Hustle

chapter nine

Aaaand we have officially reached the end of season 3! That means I can write freely! Yay!

Also, this chapter coincides with S3 E26, mainly the end of it. There will be fluff, there will be fighting, and there will be drama. Prepare yourselves.

Jason groaned when he felt the bed dip next to him. He rolled over, turning his back to the person. "Five more minutes, mother."

"Jason, we are going on a little trip. You, me, and Damian." Talia spoke up, running a hand through Jason's hair. "We are going to Metropolis for a family outing. I believe it is time to show Damian the outside world."

Jason sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "When do we leave?"

"In one hour. Get dressed, I will meet you and Damian at the helicopter."

"No need for the helicopter, daughter." Talia and Jason turned to see Ra's standing there with a device in his hand. "For your help on the Anti-Life mission, Savage has gifted me a Motherbox. Here, take it with you. It is quicker and more reliable than the helicopter."

Talia took the device from her father. "Thank you. We will return tonight." Ra's nodded, exiting the room. Talia turned to Jason, kissing his hair. "Be ready in an hour. I'm going to wake Damian."

Jason watched Talia leave the room, stretching his arms over his head before getting out of bed. He wandered over to his closet, getting out his casual clothes. He got dressed, slipping some throwing knives into his belt before attaching belt under his hoodie, just in case.

One never knows what may happen in the outside world.

Roughly an hour later, Jason met up with Talia and Damian in the courtyard, taking Damian into his arms so Talia could enter the coordinates into the Motherbox. Damian cuddled closely to Jason, wrapping his arms around his neck and resting his head on his shoulder. Jason kissed his forehead, watching as Talia opened the boom tube. They walked through, appearing on a roof in Metropolis. The family made their way to the ground, appearing on the streets below them a minute later.

"Where to, mother?" Jason asked, adjusting Damian in his arms.

Talia thought about it. "Let's take him to a park, enjoy the weather."

Jason nodded, following after Talia through the streets. They came upon a park not too long after they arrived, walking to the play structure. Damian looked at it curiously. Jason put him down, taking his hand instead. "Come on, Damian. Let's go play."

Talia watched as her boys went to the play structure, running up the stairs and going down the slide, Damian giggling the whole time. She smiled, taking out a small camera and snapping a photo of Jason holding Damian as they went down the slide.

"Again, Jay! Again!" Damian cried out. "Ooh! I want to try that one!" He pointed to the tire swing and Jason obliged, lifting the small child up onto the swing. Damian pat the spot next to him. "Join me."

Jason smirked, sitting across from Damian to distribute the weight. Talia shook her head fondly, making her way over to push her childish sons on the tire swing, their laughter tearing loudly through the park, unaware of the group coming out of the diner from across the street.

"Can we go to the park, daddy?" Lian Nguyen-Harper asked her father, pointing across the street.

Will looked at the group. "Care to join us?"

The group nodded, happy that everything was calm in their world for once.

They made it to the park, noticing at the play structure a family was laughing at the tire swing as a teenaged boy fell off, the small child still on the swing looking down in concern. "You okay, Jay?"

"I'm alright, little demon. Just fell down, is all." The boy stood up, brushing himself off. He glanced up, eyes widening when he saw the approaching group, eyes locking with one Dick Grayson. He snarled, reaching for his throwing knives. "Mother, grab Damian and get behind me. We've got company."

Talia picked Damian off the swing, looking in the direction Jason was staring. She sighed internally, knowing a storm was coming. "Jason, they have a child with them."

"Don't worry, mother, no harm shall come to her. Can't say the same about her guardians." Jason growled as the group stopped at the edge of the park, staring at Jason and his family. Jason shifted to block Damian from view. "What do you want, Grayson?"

"I didn't want to believe you, Dick, but he really is alive and working for the al Ghuls..." Barbara spoke in awe, looking at Jason.

Jason ignored the headache that was coming on, used to them by now. He slipped the knives between his fingers, stepping further in front of Talia and Damian. "Mother, go home."

"Jason, Talia al Ghul is not your mother. She is-"

"Enough!" Jason roared, running at the group with his knives up and ready to slash.

He managed to slice Dick's arm before the older man dove out of the way. He glared at Jason. "Will, get Lian out of here." Will obliged, turning to leave with his daughter in his arms. Dick looked at Jason, raising his hands in defense. "Look, we didn't come here to fight."

Jason scoffed. "You come here and slander my mother, you're going to get a fight." Jason peeked over his shoulder at Talia and Damian, who were watching him closely. "Mother, take him home."

"Who is he?" Artemis asked, looking at Damian. She looked between Jason and Talia, eyes widening. "Did you two-"

"No! That's my mother, you freak." Jason threw a knife at Artemis, one she barely dodged. It landed in a tree.

"Ja-"

Jason felt someone put their hand on his shoulder and he sneered, reaching for a special knife he had for just this occasion. He grabbed it, stabbing it into the hand.

"Ah! Where did you find kryptonite?" Conner yelled, pulling his hand back.

Jason ignored him, turning to face the rest of the group. He prepared to throw his knives at them, stopping when Talia spoke. "Jason, enough." He paused in his actions, relaxing his body. Jason looked back to Talia, watching as she came closer with Damian in her arms. "What is it your team wants, Richard?"

Dick looked back to his friends, hand on his wound. Jason knew they were conversing through the psychic link and he narrowed his eyes. "We didn't know you would be here, honestly. We just wanted to take Lian to the park. But since you're here..."

Jason felt someone trying to probe into his mind and he hissed, tossing a knife at M'gann. "Stay out of my mind, Martian!"

"Jason, please, we are just trying to help you." Dick pleaded, watching as Jason turned to him with murder in his eyes.

"Help me by staying out of my li-"

"If you want us to go with you, all you had to do was ask." Talia smirked at M'gann. "No need to try and plant a suggestion in my head."

The group looked taken aback, looking just as shocked as Jason felt. "Mother? Are you sure?"

Talia nodded, kissing Jason's forehead. "Of course. Besides, I have some things to discuss with Batman."

Damian made grabby motions for Jason and he obliged, taking the child from Talia. He snuggled close to Jason, glaring at the Team. "Stay away from my brother, you meanies!"

Jason smiled down at Damian, hugging him close. "Thank you, you saved me, little one."

Damian giggled. "Anything for you, Jay."

Talia watched her boys interact with a soft expression before turning to the Team, her face hardening. "Well? Take us to Batman so you can interrogate us." She smirked, pulling the Motherbox out. "Or, better yet, let me take us there."

She punched in the coordinates for the Watchtower, which she had gotten from Ra's when he was still apart of the Light, and opened a boom tube. She gestured for the Team to follow through with them.

Hey, Dick?

Yeah?

Did you ever tell Bruce about Jason...?

Oh, shit.