Hustle

chapter eleven

Get ready for more Damian! He goes a bit feral in this.

Damian shook Jason's shoulders desperately,  tears in his eyes. "Jay! Jay, wake up! Come on, stop playing."

Awe, he's so cute. Like a little worried Bruce.

Damian looked up at the heroes with rage in his eyes. He grabbed two of Jason's remaining knives, standing up. "You meanies hurt my brother. Now you need to pay."

He's going to hurt himself with those things.

Damian went sprinting at the group, sliding on the ground when he got close. He slid under Batman's legs, slashing at his calves as he did so.

"Argh!"

"That's for telling the alien to hurt my brother." He turned to M'gann, eyes practically glowing with anger. "And this is for listening to him."

"Damian, wait! If you hurt her while she is in Jason's mind, you could hurt Jason too." Tim cried out, stepping in front of the unaware M'gann.

Damian growled, turning his anger back on Batman. He raised one of the knives, ready to slash Bruce again when the knife was shot out of his hand by Superman's laser vision. Damian tossed the second knife at Bruce, glaring when the knife was deflected yet again by Superman. Damian ran at Batman, only to be scooped up in the arms of Dick Grayson. "That's enough."

Damian grabbed Dick's thumb and broke it, forcing the vigilante to drop him. He continued to run at Batman, only stopping when a certain brother of his spoke. "Little demon, are you protecting me?"

Damian gasped, doing an about face and sprinting into Jason's arms, tackling him to the ground. "Jay! I thought I lost you! Are you okay? Did the meanies hurt you?"

Jason chuckled, ruffling Damian's hair as the toddler curled up on his lap. "I'm alright , little one. It tickled more than anything."

Damian giggled. "And I know how ticklish you are."

Jason gasped. "Demon, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone!"

Damian stuck his tongue out. "That's what you get for scaring me, you meanie." Damian snuggled closer. "What did they do?"

Jason paused, looking up at everyone staring expectantly at him. "They gave me back my memories. I remember everything about my past life."

Damian gasped, looking up at Jason. "I can't wait for you to tell me everything!"

Jason grinned, standing up with Damian in his arms. "We'll make a night of it. I'll make us hot cocoa and we can have a fire and I'll tell you all about it. How does that sound?"

Damian turned to Talia with hopeful eyes. "Will you join us, mother? Please?"

Talia smiled softly at her boys. "Of course I will. After all, who is going to make sure that Jason doesn't burn down our home with his recklessness?"

Jason stuck his tongue out, making Damian giggle.

"Wait, Jason, you're still going back with the al Ghuls? Even though you remember everything?" Dick asked, a heart broken expression on his face.

Jason looked up at him. "Yes, they are my family. They love me and accept me for who I am, which is more than I can say for Bruce and you."

"But...what about Alfred?"

Jason felt a pang in his chest. "I'll miss Alfred, but this is my life now. I'm not sorry."

Bruce stepped forward, looking at Damian and Jason. "I'm still going to need DNA samples."

Jason snorted. "Of course you are. That's the Bruce I remember, always all business." Jason plucked a hair from his head, handing it to Bruce before doing the same with Damian. "Sorry, little one."

"'S okay, Jay. Didn't hurt." Damian yawned, leaning his head on Jason's shoulder. "'M hungry."

"I'll make us some food when we get home. And, if mother allows it, some cookies for the cocoa?" Jason and Damian looked at Talia with matching puppy dog eyes, causing her to sigh.

"Alright, but only a few. The last thing I need is two wound up boys running around my home because they ate a whole batch of cookies." She relented, making her boys holler in victory. Talia turned to Wonder Woman, holding her wrist up. "Do you mind? I believe it is time I take my boys home."

As Wonder Woman was unwrapping the lasso from Talia's wrist, Dick went up to her and glared. "I'm keeping my eye on you. If I sense that you aren't taking good care of my brothers then-"

"I believe you heard it from Jason yourself, I am doing a much better job than you and Bruce did with him." Talia smirked, rubbing her wrist. "And as for Damian, I don't believe I remember him claiming you as his brother."

"If he is Bruce's, then he is my brother."

"I don't think he feels the same way." Talia gestured to Dick's broken thumb before turning to her waiting sons. "I'm ready to go home, are you two?"

"Yes, mother." They answered at the same time, watching as Talia typed in the coordinates to their home.

She opened the boom tube, gesturing for Jason to bring Damian in first. He walked through, not sparing the heroes a second glance. Talia looked at Bruce with a softness usually reserved for her sons. "Do not worry, beloved. I am taking care of them." With that, she disappeared into the boom tube.

The heroes stood in silence for a moment, everyone unpacking what just happened in their own way. Bruce walked over to the computer, loading the two DNA samples into it for analysis.

Stephanie snickered, looking at Dick. "You got beat up by a toddler."

Dick glared at her. "Yeah, who happens to be the son of Talia al Ghul and Batman." He looked at Bruce. "Aren't you in pain? How are you walking? Damian slashed your calves."

"My need for answers out weighs my pain."

"Drama king."

"How long have you known Jason was alive again?"

Dick was taken aback by the question. "Excuse me?"

"I know you knew before today. So, when did you find out?"

Dick sighed, rubbing his uninjured hand through his hair. "After we got back from Granny's orphanage. He revealed himself to us after some pushing."

Bruce nodded, looking back to the computer. He had a feeling this was just the beginning of the storm.

Infinity Island

At their home, Talia took Damian upstairs for a bath while Jason went about cooking dinner for them.  He heard someone enter the room and turned to see Ra's. He bowed, straightening up when he was told.

"Jason, I have something to inform you of." Jason nodded, cooking the food as he listened to Ra's. "I have rejoined the Light. It took some persuading, but I believe it is in my best interests. As it is yours, to do as I ask." Jason felt a pinch between his shoulder blades and he slumped forward, a burning sensation coursing through his body as Ra's spoke. "You see, I know all about you remembering your past and your little field trip with my family today to the heroes where my daughter revealed Damian's parentage to his father. I intend to exploit this."

Jason groaned lowly, gripping the edge of the counters. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to forget this conversation. This never happened. And when the time is right, you'll hear your orders."

Jason nodded, going back to cooking as Ra's took his leave. He turned around when he heard the door close.

That's funny, he thought to himself, I thought I left the door open.