A Wanted Man
Jason gives his report on how he accidentally run into Bruce in the traffic ring and the later confrontation with Superman on the line.
“There is no high speed trajectory indicates when Superman flies into Gotham. He might take some transportation or he flies slow enough to go under the radar. But there is one matched with your report showing his leaving. He flies straight to Arctic. I think he is back to the Fortress of Solitary right now.”
Superman never out right tells the public the exact coordinates of the Fortress of Solitary, but Batman has enough record of his flight trajectory to work with if one day he decides to knock Superman’s front door. There is only one click away from finding Superman’s not so secret home base and Dick is finding the idea is very tempting.
Or Bruce has already unearth that secret but he is reluctant to share it with the family. Heck. He probably has a complete file about Superman, from his home address to medical bill, established by now considering technically how long they’re working together through the League. This man has a file about everyone he encounters but he just hides it. After so many years, the man’s secrecy still bites him.
Maybe Tim knows something since he cracks Bruce’s system and hacks into the League. Barb could help too.
Dick shifts a bit in his seat and takes a deep breath. It’s too early to go down that train wreck of thoughts about tracking down Superman and torturing him for answers, though it sounds like a easier way, but there is an easiest way is just to call him. They still has Bruce’s League comm. As long as the League has not yet officially declared cutting ties with Batman Dick thinks it should work.
During Jason’s encounter, despite how unpleasing the ambush is, Superman doesn’t seem to be mad or crazy. There is a chance they could talk over this in peace and right now Dick prefers talking than any other violent methods.
He has gotten enough violence for his rest of life in past couple days.
Withholding a sign, Dick cut Jason short when the other starts to cite Divine Comedy or something totally out of Dick’s depth. He would very much appreciate a written report to go back and forth and analyze or simply stare at right now, but the world is cruel so he can only hang on Jason’s rambling.
He can tell Jason is nervous. Jason doesn’t tend to get nervous. When he is anxious he tends to be angry and punching the light out of the reasons made him nervous, anxious and frustrated. But right now, he cannot punch Bruce and fight Superman is out of option. Dick doesn’t thing Superman is the real problem is. He is the cause, maybe, but not the real threat. Jason’s mind simply has to grasp on something to keep thinking. This leaves Jason unease as the best. Dick himself would like to punch some creeps if it could make any problem go away. Sadly it’s never the case.
This is absurd situation isn’t it? All they could do is to wish Bruce has some contingency plans to deal with a Kryptonian pregnancy, which frankly, Dick himself even finds hard to image existing the first place.
Like, why on the earth you need one on the first place.
They should have reproductive isolation, shouldn’t they? Superman is ALIEN. No matter how much Dick admires him he is not human.Thank you very much.
Come on Bruce, how did you manage to get into this kind of trouble?
Nonetheless Jason is right about they need to check Bruce out the first.
“How is he doing?” Dick asks.
“In the bedroom and quiet. I suspect he is exploring the room and poking at all my explosives and guns.” Jason says. “You know what? On a second thought, I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave him alone. Who knows what he is capable of doing right now. He can bust a traffic ring when he is in hallucination. That’s definitely him calling GCPD in earlier and ruined my mission. Why can’t he fucking stay out of my way? I’m sure he can burn down the entire building once he realizes he is full and boring.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Totally reasonable for a drunken man.” Dick tries not to roll his eyes. Whatever dramatic nonsense Jason puts up relieves him. Bruce sounds doing okay and from the photo Jason sent him Bruce also looks okay. Weird with a baby bump, yes. But over all is good. Much better than the most time he mops the floor with Bane or Killer Croc or something else, beaten up, drenched with blood, stinky with smoke and gun powder, Alpha rage or fear, if not worse, sewage, considering that’s typically what he looks like for most the time around the house. Maybe Dick can work this out without making too much fuss. He braces himself.
“I know you may not like what I’m about to say but...”
“I already don’t like it.” Jason grumbles, “but what?”
“I think it’s better to have him stay with you for now.”
“What the fuck are you thinking?” Jason raises his voice, dramatically. The booming voice makes Dick winces. “I’m not going to babysit him for fuck’s sake! There is no way I can rid off that demon spawn inside him in my place! I’m no doctor!”
Yikes. Dick probably just hits a nerve and he doesn’t know it’s the unborn pup Jason is concerned the most.
“Do you ever think if Bruce may want to keep it...”
“There is no fucking way he’s keeping it!” Jason is piratically yelling. “You don’t see it! IT’S A MONSTER!”
Dick doesn’t know how much the anger is related to the pregnancy is not human or how much is Bruce’s having another child. Or it’s more territory issue since being an alpha in their dysfunctional pack will mess up their protection instincts, may he admits it or not. Dick believes it’s part of the reason why Jason is keeping fighting with Bruce because unconsciously he challenges Bruce for the authority to eventually become the Pack Alpha.
Sorry, buddy, that’s not going to happen any time soon. Dick thinks. Like it or not, Bruce stays on top no matter it’s patriarchy or matriarchy. All the good alphas need find their own territories, which Dick has learned the hard way. Dick is thinking Jason might get some of the idea because he refuses to move back to manor and develop a territory in Narrows.
“Okay, okay. Alien baby or not, since Bruce is no way to consent anything right now we should fix the disassociation part first. How about I contact with Leslie in the morning to figure out how to get him checked without rising any question. You just watch him in the mean time until we get some solid results?”
“You want him to go to a public office to check out? You don’t understand it’s not human baby he conceives. What the nurse is gonna say? Say the elegant long tail coiled around the chubby body is so cute? For fuck’s sake!”
“Superman doesn’t look like have a tail.” Unconsciously, Dick says.
“Who knows what the hell the alien is hiding under that tights?”
“Urh, is there anything I need to know about the pup?”
“I don’t know.” Jason sounds exhausted, “you need to see it yourself.” He murmurs, a very faint hint of fear only registered to Dick showing in his voice. “It’s a monster, I’m telling you.”
“Okay, okay.” Dick tries to brainstorm. “How about we ask Leslie to meet up in one of Bruce’s penthouse? I can set up all the equipment she would like to have before the meeting. That should give us enough privacy.”
Jason sees through his bullshit. “Just tell me a reason why he cannot return to Manor. I’m sure Alfred would be thrilled to see him no matter how fucked up he is right now.”
I think it’s the same reason you phone me first instead of Alfred. Dick thinks. We try to dance around the white elephant without poking it in our life.
There is only limited space for Dick to work around the real issue here and he is losing his ground. It’s not like he is going to hide the kid from Jason forever or something. Now what’s he doing feels like delay the inevitable.
This makes him feeling like Bruce years ago when he finds out Jason was adopted, lived in Manor, took the mantle of Robin without his acknowledgement. Karma is a cruel joke.
Dick signs. “I can always let Alfred know when he is up and I’m sure Alfred won’t mind a half alien grand kid neither.”
The old butler shelters all the lost pups Bruce takes in with patience and love, the merrier the better, he is only going to be happier with one Bruce gives birth to. He ignores Jason’s protest that there is no way for keeping the baby, but Dick knows Bruce too well in this department.
“But the reason I don’t want Bruce to return right now is not because I’m worried Alfred will freak out. There is something, uhm, someone in Manor. I don’t think it’s good time for them to meet. Not under this circumstance. He needs to at least have a clear mind to deal with the situation.”
A pause of silence.
Contradicting to the public believing, Bruce doesn’t bring random guests to stay over in Manor on a regular basis. At least not nowadays. Bruce has long perfected his skills to maintain his reputation of playboy and airhead billionaire to bring mere strangers into Manor to make a show. He keeps the Manor free of prying eyes for everybody living inside to relax. Bruce doesn’t have many relatives close enough to visit either.
Dick couldn’t think of a time there is someone who stays in Manor for extended period and impossible to relocate if it’s necessary, clearly the same Jason thinks too.
“Who?” Jason asks.
“Damian.” Dick explains. “He is Bruce’s son. Talia Al Gaul dropped him in the front door of Manor couple days ago. We run a DNA test on him and the result comes back positive. He is Bruce’s biological child, ten years old and well trained by the League of Assassins. I think his current motivation is to take over Bruce’s mantle. Think you may know him?” He let out a few embarrassing chuckles.
“Fuck,” is all Jason could say.
-x-
Go back to Manor is out of option. Dick promises he will make some arrangement to make sure get the proper check done for Bruce. He even suggests sending Tim to Jason’s place if he feels too overwhelmed to take care of the pregnant man.
Of course Jason refuses the later. He is not incapable imbecile who cannot even look after a day dreamer. He is pissed but he knows not to hit someone pregnant. He will never punch someone pregnant hard enough until they miscarry like in Middle Ages to get rid of the fucking alien growing inside Bruce. What’s the hell Dick is thinking.
But the frustration lingers, not only due to the fact that he is stuck with a disassociated Batman for who knows how long, but also the appearance of Damian Al Gaul. He knows what crap and shit the League of Assassins would feed to its member so there is no way Damian Al Gaul could be a normal, happy ten years old. Jason is thrill to learn that everybody is still alive and kicking in house. And right now his goal is to become Batman?
How Gotham would react to a four feet tall pint size Batman is beyond Jason, it’s hilarious, but he could image Dick is using everything he could to steer the kid to another more tolerable path and save him to be killed on his first night out.
Even the League of Assassins won’t be enough to prepare a kid for the craziness and madness Gotham has to offer.
But what Jason could think of is it’s really not the best time to introduce Bruce to his son. If the kid assumes he is the boss when Bruce is dead and what he is capable of doing when he finds out Bruce is not dead and also carrying another pup?
Based on Jason’s first hand on experience with the League of Assassins, a place is common that you actually need to kill to become a successor, he would say it’s not going to be pretty.
Jason despises the monster Bruce’s carrying but he doesn’t wish it’s literally ripe out of Bruce’s womb, like a sacrifice made during an ancient war.
Fantastic, so right now he is not only going to hide Bruce from Superman but also from his assassin son while figuring out a way to rid of the little bastard growing inside his womb. What a joy.
After the call Jason takes a smoke in the balcony. He lets night breeze takes as much smoke stained on him away before gets back inside. Bruce is messing with the few pillows and blankets he has found in Jason’s place. If he is building a nest he is horribly failing.
The sight makes Jason feels etching. He restrains the urge to obtain more nesting materials. Jason leaves Bruce doing whatever makes him happy and sleeps on the coach in the living room.
Jason wakes up in noon and fortunately Bruce is still sleeping. Dick must tell Tim what’s happened because he sent Jason a link of the surveillance for flight pattern of Superman a couple hours ago. If the alien ever decides to visit Gotham again, Jason will be prepared.
The stock of real food is none in this safe house. Jason needs to run grocery if he is stuck with Bruce in here for longer than a couple of days. He also needs to grab some necessities to make this home stay more enjoyable, that leaves his option to either take Bruce with him or leave him alone at home.
Bruce is obedient last night but it’s no promise he will cooperate during the shopping. A pregnant male tends to be eye catching for its rarity. He will risk Bruce gets recognized on street if he goes too. Frankly Jason has no idea what he is even thinking right now. Bruce is more unpredictable than ever. He is incommunicable too. Since he is soundly sleeping without a worry for the world, Jason weights that leaving him alone will be a better option. Jason just needs to make a quick run to the supermarket a few blocks away and come back.
Easy-peasy.
This light mood is certainly crashed with a “Ding” of notification that’s specifically made by Tim to inform everybody in family that Superman decides to pay Gotham a visit when Jason is on his way back.