphasia (common in tbi in children, but often not complete mutism, more like evocative difficulties)? Is it anxious mutism due to the psychological trauma? Or is he too deep into his dissociative episode to be able to answer? There's a lot of uncertainty around that that stops us from drawing full conclusions. Also if there's the implication of Jason not remembering what happened like you pointed out, that would, to me, indicate how massively deep inside himself he was in terms of dissociation (and strengthen the dissociative episode > dissociative fugue hypothesis), simply because you can't remember what you weren't paying attention to. Personally I tend to disregard the whole period as "not really lived experience" and chop it off his age, but I think everyone puts the threshold wherever they want, and I acknowledge a reason I'm eager to jump on the "not lived experience" wagon is that it allows me to not count it in his age, and Jason already, in practice with the way the world handles him, loses years off his childhood. If I'm saying these years don't count, that means he at least spent the last years of his childhood learning so much stuff, going on adventures, killing child traffickers, exploding stuff, becoming a crime lord, traveling the world, living through so much stuff. Personally I find it way more bearable to handle when considering it that way. Tragedy enjoyers who like to put Jason through hell and feel sad about it might feel like him just losing the years is more compelling though! If I were Jason's therapist, I'd tell him what matters most is how HE interprets it, and that he can be 20 if he wants, he doesn't have to be 23 if he doesn't feel like it- fortunately for my life expectancy and potentially of turning to villainy (or marrying Bruce apparently) I am not Jason's therapist. But I would love to see a comics in which he decides "you know what? Fuck this shit I'm 20/21 years old. And I was the most successful teenage drug lord the world has ever seen, that's talent. Also I overpowered Black Mask at 16/17, how embarrassing for him lol."

Is it just me or does Jason not have catatonia in Red Hood: Lost Days?

It's been driving me crazy the more I think about it, his symptoms are way more consistent with dissociation than catatonia (not to mention the etiology fits much better. If you just gave me the list what happened to him and I had to pick what disorder he was most likely to suffer from (in RH: Lost Days) without describing anything, my bet would be on dissociation no question asked)

This is has enormous implications when it comes to the Lazarus Pit and what it can and cannot heal, how to calculate Jason's age, the diagnostic hypothesis we have for Jason and so much more. Am I missing something? Why does Winnick keep referencing to Jason's symptoms as catatonia?

[d-xs]

Inspired by this post. I couldn't help myself

"I'm unavailable right now. If you can't reach me, don't reach me."

Bruce tries not to let his panic show when his call goes unanswered before being directed to voicemail for the fourth time in a row. He doesn't succeed, but he doesn't really care right now. Not when his son could be hurt or worse!

He ignores the look Talia is giving him and tries Jason's number again. It rings until it goes to voicemail. Again.

"Beloved," Talia starts and Bruce almost cracks.

Images of Jason's lifeless body fill his mind, as news reports from Jason's last known location replays continue to fill the cave. He can't help it. He already lost his son once, he won't survive it if it happens again.

"I will call him." Talia orders firmly, directing Bruce to a seat.

"If I can't reach him, I doubt even you can." Jason knows how he worries. If he was alright, he would let Bruce know.

Talia may have bonded with Bruce's son while he was in her care but Jason is his son. It's not the same.

Talia gives him a look, almost like the one she gets when she thinks he's being stupid but not quite. He's too worried about Jason to be bothered. She doesn't say anything more as she pulls out her cellphone and dials.

The phone barely rings before Talia is speaking into the receiver.

"Habibi." She greets , voice very fond and affectionate in a way he's only ever heard her sound when she's talking with Damian.

"I saw the news. Are you well?"

Bruce stares dumbfoundead as she lets out a small laugh. He can't hear anything from the other end of the call, but the thought of Jason making Talia laugh, causes jealousy to burn hot and fierce within him. Jason used to make him laugh.

"Of course, my love."

Bruce makes grabby hands for the phone, but Talia sidesteps him without missing a beat.

"Call your father, you know how he is."

She smiles again, Bruce can't get over how much softer her eyes are when she does that.

"Stay safe. Love you." then she turns to Bruce after hanging up. "He is fine, just a bit busy."

"What was that?" Bruce explodes. "Since when are you and Jason chummy?"

Talia lifts a brow at him, like he's a bratty child throwing a tantrum. Like he's making a mountain out of a molehill and she didn't just have a whole conversation with his son, when said son sent his calls to voicemail.

"Since he is my son?"

"He's my son."

"I'm aware, Beloved."

"He sent my calls to voicemail but he answered yours on the first ring." Bruce did not whine. He is Batman. Batman does not whine.

"My calls are important."

He ignores the insult, snatching her phone to get the phone number Talia had just used. Maybe she has a special contact that Bruce doesn't have.

It turns out to be the exact same eleven digits he has. He dials it again on his phone. Listening to the phone ring and sighing when it is sent to voicemail.

Talia pats him on the arm. "He is busy right now. He will call you as soon as he's able."

[risingmoonyue]

Batman/P5 Crossover

-Sometime before Akechi but after Futaba or Haru

-Damian is sent to Tokyo to check it out for whatever reason (maybe they had a fight, or he’s going stir crazy, or he’s just the only one they can send at the time and didn't bother with all that "you're not old enough" business)

-Dami is younger than Futaba by a year or three or four

-He is baby

-He is transferred to Shujin as a child prodigy where he also immediately joins the "outcast" community because of his attitude and intelligence

-Talia goes too, manages to cut off all his communications with the Batfam, and is planning to take him home in a month whether he likes it or not

-For whatever reason, Batfam doesn't realize this??? (Like, either she's faking reports or they're too busy (think fight or chaos in Gotham scenario maybe???))

-Anyways, obviously Dami doesn't want this

-Somehow the Phantom Thieves hear about the situation

-Maybe he was assigned to shadow Makoto for a while, and they managed to overhear a phone conversation either to Talia or Dami trying to get in touch with the Batfam and nothing really working

-And eventually they outright see him fighting with his mother with him at some point (either in person or over a phone call) mentioning that she already disowned him, he's happy with his Father's family, and that he will head her family business over his dead body—and oh would you look at that, you already managed that, care to try again Mother?

-The PT's are understandably alarmed

-And learn her name from Damian (from Makoto maybe or someone else he bonded a little with) (MORGANA) (THEY GAVE HIM MONA FOR A DAY AND NOW THEY KNOW EVERYTHING FROM HIS MANY PETS TO HIS LEAST TO MOST FAVORITE SIBLINGS STARTING FROM TIM TO DICK TO HIS FAVORITE FOODS TO EVERYONE IN HIS FAMILY’S NAMES TO HOW STUPID HE FINDS EVERYONE AND WHY THEY'RE STUPID TO HIS FAVORITE MUSIC TO WHY ANIMALS ARE SUPERIOR TO HUMANS AND MONA’S LIKE OMG TMI BUT LOVED IT THERE BECAUSE HE WAS PAMPERED LIKE NO TOMORROW GOT ONLY THE BEST FOOD AND THE BEST BEDS AND TOYS THAT HE GOT TO TAKE WITH HIM BACK TO LEBLANC AND NOW AKIRA AND SOJIRO ARE LIKE DUDE WHY AND MONA’S LIKE IM KEEPING HIM THIS HUMAN IS GOOD SORRY AKIRA YOU’RE DEMOTED)

-The palace is basically a fortress full of assasin ninjas and clones

-Dunno what her keywords are tho

-Or her what her palace actually is

-Help?????????

-Cognitive Bruce, Ra's, Damian, Dami clones, and Jason (maybe rest of batfam??? Idk)

-Long story short, the traps are so assassin-y that they need someone who knows the actual Talia because egads, this is the closest they have all come to actually dying

-And they didn't really want to do it and were just gonna power through

-But Dami manages to find out and get in and of course uses his background to help out whether they like it or not

(-he's slightly off put by Joker's name, but then decides to just solely call Gotham!Joker "The Clown")

-At some point they are captured by the Shadow Talia who is decked out in super fancy traditional Arab clothing and probably every conceivable hidden weapon known to man

-Talia says Damian won't and can't ever change from who he "is meant to be", referring to him as her Alexander and basically brutally addresses all of his insecurities concerning the batfam and people and society in general

-And all this is kinda killing him cause he still loves Talia despite the fact that she killed him and had a violent citywide custody battle with Batman but he also loves the batfam too even if he would absolutely never admit it (except to maybe Grayson)

-Joker does his emotional kick-start thing and/or Dami is like Makoto and just gets so mad he triggers it himself, but either way, lo and behold, Damian is now a persona user, usurping Futaba's place as the baby of the team

-The outfit is kinda inspired by his future adult league outfit with the top and bottom and gold jewelry, but has a raggedy cloak with dull gold edges, a Robin mask and gauntlets, and his main weapons are batarang-sword hybrids

---acknowledging his past and moving on with his present

-Persona: Aladdin, Tsun Zu, Ali Baba, somone else???? Need ideas plz help

-Probably the fastest member of the group

-His small body makes his hits not as strong, but hoo boy can that kid move around

-Hits a lot and dodges most

-Most of his Persona abilities are physical and have high crit and/or are status affects

-Downside is he has not a lot of SP (compared to the rest of the group)

-And he has pretty good HP

-Those good ol' “superior genetics” have to be good for something after all

-Anyways they escape to find the treasure another day

-And Dami is all smug because HA you definitely can't stop me now

-And the PTs are just resigned to keeping an eye on the extremely competent snotty assassin/vigilante child

-They do like him though so it's not too bad (comes with learning all his darkest secrets via his mother and thought processes that tends to accompany watching someone at their lowest get a persona)

(-They do manage to temper him a bit and help him adjust better to actual society too that's nice)

-As such, they also know about Batman and Robin and his whoooole family. Both sides.

-Damian decided not to tell batfam because he does agree with the whole "most adults suck" mentality that the Phantom Thieves have; despite his deep, deep respect for his father and mother and Grayson, they all do kinda suck

-And he’s rather not get pulled out as he surely would if he told them

(-On a side note, he likes Sojiro

-The man gives him coffee, curry, and leaves him mostly to his own devices

-Instant win)

-He is dubbed "Mockingbird" apon return to the metaverse because of his freaky talented vocal skills in mimicking anyone and everyone's voice

-Eventually, they beat Talia

-She doesn't publicly confess to all her sins unlike everyone else

-PTs don't realize it worked until Damian came into school with a genuine smile on his face, and more relaxed than he'd been since he got there

-PTs are confused until Damian's like, this works out because hey, don't want to have several people assassinated and draw the entire freaking league to Tokyo

(-Which was probably why Talia didn't)

-They agree

-But she does break down to tears in Dami's arms and promise to ACTUALLY TALK CIVILLY with Bruce to try and make up for everything and try to fix up the league

-He stays for the rest of p5

-But steers all his reports very much away from the Phantom Thieves

-If anything, he downplays absolutely everything, and makes it seem like it's nothing super big but he's gonna stay a while to keep and eye out because y'alls are busy and I like it here and I haven't gotten expelled so there

-The PTs like to add funny stuff on there just to see if they’ll notice

-Like, Akira likes to have Dami describe his day in excruciating detail. Like, recounting the entirety of his nine or so months to Sae during police interrogation, excruciating

-Mona is pushing for the shiny stuff

-Yusuke just likes to put in bursts of randomness (Dami once mentioned that an acquaintance made another acquaintance T-pose in a church for art lol)

-Ann loves to rant about food

-Haru is always insisting on about feelings

-Ryuji likes to complain about everything and puts in ridiculous requests

-Futaba is just putting in every gen-z thing ever

-Makoto is actually responsible and tries to get him to talk about his progress in school and his social life

-And Akechi is absolutely nowhere near any of this and doesn’t know it exists

-When they have the Tokyo/Japan-wide calling card, Batfam sees it too because let's face it, that's totally the sorta thing that they would keep an eye out for even if he didn't look at the news in the entirety of the time Dami was in Tokyo

-And they send a message to Damian (the first actual communication they've had since before Talia) saying "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON OVER THERE????"

-And with the entirety of the Phantom Thieves looking over his shoulder, Damian's just like "Chill dudes, everything's fiiiiiiiiiine"

-And they're like "UH WHAT PART OF THIS IS FINE????" because they've dug around a bit and found every news report, and oh hey, this isn't anywhere near as calm as Damian described and he’s being super OOC and what’s going on?!?!?!?!?!

-And Damian, being egged on by the most of the PTs, just sends a winky face

-Just

-😉

-And he's smug, because it's still chaos over there so they can't actually come get him and try to pull him out because he's being super ooc

-Which means he's free to do what he wants/needs in the meantime

-Cue the end of the game

-And Dami is going with them on their summer road trip and cackling because the batfam is scrambling to find him in Tokyo but lol nope he's in a van the Japanese government tried and fail to follow

-And he found all the trackers like, a year ago

-Every

-Single

-One

-They eventually track him down to Akira's house where they're calmly eating dinner (and they've been expecting this for the past week so Mona was keeping watch just so they could pull this off) and talking about how uneventful the school year was

-Cue mass confusion in the batfam

-As the PTs enjoy just confusing them so much

-By talking to Mona

-Talking normal then crazy then normal again

-And just generally being their normal selves lol

-They explain absolutely nothing beyond gushing about how much progress socially and academically he’s made (gotta embarrass the baby of the group somehow) and making sure that if Dami absolutely has to go home that he's able to stay in touch

(-Later, Damian forms his own hero persona outside of Batman and Robin)

(-He names it Mockingbird)

(-Batfam proceeds to have a brain aneurysm while the PTs dab their happy proud tears out of their eyes on their regularly scheduled tea time at the Wayne Manor)

(-Damian sends a private plane every week or two lol)

(Bonus: ARTTTTTTT)

(Psst if you guys have ideas for art, outfits, interactions or scenarios, let me know)

[wellthatjusthappend]

Hey, first off, I really like your writing, it's always so touching or captivating, and second, if you take requests, could I ask for one where Jaspn has a Type(TM) that's pretty dangerous (like Slade, Ra's, Roman, Talia, whatever) and Dick finds out and starts intereferring when Jason butts heads with them and Jay is just over there like, The fuck,Dickhead? That's my fight! Because he doesn't realize that those dangerous older people are actually flirting with him

Thank you so much! 

This was a fun prompt! Usually it’s Dick with a haram of semi-villainous older men and women. Jason does have his few too though, and he’s much more oblivious to their attentions. 

---

“Red Hood…” Black Mask purred, eyes trailing over Jason just a little too predatorily, “I was hoping you might show up.”

Dick gritted his teeth. 

“What can I say?” Dick could hear the grin in Jason’s voice even through the voice mod of his helmet, “I heard you were having a party and just had to swing by. You know I love spoiling your fun, Mask.”

Bodies of Black Mask’s men lay all around, but Dick knew more would be on the way. He wasn’t technically supposed to be there- Jason certainly wouldn’t appreciate it- but lately he’d been worrying about Jason. 

First there was Talia and the familiar way she felt free to touch Jason. Then there Scarecrow and all the creepy psychological crap he’d had to say about Red Hood and all the ways he could bend and break under the right hands. How he might even submit himself to the abuse willingly. Since then Dick hadn’t been able to ignore that Jason seemed to attract a Type… specifically villains that would hurt him. 

Worse, Jason seemed to respond to them. 

Black Mask was not the only one who had showed an interest since Dick started to pay attention, but he was by far the worst in Dick’s opinion. In his nightmares he sometimes dreamed up terrible scenario after scenario that a sadist like Roman would want to put Jason through. It brought up a fierce and all encompassing protectiveness in him. 

“Oh, Red, if you wanted to be my bitch, all you had to do was ask,” Roman said, pulling what was definitely not a standard gun and pointing it at Jason. Dick didn’t want to find out what that was. He didn’t think, just jumped in and threw a wingding at the hand gripping the gun, fury pounding in his head. 

Whatever Roman was planning for Jason, Dick wasn’t going to allow it. 

“Nightwing- what the fuck?” Jason was snarling furiously. 

Dick was much more focused on the retreating villain before them.

“Oh Hood, I didn’t know you’d invited friends,” Roman said rubbing his hand and glaring back at Dick.

“I didn’t,” Jason said pointedly at Dick.

“Stay away from him,” Dick growled, ignoring him. 

Black Mask paused before a pleased and somewhat lecherous look flitted over his face. 

“Ah… I see. You’re much smarter than your brother dearest here. Prettier too,” Black Mask said, confirming what Dick feared. 

Dick could feel Jason boiling with anger behind him. He was going to get an earful later, but so long as Black Mask turned his attention elsewhere, he didn’t care.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much interest in your type. Pity,” Black Mask said starting to back away even as he turned back to Jason, a refreshed gleam in his eyes, “Hood, next time let’s keep it... private.”

Dick wanted to beat the shit out of him.

He didn’t catch whatever Jason’s sassy comeback was because Black Mask’s men were suddenly pouring into the room and both he and Jason had to beat a hasty retreat. Once they’d fought their way out and were safely on a nearby rooftop, Jason tried to round on him.

“What the fuck was that?” Jason spat. 

“Not here,” Dick snapped, gesturing to the swarming false-facers who were still hunting for them below. He could tell Jason was glaring at him, but to his surprise he didn’t put up a fight in being led back to one of Dick’s safe houses. Jason tossed his helmet on the couch and flopped down on the couch with an expectant look. 

“You need to be more careful,” Dick started to lecture. 

“Oh fuck you, I didn’t need your help,” Jason rolled his eyes.

“He was about to do something to you,” Dick snapped, “I wasn’t about to stand by and watch.”

“You shouldn’t have been watching in the first place,” Jason snapped, “I would have handled whatever it was. I always do.”

It was somewhat tempting to say something about the Joker, but that would have been way below the belt and Dick still managing to hold onto his temper. He wasn’t angry at Jason anyway.

“I don’t like how he looks at you,” Dick said instead. 

“So he wants to shoot me full of bullets, what else is new?” Jason rolled his eyes, “He’s a villain Dickhead, he’s supposed to have a fucked up way of looking at me.”

Not like this. Dick wasn’t sure he wanted Jason to know that Roman wanted him that way though. What if he tried to use it to his advantage? What if he went and did something stupid the next time any of the Bat’s pissed him off?

“Leave Black Mask to us,” Dick said instead.

“You’re so fucking-”

“I’m worried about you.”

“‘Worried’ my ass, you’re just being a controlling asshole just like him,” There was no question of who he was talking about. Dick didn’t think he was being quite as bad as Bruce but dammit, sometimes Bruce had the right idea with things like this. He didn’t think Jason would appreciate hearing that though. 

When he didn’t immediately defend himself, Jason made a disgusted sound and tried to walk away from him. For some reason, that made something rise in his chest and Dick found himself taking a step forward and grabbing at Jason’s jacket.

He wouldn’t let some villain have Jason. They’d hurt him and maybe even please him and then hurt him even worse. It was all against the rules. 

“He can’t have you. Promise me Jason you won’t let him,” Dick hissed jerking Jason close. 

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Back off,” Jason warned, flashing teeth, “You’re acting like a jealous shithead or something.”

Dick went very still. Too still, because suddenly Jason’s eyes were widening.

“Wait- seriously?”

“I’m not jealous,” Dick snapped. 

“Holy shit…” Jason was staring at him like he’d never seen him properly before and Dick hated it. 

“Shut up-” Dick shoved him.

Jason tried to grab him again and Dick caught him in the cheek with and elbow. Jason hissed but kept coming. Soon they were sparring awkwardly and knocking over the sparse furniture of the safe house. They weren’t even properly fighting, but Dick knew it would be bad to get caught. Dick should have maybe run, but that would have made it look like Jason was right. Which he totally wasn’t. 

Probably. 

If anyone asked, it was Jason’s fault. He tried to headbutt him and so Dick grabbed his hair and yanked and Jason made this sound that had Dick’s brain shorting out in a second. 

The next thing he knew he was kissing Jason angrily. It was all his fault for stirring up all of this in Dick anyway. 

Jason made a surprised sound, but quickly kissed back with all the competitiveness that still betrayed his youth. He was also still obviously not very experienced yet, something that filled Dick with satisfaction. 

So maybe Talia hadn’t gotten her claws in quite as deeply as he’d feared. 

Jason was pushing him down onto the carpet and Dick went willingly. He was glad he did when Jason threw a leg over him and pressed close, never breaking their furious kiss. It would have been almost innocent if either of them had been able to keep their hands to themselves. 

There was a part of Dick that was panicking about all of this; that he shouldn’t be doing this. He didn’t know what Jason was to him on the best of days, but he had a feeling that he definitely shouldn’t be about to have sex with him on his safehouse floor. But there was another part of him that wanted to draw blood. Wanted to bite and push and breach. Wanted to see the way Jason crumbled under his hand… how he’d gasp and groan. 

Something in him was positive it’d be a beautiful sight. 

Dick flipped them and pinned Jason down with his own weight, bending back his legs and making Jason shiver. He wasn’t nearly as flexible as Dick, and forcing him back into the position made his muscles strain and tremble a little. It made Dick very aware of the heat between his legs and how vulnerable Jason was to him in this position. 

Or maybe just in general. 

It made Dick feel almost monstrous. It also made him want to push Jason even further. He shouldn’t want to see what Jason’s eyes looked like streaked with tears, but... he also really really did. 

Maybe Jason saw something of that in his eyes because his legs flexed around him as he said almost cautiously, “Dick…?”

Dick was almost grateful that his his comm chimed. 

“Nightwing, come in,” came Bruce’s voice. 

It was like being drowned in icy guilt. Dick drew away from Jason hastily as he reached up and answered.

“Nightwing here, what’s up?” Dick said, trying to ignore the way Jason sneered at him as he lowered his legs. 

“You’re needed on a situation at the bank on central and 8th,” Bruce said shortly. 

“On it,” Dick said, already adjusting his suit.

He was too embarrassed to look at Jason, hoped he realized too that this had been a mistake. Before he could head out the window though, Jason’s phone rang. 

“Hey Slade,” Jason said, “I was about to call you.”

Dick froze. 

“About that offer for some more hands on training,” Jason met his eyes challengingly, “I’ll take it.”

Dammit.

[i-aint-even-bovvered]

I mean, it wouldn't leave my head last night. Here are the thoughts that pretty much kept me awake last night, and since I can't get them out of my head, I shall inflict them on all of you.

This turned out very long, so I'll put a cut after the points about Jason's childhood, because I shall not force you to read the sad bits.

And also I don't feel like putting all the explanations of the Jewish stuff in this post, so if you don't know a term, you can either ask me or Rabbi Google.

I think Jason is the only batkid who decides to convert after being taken in by Bruce. Everyone else likes participating in some of the holidays with Bruce (especially the food), but Jason is the only one actually interested in converting

After reading all the Jewish texts Bruce has in his library (or at least, the ones written in English) (it doesn't take long), he asks Bruce if he can go to shul with him.

Jason loves the tunes of the prayers, even though he can't follow along. He also loves the attention from the old women he meets at the kiddush who put too much milk in their low-quality tea and pinch his cheeks and say he has a "shayne punim," whatever that means.

Bruce cringes a little, remembering when he got that treatment on shabbat mornings, but it also reminds him of going to shul with his mother, so it makes him smile.

After going a few weekends in a row, he asks Bruce to get him some textbooks on Hebrew, so he can learn to read the prayers.

A few weeks later, he approaches Bruce in a panic, because, you see, he is TWELVE! He needs to go through the beit din right NOW so he can have his Bar Mitzvah!

This confuses Bruce because when did his kid learn about conversion? (Bruce does not know what texts he has in his library)

They go through with it as quickly as possible because Jason is just TOO EXCITED to finally be Jewish! The mikveh feels like waking up for the first time.

He goes to Hebrew school and engages with their lessons so much that the other kids fondly start calling him "Rav Jason." He wears it like a badge of honor.

He chooses his Hebrew name as Yaakov Pinchas because he wants to have his Hebrew initials match

Bruce does Not Cry at Jason's Bar Mitzvah. The whole League has been invited, and if anyone saw Bruce cry, no they didn't.

He gives Jason a Jewish funeral. That's what he would have wanted. He lets everyone see him cry, here, for the little boy who only wanted to be a full part of Bruce's family.

Dick doesn't know how to mourn in the Jewish faith, but he does his best approximation of sitting shiva at his own apartment in Bludhaven.

Even in the addled state of digging himself out of his own grave, there is a part deep inside Jason that recognizes the rocks on his headstone.

Before he has his memories back, Talia sometimes hears a weak voice chanting prayers from the mouth of a boy who has forgotten what they mean but remembers the comfort.

The Lazarus Pit is nothing like a mikveh. It burns like the explosion that killed him. But he is awake.

He justifies his killing of criminals saying it is pikuach nefesh. He is saving others through their deaths. He doesn't care about his own soul. He has already died.

The rocks on his grave feel hollow when he finds out he's been replaced. He can find no pictures from the period after his death where Bruce has a beard. Did Bruce even mourn him at all?

(He doesn't know that Clark took over as Batman during the period of shloshim.)

When he comes back to the family, he stays away from going to shul. He doesn't know how he could handle it.

He decides to go back during the High Holidays. It's crowded, then, so he can keep his head down and hope no one recognizes him.

On certain nights, he patrols around the shul as Red Hood because he knows the type of people who would attack it live in Gotham.

There are certain nights where the men of the community also keep watch outside. They invite Red Hood in for a drink. Jason is hesitant to take off his helmet and go inside, but he accepts.

If the younger men in the group notice that they've invited Rav Jason to have a glass of scotch, no one mentions it.

Thinking about... Jewish Jason Todd

[kat-astrophic-todd]

Here's a Batfam prompt: Jason Todd trying to hide from his siblings in the days leading up to his birthday because he doesn't want to celebrate. Angsty or fluff, write whatever you want!

Note: sorry for the unnecessary reality TV references.

...

Jason huffed as he rolled across the rooftop after the jump. His heart pumping against his ribcage, grapple gun ready to fire. They were everywhere.

“Hoo-ood.” The sing-sung version of his name sounded unbelievably threatening. He had to keep running. They would catch him otherwise.

He heard the sound of the wind against a cape moments before firing the gun and jumping. Jason didn’t stop neither when his comm beeped in his ear, waiting for and answer nor when a Wing-Ding almost knocked the grapple gun out of his hand.

Spoiler had been keeping up with his pace but he saw her doubled over, trying to catch her breath. He caught a glimpse of a smirk just before she flipped him off.

Nightwing, on the other hand, looked like he could do this all night. What was he on? Venom? Even Jason was losing his breath at that point but he would be damned if he let himself be caught.

It wasn’t like he hated his birthday, he just hated them. Well, okay, maybe he didn’t hate them, just the way they acted around him. It was all smiles and trying to pretend everything was okay. Jason couldn’t help but remember how his mother would smile through the tears and serve Willis his dinner, how she would coax him to get from under the table, her black eye a stark contrast against her unhealthily pale, sweaty skin.

Jason always knew his place in this patched up family. He was willing to play the reject part, it was fine. But it was just plainly cruel to give him this celebration, as if he suddenly was back in the family, everyone giving him hugs and presents Jason knew he didn’t deserve. He couldn’t bear how Bruce would linger awkwardly near the living room door, waiting for Jason to leave.

It was ridiculous, half of them didn’t even want Jason there.

Last year Damian handed him a present from Talia while spitting some profanity in Arabic, the long box containing a set of curved blades that resembled too much Damian’s straight katanas. With every person in the room eyeing him strangely, Dick had attempted to fix the mood handing him another gift.

Jason would be more than happy to spend his birthday re-reading Hamlet or watching Oprah. But they knew how to make him bend to their wishes. They knew his weakness, his kryptonite, and his name was Alfred Pennyworth.

Just hearing the butler’s british accent on the phone would make him break, because Jason knew that he was the one who wanted him there the most. Alfred had never failed to show Jason how much he loved the broken boy.

And the old man knew it. He knew Jason couldn’t say no to him.

That’s why he avoided them.

“Just give up, Little Wing.” Nightwing shouted merrily while chasing him. And Jason wanted so bad to yank the helmet from his head to have some extra oxygen.

He felt relieved when he spotted his motorbike across the street, the red bat like a bloodstain on the grey paint.

He managed to get down and run to it without Nightwing catching up to him, which seemed like a little miracle. He started the engine and never looked back.

...

Two days until his birthday and then he could get back to his everyday life. Jason sighed, a little relieved, a little exasperated, and leaned back against his gargoyle enjoying the wind on his face. The extra large bag of Doritos was secured between his thighs and he chugged at the RedBull in his hand.

Yeah, sometimes growing up meant you could have an unhealthy meal once in a while. Jason smiled to himself.

“You’re sooo screwed, Jay.” Tim’s voice travelled through the night, hus tone sending chills down Jason’s spine.

“t.t.” he wasn’t alone.

“What are you two doing here.” If they were working together that meant nothing good could come out of this situation.

“We got you.” Tim smirked and showed him his very expensive Wayne Tech phone. The screen showed a video of Jason eating Doritos and drinking RedBull with a smug smile on his face.

“I didn’t know you were back to stalking people.” Jason stared at Tim unamused.

“Alfred’s going to be so disappointed.” Tim held a hand to his heart, the dramatic fucker. “You were the only one he trusted to eat healthy meals. Imagine his face when we show him this video…”

“You wouldn’t.” Jason instantly replied, all the joy his childish meal brought him, gone.

“But I sure would.” Damian declared with a wolf-like smile.

“Now that we have your attention,” Tim continued. It was like they had rehearsed this. Creepy. “we trust you’ll come to your birthday party.”

“Why?” Jason was downright frustrated by that point. “I know you don’t want me there. You should use that video to prevent me from going to the manor.” He gestured aggressively with his hands.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Todd. All that everyone has been talking about these past weeks is your party.” The kid rolled his eyes. “Even Mother. She’s already sent me your gift.”

Jason looked down, the fall didn’t seem so bad compared to having this conversation. Tim sighed.

“Look, Jason. We get your lone wolf vibe and all that but we want to be with you on your birthday. It’s the only time you let us, you know, be a family to you.” Tim waved at his general direction.

“What?” Jason scoffed. He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. What alternative universe was this?

Tim and Damian looked at each other, unsure and turned their heads to him at the same time. Again, creepy.

“We…” Tim’s eyes were wide and shocked. “You know we wish everyday was like your birthday, right?”

“What are you talking about?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question. Damian frowned at him and took a step towards the gargoyle.

“Every year we spend weeks preparing for your birthday. Grayson and Brown have Father practice so he won’t do something that will make you lash out.” The words should have made him feel warm inside but he felt like he was being attacked Gordon Ramsay style. He was half expecting to be called “panini head��. “Pennyworth spends hours trying new recipes you might like. Even Thomas has been helping.”

“Jay,” Tim’s voice was soft, “everyone looks up to your birthday. We… we want you there, all the time.”

“You have a weird way to show it.” Jason wanted to believe them but the facts remained: they didn’t do anything to welcome him back. It was easy to behave one day a year, but Jason knew they wouldn’t be so welcoming if he decided to live with them.

“You self-righteous-”

“Easy, Damian.” Tim stopped him from smacking Jason. Tim turned to him when Damian calmed down. “I know you won’t believe us until you see it. That’s okay.” He combed his hair back with a hand, visibly trying to think what he should do. “You still have to come to the party because we’ve spent too many fucking hours working on it for you to throw that effort at our faces.” He looked at Jason coldly, unwaveringly.

“Fine,” Jason growled.

They were about to jump off the building when Tim turned back with a determined expression.

“Maybe, if you have the balls to do it, you’ll stay long enough to realize that the only thing stopping us from being your family, is you.”

And they jumped, leaving Jason feeling numb and Gordon Ramasy’ed.

[d-xs]

PROMPT:

KEEP THEM ALL IN AWE

Jason Todd & Damian Wayne & Jason Todd

The ruckus that welcomes Jason Todd into the cave is very different from the usual post patrol noise he is well used to. The atmosphere is tense and he knows, if he didn't have the protection of his helmet, he would be choking on the scent of their stress.

For starters, one of the batmobiles is revving, Tim's arm is bleeding so badly it looks like someone almost got away with the arm. Dick's usual smile is very strained, while Bruce and Damian are absent. Usually, when there's a ruckus of this magnitude combined with a bleeding Tim, Damian can be found in the middle of it.

Jason is debating on the merit of getting on his bike and leaving the others to deal with whatever mess they're currently in the middle of when Dick pulls out what is unmistakably Damian, from the driver's seat of the batmobile.

"Tim!" Dick growls with a slight hint of alpha command, as he bodily hauls Damian away from the car.

The brat doesn't make it easy on Dick.

"You were meant to be watching them!" Dick scolds.

"Yeah, I was!" Tim retorts angrily from where he is trying to clean his freshly acquired cut.

It looks more serious than Jason first thought.

"And I almost lost my arm for it. Why didn't you search him properly for all his weapons?"

"Be grateful I did not go for your jugular," Damian's haughty voice cuts in, before Dick can respond to Tim's retort. "The next time you attempt to lay a hand on him, I will relieve you of your head."

There is so much wrong with this picture, Jason feels like he's slipped into an alternate universe.

That must be it, because Damian in Dick's grasp is much smaller than the Damian Jason had seen earlier on patrol. Hell, he's much smaller than he was when he took up the Robin mantle. He looks just like the kit in Jason's memory of the League.

It has been years since he made an attempt to hurt Tim. Not to mention, he is fighting against Dick, the only person in the world who can get him to behave.

On second thought, Jason wishes he was in an alternate dimension. At least that way, he could return to his own universe without dealing with a de-aged Damian, who still has the values Ra's instilled in him.

Since settling into his life and his place in the pack, Jason has been recovering some memories he didn't even known he was missing. A lot of them he could do without. Especially his memories of the League, both before the pit and the early days after.

As bad as remembering how he really died and the events that led to it had been, Jason would take that over the memories of just how evil Ra's al Ghul truly is. The vile things the man had put Talia and Damian through always makes Jason sick.

However, as much as Jason would like to escape this situation, the Omega in him would never abandon a kit in danger. And there was no one in greater danger than someone challenging an alpha.

Damian is backed up against the passenger side of the batmobile now. Or rather, he's blocking Dick's path to it. His dagger is missing, but he's not deterred.

"Damian, no one will hurt him here," Dick says in a placating tone.

"Of course, you will not," Damian sneers. "You will not live long enough to regret it if you do, because I, unlike you lot, do not suffer those who hurt my family to live."

"Then let us help him."

Dick may be trying to maintain his friendly attitude, but Jason can see how strained it is.

"I have seen what help you offer," Damian says, absolutely unrelenting. "We have no need for it. If my father will not come out to face me, then we will be on our way."

Jason snorts at the brat's attitude.

The sound distracts them from their fight, gaining him both their attention.

"Who are you?" the brat demands, as he takes in Jason's form.

Jason can see the wariness in his eyes; he knows he won't stand a chance if Jason decides to team up with Dick against him. But the kid stands his ground and holds his chin up.

Brave boy.

Now Jason is curious about what he's protecting so fiercely.

"What are you doing here?" a deep voice asks from behind him, before he can answer Damian's question. "I told you not to return to the cave after patrol." Bruce continues, stomping into the cave from the manor.

"When have I ever done anything you told me?"

"Little Wing, B is right," Dick cuts in softly. "You don't want to be here right now.

The fact that Jason knows they're not dismissing his presence from the cave because they don't think he is a trusted member of the pack does not help. He may be an Omega, but he does not need to be protected. Certainly not from a child.

Not Damian.

Dick may be their resident Damian-whisperer, but he's clearly out of his element right now.

"Go fuck yourself," Jason snaps,

He takes off the helmet and domino mask underneath to give Damian a better view of his face.

"Ahki," Damian breathes, staring at Jason in disbelief.

The brat's reaction is exactly what Jason hoped for, but he did not anticipate how hearing that word from the kid would make him feel. He's stripping out of his jacket and armor to rip off his scent blockers before he's aware of what he's doing.

"Habibi," he acknowledges, crouching down so the kid can look him in the eye as he runs a hand through Damian's hair.

A soft cooing sound he wasn't aware he was capable of escapes his throat when the kit leans into his touch. He's not aware of his actions when he pulls the kid into a hug.

Damian is speaking to him in Arabic, and Jason knows he should listen, but his instincts are too jumbled for him to make sense of anything.

It has been too long since the Omega in Jason was let loose like this. Having this kit, the one he claimed so long ago in his arms again is pushing everything to the extreme.

He and Damian never talked about their shared past in the League. Jason knows it's partly due to his lack of memories, but also because he would never make Damian relieve those awful memories.

"Jason." The name is a command, a demand and a question all rolled in one, judging by the tone of Bruce's voice. It drags Jason out from the haze of instincts and hormones.

Jason bares his teeth, snarling at the alpha, even as he gathers his kit into his body to shield him from both alphas.

"Hey," Dick says, raising both hands in surrender.

"You're both safe, Little Wing. No one's going to hurt him," Dick continues.

Jason knows deep down that he's safe. They are his pack, his alphas. They will never hurt him or his kit, but the thought that they would take him away is unsettling. However, the haze of instincts has cleared off enough for him to think.

He turns an accessing gaze on Damian. He looks dirty and unkempt. Jason notes that his pants are a part of the traditional League attire, but he's missing the shirt and hood coat.

"You know Dick and your father," Jason tells Damian. "You can trust them."

Damian doesn't respond for a moment as he watches both alphas warily. "Even him?" He sneers at Tim who's currently stitching his arm.

"Yes, Habibi. He means well."

He gives the kit a little lick on the neck when he doesn't argue with Jason. He is proud to know that this Damian, at least, trusts him.

"Can you tell me what happened to you?" Jason asks, ignoring Bruce and Dick's looks of surprise and confusion.

Instead of speaking, like Jason expects, Damian pulls out of Jason's hold and nudges him away from the passenger door of the batmobile, reminding Jason that Damian has been protecting someone since Jason arrived.

It takes a while for him to coax them out, so Jason rises from his crouch to stand beside Dick and Bruce as they wait.

Knowing Damian, Jason had been expecting his precious cargo to be a dog, or cat or just about any one of the strays he has a penchant for adopting.

The last thing Jason expected to see, however, is a miniaturized version of himself.

The shock of it causes him to stumble forward, which turns out to be a very bad move as it sends the kid scrambling back inside the car.

"What the fuck?" Jason hisses, turning to Bruce and Dick for an explanation, while Damian -- God, that's not their Damian, is he? He wasn't de-aged by a spell or anything. Just one from an alternate universe -- focuses on comforting the kid.

"That's what we were trying to avoid," Dick sighs tiredly. "Red Robin ran into them on patrol. We still don't know how they got here, but Bruce thinks they've been in our time a couple of days, at least."

"And you weren't going to tell me that you have a younger me present?" Jason growls lowly. "Where's Damian?"

"Upstairs," Bruce grunts. "Where you should be. We don't know how you two interacting with your past selves will mess with the timelines."

"Yeah, you have Flash turning back the time whenever things don't go his way, or hopping back and forth to the future, but Damian and I interacting with our past selves is what will mess with the timeline," Jason scoffs. "Perfect logic, Bruce."

"It's not like that, Jay," Dick says, in his mediator voice. "We were looking out for you, too."

"How about you ask me next time?" Jason informs them.

During his confrontation with Bruce and Dick, Damian has disappeared inside the car with little Jason.

"I'm going to talk to him," he informs the alphas. "Both of you make yourselves scarce by the time they emerge."

He doesn't wait for a response before he turns away. It's not like they can object. He's the only one who can ensure this doesn't end in someone getting seriously hurt.

He knocks twice on the door to announce his presence, before opening it.

Little Jason is curled up against Damian. He looks even smaller next to Damian. Jason knows he was very small for his age when he was younger, but he has a hard time remembering ever being this tiny. He can't be older than four or five years old.

The kid doesn't look up at Jason, but the tremor running through him, the hand clutching Damian tightly, and the scent of his fear filling the car lets Jason know he's aware of him.

Jason knows the feeling. It was a constant companion whenever Willis was around and he's aware that he's reminding this kid of the man.

"Hey, Sky Lark," Jason coos softly, just like his mom used to. In hopes that both the familiar pet name and the tone will help him relax.

The boy's head snaps up to stare at Jason, mouth hanging open like he had something to say but has forgotten it.

"I know you're scared, and that's okay," Jason says in his most comforting tone. "But you don't have to be. No one here is going to hurt you."

The boy is watching him with wide eyes now, through the mistrust.

"I promise you."

"You can trust him, Jason," Damian adds confidently. "He is what you become in the future. You should be proud."

Jason isn't sure about that. Sure, he has come a long way from the helpless little kid he used to be, but he's not sure he can take pride in what he is now. But young Jason is even more fascinated with him as he watches Jason with big doe eyes.

"Is that true?" Little Jay asks, his voice a timid little voice. "Are you me in the future?"

"Yes, I am."

"But you're so big!" the kid exclaims with a cute lisp.

Jason grins. It's all he can do not to gather the pup in his arms and scent him. "You will be as big as me when you're grown, too," he promises. "I'm going to take care of you, okay?"

"Can Damian come too?" he asks, his hold on Damian tightening for a moment.

"Of course, I will," Damian assures him. "Not that I need caretaking." He backtracks.

Jason snorts. "Damian is coming with us. I'll take care of both of you."

The kid looks to Damian for support, copying Damian's action when he nods.

"'Kay."

When Jason stretches his arm to pick the pup up, Little Jay meets him halfway, snuggling closer as he breathes in Jason's scent.

They remain there for a while longer, with Jason scenting and grooming his mini me before stepping out of the car.

When he does, he doesn't pause to speak to anyone. He heads directly for his nest in the manor. Whatever there is to know can wait until the kids are cleaned, fed and well-rested.

One thing he knows is this: there's no way he's returning these kids back to their timelines. If Bruce has a problem with it, he can take it up with Jason.