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It had been a few days since Tim had run into Red Hood at Titans Tower and Bruce was starting to get genuinely worried. His third Robin had called him to let him know that Red Hood had shown up, but he was fine and that he would give his report about what happened soon. Bruce had run into his second son a few times since his apparent resurrection and he had, doubts, about how okay Tim was. His voice on the call sounded rough, but Bruce was trying to do better about trusting his kids.
It was becoming clear, however, that Tim was avoiding giving his report explaining what happened and he figured it was time to force the issue. He called Tim into the cave and his son regarded him warily.
“Tim, we need to talk about what happened in the tower. Jason,” he paused, unsure of how to continue. “He’s been angry and violent since his return and I just need to understand what happened.”
Tim was unnaturally stiff “Yeah he was um, really mad at me for replacing him as Robin. He attacked me at first but then, he, uh, stopped.”
Bruce couldn’t help his eyebrows raising in surprise “He just stopped attacking you?”
“Uhhhhhhh”
“Tim whatever happened you can tell me. If you’re worried about me being upset that you defended yourself I won’t be. But if you managed to talk him down somehow, knowing how you did that could be invaluable. If it’s something the rest of us could us-”
Tim cut him off by blurting out “wehadsex!”
Bruce stopped short. “What?”
Tim just looked at him, his face starting to turn red. A truly horrible thought came to him and he started gently. “Did, did Jason-”
Tim cut him off once more “No! Whatever you’re about to ask, the answer is no. It was um, kind of my idea?” his voice going high pitched on the last few words, face now bright crimson.
That- well. He said his next sentence very slowly, “And, you did that, to get him to stop attacking you?”
“No! That was um, sort of a side effect?” Bruce was entirely unprepared for this conversation. “Look I know how it sounds but it was entirely consensual I promise.” The next part was muttered to himself and Bruce really wished he didn’t have to hear it, “I can’t say how well we managed safe and sane at first but, you don’t need to hear about that! It's fine!”
Tim just kept barreling through, looking entirely like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him, “Anyway we talked! About like, stuff, he was telling me about how he’s been dealing with the aftereffects of a Lazurus pit and like, someone named Talia? And that’s why he’s been so angry and violent.”
Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, “I see.” Of course the League was involved in this mess, why wouldn’t they be?
“As it turns out um. Certain, kinds of….physical activity? Can help with the pit rage?” Tim’s voice was high pitched again. Now Bruce wished the cave floor would swallow him. “He uh, seemed to regret the uh, attacking you thing. So, there’s that.”
“Okay Tim, is there anything else important you think you need to tell me?”
“We should probably invalidate dead heros’ access codes to places just in case.” Well, that answered the question of how Jason got into the tower in the first place.
“Okay Tim, why don’t you go, somewhere. You have homework or something right?” Tim nodded “Yeah okay go do that.” Tim went back upstairs into the manor proper.
Bruce just put his head in his hands for a moment, before pressing the intercom button “Alfred?”
“Yes sir?” oh good, he wouldn’t have to move.
“Can you bring down something relatively inexpensive and strong down to the cave for me? I need a drink.”