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The gun hit the floor with a thud when Batman dropped it and turned away.
“It’s him or me, you have to decide!”Red Hood yelled after him.“Decide now! Do it! Him or me! Decide!”
Batman was still walking away, leaving him with the green haired murderer, so Red Hood trained his gun at him in desperation for something from his father figure.
The gun went off and Batman dodged, simultaneously throwing a batarang.
Which was knocked off course with another projectile a split second later. A black figure grappled through the window and lunged straight at Batman’s back, toppling them onto the floor.
Red Hood froze in disbelief. Batman threw a batarang at him. His father threw a batarang at him. Not at the fucking Joker, but at Jason.
“You fucking piece of shit!” the newcomer snarled echoing Red Hood’s thoughts, punching Batman square in the face. “How fucking dare you!”
Batman grunted and threw his assailant over his head. He sprang up on his feet, taking a defensive stance for the coming attack. His opponent landed in a low, familiar crouch. He was dressed like Batman, but had leaner build. Was that Dick? Thank God. Something heavy unfurled in Bruce’s chest in relief.
For a second nobody moved.
“Hahaha, this keeps getting better and better,” Joker crowed in delight. The clown was laughing since the moment Batman walked away, grating on everyone’s nerves.
Jason put the gun back to his head and was about to shake the stupid monster when the new Batman moved.
In one fluid motion he pivoted on his heel, picking the gun off the floor and shooting Joker twice straight in the head, before dropping it and dodging Batman’s lunge and kicking him in the face, thus completing the elegant swirl.
Jason’s jaw dropped, uncaring that his face was sprayed by Joker’s blood and clown’s body was hanging limply in his hold. What the hell? Who was this guy? He ruined all of his plans!
“We don’t kill!” Batman roared with desperation at the slimmer Batman as he attacked.
“That’s rich coming from you, you fucking monster!” the other Batman snarled back.
Jason squinted, finally letting Joker’s body go. The voice finally registered as familiar. Was that Dick?
“You murdered my little brother!” the Batman-Dick continued as he dodged and punched and kicked. He wasn’t as composed as Batman, but he made that up with his ferocity. “You sit here on your moral high horse condemning Red Hood for killing, yet you’re not better that that fucking clown!”
“I didn’t-”
“Do you know what happens to human body when you toss it at a bathtub?!” And Dick demonstrated just that by pushing Batman at the already broken tub. “Do you know what happens to human scull when you bash it against wall?! Do you know what happens to human scull when you break sink and toilet with it?! Do you know what happens to human body when you put it through wall?! Do you?! At best it’s broken bones, a severe concussion and coma! You fucking asshole!” Dick landed a series of successful hits, putting Batman on the floor. He jumped on the older vigilante and yanked him close to snarl in his face. “And all of that was before you.” Punch. “Slit.” Punch. ”His.” Punch. “Throat.” Punch. Dodge. Punch. “With batarang!”
With mighty effort, that looked like it hurt a lot, Batman managed to punch his assailant and throw him off of him and stagger to his feet.
“And then,” Dick wiped the blood from his split lip with his hand and snorted. He apparently wasn’t done yet.
Jason wondered what else Bruce might have done. He was already feeling the bruises from most things Dick listed and shivered at how close he was to getting his throat cut if Dick hadn’t intervened. How did Dick even knew about this encounter? Last he heard Nightwing was in Blüdhaven and Blüdhaven was nuked like fifteen minutes ago. If Dick was here and so comfortable being Batman, the suit modified to his fighting style, then that means his older brother survived, became the Caped Crusader along the way and made a trip to the past? another dimension? to beat on Batman-Bruce on Jason’s behalf.
For the first time since Jason woke up after the dip in Lazarus Pit he felt something else than blinding rage and grief and hurt. Something suspiciously like hope and affection for his brother. Not only he traveled to the past dimension for Jason, but he killed the Joker too.
…
Wait a minute.
Didn’t Dick said Batman murde-
“And then!” Dick repeated loudly, working himself into screaming the longer he talked. “You just stood by and watched him bleed out. AND THEN you rescued JOKER from the explosion. You didn’t even fucking look for MY BABY BROTHER after! AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME HE WAS ALIVE!”
“I-” Batman tried, slurring. He could barely stand after the beat down, not only physical but verbal as well. Who was this Dick Grayson accusing him of such atrocities. Red Hood had to be stopped by any means necessary. Only then Batman could deal with him as if he was his son. If his son was still there in this murderous puppet.
Batman-Dick let out a scream full of fury and grief and rushed at Batman-Bruce. They grappled for a moment for Bruce regained some of his strength in this short pause in fighting. Ultimately it wasn’t enough. Dick pushed him toward the window and with a well placed, powerful kick to the chest Batman fallen through the glass and down the building. Dick spit after him.
Once second Jason blinked, Batman-Dick was looking out of the window the next he was before him, cowl down and worried expression on his face.
“Little Wing, are you alright?” gloved hands cupped his face gently.
“You killed- For me,” Jason managed.
“Of course, Jay,” Dick soothed, gathering trembling Jason into his arms. “It’s over now. You’re going to be okay. Everything will be fine.”
And Jason crumpled, clutching at this Dick Grayson, sobbing. Because somewhere in the universe someone loved him, he mattered to someone enough to avenge him. It hurt it wasn’t Bruce, but Dick was the next best thing.
“Oh Little Wing,” Dick sighed sorrowfully and guided them down to sit on the floor. Jason curled up against him as Dick pet his hair and rocked them gently. “It’s okay now. You’re safe. I’ve got you. You’re alright.”
They stayed like that for a while, until Jason’s injuries started to bother him and he tried to pull away. Dick only tightened his hold on him, still muttering soothing nonsense, seemingly lost in his own little world. Jason tried to get free again, but Dick just held tighter.
“Stay calm,” a mechanized voice ordered.
Jason twisted to look over Batman-Dick’s shoulder at the newcomer.
Red helmet, brown leather jacket, black combat suit, red bat across the chest. Huh, this was new.
“Keep calm and keep him calm,” Red Hood said, slowly edging forward. “He’s high on fear toxin. Though this reaction was weird. Big brother for the win?”
“He did pummel Bruce into a pulp.”
“Yeah, I saw.”
“Is that true?” Jason asked. “Did Bruce killed me?”
Red Hood paused.
“All what Dick said was true. In my case. Bruce did throw a batarang at me and I bleed a lot, but I don’t think I died. At least Talia didn’t say anything. Buuut. thanks to that idiot over there you get to live your life trauma-free and Joker-free. It’s more than I ever got from them.”
“I did kill the Joker,” Dick muttered louder.
“Yeah, now,” Red Hood scoffed, inching closer and pulling a syringe.
“No. Before. Before this.”
“Joker still walks around killing people in our world, so forgive me if I don’t believe you,” Red Hood snorted, catching the cowl and pulling it back to expose Dick’s neck.
“Ow,” Dick complained at the jab. “I did kill him. Bruce brought him back.”
“What the fuck?” Red Hood stated and sighed. “We’re going to have a long talk when we get back, Bats.”
“Will you even stay to have one?” Dick mumbled, slumping over Jason.
“It’s long overdue,” Red Hood agreed, pulling Dick’s limp body off the injured version of himself. “Jeez, you two are a mess. Good thing I brought backup.”
“Backup?” Jason blinked.
Red Hood threw a thumb over his shoulder toward the window where Superman hovered in the air.
“You called Superman?!” Jason’s jaw dropped.
“Yup. You and Dick are going to go with him to Kansas. He will keep you both safe and away from the Bat while you two deal with your problems. The pies alone are worth dying for.”
Red Hood stood up with Batman in his arms, bridal style, as if he weighed nothing. Looking at his older version now, Jason noticed he was taller a good few inches, maybe even taller than Bruce. And wasn’t that a thrilling thought.
Red Hood nodded at Jason and Superman floated in with a smile.
“Hello Jason!” the blue boy-scout greeted. “I’m so glad you’re alive!”
Jason’s eyes watered. No one. No one said that they were glad he was alive before.
“Let’s get you some medical attention and then we’ll collect your brother and fly over to Smallville, okay? Ma is very excited to meet you. She rarely has guests these days so she might go overboard with food. Though it won’t be a problem, right? Growing boys needs their food. So what do you say?” Superman extended his hand. “Will you come?”
Chocking the sob down, Jason took his hand. Superman pulled him gently to his feet.
Jason turned to Red Hood and Batman, opening his mouth to say something, but clicked it shut a second later. The room was empty as if the two were never there.