Don't Fear the Reaper

60) Nico Be Speakin All the Languages

Things were going well with Nico, and that thought terrified Jason. The kid had, though reluctantly at first, began leaving his room. It started with them inviting him to join them at whatever activity they were doing, and then he began joining them for meals. He would rarely stay for the entire time, usually getting overwhelmed at some point and walking out, but it was growth. He had started joining some of them on daily runs to help improve his lung capacity and Bruce had even given them the all clear to let him train if he asked—though he never asked.

Jason knew that Nico was getting better, but he could see the cracks starting to show. The kid looked like he was just going through the motions, living in a haze, and Jason knew why.

Nico's entire life, though Jason only knew pieces, had been going from one mission to the next. His memories basically began with learning about being a demigod and the impending war. He learned how to live while barely surviving, so just sitting around doing nothing was something he didn't understand. Nico was the type of person that needed to be given something to accomplish, otherwise he'd never feel comfortable.

"Bruce," Jason said, walking into the man's office without knocking, immediately plopping himself down on one of the chairs facing the desk. "Nico is dying."

Bruce immediately looked panicked. "Wait what? I can call Leslie and-"

"No, not that kind," Jason said with a roll of his eyes. "He's dying because he doesn't have anything to do."

Bruce, looking extremely relieved that Nico wasn't bleeding out or something, just let out a sigh. "Well, we can look into more hobbies that he might enjoy-"

"He's a 16 year old who has lived his life going from one crisis to the next. Even between the wars, he was doing things to help prepare for the next one. He has gone from war to war and mission to mission since he can remember—a few hobbies aren't gonna do shit."

"What are you suggesting?" Bruce asked, looking skeptically at his son.

Jason just smiled. "Oh, nothing too crazy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason finally stopped his motorcycle in the middle of the Narrows of Gotham. It was a part of the city that most people tried to forget about. While the rest of Gotham was crime riddled and dangerous, this place was dilapidated and basically run by whatever gang was winning that week.

"What a great idea," Nico muttered sarcastically as he got off the bike and began following Jason. "Bring the newly powerless to the most crime riddled part of your sinking city of crime."

Jason actually laughed at that, just opening the back door of a building that was so covered in spray paint that it was anyone's guess at what the original color was. "Don't worry, Dark and Stormy, no one is gonna mug us."

Nico scoffed, following him through the maze of dark hallways until they got to the stairwell and began to ascend. "Yeah, of course, it's not like you're the adopted son of a billionaire- oh, wait, yes you fucking are."

Jason shook his head with another chuckle as he opened the door to the 4th floor, not offering an explanation.

Nico followed him down the hallway until Jason stopped and did a causal knock on a double door. "Don't freak out or do anything crazy. Just wait a minute or two and I'll get you," Jason said before the door opened and two sets of hands grabbed the larger guy and ripped him into the room, the door slamming shut as soon as he was in.

Nico's immediate impulse was to kick the door down, attacking anyone and everyone in the room, but he hesitated. Jason hadn't seemed alarmed when he was grabbed, and he had even warned the teen to wait.