Forbidden Connections

Alone Again.

Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor, Jason and Lily were the only siblings Tim trusted with his secret dates. They were tasked with keeping Bruce in the dark and distracting him if necessary. Lily descended the stairs, asking Jason if Tim had left. Jason nodded, and Lily revealed that Bruce was furious about Tim skipping a mission to hang out with his "friend". Jason looked concerned, then reassured Lily, "We got this. We just need to make sure he doesn't get caught." However, Lily pointed out two issues with their plan: Jason looked panicked, and Tim's phone was with Conner and Bart, making it impossible for Bruce to track his location. "What, I'm not panicked..." Jason said, trying to sound calm. "Okay, we've got this." He straightened up, asking, "Where are Conner and Bart?"

Lily hesitated, "Um... okay, so I may or may not have forgotten what Tim told me..." She chuckled nervously.

Jason's expression turned incredulous. "Are you serious?! You're joking, right? RIGHT?!" He whisper-yelled, eyes wide with disbelief.

Lily stood her ground, whisper-yelling back, "Do I look like I'm joking?! I blocked Bart, and I don't have Conner's number to call either of them... do you?"

Jason's voice rose in frustration. "Why do you have Bart blocked?! No, I don't have Conner's number!"

Lily crossed her arms, unapologetic. "Okay, you're right... you're right." Jason relented, his expression a mix of exasperation and concern.

Jason rushed to another brother, hoping they might have Conner or Bart's phone number. Damian had Jon's number, and after some convincing, he reluctantly gave it to Jason. "Okay, I've got someone who might help us get their numbers," Jason said, starting to make calls.

Jon answered, confused, "Hello?"

"Hey, uhh, do you happen to have Conner or Bart's phone number? It's a bit of an emergency," Jason asked softly.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Jon replied, sending the numbers to Jason moments later.

As soon as he got the numbers, Jason called Conner, asking where they were. Konner answered, revealing they were at Titans Tower, playing video games. Jason thanked them and updated Lily.

"Alright, we know where he's at, so we've got this," Jason said confidently.

"Yep, Dad will never know... unless he goes down there himself, then we're screwed," Lily replied.

Just then, the room felt chilled as an enraged Bruce emerged from the shadows, glaring at his second oldest and second youngest.

"Where. Is. He," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

"He went out with his friends, Conner and Bart," Jason said, standing his ground.

"Yep," Lily agreed, standing next to Jason.

Bruce's eyes narrowed, his voice rising. "Don't you both DARE lie to me! I just got back from the tower. He wasn't there. I saw Conner get the call from Jason and told him to act natural. Now, I want the TRUTH!"

Jason stepped back, standing up to Bruce. "He probably went out to get food! You don't know that!" he yelled back.

The tension in the room was palpable as the siblings faced off against their father, the truth hanging precariously in the balance. "Jason, I am not in the mood for both of your bullshit!" Bruce snapped, his patience worn thin. "Tim never used to lie about where he was going and never skipped patrol. Yet here we are. I want to know what's going on! And if you two don't tell me right now, I swear all hell will break loose. Once I find out myself, all three of you are in trouble. Do you understand me?"

Jason looked at Lily, hoping she would say something to defuse the situation. But Lily was torn between being clever and staying silent.

"Hang on," she said finally, a hint of sass in her voice. "We're all legally adults and most of us have moved out. What kind of threat do you think you can hold against us?"