Sam and Gar are seated on the floor facing each other while Rachel went out to get them some supplies. Sam is trying to wrap her head around how they're supposed to function around the city and take down Crane when the entire city wants their heads on spikes. The GCPD has always been weird about Batman but now they actually want all of the Titans taken down and with Crane behind it, that can't mean just throwing them in cells and tossing away the key. They can't just go out and fight every civilian that hates them now. They're brainwashed because that's what Crane does and fighting people who have no clue what they're doing isn't going to help their situation. It feels more like they're sitting ducks at this point.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Gar asks, breaking the silence between them, earning an eyebrow raise from Sam. "How Jason came back."

Sam's eyes narrow slightly, unsure how or why it would bother her. Him being alive is a good thing. "Why would it bother me?"

"I mean the Lazarus Pit." Gar states as he leans forward. "Like, he came back and that's just it? Some water somewhere is magic and can bring people back from the dead. That doesn't make sense."

Sam nods her head slowly, this is the same thing he told her at the manor when he showed her some of the books Bruce had on it. "Yeah, we went over that. It's because of Ra's which I think makes a lot of sense, honestly. It's still bothering you that much?"

"Yeah, like why doesn't anyone know where it is? Or what if they do but it's a secret. Bruce knew, right? Why didn't Bruce close it off like the others? Why did he keep the one in Gotham open?" Gar rambles off his questions.

Of all topics that's going to pick at Gar, this is it? The Lazarus Pit? Sam is bothered by it, too but not enough to be sitting here thinking about it when she's worried the Titans are going to be hunted for sport now. They've been separated and they're going to need each other but Gar doesn't seem bothered by it at all. Just the Lazarus Pit.

Sam blinks at him a few times. "I've been trying to rationalize the decisions Bruce makes but I think that's more of a dead end than anything else. If anyone is going to have that answer outside of Bruce, it'd probably be Jason or Dick. But, they don't really get him either. I don't know." Sam shrugs her shoulders. "Bruce is paranoid, maybe that's all there is to it. Couldn't explain why no one else knows..."

"Yeah, he's paranoid!" Gar groans. "So why leave it open?"

"No, I mean that's probably why. Or research." Sam lets out a breath. "Maybe he's worried something will happen if he closes all of them off. Or he needs it to do more research. I don't know." Sam scoffs. "I don't know how he feels about resurrection so maybe he wants to use it to help people or something I have no fucking idea, Gar. I think you'll drive yourself insane if you try to rationalize Bruce Wayne." Sam leans back on her hands, stretching out her legs.

"Maybe more people know about it." Gar says quietly. "If Crane knew..." Gar trails off as his eyes grow worried.

Without him finishing, she knows exactly what he's thinking.

"Yeah, thought of that." Sam nods her head, her heart skipping a beat.

If Crane knew and his guy knew, more people know. They have to. Gotham is a big city so anyone can stumble upon it. People talk, it's what they do. It can't be that big of a secret. The question is who knows about it. If Crane knows, more Arkham inmates might know. More people who are crooked might know. There have been some really bad people who've been killed. If Jason can come back, so can they.

"We have to find it." Gar states.

"Why?" Sam asks flatly, tired of the circles she's been running.

"So we can do something about it." Gar says sternly.

"Like what?" Sam's voice raises.

Considering Crane is literally taking over the city, poisoning the water, and still might be wanting to distribute his drug, Sam thinks their hands a little bit full at the moment. Why go messing with something like a Lazarus Pit? That just sounds like a bad idea. Doing research into it is fine but the way Sam sees it, it's probably best to leave well enough alone. Maybe they should tackle one problem at a time and the Lazarus Pit doesn't seem to be a problem right now.

"I don't know! But maybe we can understand more about it and...use it for good. Or close it off so people like..." Gar's voice trails off as his eyes dodge Sam's. "The Joker don't get brought back."

"We should leave it alone." Sam urges, not missing a beat. "That's...that's Bruce and Ra's' business and Jason filled me in on the whole League Of Assassins and the Al Ghuls and I don't want to fuck with them."

"Since when are you on Bruce's side?" Gar scoffs in disbelief. The Sam he knows would love to do anything to get one over on Bruce, to show him up, prove he's wrong. Or just spite him in general. "He left. He left Dick to clean up his mess."

"I'm not on Buce's side." Sam grits her teeth. "I don't know why I have to be on anyone's side besides my own, by the way. Look, he's been doing the Batman shit a long fucking time and his methods don't always work but there has to be a reason the pit was left open." Sam pauses for a few seconds before she shakes her head. "It brought Jason back. It's not up to us to close it or do something with it."

The room falls silent with Sam's final words. A lot of really bad people can be brought back and that is obviously a big concern. And Sam disagrees with Bruce like she gets paid for it but she knows if that, of all things, was left open there is a reason for it. It brought Jason back. The way she sees it, it can't be up to them to do anything about it. The Lazarus Pit isn't a battle and it's not up for Gar and Sam to make it into one. That's Bruce, Ra's' and Jason's business now.

"I got everything." Rachel states as she walks into the room, gaining Gar's and Sam's attention. The two of them get to their feet as Gar takes the bag from Rachel. "So, this happened last night? With the GCPD?" Rachel asks as Gar looks through the bag and pulls out a box of Cheeze Its.

"Yeah." Sam nods. "We, uh, we were set up. Dick and Babs had a plan to get the public off our backs but uh, Crane has basically the rest of the department on his payroll now so, uh, yeah." Sam nods her head as she looks to the ground. Gar nudges her softly, offering her the bag. Sam looks inside, seeing clothes. "Thank you." Sam's eyes widen at Rachel as she nods her head but before she can go to change, all of their phones start blaring an alarm.

The three of them pull out their phones, hoping this means cell towers are back up and running but they can never get so lucky. Instead, Jason wearing the Red Hood suit appears on their screens. Sam's heart falls to her feet. This is never good.

"Hello Gotham!" Jason cheers. "It's Red Hood coming to you live from the most exclusive spot in town: The Batcave. For too long, this city has been at the mercy of criminals and I'm not just talking about the Penguin and the Riddler and The Joker. I'm talking about the ones who pretend to help but only make things worse. First Batman and now the Titans. Hypocrites who feed off of your terror and pursuit of glory and they turn Gotham into a city of carnage. But it all comes to an end today. There's a new savior in town. First thing I'm going to do is burn the trash. You hear me, Nightwing? You're public enemy numero uno. But not for long, meet me at midnight. You know the place. It's time for us to finish this." Jason finishes before the screens go black.

Sam can feel the headache coming back. What the fuck?

"Okay, what the hell was that about?" Gar asks, looking to Sam.

Just last night Jason got them to safety, took out the snipers. Gar might have been a bit out of it but he remembers that pretty vividly. Now, Jason is back with Crane?

"I literally have no fucking idea." Sam lets out a groan, stuffing her phone back into the pocket of her suit.

"I thought he was on our side?" Rachel asks.

"Yeah, Sam." Gar raises his brows. "Isn't he supposed to be?"

"He is!" Sam immediately defends, desperately grabbing for an ounce of faith and reason Jason might have. "I don't know what he's doing. Maybe..." Sam pulls in a breath, trying to figure out why he'd be acting like he's trying to target the Titans. If it were Sam, it'd be an act, a ploy to play both sides. "Maybe it's to meet up with Dick? I don't know. I mean, he has to make the public think he's with them and not us. He has to play along with Crane or he's dead again. And Crane clearly has access to the towers so it's not like Jason can just...call Dick. Crane might know." Sam nods her head, mostly just blurting out whatever bullshit she could come with on the spot.

"That's not reassuring." Gar remarks. "How do we know he's not working with Crane again?" Gar asks and he wants to hold onto hope that's not the case but after everything, even he's starting to be chiseled down into a calloused version of himself.

"We don't." Sam states, holding her head steady, careful not to waver. "We don't know. I don't think he would but it's always possible Crane drugged him again, I guess." Sam rolls her eyes before she rolls her shoulders. "Okay, I'm gonna go find Dick."

"No!" Gar protests. "They're going to try to kill you if you go out there. We need to stay hidden until we think of a plan."

"Yeah, I'm with Gar on this one." Rachel states, glancing between the two of them.

"I know this city like the back of my hand. I can find him and be fine."

At this point, she isn't too afraid of what's out there. It can't possibly be any worse than anything they've experienced lately. She can change, go out as a civilian until she finds them. It shouldn't take too long and if it does, she knows where they'll be at midnight and she can go there. Someone has to find Dick before any of this gets any worse. And someone needs to find Jason to make sure he's not actually going to try and kill Dick again. Sam is volunteering, again.

"How are we supposed to find you again then?" Gar asks. Sam argues back casually.

"I don't know." Sam shrugs. "Rache's ESP or whatever?" Rachel offers a slight glare to Sam as she shrugs and gives her a grin. "That's kind of what it is." Sam mutters under her breath. "Whatever Rachel just used, use that. I'm gonna find Dick and if I can't, I know where they're gonna meet."

"Why do you know that?" Rachel asks.

"Because I know Jason and so does Dick. So I'm gonna there if I have to." The casualness of Sam's voice is not reassuring to Gar or Rachel.

"We're gonna try to find the Lazuraus Pit then." Gar states, holding his head high as he crosses his arms.

"You're not gonna stop about that are you?" Sam asks slowly, giving Gar a slight glare.

"Nope." Gar offers her a smile right back which gets Sam's rather cold exterior to crack just a little.

"Fine but can you promise not to mess with it...like don't take any water...liquid? From it, okay? Or have Rachel try to destroy it." Sam raises her brows at Rachel and then at Gar who starts to beam.

"Of course not." Gar nods his head once. "I just want to find it, learn more."

"Alright." Sam lets out a sigh. "I'll change and head out. If we don't meet up and you don't hear from me before somehow, we'll meet back here at noon tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good." Rachel offers a soft smile. "Don't do anything stupid."

Sam lets out a soft laugh. "Yeah, too late." Sam looks back to Gar. "You guys don't do anything stupid." Sam smiles cheekily at Gar before she turns on her heels. "Be careful!" Sam waves a hand as she leaves the room.

Sam starts her search near the tunnel system, hoping Jason will be there at least but he's not. The reality is that if Jason doesn't want to be found, he won't be. That little bit of information about him has Sam starting to really worry. It's probably nothing. Jason is probably just with Crane, getting information and saving his own ass. But, there's this small part of her that does wonder if he's preparing to go after Dick again. As much as she doesn't want it to be true, a part of her trust in him is gone. It's been ripped and torn to unrecognizable shreds. It's as if he took that trust and ripped it apart, baring his teeth with anger like a rabid bear and it can't be mended from that. It's not how it works. There is not fixing it. Just gaining something new and they are not there yet. That leaves Sam questioning his motives even if the beating between her ribs is telling her his intentions are only pure.

Finding Dick is of no use either. Sam doesn't even know where he would go. At least with Jason, she knows he likes the school around the block from the library but he doesn't care for that library. He prefers the one near the shelter that houses mostly kids. He has his favorite gargoyle. Finding Jason, when he wants to be found, is easy but Dick? Sam has no clue where he would even go. He probably has places to go but Sam isn't sure of any of them which leaves her mostly wandering around until it gets closer to midnight.

By then, it's time to change and meet them at the spot. If nothing else, Dick will be there and she'll be able to tell him where Gar and Rachel are.

This is not how Jason wanted this to go. He wanted to meet up with Dick but with Crane having control of the entire city, he couldn't risk it. Too bad for Jason because Dick does not trust him. Dick has offered him no benefit of the doubt of this not turning into a fight and no part of Jason actually blames him even if he's mad. Of course, Dick doesn't trust him. Why would he? But Jason doesn't stop fighting him to try to explain anything and neither does Dick. Instead, the two of them fight, throwing punches and kicks. Dick uses the enigma sticks and Jason shoots at Dick a few times. It's turned into chaos.

Somehow the roles have flipped. Jason doesn't want to kill Dick but by the way Dick is fighting, Jason is scared Dick will fight him till the death and Jason doesn't want to die again...not yet. It leaves him with no choice. Fight harder, faster, better. Be better.

But Jason and Dick's attention is pulled away from each other.

"What the fuck are you idiots doing?!" Sam yells, fully suited up again and just walking up to see the chaos they're creating.

This does not look good. They shouldn't be fighting. If all Jason wanted to do was meet up with Dick, they shouldn't be fighting. Something went wrong and at this point, Sam isn't even sure who caused it this time. But by the way Dick snaps his attention back to Jason and smacks him with the stick, Sam almost wonders if it were Dick that started this.

Jason doesn't take it lightly, immediately stepping back into combat mode and firing a shot at him. Sam rolls her eyes, pulling out her grappling hook and a knife. She aims the hook at Jason's feet and the knife at Dick before she fires and throws. The hook smacks Jason's feet, throwing his aim off while the knife's end hits Dick's arm with enough force to get him to drop his stick.

"Hello? What the fuck are you two morons doing?" Sam snaps again.

"He started it!" Jason yells as he points at Dick like a child.

Dick snaps his attention back to Jason. "Me?!"

"You threatened to kill him again, Jason!" Sam yells at him. "Seriously, what the fuck is going on?!"

Jason spins to look over at Sam. She cannot believe he wanted to fight Dick again. Of all people, she has to know this is not what he came here to do tonight.

"I just wanted to fucking talk and he attacked me!" Jason points at Dick again.

"Gee, I wonder why Dick would attack someone who just threatened to kill him. It's a real brain teaser, Jay." Sam quips back but she rolls her eyes and looks over to Dick. "So...you gonna kill him now?"

"I saw him!" Dick defends as he points the stick at Jason once he picks it up. Are they both five? "At the PD." Dick clarifies. "He was on the roof when we came out. He was in on it!" Dick closes the distance between them and smacks him with the stick again.

Jason doesn't miss a beat in fighting back, not even bothering to explain that he was at GCPD to help. Of course, Jason isn't going to try to explain that now. Sam is just exhausted with these two. At some point, they need to learn how to communicate with words and Sam figures, maybe they can just fight it out for once. Maybe they need to just fight until they get tired. So, she crosses her arms and decides she'll watch and try to intervene if it looks like they might actually kill each other.

Dick ends up disarming Jason entirely, sending him to the ground just as a crowd of civilians gather around to watch the show and that's when Sam's stomach starts to sink. Jason will be fine but these people hate Dick. The fight turns into a violent hand-to-hand fight, the two of them throwing punches and kicks as hard as they can and going for the neck. Jason grabs Dick's neck, pushing him back but Dick grabs Jason, throwing him over Dick's head and slamming him on his back onto the hard pavement. Sam winces at the sight and sound. Dick walks over and picks up one of Jason's guns before he goes back to Jason and stands right over him. Dick points the gun at Jason's head.

Sam is quick to run and stand over Jason. Sam looks up at Dick. "Dude, put the gun down." Sam puts her hands out in surrender, the gun aimed at her stomach. "You're not gonna kill him." Sam's voice doesn't waver even if she's not entirely sure if that's true anymore.

Would Dick kill him?

Jason doens't want to die. It feels wrong to be back. It feels wrong. Like he's stretching the universe too far and it's all going to snap back, straighten itself out and toss him back into the grave where he belongs. But today, at the hands of Dick Grayson? No. He is not dying tonight so he decides to taunt Dick. Even if Dick wants to kill him, he'll never do it. He'd never give Jason the satisfaction even if Dick were able to toss his morals to the side.

"I did this to you." Jason mutters.

"Shut the fuck up, so fucking help me." Sam looks to the sky in annoyance.

"You did this to yourself." Dick points the gun past Sam, aiming at Jason again. Sam moves to stand in front of the gun again.

She was just shot two days ago. As badly as it hurt and as bad as it still sucks now, she'll take the bullet if she needs to. No one is dying tonight. They've lost too many people already and this is over a miscommunication. 

"Come on. Give me the fucking gun." Sam mutters. "You're not like us." Sam pleads, locking eyes with Dick.

There's something about the way she says it that gains even Jason's attention. It's not pained or sympathetic, it's just honest. It's not remorseful even, just honest and candid. But it's sad with the smallest touch of desperation. It says everything Dick and Jason need to know about how she really feels about people killing other people.

Dick looks at the gun and back to Sam. He hands Sam the gun and Sam takes it, removing the bullets immediately and tossing them before she bends down beside Jason to make sure he's okay. For a second, Sam really thought Dick just might pull the trigger.

"You okay?" Sam asks softly as Jason leans up on his forearms, his head and back throbbing from the impact.

Jason looks back at her, brows punched tightly together but then he sees movement from the corner of his eye, grabbing his attention behind Dick. "Nightwing." Jason's voice is rough but stern, harsh. A warning. Jason's eyes widen with the slight nod of his head.

Sam follows his stare, seeing an innocent civilian aiming a gun at Dick. Dick's brows pull together but before he can turn around, the kid starts shooting. Lucky for Dick, the suit is bulletproof. The bullets bounce right off as Dick turns around. The gunfire comes to a stop as Sam and Jason watch from their spot behind him. The both of them start to worry, just a little because the suit might be bulletproof but the kid just needs one lucky shot for this to be catastrophic.

But, the chaos isn't over yet. An innocent civilian has a gun and he starts to shoot at Dick. Lucky for Dick, his suit is bulletproof so the bullets bounce right off.

"Woah, easy. I'm not here to hurt you." Dick says, putting his hand out as he walks towards the kid.

Sam gets to her feet first, offering Jason a hand up. Jason takes it but the two of them keep their eyes on the kid. Scared kid, a gun, a guy painted to be the enemy fighting the guy painted to be the hero. The air fills with dread, suffocating Jason with its bare hands tattooed with guilt and regret. It's his fault Dick is here. It's his fault he didn't just say what happened and what he wanted. None of these people should even be here. What is he supposed to do?

"Careful, put the gun down." Dick states as Sam gets Jason back on his feet.

Jason pulls out another gun, switching to new bullets. He's definitely not going to shoot a scared kid who thinks he's doing the right thing. But, he can shoot in that general direction, he can just use it as a threat if he needs to. He doesn't want to threaten the kid but if he has to he will. He did not come here to kill Dick, get Dick killed, or watch him die. Not tonight.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sam whispers to him.

"Being prepared." Jason mutters back.

Dick hears Jason and turns around to face him before he starts walking back toward Sam and him. Dick is on guard, feeling as if he can't trust Jason. The second his back is turned, Jason is reloading a gun. From Dick's perspective, Jason isn't done fighting and Jason poses more of a threat than the kid. So, he pulls out the enigma stick again.

Before Dick can reach Sam and Jason, the kid starts shooting again. Dick is blocking them but Jason pulls Sam behind him, blocking her from the few shots not even putting any thought into it. But, by the time the third shot rings across the stale air, it finally makes proper contact with Dick. The kid got lucky. The kid got lucky, sending the bullet into Dick's neck right above where his armor stops.

It's as if the entire scene falls into slow motion as Sam and Jason watch in horror as the blood spurt from Dick's neck. Jason's heart stops beating entirely as Dick's hand goes to his neck, trying to put pressure on the wound. Jason eyes the kid who doesn't even look surprised or sorry or fucking scared. He doesn't look scared. He should look scared.

Jason didn't feel scared killing all those people but if he weren't high, he would have at least felt something. There would have been some part of him that would have felt some sort of fear or remorse or pity or he would have had a thought questioning if it were the right thing to do. Is this really the last resort? He would have felt fucking something other than pride for a job well done. This kid does not look like any of those things. He looks like he just did something on a random Tuesday night. No remorse, no consequences. Just a thing he did.

What is the city turning into?

What has Jason turned this city into?

"I did it for you." The kid's wavered voice breaks the silence, shattering the slowed illusion.

Jason glances to Dick as he falls to the ground and then he looks back to the kid. This is not what he wanted. Crane, Jason, they convinced the public of this. That this was the right way. Jason may not have had a part in that video but it never would have been made if it weren't for him. The public is gonna get blood on their hands. This will clear up, somehow, someway, it will and now this innocent kid, has to deal with the death of someone on his own hands for someone who was masquerading around like a hero, like a savior.

"Red Hood." The kid states, this time the unsteadiness of his voice is gone. And then he starts chanting Jason's vigilante name, over and over and over again as the rest of the civilians join in.

Sam looks at him with heartbreak before she runs over to Dick, pushing him onto his back where she puts her hand over the neck wound. How could this happen? Another person? Another fucking person? Dick was always right about Gotham. Maybe Bruce was right about Gotham.

Jason went into more detail about what Bruce said to him the day he took Robin away. Bruce had said something about how people lose themselves to the city. Maybe he was right. Maybe they go mad, maybe they turn into murderers, and maybe they die. But eventually, maybe everyone gets lost in the city of damaged hopes. And maybe Dick was right, too. This city takes and it changes people. It's as if this city needs the chaos of destruction in order to stay afloat and it waits in the shadows, just waiting for the perfect victim at the right time before it sinks its teeth into them. It bleeds them of all their good parts until there's nothing left. A perfect sacrifice for the city.

Maybe that's all Gotham is because Dick is bleeding out because some kid got fucking lucky with a gun.

Jason watches in horror and having everyone chant his name does not sound as good as he once thought it would. At one point, he thought having everyone cheer for him would feel good. He would be important but he just got his brother shot. Someone who has almost always just tried to help him. Jason has been out here trying to kill him and thanks to Sam, Dick was willing to trust Jason and give him a second chance but now he's just been shot and it's his fault. And he's going to die because of him.

Jason knows what it's like to die and it's fucking terrifying and painful. Tears brim his eyes and the crowd is still chanting and he sees your cheeks glistening in the low streetlights around you. He wanted to talk but when Dick attacked first, rightfully so, he just couldn't help it. He thought that it was over for him and maybe it didn't have to be. How the fuck did he get here again? He should have just surrendered. That's all he had to do but his ego and pride get in the fucking way. All he ever does is get in the way. Dick's gonna die and it's all his fault.

He wants to run, get out of here because it's all too much. Too loud, too heavy. Too much pressure. Everyone is cheering as if Jason pulled the trigger and killed the worst of the worst. They're brainwashed and Jason knows that better than anyone. Someone has to snap them out of it. It's too much but running and pushing has never done him much good.

"Get out here!" Jason yells over the crowd as the chanting slows down. Sam's attention, like the rest of the crowd, lands on him. "Go! Before I start fucking shooting." Jason aims the gun into the air, his arm steady and his eyes threatening.

"We're on your side!" One of the citizens announces.

"So do what I fucking say." Jason snips back. "Didn't ask for you fucking help here. Get out of here." Jason takes steps toward the crowd as they start to back away.

They grumble and mutter amongst themselves before they eventually disburse. Jason takes that as his cue to run up beside Sam, leaning over Dick. There's blood pooling out of his mouth as he gasps for air.

"I can't stop the bleeding." Sam states. "Think he hit the fucking artery."

"I got it." Jason mutters, slightly nudging Sam out of the way where he can replace her hands with his. Sam has had enough blood on her hands lately, this is on Jason.

They've never seen Dick look scared or panicked. Surely, he feels it. He is human and normal, mostly. But, he's really good at hiding it. With Deathstroke, they didn't see the look of pure terror on his face when they were standing outside the window. They didn't see the look of horror and agony on his face as Jason was falling to his death. They didn't see it because Dick has always been good at making sure no one sees those emotions from him. He has to be strong, sturdy, and a little calloused in order for everyone else not to panic. If the leader looks panicked and scared, so will everyone else. If everyone is scared and panicked, mistakes are made and more people die. So, he hides it. Until now.

Dick can feel the blood loss taking over, making him light-headed. The blood loss and bullet wounds alone are making it harder to breathe. He knows how long he has, maybe minutes but nothing more. Not unless they can get some sort of help in the next few seconds. He's going to die and it is fucking terrifying. He isn't ready. He has too much left. Who is going to look after the Titans if he dies? Who's going to stop Crane? He has too much life to live, outside of the Titans to die tonight but he is helpless. There is no help and there is no hope. It's just him bleeding out in the middle of downtown Gotham.

"Get." Dick tries to pull in a breath. "Help."

Sam looks around and she doesn't see a single person around. Her heart starts to break as the lump comes back to her throat. It destroyed her when Jason died and it destroyed her when her mom died. She's actually pretending like Tim survived just in case he didn't. She can't deal with it if he died, too. But, she looks back at Dick and she is really scared he'll die.

She might fight with him all the time and disagree with him usually, but she has a lot of respect for him. He saved her life more than once. Sam might not like his morals but she thinks he is a good person and he tries a lot harder than anyone else ever would. To help innocent people. To help her, no obligation, no transaction, no contingencies. He helps her because he just does. Just like with Rachel and Gar, and despite what Jason thinks, Sam thinks that's why he tried to help Jason, too. Just because. It shouldn't be Dick to die. The Titans need him. He's a really good leader, usually. It's almost shocking but he is. And they trust him. The Titans will fall apart if he dies. They practically fell apart when Donna died but Dick would kill them. The Titans need him. Sam needs him.

Jason glances over to Sam, knowing this is going to be bad. He's not going to make it and by the look of devastation in her eyes, he knows she feels it, too. And then the throbbing under Jason's hands comes to a slow halt.

"Dick?" Jason questions, looking back at him. "Hey, man, stay awake." Jason holds his voice steady, careful not to let it slip how much this is ripping him to shreds. "I can't feel his pulse." Jason says quietly, glancing back to Sam before he pulls his hand away, trying a different spot but he still feels nothing.

"Keep your hands on the wound." Sam mutters, moving to the opposite side before she places her hands on his chest and starts chest compressions.

Jason watches her, trying to keep his hands steady on the wound but with every ump, Jason can feel blood coming from the wound, warming his hands. The tip of Jason's nose starts to feel like it's on fire while his eyes feel like someone's just thrown sand into them. This cannot be happening. Dick is otherwise dead and he's got Sam doing CPR, just as she did the night Jason died. And Jason can't peel his eyes away from her as some sort of self-torture because he thinks this is probably similar to how she looked that night.

The hood of her suit falling off of her head, resting lazily on her shoulders and moving with every compression. The ponytail is loose and messy with hair everywhere. Tear-stained cheeks shining against any light that they catch. And blood soaking her skin. Jason wonders if this is the exact sight Babs walked in on. Sam must have felt so alone.

"Dick!" Sam and Jason hear Gar's voice from across the pavement, wet footsteps picking up their pace. "What happened?" Gar yells as him and Rachel get closer.

"He was shot." Jason states as Sam doesn't miss a single beat.

"He's not breathing." Sam rushes with heaving breath.

"Are you sure?" Gar asks with glossy eyes.

Sam stops, feeling for a pulse and there's still nothing. "Positive." Sam continues chest compressions, looking to Rachel who falls to her knees beside Sam.

"Is there anything you can do?" Gar asks, looking at Rachel.

Sam stops, sitting back on her toes, to see if Rachel can use her powers somehow to save him. It might not have worked on Donna but maybe it could work on Dick. He hasn't been dead long. Maybe that matters and Jason and Gar seem to have the same hope. Jason pulls away while Gar keeps his stance steady, almost holding his breath as Rachel tries her powers, a purple glow coming from her hands over Dick's neck. But nothing comes from it. Instead, the purple fades as Rachel lets out a cry.

"It's too late." Rachel sniffles, looking to Gar.

Garlets out a scream as tears start to fall from Sam's eyes. Jason's eyes stay trained on Dick, almost distant as he thinks the pain of it all has just chewed him to pieces. What are they gonna do? 

Sam looks to Rachel who looks she might break into a million pieces right in front of her. Gar yells again as bats crowd the space above all of them. The four of them look up, watching the bats circle around all of them. Gar starts to have problems with his eyes as he rubs them only for his face to start turning green and then his hands start to change until his body follows. Suddenly, Gar is a bat, flying with the others above them.

"Gar?" Rachel asks.

Sam, Jason, and Rachel get to their feet as the bats circle closer and closer to Dick, Gar right in the mix of them. They back away as the bats fly down to Dick and start to pick him up, all of them working together. They fly Dick high into the air before they start moving.

"What...the....fuck?" Sam looks to Rachel as she'll have some sort of answer.

"That's new, right?" Jason looks to Sam who just nods.

"Come on." Rachel says, without missing a beat, grabbing some of Gar's clothes before she starts following the bats and Gar.

Sam and Jason exchanged a confused look before deciding to follow. They have absolutely nothing left to lose at this point.

"I thought he couldn't turn into anything else?" Sam asks as the three of them run to keep up with the bats.

"He turned ito a snake once." Jason answers, not even thinking.

He was possessed at the time and the reason Gar turned into a snake in the first place but Gar talked about it a lot at first. Jason tried to help him transform again, several times with different methods. Getting him mad, scaring him, sparring harder with him, they tried everything but nothing ever worked. And then Gar stopped talking about it.

"Yeah, once but now he's a bat?" Sam questions. "What the fuck?"

"Is that really what you're concerned about right now, Sam?" Rachel asks, her voice torn between amusement and worry.

"I mean..." Sam sucks in a breath. "It's better than the alternative. I would prefer to focus on the weird shit that he sad shit."

Rachel gives Sam a subtle glare as they keep up their fast walk. It's not a long walk before they reach the entrance of a building and Rachel is the only one who understands what's happening.

"They're taking him to the Lazarus Pit." Rachel says as Gar and the bats take Dick into the building.

"What?" Jason almost demands as his steps come to a hard stop. "You found it?"

"Yeah." Rachel mutters softly, turning around to see Jason not walking and Sam standing a few feet in front of him.

He can't go in there. It feels wrong. How do they know Dick would want that? Would he want it? If someone were to have asked Dick before he died if this is what he wanted, would he say yes? Would he agree to it without knowing the consequences of being brought back? Would he be okay with the constant feeling of being pulled back to the dark where the Grim Reaper waits with a smile?

But Jason looks at Sam and Rachel, the two who Dick has saved. It's not his place to argue it. Dick hasn't been dead long. Maybe he won't feel the way Jason does. Jason was dead a few days. Maybe it's different. Maybe the Pit has different effects the longer someone is dead so it's not his place. Jason hasn't been on good terms with Dick in a few weeks, he doesn't get a say. But, he can't go in. The pull is too strong and his bones feel like they might vibrate and shatter right through his skin. He can't do it.

"You coming, Jay?" Sam asks softly as she closes the distance between them. She thought maybe he'd want to see the thing that brought him back. It is fascinating. And maybe he could be there if it works for Dick. Maybe help.

"No." Jason shakes his head. "I'm going to Crane." Jason spits it out without thinking as he watches the shock consume Sam's face.

"Do you think that's really a good idea?" Rachel asks as a wince almost consumes her entire expression.

Jason takes a step towards Sam and nods his head at Rachel before looking back at Sam. "I gotta try to fucking help. Maybe I can get Crane to spill with Dick dead. He won't know about the Pit."

He has to do this. Maybe he can convince Crane to give up some form of information. If the Pit can bring Jason back, it can bring Dick back. He's going to wake up in a few hours and now it's Jason's job to get him some answers so they finally put this whole thing out of its misery. He owes Dick that much.

"Are you sure?" Sam asks, eyes scanning his face as if fully convinced this is just him avoiding something.

Jason nods softly. "Yeah, go with them. We'll meet later." Jason offers something that's not quite a smile.

Sam doesn't like the idea but...maybe Crane will think Nightwing's death is on Jaso's hands. Maybe that'll be enough for Crane to actually trust Jason just enough to offer some sort of information to him. It's the right thing to do.

"Okay." Sam nods reluctantly. "Be careful, yeah?"

"Always." Jason gives her the subtle smirk he always does before he nods and runs off in the opposite direction.

The girls go into the building, following the way Gar and the other bats took as they run to catch up. They get to an open room where a glowing pool of blue liquid sits right in the middle of the room. Gar and the other bats hover above it, holding Dick's lifeless body.

"Gar, now!" Rachel yells as the bats start to lower Dick into the water.

Once Dick is lowered, the bats fly around until Dick is completely submerged and then they disburse. Besides Gar. Sam and Rachel sit at the edge of Lazarus Pit, just watching as it starts to bubble. This whole thing is weird but Sam can't help but feel just a little bit of hope. If it worked for Jason, it should work for Dick.

"You're not allowed to leave anymore."Sam mutters, keeping her eyes on the Pit.

"What?" Rachel shakes her head in confusion.

"You're not allowed to leave. Everything went to shit and you show up, find me and Gar and then the damn pit. You can't leave, Titans need you." Sam nods her head quickly as Rachel smiles softly, looking back to the pit.

Gar transforms back to himself and starts getting dressed. Once he has his pants on, he walks to the edge of the pit, standing opposite the girls. He's blinking dramatically, having a subtle sway to stance as he tries to get his equilibrium back to normal.

"He's gonna make it, right?" Gar asks, looking at Sam.

Gar isn't sure how she would know but she's the one who's had more conversations with Jason than anyone. Jason might not know a lot but something about asking her gives Gar hope. Maybe she does know the Pit works every single time. Gar hopes it works like that.

"I don't know." Sam shrugs. "Uh...J-Jason just said, uh, that someone put him in it and then he was alive. So..." Sam nods her head. "I-I guess if that's all there is...yeah. Jason was dead for a few days so..." Sam pulls in a shaky breath.

"I can't believe he actually died." Rachel states, her eyes on the pit. She says it mostly out of hope that whatever happened with Jason to bring him back, will bring Dick back.

Sam glances to her before she pulls her knees to her chest. She knows it's because Rachel is finding all of this out for the first time while everyone else has had a few weeks to digest the news and fumble their way through the aftermath. But, no one can believe Jason not only died but then came back. It's the way it's talked about, how it's said in passing and so casually that Sam almost wonders if they're all just...fine with it. At the end of the day, Jason died. He died. That was something that happened and he remembers it. As someone who was nearly beaten to death, Sam knows that was haunting. Is haunting. She can't imagine what dying is actually like. And how terrified he probably still feels. But, everyone else is...it's as if that aspect of it, doesn't matter. To some extent, Sam gets it. She understands because he became Red Hood and decided to kill Dick. Sam understands because they didn't see it. But, it irks her anyway.

"Sorry." Rachel says quietly. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant that it's kind of crazy. Jason was reckless but I didn't think he'd actually get killed." Rachel explains calmly.

"No, it's okay." Sam shakes her head. "You're just getting the news of everything and then Dick is killed. I get it, don't worry about it."

"Are you okay?" Gar asks, his brows knitted together in their usual state of worry.

"I'm fine." Sam looks up to him with one stern nod. "Been here a few times, right?" Sam quips bitterly.

"That's why I asked." Gar nods his head.

"Yeah, I'm good." Sam sniffles. "Are you guys okay? I mean...it's Dick." Sam looks between Rachel and Gar as if feeling she has no right to grieve him as much as them.

Sam has been at odds with Dick most of the time over the last few weeks. It doesn't seem fair for her to absorb any space for grief. It should be given to Rachel and Gar.

"No." Gar answers. "What're we supposed to do without him?" Gar's voice nearly shatters.

"We don't have to think about that because if it worked for Jason, it'll work for Dick." Rachel states with ease and Sam's not sure who she's trying to convince.

"Yeah." Gar says shortly.

"I think we need to force the batboys into therapy after this. Group and individual until they learn how to have a conversation." Sam groans, trying not to focus on Dick actually dying and not coming back from this.

"We all need therapy." Gar mutters as he comes to sit on the other side of Sam.

The three of them fall silent, just watching the pit with no idea how long this is supposed to take or if they'll even know if it works or not. This is definitely the pit but they don't know the logistics of it. For all they know, this isn't going to work or it could take hours or days. So, they just fall into silence, mostly thinking of everything that's happened.

It's haunting and sets reality into stone of the work they do. Of couse, it was real the day Donna died. Wonder Girl was killed. It was real then, too. But, it was an accident. And then it was real when Jason died. But, it was Jason who was killed by The Joker. That was different. This is Dick though. He's the leader and even when he's wrong, he still knows what to do. He was Robin. He's Nightwing. He's not supposed to die and he did anyway. And it was by some kid with a gun. It wasn't The Joker or Two Face or Deathstroke. It was just some kid. A kid Dick would have protected but everyone turned their backs on the Titans over Crane. And Dick was killed for it.

What are they supposed to do if this doesn't work? Just go back to San Francisco like nothing happened? That doesn't seem possible. It'll just feel cold and lonely.

Between the three of them sitting here, he's saved their lives more times than they can count. He is the older and annoying brother none of them really asked for. It's losing another family member. But...it hits a little different this time. So, the air around them feels like it's carrying bricks and the guilt of the entire world.

Jason, he's also still processing everything that's just happened. When he left to meet Dick, he knew he'd have to start talking immediately, given his own broadcast and conversation with Dick. But, then the flashbang went off and it's like it...triggered something in him where he just had to fight. He just had to. Something deep inside of him told him Dick would never let him explain why he did what he did. It's the immediate defensive mechanism and he knows it. But, he's on the way back to the manor and he's thinking that was just dumb. It was not giving Dick any bit of credit which Jason doesn't like to do on most days but he deserved this time. And now he's dead. He's dead and that's Jason's fault because that kid was defending him. Everything is his fault even when he is desperately clawing his way away from all of this. It follows him.

He told Sam that, months ago, it follows him like a curse and he has never been so sure of that. First it was his mom. He is not mad at her and he holds no resentment towards her but he wasn't enough for her. She chose those drugs every single day over him and he knows part of that was so she could function. That's how it started. It started so she could take care of him. If it weren't for him in the first place, his mom wouldn't have gotten addicted and then she'd still be here.

His dad was angry and desperate because he was just trying to provide for them. He was down and out and he was an ass and abusive but there was a point, before the alcohol, where he was trying. He was trying and if it weren't for Jason being an extra mouth to feed who needed other things, maybe his dad wouldn't have been so angry and desperate.

Had he never gone after Deathstroke, Sam wouldn't have been there. Had he never gone after Deathstroke, the Titans wouldn't have left and the tower wouldn't have been attacked or the Titans would have fought together. Gar wouldn't have been kidnapped and turned into a killer. Donna wouldn't have died.

Sam wouldn't been traumatized had he never went after the Joker. She wouldn't have been shot. Dick wouldn't have been shot and killed. Hank wouldn't have been killed. Everything that's happened has been following right on his heels like a rabid dog chasing him down a dead end alley. There is no escape. He is just stuck in this constant spiral of agony and causing everyone else around him the worst pain they will ever experience.

This is all his fault and there's nothing he can do anymore.

Even if the Pit works, will Dick remain the same? Or will he be as terrified and traumatized and stuck as Jason? Whatever side effects Dick gets from the Pit, that has to fall on Jason, too.

Jason reaches the Batcave, the cuts from Dick's punches still bleeding over his face. Crane is dragging his scythe on the floor, his face covered in fresh cuts. He's got this evil and eerie smile while there's a body on a table, cut open with his organs sticking out. This is the first time he's ever felt terrified of Crane. At the hospital, it wasn't Crane Jason was worried about it. It was who would call in. But this? This is Crane losing his damn mind on some, likely, innocent person and Jason thinks his days are definitely numbered with him. Everyone's days are numbered with him.

"Nightwing's dead." Jason states, his words flat and pained.

"Batman saved my toy." Crane says but it's only slightly enthusiastic, almost childlike as he holds up the scythe by the chain. Crane lets out a light chuckle as Jason just watches him closely, ready to move if Crane tries to pull anything. "A trinket of our courtship together. Who would have thought he was so... sentimental."

Jason's eyes narrow as he watches Crane. All of this...over his scythe? Jason knew he was insane but he's really pushing the envelope tonight.

"Did you hear me?" Jason questions but with no venom or snark. His chest is in so much agony, he doesn't think he can muster it at this second. "I said Nightwing is dead!" Jason gets himself to yell, growing frustrated.

"So?" Crane states. "Wasn't my monster." Crane states plainly but not in the way where his words feel light. This time there's something heavy and dark in his tone, running a chill up Jason's spine. The scythe drops to the floor, Crane still holding it by the chain. "He's your monster. What do you want? A cookie?" Crane offers a half-assed chuckle, mostly to himself.

A fire starts erupting through Jason's blood like an overdue volcano. He can't be serious. Getting clean, Jason realizes that so much of the shit Crane was spilling was just him manipulating him, making sure Jason had no one to run to besides Crane. But, there's some part of him that is still hurt and disgusted by the reaction. It was Crane's idea.

"You said that's what you wanted." Jason argues softly, taking just a few steps toward Crane. "When it was done, we would save Gotham my way." Jason's voice is small as the sense of betrayal kicks in.

He is only here to find out what Crane has planned and then he's gone. But, he can't help how badly it hurts. It would hurt anyway because he was manipulated into it. Turned against someone who has been looking out for him. But, Jason, as far as he knows, felt like Crane figured they were still on the same side. This doesn't feel that way. That's when Jason is realizing that's the point. Jason does the dirty work so Crane can be up at the top, hands clean and filled with the power Jason served him on a silver platter.

He knew that's all it was but maybe a part of him still believed otherwise and for the life of him, he has no idea why.

"Gotham will be saved." Crane starts his walk towards Jason, holding his scythe so it doesn't drag on the floor. "But first, it must be destroyed. As clever hopes expire, waves of fear and anger circulate over the bright and darken the lands of the earth." Crane explains as he uses the chain to sway the scythe back and forth while he paces in front of Jason.

"What the fuck kind of gibberish is that?" Jason quips back not even entirely sure if Crane is actually coherent.

"No," Crane says quickly, turning to face Jason. "No, not gibberish. No, it's the past come to life in the present." Crane pauses and Jason realizes how completely fucked he is. "An ode to the bat and his wee bird. When they stopped me, but they can't stop me now. No." Crane is looking away from Jason and Jason is starting to wonder if Crane is talking to him or just talking to himself or some third person Jason isn't aware of. "They can't stop me now...because." Crane shakes his head. "Because we will walk among them. The dead." Crane looks back at Jason and Jason hangs his head, something about him basically being the dead. "And the fallen city will be like...it'll be like a beacon. Very soon, very soon, Jason, very very soon they will die. Yes, they will die."

What the hell is this maniac even talking about?

"Who will die?" Jason asks cautiously.

"All of them!" Crane faces Jaosn as he screams, his entire face turning red. "All of them! Everybody." Crane looks to the floor and this is not how Jason wanted to fix Gotham. The answer isn't gutting the fucking the city. "You still stink of fear. After all that I've given you."

Jason's growing tired of Crane's babbling. It's not making any sense and he wants to get the fuck away from him before Crane tries to slice him in two like the other guy.

"You said I was gonna be a savior." Jason nods his head at him, a hint of disgust in his voice. "Is that your whole plan? Destroy the fucking city?"

"Is that not what it's been about?" Crane states almost whimsically.

"And how the fuck do you plan to do that?" Jason lets out a scoff but Crane just offers him a harsh glare as Jason sees his grip tighten on the chain.

Crane isn't going to tell him anything and even if he does, it'll likely be an incoherent mess like it has been the last few minutes. It was a waste of time, mostly. What Jason does know now is that he wants to destroy the entire city. There are a lot of ways to do that though and that's where he finds himself stuck. But, he can't stick around here. Not when there's no chance of getting a good answer.

"I won't help you destroy the city." Jason holds his stance, firm but calm.

"Well," Crane says with disappointment. "Perhaps you won't." Crane says before there's a pause and then he turns around quickly, throwing a scythe at Jason, still holding onto it by the chain.

Jason dodges just in time, moving quickly away from Crane. Crane follows right after him, swinging his scythe at him and just missing by a few inches. Jason keeps moving away and running, avoiding the blows each time. He does not want his head taken off tonight. That is not the plan. So, he dodges and once he sees the opportunity, he runs out of the Batcave as quickly as he can.

Crane has officially lost it which was only a matter of time before that happened. Jason was hoping they had a little bit more time but, if Crane is losing it, that means he'll be easier to take down. Once Crane starts losing his mind, he gets distracted, starts losing some of the quick thinking he's so proud of. But, Crane has something in place. It's the way he talked about it that tells Jason Crane won't need to do anything else. It's already in motion. So, now he needs to find at least Sam, Rachel, and Gar and maybe the four of they can figure it out. Maybe they've had some luck with the Lazarus Pit.

Jason hopes they've had luck with the Lazarus Pit.