Chapter Text
Thinking back Dicks first clue that the night was going to end so disastrously should have been just how calm these past few weeks had been. Patrols had practically been light training with no Arkham break outs no world ending catastrophes just low-level crimes. He briefly wondered what that statement said about his life before deciding that train of thought was probably best avoided. The only reason he wasn’t in Bludhaven at the moment was to help with everything going on with the family. Between Duke joining them and Damian and Tim at odds yet again he figured it would be best for everyone if he was a consistent presence in the house until things settled down a bit. And it seemed that him being back in the manor was having the intended in effect and he predicted he could go back to Blud by weeks end if nothing major came up of course.
The something major, that of course happened this was Gotham after all, he could not have predicated. The something in question being a mountain of bodies that littered the roof of a warehouse on the edge of the city limits. Dick was suddenly very glad that the younger one’s patrol had ended, and they weren’t here to see this in person. While none of them where strangers to death having a veritable mass slaughter lack this was not something that they were used to seeing. Looking over to Batman he said “Alright B so what are you thinking this could even be, I mean from what I’m seeing most of the bodies were killed by either gun shots or blades and each body only has one or two wounds at most these where very well-placed lethal strikes. Far too well done to just be a simple gang war, so unless someone hired Deathstroke for this which would be a strange were looking at something else entirely. Not to mention the weird robes that they’re all wearing and the knives that they where clearly using. There’s not a gun among them”.
Batman crouched down examining the bodies “Hn, agreed Nightwing, Oracle do we have any footage of this attack”. As Batman pulled a bullet from one of the cultists and some bullet fragments from the roof.
The genderless voice of Oracle rang out over the comms “Yeah though it’s fragmented at best, I can still make out who’s responsible and uh” There was slight uncharacteristic hesitation from Oracle before the report continued “It’s well it was Hood the group was heading towards the alley and well Hood took care of them”.
The words felt like a punch to the gut to Dick, Jason did all of this he was struggling just to process the fact that not only did one person do all of this but that it was Jason at that. His thoughts where interrupted by Batman’s gruff voice barking an order on comms waking up the ones not currently on patrol “Everyone start tracking down where the Red Hood is, he has murdered one hundred and fifty unidentified people belonging to an unknown group”.
“B why do you think he did this why didn’t he call for backup or anything, things where getting better” Dick said almost frantic. However Batman didn’t acknowledge his words already confirming that the Red Hoods trackers where indeed disabled.
Oracle spoke up over comms “There is nothing coming up on cameras anywhere wherever he is he’s avoiding all of our detection systems”.
After over two hours of fruitless searching Batman called to regroup back at the cave to plan and go over next steps. Everyone was tired and exhausted from being either reawaken or extending patrol beyond its usual time and with absolutely nothing to show for it. Jason had seemingly just disappeared off the face of the earth without a trace. Something that seemed to be irking Tim to great degree has when Dick arrived back to the cave Tim was pacing back and forth Infront of the Bat computer in frustration. “How could he of just disappeared it just doesn’t make any sense”! Tim declared once everyone had made it to the cave. His hair tossed in different directions and not even fully in costume.
Sighing lightly Dick moved over towards Tim knowing that when he didn’t understand how something was even able to happen it would keep him up for hours trying to find an answer. “Look Timmy Jason knows our systems inside and out hell he helped design some of them it’s little surprise that he would be able to avoid them without us even knowing” he said trying to put his mind at ease.
Tim turned quickly “I know! that that’s why added extra methods that Jason shouldn’t know about in case something like this happened and all of them where disabled in under a minute, it doesn’t make any sense how could Jason know about them and get around them so quickly” he said briskly frustration lacing every word.
Of course that’s when Damian decided to add his two cents “TT why are you even surprised Drake of course Jason was able to get around your extra security, or did you already forget when he broke into your nest. Besides it’s not like Jason wouldn’t have contingencies of his own”.
Dick could already feel the argument coming so he put his hand on Tim’s shoulder before he could respond before saying “Your right Damian I’m sure Jason had plans in place, it’s more that we’re trying to figure out how they were able to overcome Tim’s so quickly”.
Finally Bruce decided to weigh in “We can worry about how he did it later for now our focus has to be on figuring out where he is right now, Barbra has already started algorithms scanning for Jason’s presence. I want everyone else to reach to start to figure out who those people where that Jason killed, finding them may be our first clue as to what he will do next” he said in his heavy gruff voice though it was evident that the events of the night where weighing heavily on him now that he was out of the suit.
Steph asked “Wait wait wait, do we even have a plan of what we’ll do once we find Jason I mean like what will even do with him” she said with hint of worry.
Bruce responded with “He’s killed again on a scale that he has to answer for he’ll have to face the consequences accordingly” his voice morphing into his batman voice.
That shocked Dick a bit he knew that they would have to question Jason, but he hadn’t honestly thought about what they would do with Jason after the fact. He supposed they couldn’t just let him go but what did Bruce mean by consequences. “B what would these consequences be exactly” that question seemed to stop all side chatter.
Every looked toward Bruce with bated breath before he spoke “We’ll need to send to a specialized prison one that he can’t break out of, until the doctors finish helping him” he said with a finality that seemed to broker no argument.
Until Damian spoke up “Father do you mean to send Jason to, Arkham” his voice holding a rare degree of uncertainty.
“A specialized new section of it, but yes” Bruce responded. Damian’s eyes widened with concern in response.
“But father surely there something else we could do!” Damian protested with a vehemence that reminded Dick that Damian was still 13. This response seemed to surprise Bruce and Tim, as clearly resistance to the idea had not been expected.
Dick was about to respond to Damian and explain that while he didn’t think Arkham itself was the best place, the mental health facilities there where second to none at least now they were, thanks to Bruce’s funding and programs. However before he got the chance to Tim piped up saying “Come on clearly Jason’s not right in the head he just ruthlessly killed over hundred people in one incident and didn’t even hesitate in running, obviously he needs to be put in Arkham for his own good” for our good was left unsaid but everyone could hear it. With that statement Steph, Duke and Harper seemed to look conflicted between yelling at Tim or Bruce. Alfred was a picture of stoicism but after years of knowing him Dick could tell he hadn’t approved of what Tim was saying. Bruce however didn’t move to challenge what Tim said. And with a quick look at Babs and Kate he could tell they were with him on this matter.
Hoping to diffuse the sudden spike of tension Dick spoke up “Well Timmy I wouldn’t say that exactly, Damian it’s more that we want to know why Jason killed all of those people and then get him the help he needs and stops being a vigilante we can’t let someone who would use such force out” his voice hopefully not betraying how much he didn’t think that would be what happened. Luckily it seemed to at least calm down Steph, Harper, and Duke, and he could tell that Babs and Kate agreed at least.
“TT I still think that another solution would work better but this is more acceptable than Drakes” Damian responded with some apprehension but less aggressive in demeanor.
Bruce looked at Dick with something akin to gratitude for helping placate Damian before speaking “Yes, well I think we can hammer out the details later for now get some sleep everyone” As everyone began to head upstairs Bruce turned to him, Alfred, and Barbra signaling that we wanted to talk further. As the moved to the kitchen waiting for everyone to head upstairs.
Once they were sure that none would overhear them Bruce spoke up “I just don’t understand what Jason was doing he knows my rules he knows the consequences, I can’t let him get away with this”.
So they where jumping right into it then alrighty then Dick might as well offer his side of things “Look Bruce clearly we don’t have all the pieces here and until we do I think it’s best to avoid jumping to conclusions”.
Babs then added her perspective “I agree with Dick, I mean we know Jason’s a bit hot headed, but this is stuff we haven’t seen since he first came back to Gotham and that was an entirely different circumstance”.
At that Bruce interjected harshly “No it’s the same he’s killing people again this is just the largest and there was no way to cover it up so he ran, once you start killing you can’t just stop its just to easy a solution”.
Alfred eyes seemed to tighten at that “Master Bruce, as I’m sure your aware killing is far from an addiction”.
The simple admonishment enough to make Bruce take a breath before responding “Your right Alfred, but with Jason I can’t be sure he has this darkness that makes me think it might not be the case maybe it’s the pit maybe it’s something else I don’t know”.
Sighing Dick said, “Yeah maybe Bruce maybe”.
In another part of the manor Damian was listening in on his father’s conversation with Richard, Barbra, and Alfred. He almost wanted to go down there right now and demand that they see reason that of course sending his brother to an asylum wouldn’t work either Jason would simply break out and never trust the family again or he would respond with revenge at the betrayal either way Damian would make sure he was firmly with his brother on this. Afterall a small part of him thinks if this is how father reacts to finding Jason killing what would he do to Damian if he ever had to kill again.
Regardless there is nothing he can do directly now but the next time Ummi calls he’ll inform of what he knows of father’s plans. He’s sure that she would have a way to contact Jason and let him know. Still a part of him is slightly irritated with Jason for not informing him of his departure, after all he could have helped and gone with him.
There is however a second bug in the kitchen listening in. Tim can’t believe what Barbra and Dick are saying of course Jason would do something like this, the only thing about this whole situation that doesn’t make sense as that Jason was actually able to do it. I mean come on he had to have had some sort of help there’s just no way a brute like Jason would be able to not only take out 150 opponents and escape all detection and his extra security despite what the demon brat might say. Sure Jason isn’t useless but he’s far from solely competent. Nothing like Bruce, Cass, Dick or himself. He’ll have to keep digging for whoever helped Jason fight and then get out of Gotham the problem is that he doesn’t know who Jason would know that could help him like that. Tim makes a mental note to bring it up in tomorrow’s briefing before calling it a night he knows that nothing more will get done tonight.
Everyone not on patrol currently is in the cave going over evidence and footage trying to find anything about how Jason could have gotten out. Everyone has dark circles under their eyes by now after several days since Jason’s disappearance. Suddenly she hears a shout of frustration from across the room as Tim’s voice yells out “How could he have evaded those cameras he shouldn’t even know they exist!! Who could have been helping him this just doesn’t add up”. Taking a deep breath so she doesn’t get any more pissed off at Tim than she already is she decides to just ignore him not like he’d take her input seriously anyways.
Turning back to her footage that she’s analyzing she can’t help but think about how if he’s evading every camera and motion senser he had to know where the blind spots where. Suddenly the answer on how to figure out how Hood even left the city hit’s square in the face. She jumps causing the four other people in the cave to turn towards her before declaring “I figured it out how we can track where Jason went to get out of Gotham, if he’s avoided every single camera and detector that means he had to be in those cameras blind spots so if he find a path of blind spots from the ware house out t an exit that we don’t have covered then we have his path”! she exclaimed glad that they finally had a first step.
However of course that’s when Tim spoke up “Steph look I mean it’s a theory sure, but he probably just had his contact get him out of the city I mean this is Jason there’s no way he was able to avoid all the cameras on his own” his voice tinged with exhaustion.
Dick spoke up shutting Tim down “Tim I’m sorry but Jason isn’t inept it’s not unreasonable to see him avoiding cameras he already knew about and spotting ones he didn’t. I think Steph’s Idea is the most plausible approach we have after patrol we can have Oracle detect all possible paths that he could have taken, ok timmers”.
Steph smiled slightly at the support though she felt her chest tighten slightly at the comment from Tim, she knew he was tired but still he did not have to always be such a tightass about these things. Shaking her head a bit she decided to make her way upstairs to the manor for some well deserved rest and Alfred’s cooking.
After Steph went upstairs he pinched his brow he still couldn’t get why Tim was being so confrontational about all of this. Yes this whole thing was personal for everyone, and they were all pushing themselves to their limits, but he needed to talk to Tim and figure out what was happening. He took a few of those grounding breaths that his therapist had taught him about before getting up from the floor and going over to Tim. “Hey Timmy, come on where going outside to the gardens, up and at em” he said with some false enthusiasm.
Tim groaned slightly in protest but let Dick pull him up from the floor and outside of the manor and into the gardens. Dick scanned the garden for a bench that they could sit on before leading Tim over to it. Looking at the pond in the garden with crickets filling the night air and the cool night air brushing through his hair Dick closed his eyes leaning back against the cool firmness of the worn wooden bench. Letting the sounds of the manor at night fill the air between them. Dick leaned there for several mintues before speaking with his eyes still closed “Look Tim I don’t know if there’s something going on outside of this whole Jason case or if this case is just hitting a nerve but you need to take a step back from it, your pushing us away when we need to be united right now do understand what I’m saying Tim”.
“Yeah, I guess it’s just there are so many things that go against everything we know about Jason” Tim replied with an edge of frustration to his voice.
“Everything we know or everything you think” Dick responded curtly. Sensing that everything that could be said to Tim had been tonight he dismissed him. Allowing himself to relax in the garden on his own. Anything more with this whole situation could wait till tomorrow. He almost laughs at the thought and how his younger self would have reacted to such a statement, his teammates on the titans could certainly attest to that much. That reminded him he should reach out to the titans see how there doing, he could use the distraction in the coming days.