theknightshift | inbox (etraya)

We should talk.

[Attached is a ping of his location.]

Should I be concerned?

[ he’s still making his way to Jason’s location ]

Not unless you plan to attack me.

I’m on my way.

[Jason has a fire going and he's sitting on the ground next to his makeshift firepit, cooking some hot dogs on the end of a prong. He listens for any sign of an approach until he recognizes the sound of footfalls.]

Figured you might be hungry.

[Jason's face is still a big bruise, but it's not nearly as severe. His posture, too is more relaxed and perhaps this time in the woods alone has helped him calm down.]

[ bruce honestly wasn’t entirely sure who would be waiting for him when he got the ping for Jason’s location. The appeal to get him out here didn’t seem hostile, but when it came to Jason, that didn’t seem to matter much. It made deciding how he would approach this situation a little more complicated than perhaps any other time.

Its a risk coming here unarmed, but he does (save for the batarang in his pocket. If his guess is correct he won’t need it. If it isn’t, he’ll only need the one). And he approaches Jason directly, not as Batman. But as Bruce Wayne. ]

Thanks. How long have you been out here?

[ he knows how long, but figures this would help break the ice. ]

About four days. [Jason flicks his gaze over to Bruce before returning to the hot dogs, which he's deemed are cooked. He busies himself with putting them in buns and then holding out one of the dogs to Bruce.

His Bruce would never eat a hot dog, much less one cooked over a fire like this. So Jason watches, silently testing how close this Bruce is to his.]

[ hot dogs aren’t his favorite but he’s not above eating them. Especially if it helps put Jason at ease. He takes the bun and sits down to bite into it with an appreciative hum. ]

Looks like the outdoors have been kind to you.

[Jason releases a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when Bruce bites down. Okay, so maybe he's not so stuffy as his Bruce.]

Whole lot better than the city.

[Jason puts his hot dog in a bun and starts chewing. Not bad. He swallows down his bite before considering how best to approach the subject of the belfry.]

Look, I didn't have a good relationship with my Bruce. I was hurt and he didn't fucking bother to fly back from Spain or wherever to make sure I was okay. I started to have nightmares and he fired me.

[Which is to say,] I don't trust you and I don't trust the belfry. If you guys could back the fuck up, life would be a lot easier.

[ He can sense the tension ease from Jason at something as simple as biting into a hotdog. The relationship could be difficult; Bruce isn't a stranger to that. But it makes him wonder what happened to make the relationship fall apart so quickly.

The bits Jason's been willing to reveal helps piece the picture together, but there are still so many empty spots. ]

If you want your space, I won't object. My door is open if you ever need me for anything. But, I do object to disregarding your health.

[ He gestures to the bruises on Jason's face. ]

I don't care what started the fight. All I will ask from you is that you do not ignore serious injuries like that again.

[Jason watches Bruce but then rolls his eyes at what he sees as false concern for his health.]

Oh like you give a shit. Missing your jet here? Can't run away, can you.

[Nevermind that Jason went off on his own with a fucked up nose and a concussion.]

[ Bruce lowers his half finished hotdog and gives Jason a look. He isn't angry. Just slightly annoyed and a little frustrated. ]

You need to stop blaming me for what he's done, Jason.

[Jason clenches his teeth as he regards Bruce.]

What makes you any different?

I haven't abandoned you.

[ If anything he's been a little pushy ]

[Okay, this Bruce does have Jason there. Jason looks down at the ground as he thinks. His Bruce would not have come at his request and especially not out to the woods.]

Did you ever send me to the Titans? Ever tried to make Dick train me instead of you?

No.

[ To both questions. ]

You--Jason was my partner, therefore my responsibility. [ my soldier, my fault. ahem ]

[This is the first of being referred to as a partner. It's what Jason always wanted, but he'd been pawned off to the Titans and then when the Titans didn't want him, Bruce seemed to find every way possible to leave him alone with the impossible task of showing restraint.]

You never sent me off anywhere? [His voice is quieter, more vulnerable.]

If you ever leave, it's because you chose to.

[ He's not being 100% forthcoming about past actions, but those were just that: past actions. As far as he's concerned this is a true statement. ]

Huh.

[Jason considers what this Bruce has said and his mind returns to the worry that one day Bruce will wake up and realize he's made a terrible error bringing Jason into the flock.

It takes a couple deep breaths before he asks,] Did you ever call me a mistake?

No. You were never a mistake.

[ The thought has crossed his mind more than once, especially when the relationship was fragile or fraught or downright hostile. But ultimately? Bruce's life would be a little bit emptier without Jason Todd in it. He had to live a long time without him. He knows from first hand experience. ]

Our relationship isn't perfect, Jason, but I don't regret having you in my life.

[Jason stares over at Bruce with a mix of regret and wishfulness. Even before he said it out loud, his Bruce acted like he was a mistake. He sent Jason off to the Titans without a second thought, insisted that Dick should train him instead of Bruce himself. Coming home after the Titans had been difficult, but again he pawned Jason off before the words came out of his mouth, before he fired Jason outright.]

Did you ever fire me?

[Jason's voice is vulnerable, unsteady.]

[ At the time it felt like the right thing to do. Jason had become insubordinate, angry, hostile. Bruce didn’t fire him, but thought being Robin was too much for him. Long before Garzonas met his fate on the other side of that balcony.

He never fired Jason outright, but removed him? Absolutely. ]

No.

[Jason goes quiet again, watching Bruce with the utmost attention.]

You’d never bench me for nightmares?

What are you having nightmares about, Jason?

[ Bruce returns Jason’s gaze ]

Does it matter?

[Jason asks, frowning at Bruce.]

I would not have asked if it didn’t.

They’re about falling. [Jason withdraws more into himself.]

[ Secretly? Bruce is relieved. Jason's answer could have very easily changed the trajectory of this conversation. Falling, he could deal with. The Joker? Was not a fight he was looking forward to rehashing. ]

Why did you fall?

[Jason levels his gaze at Bruce.]

Why does it matter?

I am trying to understand you and what happened to you.

[ He's got enough for an educated guess, but having more to go on wouldn't hurt. ]

[Jason doesn’t quite believe Bruce, but he is out here in the woods trying.]

I got kidnapped by Deathstroke. Dropped off a building.

[ That's...a deviation. One to especially note. Deathstroke is the source of the nightmares. And the nightmares are the reason Bruce benched him. Called him a mistake. Fired him. Left him to languish on his own. Where did the Joker fit in? Did he fit in? Had all of this put Jason on that terrible collision course? ]

You were afraid.

[ It almost sounds like a question, but really it's Bruce putting the pieces together. Seeing the picture for what it was. ]

[Jason looks down at the ground but nods all the same. Fear had driven him into Crane’s arms, to hate the belfry.]

Yeah.

[ Bruce shifts where he sits, turns his body toward Jason, so when he looks up, he'd see him clearly. He isn't turning away. He's turning his back on this kid for being afraid. ]

Fear is a tool. Like any other in your belt. That means you control it. Don't let it control you.

Easy for you to say.

[Jason shakes his head at Bruce.]

What do you have to be afraid of?

[ People dying, people he loves. Or they leave him. Or they come back and hate him to the very core of him. Not being good enough. Strong enough. Fast enough.

Briefly, he thinks about Sam Kristoff, dying alone in that tunnel. ]

Plenty.

[Jason scoffs dismissively.]

You have a whole belfry behind you.

Jason, I can't promise what will happen when you get home. But while you're here, you are one of us. Let us help you.

I am not one of you. [Jason replies sharply.] You all made that very clear.

I haven't made anything clear except that I want to help you.

[ Bruce, unfazed by the sharp turn in Jason's tone, takes another bite of his hotdog. ]

How would you even help me? Draw me in close just to reject me? Call me 'son' and then a 'mistake' all in the same 36 hours?

[Jason crosses his arms.]

That's all I ever am: a mistake.

[ Bruce says nothing else. Just takes the last few bites of his hotdog then gets to his feet. ]

Jason, I've never given you a reason to believe that's how I see you. You're insisting on things I never said. Blaming me for motives that are not mine. Learn to tell the difference between me and the man you know where you're from and maybe we can try again.

[ With that, he turns to go. ]

[As Bruce turns, Jason panics. No, he can’t do this again.]

Don’t go.

[His voice is tight with fear.]

Look. I’m. I’m trying to get used to this shit. [He sucks in a breath.] And I’m really good at pushing people away.

[ He does stop, but does not offer to sit down again. Just turns to look at Jason. ]

We don't have to be enemies. You don't have to push me away.

[Jason nods and sits back down on his log.]

I don’t want us to be enemies either.

[Jason runs a hand through his hair.]

I’m sorry.

[ The apology is noted and it gets him to sit down again. ]

How much longer do you plan to stay? Do you need supplies?

A few more days. I might need some of the basics like food and water.

I'll come back tonight with something for you, then.

[Color Jason surprised.]

You'd do that?

Of course. You shouldn't be out here without supplies.

[Jason is still surprised by the fact that Bruce would go out of his way to help him.]

You wanna stay and have some hot dogs?

[ Did he want to stay for more hot dogs? No. He really didn't. ]

Okay. One more hot dog.

[Jason gets the sticks he’s been using to skewer meals and spears two hot dogs to cook.]

Can I ask what happens to the Jason in your universe?

[ That is a question Bruce doesn't want to answer. ]

He's fine.

[Jason presses his lips into a line.]

He didn’t get kidnapped by Deathstroke?

Don't. He's not you. You're not him.

[ Two people. Two separate lives, even they somehow look the same. Jason would not be happy with the comparison. ]

[Jason rolls his eyes as he cooks the hot dogs.]

How am I not supposed to compare myself to him?

Because it isn't helpful. You've lived an entirely separate life from him. There's nothing to compare.

[The word ‘nothing’ hits in a way he doesn’t expect. Jason’s expression tightens and his jaw clenches.]

‘Nothing,’ huh. I’m just that different.

I'm not going to argue with you about this.

What, don’t want to waste time on ‘nothing’?

[Jason pulls the hot dogs off the fire, puts one in a bun, and thrusts it in Bruce’s direction, despite the argument.]

You're twisting what I said.

[ He accepts the hot dog but doesn't bite it. ]

I’m not. You’re the one who said it.

[Jason puts the other hot dog in a bun and sits down on a log across from Bruce.]

You are. Stop it.

Or what? I become the problem child? The one you can’t fix?

[Jason angrily chomps down on his hot dog.]

That is not what I think, Jason. Do not twist this into that.

[ His jaw is tight, voice strained. ]

Then what, Bruce? What do you think?

That you’re asking for something can’t give you. I don’t think you’re a mistake, but I can’t change what your Bruce thought.

[Bruce hits right on the money and Jason crosses his arms before sinking into silence as he takes another bite of his hot dog.]

[ They sit in silence for a little while before Bruce gets back up. ]

I'll get your supplies.

Don’t bother. [Jason mutters under his breath.]

[ He doesn't say anything to that. Just keeps walking.

But he will bother.

That night Jason will find a fresh set of supplies left in his campsite - neatly packed, carefully chosen - even though Bruce is no where to be seen. ]

[As soon as Jason spots the supplies, he storms out of his tent.]

I know you're out there! Just leave me alone!

[ Is he out there? We just don't know. He doesn't come out either way. ]

[Grumble grumble grumble as he takes the supplies back to his tent. Point to Bruce.]

( bruce was out and about. doing what, damian had observed but deemed it relatively unimportant in the moment given his own intentions, so he had watched. waited for the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity to leap from his own hiding place straight down onto batman himself. he could have been polite, offered a warning noise, any indication that damian had been coming for him, but batman should always be prepared for anything, and if he manages to get surprised by a robin leaping down from above him to attempt to throw their weight onto the back of his shoulders and knock him off balance - well. that sounds like an issue batman needs to resolve sooner rather than later, which clearly means this attack is just here to ensure the man prepares himself. )

[ Bruce has been on high alert since he got here. Not that that's anything new or novel or different, but there's something about being plucked up out of his life and plopped down again without even a hint of a warning that sharpens his awareness. So when Damian is drops from what feels like nowhere, Bruce isn't caught off guard. He shifts instinctively the second he feels Damian's weight hit him, compensating for the sudden impact and countering Damian's momentum before it could tip him forward. ]

Too slow, Robin.

( bruce shifts his weight, and the lack of him stumbling is as good of a sign as any that damian isn't knocking him off balance. it's alright. there are multiple ways to hinder someone regardless of if his first tactic failed, so damian moves on to the second.

one arm wraps around bruce's shoulder, fingertips gripping onto the batsuit to support his weight while legs wrap around the man's waist, holding himself upright while he reaches for a small blade with his spare hand - not to use it against bruce, but simply so he can attempt to press it to the curve of the man's jawline where the cowl doesn't quite protect skin. )

Yet I am still significantly faster than you.

( mostly because he isn't carrying around a heavy suit of armor nor is he two hundred pounds of pure muscle, so he does have that going for him. )

Edited 2025-07-20 19:39 (UTC)

[ It's true. It's so damn true and Bruce wonders would Sam Kristof still be alive if it had been Damian chasing him in that tunnel instead of Bruce. He would have reached him. He would have stopped whoever it was that had gotten to Sam first.

It's not a thought he lets linger too long. Not when he has a gremlin climbing on his shoulders.

He lets Damian press the knife against his jaw. Lets him think he's gained the upper hand, until Bruce reaches for Damian's wrist, and yanks him forward, aiming to drag him clean over his shoulder. ]

( it's play fighting, not anything serious. bruce drags damian over his shoulder, and damian gives an oof as he lets himself go slack. it's less trust, and more - he knows how to land without causing too much injury to himself when it comes down to it. if bruce opts to throw him to the ground, damian isn't going to end up with anything too hurt. if he's opting to throw him forward and catch him in the same breath - he has a slack damian to wrangle however he pleases. )

[ he doesn't wrangle Damian so much as he gets him into position to be dropped safely to the ground. ]

Did you get that out of your system?

( a truly wise decision, given how without bruce trying to wrangle him, damian is at a loss for excuses to further attack his father. he drops down onto his feet easily enough, and - contemplates twisting around to try throwing bruce to the floor once more, but he isn't dick grayson, and damian has get to discern where his limitations lie when it comes to playfighting with him. )

No. But I will allow you continue on your way, for now.

( while damian instead drops his hands to the ground behind him and does a backwards cartwheel in the direction bruce had been going. he's feeling slightly less out of place, now. and batman benefits by gaining a shadow. )

[ The thing is, drop Robins only work when the victim is unsuspecting. And Bruce? Paranoid enough to think someone's always about to fall out of the sky and land on his back. That the culprit this time is Damian doesn't change that. He knows his kid well enough to expect a second strike. Or third. Or an ambush.

It doesn't matter. It wouldn't work. Bruce never drops his guard. ]

Allow me? How very generous.

Edited 2025-07-25 04:37 (UTC)

( he considers, briefly, if he should make an attempt at stopping his father from continuing on his way. less out of a desire to do so and more out of a need to prove the snarky how very generous comment to be correct: damian is well-trained, he should at minimum be able to delay the man in front of him, if not prove himself to be a worthy adversary. he has spent his entire life proving himself, fighting at every turn, to continue to be a son talia al ghul could be proud of.

but as quickly as the thought occurs to him, he dismisses it. fighting at every turn just to show he is worth another's attention has not proved to be effective within the wayne household, and he's learning to work around years of league training. even if he feels as if some of his efforts have proven to be futile.

instead, damian rights himself. stays facing bruce as one corner of his mouth twitches up into a little half-grin. it's not quite as confident as damian would prefer it to be, but - he's trying. )

I am significantly more agile. Give it a few years, and I am certain I could overtake you.

[ He can't help but give the kid a look. The Sangraal had done more than fix the knee. Fixed more than that. Faster reflexes. Sharper focus. He moved faster. Thought faster. Like he'd de-aged 5 years in 11 hours. He's agile, could move like a younger man again. But all of this required more treatments and he doubted Etraya would be generous enough to slip him a few vials of the stuff to keep the edge.

So Damian isn't wrong. He just didn't need a few years. He needed a bit more confidence. That little smile of his almost pulls one out of Bruce. Almost. ]

Try right now.

[ He points in the distance, across Nova City's skyline toward Big Belly Burger. ]

I've set up another safe house over there. Beat me to it.

[ It'd give them a chance to get to know one another again. And for Bruce to test the limits of this Sangraal now that he's been cut off from it. ]

( the smile fades into confusion when bruce tells him to try it now because he knows his own capabilities well, just as he's well-aware he's nowhere near capable of hindering grayson, let alone his father. but a challenge has been issued, and damian knows better than to turn it down. there's a jerk of his head that's meant to be a nod of sorts, and damian turns to look in the direction bruce pointed. )

Alright.

( confirmation more than anything else, because the challenge has been issued and damian's taking off at a quick pace in the direction of big belly burger. he's not quite certain which safehouse his father is referring to, but he has time to figure it out - and if it comes down it, it's not as if he can't wait for bruce to direct him toward it before shoving the man over to beat him to it. )

[ Damian not knowing where the safehouse is exactly is the only advantage Bruce will allow himself. It's a lesson in deduction. And in learning how his father thinks. He's a smart kid. Bruce has no doubt Damian will piece it together without much trouble.

There's no signal, no warning that the race is starting. Bruce just moves - a sprint and running leap off the building. He fires his grappling line with a snap toward the next rooftop, momentum carrying him forward without stopping. He lands hard, tucking into a roll, and comes up already running toward the edge. Another leap. Another line. Another rooftop.

Keep up, Damian. ]

( keeping up isn't an issue.

damian is small and fast, capable of flight in a way only a robin has ever been. bruce's footsteps fall hard when he lands, but damian is near-silent as he flits across the skyline. he's grown accustomed to following batman, and it shows in the way he takes advantage of bruce blazing his own trail forward: bruce swings to one rooftop to another, and damian leaps mere moments after him, fingers gripping onto the edge of bruce's cape just long enough to use his momentum to swing damian forward. he doesn't land on the roof, choosing to instead drop just before the edge so he can fire his own grapple to hit the edge of the building and - reels in the line whilst still holding onto it. the momentum wouldn't be enough for anyone larger, but he's light, agile, and it's enough to fling him toward the edge of the building. damian rolls with it, grinning wide because he's never felt more free than when he's flying.

it's obvious from the way he moves that damian may be new to being robin, but he's been picking up a significant amount from richard. the league taught efficiency, taught him not to waste energy, to make every movement count and damian - he's showing off even if it's nowhere near the extent one may have expected from the first robin. and even then, this isn't - the blend of robin and al ghul that damian learns to utilize, it's leaning significantly more heavily into richard's teachings than damian would have without his father watching.

he's trying a little too hard to impress, maybe. but he's still fast about it - it's not long at all before he's several yards ahead of bruce, eyes searching across empty buildings and facilities for what looks like an ideal place for a safe house. )

[ Using Bruce's momentum to his own advantage. Smart. Exactly the kind of ingenuity he's come to expect out of Damian. Find the advantage, take it, use it to put yourself in the better position. Bruce, however still had the upper hand, even as Damian sails past him with ease. The bright colors make him easy to track, and he shadows his son's path across the city. Falling and grappling and swinging between buildings with practiced precision.

His body still moves like he's aged ten years in reverse and when he lands on that injured knee it doesn't twinge at all. He could take that running leap without hesitation. But as he's falling, the thought returns - a flicker of unease about the treatment that's made it possible. A suspicion that digs a little deeper each night. He has no way of examining this closer. No Clark to confide in. No Alfred to ask those probing questions where Bruce might refuse to. He's alone in this, well and truly.

Damian is searching and Bruce already knows where to go. Bruce makes sure he's seen before melting into the shadows between the buildings.

The safehouse is tucked away on the topmost floor of a squat building between Big Belly Burger and the Daily Planet. If Damian's paying attention, he might catch the dark blur slip through a window - the wrong window of the wrong building. Bruce isn't giving the game up. Not yet. ]

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