When Worlds Collide

18) Gingers Assemble

When Nico was called to the office, he half expected it to be an ambush from Bruce. He didn't want to talk to his dad, but part of him hoped that the man had showed up anyway. It was a weird feeling: not wanting to see someone, but wanting them to make an effort. Bruce had texted him a few times since he left the watchtower, but they were always short and simply asking if he was safe. He knew it was hypocritical to not reach out to him, yet still want him to reach out, but that was how he was feeling.

When he opened to door to the office and saw Jason chatting with Barbra, the front desk lady, he knew something was up.

"Jason?"

Jason turned to look at him. "Hey Neeks, you ready for physical therapy?" He asked with a wink.

Nico nodded, not sure what his brother was up to, but not wanting to go back to class. "Yep. Can't wait."

Jason handed the lady a note and signed the sign out paper before waving to her and gesturing for Nico to head to the door. "It's been great chatting with you. Good luck with your son, you need it."

Barbra laughed and shooed them off. "Oh you're bad. You have a great day Mr. Todd-Wayne."

Jason gave her a fake smile before the door closed and they made their way to the parking lot.

"You planning on adding one more to your polycule? Never knew you were into middle aged women," Nico said as Jason handed him a helmet.

Jason rolled his eyes before putting on his own and getting on his motorcycle, nodding for Nico to get on behind him. "Very funny. I had to make sure she wouldn't call Bruce for confrontation about your appointment. Plus, moms love me."

"Sure they do," Nico said as he got on behind Jason. Jason wasted no time in leaving the parking lot. They had been driving for a solid twenty minutes before Nico got tired of not knowing what was going on. "Where are we going?" Nico asked, yelling so that he could be heard over the wind.

"You'll see," Jason yelled back. After another fifteen minutes, Jason finally came to a stop in front of a police station in the East End.

Nico climbed off the bike and took off the helmet, tucking it under his arm as he looked around. "Let me guess, you're turning me in for justifiable homicide."

Jason rolled his eyes as he began to walk into the abandoned building next to the station. Nico followed him, his curiosity way stronger than his fear of whatever might lurk in the abandoned building. Jason led them into the basement before going over and clicking a button underneath a decaying table. The cement wall seemed to shutter for a moment before part of it split and slid open. His elder brother walked into the dark opening before clicking a button and the lights coming on.

Nico walked in, taking in the scenery around him. Inside of what looked to be an old bomb shelter was like a smaller version of the batcave.

"Pretty nice, isn't it," Jason said as he took Nico's helmet and set it on a shelf next to his own.

Nico nodded, going over to one of the couches in what looked like a living room set up in the center of the room. "It's cool, though why is it under the police station?"

Jason just shrugged, sitting on the couch opposite him. "Back before I agreed to Bruce's no kill rule, him and I had a lot of fights. During one of those, Bruce said I was mocking the police by killing their criminals right under their noses. I thought it would be funny to actually be right under their noses, hence why I picked their old bomb shelter."

Nico nodded, tossing his book bag to the side. "So is that why we're here? You want to talk about Bruce's no kill rule and get me to talk to him."

Jason rolled his eyes and he popped his feet onto the coffee table. "Well considering I'm not a hypocrite, no, I'm not gonna do that. I've killed way too many people and cut off Bruce way too many times to be able to tell you how to live your life."