Silence Speaks Volumes

A Young Assassin and His Favorite Brother

"Get away from me before I kill you," Jason yelled as he stormed into the cave. He threw his helmet on the ground. Tim was right behind him. Dick came from where he and Damian were sparring.

"Jason, I'm sorry I--"

"Get. Away!" Tim kept following him. Jason pulled his gun out of the holster and pointed it at TIm's head. Then he yelled in frustration and put the gun back. "Dick, get him away from me before I kill him," Jason growled. Jason sounded like he actually was going to kill Tim, so Dick got between them and put a hand in front of Tim.

"Let him cool off, Timmy." Jason went up the stairs. Damian grabbed Jason's helmet from the floor and put it on a table close by. He was torn between going to see what was wrong and throwing a shuriken at Tim for making Jason angry. "What happened?"

"Well, I had a mission in crime alley..." That was Jason's turf. "... And I saw Jason, so he offered to help. He was teasing me and I said something that crossed a line. It just slipped out, Dick. i swear, and--"

"What did you say," Dick asked.

"I said that he was why his mom killed herself," Tim whispered regretfully.

"Tim," Dick gasped. "After how she died?"

"I know. It was stupid. I'm probably going to have to stay in a safehouse tonight. I don't trust him not to shoot me." Damian went to check on Jason, then came back and shook his head.

"See, Timmy. Dami said he won't."

...

The next morning, Jason and Damian shunned Tim. (Read: Jason shunned Tim, and Damian followed him as usual.) When they came down to breakfast, Damian didn't sit by Tim like he usually did. He sat by Dick and Jason sat by Damian. "I'm sorry," Tim said. Jason wouldn't talk to him.

"You wanna go out tonight, Demon," Jason asked. Damian nodded emphatically. "Good, we leave at 1900 hours." Damian nodded again.

"Jason," Tim said.

"Jay, he said he's sorry," Dick said.

"Who," Jason asked.

"Timmy," Dick said.

Who's Tim? Damian signed.

"I don't know who that is either, Demon." Jason chugged his orange juice in one gulp. "Let's roll," he said as he got up with his hand out. Damian grabbed the hand and followed.

"What do I do," Tim asked Dick.

"Don't know, Timmy. You must've hurt him badly if he's still holding a grudge." Tim sighed. "Give him time." Tim nodded.

...

Later that night, Tim was on a mission with the Teen Titans. They had just finished a recon mission and were heading back to the tower when they were ambushed. Tim's team was taken down by a shadow. Tim looked around, but couldn't find anything. Then, everything went black.

Tim woke up in a room restrained. "You're up," Red Hood said. He had Damian with him, and the boy had a helmet of his own. How'd Jason get that on such short notice? Tim could see the rest of the team was already up.

"Hood, what is this?"

"I think you know that, Robin." Tim groaned.

"I said I was sorry. I really am. I wasn't thinking."

"Of course you weren't." Jason crossed his arms. Tim looked at Damian. "This is Mini Hood."

"You're young," M'gann said. Damian threw a knife that barely missed her head.