Chapter Text
“Nightwing. Dick “ Jason corrects himself. “He was my brother, not biologically, but we were adopted by the same man Bruce Wayne. Also known as Batman. He trained us both to fight crime by his side as Robin, the Boy Wonder or whatever the fuck the media called us.” His words began to brake, pulling the boy closer he continued, “Those were the best days of my life, on the streets making a difference with Bruce and Dick by my side, or training in the cave. Then it all fell to shit. I got news my bio mum was alive, rushed out of the country to meet her. It was a trap set up by the Joker. Bruce didn’t make it in time. In the end all he did was place the Joker back in the same prison he had escaped from over and over again.” Tears running down his face. Jason concentrated all his strength on keeping the green away. He felt Peter lean onto him grounding him.
Jason didn’t continue after that, rather he fell asleep joined soon after by Peter.
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Barbara watched in slight amusement as Spidey dragged Red Hood through the library and over to their spot (and it was their spot Barbara had noticed how people no longer sat there even when the pair weren’t in the building) forcing a book into the crime lords hand, before heading towards her with a stack of books in hand.
“Hi Ms Barbara, I would like to return these books.” The boy declares placing the pile on the desk. He waits as Barbara checks the books before heading off to find some new ones.
When the pair first came in Barbara would have taken the boy aside and warned him about Red Hood, but after hiding the note in one of his books and trying to warn him multiple times only to be shrugged off, she was stuck just watching the pair closely.
She had debated telling Bruce multiple times but had thought against it for reasons she couldn't explain. She told herself it was because the boy seemed happy and comfortable in the Crime lord's presence, or that she saw the bond between them growing stronger and decided to pretend they were just normal people enjoying the library not wanting to break that bond.
But as Red Hood got comfortable in an armchair, sitting in a position that seemed way too familiar some old novel in hand and Spidey sat beside him on a beanbag looking content being around the other as he read a science book way too advanced for his age; she knew the reason was because of the sad feeling of what could have been, that always sparked when she watched them.
When the clock struck 5, Spidey was on the floor crying, his hands placed firmly over his ears, nocking back his hood just enough for a couple of strands of white hair to sneak out from underneath it. Barbara takes note of it as she watches Red Hood immediately drop his book and crouch down to the boy's level, placing his hands over the boys. Barbara knows he is saying something but is too far away to hear.
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A defining alarm attacks Peter’s ears, causing him to place his hands over his ears and shut his eyes, trying to stop the sound from bouncing off the inside of his head. All his senses spike up forcing him to be aware of all of Gotham’s footsteps and heartbeats, of Jason's worry and concern that seemed to be flooding out of him and Babara’s eyes staring at him wanting to help but fighting against it. He was aware of the rats in the alleyway next to the library, the cat two blocks away and hundreds of bats under some manor. Could smell them, hear their heartbeats.
He could hear everything, feel everything and smell everything and above it all was that stupid alarm, that sounded worse than nails down a chalkboard, ringing from within his skull. The only sense not going haywire was his spider-sense which, although it had spiked, seemed to be anchored down by Jason’s hands over his own.
Peter heard all the phones in Gotham go off, people slowing down for a second their heartbeats increasing, some skipping a beat, he heard the silent swears and the loud ones, the way people started walking again this time with more of a purpose and urgency.
Peter felt Jason check his own phone and heard how his heart skipped a beat before slowly increasing, he felt the other teen overcome with anger and pain, and his body shook as he tried to hide it, trying to comfort and help Peter instead. But Peter knew, he felt it, his spider sense buzzed as the anger within Jason increased.
Then it stopped. The alarm stopped and Peter was able to access himself, slow down his breathing calm his mind, lowering his senses back to their natural above-human level. Eventually, he was able to open his eyes and move his hands from over his ears to around Jason.
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Fear and anger tackled Jason as he read his phone over and over again, the only thing stopping him from racing out of the library was the boy now clung around his neck. He moved robotically scooping the boy up and tidying away their books, then heading back home. His vision was corrupted by green, each time the green moved to expand a small squeeze from Peter pushed it away, slowing down the corruption. But not stopping it.
Once home Jason escapes from Peter, instinctively grabbing as many weapons as possible and heading back towards the door before he can process what he's doing. He is forced to stop however as Peter stands at the doorway.
“Move.” Jason growls. Peter shakes his head his arms folded and his eyes staring into Jason’s no longer hidden behind his mask.
“No.” The kid's voice was more confident than anything Jason had heard from him before, more confident than his own.
Jason goes to drag Peter away from the door, but the kid is faster and soon Jason is staring at the ceiling unable to move.
“The fuck?” Looking down at himself Jason notices the white webs sticking him to the ground.
“Head up.” Peter orders, removing Jason’s helmet when the teen complies. “You're acting on pure rage, it's going to get you killed. So you’re going to lie there till that webbing dissolves in a couple of hours and calm down.”
“Fuck me, getting lectured by a fucking baby.” Jason mutters to himself.
“I am not a baby and even if I was I’d still be more sensible than you right now.” Peter replies sticking out his tongue at Jason. The older teen laughs in response muttering something about super hearing as he did so.
“Does it ever get easier? The green I mean?” The question is so quiet Jason almost misses it.
“A bit.” Jason replies, “You’ll stop getting mad over the smallest of things, learn to push the green back. But I doubt it’ll go away it’s a part of us a really shitty part of us but still us.” Jason lets out a sign, the green retreating slowly, “That being said you can already control it better than I could and probably can now so you should be fine. Just make sure not to bottle it up cause it’ll burst eventually.”
Peter nods along his face scrunched in thought and sadness, eventually, it loosens and he curls up next to Jason.
“We should go see Tim later.” The kid adds before drifting off.
“Yeah. Yeah, we should,” Jason closes his eyes. The green is still there but it’s calmer now retreating back to whatever pit is inside of him.