#fear toxin

Jason was unique in this way. He had used fear toxin once, against Dick, when he was still Red Hood and vehemently against the Bats, still tender from Bruce’s supposed betrayal.

The singular time fear toxin had been thrown in his face, however, Scarecrow was not prepared for the outcome. The villain had spent weeks recuperating in Arkham after Jason had repeatedly bashed Scarecrow’s head into a nearby car, screaming, “I died once, I’m not afraid of anything!” Later, when Dick heard the story, he burst out laughing.

Life routinely moved on afterwards. Jason slowly integrated back into the Bat-family, albeit with much caution and disgruntlement. A large part of that was because of your gentle urging.

Jason had met you in his apartment building. It was a modest building with modest apartments but just what Jason needed as an escape from his overbearing family. He was sure they all knew its whereabouts, but in an unusual stroke of kindness, let him have his solitude when need be. His apartment was mostly bare with just the essentials. It wasn’t long before that all changed and his definition of essentials expanded.

You came hurtling into his life like a comet.

Jason was returning home after a patrol one night, not caring who saw because it was only old Mrs. Arkady who was a blunt, half-blind bitch (but kept Jason fed as he reminded her of her grandson if the grandson was much taller and more buff) who lived on his floor.

You were handling a couple of large, empty boxes and a heavy garbage bag when you came face to face with Red Hood in full militia armour. Subsequently, you screamed. Mrs. Arkady came barrelling out into the hall, a rifle pointed at the ready, which caused you to scream again and drop the boxes and bag, which landed on your foot and you cursed loudly. Jason was quick to take off his helmet to assure you he was a normal man not going to hurt you, for secret identities weren’t at the forefront of his mind when an old lady held an AK-47 at him.

Somehow, a month later, this led to a date. (between you and him, not him and Mrs. Arkady.)

You were the best thing to happen to Jason, no doubt about it. You brought happiness into his life. Your apartment, so much brighter than his own, was full of knickknacks and sentimentality. He soon found himself woven into your life. Pictures of the two of you began appearing in both of your apartments, which turned into one apartment after the conclusion that paying for two leases while only utilising one house was idiotic. Jason moved to yours, no complaint on his end.

He felt a bit out of place in your life at first, a big brute with Red Hood armour metaphorically and literally in the closet. But Jason just adores you so much that his love outweighs his concern. It had made your relationship much easier that you knew he was Red Hood all along. There were no questions about why bruises bloomed randomly on his skin or why there was a gun hidden in the top cabinet.

Domesticity was Jason’s love language. There was something about the two of you sharing a space that made his heart flutter. He still took you on dates even when you lived together and nothing would ever change how he practically laid on top of you while sleeping even in the middle of summer (it got horribly frustrating and you tried to elbow him off but he was just so big).

You noticed little things like how his gruff voice softened just a touch whenever he talked to you. He liked to drink from one mug religiously and always had a spot under your jaw that he kissed.

There were arguments, sure, but mostly about his safety whenever he would come back with a patched up bullet wound Alfred had thankfully taken care of.

Coaxing him back towards his family had taken some time. There was so much history there, the majority of it bad, that made it hard for Jason to even consider it. He owed all of the reconciliation to you. The comment that won him over? “What if we ever have kids, Jay? I’d want them to know your family. And Bruce’s money would be helpful for all the baby toys…” He silenced your smirk with a firm kiss, chuckling against your lips.

A couple months after Jason had rejoined the Bat-family and their patrols, Scarecrow showed his face again. The villain had developed a new line of fear toxin that would penetrate the Bats’ immunity.

Jason, Dick, and Steph had been tasked with the fight and the combination of Dick and Steph’s humour made Jason ready to just get back to you and watch that TV show you were in the middle of. Unfortunately, the witty comments weren’t enough to stop the thorn that pierced Jason’s skin. It wasn’t long before he could feel the effects of the fear toxin laced on the thorn.

The rest of the fight didn’t take long and Jason was soon stumbling back to his apartment. He knew something was wrong the moment he stepped onto the floor. A trail of blood made his skin prick with terror as his eyes followed to the body of Mrs. Arkady, her rifle still by her side.

He cursed himself for freezing, those precious seconds already lost as his feet finally began pounding along the floor.

The lock was broken when he skidded to a stop in front of your apartment. “Y/n?” he breathed out before shouting your name again. His voice was hoarse by the time he finished ransacking the already destroyed apartment. All protocol about possible hostage situations or break-ins left his mind. He didn’t even take out his gun.

A strangled choke ripped from his mouth that turned into a wail. You were curled in bed, bloody sheets around you. “Y/n?” he pleaded. Slowly, he crouched down next to you.

“Jay?” you managed, though blood dribbled from your lips. There was too much blood surrounding you. No. He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t. “Where were you?” you asked, reaching out a hand. Jason clutched it to his chest.

“It’s okay. You’ll be okay,” he insisted. “We can fix this. The hospital— or, or Alfred. Y/n, please,” he begged.

You coughed and your face twisted into agony as the movement disrupted the wound. “I don’t think…” You exhaled. “Jay, where were you?”

“Jay? Jason. Jason! Snap out of it!”

“I’m sure that’s real helpful, Dick,” a distinctly female voice that was not yours cut through the mud in Jason’s mind.

Jason promptly turned to his side and threw up. A chorus of ‘ew’ came from around him. “That’ll be the toxin exiting his body,” a man muttered, who Jason would know anywhere: Alfred.

The man blinked four times and slowly, the image of you bleeding out faded from behind his eyelids. “What?” he croaked out, turning onto his back. The faces of the Wayne family came into his line of sight. “Where’s Y/n?”

Dick was still in his Nightwing suit. “Scarecrow got you with some toxin. You were just… out of it,” he concluded.

Steph continued, “we had to bring you back to the Manor. You were screaming Y/n’s name the entire time. It was a battle, to say the least. You almost gave Dick a black eye.” The eldest of the Bat-family clicked his tongue dramatically.

“But it didn’t impact me last time.”

Alfred smiled knowingly at Jason. “Well, perhaps you have something now to fear, Master Todd,” he said.

“So she’s okay?” Jason forced himself to sit up and Alfred helped him up.

“We sent Damian to check,” Bruce said in a calming voice. “We knew you’d want to know. He reported that everything is fine and they’re watching a TV show.”

Jason frowned. “What TV show?”

Bruce hesitated and glanced at Steph, who shrugged. “Uh, I believe it’s called Parks and Recreation, though I don’t see why that’s pertinent—“

“That little shit!” Jason exclaimed. “We’re watching that! Damian has no right!”

“Jason, perhaps you should rest more,” Alfred cajoled.

The man huffed and was already moving towards the door. “Not when Parks and Rec is on the line.”

It was only fifteen minutes later when the door to your apartment banged open. “Hey, baby!” you greeted. Damian sat next to you, still in his Robin uniform, mask even still on. He had a blanket covering him and a bowl of popcorn in his lap. On the TV, Leslie Knope was talking to Ron Swanson.

Jason stammered out something before pointing to the TV. “You’re cheating on me!”

“Damian wanted to watch,” you countered. “He’s your brother. What am I supposed to do?”

“Not cheat on me!” Jason threw off pieces of his armour before squishing down between you and Damian on the couch. He gathered you into his arms and pouted, resting his chin on your shoulder. “Can’t believe you.” You laughed quietly and apologised with a kiss.

He’d tell you about the fear toxin later, but now? He just needed to hold you.

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