Chapter Text
Peter just wanted to leave. He felt awful the moment Dick asked him about his sensory problems in front of his friends.
He didn’t know where he was going, he just wanted to be away from them all. He ran so fast he didn’t even realise he had reached the other side of the mall.
Ducking behind a large pillar to catch his breath, he covered his face and let out a frustrated sigh.
He wanted to scream at Dick and Damian for making his life miserable.
Why?!
Why did Damian even call them?
And why did Dick have to do that? Now they were all going to think he was weird.
The sting of tears returned. He couldn't stay here anymore. He pulled out his phone to call Alfred, but a small sniff stopped him in his tracks.
Peter frowned. It sounded like someone was crying.
Turning around, he noticed a large potted plant towering nearby.
He stepped cautiously behind it to find a little girl sitting on the floor, her knees drawn tightly to her chest. She looked about five or six, with red, puffy eyes and a blotched face.
Peter looked around, but the mall crowds were just passing by without a care. Nobody else was near her.
Is she…….
“Are you lost?” Peter asked worried.
The girl lifted her face slowly and nodded. Her face was blotched.
Peter immediately felt bad. He knelt down beside her. “Who did you come with?”
The girl’s lips wobbled, “Da…..Daddy” more tears pooled around her big eyes.
Peter looked around worried. There was no one near.
“What’s your name?”
The girl hesitated, so Peter quickly introduced himself first to make her feel safe.
“I’m Peter” he pointed at himself.
That made the little girl relax. “Peter?” She pointed at him.
Peter nodded with a smile.
“Lian”
“That’s a beautiful name, Lian” Peter wiped her tears.
Lian sniffed and wiped her nose.
“How about we look for your daddy?” Peter suggested.
But Lian shrunk and avoided her gaze.
Peter noticed it. “Did….you run away from him?”
Lian pouted. She did run away from him.
Peter sighed. “That’s not good, Lian. He must be worried about you!”
“He lied”
Peter’s eyebrows raised up. That’s sounds so familiar. “But you can’t run away from him. What if someone bad gets you?”
“shoot em like daddy” Lian replied firmly.
Alarm bells went off in Peter’s mind immediately.
What. The. Fuck?
Shoo…..shoot?
What does her father even do?
“Is….is your da…daddy a cop?” Peter asked slowly.
Lian shook her head.
Peter froze, his mind started racing through a list of professions that involved shooting people but didn’t involve a badge.
“Why are you alone?” Lian asked tilting her head.
“…..uh..” Right what does he tell her?
“Is your daddy mean to you too?” Lian’s eyes darkened.
Peter almost bursted out laughing seeing her face. She looked adorable ready to fight.
“No, Lian…Bruc—I mean…my dad is……uh…..he’s……”
Peter couldn’t answer.
Was Bruce mean? Well not generally. Right? He is the nicest guy he knows after Dr. Banner. He does come up with dumb reasons to ground them, but He is kind to everyone—
‘He abandoned you in New York’
The voice reminded him.
Right….
That’s pretty mean….
Peter’s chest tightened thinking about it.
“I…..I came with my brothers” Peter replied slowly.
“So, they were mean to you?” Lian’s big eyes locked at him.
This time Peter did laugh.
Lian looked at him confused. “Are they hurting you? I can help!” She replied excitedly.
Peter chuckled, “Really? How?” He entertained her.
“Well I was gonna call uncle Jay to come pick me up. He is huge” she lifted her hands up to exaggerate “and….and he hits daddy when daddy’s is mean to me.”
Peter’s smile dropped, “uncle….Jay?”
Lian nodded.
“And…..he’s huge?”
“Uh huh…. He can protect us from mean people like daddy”
Peter had a strange feeling.
“Lian, is his name Jayce?” There is no way it’s Jay right?
“Nuh uh….” She shook her head. “It’s Jason. Uncle Jason. He’s huge and He has white hair here!” She pointed at her forehead. “and he saves lotsa kids”
………………….
………….
……
“What?” Peter whispered
Peter’s mind shut down for a second.
Jason?
……….Jayce has white hair.
The kid is probably confused. It’s Jayce!
Did Jayce saves kids?
Maybe it’s someone else?
But a huge man who has white hair just on the front?
That’s not common!
It has to be Jayce.
But Jayce is Dick’s friend. He is a family friend. Tony knows hi—
………….Tony knows him..
How many people did Tony trust Peter with?
……………..
……..
“Uh….Lian…..is….uh….does uncle Jason have scar on his face?”
Lian beamed immediately. “Uh, huh!! And he shoots just like Daddy”
Peter mouth went dry
No.
That can be true!!
Tony would never……..
"Lian! Lian!"
Before he could press for details, a frantic voice cut through the ambient noise of the mall.
The little girl’s ears perked up, but instead of calling back, she immediately tried to wedge herself further behind the giant potted plant.
A man came skidding around the corner, looking completely disheveled. He had messy red hair, a baseball cap pulled low, and a look of sheer, unadulterated panic on his face. His eyes scanned the crowd wildly until they landed on the pillar—and on the kid near it.
Behind the kid he saw the familiar shoes and pigtails.
"Hey! Get away from her!" the man yelled, lunging forward.
Peter instinctively stood in-front of Lian, stepping between the stranger and the little girl.
The man stopped a few feet away, chest heaving. His eyes darted from the kid to Lian, who was peeking out from behind his legs.
The panic on the man's face instantly melted into overwhelming relief. He dropped to his knees, completely ignoring the judgmental looks from passing shoppers.
"Lian, oh my god," he breathed.
"Don't ever do that to me again. I thought... I thought someone took you."
Lian crossed her arms, still pouting. "You lied, Daddy. You said we were getting ice cream, but you ignored me and were just talking on the phone"
Peter blinked.
So that’s her Dad?
The man rubbed his face with his hands, looking exhausted. "I told you, Roy-boy had to talk about work for five minutes. I'm sorry, princess. I'm so sorry."
He looked up at the kid in-front of her.
Wait….
Where has he seen him?
"I’m so sorry kid. Did she give you a hard time? Thank you for staying with her. I'm Roy."
Peter just watched him carefully.
The man didn’t look like a cop. A thug maybe?
“……she was nice…..just wanted to shoot everyone?”
Roy let out a breathless, self-deprecating laugh, pulling Lian into a tight hug. "Yeah, she gets that from me. And her aunties. And her uncle. Pretty much everyone we know. Right princess?” Roy tapped on her nose.
"Uncle?" Peter asked.
The way Peter asked made Roy pause. “Who are you again?”
"Peter's brothers were mean to him," Lian piped up from her father's shoulder, pointing a tiny finger at Peter. "He was about to cry."
Peter’s face burned with embarrassment. "Lian, No! I didn't—"
Roy’s mouth hung open with a sudden, understanding.
“You are—“
“PETER!”
The voice startled them both. He turned to see Jon and Damian hurrying towards them.
Dick’s face was filled with worry. Not only that, the entire crew were behind them.
“Pete! You can’t run away like that again. Okay?” Dick replied firmly.
He didn’t think Peter would be that fast. As soon as he turned behind the wall, he disappeared.
But Peter just stood there staring at Roy.
Conner’s face twisted as soon as he saw who it was.
Can this day get any worse?
Roy was stunned. All he could do was stare at the kid who was looking at him like he stole his candy.
OMFG!!!!!
That’s the mini bat Jason was talking about!!!
That’s Jason’s brother?!!!!!
Batman’s son!!!!
The Stark kid!!!!
Fuck!
Conner crossed his arms and glared at Roy. "Harper. Why are you harassing a kid?"
"I'm not harassing him! He found my daughter!" Roy yelped, holding Lian like a human shield. "And for the record, you're the one invading my personal space bubble."
"Roy?" Dick noticed him finally. "What are you doing in Gotham?"
Peter watched it all.
So they all knew this man.
"Trying to buy shoes?! Until the mini Bruce kidnapped my child!"
"He would never!" Jon defended loudly,
Peter’s mind found it hard to process everything.
They all know each other!
Every one of them!
Even Bruce being his dad!
"Running away like a child? How old are you?" Damian snapped at Peter and checked over him.
"Damian!” Dick warned.
Damian rolled his eyes and glared at Roy. Why is this clown here? Is Todd here as well?
"Woah, woah, hold on," Wally said, suddenly blurring from the back of the group to stand right next to Roy, "Are those the new Air Jordans? In a size nine? Dude, they’ve been sold out for weeks!"
"Right?!" Roy beamed, momentarily forgetting Batman's youngest assassin glaring at him. "I had to bribe the guy in the back."
Conner was so done!
Meanwhile, Lian peeked over Roy’s shoulder, her big eyes locking onto Damian. She pointed a chubby finger at him. "Daddy, that boy is making ugly face like you"
Jon snickered, covering his mouth.
But, Gar burst into a fit of breathless laughter, leaning against a stone pillar for support.
"I will dismantle you, Logan," Damian hissed.
Raven sighed.
"Lian?" Kori gasped, her eyes lighting up as she came forward, completely ignoring the tension.
"Little one! Look how big you have grown!" She immediately snatched Lian out of Roy's arms, cuddling the toddler, who instantly forgot she was mad. Kori smelled like cotton candy!
Peter, however, was still stuck on the most important, mind-shattering piece of information. He tapped Jon on the shoulder. "Jon."
"Yeah, Pete?"
"Who is he?" Peter pointed a finger at Roy.
“….oh…….that’s—“
“A nuisance” Damian answered immediately.
Dick sighed. “This is Roy, Peter. He is a friend”
Peter looked at him carefully, “A friend of….Jay?”
Dick froze. He turned at Peter and saw a familiar gaze on him. One that reminded him of Bruce.
Is he…..reading him?
Damian glared at Roy as soon as Peter said it. Did this moron utter something stupid?
Roy let out an awkward chuckle, “yeah….did Lian tell you that?”
“Uncle Jay-Jay is the best!” Lian piped in.
Roy and Dick’s eyes grew wide.
Jason is going to murder them!!
Peter didn’t react.
“Mr. Jayce and I are good friends” Roy replied with a strained smile.
“Nuh uh” Lian shook her head.
“Uh huh” Roy replied immediately.
‘God, Lian! you’re are going to send me to my early grave’
“Yeah, both are thick as thieves” Wally tried to cover up.
Dick let out a thankful sigh. Thank god Roy knows about the Mr. Jayce thing. He didn’t want Peter to find about Jason. Anytime soon.
“What can I say, He pays half of my rent. And I got a family to take care off” Roy looked at Lian who was still in Kori’s arms.
…………
……
…
Peter on the hand stood frozen on spot. His mind was reeling.
Roy knew Jayce!
But lian said his name is Jason!
The white hair…….
Jayce has white hair.
But she is a kid…..she could be wrong!
His eyes traveled from Roy who was talking with Dick and Wally.
He looked over to Lian who was in Kori’s arms.
‘Uncle Jason. He’s huge and He has white hair here!’
That’s Jayce! Right?
’he saves lotsa kids. He can protect us from mean people like daddy’
That sounded a lot like Red Hood!
……………Wait……
Are they…..both………..
“Why did you let him run?” Damian’s voice floated behind him. He turned back to see Damian and Jon arguing.
“What?” Jon asked baffled. “You were there as well. And you were closer to him!”
“That is irrelevant! You are here to make sure he is fine!”
“Damian, you upset him!” Jon was starting to get irritated.
Donna was staring at Peter. The boy looked clueless. The empty face he had bothered her. She has to apologies. She walked over to him, but Conner beat her to it.
“Hey” Conner nudged him.
Peter looked up. “Huh?”
He wanted to ignore the kid, but The kid’s heartbeat is skyrocketing. Anymore and his heart will come out of this throat. And he hated the dazed look on his face.
“Come on let’s get you a drink!” He grabbed Peter’s hand and stated walking.
Jon who was arguing with Damian saw Conner leaving with Peter.
Damian followed Jon’s eyes and saw the clone, take Peter away.
“Stop!”
He turned around and started walking behind him.
“Hey wait for me!” Jon did the same.