Chapter Text
"i'm telling you, the signal cut out right here," tim’s voice had said over the comms twenty minutes ago, right before the feed dissolved into pure, white static.
dick, currently balancing on a steel rafter forty feet above the concrete floor, adjusted his domino mask. the lenses whirred, shifting from thermal to ultraviolet. "nothing on uv, red. it’s dry."
"it’s not dry, goldie. you're just looking with your eyes open," a rough voice echoed from the shadows below.
jason stepped out from behind a stack of rotting wooden pallets. the red hood helmet was gone, tucked under his left arm, leaving his face exposed to the dim, moonlight cutting through the cracked skylights. his leather jacket was scuffed with fresh drywall dust, a streak of dried blood tracing the edge of his jawline from an earlier brawl in the bowery. he looked tired, irritable, and entirely too large for the cramped aisleway he was walking through.
"i told you i had this sector covered," jason grunted, looking up. "go back to blüdhaven. the air's cleaner there."
"missed you too, little wing," dick said, dropping from the rafter. he stood up, brushing off his shoulders with an easy grin. "babs said faust’s old circle was tracking shipment inventory through this harbor. i’m just doing my civic duty."
"your civic duty is a pain in my ass." jason rolled his shoulders, the leather creaking. "let’s just clear the back room and get-"
jason didn't finish the sentence. he stepped forward, his heavy combat boot crossing an invisible line on the cracked concrete.
a sound like tearing silk ripped through the warehouse.
the air instantly thickened, turning the temperature from a chill to a suffocating, heat. from the floor, a circle of violet fire erupted, shooting straight up to the ceiling. it didn't burn the wood or the steel; it vibrated, a solid wall of translucent, humming energy that instantly sealed them inside a twenty foot cylinder.
dick’s instincts kicked in before his brain did. he lunged backward, his hand flying to his belt for an explosive charge, but his back hit the purple wall. the moment his armor touched the light, a violent jolt of kinetic energy slammed through him, throwing him forward onto his hands and knees.
"dick!" jason was already moving, reaching down to grab the collar of dick’s suit and hauling him to his feet. "don't touch it. it’s a containment barrier. faust’s signature."
"yeah. figured that out from the static shock," dick muttered, shaking out his right arm, which was tingling uncomfortably. he looked around. the circle was small. it enclosed just the two of them, a single iron pillar, and a patch of oil stained floor. "comms are dead. completely dead."
jason cursed, turning toward the perimeter of the light. he drew his pistols, aiming straight at the violet barrier.
"jason, wait-"
bang. bang.
the piercing loud rounds hit the magical energy and instantly vaporized into puffs of grey smoke. the ricochet didn't happen, but the barrier flared violently, sending an invisible pulse of pressure inward that knocked both of them back a step.
"great. physical ballistics are a no," jason growled, holstering the weapons. he kicked the iron pillar in frustration. "hey! faust! you ancient prick! if you're listening, your interior decorator sucks!"
"faust isn't here, jay. this is automated," dick said, his voice dropping into his analytical, leader tone. he walked the inner perimeter, keeping a safe six inches of distance from the light. he knelt, his fingers hovering over the floor where the purple flame met the concrete.
there, etched into the grime, were glowing latin characters. they weren't static; they were shifting, rippling like liquid ink.
"can you read it?" jason asked, looming over dick’s shoulder. the heat radiating off jason’s body was distinct now, the smell of sweat, gunpowder, and the cheap conditioner he used.
"my latin is a little rusty, but..." dick squinted, tracing the shapes with his eyes. "it’s a standard trial gate.. faust used them to secure his vaults against thieves. it’s a veritas seal."
jason let out a long, dry laugh. "a truth seal. you've got to be kidding me."
"it says..." dick swallowed, his throat suddenly dry from the ozone. "'the path opens only when the tongue betrays what the heart conceals. speak the weight that binds the blood, or remain in the shadow forever.'"
jason stared at the text, then at dick. his green eyes, usually sharp and guarded, narrowed in sheer disgust. "so what? we have to tell a secret? that’s it? that’s the big, terrifying magical trap?"
"it has to be a real one, jason. magic like this feeds on intent," dick explained, standing up and wiping his palms on his thighs. "it won't open for 'i don't like bruce's cooking.' it needs something you're actively suppressing. something that causes actual friction in your chest."
jason crossed his arms, leaning his heavy frame against the safe center pillar. "fine. let's get it over with. you go first, boy wonder. you love talking about your feelings."
dick offered a faint, strained smile. "alright. let's start small. see what the threshold is." he turned to the barrier, cleared his throat, and spoke clearly. "i lied to bruce last week about the blüdhaven budget. i used the wayne enterprises tech grant to fund an underground youth shelter instead of upgrading the local precinct's communication towers."
they waited. the violet fire hummed. the characters on the floor didn't move.
"nothing," jason remarked. "because everybody knows you're a saint who steals from the rich to give to the poor. the universe isn't shocked by that, dickhead."
"okay, your turn," dick countered, crossing his arms to match jason's posture. "give it a shot."
jason rolled his eyes. "fine. i stole your vintage 1987 cereal box from the titans tower kitchen when i was fourteen. the one with superman on it. i ate the whole thing in one sitting, threw the box in the incinerator, and watched you blame roy for three months."
dick blinked, his jaw dropping slightly. "you did what? that was a collector's item, jason!"
"and it tasted like stale cardboard," jason shot back, a smug smirk touching his lips. then he glanced at the barrier. it remained perfectly solid. "see? nothing. apparently, the old wizard doesn't care about breakfast cereal."
dick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck where the skin was growing damp from the rising heat inside the circle. "it needs to be heavier. something that actually hurts to say out loud..."