Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jason had finally managed to slip a tracker into the shipment heading up the proverbial ladder to the bigger fish in the smuggling operation. Ten months of this bullshit. Ten months of him letting drugs and weapons and people be trafficked while he became an accessory. Well, he’d been an accessory to the drugs and weapons. He hadn’t seen any of the human trafficking. From their intel, that was a job for only the trusted. He was getting close, though, close to being brought into the fold, close to meeting someone who called the shots.

Ten months he’d been isolated from anyone he trusted. He was going to demand a lot of time away after this. He hadn’t had a moment to just be in nearly a year. There were only brief flashes of time when he was around people he knew would have his back without question. Ten months without his family. All of them, he was missing all of them. Even the ones he pretended to hate. He missed Bruce’s worry and fretting when he’d come by the Cave after days of radio silence. He missed Tim and Damian’s biting snark. He missed…

No. He wasn’t going to dwell on that. He needed to keep a level head. He was monitoring the shipment being loaded onto a cute little speedboat with a busty woman in a skimpy bikini and a sheer wrap waiting on the dock. 

He had an intel drop in a couple hours with the frequency of the tracker. He really hoped this led somewhere. Bruce was due back from his off-planet mission with the Justice League heavy hitters in a few days. Hopefully, by then, they’d be preparing to bring down this pipeline. 

Then an arrow imbedded itself in one of the crates, one he recognized. This was fucking Gotham. There was no reason Green Arrow should be anywhere near this. Batman had made it clear to the League, no one set foot in Gotham. 

He didn’t bother confirming. He ducked like the others and drew a gun. He wasn’t about to let Green fucking Arrow burn ten months of undercover work, not when they were so close to bringing whoever was in charge down. He peaked out and saw him on a rooftop. So, Jason popped out enough to shoot at him, aiming for his leg. As annoyed as he was, he wasn’t about to start offing the Justice League, especially not Oliver Queen, as much as he hated the guy. 

The next arrow went wide, and he saw Green Arrow go down. Jason raced toward the alley to one side and disappeared into the shadows. No sooner had he done that, than he looked over his shoulder and saw a green something fly at the others. So, Green Lantern, too. Great. 

A screech sounded overhead, but the noise filters in his helmet protected him from the Canary Cry. Great. They were taking out the people who were supposed to lead him to the boss. What the fuck were the League doing in Gotham? Bruce wouldn’t have permitted it, and even if for some reason he had (however impossible that was), he would have warned them off their damn sting operation. 

Before he could do anything else, he was sent flying into a wall by a blur. Fucking Flash. As he scrambled to his feet, pain shot through his left shoulder. He looked down and saw the head of a damn arrow sticking out of the front of his shoulder. He saw Flash stop beside him, and he shot the guy in the hip. Allen would heal, but it would hurt like a motherfucker for a bit. Then Jason took off down the alley again. He turned a corner and broke off the back end of the arrow so he could rip it out. 

Why hadn’t he brought his emergency beacon? Bruce and Tim are going to lecture him. And Dickwing and the demon spawn will never let him hear the end of it. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a relay. How was he supposed to know the Justice League would show up?

Then something green enveloped him, slamming him to the ground and pinning him. He tried to fight it, but then Black Canary appeared with something that looked like a cross between an epipen and a Star Trek hypospray. She forced his head to the side and stabbed it into his neck. Okay, closer to an epipen than a hypospray, since the needle fucking burned going in.

Jason woke to pain. His adrenaline had long since worn off, so all the injuries he sustained were making themselves known. The obvious was the arrow wound in the shoulder, but the ribs on his right side smarted. 

His knuckles felt bruised. Something told him he’d still put up a decent fight after he’d blacked out. The Pit rage may have less of a hold on him, but it still came out when he was less coherent, like just before he slipped into complete unconsciousness while his body was still fighting it. 

He opened his eyes, since his helmet was still on. They wouldn’t know he was awake, but he could take stock of everything. He was in a cell with a metal shelf for a bed, that he was currently laying on. There were meta-suppression cuffs on his wrists, which wouldn’t really do anything to him. The walls were a sterile white, with painfully bright fluorescent lights. The wall opposite the bed was clear, probably Wayne Tech shatterproof acrylic. There was a door in the middle with a heavy steel frame. 

Flash stood in the corridor, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He looked bored. So, eventually, he’d get distracted. Jason only hoped it was before they traded— fuck, Green Lantern arrived to swap. 

“Any sign of him waking up?” Lantern asked. 

“Nothing. We sure he’s a meta?” Flash gave Jason a concerned look. “I’d burn through that sedative by now.”

“You have a faster metabolism.” 

It took a while until Flash was alone again, and then got distracted. When he did, Jason quickly hacked the door lock and slipped out. Flash dove at him, and Jason used his momentum to flip him into the cell and lock it again. He’d almost made it to the zeta tubes, when they lost power. 

Fuck. He’d hoped he’d have a bit more time before they discovered he’d escaped. Hawkman crashed to the floor between him and the zetas, his morningstar in hand. Jason ducked as he swung, rolling under him. With escape problematic, he’d have to send a distress call. If he could get to the monitor room, he could contact Batman and their away team. If he could get to the servers, he could send a message to the Cave. 

As he rounded a corner, a fist drove into his injured shoulder, sending him to one knee as the pain forced the air from his lungs. Green Arrow stood there, a dagger in each hand.

Jason wanted to hurt him, but knew he shouldn’t cause any more damage. Queen would have no such hesitation. Jason punched him in his bullet wound and raced away as he crumpled. 

Then Flash showed up again, and pain shot through his neck. Another damn sedative.

Jason shot upright, tugging at restraints. He found himself in an interrogation room, cuffed to a metal chair that was bolted to the floor. Fuck. 

Green Lantern sat down across from him, with Green Arrow and Black Canary flanking him, Flash by the door. He suspected everyone else in the Watchtower were in the monitor room watching from a distance in case he tried anything funny. 

“Red Hood,” Lantern said. 

“Wow, you know my name,” Jason ground out. “Gold star for you.”

“You are on the Justice League most wanted list.”

Jason raised a brow, not that they could see it beneath his helmet. “Could have sworn I was removed from that.”

“Your pet hackers may have made changes to our database, but we’re tracked them back to Gotham. You’re still wanted, even if the official paperwork says otherwise.”

If they were digging into who had pulled his data from the Watchtower mainframe, they might track it back to Tim’s Nest. He wasn’t about to risk that happening, as unlikely as it was the Justice League could track the tech-nerd of the family. 

“Where’s your pet Bat?” Jason layered on the cynicism. “Hasn’t he called dibs on all Gotham baddies?”

“You weren’t operating in Gotham,” Green Arrow snarled. 

“You picked me up on the Gotham docks.”

“You’ve been seen in Star City, my jurisdiction.”

“Sure, I visit Star. Is getting tacos in another city a crime?”

“Northern California is a little far from Gotham for tacos.”

“Enough,” Black Canary said. “Who do you work for?”

“I don’t like taking orders. I’m more a free agent.”

“You were at the docks, supervising the movement of illicit substances.”

“Back to the Gotham docks. You know, the Bat doesn’t like when outsiders poach on his turf. If he’s not here…” He turned his head so they knew he was looking them all over. “You came to Gotham without permission. Which means, without a warrant. Now, Bats can get away with that in Gotham, but outsiders…” He shook his head and clicked his tongue. “You’re lucky Gotham didn’t chew you up and spit you out. But maybe she just knew the Bat would do that for her when he found out.”

“She?” Flash asked.

“Gotham.”

“Because it’s something to be owned?” Canary asked. “Like a ship or a car.”

“Because she is power,” Jason said. “Ships were called ‘she’ because of the figurehead to honor the mother goddesses. Ships are powerful. Gotham is protective of her citizens, and those who protect them.”

“That doesn’t include you,” Green Arrow snapped.

“You don’t know me, and you don’t know Gotham.”

“We have your rap sheet. We know what you’ve done. When we’re done, you’ll be behind bars.”

“On what charges? Everything you think you have is in Gotham. I’ll go to trial in Gotham. You’ve got nothing.”

“Give us information and maybe we’ll put in a good word for you,” Green Lantern said. 

Jason scoffed and leaned back in the chair as far as his restrains would allow for movement. “I don’t need anything from you.”

“Who’s drugs were you moving?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Green Arrow crossed his arms. “Just send him to fucking Arkham.”

It felt like he’d been dunked in ice water. The Joker was in Arkham. There wasn’t a damn thing he wouldn’t do to stay as far from Arkham. 

Green Arrow smirked. “Finally a real answer. You’re afraid of Arkham.” He pressed his hands to the table, leaning closer to Jason. “Tell us who you work for, or it’s off to Arkham.”

“Go fuck yourself.” 

Green Lantern stood. “We’ll give you a bit of time to consider your position.” And the League walked out.

How was Jason going to get out of this? He’d missed a drop, so the others would know something was up. But his tracker wouldn’t flag in the Watchtower. Roy would be furious. A bit at him, but mostly at whatever was keeping him from a checkin. He was meant to pass off info to Steph that night, last night? He didn’t know how long he’d been out. He didn’t even know how long he’d been in League custody. He just needed to buy time until Bruce got back with Clark and Diana. 

And stay out of Arkham. 

The League returned after a while, asking the same questions as before and more regarding the drug ring he’d been trying to infiltrate. 

“This is a waste of time,” Green Arrow muttered. “We’ll get everything ready to send him to Arkham”

Bruce was going to kill him for this. “I wouldn’t do that, Queen.”

All four froze.

“What did you just say?” Black Canary hissed. 

“And you’re Queen’s consort,” Jason sneered. “Or, no, you two got divorced, so… an ex. Must be awkward working together.” He slouched back, trying to look cocky. “You put me in Arkham, I’ll talk. Just not the way you want me to. I’ve got all sorts of names. Bart and Wally and Howard and Jane and Lian and Connor and Lois and Jon and Martha and Daniel and…”

A needle dug into his neck again, before Jason even realized Flash had moved. 

When he woke again, he was in a cell, but not the cell on the Watchtower. Dinah Lance stood outside the cell door, watching him through the slot. The walls were concrete and stained with… he wasn’t going to consider that. 

“Welcome to Arkham, Hood. This is your last chance to talk.”

Jason was trying to hold it together. There was no way they would actually gamble and call his bluff. No way. Then he heard it, and cackle that still haunted his nightmares. The Joker’s shouts that echoed through the cell block. 

“You’ll be in solitary for a week. We’ll see how talkative you’ll be after that.”

The slot slid closed. And he was alone in the cell, with only the Joker’s voice along with other shouts to keep him company.

Bruce stepped out of the ship into the hanger of the Watchtower. Dick was waiting among the other League members for them to return. 

“Nightwing,” he growled.

“B.” Dick looked him over, checking for injuries. He was a little banged up, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Something was up, though. 

Bruce slipped into the language they’d created for only the family to use. “Report?”

“Jay’s overdue.”

“How long?”

“Four days. He was going to tag a shipment and pass on the code to Steph. He never showed.”

Bruce nodded. “We’ll find him.”

Dick nodded, but didn’t look convinced. Tim and Barbara would have been turning the world over already. Maybe it was time to bring the League into their operation.

“Reports.”

“We had a bit of a complication that took us into Gotham,” Hal said. 

Dick tensed. So this was news to him. 

“You didn’t run it by me, first?” Bruce snapped.

“You were busy.”

“Nightwing, were you informed?” Because there were standing orders that if Batman was indisposed or unreachable, Nightwing should be consulted, since he was in Blüdhaven and familiar with Gotham and her intricacies. 

“I was not, B.” 

“Explain.” Bruce didn’t want blather. 

“One of Gotham’s rogues was spotted operating in our cities,” Oliver said. “We followed him and arrested him in Gotham. We brought him here, and during interrogation, he revealed he knew civilians connected to some of us. He reacted negatively to the idea of going to Arkham, so we set up one of the cells in the detention level to look like Arkham.”

“Who?” Dick snarled.

“Red Hood.”

Bruce moved at the same time as Dick, toward the detention level. When the elevator door opened, they were met with the Joker’s screaming. Dick snarled and whipped out one of his escrima sticks. He stabbed it into the speaker, killing the noise. 

When Bruce opened the only locked door, he felt sick. Jason was curled into a defensive ball in the far corner of the cell, with the mattresses from the bunks pulled around him. 

The rest of the League stepped out of the other elevator and into the detention block. 

“How long?” Bruce snarled, rounding on them, as Dick stepped into the cell.

“What?” Barry asked. 

“How long has he been in this cell?”

“Three days.”

“You have been psychologically torturing someone who was removed from the League’s most wanted list for three day.”

“Someone hacked in to do that,” Oliver snapped. “We’re looking into it.”

Bruce crossed his arms. “I changed it. Not only did you disregard that but you ignored the notation to speak to me before doing anything concerning Red Hood.”

“Nightwing! Don’t!” Dinah cried. 

Bruce turned to see Dick kneeling in front of Jason, fingers moving over his helmet. 

“There are explosives!”

But Dick knew what he was doing. Jason’s helmet opened and Dick slipped it off. Bruce felt his blood run cold. Jason’s eyes were vacant beneath his domino mask. He didn’t react to Dick touching his shoulder and his jaw.

Bruce pursed his lips and gave the whistle they used to demand a sound off. Dick responded on instinct with his. Jason blinked in quick succession, coming out of his dissociative state. So, Bruce whistled again. This time, Jason managed a soft whistle in return. Bruce swept toward his sons, gaining Jason’s wide eyes lifting to him. 

“They came to Gotham. I didn’t… I…They left me here. With him.”

Bruce crouched and pressed a hand to Jason’s jaw. “You’re not in Arkham, Jay. You’re still in the Watchtower cell block.”

“What?”

“You’re still far from the Joker. He’s not here. You’re safe.”

“I am?”

“Let me show you?” Bruce stood and extended his hand. 

Jason took his offered hand, letting Bruce pull him up. His legs were shaky under him, probably from not moving from his spot in the corner for three days. His leg gave out, and he slumped into Bruce’s chest, fingers digging into his armor to keep himself up. Dick grabbed his shoulder to steady him, and Jason cried out and collapsed, unconscious. 

Dick tugged Jason’s shirt aside, revealing a seeping wound that looked infected. Bruce glared at the League watching from the doorway, seeing three bowls of slop by the door. So, they hadn’t provided medical attention, they’d psychologically tortured him, and he hadn’t eaten in days. 

“Nightwing, get him something to eat. I’m taking him to medical.”

Dick left first. Oliver grabbed his arm to stop him, but Dick spun and punched him in the face. Bruce swept Jason into his arms, walking out of the cell. 

When he stepped out of the elevator, onto the medical level, Diana and Clark were there. When they saw Jason in his arms, Clark moved forward and took him. 

“What can we do?” Diana asked as they walked into a private room without cameras. 

Bruce pulled off his cowl, scrubbing at his face. “I need a full report. I need you to audit their methods and see what protocols were broken. And I need you both to give them whatever disciplinary actions you believe are warranted. Because I won’t be able to be objective when my son is the victim of their mishandling.”

Diana nodded. “When we leave, we’ll activate the security protocol on the room, so only those with your code will be allowed access.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “Set your mantle aside, my friend. Be a father.” She stepped closer, and he allowed her comforting embrace. 

Dick walked in with an arm full of food. Most looked to be pilfered from Oliver, Hal, and Barry’s stash of snacks. Clark and Diana left, and Bruce and Dick undressed Jason so they could see the extent of his wounds. He had a number of fractures that were already healing well enough. The only worrying injury was the wound in his shoulder.  

Bruce hooked Jason up to an IV drip and settled next to the bed. He needed to distract himself, because he really wanted to demand answers from the League, but he needed to let Clark and Diana handle it. Diana told him to shed the mantle, so Bruce shed his armor, sitting in a chair beside Jason’s bed. He pulled out his tablet and reviewed the various reports as they came in. There was a knock at door, before it opened. J’onn walked in with Clark.

“How is he?” Clark asked. 

“Still out, but I expect that for a while,” Bruce said, casting his eyes over Jason. “I believe his broken bones are healing well enough, but he has an infected wound in his shoulder. We’ve given him antibiotics.”

Clark stepped closer, looking Jason over. “All breaks are healing well. No internal bleeding.” He turned back to Bruce. “Shoulder wound was from an arrow. Overall, in the apprehension, they didn’t use undue force for someone they suspected to be a meta. Once he was in custody… well, you are aware of the ill-advised choice they made.”

“I don’t understand,” Dick said. “He hasn’t been in Star or Central in over a year. There’s no way they tracked him from there this week. He’s been in Gotham and Blüdhaven and occasionally New York.”

J’onn crossed his arms. “Yes. They used historical movement through their cities to justify bringing him in. Green Arrow was in New York for business and chose to check in on his son. He saw Red Hood… demanding sexual acts in exchange for drugs.”

Bruce winced, while Dick hissed, “Fuck.”

“He enlisted the others to watch him until they had evidence he was more than a dealer.”

“In Gotham?” Bruce asked. 

“Yes. They seemed to think you would appreciate their initiative.”

Chapter Text

Oliver was pissed. Red Hood was out on the streets of Gotham again. And this time, they had more than just Roy. Sure, they’d seen Roy with Red Hood again, in another damn alley on his knees with Hood’s dick in his mouth. But they also had one of Bruce Wayne’s kids and one of Brucie’s… not-kids. Those two weren’t in quite the same compromising position, but enough that Oliver was angry. 

Richard, Richie to the party crowd, Dick to those who he thought of as friends… they’d seen him in a similar alley, begging for a score. Hood took him to a sleazy hotel, because Dick had been concerned over reporters getting a compromising picture of him. 

Then there was Steph, Brucie’s not-quite daughter. And she was definitely dating Cass, from what Oliver remembered. She’d been dragged into the same hotel and come out high. 

So, if Batman wasn’t going to do anything about Hood, maybe the rest of the League could convince their benefactor, whose family was being effected, to force Batman’s hand. 

So, here they sat, in Wayne Manor, in Brucie’s office. Oliver had been here dozens of times. He was friends with Bruce Wayne in his civilian life. But now, he was Green Arrow, and it was safer for his friend not to know. 

“Mr. Wayne,” Dinah said, as if they weren’t friends outside the mask. “This is far more serious than you think.”

“I’ve heard what Batman has to say on the matter,” Brucie said. “It seems to be handled.”

“The drugs being trafficked through Gotham are ending up in all our cities,” Flash said. 

“I’ve heard that Batman is working on it.”

Oliver glowered at his long-time friend. He was always so flippant about even the most important situations. He tapped at the arm of his chair. “We know who’s behind the drug ring.”

“Is that so, Mr. Arrow?”

“The Red Hood. He’s been on our radar for a while, but we couldn’t connect anything to him properly until now.”

Bruce raised a brow. “Then why are you in my house?”

“Batman has removed him from our custody.”

The air headed Brucie smile split across his face. Usually, Oliver didn’t mind it. He would usually feed off of Bruce’s energy at galas, using him to help Oliver fade into the playboy Ollie. But right now, he just wants to punch him in his prefect, grinning face. 

“Do you need a mediator?” Bruce asked. “I have a few family therapists that I’ve used for my family. Not quite the same as a team of superheroes, but—”

“We know what Red Hood has on you,” Oliver snarled. He pulled out the pictures and threw them on Bruce’s desk. True, the images weren’t as damning as Roy blowing Red Hood in various alleys, but Hood’s groping hands and the sleazy hotel he dragged them into, the rumbled clothes and the drugged stagger of Stephanie leaving with bruises on her arms and collarbone. 

Bruce’s gaze dropped to the images, before settling back on Oliver, losing some of the mirth. “From what I’ve heard, Batman doesn’t let you all into Gotham, which means you went behind his back to get these.”

“You seem to know a lot about us and Spooky,” Lantern muttered. 

“I have put tens of billions into your little group. I am familiar with the vigilante that patrols the streets of my city.”

Oliver couldn’t help the derisive scoff. “You’re his sugar daddy.” He stood and pressed his hands to his side of Brucie’s desk. “You hold his leash, and Red Hood has dirt on your brats.”

Something passed over Bruce’s face, an expression Oliver had never seen before. Something far more serious than he’s ever seen Bruce. But before Bruce could respond, an alarm sounded through the manor. Bruce stiffened, eyes flicking over the League. 

“Not exactly how I planned for this situation to go,” he muttered. 

He stood at the same time as the door to his office burst open. Dick, Stephanie, and Damian hurried in. Damien was in a hoodie and sweatpants, which was as casual as Oliver had ever seen the kid. Stephanie was in a skimpy party dress, make-up barely hiding the dark circles under her eyes, and the track marks on her arms. Dick was barefoot in sleep pants, rubbing at his face like he’d just rolled out of bed. 

When Oliver turned back to Bruce, he was standing in front of the old grandfather clock, messing with the hands. Then it opened, and so did part of the wall. There was an elevator beyond it. Bruce stepped in, while the kids pushed through, not even acknowledging the Justice League members sitting in the room. 

“Flash,” Oliver said. 

Flash leapt into action, planting himself in the way of the elevator door. 

“Get on, or get off,” Bruce snapped. 

All four the Justice League stepped onto the elevator. There were no buttons just flat metallic walls. In hindsight, it might have been a bit dangerous for all of them to jump on, especially since they hadn’t mentioned to anyone they were making this particular stop. Bruce opened a pack he had in hand and held out a wipe, a makeup wipe from the label. 

Stephanie sighed, taking the wipe. “I’m so glad this bullshit is over. The make-up was getting annoying.” She rubbed the wipe over her left arm, removing the concealer over her track marks. “Keeping up the continuity was so damn tedious.”

Oliver froze as not just concealer came off, but the track marks as well. He watched as every hint of drugs vanished from her left arm. She took another wipe from Bruce and did the same to her right arm, all signs of drug use coming off on the cloth. “What the fuck?”

Damian snorted. “Honestly, did you really think Brown and Richard would allow themselves to be compromised by illegal substances, Queen?”

Oliver froze. “What did you just say?”

Before anyone could say anything more, the elevator door opened. Damian, Stephanie and Bruce walked out, while Dick lingered with a cheeky grin. “Oh, please, Uncle Ollie.”

Oliver felt his blood run cold. How could civilians know who he was? Who else was compromised?

“Think about it. Two well known party boys, one of whom has a known drug history, and a wannabe socialite wouldn’t draw any attention meeting up with a suspected drug trafficker. Makes intel drops a lot easier than if we were dressed as Arsenal, Nightwing and Spoiler.”

They hurried after him down a short corridor toward the light of— holy shit.

They were in the Bat Cave. Oliver had only seen a very small sliver of it when Batman had videoed in, unable to make it to meetings for one reason or another. So, yeah, Brucie was Batman’s sugar daddy. 

There were a row of small pods off to one side, one of which Dick walked into, and inside, Oliver caught a glimpse of the suit he’d seen Nightwing wear. The Batman armor lay on a table outside the pods. Oliver looked around and saw a platform with a bank of computer monitors. There were five people there, and two he knew well. 

Roy stood there, almost fully kitted out as Arsenal, holding a bloody cotton ball to the inside of his elbow. So he was back on drugs. Oliver wasn’t surprised. Actually, he was livid that Roy would shoot up with Lian right there. She was sparkly purple leggings with fluffy bat slippers on her feet. She also wore a hugely oversized red sweatshirt that nearly consumed her. 

“Alright, Peanut, time to go upstairs with Alfie. Daddy has to go to work.”

Lian turned toward him, saying something in another language, one Oliver didn’t recognize, which was saying something, since he could at least generally identify most. Roy seemed to respond in the same language as he crouching in front of her. She stuck out her hand, and he locked his pinky finger with her. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. 

Then Lian turned and raced across the platform to Alfred, who swept her into his arms. He walked toward the elevator, passing by… Red Robin of the Teen Titans. What was he doing in the Bat Cave?

“Go, Oracle,” came Batman’s signature growl. 

Oliver turned and saw… fucking Bruce putting on the Batman armor. Oh, he was so fucked. 

“Last intel we had was Hood getting close to the higher ups,” said the woman sitting at the computers. “He was hoping to get a meeting with them soon, which was supposed to be the intel Spoiler would be picking up tonight. We don’t know if he’s compromised. All we know is that he hit his panic alarm. That could mean he’s in trouble, or he’s meeting the top dogs.”

“Wait,” Flash said. “Hood, like Red Hood?”

Roy glared. “Yeah, he’s one of ours. And you assholes bumbled into fucking Gotham and just about fucked up ten months of a deep cover sting operation.” 

“You really think you should be anywhere near a drug operation?” Oliver snarled.

“Arrow,” Dinah hissed. 

Roy picked up a folder from the desk then a page from the printer. He leapt down from the platform, vaulting the railing, and stalked over to Oliver. Roy slammed the folder into his chest. “There’s the proof I’m not the fuck up you seem to think I am. I’m five years clean. And that’s a clean test every day for the last year.”

“Seems a bit excessive,” Oliver muttered, flipping through the folder. 

“I wouldn’t let him take part unless he stayed clean,” Bruce said as he tightened his armor, sounding more like Batman than Brucie. “Only way to ensure it was daily tests.”

“Father,” Damian said, stepping out of one of the pods, dressed in a suit with a domino mask in place. “Are Queen’s interpersonal inadequacies really a priority? Todd could be in danger.”

The woman, Oracle, continued to rattle off information, while… Didn’t Batman work alone? But while Oliver watched, Dick stepped out dressed a Nightwing, the same with Steph dressed a Spoiler. Then Red Robin turned away from the computer bank and took the domino mask Dick offered him, putting it in place, Timothy Drake-Wayne. Cassandra Wayne seemed to appear from the shadows in the similar costume to the Bat himself. 

“Signal will meet you there, he was wrapping up his patrol when the call came in,” Oracle said. 

Bruce and Cass pulled on cowls as everyone else made sure their dominos were in place. So… protecting Gotham was a family affair. Well, a family affair plus Roy. A family affair plus Roy and Red Hood. 

Then everyone climbed onto motorcycles, except Batman and Robin who got into the Batmobile. 

“We’re coming with you,” Dinah said. 

Everyone paused and looked at Roy, like it was his call. Roy blew out a breath. “Oracle, make sure they get to coordinates and patch them into the comms. You got yourselves here, you can get yourselves where we’re going.” Then he shot off into a tunnel, the other bikes falling in line behind him, followed by the Batmobile.

When Oliver finally pulled up to the coordinates they’d been given, everything had well and truly started going down. Dozens of what he could only assume were bad guys were bound by zip cuffs, some unconscious, others bleeding. They slipped into the warehouse just in time to see Roy raise his bow at Red Hood, who in turn raised a gun. Neither flinched as they both shot. Roy’s arrow flew over Hood’s shoulder impaling a goon who had been sneaking up behind him. 

Gunfire erupted, and the pair dove for cover. To his horror, Oliver saw Hood remove his helmet and slam it around Roy’s head. He was putting explosives on Oliver’s kid’s head. And Roy was fighting him. 

“Put on the fucking helmet,” Hood’s snarl sounded through the comms. 

“You’re not wearing a domino, Jay,” Roy hissed. 

“Yeah, and those motherfuckers just sent drugs into the air. You are not breaking five years of sobriety.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” Oliver saw him shift and sit beside Roy. “A little airborne narcotics might fuck me up for a day, but the Pit will burn it out of me in no time.”

But the fight drew Oliver away, having to take on goons who had realized they were there. 

By the time everything fell still, the Bat clan were checking each other over. Batman swept in. “Where are Hood and Arsenal?”

“You worried about us, old man?” Hood called, stepping out of the shadows while taking some of Roy’s weight as he limped over. 

Oliver began to move toward him, but Batman beat him to it, kneeling beside him as Hood lowered Roy onto a crate.

“I’m fine, B,” Roy murmured. “They got a lucky shot in, and a bullet ricocheted.”

“We’ll have Dr. T standing by in the cave.”

“Hood has a collapsed lung.”

“Snitch,” Hood muttered. 

Roy lifted his hands to Hood’s helmet on his head, but Batman stopped him. “Not until decon. You’re not breaking your sobriety.” Oliver had never heard Batman sound so soft. It wasn’t quite Bruce. It still held the abrasive gravitas of the Bat, but it was gentle, fond. When had Bruce become fond of Oliver’s kid. 

As the Gotham police commissioner showed up, the vigilantes began to slip away. Oliver tried to insist Roy come back with him, but Hood snorted. He threw his leg over Roy’s bike, and Roy followed, wrapping his arms around him. 

When they arrived back at the Bat Cave, Alfred was waiting for them. He refused to let them out of the garage, instead herding them toward a line of showers, most of which were already in use. “If you would leave your suits in the provided bins, I will see they are properly decontaminated. There are clothes waiting for each of you after your decontamination shower. If you wish, temporary domino masks can be provided, but everyone here is aware of your identities.”

A gasp sounded from one of the showers. 

“I swear, Little Wing,” Dick’s voice came from another shower, “If you and Harper are doing anything—”

“Just because I’ve blown him in shitty alleys,” Roy called back, “doesn’t mean I’d do anything with the demon brat around, and certainly not with either of our dads in the same building.”

Damian scoffed. “Harper, you and Todd have certainly had intercourse in this house. You two are nowhere near as subtle as either of you think.”

Roy groaned. 

“Jason!” Came the indigent cry from multiple voices. 

“I’m not doing anything!” Hood cried. “He wears skin tight pants, and trying to get them off without making his leg worse is a bitch.”

Alfred cleared his throat. “Could I provide a pair of trauma shears?”

“Please,” Roy said. 

Alfred slipped away for only a moment, before passing the tool into one of the showers. He pointed them into the spare showers. While Oliver was cleaning off, Bruce and his kids finished up, bickering the entire time. And it was like Oliver was seeing a whole new side of Bruce. He wasn’t Batman, he wasn’t Brucie. He was just… Bruce. 

When Oliver left the showers in rather comfortable sweats, he followed the soft voices to what appeared to be a small medical facility with Red Hood hooked up to various sensors and monitors, an oxygen tube under his nose. Roy was in the bed beside him, with a doctor wrapping up his thigh. 

The elevator sounded, and a blur of sparkly, purple domino mask and massive red hoodie blew by him. “Papa!”

Lian scrambled onto Hood’s bed and all but threw herself into his chest. Oliver was about to protest when Hood wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Hey, Peanut.”

“I missed you,” Lian mumbled into his shoulder.

“I know, sweet girl.” Hood caressed her hair. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

“Daddy’s been sad without you.”

Hood slid his gaze over to Roy, who had gone painfully doe-eyed as he looked at the pair with a small smile. He murmured something to the doctor, and she nodded. Roy climbed out of bed and limped over to Lian and Hood. Hood shifted over so Roy could slide in next to them. 

“What?” Oliver breathed.

Roy tensed, and Hood slid a glare at him. Then Hood covered Lian’s eyes. “We’re gonna be icky.” With his other hand, he grabbed the back of Roy’s neck and dragged him into a kiss. Oliver froze as Roy softened and brought both hands to the sides of Hood’s face. Then Roy was full on making out with Hood. 

“Are you done yet?” Lian grumbled. “I want to see Auntie Cass.”

Hood broke the kiss. “Cass, the pipsqueak wants her favorite Auntie!”

Cass appeared from the shadows, moving as quietly as ever. She swept Lian into her arms and carried her away, murmuring to each other. Roy watched them go until they were a good distance away. Then he turned back to Hood. 

“Once we’re given a clean bill of health, we’re going somewhere where I can fuck you for days.”

Hood groaned. “You make that sound like a punishment, babe.” He wrapped his arms around Roy, drawing him close. “Fuck, I’ve missed you, Roy Harper.”

Roy ran his hands over Hood’s back. “I missed you, too, Jason Todd.”

“What is this?” Oliver snarled. 

“I’m his husband, Queen,” Hood— Jason snarled. “Fuck off. We haven’t properly seen each other in nearly a year.”

He felt the air leave his body. Husband? Roy had gotten married? And to the Red Hood of all people? “You didn’t invite your own father?”

Roy snorted. “You made your view on me seeing guys painfully clear over the years, Ollie. Why would I invite you?”

A wave of nausea crashed over him. Why would Roy think he was some bigoted asshole? When had he ever said… Oh. 

Oliver stepped closer, making Roy tense and Jason bristle like he was about to go on the offensive. “Roy, I never had a problem with you liking guys.”

Roy rolled his eyes.

“I had a problem with you being with your dealers.”

His kid met his gaze, eyes flitting over him, like he was trying to see the lie. The doctor chose that moment to walk back in and glance around at everyone. She handed Roy a document, that Jason leaned in to read. 

Roy seemed to sag in relief, and Jason pressed a forehead to his jaw. “That’s why I made you wear my helmet. Because I’ve been exposed, and I’m technically high right now, but you’re still clean.”

Then Dick walked in, looking at the League. “B wants you guys to do a report, since you were there.”

“Can’t we do it later?” Oliver asked. 

Dick raised a brow. “You want to tell that to Batman?”

Ooo, yeah, better not.

It had been a week since everything went down. Oliver sat next to Dinah at Wayne Manor, only he wasn’t there as Ollie, and he wasn’t there to see Brucie. There were no facades in place. They were staring at each other with the same calculating expression, waiting for the other to break the stare-down. 

The door opened and Lian skipped in. She went straight to Bruce and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. “Hiya, Grandpa Brucie.”

Bruce melted, tugging her onto his lap. “Hey, kiddo. How was school?”

“Boring. I just want to stay with Daddy and Papa.”

“You had all weekend with them. You know school is important.”

She scrunched her nose. “Well, Daddy and Papa never finished school.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Uncle Dami.”

Bruce sighed and rolled his eyes. “Well, they still finished eighth grade, but all your aunts and uncles went to university. Now, why don’t you run off to the kitchen. I think I saw Alfred with the flour out.”

She beamed and rushed off. It stung that she hadn’t even given Oliver a glance. She was his grandkid.

“Jealousy is unbecoming, Ollie,” Bruce said. “You made your choices, and now you have to live with them. You made Roy feel like he didn’t have a place in your home.”

“What would you have had me do?” Oliver snapped. “Pat him on the head and tell him begin a drug addict is okay? If I hadn’t cut him off—”

“I’m not saying cutting him off was a problem. It ensured his finances were limited, but that also sent him down a path that led him straight into the darker parts of society. He was lucky he ran into Jason and not someone who would use his skills while keeping him addicted.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jason has a group of vigilantes that ultimately dabble a bit to closer to being in the underworld than I would like. He chose the name The Outlaws. I may not like how Jason handles things, that sometimes, he has to traffic the drugs and pimp out the prostitutes to keep his reputation in the criminal underworld. But the prostitutes he has, he protects them viciously. I know of one client that thought he could push the girl’s boundaries and knocked her around. He ended up in the ICU. And if the girls want out, Jason helps set them up. He has a vicious and bloody reputation that he well deserves after what he did when he arrived back in Gotham. But the people he terrorized then have gotten over it.”

“Did he threaten them?” Dinah asked. 

“He cut Tim’s throat and nearly beat me to death. But we realized he was half mad from the Lazarus Pit and half brainwashed by the League of Assassins. It took some time to get him to come home, and he’s still not as family oriented as I’d like, but he knows we’ll come if he calls. Family is messy, even for normal people. But we have the skill and training to make that mess a more physical issue.”

“How would you have handled Roy?”

“After Jason had managed to get him to admit he needed help, we locked him in a cell in the Cave to detox him. Jason was there the entire time, sitting outside, and when he got bad, asked us to lock him in, too.”

The door opened. “Hey, old man, have you seen the pipsqueak?” Jason stopped in the doorway and scowled at Oliver. 

“She’s in the kitchen,” Bruce said. 

Jason brushed away without another word. A while later, Oliver and Dinah were leaving, and they found Roy laying in a pillow fort, asleep wrapped around Jason. Both men were covered in make-up with nails painted with the skill of a seven-year-old. Lian was snuggled up to Jason’s chest, playing a game on someone’s phone. 

And Oliver realized something. He may not like how Roy had gotten where he did, but he had everything Oliver had hoped for for him. He had someone who clearly adored him, who also adored Lian, someone who made him better. He hadn’t expected it to be in someone who had been on the Justice League’s Most Wanted list for years, but… 

Jason sacrificed his own safety just to ensure Roy didn’t get high on a job. He valued Roy’s goals over his own health and wellbeing. Yeah, Oliver could get behind that. He could put up with the… shadier things the two needed to do, if it meant reconnecting with his kid and grandkid, he would do whatever it took.