-HOLY WHOA part 95!!-

"What's that, Jay?"

"Oh, nothing." the teen said, holding the box out of the nine-year-old's view.

"What?"

"Don't worry about it, Dick."

Dick grabbed his brother's arm, jumping on tip-toe, his neck craned. "SHOW ME! SHOW ME!"

"No-"

"SHOW ME!"

"Okay." Jason conceded, lowering the box. "There was a free yardsale box on the street near school. Someone was getting rid of ALL of this!" He removed a few items; an antique lampshade, a cracked mug, a water-stained playbill for Sunday in the Park with George, and an old Barbie modelling head with matted hair.

"EW! What's that?"

"What?"

"That!" Dick pointed to an old crochet doll with mismatched button eyes. All its limbs were different lengths, and its hair was yellow, and of the same yarn material that made as its skin and clothes.

"Oh, weird," Jason suggested. "it must have been wrapped in this, I never saw it." He held up a stained pillowcase. Both boys screamed and retreated as a daddy long leg fell out from the fabric.

"It's creepy!" Dick said. "Get rid of that junk!"

"No way, there's some great costume jewellery in here!"

"It's weird!"

Jason thought for a moment. "Does it scare you that much?"

"Ye-- NO! It's just... it's just creepy! and gross! you should get rid of it."

"... Maybe."

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Dick staggered from the room, dizzy, heading to the bathroom before spiralling back into bed. He opened the bathroom door and... something felt off. Dick opened the medicine cabinet to take the medication Bruce put out for him. A scream escaped his lungs; staggering backwards against the wall. His hand searched for the lights and found it.
He scowled. "JASON!!!" He stormed down the hall and body-slammed into his brother's door. "JASON!"

Jason groaned, coving his ears. His eyes opened a sliver. "What?"

"This is NOT FUNNY!"

"What?" He asked, squinting at his brother. "Get out of my room."

"You put that THING in the cupboard you." He whispered the cuss. "Shit."

"oOH, I'm telling!" Jason scoffed, sitting up. "What are you talking about."

"That doll thing! You put it in the bathroom you jerk?"

"What are you talking about?" Jason ordered. "I didn't put that thing out! It's still in the box!"

"No, it's not! look!" Dick dragged his big brother up off his bed, and to the bathroom. "LOOK!"

Jason ruffled his hair, disoriented. "Well, I didn't do it!"

"Yes you did! You know I hate that thing and you put it out to scare me!"

"I DIDN'T"

"YES YOU DID!"

"NO I--"

Id3ntical chills ran up their spines, and both boys turned to face the Alfred, both cringing back in anticipation.

"Sorry Alfred."

"Sorry Alfred."

Alfred took Dick's shoulder and began steering him back to bed. The boy turned to look at his older brother. "This isn't over."

"Whatever." Jason grumbled, stalking back to bed.

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Jason was minding his own business, for once, working through his math homework at the table, because Bruce said he wasn't trusted to do it in his room.

It was only mid-October, but he was somehow already behind in his fractions homework...

"JASON!" Dick stormed downstairs, almost slipping on the tile. "What are you, nuts?"

"What?" Jason snapped.

"This!" Dick threw the doll down on the table. "It's not funny, Jay!"

"What do you mean?"

"You put it on my bookshelf to scare me!"

"Did not!"

"Yeah, you did! You're the only one that will touch that thing!" Dick squeaked. "IT'S NOT FUNNY! I'm throwing it out!"

"FINE!" Jason scoffed, returning to his homework.
This Doll thing was so stupid.
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The two middle Wayne children, who otherwise made a point of never being seen together at school, hurried through the rain to the long black car, leaping in before they could get too soaked.

The nine-year-old in the backseat glowered as they entered, he WAS soaked, but Dick quickly proved that was not the only thing on his mind. "Jason."

"What?"

"THIS!" The boy reached into his backpack, flinging a soaking hung of yarn on Jason's lap. The doll. "What the hell?" Dick hushed his tone suddenly. "Sorry, Alfie. But SERIOUSLY, Jay!"

"WHAT? I haven't touched the thing!"

"Jay! Don't lie!"

"I'm serious!" Jason admitted. "You think I'd fish that thing out of the trash? That is trash!"

"What is it?" Tim asked, turning in the passenger seat.

"Jay's been putting out this creepy little doll to scare me!"

"I didn't do it!" Jason protested, catching a glimpse of Alfred's disapproving glare in the mirror. "Dick, seriously."

"You always say that when you do things!"

"But I didn't do it this time, Idiot!"

"Shut up!" Dick growled, falling back against the seat and scowling out the window.

Jason was at a loss: he actually didn't move it.
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Jason was on his toes now, knowing his stupid Brother, he'd have tattled to Bruce already.
That's why he was extra careful sneaking downstairs for a snack that night.

He crept down the stairs, checking for anyone still awake, but all who didn't have shifts on patrol seemed to be fast asleep.

Entering the kitchen, he reached for the Cheerios. He usually didn't eat breakfast on school days, and on weekends Alfred made breakfast, so usually, the cereal was exclusively for Tim or Dick, but hey, when you're hungry and lazy, you're hungry and lazy.

He opened the top of the box and jumped back in terror. There was something in there. There was something in there that wasn't cereal.

He couldn't turn on the light because that would attract Alfred like a moth.
Jason cautiously stepped forwards, pulling back the cardboard flap with the tips of his fingers.

He wasn't crazy, there was something in there...
Jason ripped the doll from the box, dropping it on the counter.

"What the fuck! what the fuck..." He stared at the wretched thing, its yarn starting to fray. One eye was looser than the other.

Okay, this was getting freaky... he'd put it out to scare Dick, sure, but this was getting out of hand!
He hadn't put it on Dick's bookshelf, he hadn't put it in his bag, and he definitely hadn't put it in the cereal.

Jason really considered throwing that thing down the garbage disposal, but Alfred should be down there any minute, and there was nothing more suspicious than using the garbage disposal at 11 pm.

So he settled for tossing it in the trash and getting a bowl of lucky charms (he wasn't in the mood for Cheerios anymore).

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Jason didn't eat breakfast for a reason; he slept in every day. He wasn't like Dick or Damian who could wake up at seven with the energy of a fork in a socket.

Rushing downstairs, he found Tim half-eating a piece of peanut butter toast, half tying his shoe, Bruce was slowly downing a pot of coffee, and Dick glaring into his bowl.
The youngest perked up as Jason entered.

"You!"

"Shut up, I'm running late." Jason brushed past him, hurrying for the coat closet.

"No YOU shut up!" Dick told him. "Look what I found when I went to get cereal!"

Jason gaped. "WHAT?! How did that get there?"

"I'll tell you; YOU PUT IT THERE!"

"No way! I took it out of there when I came downstairs last night!"

"You were up last night?" Bruce asked. "What were you doing in Dick's cereal last night?"

"It's communal cereal!"

"You didn't eat any." Dick muttered.

"The Doll killed my appetite-- I don't have to explain myself to you!" Jason crossed his arms. "It wasn't me, Bruce."

Bruce sighed, polishing off his cup. "Well, for me to believe you, you would need to be reliable, trustworthy, and have a reputation of not tormenting your brother."

"Bruce--"

"We'll talk about it after school, Jason." Bruce said firmly. "Boys; shoes!"

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Jason had never been grounded for such a stupid reason! It wasn't even him this time! He thought back on all the times he'd cried innocent when guilty, and it infuriated him to be caught and imprisoned without a trial the ONE TIME he really was innocent.

There was a knock on his door and, flopping on the bed, he called out "Come in."

There was a creak and tiny footsteps. "Jay?"

"What?" He sat up. "Dick! i swear! It wasn't me! I hate that thing as much as you!"

"I know."

"I Didn't do it! on my grave--"

"I know."

"Wait, what?" Jason exhaled. "Oh! thank god! go tell Bruce."

"No."

Jason paused. "Why?"

An adorable smile pushed up Dick's face. He gently tossed the little yarn doll on his brother's bed. "Have fun up here." He turned and skipped from the room, snapping the door shut. "BRUUCCEEE! Jay's doing it again!"

"DICK!"