Steady On Forward

Chapter 6

"Hood is still in Crime Alley, and Nightwing's in Blüdhaven close to the Gotham side."

"Hood," Bruce said sternly. "Those shots better not have been you."

Jason ignored him, running back to his motorcycle.

"What are you doing so far out of your territory?" Dick's voice came through the comm again.

"Just wanted to drop by and see you," Not-Jason answered.

"All the way in the 'Haven?"

"Mm."

Jason was starting to panic, already kick-starting his bike, leaving the injured thugs in the dust, and taking off toward Blüdhaven. Fuck Bruce's 'no deaths' policy — if those assholes bled out, it wouldn't be on him. Those had been non-fatal wounds.

They were trafficking kids anyway, the world wouldn't miss 'em.

"Send me Nightwing's coordinates now," Jason demanded. "I'm on my way; which one of you is close? Somebody get him backup, I don't know who the fuck that is."

"Interesting time to stop treating me like glass," he heard Dick mumble in his ear.

"No," Jason growled. "Who is by Nightwing? Get him backup! Now!"

"What was that, babydoll?" Not-Jason asked.

"Everyone is moving in that direction, Red Hood, and you're all at least fifteen minutes out," Barbara snapped. "And that's a very hopeful estimate."

"Nothing, it's fine. You got the comms already? It's quiet."

"Yeah baby, don't worry about them, I got it."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, no," Jason swore, as he drove as fast as possible across Gotham, taking a corner too fast and skidding dangerously. "Oracle! Why aren't any of us transmitting to his comm?"

"I don't know, nothing I'm trying is working," she bit back at him.

"Why'd you cut the input too? I'd like to be able to hear everyone, just in case," Dick hesitantly brought up.

"I can hear them, don't worry about it. Wouldn't want you to be distracted."

"W— Oh. Uh, that's⁠—" he heard Dick start to say over the comms, but the Not-Jason voice cut him off.

"Come on baby, isn't this better?" the voice asked, and he heard Dick's breath hitch, before he moaned quietly. "Stop thinking so hard and just enjoy it."

"No. No nonononono." The words came out without Jason even noticing he was saying them, in a neverending chant that still didn't manage to drown out Dick's comm. Jason hadn't known he could get more panicked, but he could, he totally could.

"Say my name," Not-Jason whispered, and Dick's breath hitched again.

"Hood," he said breathlessly, "Red Hood."

Not-Jason was displeased. "No, my real name. Say it."

Dick gave another small, bitten-off moan. "Jay."

"That's right babe, just like that."

◇◇◇

That's right...

The words echoed strangely in Dick's head, and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the rough bricks against his back. His breaths started to turn panicked.

"Wait— wait, stop," he burst out. "Jay, stop," he repeated forcefully, and snatched at Jason's wrist, halting his movement, but Jason pressed closer against him.