Not As It Seems

shambles

"You...you let a fourteen year old attempt to fake his death only to die in the process? Just so you could have an insider in the Shadows?!" Artemis screeched at Batman, who was ignoring everyone while he bandaged up Dick. "Was Jade not enough?"

"Jason was before Jade." Dick muttered.

"And you, you seemed to know about this."

Dick grunted, waving Bruce off as he finished stitching his shoulder. "I found out today, after Jason said all those things on the mission in Taos. I confronted Bruce and he confirmed it." He glared at Bruce. "He showed me some recordings from the time Jason spent in the Shadows, where Bruce was pushing Jason away. How can we be surprised that he turned to Deathstroke, huh, after you treated him like that?"

Bruce got a flash with his conversation with Jason.

"I have no reason to...as of now."

He got up wordlessly and pushed past all the heroes, heading over to the holographic computer. He typed for a moment before a video chat popped up, showing Jade sitting in her apartment. "What's  up Bats? I see you let your little hero friends in on our se-"

"Jade, you can't return to the Shadows. Jason ratted you out to Deathstroke."

Jade sneered at the camera. "And what did you do to make him do that? And before you ask, I know he wouldn't do it of his own accord."

Bruce sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. "Deathstroke discovered the cameras and communicator in Jason's mask, most likely seeing the footage saved there."

Jade sighed. "Where is he now?"

"Probably already at the island. J-"

"I'm going to kick his ass, the little twerp. I'm going to kick his ass, cure him, and then kick his ass again."

Artemis pushed Bruce out of the way. "Jade, stop. He is willingly working for Deathstroke now. There is no curing him." Jade scoffed. "Besides, you need to get Will and Lian to the mountain, ASAP. You too."

"I'll send along Lian and Will, but I have business to attend to."

"Jade wa-" The call cut out and Artemis whirled around to glare at Batman. "If she dies, that's on you."

Batman nodded wordlessly as the team and the Justice League shot him glares before walking away, leaving him alone in the mission room. He sighed, about to head to the zeta tubes when his phone started ringing. He looked down and answered it. "Hello."

"Detective. I hear we now have a common enemy."

Bruce growled at the sound of Ra's Al Ghul's voice on the other side of the phone. "What do you want, Ra's?"

"Simple. We both have the common goal of taking down Deathstroke, I am merely suggesting we work together."

"Why would I work with you?"

"I am sending an army of my loyal assassins to the headquarters to take back control. I am just giving you the option to remove young Jason before he gets caught in the crosshairs."

"Jason is loyal to Deathstroke now, he won't listen to me." Ra's let out a laugh. "What?"

"The boy can be easily swayed, detective." Bruce heard a voice talk on the other side before he talked to Bruce. "I must be going, but I will be in touch."

Bruce just glared at the zeta tubes as Ra's hung up, pocketing his phone before making his way to the Batcave. He had so much work to do.

- - -

Jason stumbled to the ground from the force of the punch that hit him square on the jaw. He looked up at Deathstroke as the assassin stood over him, anger clear even through his mask.

"You had very specific and direct orders, Jason. Kill. The. Team." Deathstroke emphasized each of those words with a kick to Jason's torso. "Explain to me again why the team is still alive?!"

"The...the Justice League showed u-"

He was cut off by a backhand to his face. "Then you take them down, too. Insolent boy." Deathstroke unsheathed the sword from Jason's back, holding it over the trembling boy. Deathstroke smirked under his mask. "Normally, I would make you punish yourself. But this is going to be too much fun."

Jason tried his best not to flinch as the blade struck him. He kept telling himself it was for his mission, that he had to endure for the mission.

But wouldn't it be easier to just give in to the darkness? To die again?

Jason squashed those thoughts in their place, gritting his teeth as Deathstroke kept dragging the blade across his body.

He had to endure. There was too much on the line not to.

- - -

The mountain was silent as everyone recovered from the shock in their own way.

But the sound of the zeta tubes made panic and curiosity surge through them, motivating them to make their way to the mission room, weapons drawn.

"Hey, woah, small child here!" The all too familiar voice of Will Harper surprised everyone as he entered with Lian in his arms.

"Will?"

"The one and only...er, you know what I mean." He handed Lian off to Artemis, placing his duffle bag on the floor to observe everyone. "You all look like shit."

Wally snorted. "Blame Jason."

Will winced, having been informed about Jason's rise from the death on the way over. "I can't believe he is working with Deathstroke and that he tried to kill you all."

"Well, believe it, 'cause we have the scars to prove it." Bart grumbled, his knee having healed up. He still limped a little as the injury was sore, but it was no longer broken.

Will glanced over at Dick. "How are you taking things?"

"Oh, finding out my baby brother - who I watched get exploded - isn't actually dead and is instead working for the enemy, making him stab me twice? I'm fabulous." Dick spat.

Will held his hands up in surrender. "So much tension." He looked around, eyes narrowing at the mask in the corner that was laying there discarded. He went over and picked it up, examining it closely. His eyes widened when he realized that the mask had a small piece of paper folded up by the edge. Curiously, he pulled it out, reading it over carefully.

"What do you have there, Will?"

Will turned around, holding the paper out for the team to see. "I found this in Jason's mask."

Tim snatched it out of his hands, eyes nearly bulging out of his head as he read it. "Call Bruce and the League, now."