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“You ready to meet the team?” Dick asked dressed in his new Nightwing uniform. Jason smiled brightly dressed as Robin. He felt amazing. Jason felt like he was magic. Jason looked up at Dick and smiled brightly.
“Duh! Just don’t get too jealous when they like me better.” Jason laughed and rushed in ahead of him. Dick laughed following him in. Jason was so happy. He would be an amazing addition to the team.
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“Jason, Please. Please stay with me.” Dick’s voice was broken. How could he have been this stupid? Jason coughed blood sputtering from his mouth. He looked up at Dick.
“Are…is Tula okay?” Jason asked weakly as Dick rushed him to the hospital. Jason’s hair was matted and wet with blood, his suit and mask were torn, and his chest heaved with every painful breath. Damn it. This was all Dick’s fault.
“Y-Yeah Jay, she…she’s okay.” Dick said choking back tears. “You saved them.” He said moving faster.
“Dick…I’m not feeling too hot. I…I think I’m going to go to sleep now.” Jason mumbled his eyes closing slightly.
“Jason! Jason NO! Stay awake. Please! Jason!” Dick cried as he felt the body of his friend, his younger brother, go limp in his arms as Jason went to sleep.
Dick watched Jason’s chest stop moving, the pain filled noises that escaped the young boy’s lips stopped. And instead the young Robin simply stopped moving altogether. His lips slightly parted, his eyes still covered by the torn domino mask but no doubt falling gray and flat. Jason was dead and it was all Dick’s fault.
“Jason, I’m so sorry.” Dick cried into the dead boy’s chest. He had killed his brother.
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Dick curled into his room. It had been a month. A month since he had made Jason leader of the team. Leader of the team on the mission that ended his life. It was supposed to be an easy mission. They would get information and be back. Why didn’t he think they would need more people? God he was so stupid!
There was a soft knock on the door. Dick flinched softly.
“Go away.” He croaked as the door swished open revealing Wally. Dick looked up at him with contempt.
“Wally…”
“You haven’t left your room since he died. Everyone is worried for you.” Wally said walking into his best friend’s room. Wally had left the team about a week after Jason had joined. Two years later he had no idea that he would have to come back and comfort Dick, all because the young Jason Todd had died.
“I let him die. It was entirely my fault.” Dick said looking away from Wally. The older red head looked at Dick and sat down beside him.
“You sent him on a mission. You had no clue that would happen. You… you didn’t know they would capture Tula. Jason was just doing what he thought was right. What you taught him was right.” Wally put a hand on Dick’s back. Dick moved away from the hand on his back and glared at Wally.
“He did what I taught him? Are you kidding! What I taught him! I never taught him to risk put himself in a life threatening position! I never wanted him to get hurt!” Dick hadn’t noticed but as he yelled at his best friend he was crying. Dick stood up and stared down at Wally. The red head looked up softly.
“That’s part of being Robin. He knew he had to protect his team mate. Getting beaten so close to death was just a downside. You would have done the same thing if you were in his position. We all know you would have. But Jason died Dick. That wasn’t your fault. But the team needs you now.” Wally said softly. He watched the young broken vigilante pace the room crying. He had never seen Dick so broken; it hurt him to see it.
It now made perfect sense why Meagan had called him worried.
“Wally, I let him die. In my arms. I should have… I should…” Dick broke off unable to finish his sentence. Wally stood and engulfed Dick in a hug.
“It’s not your fault. He’s gone now. He’s at rest.” The ginger said into Dick’s shoulder.
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“MOVE!” Dick screamed as he watched the red hooded man pull out a gun. The man proceeded to shoot at Dick and Tim.
“Sorry guys, But I have run. See you around.” The man said saluting them with his gun. They had just found this new criminal that had been taking over Gotham. There was no way they would just let him go. Dick ran at him ready to attack when the man hit him with the grabbed him holding a hidden knife to Dick’s throat.
“Don’t worry Dick. I’ll see you around. You know that I don’t stay down for long.” The man said with a chuckle before dropping him and running.
His voice was so familiar. But older like an older version of….no. That was impossible. When they got to the cave later that night Dick went straight to the grotto. He stared at the memorial for Jason. The lost Robin.
“Damn it. I should have known it was you. How am I so stupid? Damn it!” Dick screamed looking up at the hologram.
‘I don’t stay down for long.’ The matured voice of Jason Todd rang in his head. He would see him again. But not Robin. Not as the dead child that he once held in his arms. No. Now as the Red Hood. A criminal that he would have to take down. That he would have to beat.
But as much as Dick tried to convince himself; Jason was still his little brother. And he always would be.