Chapter Text
The Irrefutable Truth
Chapter one: Upturning the Facts
There are three things I now know to be true.
The sun rises East
Gravity is unforgiving
And you do not love Me
I didn’t think you knew how. Then I guess we're all wrong sometimes.
The heat inside the station was stifling. The thermostat had broken during the night shift and now the temperature would jump from one extreme to another. Dick sat uncomfortably in his long sleeve uniform. He had been on the force for two months and he was more than ready to move to short sleeves. However, you didn’t just jump past rookie, so he was stuck in the heat.
He had, at least, been assigned to his top choice precinct. His academy scores had insured he had his pick of assignments. No one really could understand why he would pick the 72nd. The 72nd was located not only in the worst part of Bludhaven-- the Spine-- but had the shortest life expectancy for any assignment in the city.
Dick loved it.
Not only was it the perfect place to gain Intel for his night job, but it gave him the best picture of how much he needed to accomplish. His co-workers for the most part were fine with him, he had yet to make any great moves on the city's corruption. Step one of any operation was intel. Dick was still in phase one. He had only been in Bludhaven for a little over six months, he would take this slow. He knew from experience that if you pulled the weeds without getting the root, a new sprout would take its place. He needed to find the roots.
Dick sat tugging at his sleeve absently, while filling out a pile of papers. He had a huge set of booking forms for a drug bust he, and his current training officer just finished. The forms were long, but that didn’t bother him. Bruce had made him do much more detailed reports.
Dick frowned. He normally did his best to not think of his former guardian. It was still..confusing. He still felt hurt, mad, and sad. He felt too much to think about it.
So he didn’t.
Dick bit his lip, then remembered--Bruce hated when he did that. Dick threw down his pen. Tom Curry his training officer glanced over at him but said nothing.
Dick leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a moment to pin down his runaway mind, before leaning forward to finish his half of the paperwork, when his name was called.
“Hey! Grayson! You’ve got someone to see you.”
Dick turned in his chair and looked across the bull pin. Who on earth would visit him? Perhaps someone he’d given his card to? He had no friends in town, though he wouldn’t put it past Wally to run over-- but at work? Sargent Hess was looking amused. Dick wondered if it was a prank. He had had his fair share of hazing his first month. Dick glanced at Tom, who just shrugged and turned back to his own desk. Dick sighed and slowly dragged himself to his feet. He stretched his arms over his head, causing his shoulders and back to pop. He hadn’t gotten much sleep that week. Nightwing had a very large case, and Dick was now suffering the effects of two full time jobs, without the help of Alfred. How had he never appreciated the amount of time it took to clean and cook?
He shuffled out of the bull pin down towards reception, nodding to officers as they passed. He only had an hour left on his shift and he was looking forward to a hot shower and crashing. Hopefully this wouldn’t take long. He still needed to finish his paperwork or Curry would be upset.
When he reached the reception, he found himself looking around a fairly empty room. There were a few call girls in the corner filling out forms, an older woman holding a dog, a kid that looked about twelve and a middle aged man who looked like he was ready to cry. He knew no one. Dick was about to turn around and head back to his desk when the on duty officer called out to him. Officer O’Conner was one of his fellow rookies, he had a thick accent. Dick thought he might be from Louisiana, but couldn't remember now.
“Grayson! Why didn’t you say your brother was coming to see you?”
Dick looked at him with his mouth slightly open. There was no way he heard that right. “My what?”
Dick turned back to the room and focused on the kid. There was no way O’Conner meant the older man. His eyes landed on the boy and he took a moment to really look at him. Dick felt all his blood drain from his face. He did recognize him. Jason Todd. Bruce’s new… ward/partner/project-- or whatever.
“Hey… Um. Hi.” Jason looked nervous. His hands were twisting the cuffs of his already ratty sweatshirt.
Dick just stared at him. A tightness constricted over his chest, like a python. It took him a long moment before he remembered to breathe. The kid even looked kinda like him. He had black hair, blue eyes. He had the strange urge to punch something. He purposely opened his fist.
“What are you doing here?”
Jason flinched. Dick softened slightly at the sight. He hadn’t meant it to come out so hard , so clipped.
“I mean, does… Does Alf know you’re here?” He couldn’t bring himself to say Bruce’s name. But by the look of it Jason understood his real question anyway.
“Not really. I’m supposed to be at school.” Jason pulled on a loose thread, unraveling his cuff some more.
Dick glanced at the clock. It was only two twenty, Alfred wouldn’t miss him for another hour.
“So… what are you…” Dick trailed off. What do you say to the kid who had been taken in by the person you thought was going to be your family forever, and then wasn’t?
“I just thought I should drop by.” Jason offered.
Dick wondered if the kid could tell how awkward he felt.
“I mean. We are brothers now. Seemed kinda lame you didn’t show up for the official day, but…” Jason trailed off seeing Dick’s look.
“I’m sorry, what?” Brothers? Had Bruce taken on a kid who was delusional?
“You didn’t show at the courthouse.” Jason’s voice was higher all of a sudden like he wasn’t sure.
“Why would I go to the courthouse?” Dick couldn’t remember if Batman asked him to look into a case there. If he had it had been before he was fired. Why would Batman expect him to still go now?
“Alf mailed you the invite. I saw him. But I told Bruce that you wouldn’t open it. Sooo...”
Dick didn’t understand what the kid was telling him. It was like his mind was a scratched record. It simply skipped over the answer, each time it spun around to it.
“No, I didn’t. I mean I don’t.” Dick stood all to aware of his body. His tongue felt too big for his mouth. Jason didn’t seem to notice. He just kept talking.
“Yeah. Like I said. But It just felt kinda weird. I mean not having ever met you. I’ve never had a brother. I know adoption is… well. I know you don’t live at home so it’s not like growing up together.”
Dick felt his blood run cold.
Brother.
Courthouse.
Adoption.
It hit him hard in the gut, like Harley’s mallet. Bruce had-- No. Bruce wouldn’t. He would apparently. A small voice whispered. Just not for you .
“But I… Well I always wanted one. So you can imagine it kinda sucks that you're never home. So... are you ok?” Jason finally realized Dick looked pale.
The kid didn’t know. Well in all fairness, he didn’t know the kid had been adopted. Dick made it a point to ignore any news about Bruce. But the fact that Jason seemed to think Dick was adopted too-- Well, wasn't that just a joke?
Dick spent years wanting it, wondering if Bruce cared. Now he knew the answer.
“Look kid, I don’t know what you came here for, but I’m not sure… I can’t help you, okay?”
Jason blushed. “I don’t need your help. I just came to give you this.” Jason thrust out a rumpled looking paper. “I didn’t think you would open anything with the manor’s address on it.”
Dick took the paper from Jason. The kid was shaking.
The paper looked as if some had tried to smooth it back out, after it had been crumpled in the bottom of a bag. Jason no doubt. It was an invitation.
The Wayne family invites you to attend our annual gala for the support of elephant reservations.
This year all donations will go to one of India’s finest nurseries for orphaned elephant calves.
Dick looked back at the boy in confusion. Why would he come all the way to Bludhaven to give this to him? Why would Bruce still be hosting the event? The Wayne Foundation only ever funded elephants because Dick asked him to… Suddenly Dick wanted to cry and hit something at the same time.
“Thanks, but no thanks kid.” Dick pushed the paper back. He didn’t want that. Bruce had fired him. Bruce wasn’t his family. Wasn’t his guardian. He hadn’t adopted him . Bruce didn’t get to do this, not anymore.
He turned his back on the kid-- this stranger that had come bursting in with wild claims and hurtful invitations. He could hear his own blood rushing to his head. It was so loud he almost didn’t catch what Jason said.
“Figures, I don't see why he even misses you.” Jason’s voice cracked on 'you'.
Dick spun around. The kid was almost to the door. He could let it go. He could let him walk out. It would probably hurt less if he did. But he had heard the pain in the kid’s voice. He had heard the disappointment. Disappointment that Dick had put there. The words were out of his mouth faster than he could understand them.
“Do you like pizza?”
Jason turned back slowly. His face was scrunched up like he thought Dick was crazy. He probably did.
“What kind of question is that? Who doesn’t like pizza?”
“There is a place a couple blocks from here. Better than Zzs.” Dick could hear himself talking but had no memory of telling his mouth to speak.
“No one has better pizza than Zzs.”
“I… I get off in half an hour.” Dick could feel a rock in his gut. Why was he asking this? This kid was nothing to him. Just the next charity case of Bruce Wayne. Dick felt ill suddenly. No. He's not a charity case. He's a kid. That’s why. He was mad at Bruce. He was mad at the man he trusted and turned him away. This was just some kid. A kid who now lived in the manor with that man. It wasn’t the kid’s fault.
“Um… my bus is in a bit.”
“You took the bus?” Dick could have kicked himself. Of course he took the bus. Alfred didn’t know he was here. He certainly didn’t drive himself, there wasn’t even a zeta tube in Bludhaven for the kid to take. The only bus station nearby was a cesspool of criminals and thugs. No ward-- son-- of Bruce Wayne should go near it even in the daylight.
“I know how to take a bus.” Jason crossed his arms and scowled up at him.
“No. That’s not what I… It's just a hard part of town if someone recognizes you from the papers.”
“I can take care of myself.”
Dick wanted to hit his forehead. Everything he said was wrong. “I know you can. I just meant.” He bit his lip. “Look how about we get pizza and I drop you back home? Alfred will be upset if he finds out you took the bus.”
Jason opened his mouth in protest.
“Alf, always finds out.”
Jason closed it again, which Dick took as an acceptance. He turned waving his hand for Jason to follow him. The kid walked behind him slowly and silently as they made their way into the bull pin. Dick turned not to his desk but to one of the more friendly cops he worked with. Amanda Smith, was not really someone Dick would have trusted with a stack of unwatched goods, but she never took what was necessary for a take down. She also had a soft spot for kids, so Dick thought she was the safest choice.
“Smith you got half an hour?”
She looked up and took in Jason behind him. “Depends.”
“You think you could give my kid brother a tour of the station? I need to finish some paperwork before I head out for the day.” The word brother tasted like sour milk on his tongue. But he didn’t want to get into it now. Let the station think what they wanted. And Jason. Dick ignored the voice. That could wait until they were alone. No use upsetting the kid before he was safe in his car on the way back to Gotham.
Amanda positively brightened once it was clear he wasn’t asking her to take on a new case. “‘Course I can.”
Jason was definitely blushing now. “I can just sit and wait.”
“Nonsense.” Amanda pulled Jason over, and started rambling about different rooms in the station. Dick smiled his thanks and headed back to his desk. His mind was in a panic. Sure he knew Bruce had taken in a new kid. He knew that Robin had been seen in Gotham.
But this.
This was a level of hurt he hadn’t expected.
He knew he had been replaceable-- an insignificant tool in Batman’s utility belt, but this. Dick thought he would rather take on the entire League of Assassins then feel this.
So he did what he had been taught from the age of eight. Push it down, and get through the task at hand. Unfortunately the task was paperwork. He did it just the same.