Chapter 3
Ikol was doing his homework when the entrance door was kicked open, he quickly shapeshifted into his human form, the godling turned his head slowly to meet green familiar eyes, oh, it’s the brat, great.
Said intruder squinted his eyes at him before turning to glare at Jason who was in the living room sitting on the couch, the man looking at the brat with a mix of fondness and ‘I’m done with your bullshit’ look.
"Akhi, you should have told me about my nephew!" The little brat said to his brother as he made his way inside his home without even a ‘hello’ or ‘how are you today, my favorite big brother?’, at least the kid didn’t break the door…
Jason rolls his eyes, then levels him with a blank stare. “...you literally his age and you look like his twin, I think you calling him nephew is going to be weird as hell” He points out with a monotone tone.
“...” Damian turns back to look at Ikol, with a grimace he nods. “Agreed”
“Anyways, I adopted him a few days ago” Jason explains. “And well, we don't exactly exchange messages everyday for me to tell you about him” The man says bluntly, making Damian flinch.
Jason sighs at how the kid looks away, his tone softened as he speaks next: “What do you want from me, my prince?”
Ikol arched a brow at that, Damian was a prince? Uh, interesting…and was there a hint of disappointment on the man’s voice? He thought they were brothers? But well, he knows how it is to have family disappoint you…
The kid holds his brother’s gaze with defiance. “Can I not just come visit my akh?”
“You haven’t visited until now” Jason says, not able to keep the bitterness from his tone.
Damian looks down ashamed at that. “Father has been adamant to me not to get near you…he deemed you…dangerous to be around”
Jason’s eyes glow a toxic green at that. “Well, he can fuck himself for all I care” The man mutters angrily. “You are welcomed to visit whenever you want, habibi, just don’t invite the other shitheads”
Damian relaxes at that, then he looks at him slightly nervous. “Richard has been wanting to visit as well, but he is not sure he will be welcomed…”
Jason frowned at the thought, his relationship with Dick had always been strained before his death.
But now, it seemed Dick was trying to bridge the gap, attempting to mend the rift that had formed between them over the years. The idea of the older man wanting to make up for lost time felt strange to Jason, it made him angry that his brother wanted to get closer to him only now, after he died and came back.
But on the other hand, he still yearned for the connection they could have had, Jason had always hoped that they would grow close when he was a teen…
He sighs tiredly. “...just tell him to get in through the door and not the fucking window”
Damian seemed to relax at that, he approached his brother and sat on the couch next to him, awkwardly looking around as if not knowing what to do.
Jason rolled his eyes and brought the kid into a tight hug. The little shit was always strange about affection, not wanting to be seen asking for it because he thought it was a weakness, so the man had always to initiate it first.
The kid melted into his embrace, resting his head on his akh’s shoulder and wrapping his small arms around the man’s torso.
Ikol watches the scene with nostalgia, mother Frigga used to hug him whenever he was afraid of asking for her embrace, she would hold him tightly yet careful.
Seeing the man so openly affectionate…. It reminds him so much of her, the woman who kept coming to his dreams when he was still in his universe.
She was so gentle, her embrace felt warm despite them being in dream, her voice was soft and so full of love, he never got to ask what her name was.
Ikol doesn’t know why, but he just knew that if he ever saw her in real life she would act exactly like Jason does towards him.
He is quiet as the two brothers talk, before Damian leaves he approaches Ikol with apprehension.
“Yes?” He asks boredly.
Damian holds his gaze with a firm look. “Since you’re akhi’s child now, you must know of his work”
“I do…” Ikol arches a brown in questions, sending a quick glance over the boy’s shoulder to see Jason motioning for him to go along.
“Then you need ways to defend yourself” The boy says, getting a small knife from his school bag and handing it to Ikol.
The godling takes it in his hands and examines it, it was sharp enough to kill, not too heavy, not too light, it was perfect.
It had a symbol on the handle, something he did not recognize.
“You’re an al Ghul now, make sure to use it well” Damian says before leaving the house quickly.
Okay, that was strange, he looked back at the knife with wonder, he had his own daggers but he appreciated the gesture, he will take care of it.
“Damian is awkward with new people, don’t mind him” Jason explained as he approached. “And this knife is has the symbol of the League of Assassins, it’s uh, a cult that my…. mother, leads”
A guild of assassins? Interesting, so his new guardian was the son of the leader of the guild? That piqued his curiosity, but he won’t ask, the man would tell him when the time comes.
“He didn’t even let me thank him for such a gift” Ikol mutters.
“Kid is weird like that, don’t worry you can thank him next time” Jason smiles softly ruffling the boy’s hair.
Ikol couldn't help but draw parallels between Jason and her. He had noticed their similarities before, but lately, those resemblances had become even more pronounced. The way they both looked at him as if he was something precious in their lives, even their appearance was similar.
The more he observed, the more he realized just how much they looked like one another.
“You look lost in thought, want to talk about it?” Jason asks gently.
Ikol frowned, he doesn’t see why not tell the man, it’s not like he can do anything about it nwo that he is stuck in this universe.
“You remind me of someone, sometimes” The boys say softly.
Jason hummed, he hopes he doesn’t remind the kid of someone who hurt him or anything like that… “Who?”
“A woman, she used to appear in my dreams…I did not know if she was just figment of my imagination, or if she was someone trying to reach me through my dreams, it was likely the latter”
“What did she look like?”
Ikol closes his eyes, focusing on the images of her. “She was tall, had black hair and blue eyes, she had a odd horn helmet, they looked like spider legs from what I remember”
Jason looked interested as he leaned in to listen. “What would she do in your dreams?”
“She rarely talked, usually when she came to my dreams she would sing for me and just…hold me” He says embarrassedly, but when the man doesn’t make a quip on it he continues. “But when she did talk she would say that she needed to ‘free’ herself or that she would make Odin pay and take me back…”
Jason knew the kid didn’t like talking about his previous family much, but from what he knew this sounds…“Kid..you said your parents weren’t really you parents, right? Don’t you think…” He doesn’t say it out loud, but from the look the kid gave him, he understood.
“I came to the same conclusion” The boy says weakly, he looks down feeling lost. “She was my mother, I do not how or why and where she is imprisoned, but I assumed it was Odin’s doing since she seem to want revenge…I will never get to meet her”
“Oh, kid, I’m really sorry about that” Jason murmured, his voice softer than usual as he pulled Ikol into a firm, protective embrace.
Ikol stiffened at first, unaccustomed to this kind of affection. But as Jason’s arms wrapped around him, a warmth spread through his chest, one he hadn’t felt since his supposed mother held him. The same comfort, the same sense of security, tugged at his heart, he blinked, his mind racing, he was so much like her, he wonders...no it couldn’t be.
He may never meet her, but he was starting to feel glad he ended up in this universe, he couldn’t help but feel grateful. Jason was kind, far kinder than he ever expected anyone to be.
He was warm, and most of all, he made Ikol feel safe.
Something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
They had gone to bed early that day, both were fast asleep, that is until…
Ikol startles awake when he feels his wards alert him of intruders, it was the one from the window, he summons two daggers and quickly sneaks from his bedroom to the living room.
Ikol entered the room quietly, his sharp eyes immediately landing on two figures dressed in civilian clothes. Both were male with dark hair, but it was clear who held the greater authority. The older man, broad-shouldered and confident, was busy closing the windows, while the younger one stood nearby, scanning the room cautiously.
Sizing them up quickly, Ikol instinctively targeted the elder, sensing he posed the greater threat. With swift, silent precision, he lunged, moving like a shadow. Before the man could react, Ikol had tackled him to the ground, pinning him down with surprising strength for his size.
The man let out a startled yelp, eyes wide as Ikol pressed a dagger to his throat, the cold edge of the blade resting just under his skin. “Stay still” Ikol hissed, his voice low and dangerous, poised for any sudden movement.
“Ikol! Stand down!” Jason’s voice calls for him from behind.
The kid immediately jumps off from the man, putting distance between them, but his eyes are still on the intruder, his hands holding his daggers with precision and ready to go back to attacking if needed.
His guardian steps in front of him, his eyes green with fury as he glares at the older intruder who was getting up with a startled expression. “What the hell Dickhead I told Damian to tell you to not get in through the fucking window!”
Uh so this is the supposed Richard Damian talked about, he looks like a fool.
“You locked the door!” The man said, trying to not focus on Ikol.
Jason snarls the next words; “Could’t you fucking call me to open the door?”
“You never pick up…”
“Hey, hey, guys, let’s not scream, it already happened” Tim gets between them with a nervous smile as he addresses Jason. “We are sorry, we didn’t want to scare your…kid?”
Dick was now openly staring at the boy with a confused expression. “You…you have a kid?.... Why does he look like Damian?”
“Didn’t the brat already tell you?” The man asks, narrowing his eyes.
The older one gave him a sheepish look. “He just said we were welcome to pay a visit…”
Jason groaned. “I said you could come visit, never said anything about Timbers here” He pointed at the teen who looked uncomfortable at the situation.
“Jay, why does he look like Damian?” The man asks again, feeling unnerved, especially with the kid staring at him with his brother’s eyes.
“Hell if I know!” Jason was seeing green, because why couldn’t he have a normal interaction with his brother? Why did he have to break in? Did Jason not deserve any sort of decency coming from him?
Tim, who has disappeared into the kitchen for a quick second, came back and pushed Dick towards the door which Jason went to open as he saw the teen eyeing him warily.
“Listen, we clearly are bothering you right now, so we’re going to leave and try another day, we–Dick will text you next time he tries to come visit” The teen said practically kicking Dick out of the house.
“But–” The older man tried.
“Again we are sorry about this Jason” Tim said one last time before closing the door behind him.
Jason glares at the now closed door with an angry frown, shit he got too angry he has been doing so well at keeping his anger at check…
“Father, are you well?” Ikol asks, he has been told about the ‘pit madness’, it did not scare him, but it worried him, he could tell his guardian already regretted how he handled the situation.
“I’ll be fine” The man says tiredly then gives him a guilty look. “Sorry kid, I lost my temper pretty quickly there”
“They should have warned you about their visit” Ikol says, shrugging nonchalantly. “I would have been angry in your place too”
“Maybe, but I shouldn’t have been so aggressive about it” Jason says tiredly. “I overreacted, ugh, I just got so angry that they broke in instead of just messaging me, they have my fucking number for fucks sake”
Ikol knows how it is, Thor never respected him enough for basic decency either. “Father? The younger one took a couple of cups from the kitchen that weren’t washed…”
“...fucking little shit” Jason sighed feeling twenty years older. “Tim is probably going to test your DNA to check if you’re clone of Damian”
“Well, I am not, so there won’t be any problem, correct?” Ikol said not really bothered.
“Probably? Anyway, let’s get you back to bed, I’ll take care of the broken window lock”
The godling nods, he was tired and just wanted to go back to sleep as soon as possible. “I’ll put put another ward in the window before I go”
“Thanks, kid”
“Of course”
They were at the cave, Dick and Tim were bickering over what had happened tonight, the teen saying “I told you we should have called first” and how they should have done this in the morning.
At some point they focus on the knowledge that Jason has a supposed clone of Damian in his house and how he was probably League trained since he was so quick to almost kill Dick.
“Tim, please tell me you didn’t steal these cups to get the kid's DNA” Dick asks when he sees the cup on the machine being analyzed.
The teen looked at him with a innocently smile “...okay I won’t tell you”
“TIM!”
“What?! We need to know more about him!” Tim defends himself. “What if he tries anything? He is well trained, he acted like an assassin, if he is a danger to us we need to know”
Dick massaged the bridge of his nose. “He…. is just a child” He really didn’t want to anger Jason any further, he doesn’t understand why the man would be so angry at them showing up when gave him permission to visit, so what if he came through the windows and didn’t warn him? They always do this, he should be used to it by now.
“A child that looks like Damian we need to make sure he really is a clone” The teen retorted firmly.
“Jay is going to be pissed…”
“We already pissed him off tonight, what is it a bit more?”
A pin got his attention back to the screen.
“The results are in” Tim says apprehensive as he clicks on it.
When he sees it his eyes widen. “Oh…that’s…I didn’t expect that”
“What is it?” Dick asks warily.
“It matches with Damian DNA…”
“What?” Dick pales, turning back to the screen with a startled look. “Dammit!”
Was this Talia’s doing? Didn’t she kill Ra’s and take over? Did she make a clone of Damian to become her heir since he doesn’t want to go back to the League?
Tim stared at the results in confusion, because that is not what bothered him the most, it was obvious the kid was a clone what confuses him is—
“It also says Ikol is Jason’s biological son…”
“WHAT?!” Dick exclaimed in utter shock, looking between Tim and the results in horror.
“I don’t understand” The teen muttered glaring at the screen baffled
“I can’t believe Jay has a kid! Why didn’t he tell us he had a bio son?! Wait if he is a match to Damian’s does that mean he is also Jay’s son? What the fuck…wait how old was Jay when he had him?! Or was this kid cloned using his DNA????”
“Dick?” Tim says cutting his brother's tangent. “This is weird…it says that Jason is the biological mother”
The man blue screened at that.
Mother?
What the fuck is going on?