The two weeks trapped with Dick were even worse than Jason thought they'd be. Alfred wouldn't let Jason use crutches for the first week, so he had to either be helped around by Dick or use a wheelchair. On top of that frustration, Dick took hovering to a whole new level. He couldn't get away from him, and Dick took full advantage of that, practically gluing himself to Jason's side whenever he was in the apartment. Jason swore it was less about looking after him and more about gleefully extracting revenge for all the shit Jason had given him over the years.

By the end of the third day, Jason thought he'd legitimately tear his hair out. Thankfully, Tim showed up with a game console and an Alfred errand for Dick. Shooting video game characters was nowhere near as stress relieving as shooting real life criminals, but after a few hours Jason was no longer on the precipice of offing Dick or himself.

Tim dropped by every other day after that, bringing new books or a different video game along with food from one of Jason's favorite restaurants. At first Jason snarled in fury every time Tim showed his face, but he quickly accepted the fact that while stuck with Dick, Tim was his only link to sanity. It didn't seem particularly wise to run off the person who was supplying him with decent food and reading material. When the initial two weeks were up, Tim showed up with a car to take Jason to one of his safe houses so he wouldn't have to get a ride from Dick and therefore thoroughly compromise his place.

Jason didn't know for sure why Tim was being so helpful, but he had his suspicions. He didn't think Tim had expected just how successful his revenge would be. Tim could be petty, sure, but he wasn't cruel. More than that though, despite having parents well into his teenage years, Jason got the impression that Tim had been looking after himself for almost as long as Jason had. A kid who was able to go out at night and stalk Batman and Robin wasn't a kid who was being well taken care of. Jason had never really been taken care of as a kid and the transition from the streets to a home with an incredibly controlling father figure and a butler/grandfather who was damn near omniscient had been a rough one at times. It hadn't been easy for Jason to go from looking after himself to giving someone else the permission to do it for him. From what he'd observed of the kid, Jason figured it was something Tim had never fully accepted. Tim didn't really respond to people telling him when he should eat, sleep or patrol, and he certainly didn't seem to like it when other members of the family moved in on cases he viewed as his. Jason would bet a lot of money that was the reason Tim often traded info with him of all people. He was probably banking on the fact that Jason didn't care what the kid was up to and Jason's relationship with the rest of the family was perilous enough that he was unlikely to discuss it with them.

So Jason didn't think Tim felt guilty, so to speak. More that Tim understood how much it sucked to have the family telling him what he could and couldn't do. And despite everything that had happened between the two of them, Tim didn't actually hate Jason, so he had mercy. And Jason was in no position to turn away mercy when trapped alone with Dick.

Alfred did end up letting Jason back out a few weeks early. Jason recovered fast when he slowed down long enough to let himself heal. He'd had no choice this time.

It was a few weeks before he saw Tim again. Dragos Ibanescue was still being screwed over by Gotham's rather slow legal system, thanks to whatever Tim had set up, and most of his intelligent lieutenants had been dealt with earlier by Jason, so his business was floundering while he waited around in jail. Jason was dealing with a moderate power vacuum in the area that had dozens of two-bit punk drug dealers thinking they finally had a chance at power and was thoroughly enjoying disillusioning the idiots of this notion. There'd been a great number of broken bones, hospitalizations, and subsequent Bat-lectures. Jason was having a grand time.

However, with no one successfully securing the Sabatino/Ibanescue drug territory, bigger names with no previous claims in Crime Alley and the Bowery were starting to get interested. Which was how Jason bumped into Tim again three weeks and four days after Jason was officially cleared for patrol by Alfred. Jason noticed a few scouts moving through his turf, and though he wasn't positive, he had a hunch they belonged to the Ghost Dragons. That hunch was confirmed when Tim showed up on the rooftop Jason was using for recon. He knew through the grape vine that Red Robin was going toe to toe with King Snake at the moment. Nothing major had happened yet, but Jason had no doubt the two were setting up a chessboard across Gotham. He also suspected Tim would come out on top as long as no one interfered with his plans. Jason hadn't planned on getting involved, except now he had Ghost Dragons crawling around on his turf.

"They yours?" he asked Tim casually, indicating the two gang members moving on the street.

Tim nodded. "King Snake has his eye on what's left of Ibanescue's business. You've done a good job of getting rid of any competition, so he's gearing up to make his move."

Jason frowned. He could handle King Snake and his dragons. That wasn't an issue. The issue was ownership of the case. King Snake was Tim's, but Crime Alley and the Bowery were Jason's, and Tim wouldn't approve of the explosive collateral damage that would occur if the Red Hood took on King Snake. But Jason didn't have the patience to let Tim's intricate twenty plus step plan play out if it meant residents of the area were caught in the crossfire while they waited. Which left Jason without any ideas for a solution.

"So how do we do this, Red?" Jason asked warily, but with no hostility present. "Are we going to race to sedate each other and hope we can wrap this up before the other escapes Dick's huggy tentacles of doom?"

Tim snorted. "Great. I'm never going to get that out of my brain now."

"You're welcome. But seriously, what now? How is this going to work?"

Tim's mouth twisted as he considered. Cautiously, he spoke. "I think, instead of wasting energy trying to out maneuver each other, we could pool our resources and deal with King Snake together."

"You and me, working together. You're going to share King Snake," Jason shook his head doubtfully. "You really think that's going to work? My methods are a little more…fiery than yours."

"True, but if I rework my current plan to include your firepower, I might be able to wrap this up far more quickly than I would be able to otherwise," Tim admitted. "If you think you can handle it, of course."

Jason narrowed his eyes, knowing exactly what Tim was trying to pull. "Oh, I can handle it, Timbo. But can you? I tend to make messes."

"Just work within my plan and you can still do that," Tim replied. "I can take down King Snake, and I can even do it quickly if you let me take lead and let the plan work."

Surprisingly, Jason didn't doubt it. He was just as good at strategy as the rest of them, and when he needed to, he was fully capable of planning things out. However, Tim was the best when it came to planning, and he'd been studying King Snake and his methods for weeks already.

"Yeah, alright," Jason allowed. "We'll give it a shot. But you've got to let me in on this little plan of yours. I'm not going into anything blind."

Tim smiled, "Fair enough. Let's keep watching these guys for now and I'll rework my plan to include you and expedite the time-table. I'll lay it all out once I've got the kinks worked out."

"Yeah, that'll do, I guess."

Tim's smile turned into a smirk, "And hey, if it doesn't work out, I'll just sedate you again and pass you off to Dick until I'm finished."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Little shit."

Tim grinned.

Two hours later, they'd trailed the dragons around the Bowery and back into Coventry, where they were temporarily sidetracked from their reconnaissance by the sight of Robin moving along the rooftops across from them.

"Oh shit, is that the bat brat?" Jason asked, immediately stiffening. The kid was a demon and Jason was not in the mood to put up with his attitude problem tonight.

"Yeah, but A told me he was benched this week. Something about a really bad cold," Tim said, eyeing the Robin who still hadn't spotted them.

Jason grinned under his helmet. "So little birdie's flown the nest, eh? Can't have that, can we? Not when he's not in top condition and we could oh so easily deliver him to our loving and attentive older brother who would gladly nurse him back to health."

"He is the one person I dislike more than you, Hood," Tim said through a wide grin. There was no venom in the words, so Jason just grinned along.

"Exactly. And it is our brotherly duty."

Tim nodded. "We can't just leave him here when he could get hurt."

"Yep. So, what do you say? I go in, piss the brat off so badly he can barely think straight and you sneak up from behind with a needle?" If there was one thing Jason was really good at, it was pissing people off. It was a gift, really.

"I like it," Tim nodded firmly.

"Good. Flank left. You'll be covered by the rooftop entrance over there."

Tim rolled his eyes beneath the domino. "Oh really, I never would have thought of that."

"Just go before he notices us," Jason said, giving Tim a few moments to get out of sight before he readied his grapple and drew Damian's attention. Damian twitched as Jason landed on the roof across from him.

"Heya, Bat Brat. Fancy meeting you here," Jason greeted cheerfully, knowing the casual, friendly greeting would instantly infuriate Damian.

"Todd," Damian spat immediately. "What are you doing here? I'm not used to seeing you outside of the slums."

"Well, someone in this family has to do the real work," Jason replied easily, enjoying himself as the kid bristled. "Thought I'd venture out into the easy neck of the woods tonight though—see how the lazier members of the family live."

"We are not family," Damian snarled immediately, but he was broken off from whatever else he was going to say by a sneeze.

Jason snickered.

"Shut up!" Damian snapped, but now he sounded all stuffed up, and though Jason was willing to bet he had tissues somewhere on him, Damian's pride wouldn't allow him to use them in front of Jason.

"You sick, brat? Who let you out of the house like this?"

Damian scoffed and declared loftily, "I'm perfectly capable of running a patrol while marginally under the weather, unlike other members of this family."

"Sure, brat. You look just like Rudolph out here. Thugs will be able to spot you just from your shiny red nose."

Damian twitched, not noticing as Tim moved stealthily behind him. The kid really was in a bad way. Tim didn't even have to try hard. He sneezed again.

"You're an imbecile," Damian spat, which was pretty weak as far as Damian Wayne insults went.

Jason took his helmet off to keep Damian's attention on him and so that Damian could see his mocking grin. "Hell, if they don't see the nose they'll be able to hear you coming from a mile away with your trail of sneezes."

"Shut up."

"Does Dickiebird know you're out here, Rudolph? Think I should give him a call?"

Damian's cheeks flushed red in fury and he clenched his fists tightly. "Don't you dare, Todd or I'll—"

"What, brat? Sneeze on me?" Jason grinned.

Damian snarled, pulling his sword from his back and sneezing again in the process. He was about to charge when Tim lunged forward and effortlessly jabbed Damian in the neck with a needle. Damian whirled wildly, but Tim smoothly moved out of the sword's reach.

"Drake!" Damian snapped as soon as he saw him, a note of betrayal in his voice.

Jason moved forward, catching the kid easily as his legs gave out.

"Will… kill you," Damian slurred, fighting to keep his eyes open.

"There there, brat," Jason grinned. "Just go to sleep. Big brother Dickie will take good care of you when you wake up."

There was a surge of adrenaline through the kid and his eyes widened briefly as he fought of the drug. "Don't you dare!"

"Don't worry; he'll be happy to help," Tim grinned. "He's a very attentive nursemaid."

Damian tried to speak again, but his eyes fluttered shut and he lost the battle against the sedative.

Jason snickered as he sheathed the kid's sword and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "This is going to be good."

Tim hadn't stopped grinning, "You call Dick. I'll call Alfred. I can work this so Damian will be stuck with Dick until he's better. Damian is a hellion of a patient and Alfred will be glad to be rid of him."

"This is so much better when it's not being done to me," Jason answered gleefully, grabbing his cell phone. The call to Dick was quick. Nightwing was out on patrol, but ditched quickly when he heard Damian needed someone to look out for him. Tim was still talking to Alfred when he hung up the phone.

"Dick's happy to look after him. It'll be a good lesson to Damian to stay put the next time he's sick. I don't think he'll complain about you taking care of him after he's had to deal with Dickiebird for a few days."

Tim paused as Alfred spoke, but the wide grin that spread across his face told Jason they'd won. Jason grinned savagely at Tim.

"So you'll handle B? Great. We'll get Dick to call you once we drop him off. Thanks, Alfred." Tim hung up.

"Dick's stopping by the drug store, but he'll still probably beat us to his apartment."

"Excellent," Tim said, a vicious edge to his smile. "Well? Shall we?"

Jason slipped his helmet back on, one handed then gestured to roof's edge grandly. "After you, Timbo."'

"You know, Red, I think this team up might just work."

"Red, you might just be right," Jason said, hoisting Damian higher up on his shoulder. He readied his grapple and followed Tim all the way to Dick's apartment.