#also i think tim should also sibling torture jason without anyone knowing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hellsbellssinclub · 7 years ago

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Can You See Me Now? Chapter 1

This is my newest Batman fic.

Summary:

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

After some nudging from Spoiler and Batgirl, Tim seeks out the Red Hood to ask the older teen for permission into his territory to follow up a lead. It was a small, innocent action but it was the starting point for both Tim and Jason to get to know each other.

But things are never as they seem and things always get better before they get worst.

Read it here on AO3

(Sorry to mobile users, the read more I put on the post does not seem to be working on the app)

“Look, I’m just saying that there is probably more to everything than what Batman told you. Maybe the now not dead Robin isn’t as bad as you think.” The young woman in the eggplant purple suit said for the seventh time in the last fifteen minutes.

“And I am telling you he broke into Titan Tower and beat me with my own bow staff, Spoiler.” Tim sighed, looking over at his Ex, feeling the dull burn of his broken ribs as he breathed in deep. “I know that Batman isn’t telling me everything about what happened. Neither is Nightwing or Agent A. I am in the dark as much as you. But really, I think there might just be a chance that he holds a teeny tiny little grudge against me.”

Steph shook her head at him. “I know he beat you and I know something went down with the Joker but!” She held up her hand to stop him from saying anything over her. “I have looked into every kill and action he has made. From start to finish. While he has been incredibly violent, and well, bloody and stuff, he has not killed an innocent person. Everyone he killed were violent drug dealers and pimps who were hurting the working girls. Crime has gone down in his territory in the last month.”

Tim gave her a pained look. He knew that Jason Todd as the Red Hood was technically doing a lot of good for Crime Alley, a place that has not had a stable crime lord or hand controlling it since Bruce was still a kid. And with Bruce’s own personal dislike of the area because of what happened to his parents and the GCPD’s unwillingness to investigate anything that happens there, Crime Alley often went unchecked and unnoticed by everyone. The Red Hood had strict rules he was willing to enforce and from what Tim had managed to overhear so far, the people who lived in Crime Alley felt a lot safer with the Red Hood around.

But that still does not change the fact that Jason was completely unstable and willing to murder nearly everyone who got in his way. The former Robin was willing to take that extra step to make his point. There had already been at least fifteen cases of torture reported to the GCPD that they know about.

(Though most of those cases were of convicted paedophiles and child molesters and honestly, Tim could not really fault the former Robin for what he did there; he too occasionally got the urge to do horrible things to predators as well, though he himself never acted on it.)

Red Hood’s official death toll was almost at sixty with the possibility of the GCPD finding more bodies every day. Crime Alley might be safer for the people who live there, but that safety was brought with blood and death caused by Jason’s hands. It was not the kind of safety that would last long. Not in Gotham anyway.

At least Jason’s vendetta against the Bat’s had died down though after whatever happened with the Joker that night nearly a month and a half ago. Bruce was not willing to share what had happened and the older man deleted the Cowl Cam footage before anyone else had a chance to see it. The Joker still lived, which was unfortunate in his own personal opinion. Yes, Tim fully believed in Bruce’s ‘save everyone you can’ view of the world but if he was to be honest, Tim would not grieve if the Joker was to be violently murdered by someone. Because really, that cockroach needed to die and just be stopped permanently.

“While I do agree that the whole, you know, serial killer-antihero thing is working in Crime Alley, it still doesn’t change the fact that he beat me up and tried to kill B and N. I really don’t think he wants me to come into his territory and act like we are friends or something.” Tim kicked a stone off the ledge they were standing on. Yes, he was still holding a grudge. But who could blame him really? He got beaten up by his predecessor while said predecessor wore an absolutely horrid copy of the original, green panties, Robin suit.

“I’m not saying go out and act like his friend, Robin!” Steph waved her hands again. “I am saying maybe you could extend the olive branch to him? Because from what you have told me, the guy was murdered in a pretty traumatic way, woke up in his own grave, dug his way out and then was more or less prisoner of those crazy assassin dudes who are obsessed with immortality? Maybe if you and the other Bat’s give him a chance to talk and stuff without the Joker and explosives involved you could actually get through to him. Everything that he has done to you guys, have you considered perhaps it was a cry for help?”

Tim sighed. “When you put it like that you make us sound like a bunch of dicks you know.” He shook his head and slumped his shoulders. She was right. But only to a point. Jason’s actions at the Tower and his anger at the Bats could be seen as a cry for help, especially given what they did know about the trauma that Jason went through. “But it still doesn’t take away the point that he attacked me and the others and while he hasn’t made another attempt against me, he has fought B and Nightwing recently.”

“He probably fought them because they were the ones who entered his territory.” Steph pointed out. That was also true, if Jason had come into his territory he probably would have attacked the older teen without a second thought. He could see the former Robin doing the same if Bruce and Dick tried to enter Crime Alley. “I get it Tim, I really do. He hurt you and that sucks ass. I am not saying that you have to forgive him or anything. I am just saying maybe extend the olive branch to him. You were saying before that one the leads in one of your cases, the one with the underground alien tech, was in Crime Alley, right? Let him know that you are following up on a lead and that you will not cause any trouble for him.”

He gave a low hum of thought at that. Tim’s original plan for that case was to go out in the day, skipping his afternoon study hall at school and going to look for the tech without his gear. It would have been risky but there would have been a better chance that he would not run into the Red Hood. There also would have been a greater chance that he would have been mugged because he looks like a rich white boy with money (which you know, he is), but Tim was confident he could have taken on anyone who attacked him.

But going and asking for permission? Tim had not even considered that an option at all. And honestly, why would he? Jason Todd had made it clear that he hated his ‘Replacement’ and that he wanted nothing to do with the Bats and Birds of Gotham. How would the older teen react? He wondered. Would he attack Tim? Or would he let him pass?

“Hey, if you don’t feel that you can be near him with without him attacking you then you should just bring Batgirl with you.” Steph grinned at him behind her Spoiler mask. Smiling always looked so strange behind her mask but one can definitely see the outline of it. Tim could not help but roll his eyes at her words though.

“I am not bringing Batgirl with me like some kind of bodyguard. I am a grown ass vigilante, I don’t need a bodyguard.” He wasn’t pouting. He wasn’t. He was nearly fifteen, he could take care of himself without Batgirl babysitting him.

“Oh, come on! Batgirl wouldn’t mind! Would you, Batgirl?” Steph looked over his shoulder, causing him to spin around and glare at Cassandra, who was standing a few feet away. He had not noticed at all that she was there and there was a small shock of panic and fear that went through him at that thought. He hates it when people manage to get the drop on him. Cass was the second best in the Bat family at sneaking up on people, right after Bruce.

“We need to put a bell on you before you give me a heart attack.” Tim groaned out, covering his face for a moment. At least Cass never went out of her way to purposely scare him, unlike Nightwing had when Tim was first starting out as Robin. His situational awareness has improved since he was twelve, thank god, and Nightwing was now not able to jump out of the celling and scare him anymore.

Cass gave him a small snort. “Am not Catwoman. Don’t need a bell.” The smirk looked as strange behind Batgirl’s mask as it did Spoiler’s. “I would be happy to bodyguard for you.”

Tim rolled his eyes behind his domino mask. Steph and Cass becoming friends was a horrible idea. He never should have encouraged it. They were both terrible together. Steph always had something to say or do and Cass was always happy to follow her new friend around, enjoying being a teenager like she should. Steph encouraged Cass to step outside her comfort zone and explore being a teen and Cass was willing to do most of the things that Steph suggested.

They were good for each other. But not good for his sanity, seeing as they roped him into following whatever crazy stunt they had planned.

“I don’t need a bodyguard.” He whined at them both. He didn’t need Cass to hold his hand. He could talk to Jason. And if he gets his ass kicked then he could just blame Steph for the idea and spend a week with the Titans licking his wounds.

Not literally. That would be gross. Why is that phrase even a thing?

“Am bodyguard now. No take backs.” Cass nodded, sounding pleased with herself and he groaned in annoyance. He doesn’t need Cass babying him. He is Robin! Terror of the Night and Batman’s partner. He hated being babied by Cass and Dick. They always pulled the ‘I am the older sibling and you are the baby of the family’ card on him. He can’t wait until he could be the big brother. One day he will give the Robin suit up and then he can be the one babying someone else. “Why is a bodyguard needed?” Cass asked, moving to stand next to Steph.

Before Tim had a chance to say anything, his purple menace of an Ex-Girlfriend spoke. “Tim is going to go and ask the Red Hood if he could go into Crime Alley. We need you to bodyguard him because we don’t know if the Red Hood is going to beat Tim up again or not.”

Tim shook his head. “Names, Spoiler. No names on the field.” He reminded her, closing his eyes in annoyance. Steph was bad when it came to remembering the ‘no names on the field’ rule now that she knows his name. If he didn’t know better he would say that she is doing it out of spite because he didn’t tell her it himself.

And Cass was either going to be all for being Tim’s bodyguard or she is going to be against it and honestly, he wasn’t sure which one he preferred.

On one hand, there are a lot of advantages to having Cass actually guard him while he spoke to Jason. Mostly all of them were that she could kick Jason’s ass. It wouldn’t matter how skilled Jason now is, Cass would win.

On the other hand, if she is against it she could go and tell Bruce which would end up with him benched and on the receiving end of a cold shoulder and disappointed glare for the next month or so. And he would probably have several new trackers placed on his person without his consent. Because B can occasionally forget to use his words and just say ‘I am worried about you, please be safe’ out loud.

Mind you, Bruce is still a lot better at emotions than Jack Drake. Tim’s father only really did emotions in small, but over whelming bursts. Which means Tim usually gets a weekend or two of father-son like interactions and then it is several weeks of ‘we exist in the same house but are mostly strangers to each other’. Which is always fun.

Cass said nothing for a few moments, her head tilting to the side slightly as she no doubt read Tim’s body language and seeing his hesitance and his inner monologue. “What’s in Crime Alley?” She asked finally.

“A lead to one of my cases. The alien tech one that I have been working solo on.” Tim explained. Cass had not yet said yes or no and he was still very much undecided on which way he wanted her to choose.

“Come on! Big bad Batgirl can definitely take on the Red Hood if he tries to hurt our Baby Bird!” Steph wrapped an arm around Cass’s shoulders. “And you guys can extend an olive branch to the guy by being nice and you know, asking to be let into his territory.”

Cass hummed, which once again was not a yes or a no. She gently shook off Steph’s arm and looked at both Tim and Steph. “Why extend the olive branch?” She asked. “He is a murderer. He kills people and makes Batman sad, here.” She pointed to her chest, right above her heart.

Whelp, that’s an understatement. Anything to do with Jason Todd hurt Bruce. When Tim was first starting out as Robin he could barely mention Jason’s name without Bruce completely shutting down. It had gotten better over the years. Sometimes Bruce would mention Jason in passing or would say something about how the young boy used to be. But now that it was known that the Red Hood is Jason Todd, things have gone back to the way they were at the start and Tim did not know what to do other than avoid mentioning Jason or the Red Hood all together.

“Spoiler believes that there is more to the story than what B has said and that there we should hear Hood out and let him tell his side of the story.” Tim explained with another sigh. He wondered how many times he was going to end up sighing in this conversation and thought to himself that perhaps he should stop doing so already because ow, his ribs do not like it when he sighs at all. “She also believes there is a chance that his behaviour and actions could have been a cry for help and that we should perhaps try and talk to him instead of you know, fighting at any given chance.”

“Yep! That is some good summary skills there, Ex-Boyfriend of mine.” Steph nodded and looked at Cass expectedly. The mask made it impossible to tell what Cass was thinking. Not that it was easy for him to read Cassandra without the mask but it was slightly easier without the frankly unsettling mask staring at you in the eyes.

There is a good reason as to why he would never go for a full-face mask when he finally is ready to let go of being Robin. And that reason is that is that he is more than likely going to see his mask in the reflection of a window or something and then forget that it is his mask and then scream in fear. Which you know, would ruin the whole serious vigilante look he would be hoping for.

Thus, he will probably only stick to a domino. Or a cowl. But a cowl is slightly too Batman like and Tim did not want to be Batman. He would have to think on this more in-depth later.

“Cry for help?” Cass tilted her head again. “You believe that the killing is his way of crying for help?” If anyone else had said that, Tim would believe that they were being dismissive or sarcastic. But Cass just sounded curious.

“Well, yeah.” Steph waved her hands carelessly as she began to explain. “I met him a few times back when he was Robin. He was a great guy. He was kind. Sure, he was a little bit rougher than Nightwing was when dealing with scumbags and stuff but he always stuck around to make sure that the victims were okay. All of his interactions with you Bats so far look like lashing out and cries for help if you ask me. I mean, he dressed up in a frankly fucked up Robin costume and beat up Tim. He was apparently angry that there wasn’t a statue of him in the Tower like there was for all the other dead heroes and whatever the hell happened with the Joker and Batman was well…” She trailed off.

Tim shrugged. “No one knows what the hell happened with those three.” And it wasn’t from lack of trying to find out either. Bruce was tight lipped about the whole thing and the Joker apparently only laughed when he was asked what happened. Tim suspected that Alfred knew what went down because the older man had been very stiff and cold towards Bruce for several weeks and has only just started to warm back up to him again.

“You think that we should reach out to him?” Cass asked. “Show him we can offer help?”

Steph nodded enthusiastically at Cass’s attempt to clarify what they were telling her.

“I do think that! And I think that Wonder Boy here is the best person to do it.” She gently punched Tim’s shoulder as she said this, making him rock back a little close to the edge. Steph may not be a meta but her punches, gentle or not, were stronger than she realised.

“Why can’t you do it? He hates me.” Tim pointed out. He really did not understand why she wanted him to do this. Yes, getting permission from the Red Hood could open up a professional relationship between them where they could actively avoid each other unless they needed to do something in the other’s territory. And yes, he could definitely see Steph’s point about how Jason’s actions did seem like a huge cry for help.

But Tim has already been beaten once by Jason and he honestly did not want to have another round with the older teen. The fight between them showed Tim just how much he was lacking in his training and he could not help but feel a deep, festering bitterness that he would never be as good as Jason was. As good as Dick was. It was a bitterness he was trying to push away and forget about but it never seemed to go away.

Tim didn’t want to offer the older teen help and then accidentally drive him away because he could not get a hold of his own mental health issues. Issues that he needed to actually address sometime soon, least he turn into Bruce. Or a supervillain. Either one would be bad for his health in the long run.

Steph punched his shoulder again, this time harder; causing him to wince because ow, why, that hurts. “Because Boy Blunder, you don’t have any history at all with him. Except for, you know, him beating you. And you are more than likely a trigger for him because you are now Robin. But still, you at least don’t have a history like Batman and Nightwing do. And he knows nothing about you as a person! He probably only knows what he has read about you from the assassins he was with!”

“All the more reason why you should talk to him and not me! You are a stranger to him, not me! Spoiler is new and not actually connected to Batman and Robin. And if you haven’t noticed I am Robin and something tells me he does not like that I am Robin.” Tim waved his hands in what he could best describe as ‘I am emphasizing my point and you are not listening to me’. He learnt this gesture from Steph when they first became friends and has used it a lot over the years.

“Look Tim; think about it like this. You are brutally tortured and murdered. You wake up in your own grave, dig your way out and are taken in by evil assassins. You spend who knows how long with said assassins and find out you have been replaced by a younger, better model who comes from the complete opposite background as you do. Your attempt to kill your murderer doesn’t work and your father figure is a dick. How do you feel?” Steph put her head in her hands and sighed before continuing.

“You need to be the one who talks to him because you are a Bat and someone who probably makes him feel like he was replaced by a better, richer model and that you are everything that he isn’t. If you talk to him, show him you are an actual person and not some cardboard cut-out of someone who he wasn’t, then maybe you could actually get him to talk about what happened to him and help him! Yes, I am a stranger to him and while we could get along and stuff he is going to need someone who is a Bat to speak to him at some point and…” She groaned. “I messed up my point. Tim, you are someone who is actually a part of all of this mess. I am not. Just, go and ask him for permission to enter his territory. If he says no then he says no. I will go and follow up that lead for you if that is the case. But please, try at least.”

Tim groaned again and looked over at Cass to see what she had to say about all of this.

“You,” Cass pointed at Steph. “You want Robin to talk to Red Hood. Because Red Hood is hurting. And needs help. Robin means a lot to Red Hood. It was his name, who he was before the Joker killed him. If Robin shows that he is not…” She waved her hand in a very vague but Steph like manner. “If Robin shows that he is not who Red Hood thought he was then the Red Hood will feel less like he is replaced or… unworthy? Red Hood was a good Robin. Now he is not good as the Red Hood. Bad things happened to the Red Hood, made him hard and angry. Extending olive branch might help.”

“Yes! Thank you!” Steph let out a low breath. “Why are you guys so good at summarising everything?”

“Nightwing.” Both Tim and Cass said together. Dick had a habit of not only rambling but also talking fast and without breaks. A habit of both his ADHD and from being best friends with a Speedster. Anyone who works or is with Dick for long periods of time learns how to summarise what he says.

It is a handy trick for Tim to know, seeing as he is also best friends with a Speedster and Steph has a habit of rambling herself at times.

“So…?” Steph trailed off and Tim, though he said to himself that he wasn’t going to do it because ow, sighed and completely ignored the pain in his chest.

“If Batgirl is willing to bodyguard than I will go and ask Red Hood for permission into his territory.” Tim felt slightly defeated. He wanted to keep arguing that he really wasn’t sure that this was a good idea for either Jason or himself but at the same time he knows he would feel crap if he said no because Steph’s points were more than likely all true and-

And he did not want to be a person who ignores someone else who could be in need of help because he was selfish.

Tim has been lucky. Since becoming Robin he has had a wonderful support network that he has used a lot over the years and would never trade for anything in the world. Jason does not have that. Or at least Tim was pretty sure that Jason does not have that.

“I will bodyguard. Will only interfere if you are attacked. I will stay in the shadows and away from sight.” Cass said. “We do this tonight, on next patrol. It is late now. Time for bed soon.”

Cass was right, it was getting close to four am and Tim was due back into the Cave in less than half an hour. He was thankful that he did not have any classes until nine am because he wanted to have more than an hour sleep when he finally got back to his home.

“Oh wow. Today went quicker than expected.” Steph rocked back on her heels. “I am stuck in class tomorrow night but I expect to have at least three texts telling me how it all went from you both. Got it?”

Tim rolled his eyes but nodded. “Yes, yes. Three texts. If I get beat up you are so making me waffles.” He pulled her into a quick hug.

“Whatever, Ex-Boyfriend.” Steph pulled Cass into a hug of her own and then was grappling away with a careless wave.

“Do you think this is a good idea?” He asked Cassandra quietly now that they were alone on the ledge. Cass looked at him, the eyes on her mask stared directly into his own white out lenses.

“I think… that there is a possibility that the Red Hood is falling without a net. And that his lines may have been cut by accident. By Batman. By Robin.” She paused and looked up at the dark sky. “We can offer him a new line. And a net. Falling without a net or line… It is not good. That mindset. You feel like you are flying, until you hit the ground.”

Tim flinched at that imagery. Jason had been hurt by the Joker and whatever the hell happened with his resurrection and the League of Assassins. The trauma alone from that would be enough to make enough the sanest man go a little wonky. But whatever happened with B that night with the Joker…

Whatever happened might have taken away his line, like Cass said. But Tim was not overly convinced that this is a good idea. Cass must have read his hesitance because she spoke once more.

“He needs to see you as a person, like Spoiler said. Not just as a costume. He needs to see not Robin but you.” She gestured to his body. “When he attacked you, he was looking for reason as to why you were supposed to be better than him. He wanted to see, prove himself and you, that he was the better one. Because if he was not the better one, than him being replaced would have been a good thing.”

Tim frowned at that. He had not thought of it that way. While he could see the attack against him in the Tower as being a cry for help like Steph kept saying, he did not think to look as to the reasons why it was a cry for help. Steph and Cass both were good at getting him to take a step back and look at the full details of the bigger picture. He would certainly be lost (and probably more emotionally stunted) without them.

Tim knows that he should not use them as a crutch for explaining emotions and details that he may have missed about basic human reactions, but Tim was not ashamed to say that he did not connect with other people well and often missed simple emotional matters that should have been obvious to him. According to the internet, this was probably because he missed out on many key interactions with his parents due to them constantly traveling around the world and leaving him home with a nanny who discouraged most emotional reactions he had. Because his nanny believed that ‘boys don’t do emotions like girls and he should man up already’.

Tim really, really needed to get his mental health checked out sooner rather than later.

“Okay. Yeah, I see your point.” Tim conceded. “What about you? Are you going to try as well?”

Cass hummed and nodded after a moment. “Yes. Will try with Spoiler and Oracle. Give some space between us and you. Keep him from feeling trapped.”

He hummed in agreement and gestured to the edge that they were standing on. “I am heading back to the Cave. I take it you are going back to the Clock Tower?” He asked, feeling drained. This whole conversation and everything about it made him feel like he had fought off an energy sucking monster. He wanted to go back to the Cave, get into his own clothes and head back to his own home. Or maybe just crash at the Manor. He will see what kind of mood B was in when he got to the Cave.

“Back to Clock Tower.” Cass nodded again. “Will Comm you tonight. Find where you and Hood are. Go to bed.” She reached up and ruffled his hair fondly and then flung herself of the ledge with grace that only Nightwing could copy. He watched her grapple her way towards the Clock Tower until she was gone from his sights.

His bike was down in the alleyway below him and it would take him only a short time to get to the Cave from his location. Tomorrow, well tonight really, was going to be interesting to say the least. He would like to say that the growing pit inside his stomach was just anticipation and not the low level of fear at the thought of speaking to Jason face to face.

The Red Hood was volatile, dangerous and had a grudge against the Bats. Tim had no idea how this was going to go and it frightened him. Jason Todd could simply say yes or no. Or he could just shoot Tim in the head and Batgirl or no Batgirl there would be no stopping him if he does.

Normally, being in that kind of situation was sort of exciting. Like a free fall off the top of the Wayne Enterprises tower. It was a rush that left a bubbling feeling in his chest that just screamed ‘I am alive!’ but he did not feel that right now. He just felt a low level of fear bubbling away in his stomach, making him feel nauseous.

Jason made it clear that he did not like Tim. Did not want to be near him or see him. The beating he had taken was not the worst one he had suffered through. But it had hurt him. Hurt him badly because this was Jason Todd. Robin. The boy who Tim used to follow around with a camera around his neck hoping to see in action.

What do you say to a person that had once been one of your heroes after they beat the living shit out of you?

Tim did not want to think about it at all right now. He needed to get back to the Cave and back home before B and his dad start to worry. He would think about it before he goes onto patrol. Not now while his head was clouded. But later when he was rested and ready for the night.

#hellsbells wrote something!!!#Can You See Me Now?#batman fic #Batman #Tim Drake #Jason Todd #Stephanie Brown #cassandra cain

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ellana-ravenwood · 7 years ago

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The Last Pit part 2/2 - Batmom x Batfamily

Finally, here’s the second part. Sorry for the delay, it’s not even that I lacked inspiration, I just got caught in a lot of other stuffs :-). I let you guys choose the ending, between a happy or a sad one...and I’m not gonna tell you which one I decided to write ;-). Surprise. I might have not listen to what you asked... Anyway, I hope you guys will like it ! And that you won’t be disappointed :

As usual, feedbacks are very welcome

FINISHED SERIES : PART 1

My masterlist blog : @ella-ravenwood-archives

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It’s his son’s screams, that haunt him the most. The blood splattered on his face. Each of his actions mirroring his own when he was but an eight year old child witnessing his own parent’s murder...

It’s also the fact that he couldn’t even say goodbye, couldn’t even see your face full of life before you died...You were gone before he reached you, could life be more cruel ?

Yes. It could. It could by constantly torturing him with nightmares of this fateful night. By torturing him with vivid nightmares, not missing any details of what happened, and making him wake up in a start at his son’s screams, screaming himself.

That night wasn't an exception. Once again he got the same bad dreams. Once again he woke up, screaming his pain, crying the loss of the love of his life.

From his bedroom, Damian could hear his father’s distress...and he couldn’t take it anymore. Tonight had to be the night.

Making sure to not make any suspicious noise while going down to the batcave (though he doubt his father would even notice), he goes to join his brothers who are getting ready to go out and patrol. To take their mind off of their father’s pain, off of their own pain, and to not think much about your death.

They barely notice their youngest brother coming in, about ready to take off, when his voice, implacable, almost like daring them to resist him, resonate in the cave :

-We’re leaving now.

They turn to Damian, surprised, a bit confused as to what he’s talking about. Tim, being the quickest thinker, understands first and says :

-We’re not ready Dams. We need to prepare so many things still ! If we’re going into this unprepared, then we’re as good as dead too, and everything will be useless. We don’t know how many people your grandfather left to...

-I don’t care Tim ! I want my mom back, and I can’t bear father’s screams every night !! I WANT HER BACK ALRIGHT ?! LET’S GO NOW !

Dick is the first to approach his little brother, and with an empathetic look on his face, he places his hands on the boy’s shoulders, squeezing lightly. A fleeting though crosses his mind, about how far they all came...in a way, your death brought them all together. Closer from each other. A few months ago, Damian would never have called his brother by his first name. Hell, a few months ago, he would never even have considered Tim his brother...With a sigh, he says :

-We all want her back Damian...but we need to think this through, to...

-We are ready Dick ! We are ! We know where the pit is, we have all the weapons we’ll need, we’ve been working on our tactics together ! We’re ready ! I know it ! We’re better the four of us together than we ever been ! I get your back, while Tim gets my back, and Jason gets his back, you get Jay’s back ! WE’RE READY ! What difference will it make if we know they’re ten guarding the pit, or a hundred ? Our plan will be the same. Getting rid of them, taking mom to the pit ! We’re really ready, I believe in us ! I believe in you guys ! And I can’t...I can’t bear this anymore. I want my mom...our mom back. I want dad to be the same as he used to. I want my parents back...

Dick turns to his other little brothers, questioning them with his eyes. Jason and Tim look at each others for a few seconds, then back at their siblings...and nods. Yes. Ok. Damian was right. They were ready.

-Okay.

-Good. Hum...I’m...I’m glad I...to have...I...I’m glad I have you guys as my brothers.

They don’t talk. The moment is solemn. The only thing they do is gathering in a circle, placing their forehead against each others, their arms around each others’ shoulders, taking a moment to enjoy their brothers’ company.

They get ready in a silence that seems almost unnatural.

And, after bidding their farewell to Alfred (who isn’t really reassured about all that...in fact he’s terrified he’ll have to tell Bruce that his son too will not come back...But if there’s a minuscule chance that they could save you, then who was he to stop them from doing so ?), they take your casket and put it in the bat-jet, ready to get their mom back.

************

An entire week.

It takes them an entire week to finally reach the actual Lazarus pit.

The first problem was the fact that the cave the well was in was literally across the globe, and it took them almost an entire day to reach the place.

The second problem was the fact that Damian...lost his way. He somewhat knew where the location was, but it was in the middle of a very thick forrest, where the bat-jet couldn’t go. They turned round and round for three days...But Damian’s brothers never doubted him, and thanks to them and their support, he was able to remember exactly where they were suppose to go. Thanks to his brothers believing in him, he decided he just couldn’t let them down and racked his brain to remember what his grandfather told him.

The third problem was carrying their mom’s casket all around...it wasn’t easy at all.

The fourth problem was the actual place...It was guarded by hundreds and hundreds of guards from the League of Assassins. It wasn’t going to be easy...but then again, they didn’t have to fight them all. They just had to sneak in, sneak out.

It took them almost an entire day to foment a plan to get in, and when the night fell, they got in action.

They decided to start on the east part of the mounting the cave was situated in, as they spotted what looked like a discreet entrance. There was more guards there, but it was worth to go through the hassle if it could get you directly inside !

More decided than ever, more motivated and dangerous than they ever been, Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian worked their way up the side of the mountain in a few hours, making sure to be as swift as the wind, and as implacable as their father. Or at least, as implacable as their father used to be...This thought made them even more fierce, and guards were falling by the handful.

The most impressive thing about all of that was the way they handled things. Not a noise. No one found anything suspicious. They took care of guards, and stashed their unconscious bodies so that no one would notice.

They used the full extend of their training with their father. They were quick to think, like that moment when an assassin they didn’t see almost rang the alarm as he spotted one of them...Dick threw one of his fighting stick, and knocked the man out cold before he could utter a single syllable. It was very impressive really.

Yes, they used their training to the fullest, and they were so focused on their task that they didn’t even make any mistakes.

The fifth problem arrived when they finally got inside the mountain. This place was a real maze, and they quickly realized they’d never find their way out on their own...the task at hand was one of the most difficult of their mission, as they had to avoid video surveillance, but also large group of assassins constantly going through, which wasn’t easy because they had to transport your casket...And now, they really had to go fast, because the longer they took to find the pit, the riskier it became that the guards they knocked out either woke up or got found.

But chance was on their side, and they were able to “kidnap” an assassin. It was easy to convince him to help them, as they were rather...scary. Their determination was intimidating. They were just kids, but the look they all had in their eyes made the assassin shiver, and he helped them got what they want.

Or at least, he got them half-way through. He wasn’t high enough in the ranks of the assassin to know where the pit was actually located...but he knew who did.

It took them a few more precious hours to find the guy the man they kidnapped was talking about. He was in one of the barrack build inside the mountain, and they went all sneak mission mode to retrieve him without alarming anyone else. If their father (and you as a matter of fact) was there, he would be more than impressed with his sons’ skills.

They knew the fact that they wanted their mother back more than anything played a huge part in their abilities that week, and damn they were glad you inspired that in them. You always inspired them to be better, and they always wanted to become better men/boys for you...

Finally, after some hassles that were nothing compared to what they went through..they arrived in the main room, which was surprisingly empty.

As they approach where the pit should be...They realize why no guards are around. The pit is empty. The last Lazarus pit is...no more.

Damian falls to his knee. This was their only chance. Their only chance to bring their mom back, and it was gone, just like her. There was nothing left but faint memories.

As they all realize that they came all the way here for nothing, that all their hard work was useless...Despair downs upon them.

They were so full of hope. They were ready to see their mom again and...it would never happen. She would never come back. Never.

They all shake uncontrollably as tears run down their faces. They get closer from Damian, who fell to the floor and is clutching to the stone sides of what used to be a Lazarus pit. They all fall in each other’s arms and...the floor shifts. They go down, down, and more down.

As they fell on each others they stepped on...something that triggered some sort of elevator. It brings them to a huge rooms and...their heart beat faster.

Here it is. The pit. The last one. The one upstairs was just a decoy. Of course it was.

Only problem though...they were surrounded by assassins. Hundreds, no, thousands of them.

The pit was in the middle of the room, and behind it, were a few stairs leading to a thrones..as if by magic, from behind the thrones, he appeared.

Damian made a face of disgust. Jason winced.

Ras Al’Ghul. Of course.

It had been a long time since anyone heard of him...so that’s where he was hiding. And according to the forces he had with him, he wasn’t on vacation.

-Well well well, look who we have here, my grandson and Batman’s servants.

Damian had trouble controlling his anger, but he did. Later, his brothers would tell him how impressed they were by his self-control.

-You’re not my grandfather. You’re nothing. And they’re not his servants, they are my family. Now get out of our way, Ras Al’Ghul, or suffer from the consequence.

The hundreds of year old man took a fake look of surprised...before he explodes in laughter.

-Oh my grandson you are...

-I am going to stop you right there. I do not want to hear anything from you. I do not want to hear your serpent’s voice. I’m here for once thing and one thing only, and my goal is to plunge my mother in your Lazarus pit. Let me rephrased that. In the Lazarus pit. They do not belong to you.

The slightly amused look on Ras’ face instantly disappears and his feature tense in seriousness. Clearly, Damian meant business, and the man didn’t bother insulting him by making a long speech. He simply says :

-This is the last pit in the World, do you honestly think I would waste its energy on some...

-MY MOTHER ISN’T A WASTE OF ENERGY !!

-Your mother, isn’t the one in that casket.

-Yes she is. No matter what you say Ras, my mom isn’t your damn evil daughter. It’s the woman that is laying in this casket. It’s the woman that taught me love, and that what you always said about it being a weakness was total bullshit. It’s...

-But love is a weakness. And you shouldn’t speak like that about your true mother, Damian. Because right now, she’s the only reason you aren’t all dead. Love is truly a weakness...See, I love your mother, your real one, and I know that, even though it breaks her heart you think this...nobody in that casket is your mom, I know that if Talia was there she would let you resurrect her. Because she’s weak too, and loves you, and wants you to be happy. Love is a weakness, because I love your mother, Talia, your real mother, and to make her happy, I will try and make you happy, let you use the pit to bring that woman back to life, that nobody. That’s what Talia would want, make you happy...

-You’re making awfully long speeches to basically say the same thing over and over again. And I dare you to call my mom a “nobody” ever again. You’ll see what happen. Finally, right, my biological mother cares so much for my happiness that she got me killed. Of course. Logical.

-That...Is a story you’ll understand one day maybe. But it is not a story for me to tell. You have an hour to do what you have to do and leave the premises, after that, I will not hesitate to do what I have to do. I let you imagine what it is. Your “brothers” will die, and you’ll never see the light of day ever again. I can’t decently kill my own grandson, but I can certainly hold you.

There’s a stunned silence, as your sons don’t quite believe what is happening...It is broken by Ras once more :

-It is a shame, Damian, you never saw the appeal of being an Al’Ghul, you never understood what it was to be a real one...Even when you were with us, before you even met your father...You were weak. You always been weak. Not fit to be an Al’Ghul. You have too much heart. I told your mother that she should have taken care of that when you were younger, that she should have not accepted any such weakness....You might have killed and rampaged for us, but you always felt guilty afterward.I always knew you were more a Wayne than an Al’Ghul.

Damian takes a few steps forward, under the worried gaze of his brothers :

-I’ll never be an Al’Ghul. Not ever.

Ras’ Al’Ghul narrows his eyes at the boy, and for a second, your sons are ready to fight, to defend their little brother with their life...But it never comes to it. Fortunately. With an unreadable expression on his face (though Jason would say later that he thought he saw pain), Ras says :

-Very well. In honor of your mother, in her loving memory, I will let you resurrect that woman Bruce Wayne thought more fit to be his wife than my beloved daughter. Because of Talia, I will let you do it. And because I must admit, you four impressed me, coming all the way here without an alarm ever sounding. You have skills. If I didn’t create that decoy up there, I’m pretty sure I would have never known that you ever came by...Because of all of that. Proceed. Remember an hour before I open the hunt.

************

It takes them less than five minute to plunge your body in the pit, as Ras Al’Ghul and his goons leave the place (to give you some privacy maybe ? or was it another trick of his ?).

They decided to “trust” Ras, more because they were desperate to get you back than anything else, and counted on that hour to do what they had to do.

Jason and Dick place you in the water, and push you in...You disappear amongst the murky waters.

For an agonizing few minutes, nothing happens, and they start to all think that, indeed, Ras is playing a cruel trick on them...One of them is about to speak when.

Deep breath of air. You take the deepest breath of air you ever took, as your head break the water, and you stand in the well of Lazarus.

Automatically, you reach the side of the pit and...you feel hands helping you out.

Everything is blurry and confusing for a while until...

-My boys...

-Mom.

You were back. With them. And as they wrap their arms around you, happy tears falling down their faces, you’ve never felt so alive.

************

The road back to Gotham was long. Your sons travelled a long way to find this Last Lazarus Pit. And somehow, you were glad that it took a long time to reach your hometown. Because it gave you enough time to think.

To deal with this all...dying and coming back to life. You had no recollection of what happened while you were dead, everything was too faint and blurry. You only remembered clearly being shot, falling in Damian’s arms...and then waking up in his arms again.

You didn’t feel different at all. But...maybe it was too soon to know ? Maybe somewhere between Death and your Resurrection, you lost a part of yourself ? You didn’t feel like you did, but then again, you were just overwhelmed by all the love your sons were giving you.

They took turn to snuggle against you, to hold your hands. They put the batjet on auto-pilot and just stuck around you. Right now, Tim was resting on one of your side, and Jason on the other, while Dick and Damian were sitting in front of you, your hand in theirs, their chin on your knees, looking up at you in awe.

Right now, you weren't really realizing what actually happened. You know you did, you know you came back from that but...everything is so blurry.

The only important thing anyway, is that you’re with them. Now. That you came back for them, thanks to them. It filled your heart with happiness that they’d embark on such a dangerous mission to bring you back to them (though you scolded them for risking their life, of course).

You were a bit taken aback when you saw that Bruce wasn’t there...but then, then your sons told you in what state he was at the moment, and you swore you could hear your heart cracking slowly, at the thought of your husband being so hurt...You felt a bit guilty, but as well as breaking, your heart was singing, because if he was that much in pain, it meant he did really truly loved you.

Oh god you felt awful for thinking that, for being happy that he was miserable without you...But man, did it felt great to know someone in this world loved you that much. Hell, did it felt great that more than one person loved you that much.

Alfred, who helped your boys leaving without their father noticing, and wish them good luck, hoping to every higher forces that they’d succeed.

Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian, your sons, who went across the glove, fought mighty enemies, just to get you back.

And Bruce, who just couldn't function, who just couldn't live without you.

Cuddling your sons, tightening your grip around them, you couldn’t wait to finally arrive home, and reassure your husband. Because you missed him dearly, and you knew that what you felt was nothing compare to his distress...

Yes, you needed to get back home, back to him, to reassure him and love him.

The travel back to Gotham was long, and you were somewhat glad because it gave you the time to think...But now, you just couldn’t wait to finally truly come back. To take the life that was taken from you back. And to own and cherish it.

************

When Bruce sees you barging in your shared bedroom, he thinks it was yet another memory of you, just a figment of his imagination, just wishful thinking that was so strong it made him hallucinate.

But when your hand grabs his arm, and pull him into a strong and warm hug...He collapses.

He’s quite heavy, all muscle and tallness, and brings you to the floor with him.

It’s like he’s seeing a human being for the first time. Uncontrollable tears stream down his face. His hands touch you..everywhere. They touch your hair delicately, as if you’re the first person he ever saw that had hair. He brushes your cheeks tenderly as if you were the most precious thing in the world. His fingers reach for your chest, to make sure your heart is beating...When he realizes it does, his eyebrows raise, and his facial expression is a mix of happiness, astonishment, relief and utter bliss.

The initial shock passes, he brings you into a tight embrace, and you give back. Of course you give back. Your arms wrap around him, your hands roam his naked skin, as he only wears boxers...

The fact that everything your sons told you about him and his state is true really breaks your heart...and you let him, though his smell is awful, though his beard scratches your skin, you let him touch you.

He explores every inch of your body, taking your clothes off so he can feel your skin...this soft skin he so dearly missed. The one he thought he’d never be able to touch again.

-You...You’re here.

He whispers against your neck, kissing you there lovingly.

-Yes Bruce. I’m here.

That night, he makes love to you, as he never did before. That night, he makes sure that his feelings towards you are clear.

He loves you, like he never loved anyone. Like he’ll never love anyone else. And now, you could never have any doubts about it anymore, as you saw what your death did to him.

Yes, there was no doubt. Bruce Wayne loves you. And you love him.

Always.

************

The next day, your boys cannot help but pull you and their father into a group hug. Not even Damian. After all, how could they resist feeling your arms around them when they saw you were really alive and well, and everything wasn't just a dream.

How could they not be happy to finally see their father as he used to be.

That morning you woke up early, the both of you, in each others’ arms, and...you took care of your Bruce. Showering with him. Shaving him. Grooming him back to his usual self...but you did more than that of course.

It wasn’t just physical. In his eyes, his sons could see the spark of life that was back.

Because you were back.

And as long as you were by his side, he could only be happy.

They all could only be happy.

You were back. Of course more difficult times were ahead of them all as they chose a path, a way of leaving that was never really safe of pain and such...But you were back.

Everything was fine again...

The End.

____________________

PS : The bad ending would have been the exact same beginning. Then when they finally fight their way through to the pit they...discover this one too is used up, and so they cannot revive their mother. All this struggle for nothing, to stay motherless. When they come home in this part Bruce would have notice their departure and ask where they were, and boom, a bunch of batboys, especially Damian, breaking down explaining to him what they were trying to do, and ending probably on a sentence like “You were gone...forever” or something. I’m kinda glad you guys chose the good ending, it would have been so damn sad otherwise haha. Torturing the batfamily you once again ^^'. Anyway, here’s for the few curious one :-).

Hope you liked it... :/ I feel like the part with Ras is a bit shit but...yeah, I didn’t really know how to do it. Hope it’s not to unbelievable.

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