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[batricide]

@hafid.alghul| ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[reneger]

( there's a pause when jason goes silent, watches the bartender comes back and slides the very, very blue drink over towards damian and takes the glass of whisky.

uses whatever credits he's managed to get to pay for both. )

So we'll get someone strong enough to hold me down. No big deal. You know what you're doing, right?

[batricide]

I know what I'm doing but there's only so much the human body can take before it goes into shock. [ He stares down at the drink, jaw tightening. he could probably do it. he's definitely had the time and the experience... and had procedures far worse done to himself.

he rakes his fingers through his too short hair and lets out a sigh through his nose, taking the drink. ]

You're an idiot.

[reneger]

And you know what you're doing, don't you? You know how hard you can push before it becomes too much. Hell, even with multiversal differences--you know my body better than anyone else here.

( that sounds a little weird, but damian gets it. )

You know what I can and can't take. I wouldn't trust anyone else to cut into me, and I sure as hell don't trust myself to try it the other way around.

[batricide]

[ He rubs his temples, taking a sip of the drink (actually tolerable, what the hell is this mix?) and considers. ]

Fine. But we do this on my terms. You'll need to be well restrained and the environment will need to be pristine. The last thing we need is a foreign infection we might not be capable of treating to present itself, or for you to cause a mess. [ He stares into the glass, momentarily angry and annoyed that all of his actual resources are so far out of reach. ] And I don't need to be the only Robin left standing again.

[reneger]

( yes good, drink it. damian's smart enough to sip at it which is. great. jason's proud. )

I'll find a good place. Already got the restraint figured out, probably. And I'm not gonna die, D. ( with one of his legs scooting over on the booth, nudging against a thigh. ) If it's too deep to get to safely, stop. I know you will. Family, and all.

[batricide]

[ He's quiet. No sharp retort, no stomping on Jason's foot for getting too close.]

... I'm not that great at keeping family alive.

[reneger]

It took a crowbar, several hours of beatings, and an explosion to kill me off the first time, y'know.

( he's tough, is what he's getting at. )

I'm not going to die. Especially not on your watch.

[batricide]

Accidents happen.

[ To people he loves, mostly. ]

[reneger]

So, what.

( a glance over his glass, before jason pauses to take a sip. )

Want me to find someone else willing to lend a hand?

[batricide]

No.

[ Taking a bigger drink. ]

I'm absolutely certain that asshole in the barracks would have a field day if he found out I'm looking for volunteers to cut open. Better to keep it quiet.

[reneger]

So we'll keep it in the family. Your hands, my chest. Worse comes to worse, I'm out of operation for a bit of time. We'll handle it.

( there's a gesture towards damian's drink that probably means he should think about putting that shit down for a moment. shit's strong, dude. ) I know a guy who likes to get himself into trouble. Probably wouldn't mind lending a hand--or a clean place.

[batricide]

[ DON'T TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE except maybe do i don't drink unless under extreme duress. he'll lower the glass. ]

Who is this?

[reneger]

Loki. Trickster God, depowered.

( so they don't have to worry about any shenanigans. )

[batricide]

I'm not very fond of Gods.

[ did you know cupid has a mean left hook. ]

[reneger]

Then I'll introduce you first.

( that's probably a safe practice regardless, actually. )

Meet him, tell me if you trust him enough to borrow his shit. If not? We'll find someone else. Or steal it. Whichever's easier.

[batricide]

I met him. He led me back to the safehouse. [ Saved my ass. He tilts his head back. ] Let me get a better read on him before we commit to anything. The last thing we need is to be backstabbed.

[reneger]

You're the brains.

( it's an agreement if nothing else. and jason's leaning back in his seat, slumping over comfortably to finish off his own drink. )

There's a few abandoned buildings close by. Condemned. Figured we could stake our claim on one.

[batricide]

[ He considers. Good old repurposing. ]

We'll need to look into finding a means to power it.

[reneger]

Solar panels. Snag a few, strap them to the roof. Won't be much, but it's something to start with.

( they need more money to fix it up nice. which means jobs, or--stealing more shit. but stealing cash is hard when it's all in your head. )

I'll work my way underground, up our funds a bit.

[batricide]

I had the same plan. [ By which he means - find someone, take them out, take their place. And barring that, maybe be a hired thug so long as he needs to be and then claw his way to the top by murdering everyone who deserves it.

#lifegoals ]

[reneger]

What's your story, Hafrid?

( a beat. just long enough a pause to be noticeable. )

I've already told people that we're brothers.

[batricide]

Not too different from the truth.

[ He casts a sideways glance to Jason, then taps his fingers against the tabletop. ]

My father was a failure of a superhero. My mother was an assassin. I went to live with him when I was ten and was disowned at thirteen. My world is in shambles and it's all the old man's fault. [ A shrug. He admittedly didn't think too hard on the whole secret identity thing - it's been so long since that mattered. Hafid al Ghul is less a means to hide and more a refusal to sign anything with his father's name. ] Kara knows I'm involved with the League and am using the codename Nightwing. I mentioned I inherited it from my older brother and that I'm the only surviving sibling.

[ He's probably ticked. But what can he say? Life hasn't afforded him the ability to hide and the second he had the opportunity, he threw the curtains wide open. Outing his father meant outing everyone else associated with him - but he'd been the only one left breathing, it had been an easy choice. ] If I'd known you were here and still using a secret identity, I might have been more cautious for your comfort. [ And, a little quieter. ] I just don't like him being able to hide behind the cowl when he maims people.

[reneger]

( he could say it's not a big deal but that'd be a huge fucking lie so jason--opts not to open his mouth and say that. lying isn't great. lying to damian is stupid. )

So Kara'll already know exactly who you are, ( he assumes. dick being nightwing isn't a secret in most circles. dick being the guy who helped damian go from rage-filled asshole to.. less also isn't much of a secret. )

Secret IDs are less in place to protect the people who have them and more there for the people who they keep around, y'know. ( damian knows. but if it was just bruce and alfred left--they could figure it out. the wayne foundation, the money funneled to orphanages through his stupidly massive company--all the donation funds that went towards important shit--that's a little more what jason's concerned about. babs doesn't have any real connection to bruce wayne, if dick's gone, duke's not there--god, there's still so many people others could hurt to get to bruce wayne. jesus fuck, damian. think a little. ) But I don't have anyone. It's a little less concerning here.

[batricide]

[ That's a lesson he learned the hard way. Walking home to find a cold body on the floor of the cave - no, no, that was his father's fault. Alfred shouldn't have been left alone on Gotham. Not when so many sickos already knew exactly who he was and where to get him. ]

Like I said, no one has a secret identity anymore. It's a little harder to do when you expect people to trust you to do what's best for them. [ He shrugs. ] Now he's busy filling the world governments with assholes who will keep the status quo he likes so much.

[reneger]

You know me, ( or maybe damian doesn't, what does jason know. )Jason Todd hasn't existed in. . six years? Matters a lot less to me if anyone finds out than it does anyone connected to either name.

( being jason wouldn't be bad. but jason can be traced back to bruce, who can then trace him to damian. he's already admitted to being brothers with damian, there's nothing wrong with that. they can both handle themselves, generally. but there's steph. and god knows who else. )

Finish your drink, we'll go pick a nice building.