Change of Plans

Chapter 9

Okay, season 2 is over, but it left with good ff material (though I didn't like episode 9 and 10) seriously, what's with the Titans' reaction to Dick's confession?! I'm defenitifly gonna change that. And I don't know if I'm gonna go with the whole Kadmus kidnapping Conner and Gar thing, but who knows.
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Dawn knew this would affect the team.
Jason was... difficult at times, but he was still just a kid, just like Rachel, Gar and Rose, and they got dragged into Deathstroke's game of revenge without knowing why.
It wasn't fair.

She wondered what the hell Dick expected to get out of this, because so far, there was one kidnapping and one almost-murder and a lot of bad blood.

She was wandering around the hallways, looking for Hank. He had been acting strange lately.

She found him back in the traing room, sitting down, his head in his hands.
"Her vitals are stable." She said, referring to Rose.
Hank sighed, still not looking up. "I know I got carried away today."
Dawn cupped his cheeks.
She knew that Hank had just been worried about Jason, that he wasn't thinking clear. He would never give a kid to Deathstroke voluntarily.

"We're gonna get Jason back."
"It's more than that," he growled, raising his eyes. They were shining wetly.
"All those times that coach..."
He grimaced and Dawn bend down to rub his back comfortably.
This had always been a tough subject for him.

"I know what it's like, sitting in the dark, alone, hurting, praying for somebody, hell, anybody to come and save you, waiting, but nobody ever comes."
"Hank..." she sighed, swallowing at the deep feeling of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her.
"I joked about leaving him," he continued, oblivious to Dawn's sympathy, "but I'm not ready to give up on that little asshole.

"No matter how much he makes me want to punch him in the face sometimes," he added as an afterthought.
"And there's more," he continued, looking up at her with desperate eyes, "all of us, we all went through something traumatic to be here (or came from other planets). It makes me wonder... what happened to Jason? What made a boy go out on the streets in a city like Gotham and play hero? Damn it, Dick had to see his parents being murdered in front of him to become Robin, so what did Jason see, what did he go through?"
Dawn smiled softly, holding his face in her hands. "We are not giving up, none of us and when we got him back, you can ask him yourself. Jason is part of this team and no one will deny that, but Kory's right. If we turn ourselves into monsters to fight Deathstroke, there won't be any good left when it's over."

Hank's eyes glistened wetly as he laid his head against Dawn's chest.
She brushed her hand through his short hair absemently, lost in thoughts. This was not fair, non of this, not what had happened to Hank, not what was happening to Jason.
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Dick had gathered the team in the living room, Rachel and Gar perched on top of the counter.
"Hank was right," he began, a persistent headache pounding behind his eyes, "you all were. Jason needs us. We can't just stand here and do nothing."
He tried to read the emotion in everyone's eyes. Hank was tired, but determined, while Dawn still seemed angry with him. Donna was... Dick was sure she was scared Deathstroke would do to Jason what he did to Garth, but her eyes were hard and Dick could see the angry scowl on her face. Rachel and Gar were obviously worried for Jason and wanted to fight.

"Deathstroke wants to make a trade, let's make a trade."
"We can't hand over Rose," Hank interrupted, daring anyone to protest.
"No, we can't. We won't," he reassured the others, "but I've got an idea."
He hold up the phone Deathstroke had left with Dr. Light's body.
"Gar," he said, addressing the teen, "you and Rachel will stay here with Rose."
"But-"
"In her condition, she won't be able to defend herself if something happens."
And I won't lose you, too.
Jason, Gar and Rachel were his responsibility and he'd already failed Jason, the other two would not be pulled into his war.