Hey Brother

Chapter Nine

Jason was immediately on alert. "Mother? How did you get this number?"

Talia chuckled on the other side of the line and Damian scooted closer to Jason, trying to hear better as their mother replied. "Not even a 'how are you doing in prison, mother?' 'I've missed you, mother' 'how could you abandon us, mother?'. Tsk, tsk. I raised you better, Jason."

Jason gulped. "You're right, I apologize. How are you, mother?"

"I'd be better if my sons would call me of their own accord and not force me to call in a favor that I was planning on using for something else." The brothers could practically hear the smirk in their mother's voice. "What is more important than your mother?" Damian and Jason exchanged a look, unsure of how to reply. Talia sighed, a hint of impatience in her tone. "Has your father already turned you against me?"

"No! Never." Jason replied. "We had not been given word on what prison you are being held in, so we did not know what number to call."

"Well, lucky for you, all you have to do is hit callback now. And I do expect you to call me." Jason looked over at Damian, trying to gauge his reaction. "Well, how have you been? How are you and Damian?"

"We have been...alright." Jason spoke in a measured tone, keeping his eyes locked with Damian. "Damian has been doing well in school."

"You are going to a public school?"

"Private, Gotham Academy." Jason supplied Talia with an answer.

"Was this of your own accord?"

Damian spoke up for the first time. "No, father is forcing us to go. It is pretty much his way or the highway here."

"And you did not fight back?" Talia tsked on the other side of he phone. "I am greatly disappointed in you two."

When Talia spoke those words, it was like Jason was six again. He felt small, incompetent, pathetic. Even though his mother was in jail, all he wanted to do was please her, earn her affection.

Those feelings of unworthiness fueled his next question.

"When can we see you, mother?" Damian looked at Jason with wide, unbelieving eyes. He highly doubted their father was going to let them go visit their mother in prison, but then again, the look on Jason's face made it clear he wasn't going to ask permission.

The brothers could almost see their mother's grin through the phone. "I will be expecting you tomorrow afternoon. Come alone."

"Of course, mother. We will be there." Jason looked away from Damian's awed face to scan the crowd, noting the approaching twins. "Mother, we have to go now. I'm sorry for cutting the call short-"

"Don't worry, my son. Remember, mother loves you." Talia hung up without saying goodbye.

Jason slipped his phone in his pocket, turning to Damian with a steely look. "No one is to know of this conversation, understood?"

"But Ja-"

"No one. Especially father." Jason turned his glare to his other siblings as Dick and Helena took two of the empty seats at the table. Jason scowled at their apologetic expressions. "Look who decided to take pity on the newbies."

Helena shot Damian a questioning look, one he just shrugged to in response. "Jason, we aren't taking pity on you, we are checking in on you."

Jason scoffed. "Thanks, really appreciate how you guys are here when we need you."

"Jason, what are you doing?" Damian hissed through gritted teeth.

"Speaking my damn mind. I'm tired of playing by their rules." Jason's voice began to rise in volume, Dick and Helena shifting uncomfortably. "'Jason, live with your father' 'Jason, go to school' 'Jason, get dressed up to be ignored at some ritzy event'. I'm sick of it."

By this point, a quiet had fallen upon the event and most eyes were on Jason. Bruce and Selina had excused themselves from their conversation, making their way over to Jason and his siblings.

"Jason, can we talk about this in private?" Bruce mumbled through a false smile, eyeing the whispering guests around them.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I ruining your perfect public image with my truth? Maybe you should've thought of consequences before you slept with and impregnated multiple different woman!"

"That's enough, Jason."

"You're not my mother, Selina. My real mother is in prison." Jason noticed the murmuring in the crowd pick up at that and he smirked ever so slightly. "Yes, the rumors are true. My mother is the infamous Talia Al Ghul. Gotham's precious golden boy Bruce Wayne slept with a notorious terrorist not once, but twice!"

"Jason-"

"What's the matter, father? You didn't want the world to know your dirty little secret? Well, maybe you shouldn't have paraded us in public like some sort of circus act!"

Damian couldn't understand what had gotten Jason so riled up, he was fine moments before talking to their mother. It didn't occur to him that perhaps it was their mother that had gotten Jason so riled up.

"Jason, come on. Let's go home and talk about this."

"Oh, you mean the Wayne Manor? I'm not allowed to go home. In fact, I'm pretty sure the F.B.I. is still over there, desecrating my childhood." Jason snarled, turning on his heels. "Come on Damian, let's bounce."

Damian hesitated, looking between his father and siblings to Jason. Jason narrowed his eyes and Damian scampered over. The pair of brothers made their way towards the exit, the crowd parting for them.

Once they made it outside they made a beeline for the limousine, hopping inside and sliding up to the partition to talk to Alfred. Damian knocked on the partition and it slid down, revealing the loyal butler. Alfred looked at them from under the brim of his hat, a curious look in his eyes.

"Is the gala over already, young masters?"

"No, but we needed to leave. Can you take us back to the manor?" Jason sighed, avoiding eye contact with both Alfred and Damian.

"As you wish."

The limousine started to drive off and Damian kept trying to catch Jason's eye. When he finally did, he just raised an eyebrow questioningly, and Jason grunted. "Leave it, Dami. Just leave it."