"A diagnosis for what I'm thinking this is often takes years, and I'm no psychiatrist." Eve began, trying to preface what she was about to say.
"Spit it out." Jason said impatiently.
"I think she has a severe dissociation disorder, and from what Gar told me about last night it's possible she has a personality disorder along with it. Remember, this is probably just as new and terrifying to her as it is to you." Eve explained carefully.
"Great, so she really is a psycho. What did I tell ya?" Jason commented rudely, to which Rachel and Gar each shot him a dirty look.
"So can you help her?" Gar asked, looking back at Eve.
"Not well, no. Like I said, I'm not psychiatrist. The best you can do is talk to her and try to understand and help her yourself." Eve said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get going." With that she left the control room.
Dick walked out of the room, and proceeded to leave the tower on his motorcycle. Everyone else looked around at eachother, unsure of what to do with the information they had just learned from Eve. Slowly they all left the control room again leaving Katarina pacing around on the screen alone.
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A while later Jason stormed out of the main room after the team had accused him of drawing crucifixes on Rachels mirror, leaving bourbon for Hank, the picture of Ellis for Dawn, and the orange soda bottle for Donna. Just as he was leaving the doors to the elevator opened and Dick walked in, a gun in hand.
"He's here." Dick said.
"What?" Hank asked in confusion.
"Deathstrokes here. In the tower. He took pictures of all of us." Dick elaborated.
Gar walked into the room. "You guys sure know how to ruin a nap."
"Dick talk to me, whats with the gun?" Hank asked.
"Psst, someones missing." The hallucination of Bruce informed Dick.
Dick looked around the room, "Jason," he said and ran out of the room.
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Dick opened the door and walked out onto the roof, where he saw Jason standing on the edge.
"Jason!" He shouted.
"I keep falling." Jason said, staring out over the city.
"You're okay" Dick said.
Jason shook his head, "No, it won't stop." He said, his voice breaking.
"Listen-" Dick started.
"Bruce wasn't the first one, you know. Who tried to help me. I could make a list, teachers, relatives, cops...you. Nobodys been up to the task Dick. I got a poison in me. Shit spreads and can infect the healthiest people."
Dick looked away. "Why don't you just step away..."
He shook his head again, "No." still standing by the edge of the rooftop.
"Step away from the ledge Jason."
Dick walked over to the edge of the roof and sat down. "We can sit up here quietly, together." he said.
"I fucked it all up," Jason said. "coming here. and its happened before. I once spent two nights in juvie and four fucking people died. It follows me like a curse."
Dick looked back at Bruce and then at Jason. "Nothing's following you" he said.
"I'm the reason they all hate eachother." Jason said, "The reason that kid got shot, the reason this place won't work." He took a deep shuddering breath. "But I can fixit. Remove the poison." he said and took a step forward.
"Jason wait," Dick said, and Jason returned his foot to the ledge. "Can I tell you something I've never told anyone?"
Dick looked over his shoulder at Bruce, who smiled and disappeared. "It's not you, you're not the poison. It's me." He confessed. "It's my fault. it's this secret that's making us all sick. My secret."
He paused. "I caused all this. I did something five years ago...something unforgivable." Dick looked down. "I killed Deathstrokes son."
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Five Years ago
The original Titans smiled as Jericho walked over to them, accompanied by a second boy that looked about his age. The second boy had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes and a friendly expression.
"Hey, look what the surf dragged in." Dawn greeted.
"Beginning to think you blew us off." Dick commented.
"Homework, it never ends." Jericho signed and dawn translated and laughed.
"Who's your friend?" Dick asked curiously.
"Jacob," the second boy introduced himself via sign language. Dawn translated for him and then Jericho signed at Jacob, pointing at each team member, giving Jacob their names.
"The stereolab released a new Japanese pressing today." Dick said.
"Twelve inch?" Jericho signed, which Dawn translated.
"Twelve inch and the lp. both on clear vinyl." Dick replied. Jericho signed happily, grinning.
"A little profanity, he says, dick take all my money." Dawn said.
Hank threw the ball into the air and Donna caught it. "Alright record geeks, come back to the party please." Donna said.
Donna threw the ball at Jericho, who caught it and tossed it at Jacob. Jacob fumbled with it and managed to fall onto the grass. He ended up laughing anyways, and he and Jericho signed back and forth until they were both laughing. He held a hand out and helped Jacob up. After that, Jericho, Jacob, Hank and Donna all ran out into the open sand to toss the football around.
Dick looked over at Dawn, "You okay?"
"I hate this." She replied.
"This is the only way trust me." he said. "If you start feeling weird...just...think about Garth."
"I just like the kid." Dawn said.
"So do I." Dick replied. "but he's Deathstrokes son."
Dawn nodded over at where Hank had just yelled touchdown while playing football with Jericho and his friend. "You sure about that?"
"He's the one," Dick said confidently.
After settling down, the group sat around the campfire. Hank on one of Donna's sides, and Dawn and Donna on either side of Dick. Jericho and Jacob sat next to eachother.
Hank was telling stories about his time in school. "So there I was, sixth grade , braces... doing the full spanish version of the macarena. You know, the five minute version? Tiffany Hernandez and her friends were sitting there laughing at me while I was doing this thing, dancing my heart out and I swore then and there, I'd never dance again." Hank explained.
"Never?" Donna asked.
"Never" Hank confirmed.
Dick looked over at Jericho and eyed the cuff that encircled his wrist. "Hey that's a cool cuff thing," he commented. "The eye of Boris. Where did you get that?" he asked.
"It was a birthday gift." Jericho signed, while Dawn continued translating.
"From who?" Dick continued.
"My dad." Jericho signed.
"Is he still in the picture?" Dick asked curiously. Jericho looked down, while Jacob looked away. Parents seemed to be a sore spot for both of them. "Hey I get it, not everyone has a family they want to talk about."
Jericho nodded slowly at him, before looking over and signing at Jacob to make sure he was okay too. Jacob signed back a short answer with a small nod.
"I was raised by a borderline psychopath." Dick continued, but not missing the small interaction. "We don't get to choose our fathers."
Jericho began signing. "He says his dad was a war hero." Dawn translated. "Before he was born his dad was in the army. Part of a special unit called Hive. He missed his birthday and when he came home he made it up to him by giving him that." She said and gestured to the cuff around his wrist. "He said it'll keep him safe"
"What's he doing now?" Dick asked.
"I don't know." Jericho signed. "We don't talk. I haven't lived with him for a few years."
Donna reached into the cooler, taking out a can of beer. "Fresh one?" Jericho leaned forward and grabbed it from her hand. She then tossed one to Jacob, who caught it and opened it. They each took a sip of their respective beers, though Jacob's hand was still noticeable shaky.
"Why's that?" Dick asked, and Jericho set his can down and continued signing.
"Everything changed. My dad retired from the military. He went into business with a buddy. A man named Wintergreen. He said his job was risk assessment for an insurance company." Jericho signed. " He went from hardly home to nearly never... then..." Dawn trailed off.
"There was an attack on my house. I got cut." Jericho signed, drawing a thumb across his neck. "Across my neck." dawn explained.
The group was silent as he finished signing and dawn finished the story. "When he got home from the hospital his dad was gone."
"We all have family stories, right?" He signed.
"That's rough Jericho," Dick said. "I'm sorry." He then looked over at Jacob, who had been looking down at the ground the entire time. "What about you Jacob?" He asked curiously.
Jacob looked up, his expression looked a bit confused for a moment before he fully processed Dick's words. He held up his shaky hands to begin signing, but got caught on the first word.
"I..." Dawn Began, watching Jacob with a supportive expression. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to share it all at once." she said softly.
Jericho rested a hand on Jacob's shoulder reassuringly. Jacob took a deep shuddering breath and steadied his hands before beginning to sign again. "My father left before I was born. Him leaving...it wrecked my mom. I don't think she was...okay." He signed, and then tapped the side of his head. He lowered his hands into his lap, obviously done sharing for the night.
"To fucked up families, the only ones we've ever known." Hank said, raising his beer can.
"Cheers." Everyone said, or signed, clanging their cans of beer together.
"To family." Dawn said.