Hey Brother

Chapter Thirty Four

Am I actually going to let Jason be deceased at the end of this story when I have been promising a happy ending the whole time? Mayhaps. We shall see how dark I want this story to get.

Jason approached his parents room the morning of his next scheduled phone call with Ra's, a knot in his stomach. He knew what he had to do, he just hoped they bought it.

He was about to knock, his fist raised to the wood when he paused. He heard voices from the other side of the door, muffled by the thick insulation so he couldn't make out what they were saying but he could hear their tone, the harsh edge and bite to the remarks made.

His parents were arguing.

Jason never grew up with arguing parents, hell, he hardly grew up with parents, so he wasn't sure what to do. He decided the best course of action was to act like nothing was happening.

It was none of his business anyways, right?

He knocked three times and waited for one of them to open the door. A moment later the door opened and he got a glimpse inside the room. He saw his father standing by the window, his back to the door. Everything about his body language was tense, from the way he gripped the windowsill harshly to the way his shoulders were raised and his back muscles clenched.

Selina was the one who opened the door and she wasn't in much better condition. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red rimmed, her hair looked as if she had been tugging at it. She smiled a small, genuine smile when she saw Jason at the door.

"Hello, Jason. What can I do for you?"

At the mention of Jason's name Bruce whirled around, looking like a deer caught in headlights. He gulped, running a shaking hand through his hair. Bruce tossed a shirt on and squeezed past his fiancée and son, muttering something about finding Alfred. Jason didn't think much of the fact that Selina made more room than she needed to let Bruce pass.

He watched his father disappear down the hallway before turning back to Selina. "Uh, I just wanted to run an idea past you and dad, but if now is a bad time..."

"Of course not! Tell you what, run it by me and I will talk to Bruce about it later, okay?" Selina smiled tightly, ushering Jason into the room. She took a seat in the arm chair. "So, what is it?"

Jason coughed awkwardly. "Well, I know how the Wayne-Kyle image has suffered since the whole...well, since my first gala appearance, actually. And I wanted to make up for it."

"How do you propose you do that?" Jason was grateful Selina didn't try and deny that their image had suffered since his initial outburst all those months ago.

"Well, I was thinking we host a public charity event! Y'know, like our own gala? I don't know what it would be for, maybe to raise money for the impoverished parts of Gotham...but anyways! Damian and I, especially me, can charm and schmooze our way through the party until our image is repaired! How does that sound?" Jason rushed out, looking down at the floor.

"Jason...I think that is a wonderful idea. When were you thinking of holding this gala?"

"Don't you want to run it by d-"

"This is my home and my image too, Jason. I can make decisions for myself." Selina snapped before composing herself. "Sorry, I...I've been stressed at work. I didn't mean to get snippy. Anyways, we shall hold the gala in three weeks, I will get busy working on it right away. Go tell your siblings." Selina noticed the look on his face and she sighed. "I will talk to your father, don't worry. It won't be a problem. Soon you will be Gotham's golden child, just like your father."

Jason smiled uneasily. "Thanks, mom."

"No need to thank me." Selina kissed his hair. "Now go warn your siblings. They will have a conniption if they don't have ample time to prepare themselves."

Jason nodded and left his mom to her own devices. He slipped outside, making sure no one saw him before he made his way over to an old oak tree. He climbed the limbs, settling in on a branch halfway up the tree. He pulled out the burner phone and dialed his grandfather, pressing the phone to his ear.

"My heir."

"Hello, grandfather. It is done. Selina is working on the preliminary preparations to have the event held here at the manor in three weeks time."

"You have done me proud. I will uphold my end of the bargain. Don't worry, Jason. In three weeks, you won't be burdened by your family anymore. You will be set free. You will be able to transcend any familial ties and accept your destiny as the head of the al Ghul association."

Jason didn't want to point out the flaw with his statement about transcending familial ties and yet accepting his family business. He knew Ra's would not take too kindly to it. So instead he bid his grandfather farewell and climbed down the tree after slipping the burner phone back into his pocket.

As he landed on the ground he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Cassandra watching him from her window. She raised a brow and he shrugged in return.

Let her come up with her own theories, he has other matters to attend to.

What Jason didn't notice when he walked inside was the burner phone slipping out of his pocket and landing in a certain younger brother's shoe.

Jason went about the task given to him by his mom, the grueling task of informing each of his siblings that they would be hosting a party in three weeks time. He had to listen to each of them freak out over finding an outfit, clearing their schedule, etc.

The only one who didn't give him grief was Stephanie.

"Sweet! Any excuse to party it up!"

He got to Damian's room to let him know, only to find it empty. Not thinking much of it, he continued down to Tim's room. "Hey, have you seen Dami?"

"He said he was going out with Jon for brunch. Why? Does he not know about the upcoming party?"

"Nah, but that's okay. I'll just text hi-shit." Jason felt his pockets for his phone, realizing he dropped the burner phone somewhere in the manor. "Shit!"

"What? What is it?" Tim asked, startled by his brother's outburst.

"...nothing. Got a papercut. You know how I hate those." Jason laughed it off, putting his finger in his mouth and darting out of Tim's room.

He back tracked through the manor, retracing his steps to try and find the phone. He searched the whole place from top to bottom until he reached the back door, freezing when he saw Damian outside by the oak tree, burner phone pressed to his ear, eyes burning holes in Jason.

"Dami, let me expla-"

"You better have a damn good reason as to why you have a burner phone with a message from our grandfather on it saying 'Everything is a go. Proceed as planned and you will ascend.'" Damian snarled, shoving Jason's chest harshly.

Jason ignored the question. "Damian. Give me the phone."

Damian's eyes widened slightly before narrowing, a cold look coming onto his face. He took the burner phone and snapped it in half, dropping the pieces in Jason's outstretched hand. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

Damian roughly bumped his shoulder into Jason's as he pushed past him, not looking back until he got to the back door. He stopped, glancing over his shoulder at the still frozen Jason. "If you see my brother, tell him to come home."

Without another word Damian slammed the door to the manor shut, shaking the side of the home and shattering what was left of Jason's heart.