Chapter Text
Dick lay relaxed in bed with Barbara and enjoyed the quiet moment they had together. Within a few hours, Barbara will be leaving for Gotham, and Dick will have to address the remaining issues in Blüdhaven. Unfortunately, Blockbuster seemed to be more resistant than initially assumed, which was why Dick had been working on it for a good year now. He could hardly wait for everything in the city to finally run smoothly without the need for him to check everything several times a week. Even though he wasn’t born in Gotham, he missed the city now. The few trips every three weeks weren’t enough.
A smile stole across Dick’s face when he saw Barbara’s red hair and heard her steady breathing. You couldn’t get any closer to moments of happiness than this. But suddenly everything inside Barbara tensed and she opened her eyes.
“Call in five,” she warned him, but this was hardly enough to arm herself for his ringtone. No matter what this phone call would entail, if Barbara was this terrified by the glimpse of the future, it couldn’t be good news.
Dick recognized Bruce’s number and knew it had to be terrible news if Bruce didn’t leave it to Alfred to deliver a message.
Dick recognized Bruce’s number and knew it must be terrible news if Bruce didn’t leave it to Alfred to deliver a message.
“I need you in Gotham,” Bruce ordered without warning. Normally, this would have been enough to make Dick rebel and object. Bruce listed the obligations he had to fulfill in Blüdhaven and reminded him that Dick was only conquering Blüdhaven’s underworld for Bruce. Usually, but not today. Dick could see tears running down Barbara’s cheeks out of the corner of his eye, and Bruce’s voice was as angry as he’d ever heard it.
“What’s wrong?” Dick asked, and it was the first time in a very long time that he was afraid of the answer. What could have put Gotham’s shadow in such an emotional state? What could have caused Barbara to have to suppress her sobs?
“We need to remind Gotham what happens to people who rebel against the Waynes.”
Dick frowned and put a hand on Barbara’s shoulder to reassure her at least a little. He just didn’t understand what had happened yet. There were always people who thought they could hurt his family, but usually Bruce sent his lieutenants to sort things out. Only rarely did he send Dick, and even more rarely did he go into action himself.
“Jason’s been murdered.”
Dick froze, and he could recognize the exact moment when Barbara knew that Dick had experienced her future. She wrapped her hands around his neck, but he barely noticed the embrace.
“I’m on my way,” he replied to Bruce before hanging up. It had been a very long time since his own voice had sounded so distorted with anger.
The first time Dick had stopped by the Manor since moving to Blüdhaven, he had been furious. His own father hadn’t wanted him back in town, even though Dick was the most loyal and talented of his men.
And then there was the fact that Dick’s men had informed him of rumors. Bruce Wayne, the Shadow of Gotham, had a new heir. An heir who couldn’t defend himself and had no talents whatsoever.
“Are the rumors true?” he asked Alfred as soon as he stepped into the entrance hall and had his coat removed. Alfred raised an eyebrow, but didn’t play games this time. Alfred knew everything and had the best information. But if you wanted to know something from him, you usually had to ask more specifically.
“Master Bruce has taken Master Jason into the family and placed him under his personal protection.”
It didn’t escape Dick’s notice that Alfred emphasized the last sentence. Dick couldn’t have cared less.
“Am I no longer good enough to be his son? Is that why he sent me away? So he can start all over again?” It wasn’t fair to spit such venomous words in Alfred’s face, but Alfred knew her every whim and every insecurity. Dick was not ashamed to show them so openly in front of the man.
“Master Dick. You are and always will be a part of this family. Master Bruce would never have sent you to Blüdhaven if he didn’t have the utmost confidence in your abilities. There is no one else he could have entrusted with this task.”
And he felt a sudden release of the tension that had been building up in him for so long. Those words had been all Dick had needed to hear to be sure of his place in the Wayne family. But there was still a new member, and Dick would not allow this one to harm his family.
An hour ago, Dick had already blinded the man in front of him so severely that his eyeballs had dried up. But it hadn’t triggered a feeling of satisfaction in Dick. Just as the screams afterwards could not. On the other hand, Dick had given free rein to his feelings and his powers without Bruce intervening. He stood in a corner of the room and had been watching the torture since it began.
He and Dick had brought down this camp and made sure that none of these traitors would survive the next day. Now only this pig remained before them, and if Dick had his way, they had been far too merciful so far.
“Still think the Waynes are weak?” Dick whispered into his victim’s good ear, enjoying the way the man winced. He never knew exactly where Dick was, and Dick delighted in his disorientation. It wouldn’t have had to come to this if he had only trusted the Waynes and not stabbed them in the back.
Unfortunately, the man actually dared to grin, as if he had heard the best news in the world. “Not anymore. Now that the weakness has been removed.”
Dick’s breath caught as all his light was drained from him, and without Bruce having to say a word, he backed away. Not even God could help this man now. Dick had no sympathy at all.
“Weak spot. You call my son a weak spot?”
Dick’s mouth tightened when he heard the present tense. Even when this revenge mission was over, Dick knew that Gotham would feel the true brutality of the Waynes for a very long time. Maybe this city didn’t deserve it, but his little brother was dead, and Dick could never forgive her for that.
“You dared to touch someone who was under my protection. I dare say you don’t know who is weak and who is strong.”
The shadows took a solid form, and Dick could read the fear in the man’s posture as he felt the shadows on his skin. As the man felt the shadows open his jaw, dislocate it, and the shadows made their brutal way inside the man.
A moment or two later and shadow barbs bore their way from the inside out, piercing the traitor.
Dick had almost forgotten about it. That empty feeling when the object of hatred was dead and only the emptiness of grief remained.
Weak.
That was Dick's first thought when he saw Jason Todd in the library. He was enthusiastically flipping through a book, a clear tension in his shoulders. He was apparently smart enough to realize he wasn't safe, but not talented enough to realize it wasn't because of this place, but because of Dick's presence. It was only when Dick stood directly behind him and his shadow fell across Jason's book that the boy flinched and threw himself forward.
In the next moment, the boy turned to him with startled eyes and froze. It was already evening and the only reason the shadow had betrayed Dick was because Dick had placed a light source behind him. Bruce and he had an agreement not to use the powers in the Manor, so as not to weaken each other or get in each other's way, but Dick allowed himself an exception today. He couldn't withhold his powers from the new family member after all.
"So you're my new little brother."
Fragile.
The boy in front of him was so scrawny, as if he had lacked regular meals. There was also something about his posture that Dick normally only saw in people who had faced death.
Interesting.
"Yes... Jason Todd. I ... sorry, I didn't realize you wanted to use the room."
Dick frowned and looked around. The time when Dick would voluntarily choose this place over the training room was the time when someone successfully brainwashed him.
"I didn't want to. I just wanted to meet my little brother."
Jason hid it well, but not well enough. Dick could see exactly how it bothered Jason that Dick was putting them in a familial relationship when they obviously didn't know each other. He would have to get used to it quickly, though, because even if Bruce's inner circle was small, his family was much larger and extended throughout Gotham.
“I’m Dick,” Dick said with a smile, extending his glowing hand forward. He knew Jason could feel the heat, but the boy clenched his teeth and punched, anyway. This was also the moment when Dick preferred to remove his powers. Alfred wasn’t a fan of treating burns, and Dick really didn’t want to mess with the man. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from giggling as Jason exhaled in relief. How cute, but at the same time so out of place for this family.
Dick leaned forward so he could whisper in Jason's ear. "Tell me, Jason, do you know what it means to be a Wayne?"
Jason looked at him for several seconds, as if to make sure Dick didn't want to answer the question himself, then he nodded.
"I ... I'll not betray this family."
Dick ran his hand through Jason's hair as if to show his gratitude. Actually, he wanted to leave it at a movement, but the strands were so soft and no matter how suspicious Jason was of him, Dick felt exactly that he was leaning slightly against his hand. As if his body missed that contact.
My brother.
"Of course not, but that's not what I meant." Dick really should stop playing with Jason's hair. You could hardly look threatening like that! "I meant that the Waynes can't afford to look weak. And accepting someone into our inner circle who is weak ... well, that won't go down well with many."
Jason nodded as if he understood what Dick meant, but Dick could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't ready to give up. Bruce had shown him a place full of wonders and Jason would never get another chance like this. Dick knew only too well that once you entered the Manor, it was hard to realize that the world outside was an alternative. Additionally, who would give shelter to a child who had been rejected by a head of the underworld?
"I don't have powers like you or Bruce ... or Alfred," Jason whispered, and Dick's mouth tightened. Yes, that really was a problem. To this day, Dick wasn't sure if Bruce wouldn't have looked around for other heir alternatives if Dick hadn't convinced him with his gifts. Dick's light complemented Bruce's shadow unconditionally. They could harm each other, that was true, but at the same time it was next to impossible to defeat them when they worked together.
"We won't know that, little wing, until we've tried everything."
“You’d better change that shirt,” Dick said as they left the department store and headed for the black van. Even though Bruce only wore black shirts as a matter of principle, you could still see the wet patches, and Alfred was not a fan of seeing how careless they were with their clothes.
“Not this time,” Bruce said, expressing everything he could in three words. Alfred would want to see proof that the traitor’s blood had been spilled. He would want to see that they had not gotten off lightly. Proof that there was no one left to take revenge on.
“We should have dragged it out,” Dick grumbled as he got in. Bruce said nothing to that. They both knew it wouldn’t change their feeling of powerlessness. The monsters who had set Jason’s death in motion, who had beaten Jason to death, were dead, but so was Jason. There was nothing they could do to change that.
“The funeral is next Thursday. I expect you to be there.”
Dick had no room to disagree, but tightened his mouth anyway. He didn’t like these orders. Bruce seemed to be gracious enough today to go a little softer, considering his next statement.
“For Barbara.”
Dick swallowed. Deaths in the family hit Barbara particularly hard. She saw it as her own duty to prevent such tragedies by looking to the future, but she had not been able to do so either when her father died or now when Jason died. And instead of staying with her, Dick had gone out and let his fists do the talking. He’d needed it, but Barbara had needed her friend.
“She saw it coming, you know,” Dick said, not knowing himself where he got the right to bring this up. “She knew that Jason’s views and changes in the family business would cause discord.”
Bruce said nothing, but Dick’s breath caught in his throat. All light had been removed from around him and that was warning enough. If the sun had been shining, Dick could have fought back without hesitation, but he knew that Bruce would not allow any further provocation. Dick had not intended to criticize him. He only hated himself because all his power was not enough to protect his family. He was still a little boy who didn’t understand why some people fell.
“My powers came to light when I saw my parents die. A horrible moment that triggered something.” Dick said it with a smile, but he knew his eyes went ice cold at that. Jason was smart enough to watch his eyes.
“My mom died of an overdose. So we can forget about that,” Jason said, and for the first time, Dick knew how he sounded when he talked about the death of his parents. It was like saying something that couldn’t possibly have happened, but should be recognized as a cruel fact by others.
“Well, it was, but we can try other horrible moments. How about electric shocks?”
Jason’s eyes widened. Ever since she had entered the cave beneath the Manor, the boy had been tense. No wonder, after all, there were plenty of weapons here and even if you couldn’t see it from here, there was a wonderful torture chamber further back, which was unfortunately used far too rarely. Most of them gave away their information when they woke up in a cell in the cave and couldn’t see any light.
“Are electric shocks worse than cigarette burns?”
Dick’s gaze darkened, and he realized he was immediately scanning Jason’s body for injuries. Nothing recognizable, but that didn’t mean his little brother didn’t have scars. Before he knew what he was doing, he had already leaned forward and was looking directly at Jason.
“Just give me a few names and they’ll tell us.”
As if embarrassed that Dick was letting his guard down, Jason turned his head away. Dick would have loved to see if those cute cheeks were turning red with embarrassment, but didn’t want to seem too invasive by turning Jason’s head back towards him.
“What’s the point if you want to test whether you can awaken superpowers in me? It’s unlikely to trigger from their pain.”
Dick shrugged his shoulders. “I guess you’re right about that.” Without hesitating any longer, Dick pushed against Jason and shoved him over the cliff. It wasn’t long before he could hear the body hitting the water.
“Richard!”
Dick flinched and turned to Bruce, who was scowling at him. A look that was normally reserved for traitors.
“You have three seconds to explain to me why you’re attacking someone under my protection.”
Dick frowned. “I didn’t attack him.”
Bruce’s expression didn’t get any friendlier as he stood next to Dick and looked over the cliff. Shadows manifested next to the water, helping Jason out. Not that the boy hadn’t made it to the platform a few meters away on his own.
“Didn’t you?” asked Bruce in a voice that demonstrated he had already decided the answer for himself, but Dick had to disagree.
“No, I didn’t. We both know this place is safe enough. I’ve jumped down here a thousand times and so have you.”
“Jason didn’t know,” Bruce growled, and the anger in his eyes was real. Bruce had looked like that when one of Maroni’s men had managed to take a swing at Dick. When it came to family, Bruce was not to be trifled with, and it was news to Dick that it wasn’t just Alfred and him.
“Of course not. If the fear isn’t real, they can’t reveal powers.”
Bruce’s mouth became a very thin line. Dick saw Jason climbing up the ladder in the corner of his eye, but that wasn’t important at the moment. All that mattered at the moment were Bruce’s words, which were no more than a whisper.
“Jason doesn’t have powers. If he did, they would have shown themselves by now. Hell, Dick, he’s been living on the streets. How much fear and pain do you think a kid in Gotham experiences when he’s out on his own?”
Dick swallowed and then did something stupid. He definitely deserved Bruce banishing him to Blüdhaven for a week afterward without permission to return to Gotham.
“If he doesn’t have powers, then he’ll be considered weak. No one will accept him as part of the Head.”
“Sorry, little wing,” was all Dick could say. Only a week had passed since the funeral, so the grave still seemed fresh. But every day that Dick couldn’t chat or talk to Jason felt like an entire month of loneliness.
Nevertheless, he didn’t hesitate for a second when he felt the presence behind him. Dick drew his knife and threw it in the direction of the person. To his surprise, it was a boy who caught the knife with little difficulty.
“My condolences, Mr. Grayson-Wayne,” Timothy Drake said, and Dick could see he meant it.
It was surprising because the Drakes were normally known for not revealing any emotions.