"Roy!" Venus exclaimed, climbing through the window. She patted his shoulder as she straightened up. "We might need to stay the night, if you don't mind."
He furrowed his brows. "Why the fu--wait, we?"
Jason dove through the window gracefully, rolling gently onto the ground. Show off. He grinned smugly at Roy, hands relaxed by his sides. "Miss me?"
Staring blankly at Jason, Roy crossed his arms, unamused. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but closed it, taking a closer look at Jason. After blinking rapidly and rubbing his eyes, Roy finally spoke. "What the fuck?"
"I'm alive, Roy. I thought you'd be more excited," Jason griped, tapping his foot impatiently. He seemed annoyed, though Venus knew he truly was happy to see his best friend. She stepped around them and slipped quietly into the kitchen, searching for Jade. As much as she wanted to see Roy inevitably sock Jason, she figured they needed their privacy. And Jason could handle himself.
She found Jade perched on the counter sipping from a mug. Jade raised a brow, pursing her lips affectionately. "Running from the police? I heard the sirens pass by."
"Yeah, don't worry. It'll blow over soon. They just like to arrest people for the stupidest reasons so they can feel like they're doing their jobs," Venus dismissed, waving her hand. "Especially since Batman and co. make most of the arrests around here."
"And who's your friend? You're the first and last rugrat I'm taking in," She said causally, placing her drink down.
An uncontrollable smile grew on Venus's face. "You'll see. I think you'll love him."
Jade studied her carefully before shrugging. "I'm glad you seem happier today. Yesterday's dinner was quite eventful."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Venus winced. "Dick and I are fine, now. I'm just dramatic, you know me."
"Unfortunately, I do. Also, I made those calls and have a few suspects as to who's targeting you," Jade drawled, stroking her dark hair. She was never one for small talk.
Venus coughed in surprise. "That came out of nowhere? But okay, let's hear it."
"A few scientists, Hayden Dunn and Ted Cayne, were linked to Seth Verlac," Jade explained in monotone. Venus flinched at the mention of Seth; the Father, the man behind it all. "They were caught on file participating in illegal activities involving human experimentation. Apparently one of the only serums they perfected was the one used by Seth in his little spin-off League."
Nodding appreciatively, Venus crossed her arms. "Okay, so it actually might be someone from the outside."
"Someone from the outside?" Jade laughed lowly. "Hon, they worked directly inside of that mansion to oversee how the children would respond to the serum. They modified and corrected them, tailoring it to completely enhance the individual. The two left the facility a week before the fire, so they're definite suspects. They probably worked closely with you since you were one of the few to survive the dosage."
Disturbed, Venus frowned. "You think Fa--Verlac used the serum as a sort of cheat? You said he eventually wanted to build something bigger than the League of Assassins, so what if he thought creating enhanced individuals was the best way to achieve that? He's not immortal like Ra's, he wouldn't want to spend decades training his army, so enhancing them was the next best option."
"That's exactly what I think happened," Jade nodded, braiding her hair over her shoulder. "He wanted to prove to Ra's that he was capable of starting something more, something that would deem the League of Assassins irrelevant. Verlac was a petty little boy."
Venus scoffed. "Something bigger than the League of Assassins? Honestly, what was he thinking?"
Jades lips quirked upwards. "He was smart, but always jumped ahead to the big idea. An issue many powerful men have."
"You're good, Jade," Venus peered at her admiringly. "You got all that from a few calls?"
"I used to be part of the League," Jade shrugged nonchalantly. "Not the Justice League by a long shot, but if anything, they have more contacts all over the world."
"I'll pay Dunn and Cayne a visit as soon as I can," Venus nodded. She'll ask Tim to find out more about their current whereabouts.
"I'm going with you, don't even try to argue," Jade said firmly. And that was fine, Jade knew exactly what she was getting into. Unlike Dick, who thought his cute little acrobat skills and charm would solve everything.
"And where are you ladies going?"
Roy and Jason stood in the doorway, arm around each other's shoulders. Jason sported a bloody nose and ruffled hair, which Venus chuckled at.
Jason waved, grinning toothily. "Hey, Jade."
Jade stared at him, unimpressed. She took a long sip from her mug. "You're like a fucking cockroach. Refuse to stay dead."
Roy barked out a laugh, trapping Jason in a headlock. "Admit it, Jade. You missed his pretty face. I know I did." Jason let out a strangled grunt as he gazed at Venus helplessly.
Venus cleared her throat. "Okay, Roy. If you could keep him intact, that'd be great."
He let Jason go and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry I punched you." Jason looked highly uncomfortable, but still patted Roy's back awkwardly.
"Let's take this to the couch, yeah?" Jade suggested, leaping over the edge and settling herself down on the cushions.
They all sat down on the sofa; Venus made sure she was next to Jason. Roy hummed before demanding, "Alright, I'll bite. How'd you do it Todd?"
"The Lazarus Pit," Jade answered as she set her steel gaze on Jason. He remained still, his pinky finger twitching against Venus's.
Roy's eyes widened and he nodded, leaning back into the armchair he sat on. "That makes sense, I guess."
"Everything always seems to lead back to Ra's," Venus muttered darkly, sharing a look with Jade. She quickly straightened up, lightening her tone. "Anyways, hope Roy didn't rough you up too much, Jason. You're not looking so good."
She swiped her thumb on his nose, wiping the blood he must've missed off. He scrunched his face, cracking a grin. "You should see the other guy," He said dryly.
"You're literally stupid," Venus deadpanned, softly smacking the side of his head with her palm. He snickered as he rubbed his head, pinching her tricep tightly.
"Alright, alright. Break it up," Roy called as he shook his head. "Get a room. Does anyone else know you're alive? 'Cause I feel mighty special."
Jason shrugged, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "I'll tell everyone eventually. Tomorrow, if I feel like it. Technically, Dick already knows. And Bruce." Nobody missed the way he spat the billionaire's name, his face screwed with resentment.
And Venus understood. She doesn't quite understand the Jason-Bruce situation yet, but she can guess. She was pretty angry at the man too for not letting her kill the Joker. Why let him live when he's taken so many lives? She kind of understands his hesitation; killing can be difficult for those not conditioned for it. And that's what people like her are for. To finish the job for people who don't have the guts for it. But going out of his way to make sure nobody else killed him? That's what got Venus. It's ridiculous, if you ask her. But whatever helps him sleep at night.
Something must've happened between Jason and Bruce last night. It must be why Jason was dead-set on avoiding him. And obviously, they still love each other, despite their differences. At the end of the day, Bruce is still his father, and Jason will always care for him. Which is also why Venus is so worried for when Jason inevitably finds out about Tim. He can only handle so many unintentional jabs from Bruce before snapping; discovering he was replaced so soon after his death would be the cherry on top of all this madness.
Shit, Tim. Venus would have to keep a close eye on the boy when Jason finds out. She loves him, really, but he's too much of a loose cannon right now, too unpredictable. He might try to kill Tim, or he might try to kill Bruce. Really, it could go either way. It's more likely for him to go after Tim though, since he doesn't have any emotional attachments to him. She won't admit it, but she's rather fond of Tim. He's smart, maybe too smart , and is a genuinely good person. He hasn't been tainted like Bruce or Jason; he seems to have a sense of innocence, naivety, that won't do him any good in the superhero business. It'd be a shame if he died.
"Anyways," Jason cleared his throat as he smiled cynically. "What did I miss?"
---------------------------
"One of you can sleep on the sofa, and the other on the floor," Jade instructed, laying pillows and blankets on the hardwood floor. "I am not giving up my bed."
Roy clutched the blanket he brought out to his chest, a teasing smirk on his face. "You mean our bed. If you don't want to give up our alone time, just say so."
"You're sleeping on the floor now too," Jade demanded as she scowled fiercely. Roy chuckled nervously, kissing her cheek before bidding them a good night. He retreated into the bedroom, grimacing at Jason and Venus.
"Wow, I will never understand how you two got together," Jason commented, leaning against the wall. He wore a pair of baggy basketball shorts and a bright red shirt, courtesy of Roy. Venus raised her brow at the fuzzy socks on his feet, which were most definitely not his.
He met her judgmental stare with his own. "What? My feet are cold."
"I'm sorry I asked," Venus said, pursing her lips. She turned to Jade, who was still glaring at Jason.
"Thanks a lot, Jade" She spoke, nodding curtly.
Jade shrugged as she followed Roy into their room. "Sure. It's not great, but comfier than a cell, I guess." She shut the door softly behind her, the sound of her footsteps gradually fading. Venus's lips thinned; tomorrow, they'd go after Dunn and Cayne. She'd just have to talk to Tim first...and she should probably find Jason a babysitter.
Jason gestured to the makeshift pillow mattress on the floor. "You take the sofa."
Scowling, Venus rolled her eyes. "You've been sleeping God knows where for the past few weeks, Jason. Take the damn sofa."
"A bunker. I've been staying in one of Bruce's old bunkers. Wasn't too bad, I got to see rats in their natural habitat," He spoke, the barest smile illuminated on his face. "I haven't been sleeping well lately, so there's no use in me trying." He gestured to the couch as he sank into the floor, back against the bottom of the sofa. His white hair glistened in the moonlight.
Venus's gaze softened as she held back a yawn. "Yeah, you couldn't sleep because you were sleeping in a dusty, abandoned bunker." She sank to the floor beside him, pulling her knees to her chest.
They sat together in silence, darkness encasing them. Moonlight from the open window was their only source of light as the distant sounds of the city surrounded them. And it was the first time in months Venus felt truly at peace. In this moment, she felt calmness wash over her. Her mind was quiet and she heard the soft thrum of her heart as she basked in the hushed atmosphere. Jason was pressed against her side as they just sat there on the floor, staring out the window.
"Yesterday," Jason began softly, startling Venus. "I was so mad. At the world, at Bruce. I made him choose: kill the Joker, or watch me kill him. I told him I forgave him for not saving me, but I just didn't know why, why on God's earth is he still alive?"
She gazed at the side of his face, gently brushing her fingers against his hand. She was never good at comforting people. He returned the gesture as he continued, voice raw. "I told him that I didn't expect him to start killing everyone, like Scarecrow or Dent, just him. It's fair. An eye for an eye," He paused, grasping her hand tightly. "When I first came back, I expected him to already be dead. I thought Bruce would do it because...well, because he killed me. He took me away from him. But clearly, that wasn't enough."
"When I got out of the Pit, I felt like I was drowning. I felt unnatural, that it wasn't supposed to be like this. That I wasn't supposed to come back," Jason confessed. "Don't recommend. The feeling kind of stayed, it comes and goes. Anyways, I guess I had enough of Batman's screwed up morals and decided to take things into my own hands. The bad guys can't kill people if they're dead. And what good are they alive?"
Venus sighed after a moment of silence, snaking her arm through his. "I'm sorry. I really am. You've been through so much the past few years, I honestly thought you'd be more...unhinged."
He chuckled dryly. "Yeah, I was the first few weeks after I came back. After I escaped Ra's castle, I kinda went crazy, I don't think I slept for days. I did research after I arrived back in Gotham; apparently, anyone rejuvenated by the Lazarus Pit experiences a brief bout of madness. Which was rather disappointing, I thought I was special."
"I'm not the same, though," He added, leaning his head back. "I don't know, I just don't feel the same."
"It's alright," Venus said softly. "We've got time to figure it out, yeah?" She brushed his hair away from his forehead, smiling as his eyes glinted in the moonlight.
Jason grinned back, lifting his head up to look at her. He seemed to remember something and stood swiftly, digging in the pockets of his sweatpants that were folded neatly on the coffee table. Sitting back down beside her, he cleared his throat and placed that dainty diamond bracelet in her hands. "Thought you might want that back."
Venus inhaled a sharp breath, stunned. She loosely examined the bracelet, as if would break at any moment. "Didn't peg you as a grave robber."
"I'm full of surprises," He said fondly. "And I was curious to see what my grave looked like. It wasn't as grand as I had hoped, but whatever. The tree was nice." He yawned and stretched his arms over his head, his shoulders popping.
Venus stood and hooked her arm under his legs and back, carrying Jason bridal style and dropping him onto the sofa. He landed with a grunt, surprised. Venus only grinned cockily. "Need me to tuck you in now?"
Jason paused, considering it. "Actually, there's enough room up here for you. If I can just scoot over a little..."
"I'd practically be on top of you," She countered, waving her hand. "I'll be right below you, so try not to step on me." Venus lowered herself onto the make-shift bed on the floor, tossing a blanket over her.
"You can hold my hand if you get lonely," Jason teased, dangling his arm from the couch.
She scoffed, but still grabbed his hand. "I wouldn't touch you with a five foot pole."
Jason only snorted and tightened his grip, hoping she'd be enough to keep the nightmares at bay.
---------------------------
An hour and forty-three minutes. That's how long it took Jason to fall asleep. Which Venus thought was pretty good, considering all that he's been through. She carefully slipped her hand out of his now-relaxed grip and stood, grabbing her phone off the coffee table. Casting one last look at Jason, she opened the door and stepped into the apartment hallway, walking to the elevator.
She pressed the lobby button and waited, patiently tapping her foot. The past few days have been chaotic, to say the least, but it wasn't over. It could never be over with those guys alive, threatening her. Playing with her. She got lucky, getting their full names. But surely, it couldn't be that easy? Lady Luck was never an ally; misfortune followed Venus around her entire life. She suspected it would all come crashing down on her soon. And Venus hates that. She hates that her bad luck, something she is unable to control, keeps biting her in the ass and ruining her life. Like, what did she do to deserve any of this? She was a mindless assassin of sorts, but that's not her fault. It was the universe, fucking her over again. Not her fault.
Venus stepped into the lobby and out into the city, striding into an alleyway. Not the safest place, considering Gotham's track record, but she can handle anything. Pulling out her phone, she called Tim. He'd be awake. The Robins always had a fucked up sleeping schedule.
"Erm, hello?"
She swiped her tongue over her teeth, resisting the urge to smile madly. "It's Venus. I need you to go to the computer in the Batcave and search up two people for me."
Tim paused, shuffling on the other side of the call. "Okay."
She heard his feet padding down the stairs of the Manor and looked around cautiously. "Sure, take your time."
"You woke me up!" He protested, the rumbling of the elevator drowning his complaints.
"No, I didn't," Venus deadpanned as she examined her nails. Shit, she hoped she was right. It would be pretty embarrassing otherwise, and may ruin her badass reputation.
It was silent for a moment before Tim spoke. "I was doing homework. What are their names?"
Venus grinned triumphantly. "Hayden Dunn and Ted Cayne. Cross reference that with Seth Verlac if you don't find anything."
"Done and done. Is this you graciously accepting my help?"
Scoffing, Venus rolled her eyes. She could practically hear his smirk. "Absolutely not. Send me everything you got on them, yeah?"
"On it," He said. She heard rustling on his side of the call and checked her phone, nodding when the files came through. "Wow. Dunn lives in an apartment on the west-end of Gotham, and Cayne lives with his family a few miles North."
"I can't tell if that's lucky or suspicious," Venus mused, scrolling through the files. "I thought they'd be hauling ass far away from the city."
"Maybe they figured it was the last place people would look," He remarked.
Venus drummed her fingertips against her phone, planning out her next moves. She would need to show Jade the files before they left tomorrow. No, they should plan tomorrow and kill them the next day. That way, absolutely nothing can go wrong! Not even her streak of bad luck can mess up a perfectly, laid out plan. "Thanks, Tim. I'd appreciate it if you cleared the files from the search history, too."
"Wait," He hesitated. "You're not going to kill them, are you?"
She grinned widely as she made her way back to the apartment. "Of course not! I'd just love to ask them a few questions, that's all." Her smile widened as she passed a random family in the lobby, waving politely at them.
"Great. 'Cus you know, it's illegal," Tim chuckled dryly. She wasn't fully convinced he believed her, but it's fine. Tim's a good kid.
"Mhm. Alright, bye!" Venus hung up as she got onto the elevator, grinning elatedly. She forgot how enticing revenge was. In a couple of days, she'd get to kill two people who directly contributed to ruining her childhood. She's ecstatic! Planning murders were just as fun, too. Mapping out every step of the deed, preparing for every possible scenario. How exciting!
She's fully aware that what she's doing is...controversial. But murder can't exactly be wrong if she's killing bad people, right? Cayne's family might be a problem, but she'd be doing them a favor. She'd be freeing them from a greedy mad-man, so who's really winning here? Besides, she didn't ask to be this way. It was always out of her hands, with her streak of bad luck gradually shaping her into who she is today. Pickpocketing the wrong man? Bad luck. Becoming the ultimate weapon? Bad luck. Her parents forgetting about her? Bad luck. And surviving? That was perhaps the worst of her luck.
Anyways, Venus can't change, she's beyond help. And she wouldn't, even if she was given the chance. Jason would understand; maybe she'd tell him one day. Because the opportunity of revenge was too good to pass up, as was ridding the world of two villains. Venus often fantasized about killing Verlac, or Father, as he made them call him; he single-handedly destroyed her life. But these scientists will have to do. Verlac is dead and a sick, twisted part of her wished he wasn't. She wanted to be the one to kill him. She'd show him just what he created, and twist her knife into his heart.
But, again. He's dead and it's okay, because Venus moved on to the next best thing. She strode quietly back into the apartment room, locking the door behind her. Jason laid on the couch looking oddly at peace, like the past few years hadn't happened. Her smile grew softer, more genuine as she set her phone back on the coffee table.
The warm feeling of hope bloomed in her chest. After this, everything can go back to normal. Her thirst for revenge will be quenched, then her and Jason can finally take on the world together.
But she completely forgot about Jason's vengeance, and his list is much longer than hers.