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bat-losers-inc · 6 years

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Collisions in the Dark (Ch 2): En Prise

Warnings: dubcon, depictions of violence

Summary: The scene is set and promises have been made in hushed tones. If everyone plays their parts right they might all just make it out of this alive.

Pairings: Jason Todd/Tim Drake, Ra’s Al Ghul/Tim Drake

Chapter Notes: En Prise: French "in take" A piece or pawn that is unprotected and exposed to capture

Do you know how it ends? Do you feel lucky? Do you want to go home now? There’s a bottle of whiskey in the trunk of the Chevy and a dead man at our feet staring up at us like we’re something interesting. This is where the evening splits in half, Henry, love or death. Grab an end, pull hard, and make a wish.” — “ Wishbone ”, Richard Siken.

8 Hours Ago…

“I’m sorry you wanna repeat that?” Jason blinked, his face scrunched in annoyance like he thought someone was messing with him and he wasn’t in on the joke. Tim couldn’t blame him for that, he wished he was joking. Honestly, he was surprised Jason hadn’t shut the door in his face already.

He exhaled and tried again in as serious a tone as he could with Jason glowering at him.

“I need you to kill someone for me and help me stage the murder to look like I did it.”

Jason straightened up from where he was leaning against the door jam, with his arms crossed, and slid his foot away from the door. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you said. I’m calling Alfred to bring you home. Get some sleep, Replacement, come back when you’re thinking clearly.”

He moved into his apartment, swinging the door shut as he went. Tim lunged forward and caught his arm against the door before it closed. “No, Jason. Wait!”

He pushed inside to find Jason standing at the kitchen island, scrolling through the contacts on his phone. Jason’s eyes flickered up to him before returning to his screen.

“I don’t need to deal with any of your crazy, Replacement. I’ve got enough crazy of my own to spare. Honestly, shouldn’t Bruce be dealing with this?”

“Bruce already knows about this, that’s why I’m here. I need your help if our plan is going to work.” Tim replied.

Jason stopped what he was doing to look at Tim full on now. “I’m sorry… Bruce… Batman , has decided on a plan that entails you murdering someone?”

“Technically you’d be doing the murdering— which is nothing new,” commented Tim, “but yes, because we’re attempting to trick the smartest villain of all time and he won’t believe anything less.”

Tim watched Jason’s forehead crinkle and imagined the gears turning inside his head. He seemed to come to his conclusion and swallowed thickly, like the answer didn’t agree with him.

“Ra’s… You’re planning on tricking Ra’s?”

Tim nodded. “I need to get inside his compound, work undercover there to find the answers I need, and I’m going to need your help to do it. You don’t have to say yes, but you should know if you help me with this, you’re in it with me for the long run.”

Jason stared hard at his hands, thinking it over for a long minute. When he refocused his gaze, he gave a half-shrug. “I didn’t have anything exciting planned for this week anyway. So, who do I have to kill?”

“Know of any scumbag that have it coming to them?” asked Tim.

Jason grinned in that devilish way that was usually only reserved for nights he patrolled in his domino mask as Red Hood. “Let me get my naughty list.”

The gunshot rang out in the alley later that night, drowning out the sound of pouring rain beating against asphalt for a split second. Tim forced himself to watch as the bullet tore into the criminal’s head, splattering brain matter onto the brick wall behind him. He was still staring when the man’s body fell from his kneeling position onto the ground and Jason pressed his still warm gun into Tim’s slack hand.

“Put it in the holster I gave you.” Jason instructed.

Tim repeated to himself the man’s past crimes— everything from drugs, to arms dealing, to human trafficking— hoping it would incite his rage and disgust again. This was supposed to be a crime of passion and Tim would need to make himself a lot bloodier if the scene was to look believable to any spying eyes.

“Tim,” Jason snapped, drawing him out of his thoughts. “Put the gun away and help me shift the body.”

Tim slid the gun into the holster on his thigh and moved to help Jason who was crouched by the man’s shoulders. Tim stationed himself by the man’s feet. Up close he could see were part of the man’s skull was missing, blood clotting into his hair. The sight made Tim want to run away and be sick.

Jason slid his hands under the man’s shoulders. “Grab his feet, we need to turn him onto his back.”

With shaky hands, Tim grasped the feet of the dead body in front of him. They lifted the dead weight and turned, dropped the body back to the pavement with a unsettling flopping sound.

Jason stood and looked back down towards the mouth of the alley, checking to see if the coast was clear. “You’re turn, Replacement. Kneel over the body and aim for the face, the nose especially. It’ll get the most blood.”

Tim kneeled in the growing spread of blood that was creeping outwards in a halo around the dead body. He clenched his hands into fists, his heart hammering in his chest at the prospect of beating up a dead corpse. This wasn’t right, none of this was right, he wanted to say, but knew it had to be done. Sacrifice one man who Jason was planning on killing anyway to save who knows how many lives. He struck out as hard as he could, bruising the man’s cheek and opening up a cut. He put all of his anger and fear into his blows, continuing even when the man’s nose broke and sprayed blood across Tim’s face, continued until the man’s face was an unrecognizable mess and Jason’s strong hands were grasping his own to still him.

“Easy, that’s enough. That’s enough.” Jason’s words were gentle as he pulled Tim to his feet, like he was trying to calm a child. He pulled Tim until he could lean breathlessly again the brick wall.

Tim tried not to stare at his bloody hands as Jason put two fingers to his lips and whistled something that sounded like a bird call. Nothing happened at first, then out of the murky darkness, a boy appeared. He was thin and dirty with worn sneakers, and stared openly at the bloody corpse for a minute before turning to Jason. Tim realized he must be one of Jason’s information runner. Jason pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and handed it to the boy.

“Spread the word that Red Robin killed a human trafficker in Crime Alley. Make it as graphic as possible. I want everyone to hear about this, you understand me?”

The boy nodded and dashed out into the darkness.

Jason turned back to Tim. “I’ll call it in to Bruce and see you back at my place tonight.”

Wearily, Tim nodded. And just like that Jason was climbing up a fire escape and disappearing into the night. Tim slid down the wall until he was sitting on the ground, his arms resting on top of his drawn up knees. He stared out at the mouth of the alley and waited for Batman to arrive.

36 Hours Ago...

Tim came into the cave to find Bruce and Dick standing side by side at the bat computer. Tim looked at the screen to see the newest report from the Justice League along with a video feed that Bruce had playing on repeat.

“When did you say this happened again?” Asked Dick, his hand stroking his brow thoughtfully.

“The video feed is timestamped for last night. The laboratory cameras seem to have been tampered with— see there they go black for awhile— but when they come back on the disease samples are missing. Clark reports that the same thing happened in different labs across the country, perhaps even on different continents, but we have yet to be notified.”

“What’s going on?” Tim asked, approaching the screen for a closer look at the video feed.

“Someone’s stealing anthrax samples from the CDC laboratories across the country.” Dick replied, flashing Tim a welcoming grin that conflicted with the dire topic of conversation.

“How many samples have been taken so far? I mean, on what kind of scale are we talking in terms of crisis. Is this more of an evacuate the building or evacuate the city type of scenario?”

“Based on my calculations right now, it’s enough to build a small bomb, but the reports keep coming in. If this keeps up, it could be enough to infect a city the size of Shanghai.”

“So we’re most likely looking at bioterrorists.”Dick confirmed and moved to the side of the computer to search through their database. The action seemed pointless to Tim. He already knew who it was.

He also knew about that person’s annoying habit of planting bugs in the cave. He put his finger to his lips with a knowing look towards the computer console and motioned Bruce and Dick away into the med bay. Hopefully their voices wouldn’t be picked up by any mics in here.

“If it’s a bioterrorist, there’s only one who would do it on this big a scale.” Stated Tim, crossing his arms. “Ra’s.”

“It is his M.O.” Bruce agreed, though he looked less than eager to go up against Ra’s al Ghul and his league of assassins again.

“If it is him, there won’t likely be any threat made to the Justice League or the media. His endgame is always the decreasement of the world population until only the strong are left to build the world anew. Any notification of a threat would cause mass migration out of cities around the world which would be counter effective. If there is a biological weapon threat from Ra’s, we won’t know about it until it happens.”

There was a moment of intense silence as the trio of superheroes tried to think of a solution.

“Alright, “ Dick started. “But Ra’s is a pretty arrogant guy… I mean if Damien is anything to go by. Maybe we can draw it out of him. Trash talk him on the media until he makes a threat. There’s a chance he’ll slip up… “

Bruce shook his head. “That won’t work. Ra’s is too smart for that. The most that will get you is a bunch of his assassins waiting for you when you get home to put a sword through your back.”

Tim had an idea, a horrible idea that was just guaranteed to work if they played it right.

“If we could get someone inside his compound and close enough to him, then we’d stand a chance of learning the location of the bomb.”

“Damian?” Dick asked automatically, concern spreading over his features. “I don’t think he’d be willing to go back there now.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Bruce. “Ra’s won’t buy it anyway. Damian has outright told Ra’s whose side he’s on in the past. He’s done nothing to make Ra’s think otherwise—”

Tim shook his head.

“I’m not talking about Damian. Me, send me. The man trusted me enough to let the White Ghost take me to one of his compounds and remove my spleen. Why wouldn’t he trust me again?”

Dick held up a hand with a mocking smile. “Well that was before you single-handedly demolished his entire organization. That kind of thing can make someone vengeful.”

“Uh, I think he got his revenge. He tried to kill everyone I know and when that didn’t work, proceeded to kick me out a window . I’d say we’re square.”

Dick blinked, and stared hard at the ceiling for a minute like he was doing the math in his head. “God, in what kind of screwed up world does that actually makes sense? Our lives are so weird.”

If Tim was being honest with himself that wasn’t the real reason he got kicked out that window. It was the blatant rejection that had stung Ra’s the most, the realization that nothing he felt towards Tim would ever be reciprocated in kind.

“Once again, Ra’s isn’t going to buy it.” Interrupted Bruce, forever the voice of pessimism. “What motive would you have to change sides?”

“Easy,” responded Tim. “Make it my only option. I break the most sacred rule you have and you’ll have no choice but to disown me.”

The silence was heavy for a minute as Bruce thought it over. He nodded his approval, if begrudgingly.

Present Time…

“God, I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, but this is like asking to be chopped to pieces. How do we even know he’ll keep me alive?” Jason sat next to Tim on the worn leather couch in his apartment. His hands were steepled under his chin, resting on his bouncing knees.

“We don’t.” Tim cringed outwardly at the realization of his own words. Suddenly this didn’t seem like the best plan… though it never sounded like a walk in the park to begin with.

“Well at least I’ll go out in style.” He arched his eyebrows towards his hairline like he was considering the idea. “ Death by ninja home invasion. That’s not so bad.”

Tim snorted.

“It sounds like the action scene of a low budget movie they’d play on the SyFy channel.”

“Oh shut up, Babybird.” Jason sighed. The silence settled heavily between them for another moment. The only sounds were the nightlife of Gotham through Jason’s thin walls. Someone on the floor above them seemed to be getting lucky, if the continuous thumping and moaning was anything to go by, but the noises didn’t hold Tim’s attention long enough to take his mind off their present situation.

Finally, Jason seemed to gather the courage to broach the topic he’d been dancing around for the past twenty minutes. “You know in order for this to work you’re going to have get close to Ra’s and gain his trust, right?”

“That was the plan wasn’t it? I resist at first and then decide to join him. It’s more believable that way.” They were dancing right on the edge of the true topic and God it would be Jason who was giving him this talk.

“Ra’s has always been weird when it came to you. It’s more than an interest… it’s an obsession of sorts. I just want you to understand...without Bruce to stop him, he’s not going to restrain himself—”

Tim pressed his fingers into his eyes, nausea creeping up the back of his throat at the thought of it. When he spoke, his tone was sharper than he’d meant it to be. “I know, Jason. I know his feelings for me and I’m consenting to it now before you get it into your head that you have to defend my honor or something like that.”

“I’m just saying that this wouldn’t be the first time Bruce has sacrificed someone else to get what he wants. If you’re uncomfortable with this, we can figure something else out. It doesn’t have to go down this path.”

Jason’s warm, rough hand covered his own where is rested on the couch. Tim looked over at Jason, suddenly so glad that he was going to be at his side throughout this whole mess. Well… if everything went to plan.

Tim gave his hand the faintest of squeezes. “I can do this. I can.”

Jason smiled, though the worry on his face didn’t vanish completely. He squeezed back— right before the power cut off. The two of them sat completely still in the dark knowing exactly what was going to happen now. Tim let a shuddering breath escape through his lips.

The windows blasted inwards, spraying glass across the floor and furniture. Jason’s hand was no longer on top on his own but pressing his head down towards his knees to dodge the worst of the shrapnel. Tim turned his head against Jason’s grip, eyes searching through the dark. In the faint light that seeped into the apartment, Tim could see the outlines of figures clad in black dropping onto the floor. Jason was torn away from him in the struggle that ensued after that, though Tim did not remember much of it. He punched instinctively towards where he thought an assassin’s head was and before he knew what was happening a needle was slipped into his arm and he was falling to the ground in a heap of numb limbs. Before he passed into unconsciousness, he caught a glimpse of Jason illuminated in the moonlight flooding in through a broken window, caught in a fight with two assassins. Tim could only hope that Jason would still be alive when he woke up again.

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