Jason's lips set in a hard line, his gaze on the guards while Wren and Mike said their farewells. He knew that look on Wren's face, knew what it meant and how hard they had to swallow it back down. He knew it and he hated it, especially because he knew for a fact that so many other inmates completely ignored the 'no touching' rule for no more than a five spot left on the edge of a table.
But not for Michael Gray.
He didn't offer his hand again, not wanting to press their luck, but he did dip his head in a small nod.]
Thank you for letting me meet you, sir. I look forward to seeing you again.
[He looped his arm around Wren's waist, pulling them in close so he could press a kiss against their hair as they walked out of the door.]
[ Wren puts an arm around Jason in return, holding onto him tighter than they'd normally dare to. ]
Yeah. Thanks.
[ Jason gets cleaned up before getting into bed after patrol. Wren works to hide the melancholy they have for all they lost after a visit with their dad. ]
[He hated seeing them fight to put their brave face back on, but at least this time he could be there to help. Ice cream wasn't the same as being able to hug their dad, but it was something to help remind them that they were still there. Still alive and still got to see him and....
...and he didn't mention the idea he had rolling around in his head. Not until it grew up a little more.
It took another two visits before Jason had everything in place. It had taken a little more finessing than he'd originally thought, but nothing he couldn't handle. And once everything was in place, Wren got a text at 2 am.]
Meet me outside, songbird. Wear black and be prepared to fly a bit.
[ Wren was good with the brave face - when they went by themself, they were able to hide all signs of the sadness by the time they got home to Jason and Roy, even if the mask was imperfect now that it was so clearly there.
Nothing to be done about it but to keep going, though, right? Right. So they're really not sure what the 2am text could mean but Jason gets the benefit of trust that has them getting dressed in all black with the scarf they can turn into a makeshift hood and face cover if necessary even as they text back. ]
[Their trust was something he cherished and he hoped that this didn't break it. He didn't think it would, but the possibility was there. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that he'd tried to do something nice for someone only to have it backfire and blow up in his face.
Wren didn't get a text back, but when they made their way out onto the fire escape, Jason was waiting for them. Well...no. Red Hood was waiting for them.]
'Bout time. You don't know me and if anyone questions you, you have no idea what is going on. Come on, down onto the bike.
[He'd kept his voice modulator on and once he was done with his instructions, he almost casually vaulted the railing. Stupid Batkids and their second nature of throwing themselves off buildings.]
[ Wren hoped the darkness hid their faint blush. They had been right about no longer having the purest associations with his costume. They could pack it away on a job where it was important to keep their head in the game, but for all Jason was geared up to the nines he had only asked Wren to wear black. Given they didn't like the minimal armor on their own costume, they figured this meant it wasn't dangerous. Not physically so, anyway. ]
I don't know what's going on-
[ But Jason was already jumping off the building in that way that had Wren's heart in their throat, mentally running the calculations on how fast they could dive to catch him if they needed. It was dumb, he'd never been hurt by that, but - we'll, they'd never been hurt by their lack of heavier armor and Jason still fretted. Fair was fair. They tugged the hood and scarf up and jumped after Red Hood, gliding down to the bike with a fall that was all controlled grace thanks to their flight. ]
[Wren floated down like some fey creature, but Jason was sheer power. He caught the rail of another fire escape about halfway down, swinging himself in an almost lazy arc to eat up most of his momentum before he dropped the rest of the way back down. His boots made a heavy, intentional THUD when he hit the ground, but that was the only sound that told that he was there.
He didn't let himself admire the way they almost floated to the ground. If he did, he'd without a doubt let himself get distracted and he'd have to fight to get back into the right mindset. Instead, he waited until his HUD signaled their feet touching down before he tossed them a simple black helmet. It was different than the one that was still upstairs, hanging on the wall alongside Jay and Roy's civilian helmets. New, compact, but perfectly fitted to their head.
He swung his leg over and settled into the seat of his work bike, bringing it to life under his touch with a low, chest rumbling thrum.]
[ Going on a motorcycle, they couldn't exactly protest a helmet - and maybe even there was a worry that their normal civilian worn one would be recognizable somehow. They still gave Jason a suspicious look. No protest, that could come later. For now they put it on and got onto the bike behind Red Hood, arms wrapped around his middle. With the added bulk of the armor, they didn't quite wrap all the way around. Riding second behind Jason was becoming second nature to them. ]
[Fortunately for Wren, riding being Red Hood was almost the same as riding behind Jason. For as separate as Jay tried to keep the two parts of himself, his need for speed was something that bled easily between them. His work bike had more kick, though, and when he popped them into gear and twisted the throttle, the slight fishtail was to be expected.
The drive wasn't 'long', exactly, but it did take them out of Jason's territory. In fact, it took them off the northern island entirely, weaving through traffic easily even on the bridge. The middle island was much nicer, but even that was left behind as he took them down through the lower tunnels under Finger River. The southern island put them very firmly in Bat territory and Jason kept them low and fast, evading radar and making a turn that Wren would find very familiar.
They were heading for the not so tiny manmade island that jutted off the Southeastern bend. Blackgate.]
[ It would be easy to close their eyes and just relax into Jason's body language to follow how to shift on the bike, to see it as any other night ride, thrilling and romantic. Jason's in costume though, and it has to be important if he's going out of his territory while so geared up as Red Hood. This went for double as they entered into the area Wren knew was Batman's, something Red Hood didn't do lightly.
When he made that familiar turn, their whole body tensed, more and more as he kept on that familiar road. It was well past visiting hours, so why Blackgate? Had something happened to their dad? They wanted to demand answers, but the wind around the bike made conversation impossible. ]
[And unlike their normal helmet, this new one wasn't rigged with a comm unit. Probably because he knew that if they'd been able to question him, they would.
He was risking far more than running into Bruce with this plan, but he was hoping that it would work out in the end.
Pulling up at a side entrance that Wren probably didn't even know about, Hood cut the engine and gave Wren's thigh a light tap to tell them to dismount, but he reached out to stop them from taking off the helmet.]
Leave it. Come on.
[He kicked the door hard enough to rattle it on it's hinges, walking in like he owned the place when a buzz sounded and the door popped open. Once inside, the door closed again behind them and Hood stood up to his full, rather impressive height as a guard appeared at the end of the hall.]
Cameras, sensors, all of it. You got an hour, Hood. After that, you never fucking saw me.
[Hood didn't bother responding, just reached into one of his many pockets to pull out a not so small wad of money. It was traded for a keycard and then Hood was giving Wren a little push past the guard and into the prison proper.]
[ For all that they could probably navigate the public parts of Blackgate half asleep or blinded, they didn't know anything about the back end of it. They're staring at it, unsure of what this means when the tap to their thigh breaks them out of it. Dismounting, going to take the helmet off to demand answers face to face (or face-to-helmet anyway) they hesitated again when he told them to leave it. ]
What's this about-?
[ Except they hardly even get the words out before Jason is moving on, going in like he owns the place, and they know better than to try to pull rank of significant other on him when he's in costume and there's unknown witnesses around. Of the importance of separation between masked life and real life.
Their fists still clenched at their sides. God, they were going to yell at Jason when they were done with ... whatever this was. They kept close behind him, easily overshadowed by the bulk of him when not in their own costume that was both bright white and offered height and padding to give a broader silhouette. They were trying to figure out what the guard could mean by his words when Red Hood pushed them forward, catching themself before it caused a stumble, hissing under their breath to Jason as soon as they were certain the guard wouldn't overhear-]
We are talkinglater.
[ The helmet might hide their expression, but it didn't hide that righteous anger in their voice. ]
His stomach sank and he winced in the safety of his helmet, but none of it showed on the surface. Red Hood didn't care about shit like that, Red Hood just needed to get shit done. The fact that keeping Wren in the dark would help sell his cover was just a thing to use and move on.
Inside that helmet, however, he knew full well that he was going to be sleeping on his couch for at least a couple of days.
Leading the way through the maze of employee corridors, Hood moved like he knew the space, confident and without worry that he was going to turn a corner and not recognize the new, identical white corridor. He kept Wren close, unwilling to lose them in the maze, but then they were coming out of the opposite door that they would usually go in and Wren would no doubt recognize the visitation room. It was dark and empty, no other guards at the posts as Hood gestured towards a chair.]
Stay here. I'll be right back.
[And then he was heading to the door that Mike would take at the end of their visits. Now was the hard part. Wren might be mad at him, but they trusted him enough to follow him.
A few more hallways later and he flipped the light on Mike's cell a few times to make sure the man was awake before he was swiping that keycard and popping open the door.]
[ Wren did trust Jason, so they didn't argue or protedt any further as they made their way through the prison, hoping it didn't show how anxious they were getting. Why could they possibly be here unless something had happened with their father, but what? Why wouldn't Jason just say?
They nodded a bit numbly at his order, sitting in the chair of the visitor area, wishing their danger sense would tell them anything about this - but they couldn't push it like that, it just became indistinguishable from their own anxiety when they tried for anything beyond actual life or death danger for themself.
But Wren did trust Jason, trusted Red Hood.
Mike did not.
He brought a hand up to shield his eyes from the sudden light, squinting at Jason. His wrists had unconnected cuffs on them still - not cuffs but power dampeners that could be joined together if needed. He recognized red hood right away from description of what he'd heard alone - hard to not - and it gave him quite a sick sense of irony given what he was in here for. Not that anyone knew aside from 'metahuman' and 'multiple murders'. Protection of his secret identity had been part of the plea deal. ]
"Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested. Fuck off. I'm sleeping. Go bother Sionis."
[Yeah, the irony hadn't escaped Jason. He didn't know the full story, he'd never wanted to push Wren about it, but he knew enough to know that Mike had every reason to brush him off.
But he hadn't gotten this far to be thwarted by the very person he was trying to help.
Rolling his eyes in his helmet, Jason moved into the cell, shoving at the corner of the bed with one heavy boot.]
Up. You have a visitor and exactly 48 minutes of unsupervised time. Longer you lay there arguing with me, the less time you have to hug your kid.
[ Mike both seemed very determined to ignore Red Hood as well as not treat him like anything other than an annoyance. Maybe it was prison bravado, though - he'd been in the system for almost a decade now, and that was still less than half of his minimum term before he could even get a parole hearing.
Then Red Hood said the last part, and Mike was on his feet in an instant, grabbing Red Hood by the collar and shoving him hard enough against the wall that it would have broken something if he hadnt been armored.
...and instant really meant instant - Mike was both faster and stronger than his kid, and thise power dampeners did not work on him. ]
"The fuck are you doing with my kid?"
[ His expression was incendiary, he looked ready to murder. ]
[It was only a lifetime of vigilante work that gave Jason any kind of clue to what was about to happen. When one has gone toe to toe with metahumans since one was 12, one got good at recognizing immediate danger. He saw the stillness before he didn't see the movement, and that was just enough of a warning that he was able to get a grip on his instincts so he didn't actually have his finger on the trigger of the gun that was pressed against the underside of Mike's jaw.
He took a moment to breath before he slowly pulled the gun away, holding it angled out so that the older man could see his hands no where near the trigger.]
They're in the waiting room. A concerned party paid for an unrestricted meet up for the two of you. They're a little pissed cause I didn't tell 'em shit, but that's not my problem.
[And that was the real reason he'd been so short with Wren. If he'd told them, they would have been excited in front of the guards, not off kilter. For the first visit, he needed them to sell that there was no connection between them. Needed them to be mad enough to not send him the same looks that they'd send Jason Todd in front of their father.
He'd suffer for it later, both with their anger and the bruises he could already start to feel under his armor, but it meant that no one was asking questions or even looking their way.]
[ A concerned party clearly was setting off red flags for Mike, but not enough to have him look this gift horse in the mouth any further. He eases his grip on Red Hood's jacket, stepping back with slightly more caution
He hadn't seemed bothered about the gun. Again, maybr prison bravado, but - Wren had danger sense, too. One more wary look at Red Hood and he was leaving his cell, jogging towards where the visitation room was, not bothering with shoes. If Jason was telling the truth every minute counted, and if he was lying Mike couldn't waste a minute before making sure their kid wasn't in danger.
So he did kind of look like he'd just tumbled out of bed mid-sleep when he shoved the visitor room door open.
Wren had left the helmet on because Jason hadn't said otherwise, but when they looked up and saw their dad there - there, no guards, they didn't hesitate before yanking it off to get a better look at him. ]
Dad...? What...?
[ Tears were already gathering at the corners of Wren's eyes, relief that he seemed to be okay. Then at the overwhelming happiness as their dad rushed forward and swept them up in a tight hug that lifted them off their feet. ]
[He missed that first rushed meeting, too busy wincing and rolling his shoulders to make sure that all his joints still worked as they should before he'd holstered his gun and finally moved back towards the visitation room. He kept his pace nonchalant, even a touch disinterested....but under the helmet he was smiling.
That first hug was just for them and he let them have it before he finally shouldered open the door and made his way to the back of the room. One of the guard chairs was pulled out and he flopped back onto it, pulling out a rumpled paperback from his jacket so he could read for the rest of their time together. The only reason he stayed at all was to make sure the guards didn't get wild hairs to make a fuss without him around.]
[ It was hard to tell where that first embrace ended and the next began. In all of Wren's photos with their dad they were touching. Hugging, holding hands, arm around the others' shoulders- that casual but ever-present intimacy of loved ones. Now they hugged like if they just did it hard enough they could make up for every missed one since Wren was twelve. Even when they sat down they didn't bother with chair, Mike finally singing to the ground to sit cross-legged on the linoleum, Wren in his lap leaning back against him like they hadn't since they were a child. He kept hugging him even as they taked, neither one dry-eyed though Wren was significantly worse between the two of them. Not even about anything consequential at first, just hushed affirmations that they missed each other, that they loved each other. When they were down to just a little time left Wren gave their dad a rushed update on everything they knew about Supergroup - no need to worry about anyone overhearing now, just the day to day that they knew of, Mike's old friends, who joined and who left - at Aphid's brief stint before being gently set to second string Mike gave a shake of his head and muttered "That kid always gave me the creeps." ]
[For his part, Jason tried to give them the privacy that they deserved. He didn't want them to feel like they had to restrain themselves on his behalf, but he know that if he actually left the room, the guards would say 'fuck it' to their deal and step in. And while he trusted them to not actually fight the guards without him as back up, they shouldn't have to.
So while they sat together and spoke quietly, their heads together and arms wrapped around one another, Jason tucked himself as out of the way as he could, keeping his eyes on the book in front of him. It was just a prop, however. His attention was on the doors and the windows, anything to keep that little bitter pill of jealousy from crawling up his throat. He wasn't jealous. He really wasn't. He just...he wished that he could have had that kind of relationship with his dad. Either of his dads, really, but Bruce had always been more of a father to him than Willis.
And even with the little uneasy pill dancing away in his gut, he was still surprisingly gentle for Red Hood as he stood up and cleared his throat.]
Two minutes, Gray. Cameras come back on and you're in here instead of your cell and this becomes a hundred times harder for next time.
[ There's no such thing as 'enough time' when you're limited to hours stolen, one or two maybe in a whole week with someone you love. There's still a remarkable difference for the both of them at the end of this meeting versus the one Jason openly sat in on before. Nowhere near as much lingering sadness and heartbreak. Both understanding this was a gift and to not take it for granted. Still, the shock is evident on both their faces at the implication of a 'next time', even if Wren is the only one to voice it aloud. ]
--Next time?
[ There's so much hope in their voice. Mike's a little more jaded than his child. He gives Wren another squeeze and presses a kiss to their hair.]
"It was so good to see you, Pumpkin. Hope this didn't make it hard for school tomorrow - later today."
God, I don't care. I have perfect attendance, I can miss a day if I really need.
"Don't start slacking now."
[ But it's said with good humor. They get up off the floor and - one more hug - Mike makes his way out of the visiting room to head back to his cell to make sure he makes it back in time. Wren looks up to Jason like they want to say something, but everything they can think of - well, they don't want to be caught out when the cameras come back on. So they hold it in for now. Even with tears in their eyes, they look so much happier than they did last time.
Happier than they have since Jason has known them, even. ]
[Wren sounded so hopeful and they both looked so surprised and Jason hadn't been intending on telling them any more than he had to to try and keep things from spilling, but he gave them both a single small nod. Reassurance from a man with more blood on his hands than a lot of the people in this prison. It shouldn't mean much, but he had no doubt that it did.
While they said their final goodbyes, Hood tucked the book back into his jacket and hauled himself up to his feet. He let the helmet give Wren a 'hard' look, but his voice was surprisingly quiet even through the modulator when he told them to "Stay. Don't even try to find your own way out." and then he was following Mike down the hall.]
Next time I come to get you, don't waste time fucking around. It can't be a set schedule, I can't give you a heads up before hand. It'll probably always be around this time, but I can't promise that won't change. Tell anyone about this and it stops. Got it? Yes or no, I need a verbal confirmation.
[ Wren just nodded, grabbing their discarded helmet to pull back on and wait for Jason's return.
Away from his kid, the proverbial shutters had come down again. He'd already wiped any dampness away from his eyes - just as Wren was good at mentally resetting themself after a visit enough to hide how they felt, he'd had to learn to do the same. So his voice is cold even if there's still some roughness to it as he replies:]
'I've got it.'
[Two minutes. Less than, now. He glances up to where he knows cameras are before grabbing Red Hood by the jacket again to shove him against a wall again.]
'And if anything happens to my kid, you will find out exactly what I did to end up in here. Got it?'
[The thing was, Jason had spent his entire life fighting people who were bigger and stronger than him. He'd learned how to fight on the streets and had been honed on meta humans and super villains. One did not survive a tussle with Killer Croc by not knowing how to take a hit or reverse it.
His back hit the wall and he shifted, using Mike's strength and speed against him to twist out of his jacket and slip out of that powerful grip. It was a move that didn't seem like it should be possible for a man of his size, and yet it was almost fluid.
He didn't draw his weapons, but he did stand in an easy 'at ready' stance.]
I got it. Nothing is going to happen to them. Lay hands on me again and the same won't be said for you.
[There was no heat in his voice and his hands were still empty as he gestured toward's Mike's door.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Jason's lips set in a hard line, his gaze on the guards while Wren and Mike said their farewells. He knew that look on Wren's face, knew what it meant and how hard they had to swallow it back down. He knew it and he hated it, especially because he knew for a fact that so many other inmates completely ignored the 'no touching' rule for no more than a five spot left on the edge of a table.
But not for Michael Gray.
He didn't offer his hand again, not wanting to press their luck, but he did dip his head in a small nod.]
Thank you for letting me meet you, sir. I look forward to seeing you again.
[He looped his arm around Wren's waist, pulling them in close so he could press a kiss against their hair as they walked out of the door.]
Ice cream? My treat.
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Yeah. Thanks.
[ Jason gets cleaned up before getting into bed after patrol. Wren works to hide the melancholy they have for all they lost after a visit with their dad. ]
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...and he didn't mention the idea he had rolling around in his head. Not until it grew up a little more.
It took another two visits before Jason had everything in place. It had taken a little more finessing than he'd originally thought, but nothing he couldn't handle. And once everything was in place, Wren got a text at 2 am.]
Meet me outside, songbird. Wear black and be prepared to fly a bit.
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Nothing to be done about it but to keep going, though, right? Right. So they're really not sure what the 2am text could mean but Jason gets the benefit of trust that has them getting dressed in all black with the scarf they can turn into a makeshift hood and face cover if necessary even as they text back. ]
What's going on?
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Wren didn't get a text back, but when they made their way out onto the fire escape, Jason was waiting for them. Well...no. Red Hood was waiting for them.]
'Bout time. You don't know me and if anyone questions you, you have no idea what is going on. Come on, down onto the bike.
[He'd kept his voice modulator on and once he was done with his instructions, he almost casually vaulted the railing. Stupid Batkids and their second nature of throwing themselves off buildings.]
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I don't know what's going on-
[ But Jason was already jumping off the building in that way that had Wren's heart in their throat, mentally running the calculations on how fast they could dive to catch him if they needed. It was dumb, he'd never been hurt by that, but - we'll, they'd never been hurt by their lack of heavier armor and Jason still fretted. Fair was fair. They tugged the hood and scarf up and jumped after Red Hood, gliding down to the bike with a fall that was all controlled grace thanks to their flight. ]
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He didn't let himself admire the way they almost floated to the ground. If he did, he'd without a doubt let himself get distracted and he'd have to fight to get back into the right mindset. Instead, he waited until his HUD signaled their feet touching down before he tossed them a simple black helmet. It was different than the one that was still upstairs, hanging on the wall alongside Jay and Roy's civilian helmets. New, compact, but perfectly fitted to their head.
He swung his leg over and settled into the seat of his work bike, bringing it to life under his touch with a low, chest rumbling thrum.]
Come on, be a good backpack and hold on tight.
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Ready.
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The drive wasn't 'long', exactly, but it did take them out of Jason's territory. In fact, it took them off the northern island entirely, weaving through traffic easily even on the bridge. The middle island was much nicer, but even that was left behind as he took them down through the lower tunnels under Finger River. The southern island put them very firmly in Bat territory and Jason kept them low and fast, evading radar and making a turn that Wren would find very familiar.
They were heading for the not so tiny manmade island that jutted off the Southeastern bend. Blackgate.]
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When he made that familiar turn, their whole body tensed, more and more as he kept on that familiar road. It was well past visiting hours, so why Blackgate? Had something happened to their dad? They wanted to demand answers, but the wind around the bike made conversation impossible. ]
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He was risking far more than running into Bruce with this plan, but he was hoping that it would work out in the end.
Pulling up at a side entrance that Wren probably didn't even know about, Hood cut the engine and gave Wren's thigh a light tap to tell them to dismount, but he reached out to stop them from taking off the helmet.]
Leave it. Come on.
[He kicked the door hard enough to rattle it on it's hinges, walking in like he owned the place when a buzz sounded and the door popped open. Once inside, the door closed again behind them and Hood stood up to his full, rather impressive height as a guard appeared at the end of the hall.]
Cameras, sensors, all of it. You got an hour, Hood. After that, you never fucking saw me.
[Hood didn't bother responding, just reached into one of his many pockets to pull out a not so small wad of money. It was traded for a keycard and then Hood was giving Wren a little push past the guard and into the prison proper.]
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What's this about-?
[ Except they hardly even get the words out before Jason is moving on, going in like he owns the place, and they know better than to try to pull rank of significant other on him when he's in costume and there's unknown witnesses around. Of the importance of separation between masked life and real life.
Their fists still clenched at their sides. God, they were going to yell at Jason when they were done with ... whatever this was. They kept close behind him, easily overshadowed by the bulk of him when not in their own costume that was both bright white and offered height and padding to give a broader silhouette. They were trying to figure out what the guard could mean by his words when Red Hood pushed them forward, catching themself before it caused a stumble, hissing under their breath to Jason as soon as they were certain the guard wouldn't overhear-]
We are talking later.
[ The helmet might hide their expression, but it didn't hide that righteous anger in their voice. ]
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His stomach sank and he winced in the safety of his helmet, but none of it showed on the surface. Red Hood didn't care about shit like that, Red Hood just needed to get shit done. The fact that keeping Wren in the dark would help sell his cover was just a thing to use and move on.
Inside that helmet, however, he knew full well that he was going to be sleeping on his couch for at least a couple of days.
Leading the way through the maze of employee corridors, Hood moved like he knew the space, confident and without worry that he was going to turn a corner and not recognize the new, identical white corridor. He kept Wren close, unwilling to lose them in the maze, but then they were coming out of the opposite door that they would usually go in and Wren would no doubt recognize the visitation room. It was dark and empty, no other guards at the posts as Hood gestured towards a chair.]
Stay here. I'll be right back.
[And then he was heading to the door that Mike would take at the end of their visits. Now was the hard part. Wren might be mad at him, but they trusted him enough to follow him.
A few more hallways later and he flipped the light on Mike's cell a few times to make sure the man was awake before he was swiping that keycard and popping open the door.]
Up and at'em, Gray. We're going for a walk.
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They nodded a bit numbly at his order, sitting in the chair of the visitor area, wishing their danger sense would tell them anything about this - but they couldn't push it like that, it just became indistinguishable from their own anxiety when they tried for anything beyond actual life or death danger for themself.
But Wren did trust Jason, trusted Red Hood.
Mike did not.
He brought a hand up to shield his eyes from the sudden light, squinting at Jason. His wrists had unconnected cuffs on them still - not cuffs but power dampeners that could be joined together if needed. He recognized red hood right away from description of what he'd heard alone - hard to not - and it gave him quite a sick sense of irony given what he was in here for. Not that anyone knew aside from 'metahuman' and 'multiple murders'. Protection of his secret identity had been part of the plea deal. ]
"Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested. Fuck off. I'm sleeping. Go bother Sionis."
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But he hadn't gotten this far to be thwarted by the very person he was trying to help.
Rolling his eyes in his helmet, Jason moved into the cell, shoving at the corner of the bed with one heavy boot.]
Up. You have a visitor and exactly 48 minutes of unsupervised time. Longer you lay there arguing with me, the less time you have to hug your kid.
(Clearly I need icons for wren's dad now)
Then Red Hood said the last part, and Mike was on his feet in an instant, grabbing Red Hood by the collar and shoving him hard enough against the wall that it would have broken something if he hadnt been armored.
...and instant really meant instant - Mike was both faster and stronger than his kid, and thise power dampeners did not work on him. ]
"The fuck are you doing with my kid?"
[ His expression was incendiary, he looked ready to murder. ]
:P
He took a moment to breath before he slowly pulled the gun away, holding it angled out so that the older man could see his hands no where near the trigger.]
They're in the waiting room. A concerned party paid for an unrestricted meet up for the two of you. They're a little pissed cause I didn't tell 'em shit, but that's not my problem.
[And that was the real reason he'd been so short with Wren. If he'd told them, they would have been excited in front of the guards, not off kilter. For the first visit, he needed them to sell that there was no connection between them. Needed them to be mad enough to not send him the same looks that they'd send Jason Todd in front of their father.
He'd suffer for it later, both with their anger and the bruises he could already start to feel under his armor, but it meant that no one was asking questions or even looking their way.]
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He hadn't seemed bothered about the gun. Again, maybr prison bravado, but - Wren had danger sense, too. One more wary look at Red Hood and he was leaving his cell, jogging towards where the visitation room was, not bothering with shoes. If Jason was telling the truth every minute counted, and if he was lying Mike couldn't waste a minute before making sure their kid wasn't in danger.
So he did kind of look like he'd just tumbled out of bed mid-sleep when he shoved the visitor room door open.
Wren had left the helmet on because Jason hadn't said otherwise, but when they looked up and saw their dad there - there, no guards, they didn't hesitate before yanking it off to get a better look at him. ]
Dad...? What...?
[ Tears were already gathering at the corners of Wren's eyes, relief that he seemed to be okay. Then at the overwhelming happiness as their dad rushed forward and swept them up in a tight hug that lifted them off their feet. ]
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That first hug was just for them and he let them have it before he finally shouldered open the door and made his way to the back of the room. One of the guard chairs was pulled out and he flopped back onto it, pulling out a rumpled paperback from his jacket so he could read for the rest of their time together. The only reason he stayed at all was to make sure the guards didn't get wild hairs to make a fuss without him around.]
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So while they sat together and spoke quietly, their heads together and arms wrapped around one another, Jason tucked himself as out of the way as he could, keeping his eyes on the book in front of him. It was just a prop, however. His attention was on the doors and the windows, anything to keep that little bitter pill of jealousy from crawling up his throat. He wasn't jealous. He really wasn't. He just...he wished that he could have had that kind of relationship with his dad. Either of his dads, really, but Bruce had always been more of a father to him than Willis.
And even with the little uneasy pill dancing away in his gut, he was still surprisingly gentle for Red Hood as he stood up and cleared his throat.]
Two minutes, Gray. Cameras come back on and you're in here instead of your cell and this becomes a hundred times harder for next time.
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--Next time?
[ There's so much hope in their voice. Mike's a little more jaded than his child. He gives Wren another squeeze and presses a kiss to their hair.]
"It was so good to see you, Pumpkin. Hope this didn't make it hard for school tomorrow - later today."
God, I don't care. I have perfect attendance, I can miss a day if I really need.
"Don't start slacking now."
[ But it's said with good humor. They get up off the floor and - one more hug - Mike makes his way out of the visiting room to head back to his cell to make sure he makes it back in time. Wren looks up to Jason like they want to say something, but everything they can think of - well, they don't want to be caught out when the cameras come back on. So they hold it in for now. Even with tears in their eyes, they look so much happier than they did last time.
Happier than they have since Jason has known them, even. ]
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While they said their final goodbyes, Hood tucked the book back into his jacket and hauled himself up to his feet. He let the helmet give Wren a 'hard' look, but his voice was surprisingly quiet even through the modulator when he told them to "Stay. Don't even try to find your own way out." and then he was following Mike down the hall.]
Next time I come to get you, don't waste time fucking around. It can't be a set schedule, I can't give you a heads up before hand. It'll probably always be around this time, but I can't promise that won't change. Tell anyone about this and it stops. Got it? Yes or no, I need a verbal confirmation.
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Away from his kid, the proverbial shutters had come down again. He'd already wiped any dampness away from his eyes - just as Wren was good at mentally resetting themself after a visit enough to hide how they felt, he'd had to learn to do the same. So his voice is cold even if there's still some roughness to it as he replies:]
'I've got it.'
[Two minutes. Less than, now. He glances up to where he knows cameras are before grabbing Red Hood by the jacket again to shove him against a wall again.]
'And if anything happens to my kid, you will find out exactly what I did to end up in here. Got it?'
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His back hit the wall and he shifted, using Mike's strength and speed against him to twist out of his jacket and slip out of that powerful grip. It was a move that didn't seem like it should be possible for a man of his size, and yet it was almost fluid.
He didn't draw his weapons, but he did stand in an easy 'at ready' stance.]
I got it. Nothing is going to happen to them. Lay hands on me again and the same won't be said for you.
[There was no heat in his voice and his hands were still empty as he gestured toward's Mike's door.]
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