Chapter Text
Dick sat with his knees drawn up to his chest and his hands hidden behind his legs. He absentmindedly picked at his bandage wrist as he tried to wrap his mind around what was going on. While also not spiraling down into a panic attack.
…Again.
When he had first looked at his injured wrist he had nearly thrown up. It was one of, if not the worst injury he had ever seen on himself. Red and raw, covered with bubbling blisters that looked like one touch would make them burst.
The smell of it alone was nauseating. It was already bad with the bandage on, but it had been ten times worse with it off. When he had finally sobered up enough to really look at it, he couldn’t breathe anymore. Though not because of the smell.
It was hard to make it out because it wasn’t fully healed. But he could tell what it meant. It was a seal, like the ones that they use on letters and important documents so you know who they belong to. But it wasn’t entirely that, he was branded. He had been branded with a hot stamp like you do with cows, pigs and horses.
When he came to that realization the world around him seemed to twist, the walls and ceiling were coming down on him. His lungs had started collapsing and gravity seemed to be pressing down on him.
He’s had panic attacks before, had them a lot. The worse one had been when he mother died, though this one came close second.
If it hadn’t been for Jason he would’ve ended up cracking his head open from falling onto the stone floor. The fox hybrid lowered him down to the ground asking what was the problem. Dick didn’t know how to answer. He couldn’t answer.
At some point he ended up pressed against one corner of the cell and Jason sat in the other.
That had been only a few minutes after they had met, and now they hadn’t moved in what was probably an hour? Maybe more? Jason looked just as confused and lost as Dick felt. The other boy never took his eyes off him, if anything he seemed to be some kind of puzzle Jason was trying to figure out in his head.
Not that he was doing much better. His mind was somehow both blank and overwhelmed at the same time. He didn’t know how that was possible. But somehow it was.
What a way to meet someone. First you think they might eat and skin you alive then you’re falling into their arms while having a panic attack. Dick, as always is great at making first impressions.
He should probably say something. Make some conversation, figure out where he is, what this place is. Anything honestly. Anything to get his mind off of his wrist.
On second thought, maybe he doesn’t want to know what this place is just yet. That horrifying trail of questions can wait a little bit longer. He barely knows anything about his new scary looking roommate and how he could 100% tear his malnourished body apart within seconds.
Okay, don’t go down that path either Grayson.
Ice breakers, what are some good ice breakers?…
“What’s your favorite food?”
Really? Of all questions! That’s the one his dehydrated mind came up with!?
“What?” The fox hybrid asked, yup, definitely not the greatest question to start off with.
Dick took a quick breath trying to gather any confidence that he could find. He sat up a little straighter and moved so his legs were crossed. Jason copied him, though his movements seemed slow. Like he was calculating each movement before he made it.
Dick rested his hands in his lap then asked the question again trying to seem as non threatening as possible.
“My favorite..?” Jason stretched out the word, almost like he wasn’t familiar with it.
“Yeah, you know the one you like the most. Mines pizza, I know kind of basic.” He shrugged his shoulders smiling a little.
“Bread.” Was his roommate’s response.
“Breads nice! My ma used to make really good bread. But I think I like the sweet one that my friend Babs mom makes at her store the best!” He felt a little bit lighter, this was what he needed a distraction!
Now he can do what he does best! Ignore the big problem! Once they started the cat hybrid didn’t stop. His roommate only spoke here and there but that didn’t bother Dick too much.
One of his greatest gifts was yapping.
He wasn’t talking about anything particular. He just, he just needed to focus on anything other than what was currently going on.
Jason, Dick had realized didn’t know a lot. Not saying he thought the fox hybrid was stupid. It’s just that Jason seemed to be at a loss at most of what Dick was talking about.
He didn’t think he was talking about anything complicated? He was explaining about his home, well one of his hide outs in the city. His main one being in an old supplies closet in an abandoned hotel.
He was moving his arms around as he talked. Explaining each step it takes to get into it.
But each time he’d look at his roommate he was met with utter confusion. Brows pinched together, head tilted just so and every here and there his eyes would look away from him to somewhere else in the room. He was hearing what Dick was saying but almost trying to decipher its meaning.
Maybe the thought of him living in an abandoned apartment building by himself was hard to believe? Maybe he just didn’t fully grasp the idea of homelessness? Dick wasn’t sure, but Jason didn’t ask him any questions.
So Dick just continued on. Because if he didn’t he’d have to think about the burn on his wrist. He’d have to think about the men who grabbed him off the street. He’d have to realize and let the reality set in that he had been kidnapped, branded, locked in a cell with another hybrid who seemed to be his age.
He wasn’t stupid. He knew where the signs were pointing. Jason’s potato sack clothing, the massive scar across his face and others littering on his arms.
You don’t get those without some blood being shed.
His skin was pale, almost like it’s never seen sunlight. His fangs where massive compared to his own, they barely seemed to fit in his mouth. Not to mention his claws, his claws that definitely had dried red flakes around them.
But that’s something for him to deal with later. Later when Jason falls asleep he’ll have a meltdown. Scream maybe, muffle it with his sleeve so he won’t be heard and definitely cry. But all of that is for later, right now he’s just gonna talk his new roommates ear off till Jason decides to stop him or rip his head off. No matter how much his hands keep shaking, or how his voice breaks.
He can’t deal with the reality of the situation he’s in. Doesn’t want to touch it with a ten foot pole.
—————————————————————————-
Jason’s new teammate, was… odd. As Will’s would say. He wasn’t sure what that word truly meant but, it fit Dick well.
The cat hybrid was thin, very thin. He could almost make out the bones of his cheeks. Jason guessed he was either sick, or his last Trainer didn’t feed him. Something that wasn’t uncommon.
He was guessing more towards the later. He didn’t believe Will’s would buy a sick fighter. Not that his teammate even looks like a fighter.
He couldn’t find a single fighting scar anywhere on the other boy. And the few he did find were too small, just cuts that a kit would have from practicing with their parents. Dick should have already kills under his name.
And kills meant fights, fights mean scars, big and bloody scars that tell other fighters to leave you alone. It says you survived, that you belong. But Dick doesn’t have any.
It didn’t make sense.
The boys hair is a mess. Worse than his own. Jason can make out the knots in it, it’ll make cleaning blood out much harder. It could be the cause of blood that was cleared wrong after a fight. Usually it’s the parent’s job to teach their kids how to properly clean their hair, of course if your parents die before they can do that, then you get knots.
Jason was lucky enough to have Roy help him learn to clean his hair by himself. He still misses a few bits, but it’s better than nothing. Cant exactly spend to much time trying to clean out your hair when there’s other fighters around you who want to kill you because you’re better than them.
Just another benefit of having a partner. You’ll have more time to clean your hair when there’s someone to watch your back, though Jason’s gonna have to teach Dick out to clean out blood better. Clearly he’s not been doing it right.
His skin was also darker than his own, not by a lot, but it was obvious. His hair was black more curly, and it matched his ears and tail. He also has very prominent markings.
Darker at his nose, lips, fingers and toes similar to him. He must of cost a lot. Of what? He had know idea, but he’s heard enough to know that humans want hybrids like them the most.
Hybrids that look less human cost a lot, and from what he’s heard the Trainers say. It’s important in picking a new fighter.
Another thing Jason’s realized since meeting Dick, is that he’s a storyteller.
Storytellers, Jason’s only seen one once before. Back when he was still trailing behind his parents, back when they were still around.
They were new. They’d said odd things that made no sense to anyone. Told stories similar to the ones Dick was saying now. His parents used to talk about them when they thought he was sleeping.
Crazy they said, was going to get themselves and their team putt down.
One time the storyteller yelled in a guards face that hybrids were meant to be treated like humans. Their teammates knocked them out before their Trainer could come. They disappeared after that.
His parents told him about storytellers when they went back to the cell. The Fights had been canceled.
They told him that some fighters just can’t handle the Pit, while some fall into pit madness loving the kill and enjoying the fighting. Others become Storytellers. They talk about mad things and ideas, claim that they’ve seen and lived in the humans world above the Pit.
While those who fall into Pit madness are hated by other fighters. Those who become storytellers, hardly make it a few fights before they’re taken to medical and put down.
Jason’s heart sinks the more the cat hybrid before him speaks. His parents must have died before they could teach him to fight, or how to survive. But unlike him Dick couldn’t deal with it. He became a storyteller believing in something not real and impossible.
He can’t afford to become attached, can’t let himself care about the boy in front of him. Because he won’t survive, won’t even last through his first fight.
However that didn’t last, the sad thing about Jason though is that he’s always enjoyed stories. Roy had once told him that he had a condition called “wild imagination” he’s not sure what it means, not sure if Roy even knows. But, he knows it’s a problem and a potential liability.
Another word he learned from Wills.
He loved when his parents would tell him about their fights. He could always see what they were saying inside his mind. He could see the fights as if it was really happening in front of him. It was always one of his favorite things. And… it’s been a long time since anyone has ever told him a story, he just didn’t know stories could be made up.
Despite himself, Jason found himself leaning into hear Dicks words. At some point he started listening to the words his roommate was saying and his condition kicked in.
He tried to see what Dick was saying in his mind, but he was saying was beyond anything the young fox hybrid had ever thought of! Something called the sky, massive and blue that was higher than any ceiling. Things called trees that come out of the ground and touched the so called sky?
He tried seeing the ground as soft as his blanket. Tried to see it as green like the Pit floor and pointy. A world where humans and hybrids walked together.
At some point he couldn’t help himself.
“How do you know the sky is that big? How is grass pointy and soft? And how do trees grow? Only people grow?!” He asked interrupting the cat hybrid talking about some kind of food called cookies.
Dick flinched at his voice, the boys eye widened and looked at him oddly. “Sorry?” He said his tail flickering.
Jason got closer to the cat hybrid, Prince clutched in his lap as his tail starts beating on the floor.
“The trees! And the sky!” He feels a little odd on the inside. Like when he would hear his parents voices in the hall when they were coming back from a fight. A feeling in his chest that wants to know! Wants to be able to see what Dick has to be seeing in order to tell the stories he’s saying.
He shouldn’t, he knows he should be telling Dick that his stories aren’t real. But… they sound so not real, and… it makes him want to know more. Even though it shouldn’t.
He’s shaking, he wants Dick to tell him! He wants to know about cookies! What are they, is it the food they eat in the not real place Dick sees? Does Dick have the same condition as him?
If so, maybe they can be a liability together. If him as a liability alone is bad… possibly they could help fix each other?
Dick could tell his stories, and Jason can teach him how to fight. He can protect him, like his parents did for him. It could work, right?
“You want to know more about the sky? And trees?” Dick asked.
Jason gave a firm nod.
He watched as the boy bit his bottom lip, and Jason took note of just how small Dicks fangs were.
“Have..” Dick started, then licked his lips and moved his hands across his pants. “Have you never seen them.?” He asked quietly almost like he was scared of what Jason was going to say.
He felt bad, to him his stories were real. Maybe it was wrong for him to let Dick think that, but if it made him feel better…
“No, but you have right? Can you tell me?”
He watched as Dicks face changed. It was similar to the one he made when they met, smaller this time no teeth. Just mouth turned up on one side with eyes looking almost sad.
“Yeah, I can tell you. I can tell you about so much more than just the sky and trees.”
—————————————————————————-
“Oh come on man! Couldn’t you at least try to go easy on me?” Dick complained lying on the matted ground of the training room. Jason stood above him with a smug smirk on his face and wild black hair with a white streak falling into over eyes. From this position, Jason looked even more terrifying than when first met.
Jason, to put it bluntly was covered in scars. He was practically a mosaic. And he took pride in most of them. Others though… knew better than to ask.
Some were obviously from fights. Like the scar across his right eye and the claw marks on his left arm. Jason happily told him about how he got those ones, apparently he got them defending his parents. But Dick didn’t ask about the small circle burn marks on the back of Jason’s hands. He already had an idea of how his roommate got em, he’d seen the way Jason acts when Wills starts smoking.
Dick guesses it’s been around a week? maybe two since he’s met Jason. And so far he’s only been to the training room, shower room and their cell. Which apparently is actually called a cell! Which is located in the cell block! Totally not terrifying at all, nope!
So far it hasn’t been too bad. Not counting the fact that Jason thinks he’s crazy or that he’s been kidnapped into a Hybrid fighting ring!
Jason, the all knowable one of the Pits. Gave him the basic low down.
1). Jason and Dick are teammates, on a fighting team that’s owned by a man named Wills Todd. Wills is called a Trainer who works for a man called Oswald Cobblepot who’s in charge of the Pit.
2). The Pit is a place where humans come and watch Hybrids brutally murder each other for entertainment. And each Pit is owned by a Pit master, aka Oswald Cobblepot.
3). Since Dick is Jason’s new partner they’re doing something that’s basically a bonding experience?? Note that Jason in all his wisdom, was horrible at explaining this part. So the best that Dick gathered is that he’s not allowed to meet or be around any of the other fighters till Wills is sure that Jason won’t kill him. Then after some practice Dick will then have to fight and kill another hybrid to prove himself!
Dick may have passed out after he learned that last part. But! That’s currently why his new roommate and apparent teammate is trying to teach him to fight. And has been doing so since he came.
“Whoever you’ll be fighting won’t go easy on you. So neither will I.” Jason pushed his hair back just for it to fall over his eyes again then walked over to the wall by the locked door and grabbed two water bottles then walked back to him.
“Come on story boy, we can take a small break.” Jason tossed the water at him only for it to hit him in the face.
“Ah! Jason! What the- you can beat me up with all that hair in your face but you can’t aim!?” Dick sat up and glared at the other boy who just laughed as he plopped down on the floor by the door.
“It’s not my fault, It’s hard to aim with one working eye. The doctor said so.” Jason defended himself taking a swing of water.
Dick came up next to him and sat on the floor as well. “How can you see with your hair in your face like that all the time?”
Jason shrugged, “you learn to deal with it. Some Trainers cut their fighters hair but Wills says it’s a waste.” He pushed his hair back again only for the white tuff to fall back again.
“Why not put it up?”
“What?”
“You know, tie it up.” Dick demonstrated by pulling out the hair tie that held up his rat nest of hair. It took a minute for him to pull it out do to how tangled it was, but once he did black curls fell down to his shoulders and over his eyes.
His hair bounced with his head as looked up at Jason giving the boy a Cheshire grin.
“How’d? How’d you do that…” Jason asked taking the band in his hand.
“It’s called a hair tie, it works wonders as you can clearly see.” He waved his hand gesturing to his face.
Jason looked at the small band as if it was a bomb instead of simple hair tie. Well, it’s probably not simple to Jason. Then handed it back.
“So… it keeps your hair out of your face?”
Dick nodded and began to pull his hair back and put the tie back in. “Definitely makes it easier to see, oh and check this out!” He shook his head a few times and his hair stayed where he put it.
“Tada!” He raised his hands above his head smiling proudly.
“You’re odd Dick, you know that right?”
“Yes i do.”
“Good,” Jason turned back to his water and took a drink not looking at him. “You’ll be fighting someone with no experience like you. If we’re lucky they’ll have hair like mine but have no experience fighting with it in their face.”
He watched Jason for a moment. Then got an idea, he mulled it over, and came to a decision quickly.
“Hey Jace, turn around for a second.” Dick got up onto his knees his tail flickering with excitement.
“Why..?” Jason sounded hesitant, not that he blamed him.
“Just do it will ya? got an idea.” He rolled his eyes as Jason eyed him with suspicion, but still turned his back to him. His shoulders were tense, his ears pulled back and his tail was twitching.
Jason was showing him a lot of trust, and Dick didn’t plan on ruining it.
He pulled at the white shirt that was under his blue sweater. It wasn’t as white as it used to be, as gross as that sounds but it would work well for what he was planning. Using one of his claws he carefully cut off a strip of the fabric. Luckily his under shirt was too big for him anyway, so he wouldn’t even notice some of it missing.
“What’s that?” Jason’s asked, his ears perked up at the sound of Dicks shirt being cut away.
“Nothing.” He retracted his claw when it was about the size of his forearm. Holding it carefully with both hands he gave it a slight tug and smiled. It should work perfectly.
“Okay, now hold still.” Jason tensed at his words and flinched a little when Dick began to pull the fox hybrids hair back. He made sure to mindful of Jason’s ears as he worked, he didn’t want to pull or cover them. Using one hand to hold it back and the other to wrap the torn shirt around the hair, Dick soon finished giving one final tug to make sure his knot was tight.
“There! All done whatcha think?”
Slowly Jason raised his hand to his hair as he turned towards him. Dick was a proud of himself. He didn’t get all of Jason’s hair pulled back, and it was sticking out in random places. But all in all, it would do the job.
“I don’t..” Jason didn’t look at him, his eyes seemed far away. But Dick didn’t push.
“It should help keep your hair out of the way now, no reason to have half bad eyesight and have to deal with your hair in your face all the time.” He smiled at his friend, and that’s what Dick considered him now, a friend.
Jason looked and at times sounded like he’d kill you. Ha can of course and would if he had too, but he was a real softie. At least he was to Dick.
Jason shook his head a few times like Dick had done earlier and thankfully the homemade hair tie stayed in place.
“Dick, I don’t know-“ whatever Jason was about to say was cut off by the training room door unlocking.
Jason stood in an instant and motioned for him to do the same. He stood slightly behind the other boy keeping his eyes down. Jason had told Dick probably over a thousand times what to do and how to act when it comes to Wills Todd. Aka their Trainer.
Dick didn’t count as a really fighter, yet. So he shouldn’t make eye contact with, talk too or even stand too close to Wills.
Hence why Jason told him earlier on to stand behind him. It says he knows his place or something like that. He hates it, hates it with every fiber of his being. But he trusts Jason, and doesn’t want to end up with small burns on the back on his hands.
“Well, that’s a new look.” The old man says as he comes closer to them with his two bodyguards following him. Dick can’t remember their names, and frankly doesn’t care to.
“Sir.” Jason greets. He doesn’t move, barely even to breathe. Jason stand perfectly still like a soldier in waiting.
Todd doesn’t say anything else for a moment just looks around the white and blue room. “The cats fight is after dinner. Make sure he’s ready, you finish up in here for a little while longer then you’ll go to the showers before going back to your cell understand.” his words left no room for argument.
“Yes sir.”
With that the men left, and the rooms door closed with a sickening clank as the door locked them inside.
Jason asked him a question but Dick didn’t hear it. His mind was blank, heart pounding in his ears. Tonight, the word rang as it bounced around in his head.
Tonight he’s either going to die or have to take someone’s life.
—————————————————————————-
“Keep your head down, don’t talk. Just go where they take you.”
He could hear the music the minute he entered the hallway. The base shook the walls and the floor causing his ears to pound inside his skull. He kept his head pointed at the ground, but kept his eyes trained on the walls. He didn’t want to look at the ground itself, because the closer they got to the music, the more blood he could see splattered across the floor.
“Keep your breathing under control. Don’t go in the fight unfocused. Look around and see what’s around you, then focus on your opponent.”
In for 3 out for 5, in for 3 out for 5. He’s not sure that’s the recommended numbers. He’s most definitely doing it wrong, but it’s helping.
He focuses on the door head of him. Not the door they locked when he entered, not the walls around him. And definitely not the scratch marks and dried blood that cover them.
The floor rises, the music is unbearable to his ears. Then he hears the yelling and chanting of the people, Lord, he wants his mom. He wants to go home.
The platform stops, and he hears it. A court down. Going down from 10, and the people are counting down with it.
and for the very first time, Dick prays.
“God, if you’re real. Please don’t let me die here.” It’s quiet, barely a whisper. But ma used to say God hears all, and that’s all he has right now.
At one, the massive garage style door opens up slowly and bight lights flow into the room.
The Pit, reminds Dick of a night club. Not that he’s ever been it one, but he’s seen enough Tv. Black lights dance across the room making the floor glow green and splashes of blue. He hates that he knows what the blue really is. High walls incase him in the arena and above he can make out people behind what looks like chain link fence. All who are watching him.
The ground is sand, he can feel the tiny crushed rocks under his bare feet. He walks to the middle of the arena that has to be the size of a basketball field with a few large boulders scattered around.
Then across from him stands another boy.
“Identify what hybrid they are first.”
Some kind of bird hybrid, feather wings. He can hear Jason in his head saying go for the wings, stay away from the claws.
“Watch how they act, pay close attention to how they move.”
The other boys eyes are darting around. Looking everywhere but at him. The lights and the noise, Dick releases. They must be bothering him a lot more then they bother him.
“Ready!” A voice says somewhere above making the other boy flinch. “Fight!” A bell rings and Dick doesn’t hesitate.
He’s faster, more agile, moving on pure instinct. At some point he gets behind the boy. Gets ahold of a wing, and SNAP!
The boy shouts out, his heart is beating in his ears. He gets him on the ground, the crowd cheers. The boy pushes against him, his hand against Dicks face. The bird hybrid’s claws gets him above his left ear then slashes down across his cheek to his chin.
Dick doesn’t yell, doesn’t register the pain. Just keeps going. He manages to get the boys arm, then POP! He pins the other arm and hold his claws against the boys neck, his blood glowing blue in the light.
Both of them are breathing hard. Sweat mixed with blood and green sand.
The boy struggles underneath him. They’re both shaking. Then their eyes meet and something flashes in the other boys eyes.
It’s just them, no people, no music, just them.
“Make it quick, please.” His voice is quiet and shaking. He doesn’t cry though.
Dick nods.
“My names Mark, yours?”
“Richard Grayson, but- but my friends call me Dick.”
Mark smiles just slightly, then closes his eyes lifting his head back.
“Thank you Mark.”
Holding the other boys head steady with one hand Dick swings his other as fast as possible.
—————————————————————————-
When Dick gets back to their cells Jason pulls him into a hug before the door closes. He shakes and cries but Jason doesn’t let go. He cries as well, because Dick made it. he’s alive and all Jason can think of is that he’s finally not in this alone anymore.
They go to the showers for the first time with other fighters. The others don’t bother them. Jason helps Dick wash the blood away.
“You’re getting it on yourself.” He whispers.
Jason looks down at his hands then looks up at Dicks face. He has a massive bandage across his cheek and the back of his head. Careful he removes it, they’ll be heading to medical after anyways.
It’s bad, and it’ll scar real good. But it also means that Dick survived.
“Doesn’t matter.” He states helping him clean the blood away from the wound. “We’re brothers now, we share each other’s blood.”