Safe?

1210

They miss Jason. They miss him a lot. Actually, all of the time. The Red Hood disappears from off of every map, out of every city...

For 11 years... nothing about Jason... nothing about Lilith... nothing about them...

And then... a tire suddenly disappears from the bat mobile. Bruce stares open mouthed at his scarred vehicle. He had an idea that maybe Jason had been stealing his EXPENSIVE  freaking tires, but he's never known for sure. With a burst of energy he hasn't had since Jason left, he sprints up the stairs, and checks to make sure everyone is asleep.

He races back down stairs to check the security footage.

There's a wolf, about twice the size of a Great Dane. It picked up the tire and then raced out of the cave with a howl of triumph.

Bruce stares at the car, and then rolls the footage back more. It doesn't show how the wolf got the tire off of the car... but it's off and gone.

"I..." He frowns as his text tone rings out into the cave.

An unknown number... with nothing but a smiling emoji.

"Um..."

And then his phone dings again. It's... Jason's number. Bruce's heart flutters at the message.

'I'm coming to visit, don't tell anyone just expect me to come by sometime this week.'

For the entire week whenever anyone mentions the family he gets a knot in his stomach.

"Who the heck is in the front yard?" Tim comes into the living room with a frown on his face.

Everyone gets up and runs to the front yard. Bruce is panting and Damian nearly stops him to make sure his father isn't dying or something.

But Bruce beats them all into the yard.

There in the yard is a group of 4. 1 of them looks about 5 years old, 1 looks about 15, and there are 2 adults. They recognize 2 of them, Lilith the 12 year old because of of the silver markings. And Jason because... because of the red helmet he is holding in one hand and... They would recognize him anywhere. The woman is looking at them with an expression of curiosity, and is holding the little boys hand, who also looks curious.

"Jason!" Everyone smiles.

He smirks. "Hello."

Lilith stops them all from getting to her family. About 4 steps away there are a pair of swords in front of them, barring the way to them. Everyone stops. Jason actually laughs, and it sounds so animalistic they back away a step. She looks over them. "Dad." She glances at the family. "Why are you laughing."

"I find it hilarious you don't remember these people. They kidnapped you and... I'm so glad you are protective." He laughs.

"Jason! You have a tail!" Damian says horrified.

So does the woman. Both of them have tails behind them. So does Lilith and the little boy. They all have wolf tails.

"Oh yeah. That transformation." Jason shrugs. "I meant to tell you, can we go inside? It's kinda hot out here."

And they're taken inside.

"So... what're your names?"
"And where have you been?"
"What have you been doing?"
"Why haven't you spoken to us at all?"

"Well. This is Lilith, I'm Jason, This is my wife Daffni, my son Kash, and my we don't know." He pats Daffni's belly. "Kash is 5, Lilith is 12, and Daffni would slap me if I told you."

"Well it sounds like you found a suitable wife." Alfred says.

"I've been hiding from you. My new name is-"

"Demon Fang!" Kash squeals. "My dad is the coolest bad guy ever!"

Bruce smiles. "Well I'm sure you'll tell us all of the stories, Kash." He glances at Jason. "At least if you tell them we know you won't be lying."

Jason's face twitches but he nods. "Daffni is known as Red Whip. If you hadn't guessed by the... tattoo." He nods at the whip, curled from Daffni's right wrist up to her neck. "I've been doing-"

"Bad guy stuff!" Kash giggles enthusiastically.

"I haven't spoken to you... because I'm afraid..." Jason looks away.

"Afraid?" Damian frowns.

"Yeah." Jason nods. Lilith markings start glowing green. "I'm scared you don't love me because I ran away."

"No we always love you!"

"Oh great!" He smiles. The markings slowly turn back silver and he nods. "I love you too. But don't tell anyone I told you that."

The family gets all of the details about Jason's new character Demon Fang from a very, very enthusiastic Kash. They always keep in contact and Jason believes they love him.

The End.

(Bonus scene)

Damion and Bruce, accompanied by all of the others of the bat family walk out into the garden. Jason and Daffni and Alfred are watching Lilith and Kash destroying a very well worn bat-mobile tire that Bruce donated to Lilith's sword practice.

"Alright. Is there anything else to this transformation we should know about?" Damian frowns at Jason.

Jason smirks. "Of course not."

"Maybe the bit about your wolf form would do the trick." Alfred says without looking away from the 2 children.

Jason winces and glances quickly at batman. "Maybe it would do the trick."

"But I won't and neither will Efla until we are asked with the word please before and after." Daffni smirks at his family.

"Efla?" Dick frowns.

"It means partner or mate in Daffni's first language." Jason nods. "Don't worry about it." He smirks, nearly turning away with a short shrug. " Well, you heard her."

"Please, Jason, may we please see your wolf form, please please please please?" Tim begs.

Jason winces again, and remembers how he nearly killed his little brother lots of times. "Well?" He looks at Daffni.

"Why didn't he include me?" She sniffs, only Jason seeing the smile in her eyes.

"Please wonderful beautiful, Daffni, please?" Tim smiles.

"Well that works." She smiles, reaching out and patting Tim's head. "I like this one." She chuckles.

"Be grateful, Tim, she doesn't say that often." Jason chuckles. He and Daffni both walk back inside to return 2 minutes later in wolf form.

The dark brown wolf is Daffni. Her fur is longer, and she stretches lazily as she exits the house. Jason's wolf side is an energetic huge silvery gray wolf. He glances at them with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. All of the family gasp in horror and shock as immediately the male wolf starts marking  the house.

"Todd!" Damian's shriek of panic is enough to make Jason stop. That's really all he wanted.

Bruce narrows his eyes at the wolf. He's seen this wolf before. He isn't exactly sure where... but... He has seen this wolf.

After Daffni and Jason do a quick race around the garden. Of course its slow, because of Danffi's bulging belly, but it's still faster than a human on foot. They walk back inside and come back outside human.

"I... Don't know what to say." Bruce is still thinking about that wolf. What has he seen this wolf doing?

At the end of the day it doesn't matter. Jason and Daffni leave, taking both Lilith and Kash with them... and also the shredded tire... It doesn't make sense to anyone... But to Jason, that is.

Bruce sits down at the computer... and remembers where the wolf has been seen.

"JASON!!!!" He yells.