Batbros Forever

They Started It

"Where are you going?" Cass asked when Tim turned back to the office. "Damian's right. Jason is going to suffer for this." He told them. "But Baba says no fighting." Cass reminded. "They started it," Tim said with resolve. "Now it's our turn."

III

The members of Might and Power sat spread around the living room doing homework or entertainment themselves when they heard the bang of The Manor doors slamming open. "Timothy!" Jason yelled through the halls. "Where are you, you two-bit replacement?"

The others looked over to Tim, who hadn't even looked up from his computer screen. "What did you do?" Cass asked to which her brother just smirked. Moments later, Jason was looming over Tim with a menacing scowl. "You've got a lot of nerve." He growled.

"What did he do?" Steph pressed as Dick and Barbara finally joined them. "This little weasel went to the headmaster and said that I shouldn't be allowed to compete because of all my detentions." Jason snapped, jerking Tim up by his shoulder.

"All I did was suggest that there should be consequences for your misbehavior," Tim said smugly. "I have to say, Drake," Damian grinned. "I have never been more proud of you."

"Don't be proud yet." Barbara cut in. "Lucky for Jason, Dick has people skills and a silver tongue. We're still going to take you guys down." "Only now," Dick grinned maliciously. "We're not going to go easy on you."

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The following week and a half was a series of tit-for-tat revenge schemes. All enough to drive each other mad but just tame enough to stay off Bruce's radar. In essence, it was a test of who could be the pettiest.

The morning of the competition was tense. All five kids were sending each other such intense death glairs Bruce and Alfred thought it best to get them all the school in separate cars.

The gymnasium was at full capacity as the school staff did a final check of the course and the teams warmed up for battle. "This is it." Tim breathed. "The moment we have been training for." Damian added, cracking his neck and knuckles. "Let's just hope it was enough." Tim finished glancing over to their competition.

"Hey, none that!" Stephanie warned. "With your strategy, Cass's stealth and agility, Damian's cutthroat tactics, and my take no prisoners attitude, we can't lose. Besides," she stopped and jerked her thumb over to where Dick and Jason were alternating between stretching and watching the doors. "They're missing a whole teammate."

At that moment, Barbara burst through the gym doors, eyes blazing, her red hair like a halo of fire framing her face. She scanned the room for all of two seconds before spotting Might and Power and making a beeline for them.

"You dirty cheat!" She snapped, getting right in Tim's face. "I knew you wanted to win, but this was just low." "Where have you been?" Jason demanded as he and Dick reached them. "You wanna tell them why I was late, Tim?" Barbara growled. The boy merely shrugged, and the redhead turned to her teammates.

"Someone hacked into my phone and turned off every alarm, so I overslept and missed the bus. And just to be cruel, he had me blocked from every ride-sharing service in Gotham. My Dad had to give me a police escort to get here when I did." Dick frowned at his brother.

"Really Tim?" He chastised. "I expect this from Damian, maybe even Steph. But you?" "It was not Tim," Cass said defensively. "And how would you know?" Barbara asked incredulously. "Be-cause I did it." The raven-haired girl admitted proudly, to which the others just stared.

They all stood there, bitter contempt seething between them, until the sound of the headmaster calling for everyone to take their places broke the tension. "This is war." Jason growled as Dick led their team to the starting line.