Meeting About A New Gang
They'd gotten into a routine at this point. Meet at the park whenever Jason had information, Dick invariably bringing along something to eat for the pair of them. It was sort of like feeding a stray cat. Dick actually looked forward to their little meetings - he really didn't have time to socialize outside of work, but talking to Jason at least counted as work and the boy was...amusing. That was definitely the word for it. He had the bluff and bluster of most teenage boys, always acting like he had something to prove and didn't need anyone's help. So, naturally, teasing him was incredibly amusing, but Dick also felt a certain sense of comradery. God knows he'd been that way when he was that age - hell, he was still getting comfortable with himself even now. Splitting away from Batman had been half childish impulse anyway, no matter how much he'd desperately needed to do it.
"At ease, soldier," said Dick by way of announcing himself as he hopped onto the usual bench and passed Jason a chili-dog. Though feeding Jason was partly out of concern for the boy, Dick also did it because it meant that he got to eat junk food that he would have never allowed himself otherwise.
Even when Jason didn't see Dick coming, he didn't bat an eye when Dick would jump over the bench like always and end up sitting next to him, passing him whatever food he grabbed him for the night. Jason took to chili-dog and muttered a thank you before taking a thoughtful, thinking of how to tell Dick his info tonight. He actually had a pretty solid lead on a gang forming in Bludhaven. From what he had gotten, the gang might have been dregs of society that couldn't cut fit in Gotham's Crime Alley. After meeting Nightwing for the past few months, Jason would have to been stupid to not notice that Dick had some sort of issue with either Gotham or the Batman, or maybe both. "Calling me a soldier isn't any better than Oliver Twist," Jason spoke up in a light tone when he finished his first bite of food. "You need better need better nicknames, Batman wannabe." Just because he knew that Batman comments bothered Dick didn't mean he stopped saying shit. It just spurned him on half the time, actually and with a grin plastered on his face to boot.
"Oh come on, you're gonna have to come up with something better than that," groused Dick good naturedly. "You know how many times a day I get called a Bat-wannabe?" He flashed Jason that usual grin of his, the charming one that he used to get his way. "I'll stop calling you Oliver Twist once you come up with a really good nickname for me. Something astonishingly original and insulting. Till then you're Oliver Twist. Or soldier." He poked Jason on the side of the head to drive the point home. "So, whatcha got for me this time?" He was still acting casually, but the little notebook was out and that meant that he was taking whatever Jason said seriously. So far, Jason had been a good source. He had others that he talked to from time to time, but Jason was smarter than a lot of them, and not messed up on drugs, which was a big plus.
Jason was not pouting about that. He had better nicknames; he just couldn't think of them right now, was all. And if he wanted to give Dick a really good nickname, he'd have to know him better, and that didn't really work with the mask in the way. Not that he really expect Nightwing to ever tell him who he really was. That would just be stupid, and Jason knew it. It wasn't like Nightwing was his ONLY friend... Okay, maybe that was true, but it didn't mean he had to acknowledge it or linger on those thoughts too long. "So, there's this gang forming. I think they're actually re-forming, technically." He paused taking a quick bite of the chili-dog followed by a fast amount of chewing and a swallow. "I may be wrong on this half, but I think this gang couldn't cut it in Gotham, so they high tailed it to Bludhaven. Probably means they're a bit more vicious than the normal gangs around here. So far, they've been proving that with the amount of heat I've seen members packing. Definitely sounds like they'd end up being the type of gang that shoots and asks questions never."
"Oh joy," muttered Dick dryly. Well, that would bear looking into. Would have been nice for Batman to give him a heads up, but that really wasn't the guy's style. He probably figured that Dick could handle this sort of thing and that if he needed help, he'd ask. Passive-aggressive bastard. But a little background info wouldn't be bad. And it wasn't as if he had to talk to Bruce directly - Babs might have some useful info, or failing that, Tim. Or, hell, Alfred, in a pinch. "Well, I'll look into that, see if I can't send them packing before they get a foothold. I imagine the local boys aren't taking to kindly to this intrusion?" He cocked his head to the side, looking curious at Jason to see if he had any thoughts on the matter.
Jason hummed agreement. "The gangs already established in Bludhaven aren't happy, but some have enough brains to see they're probably no match if they stand up to them. Some might just call a ceasefire, but then that probably means this Gotham gang will have more members," he stated with a frown. "Though, one of our gangs might put up a fight. The gang based on the east side of Bludhaven doesn't seem to want to stand down, I've heard. Doesn't sound like that'll end pretty." Jason didn't exactly live on the east side, but he was close enough that reprucussions of anything that went down in that area would probably effect his living situation. He was not happy about that, not at all. Hopefully his information would let Nightwing stop the dumbasses before a gang war started up.
Dick didn't miss the implications of that for Jason. "You still living near there?" he asked casually. With Jason, that was never a sure thing, but if the kid was in the area, he'd definitely make sure to look out for him. Jason could take care of himself okay, but he was just one boy, there was only so much that he could do.
A frown marred Jason's face. "Yeah, what of it?" he asked, though he knew what of it. "If you do your job, I have nothing to worry about, right?" Jason was trusting this guy with his life, and that thought actually made Jason twitchy, so to hide that fact he shoved the last bit of his chili-dog in his mouth and concentrated on chewing it thoroughly. He kinda hated that he trusted Dick so much, but it was comforting at the same time to have someone around. Conflicting feelings were very annoying.
"I wasn't saying you did. Just wondering." Dick raised his hands and gave a slight wave to indicate that it really wasn't a big deal. But of course, he would be looking out for Jason. He usually did anyway, if he was in the area. It was weird how protective he felt about the kid - probably because he saw elements of himself, if his life hadn't been so incredibly fortunate. Or unfortunate, depending on who you asked. But for all that Bruce had probably fucked him up - and he knew he didn't work right in some ways, no one who wore a mask did - he was still glad for everything the man had given him. A home, a life that never wanted for anything. The other parts...those had been Dick's choice as much as it his been Bruce's. Maybe Bruce should have known better, should have stopped a kid from going down this path, but...he hadn't. And that was that.
Jason could tell Dick was worried, even if it didn't show all that much. There was reason to worry, but Jason was smart enough to stay inside once he knew when the gang violence starts. Swallowing his last bit of chili-dog, Jason made no move to get up. Park benches were more comfortable if the company was good, which was another thing to add to the growing list of things he would never say outloud to Dick. "So, yeah that's all I got. I'm sure that the Gotham gang is looking to escalate the violence pretty soon. Just not sure when. I'll give you a call if I hear anything about how soon." That was that, so Jason just waited for his money, though he stopped putting his hand expectantly out to wait for it a few weeks ago. He knew he'd get the money; he wasn't worried about that anymore, if he ever was.
As per the usual routine, Dick pulled money out of...somewhere - he was very good at slight of hand, it seemed - and passed it over to Jason. The amount tended to vary - never less than fifty, sometimes up to a hundred. He really didn't need to give Jason that much he knew - he sure as hell didn't pay his other contacts that much, but they also weren't 16. Althouhg, Dick did feel sort of guilty for playing favorites, as it were. "Yeah, just...stay out of their way, all right?" said Dick, which was probably more than he should have, but he did worry. That was more of less the curse of everyone member of the Bat-clan - you worried about other people way too much. Worried about loosing them, worried about protecting them, and worried that you wouldn't be good enough when it came down to it. That you wouldn't be there when they needed you to be.
Jason rolled his eyes, more playfully than anything. "I know. No need to worry about me. Worry about yourself, and not getting hit by any bullets when you stop them," he said lightly, though he really meant it. If anything happened to Nightwing... And Jason was derailing that train of thought before moved away from the platform. Totally not going there. Jason was not going to be stupid enough to get emotional invested in capacity about a guy that would probably die before Jason hit twenty. He had enough of death, especially the kind that he knew was coming. Just because he knew his mom was sick didn't make her passing any easier. Out of habit, Jason started messing with his cell in his pocket. Stupid nervous habit, but the cell phone was probably one of the last presents his mom gave him that he still had in good working condition.
"Hey, I'm a highly trained lunatic that dodges bullets for a living. I'll be fine," said Dick blithely. He was also a chronic adrenaline junkie, which helped too. Made you a whole lot more willing to go after a room full of guys with guns while you were only armed with a staff. Although, hopefully he could manage to deal with this situation without getting shot at too much. He already had a couple bullet scars and he really wasn't looking to add to the collection.
"I'm thinking more lunatic than anything else," Jason muttered before looking up and grinning. "Which makes me believe even more you must have come from Gotham. Break out of Arkham or something?" he asked playfully. He was kidding about Arkham, but he was pretty sure he was spot on about the guy originally being a Gothamite.
You could hear it in Dick's accent, if nothing else - he was definitely from the Gotham area. He generally tried to cover up the obvious inflections when he was Nightwing, but they crept through sometimes. He just wasn't as good at assuming roles as Bruce was. It still amazed him the way Bruce could slip into just about any accent without so much as a pause. "Yep, that's me. Straight outta Arkham. They'll be hauling me back there any day now. Want me to get someone's autograph for you?"
"Yeah right," Jason snorted. "Like I'd want some fucker like Joker's autograph. Clowns are creepy, and that fucker just proves that stereotype." He didn't really shiver when he thought of the Joker. He also didn't have a childhood fear of clowns because his dad was an idiot, and thought a scary clown movie was good idea for a five year old after a trip to Gotham. Nope, not all. And people wondered why he was so blase about his dead probably being dead in a gutter somewhere. That hadn't been the half of it.
That actually made Dick give Jason a pleased, though rather serious smile. "Good. He's a monster." His tone had taken a sudden turn for the serious there, but he'd met far too many people that wrote the Joker off as, well, a joke. He'd seen firsthand what the Joker was capable of and he didn't find it the least bit funny.
Jason totally didn't shiver again. "Yeah well, don't need to tell me twice," he answered. "That's near the top of the list for reasons to never visit Gotham again." He wasn't sure if Joker or Batman topped the list. Jason rather never meet Batman, like ever, even if he was legit now.
"To be fair, he's incarcerated at least 50% of the time," muttered Dick dryly. Oh, what he wouldn't give to live in a state with the death penalty. Some people just really, really needed to die and the Joker was one of them.
"50% of the time really can't be enough," Jason stated shaking his head. "I've been to Gotham before, and even if the crazies are locked up, I can't see why anyone would want to live there." Not that he had actually been in Gotham very long when his dad dragged him along for 'meetings,' and those 'meetings' were only in Crime Alley, so Jason only knew one part of Gotham, but he doubted the rest was any better. "You had the right idea, leaving that place."
Dick just shook his head, chuckling. "Ah, you have no idea," he laughed. "It's really not that bad though...at least the nice parts of town. I wouldn't recommend moving there though. Just visit and then get the Hell out." And speaking of getting out, Dick really needed to get going. Not much point in getting information from Jason if he never did anything with it. So, with great reluctance he got up and stretched, then turned to Jason and gave his usual little flipant salute. "Well, I'm off to rid the world of evil-doers."
"There are nice parts?" Jason asked with a laugh as he moved to get up too. "You do that. I hope you don't use lines like that with the gangs. They'll laugh at you." He stretched his arms over his head as he moved away from the bench. "See ya around."
"Take care." And then he was off, slipping into the shadows and heading for the rooftops. He'd shadow Jason most of the way home - it was the direction he needed to go in anyway and, well...it never hurt to be cautious. Jason would have no doubt complained if he knew, but Dick made sure to stay well hidden. The boy was getting better at spotting him, which was a good thing, since it meant that he was becoming more observant, but it did force Dick to put a bit more effort into following him.
"At ease, soldier," said Dick by way of announcing himself as he hopped onto the usual bench and passed Jason a chili-dog. Though feeding Jason was partly out of concern for the boy, Dick also did it because it meant that he got to eat junk food that he would have never allowed himself otherwise.
Even when Jason didn't see Dick coming, he didn't bat an eye when Dick would jump over the bench like always and end up sitting next to him, passing him whatever food he grabbed him for the night. Jason took to chili-dog and muttered a thank you before taking a thoughtful, thinking of how to tell Dick his info tonight. He actually had a pretty solid lead on a gang forming in Bludhaven. From what he had gotten, the gang might have been dregs of society that couldn't cut fit in Gotham's Crime Alley. After meeting Nightwing for the past few months, Jason would have to been stupid to not notice that Dick had some sort of issue with either Gotham or the Batman, or maybe both. "Calling me a soldier isn't any better than Oliver Twist," Jason spoke up in a light tone when he finished his first bite of food. "You need better need better nicknames, Batman wannabe." Just because he knew that Batman comments bothered Dick didn't mean he stopped saying shit. It just spurned him on half the time, actually and with a grin plastered on his face to boot.
"Oh come on, you're gonna have to come up with something better than that," groused Dick good naturedly. "You know how many times a day I get called a Bat-wannabe?" He flashed Jason that usual grin of his, the charming one that he used to get his way. "I'll stop calling you Oliver Twist once you come up with a really good nickname for me. Something astonishingly original and insulting. Till then you're Oliver Twist. Or soldier." He poked Jason on the side of the head to drive the point home. "So, whatcha got for me this time?" He was still acting casually, but the little notebook was out and that meant that he was taking whatever Jason said seriously. So far, Jason had been a good source. He had others that he talked to from time to time, but Jason was smarter than a lot of them, and not messed up on drugs, which was a big plus.
Jason was not pouting about that. He had better nicknames; he just couldn't think of them right now, was all. And if he wanted to give Dick a really good nickname, he'd have to know him better, and that didn't really work with the mask in the way. Not that he really expect Nightwing to ever tell him who he really was. That would just be stupid, and Jason knew it. It wasn't like Nightwing was his ONLY friend... Okay, maybe that was true, but it didn't mean he had to acknowledge it or linger on those thoughts too long. "So, there's this gang forming. I think they're actually re-forming, technically." He paused taking a quick bite of the chili-dog followed by a fast amount of chewing and a swallow. "I may be wrong on this half, but I think this gang couldn't cut it in Gotham, so they high tailed it to Bludhaven. Probably means they're a bit more vicious than the normal gangs around here. So far, they've been proving that with the amount of heat I've seen members packing. Definitely sounds like they'd end up being the type of gang that shoots and asks questions never."
"Oh joy," muttered Dick dryly. Well, that would bear looking into. Would have been nice for Batman to give him a heads up, but that really wasn't the guy's style. He probably figured that Dick could handle this sort of thing and that if he needed help, he'd ask. Passive-aggressive bastard. But a little background info wouldn't be bad. And it wasn't as if he had to talk to Bruce directly - Babs might have some useful info, or failing that, Tim. Or, hell, Alfred, in a pinch. "Well, I'll look into that, see if I can't send them packing before they get a foothold. I imagine the local boys aren't taking to kindly to this intrusion?" He cocked his head to the side, looking curious at Jason to see if he had any thoughts on the matter.
Jason hummed agreement. "The gangs already established in Bludhaven aren't happy, but some have enough brains to see they're probably no match if they stand up to them. Some might just call a ceasefire, but then that probably means this Gotham gang will have more members," he stated with a frown. "Though, one of our gangs might put up a fight. The gang based on the east side of Bludhaven doesn't seem to want to stand down, I've heard. Doesn't sound like that'll end pretty." Jason didn't exactly live on the east side, but he was close enough that reprucussions of anything that went down in that area would probably effect his living situation. He was not happy about that, not at all. Hopefully his information would let Nightwing stop the dumbasses before a gang war started up.
Dick didn't miss the implications of that for Jason. "You still living near there?" he asked casually. With Jason, that was never a sure thing, but if the kid was in the area, he'd definitely make sure to look out for him. Jason could take care of himself okay, but he was just one boy, there was only so much that he could do.
A frown marred Jason's face. "Yeah, what of it?" he asked, though he knew what of it. "If you do your job, I have nothing to worry about, right?" Jason was trusting this guy with his life, and that thought actually made Jason twitchy, so to hide that fact he shoved the last bit of his chili-dog in his mouth and concentrated on chewing it thoroughly. He kinda hated that he trusted Dick so much, but it was comforting at the same time to have someone around. Conflicting feelings were very annoying.
"I wasn't saying you did. Just wondering." Dick raised his hands and gave a slight wave to indicate that it really wasn't a big deal. But of course, he would be looking out for Jason. He usually did anyway, if he was in the area. It was weird how protective he felt about the kid - probably because he saw elements of himself, if his life hadn't been so incredibly fortunate. Or unfortunate, depending on who you asked. But for all that Bruce had probably fucked him up - and he knew he didn't work right in some ways, no one who wore a mask did - he was still glad for everything the man had given him. A home, a life that never wanted for anything. The other parts...those had been Dick's choice as much as it his been Bruce's. Maybe Bruce should have known better, should have stopped a kid from going down this path, but...he hadn't. And that was that.
Jason could tell Dick was worried, even if it didn't show all that much. There was reason to worry, but Jason was smart enough to stay inside once he knew when the gang violence starts. Swallowing his last bit of chili-dog, Jason made no move to get up. Park benches were more comfortable if the company was good, which was another thing to add to the growing list of things he would never say outloud to Dick. "So, yeah that's all I got. I'm sure that the Gotham gang is looking to escalate the violence pretty soon. Just not sure when. I'll give you a call if I hear anything about how soon." That was that, so Jason just waited for his money, though he stopped putting his hand expectantly out to wait for it a few weeks ago. He knew he'd get the money; he wasn't worried about that anymore, if he ever was.
As per the usual routine, Dick pulled money out of...somewhere - he was very good at slight of hand, it seemed - and passed it over to Jason. The amount tended to vary - never less than fifty, sometimes up to a hundred. He really didn't need to give Jason that much he knew - he sure as hell didn't pay his other contacts that much, but they also weren't 16. Althouhg, Dick did feel sort of guilty for playing favorites, as it were. "Yeah, just...stay out of their way, all right?" said Dick, which was probably more than he should have, but he did worry. That was more of less the curse of everyone member of the Bat-clan - you worried about other people way too much. Worried about loosing them, worried about protecting them, and worried that you wouldn't be good enough when it came down to it. That you wouldn't be there when they needed you to be.
Jason rolled his eyes, more playfully than anything. "I know. No need to worry about me. Worry about yourself, and not getting hit by any bullets when you stop them," he said lightly, though he really meant it. If anything happened to Nightwing... And Jason was derailing that train of thought before moved away from the platform. Totally not going there. Jason was not going to be stupid enough to get emotional invested in capacity about a guy that would probably die before Jason hit twenty. He had enough of death, especially the kind that he knew was coming. Just because he knew his mom was sick didn't make her passing any easier. Out of habit, Jason started messing with his cell in his pocket. Stupid nervous habit, but the cell phone was probably one of the last presents his mom gave him that he still had in good working condition.
"Hey, I'm a highly trained lunatic that dodges bullets for a living. I'll be fine," said Dick blithely. He was also a chronic adrenaline junkie, which helped too. Made you a whole lot more willing to go after a room full of guys with guns while you were only armed with a staff. Although, hopefully he could manage to deal with this situation without getting shot at too much. He already had a couple bullet scars and he really wasn't looking to add to the collection.
"I'm thinking more lunatic than anything else," Jason muttered before looking up and grinning. "Which makes me believe even more you must have come from Gotham. Break out of Arkham or something?" he asked playfully. He was kidding about Arkham, but he was pretty sure he was spot on about the guy originally being a Gothamite.
You could hear it in Dick's accent, if nothing else - he was definitely from the Gotham area. He generally tried to cover up the obvious inflections when he was Nightwing, but they crept through sometimes. He just wasn't as good at assuming roles as Bruce was. It still amazed him the way Bruce could slip into just about any accent without so much as a pause. "Yep, that's me. Straight outta Arkham. They'll be hauling me back there any day now. Want me to get someone's autograph for you?"
"Yeah right," Jason snorted. "Like I'd want some fucker like Joker's autograph. Clowns are creepy, and that fucker just proves that stereotype." He didn't really shiver when he thought of the Joker. He also didn't have a childhood fear of clowns because his dad was an idiot, and thought a scary clown movie was good idea for a five year old after a trip to Gotham. Nope, not all. And people wondered why he was so blase about his dead probably being dead in a gutter somewhere. That hadn't been the half of it.
That actually made Dick give Jason a pleased, though rather serious smile. "Good. He's a monster." His tone had taken a sudden turn for the serious there, but he'd met far too many people that wrote the Joker off as, well, a joke. He'd seen firsthand what the Joker was capable of and he didn't find it the least bit funny.
Jason totally didn't shiver again. "Yeah well, don't need to tell me twice," he answered. "That's near the top of the list for reasons to never visit Gotham again." He wasn't sure if Joker or Batman topped the list. Jason rather never meet Batman, like ever, even if he was legit now.
"To be fair, he's incarcerated at least 50% of the time," muttered Dick dryly. Oh, what he wouldn't give to live in a state with the death penalty. Some people just really, really needed to die and the Joker was one of them.
"50% of the time really can't be enough," Jason stated shaking his head. "I've been to Gotham before, and even if the crazies are locked up, I can't see why anyone would want to live there." Not that he had actually been in Gotham very long when his dad dragged him along for 'meetings,' and those 'meetings' were only in Crime Alley, so Jason only knew one part of Gotham, but he doubted the rest was any better. "You had the right idea, leaving that place."
Dick just shook his head, chuckling. "Ah, you have no idea," he laughed. "It's really not that bad though...at least the nice parts of town. I wouldn't recommend moving there though. Just visit and then get the Hell out." And speaking of getting out, Dick really needed to get going. Not much point in getting information from Jason if he never did anything with it. So, with great reluctance he got up and stretched, then turned to Jason and gave his usual little flipant salute. "Well, I'm off to rid the world of evil-doers."
"There are nice parts?" Jason asked with a laugh as he moved to get up too. "You do that. I hope you don't use lines like that with the gangs. They'll laugh at you." He stretched his arms over his head as he moved away from the bench. "See ya around."
"Take care." And then he was off, slipping into the shadows and heading for the rooftops. He'd shadow Jason most of the way home - it was the direction he needed to go in anyway and, well...it never hurt to be cautious. Jason would have no doubt complained if he knew, but Dick made sure to stay well hidden. The boy was getting better at spotting him, which was a good thing, since it meant that he was becoming more observant, but it did force Dick to put a bit more effort into following him.