Talon Jaydick again... basically every other chapter now...

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Fear toxin was rough. Everyone who'd experienced it was painfully aware of that fact, but over time with multiple exposures you could gradually build a resistance to it.

Bruce had been exposed to a lot of fear toxin in his lifetime. So much in fact that he was practically immune to its effects. He still however vividly remembered his first experience with it.

And that was the exact reason he was so careful to keep Dick away from it.

A normal person would be traumatized by an experience with fear toxin... but an ex talon like Dick already had so much nightmare fuel.

Despite how careful Bruce always was there was bound to be a time when Dick came into contact with the toxin. And nobody was truly prepared for that to happen.

—

When Bruce found Dick it was already too late. The younger was lying still on the ground, his breath coming in gasps. He'd been exposed to the fear toxin.

Bruce immediately rushed to his son's side, whispering comforting words as he scooped him up into his arms.

Dick stared ahead, his eyes unseeing, small whines escaping with each breath.

Bruce knew he needed to get Dick back to the cave so he could get him the antidote as soon as possible, but there was no doubt that he was going to need help. "Hood, I need you back at the cave ASAP," Bruce said into his comm unit.

"En route now," Jason replied.

Bruce stood, his son in his arms.

Dick's breathing picked up and he struggled in Bruce's arms, letting out panicked cries.

Bruce shot out his grappling hook, wrapping an arm tightly around Dick's waist and lowering them both down to the street.

Dick screamed and thrashed in Bruce's grip, tears running down his cheeks.

Bruce cursed under his breath after taking a fist to the face. He used the control panel on his belt to unlock the Batmobile, and started dragging Dick towards it.

Dick managed to squirm out of Bruce's grasp and curled into the fetal position on the ground. "Please... please no... please no," he muttered over and over.

Bruce's heart felt like it was twisting in his chest when he saw just how scared Dick was. It pained him to know that he hadn't been there to protect his son from this, and that he now had to add to his pain so he could get him home.

Dick cried out when Bruce picked him up, letting out a scream of pure terror as he desperately tried to get away.

—

Jason ran up to the Batmobile as soon as it pulled in, curious as to what Bruce needed.

As soon as the door opened Jason could hear the terrified sobs of someone in the back of the car.

Bruce pulled off his cowl and Jason could see that there was a slight bit of moisture that had gathered in the older man's eyes. "It's... It's Dick... he got exposed to fear toxin," he said quietly.

Jason's eyes widened. He moved past Bruce and opened one of the Batmobile's back doors.

Dick was sitting in the back of the car with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around himself. His voice was slightly hoarse from the screaming and crying he'd been doing.

Jason's breath caught in his throat when he saw the absolutely terrified expression on his boyfriend's face. "We need to get him the antidote," he said.

Bruce nodded. "We have to get him out of the car first," he said, not missing how violently his eldest flinched at the sound of his voice.

"And how are we going to do that?" Jason asked.

Bruce sighed. "Distract him and I'll go around and grab him from behind. I'm going to put him in the detaining cell so he can't hurt himself while we prepare the antidote," he said.

Jason nodded.

While Bruce walked around the car, Jason crawled in, whispering reassurances to Dick and trying to not appear frightening or threatening in any way.

Dick whimpered, his gaze flicking behind him to Bruce when the door opened.

Jason put a gentle hand on Dick's knee, effectively drawing the elder's attention back to him.

Bruce took a deep breath, whispering an apology to the younger before he wrapped his arms around him and dragged him towards the Batcave's detaining cell.

Dick screamed and thrashed in Bruce's grasp, clawing at his father figure's arms with his gloved hands.

Bruce let go of his son once he was in the cell, and Dick immediately scooted himself into the corner where he huddled in a ball.

"Let's get to work on that antidote," Bruce said, turning back toward Jason.

—

Once the antidote was prepped and ready, mixed with a heavy dose of tranquilizer and loaded into a syringe for injection Jason and Bruce entered the detaining cell.

There was still one problem however, how they were going to get Dick to sit still while they injected the antidote.

Jason decided it would be easier for him to hold his boyfriend down while Bruce did the actual injection, so he handed Bruce the syringe.

Dick stared up at Jason, the slightest spark of recognition in his eyes.

Jason crouched down and mumbled reassurances while he approached.

Dick whimpered quietly but made no move to try and get away.

Jason slowly wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, tightening his grip to make sure there was no way the other would be able to hurt himself or Bruce.

Dick struggled weakly for a few seconds, but quickly settled down, resting his head on the younger's shoulder.

Jason carded his hand through the ex talon's hair, leaving it on the side of his head to hold it in place while Bruce injected the antidote.

Dick screamed when he felt the needle pierce his neck. When Jason's hold around him loosened he jumped up and ran across the room, pressing his back against the wall. He stood there for a moment before he started swaying on his feet, shaking his head back and forth in an effort to clear it.

Eventually the tranquilizer kicked in more fully and Dick slid to the floor.

"Let's get him a proper bed and an IV, Bruce said, letting Jason carry his boyfriend out into the cave.

—

"Why..." Dick grimaced at the scratchy rawness of his voice. "Why can't I talk," he whispered when he woke up.

"You lost your voice," Jason said, rubbing his thumb over the back of Dick's hand.

Dick's breathing picked up. "What? Where'd it go? Nobody ever told me you had to keep track of that," he panicked, his voice cracking every time he raised it above a whisper.

"Hey. Calm down," Jason said, grabbing onto Dick's shoulders. "It's just a way of saying that you'll have to talk quietly for now."

Dick's lip trembled as he looked up at Jason. "If... if my voice is not really gone then why do I have to talk quietly?" He asked.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Jason asked quietly.

Dick shook his head.

"Well," Jason started. "You got exposed to fear toxin for the first time and you were yelling and crying for a long time. And when you use your voice for a long time like that sometimes your throat gets irritated and inflamed and you have to be gentle with it until it goes back to normal."

Dick looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What for?" Jason asked.

Dick was silent for a moment. "Alfred said that it is appropriate for one to apologize after they have done something that might have upset someone else... and I know that listening to someone scream is not pleasant," he replied.

Jason chuckled quietly and cupped Dick's face with one hand. "You don't need to apologize to me."

Dick relaxed slightly, watching as Jason fussed with his IV line.

"Would you like a drink of water?" Jason asked, looking to Dick.

Dick thought for a moment before nodding, shifting on the bed to make himself more comfortable.

Jason returned quickly with the water and held it to Dick's lips, allowing the ex talon to take small sips until the water had been drained.

"Tired," Dick croaked, looking up at Jason.

"Let's get you up to your room," Jason replied, helping Dick out of the bed and to the stairs that led up to the manor.

They'd barely made it halfway when Dick stumbled, sucking in a pained breath.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Jason asked, grabbing onto Dick's elbows in an attempt to keep him from falling.

Dick was trembling, staring at Jason's shirt with unfocused eyes.

"Bluebird, can you tell me what happened?" Jason asked gently.

"Remembered," Dick whispered, his face white as a sheet.

"You remembered something about last night? With the fear toxin?"

Dick nodded minutely. His breathing picking up.

Jason pulled Dick into a tight hug. "It's alright Dickiebird. You're safe... You're here with me ok."

Dick grasped Jason's shirt tightly, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric and burying his head in his boyfriend's shoulder.

Jason was content to stay in the hug for as long as the elder needed, so that's what he did, letting Dick cry into his shirt for a good 20 minutes.

When Dick finally calmed down slightly he wiped his eyes. "Can you please take me to my room now?" He asked Jason quietly.

Jason sent Dick a reassuring smile and grabbed ahold of the shorter man's hand.

—

Jason helped Dick get ready for bed, tucking him in and placing a kiss on his forehead before turning to leave.

"Wait," Dick called, his voice cracking. "Can... can you stay?" He mumbled, staring at his hands.

Jason's face softened and he walked over to Dick's bed and crawled in beside his boyfriend, wrapping his arms protectively around the shorter.

Dick sighed and relaxed into Jason's hold, resting his head on the younger's chest. He didn't know what he'd see in his nightmares tonight, especially after the fear toxin, but whatever it was at least he had Jason to help him through it.