"You're sure it was Jason?" Hank asked.

"No doubt about it." Dick nodded.

"But he's dead." Dawn sighed.

"Clearly not, I saw him." Sam shook his head

"He's got a team. And he's got someone who's with him, in the shadows." Anya added.

"Which makes him all the more dangerous, we have to be careful." Gar shook his head.

"We don't know who to trust. All we can trust is each other." Dick crossed his arms.

"All we know is that we need to stop him." Sam put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry guys but if it's between me and him... Jason's going down." Hank shook his head as he walked off.

Sam watched Hank leave,"Dawn, can you keep an eye on him? I don't want him doing anything... Rash."

"Yeah... Yeah." Dawn sighed and nodded.

Sam sighed,"Why do things have to be so complicated?"

"I don't know." Kory held her head.

"First he's dead, now he's alive.."

"Someone must have brought him back." Anya turned.

"But how?" Gar asked.

"I have no idea." Conner sighed.

"We'll... We'll figure it out." Sam shook his head.

"Of course we will." Kory assured him.

"It'll all work out, hopefully." Dick sighed.

"We hope." Dawn leaned back.

"Its all we can do." Gar nodded.

"I'm gonna go shower." Anya sighed.

"I'm gonna go lie down." Sam shook his head.

"I'll talk later." Dick nodded.

Sam then walked off, heading up towards his room.

*********************************

"He seemed fine in the kitchen." Dawn shook her head.

"Hank likes to be Hank sometimes." Sam sighed.

"We need to track his call." Dick typed on the computer.

"Any idea who its from?" Gar asked.

"No, not a clue." Kory tilted her head.

"We'll find him, he couldn't have gone far."

That's when they heard a thump from behind them... Hank- With a bomb in him. Literally inside of him!

"Old man, what the fuck did you do?" Sam froze where he was stood.

"It's a gift, from our pal... Jason." Hank winced.

"You went and talked to Jason by yourself?" Anya held Sam's hand.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time." Hank groaned as Dick and Dawn helped him up.

"Maybe you should stop having good ideas." Sam shook his head.

"Funny." Hank looked at him.

"Conner?" Dick turned to him,"Can you see what it's made of?"

"Yeah, one minute." Connor used his powers to scan the bomb.

Sam anxiously watched the bomb as it continued to tick down

"Jason wouldn't do this." Anya shook her head.

"Our Jason wouldn't do this." Sam corrected,"New Jason is a different story."

"I still don't believe he'd to this himself. Someone is forcing him."

"Believe all you like, can someone get this fucking thing outta me?" Hank questioned.

"Holy shit." Connor blinked.

"That doesn't sound good." Gar looked over at Connor.

"It has anti-retraction bars... That holds it in place. It's embedded in the pectoralis major, right through to the aortic arch." Connor explained.

"I understood like, three of those words and none of them sounded good." Hank shook his head.

Connor quickly turned,"If we take it out... Hank dies."

Sam's face sank and he turned to Hank,"Old man?"

"... You're joking." Hank chuckled nervously.

Connor shook his head.

"That fucking little shit." Hank scoffed.

"I-It's okay, we can fix this, right?" Sam looked around.

"The countdown isn't seconds... It's how many heartbeats Hank has left. When the time runs out.." Connor trailed off.

"Jason can't actually want Hank to die, right?" Anya looked at them all.

That's when Dick's phone rang.

"I guess we'l find out." Kory gestured for Dick to answer.

Dick looked at the others before he answered,"I'm listening."

"Hey Dick, like my little present?" Jason asked.

"Whatever you want, killing Hank is not the way to get it." Dick shook his head.

"I want gold. Fifty million in bars and I won't blow him up right now."

"This isn't about the money for you." Dick sighed.

"Would you rather me blow up your buddy?" Jason asked.

"It's not gonna happen."

"We'll see how that ends."

"Jason-" Dick began but he had already hung up.

Sam sighed, shaking his head,"Well, we know what he wants."

"Fifty million? What- Does he have a white kitty on his lap too?" Hank joked.

"What would Jason want with gold?" Gar questioned.

"I don't think he's gonna do it." Dick admitted.

"You're calling his bluff? He's crazy, Dick." Dawn pointed.

"I respect your decision but... I'm not chancing anything." Sam shook his head.

"How much time do we have left?" Dick sighed.

"Uh- Well if your heart beats.." Gar began, trying to do math in his head.

"The average adult beats about eighty beats per minute." Dawn looked at Hank.

"Mines a little closer to seventy two." Hank shrugged.

"Four thousand, three hundred beats an hour, that's-"

"Less than four hours." Kory sighed.

"Look- We'll figure this out, you'll be just fine." Sam assured Hank, although he was really trying to calm himself.

"Thanks kid." Hank sighed.

"Conner, I'm gonna need you to build a diffuser." Dick pointed.

"I will, I'll try my best." Connor nodded.

"You guys stay here." Dick pointed to the teens,"I'll try and find Jason."

"Right." Anya held up her hands.

"Hey- When did we start negotiating with terrorists?" Hank asked.

"Since it might save your life." Dick turned his point to Hank before he left.

"Sam." Anya nodded for him to follow her as she wandered off.

"Anya?" Sam raised a brow as he walked after her.

"I'm going to Crane. Stuff isn't adding up. You coming?"

"As much as I don't want to... Yes." Sam nodded.

Anya sighed,"You driving or will I?"

"I'll drive, I'm getting quite good." Sam headed to grab the keys.

"Please don't crash." Anya put on her coat.

"I promise that I'll try not to."

*********************************

"This it?" Anya asked as they walked down the hall of Arkham.

"This is it." Sam nodded, glancing around.

"I wouldn't want to be in here." She sighed.

"You'd break out soon enough, everyone manages at least once." Sam shrugged.

"So I've heard." Anya walked down the hall as they saw Crane.

"Grayson... And a female friend." Crane smirked.

"Look, I brought you your stuff. I suggest you start telling me what I need to know." Sam sighed, taking out the pouch.

Anya took it from Sam and put it on the bars,"Eighth of lemon lyric. High grade sativa backcrossed with Blue Dream F-One. Its good shit... Or so I'm told." She shrugged.

"You're not getting any." Sam reminded her quietly.

Anya hummed, giving Sam a smile. Crane hesitated before he took the drug and opened the pouch.

"We don't think our guy is working alone. Someone has his ear, we need a profile." Anya spoke to Crane.

"Because we've got a bomb on our hands, a complex bomb that I don't think he could've made alone."

"Maybe... He's looking for a father figure. Y'know, to fill the void cause a daddy of his flew the coop." Crane shrugged.

"Or to replace a daddy he's rebelling against." Anya glanced at Sam.

"Right, so Red Hood has daddy issues... Every person in here has issues with their parents." Sam shook his head, Jason definitely had parental issues.

"You know, I'd say the Joker but Bat kinda snuffed him out, ya know? Gimme a minute to wrap my head around this one.." Crane scratched his head,"His search for daddy, this is gonna affect everything."

"Do you have anything other than that?" Sam asked,"Or should I head back home?"

"He's gonna use the weapons of his father." Crane added.

"The abused becomes the abuser." Anya realised.

Sam widened. Wayne Enterprises... He knew where to get Conner blueprints for a diffuser.

"Thanks Doctor." Anya waved, grabbing Sam's hand and ran off.

"Aw, cute couple! Come back later, I was enjoying our chat!" Crane called after them.

"I'll think about it." Sam called back, he wasn't thinking about it.

*********************************

"Never knew Jason was that smart." Anya sighed as they finally got back to the Manor.

"He knows Wayne Enterprises made weapons." Sam shook his head.

"Connor!" Anya shouted as she came down to the cave.

Conner turned his head to them,"Oh, you're back. I can't find any blueprints that match Hanks bomb."

"Search under Wayne Industries." Anya sighed.

"It'll there." Sam nodded as he typed.

"Woah... Bruce made weapons?" Gar looked at the screen.

"Used to." Sam nodded.

"Search for something under EKG or something." Anya crossed her arms.

Connor typed into the computer and just like that, a blueprint of the bomb appeared on the screen.

"To save Hank we need to go up against Batman technology?" Gar sighed.

"We can do it." Sam nodded.

"Is there a way you can build a deactivator using these blueprints?" Anya looked at Connor.

"Just with the blueprints?" Connor asked.

"We've seen the way you do things... How fast you can do things."

"I'll... I'll see what I can do." Connor asked slowly.

"You have three hours." Gar looked at the time.

"Three hours.." Connor shook his head.

"You can do this." Gar put his hand on his shoulder.

"I can do this." Connor nodded slowly.

"Of course you can." Anya smiled.

"We've got your back, Con." Sam assured him

*********************************

Just in case Connor couldn't find a combination to diffuse the bomb, Sam thought... He needed to say his goodbyes.

"Old man?" Sam gently pushed open the door.

"Hello, young sire." Hank hummed.

Sam chuckled softly and walked in, flopping next to him on the bed.

"How you feeling?" He turned to look at him.

"Looking at you? Honestly?" Sam moved closer to Hank,"It hurts, y'know?"

"It hurts me too... Mentally and physically." Hank sighed.

"I don't like seeing you hurting." Sam looked over at him.

"I'm alright though, I promise." Hank assured him.

Sam looked down,"I don't want to keep saying goodbye, Hank. Everything's changing so fast.."

"I know kid... I know." He shook his head.

Sam leaned against Hank's shoulder,"Is it weird... That you're kind of a brother figure to me?"

"Am I? I feel honoured." Hank put his hand over his heart.

"You are, you were there... With Dick and Dawn and Donna." Sam recalled, trying to bring himself back to better times.

"So we're your family?" Hank asked.

"You are, always have been." Sam nodded.

"Well... You gotta start your own family, okay? Don't do any stupid shit like me."

"I won't, I promise."

"Promise me." Hank held his hand up.

"Promise." Sam took his hand.

"That's my boy." Hank gripped his hand tightly.

"Thanks, old man."

"So what's going on with everyone?"

"Uh, I haven't seen Dick or Dawn but... The others, the teens, are downstairs."

"They trying to stop this?" He gestured to the bomb.

"Connor is building a diffuser."

"Think he'll do it in time?" Hank looked at him.

"Of course he will." Sam nodded.

"I hope so." Hank leaned back.

Sam ruffled Hank's hair,"You're not dying on me."

"I'll try my best." Hank hummed.

"You better." Sam pointed.

"If this is how I die... I'm glad I spoke to you, kid." Hank looked at him.

"B-but you won't die." Sam shook his head,"You promised."

"I know, I know."

"And you keep your promises."

"Yeah... I hope so." Hank sighed.

Sam sat up,"Old man... I love you."

"I love you too, kid." He rubbed his arm.

"...I needed that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"I'm glad." Hank put his arm around Sam and hugged his side.

Sam hugged Hank back, looking up at him.

"You... You gotta be good, 'kay?"

"I will be." Sam nodded.

"Do me a favour, get me some hotdogs we can share, yeah?'

"Oh- Of course." Sam smiled and stood up.

"Be good, Sam." Hank pointed.

"I'll be good, Hank."

"Love you kid." Hank smiled sadly.

"I love you too, old man." Sam smiled back before walking out.

*********************************

Anya tapped her foot nervously and began biting her nails as she watched Connor try to make the diffuser. They were so close.

Sam watched as each attempt, the chance of failure got smaller and smaller.

"He can't die Sammy." Anya held Sam's hand.

"He won't, he promised me." Sam shook his head.

Anya leaned against Sam and sighed. Sam rubbed her arm, Hank would he just fine.

Anya looked over and saw it was at...1%! With about twenty beats left until... It got to 0%.

"Go Connor!"

Connor nodded and sped up the stairs like a lightning bolt. They were going to save him!

"Oh thank god, I thought we'd-" Anya stopped when they heard an explosion.

"H-hank..?" Sam froze up,"No... No no no no no!"

"We- We had time." Anya shook her head.

Sam turned, punching the closest wall as he sank to the floor. Anya looked at Gar and Sam, slowly falling next to Sam and hugged him.

"He promised, Anya... He promised me!"

"I know... I know... We had time- Something must went wrong." Anya whispered.

"But he built it perfectly." Sam shook his head.

"I don't know what happened." Gar sat down.

"First Donna, then Jason... Hank.."

"We can't keep losing people." Anya sighed.

*********************************

"I'm going to make it stop." Sam slowly stood up after sitting on the floor for some time.

"Sam." Gar stood up.

"I'm gonna find Jason."

"Sam please." Anya grabbed his hand.

"I'm going."

"I can't- I can't lose you too Sam."

"You won't, Jason won't hurt me." Sam pulled his hand away.

"We said that about Hank."

Sam stopped but shook his head and kept walking. Anya looked at Gar to see what to do. Gar looked between them, unsure.

"I'm going for a snack." Anya shook her head and left the cave.

"I'll come with." Gar nodded, following her.

"Sam will be okay... Right?" Anya looked at him.

"He'll be just fine, he just needs space."

"What if he hurts Jason- What if Jason hurts Sam?" She panicked.

"Look, you'll have to trust me, but I'm sure they'll be fine." Gar assured her.

"Yeah... I hope so."

"Me too." Gar sighed.

"What you wanting to eat?" Anya checked the drawers.

"Hm, carrot sticks?" Gar opened the fridge.

"Carrot sticks are good." Anya hummed.

"They are." Gar nodded.

"Any hummus or dip?"

"Let's see what we have." Gar hummed.

Anya looked in the fridge before she lifted it up,"Got some."

"Snack time." Gar grinned.

"Hey guys." Kory walked in.

"Oh, hey Kory." Gar turned to her.

"How are you guys... Feeling? You know, after Hank." She sighed.

"We're... We're handling it better than Sam." Gar shook his head.

"He wants to be alone. He won't listen to us." Anya leaned against the counter.

"We're giving him some space, before he does anything rash." Gar nodded.

"Like go see Jason." Anya muttered.

"He won't, he's just upset and talking. We all do it." Kory sighed.

"Yeah... I guess." Anya shrugged.

"You know whod know what to say to help him? Alfred. Where is he when you need him?" Gar chuckled to himself.

That's when a stream of fire went in Gar and Anya's way, Anya quickly ducking down with Gar. Gar fell to the ground and quickly scrambled up, clinging onto the edge of the counter.

"Kory stop!" Anya pointed as Kory threw another firebomb so Anya turned the fire into water, the liquid falling to the floor.

Just like that, she seemed to... Snap out of it.

"Oh god, guys, I'm so sorry." She shook her head.

"Stay the hell away from me." Gar hurried out of the kitchen.

"Gar!" Anya went to chase after him.

That's when another ball of fire shot at her. Kory..

"Kory what's your deal?!" Anya yelped as her sleeve was on fire, shaking it as she put it out.

Once it was out she turned and threw a frying pan at Kory. Kory seemed unfazed, knocking away the frying pan and lunging at Anya.

Anya ducked, knocking Kory down as she walked backwards. Kory's eyes glowed again briefly before returning to normal and she sat up.

"I can't- Shit." Anya ran off after Gar.

"Anya!" Kory called after her.

"Not now!" Anya ran to Gar's room.

Kory sighed, leaning against the counter as she took out her phone.

"Gar?" Anya winced.

Gar was wrapping one of his arms, it had gotten burnt from Kory.

"Twins." Anya sighed as she grabbed a bandage.

Gar sighed,"This is the second time she's done this."

"What's going on with her?" Anya looked at him.

"I really couldn't tell you." Gar shook his head, setting his bandage roll down.

"Her powers should be okay... Right?"

"I thought they were."

"Hopefully nothing's wrong."

"I don't think we'd be able to deal with much more right now." Gar sighed.

"Guys?" Kory walked in slowly.

Gar jumped and spun around, his hands raised.

"We've been good!" Anya held up her hands.

Kory sighed,"I... Need your help."

"With... Fire? Cause I'm not good at that." Anya shook her head.

"No- I keep, almost, blacking out... I need to stop that happening."

Gar bit his cheek,"I have an idea." He ran out the room.

"Hey, wait up." Kory ran after him.

"Yeah, I'm coming too." Anya ran after the two.

*********************************

"It's a sensory deprivation tank. Sam said Batman used it for meditation. It's supposed to help you block out the outside world and get super focused." Gar explained as they got to a long tank.

"So... This should help me stop attacking you guys?" Kory gave him a look.

"Hopefully." Anya sighed,"Think of it like timeout."

"Timeout. I can do that." Kory nodded slowly, climbing into the chamber.

"We'll be right there when you wake up." Anya assured her

"Thanks." Kory gave them a small smile before Gar closed the lid.

"Okay... Now we relax." Anya leaned back on the wall.

Gar let put a sigh,"Yeah, relax."