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"A taser? Nail me and you'll electrocute both of us," the wannabe assassin yelled at Batman, Jason held firmly in his grasp.
"Maybe that's what he has in mind." Jason was trying to slide out his own taser when the one in Batman's hand went off. A harsh current jolted his body and left him falling to the ground in seconds. This, however, did not distract Jason from the screaming that came from behind him.
It was an agonized, drawn out scream that revealed intense pain and an inability to get out of the situation. There were no pauses for breath as the scream rang out; just a sustained howl that sounded more like a dying animal than that of a human in pain. The noise filled the air with terror and pain, leaving little room for anything else. Jason could barely hear Bruce's strangled no over the wailing agony.
He turned just in time to see the shorted out helmet explode, pasting the everything nearby with blood. Jason could vaguely make out Bruce screaming about what had happened, the taser long forgotten on the ground and blood coating his suit.
Bruce kneeled before the body, his back turned to Jason. He was slowly gaining back control of his limbs, though much faster due to his suit negating most of the current. With shaking limbs, Jason grabbed his own taser that had fallen to the ground and pulled himself up to his feet. He stood behind Bruce, catching his breath. Bruce did not move, hands reaching out to the decapitated corpse, but unsure of what to do next. Jason was sure that if he could see Bruce's face, it would be one of shocked horror.
Jason knew that Batman didn't intend to kill him. He knew where Batman drew his lines. Every time this had happened in the past, Jason remembered Batman going silent for days, sometimes even weeks, pushing himself further into his work until he could no longer stand up. It was worse when a civilian died. He'd pull his punches a little less. He'd send more people to Blackgate rather than Arkham. He'd give up on being Brucie Wayne. He'd bench Robin and Nightwing to keep them safe.
Jason knew all this, and in that single moment, he almost reconsidered his plan. Almost. But the wheels were already turning and the Joker was still alive. How could he grieve more for a no-name assassin than his own son? He continued to stand there, staring at Batman and taking deep breaths.
Batman finally stood, turning to face Jason. He pulled his hands into fists and the two began circling each other. Batman carefully analyzed Jason, taking measured breaths as he did so. Jason was feeling a little off from the taser, but moved to match Batman's step. Neither went to make the first move, both coming to a standstill after a few moments. Jason lowered his hands, surveying the scene. He could still see the blade with his blood on it and felt the wound pulsing on his arm. He let out a scoff and turned to leave.
He felt a hand rest heavy on his shoulder, digging slightly into his jacket, trying to hold him in place. Jason moved to face Batman, ready for an attack that never came. Jason tugged his shoulder from Batman's grasp, once again moving to leave. He didn't look back until he was on a nearby rooftop, watching the lone figure stand over the corpse.
Batman pulled his hand up to his ear, activating his comm. Jason couldn't be sure of exactly what he was saying, but knew he was calling the authorities.
Batman had pulled out his grapple and was ready to head back to the Cave when he seemed to remember the blood Jason had lost from his injury. He grabbed the sword from the ground, putting a small sample of the blood into a vial to ensure it made its way back to the cave safely. Jason watched as he walked away, shoulders hunched and feet almost dragging.
With no Batman in sight, Jason finally moved to return to his safehouse, the next phases already in motion.