Don't Fear the Reaper

98) ↻(𓄼 .̀ ̮.́)Ψ

A/N: 🚨IMPORTANT!!! READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE CONTINUING!!!!🚨okay, so there is a trigger warning for this chapter because it contains elements of light gory (it's nothing too crazy in my opinion), self-destructive thoughts, and vague-ish suicidal ideation. if you do not wish to read any of that stuff, then only read up until I mark within the chap and I will write a short summary at the end. Be smart, be safe <3.

Also! this chapter is so excessively long and I wrote it literally months ago and have been waiting very impatiently for you guys to read it, so please please please comment a lot because I wanna see your every reaction and thought. it gives me life and I simply need it. Thank you! <333333

It had been going well. The goons were tougher opponents than the ones from before—or maybe they were just more exhausted now—but the hostages had been given antidotes for the toxin taken to the roof, so at least they were away from battle.

As Nico took down the last of his opponents, he turned to watch as Bruce finally managed to get Scarecrow down, pinning him to the ground.

"Check the room for any more bombs," Bruce said gruffly, cuffing Scarecrow, who was laughing like his time working with the Joker had somehow managed to infect him.

They all split up, scouring the room for any last traps Dr. Crane might have set as Bruce handed the man off to Duke and Cass to be taken to the roof and loaded into the GCPD Helicopter that waited. Nico was just about to call that his portion of the room was clear when something caught his eye.

"Red Hood," Nico called, looking at the slightly displaced ceiling tile.

Jason jogged over, following his eyeline and giving him a nod. "Good catch," he said, moving a desk over a bit and climbing on top to carefully remove the tile. "Uhh, guys, we got a problem."

The others instantly gathered as Jason slowly stepped down from the table, holding the ceiling tile that had a bomb strapped to the top side.

"That doesn't look like the other ones," Tim said, his voice a little breathy with worry. "It's an aerosol bomb, but it doesn't have the same casing."

Jason set it down on the desk, careful to keep it as steady as possible. "I don't recognize the design. Anyone seen this type before?"

A chorus of 'no's made the tension in the room elevate notably.

Bruce, hit his comm. "Batman to Commissioner Gordon: tell the pilot to take off now. We have an unknown bomb and we need the civilians out of range before we attempt to disarm it."

Jason and Tim—the two most experienced with bombs and technology respectively—were both trying to get closer looks at it without touching it, hoping to see something that would tell them what kind of trigger they were dealing with.

"Best case scenario, it has a deadman's switch that Crane just never got the chance to push," Tim said, scanning it with his holo glove before instantly frowning when it offered him no helpful information.

"And worst case scenario?" Nico asked, knowing the group's general luck.

"Geolocation trigger," Jason said, staring at it with a grim look. "We not only wouldn't be able to move it more than a few feet, but if it's tied to Scarecrows location..."

"We'll find out soon," Steph said with a nervous laugh.

"I'll stay and disarm it," Bruce said, crossing his arms. "Everyone else, evacuate the building."

"No way," Jason immediately said. "I have the most experience with bombs, so I'll stay to disarm it. You all get out of here."

"And what if you need to manually hack into it?" Tim challenged. "Your a decent enough coder, but if you're trying to race a ticking clock, it's over-"