Chapter Text
Truth be told, there were still tensions between Tim, Jason and Dick. Ever since Dick came back from Spyral, things haven’t been the same between the three. Jason and Tim had begun purposely ignoring Dick and passed a view snide comment about him faking his death. Jason didn’t think he could forgive Dick for that. Weeks had passed since his brother’s return, and Dick had mostly been staying in Bludhaven, only visiting the manor for bat related emergencies.
It was only after a lecture from Alfred that Jason and Tim attempted to meet up with Dick. Alfred had talked to them about at least cutting out the snide remarks and working together as a unit during patrols. Surely protecting Gotham was more important than their disagreements. The three had met up a few times since then but only in costume. Even then there was coldness between the three. Jason reflected back on what happened when Dick first showed up after Spyral. Looking back, Dick had seemed so happy to see his family. Jason felt a twinge of guilt at his initial response. In his defense, he thought his brother had died. He had attended his funeral, he mourned him. Jason was entitled to his anger. Tim seemed to be the only one to relate to what Jason was feeling. Everyone else was quick to forgive Dick as if he hadn’t faked his death. He could have least told them before going on his spy mission. He could have at least told him.
When the three did meet up for patrol, there were only small conversations. Tim and Jason, much to Alfred’s requests, they dropped most of the snide comments. The conversions between the three were mostly about patrol and nothing more. Jason was beginning to miss the old relationship he had with Dick. The one that did not have secrets between the two.
A few months had passed and the others had to leave for separate reasons. Bruce and Damian were going on a League mission. Duke, Steph and Cass were on a convert mission across the world and would radio silent for the time being. Barbra was taking a well deserved break along with Alfred who was taking a vacation. Which left Jason, Tim and Dick in charge of Gotham.
Dick still resided in Bludhaven, but visited the manor more often to help pick up patrol for the rest of the Bats. Both Jason and Tim attempted to have more conversation with Dick as tensions over the months had begun to thaw. But Dick seemed cold and distant. Jason wasn’t unfamiliar with an angry Dick Grayson. He’d seen Dick and Bruce’s arguments. While those had been heated and loud, this anger was cold and silent. Somehow that was worse. Tim had agreed that Dick was upset with them when they thought back to their unkind comments. They were angry with him, but the things they said, they probably shouldn’t have. Dick just needed time and they would give it.
That was 3 weeks ago.
Jason and Tim hadn’t noticed Dick was missing. They assumed the man needed time to himself. It didn’t seem right to jump back in when they had treated him with coldness and expect him to greet them as if they hadn’t treated him like shit for the past while. The only reason they knew he was missing was because of a patrol the two were doing.
Jason and Tim were investigating a gang that began to pop up in Gotham. From what they learned, the gang was obsessed with observing the mind and its limits. Victims were popping up in catatonic states. States that Tim identified were similar to when a telepathic based mind breaks. The two suspected that the gang had a telepath in their group. They eventually found the gang’s base and rounded the gang members up, including the telepath. The two investigated the warehouse for remaining gang members. That’s how they found their brother.
The gang had taken their brother. Not as Nightwing, but as Dick Grayson. From the documents, Tim found, they had their brother for the past 2 weeks. 2 entire weeks and they hadn’t realized their brother was missing.