Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jason's boots pounded on the cold Gotham street, the teenager's breath coming in harsh gasps as he forced himself to run faster. Chilly winter air tousled his hair, making the sweat on his face feel even colder than before. He had a stitch in his side from the ruthless pace he was pushing, but he couldn't afford to slow down.

A flash of shadows in an opposite alley, and he cursed, ducking to the side as a wall where he was just standing exploded.

He whirled around and forced himself to keep going, using his momentum to grab a fire escape handle and wrench his exhausted body up it. The rusty structure shook violently under his weight, and he took the steps two at a time until he had reached the roof.

A second blast shattered the metal fire escape into pieces, burning shrapnel erupting outwards from the blast, a thin but sharp piece managing to embed itself in his side. Jason cursed, fell to one knee, and scrambled upright, his gun in one hand as he fired desperate blind shots in the direction the blast had come from, using the distraction to try to lower himself down to the ledge of the window below him and slip into the building.

However, he choked out a gasp as his hand gave way, exhaustion catching up with him as he fell. Jason gritted his teeth and braced himself to eat concrete, only for a swirling vortex of pure white energy to open up where the streets of Gotham used to be, the light coming from this energy source nearly blinding.

He fell into it and knew no more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing he was aware of were voices above him, arguing back and forth. A loud and somewhat panicky sounding female voice rung out, causing Jason to flinch slightly.

"He's hurt! What do we do? Do we call Batman?"

A second voice, softer and more mature. "He's already on his way, I'm sure. Inter-dimensional travel isn't that unheard of. He'd recognize the light."

Inter-dimensional...?

Jason groaned, trying to fight his way to more lucidity, only for a gloved hand to rest on his chest.

"Hey, hang on for a minute there. You took quite a fall..." The voice sounded concerned, and Jason registered that somehow, he knew this person. And yet they were too close and setting off all kinds of alarm bells in his head.

"Wha..." He blinked open heavily lidded eyes and could tell almost instantly that he had been drugged. The vigilante hissed and tried to squirm away, not trusting the two voices when he wasn't able to defend himself. Almost instantly another hand came to cup his cheek, and he recognized the feel of Kevlar gloves.

"H-hey, please hold still, Jason-! Your back might be broken, if you move too much you could seriously hurt yourself!"

Jason swore, dazed green eyes opening to look up into the face of Stephanie Brown. His face twisted in shock, words stumbling out as he continued to try and escape the ghost hovering above him.

"Y-You're dead..."

Stephanie was clad in her dark suit, a purple cloak casting her face in shadow. However, she had removed her dark mask to allow him to see her. She looked at him with concern, before turning to her companion in worry.

"Tim, he's scared, something is wrong..."

Jason's eyes widened as the second voice's owner revealed himself, dark hair and Red Robin suit as familiar as if they had just spoken. And yet...Tim hadn't worn this style suit in months, he preferred his strange wings versus a cape, and he had cut his hair short...

Was he really in another dimension? Scratch that, was he really in another dimension with a broken back, being tended to by the Replacement and the only other dead Robin?

Jason tried very hard to focus on Tim's face, his own features twisting into a sneer. "F-Fuck...off... 'm not scared 'f you...Replacement!" He snapped. Scared by the situation? Oh yes, this was definitely unsettling. Not that he would ever admit it, of course.

Tim's blue eyes widened at Jason's words and he bit his lip, glancing at Stephanie. "We need to get him to the Cave. That morphine I had won't last him long."

Jason grit his teeth. So that explained why he felt okay for someone with a supposedly broken back. He needed to get out of here, these two wanted to take him to the cave to patch him up, then it was back to Arkham, where all the bad little Robins go.

Noticing his growing distress, Tim placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Hey, Jason, it's alright. I'll explain everything once Alfred has had a chance to fix you up, okay?"

Jason scowled at Tim's overly familiar gesture, but didn't have the strength to pull away. He was still exhausted from all his running. Instead he flinched as he suddenly found himself unable to ignore white hot flashes of pain originating from his spine.

Steph's blue eyes lit up suddenly as she waved at something Jason's couldn't see from his position on the ground. "Batman is here!" She said happily.

Jason's stomach dropped and he held back a noise of rage. He didn't want to go anywhere with Bruce, especially since it was all his fault he was in this mess anyways...

As per usual, fate didn't care what he wanted. The familiar shadow of the Bat crawled along the ground until the one casting it stood above Jason. Only...something wasn't right. He wasn't as tall as Jason remembered, and his suit not nearly as heavily armored. Even the cloak seemed less heavy, moving more in the wind than usual. And then he realized.

"Oh, nooo..." He moaned in irritation.

Dick made a face. "Aw, what'd I do? You'd think he'd be happy to see the cavalry arrive..."

Tim frowned and laid a hand on Dick's shoulder. "Remember, he's not ours, B."

Dick nodded and crouched down, a syringe in one hand. "I'm going to have to sedate you before we move you, Jay. I don't want you to get hurt."

Jason scowled and tried to shoot a response about him never caring before, but by the time he realized the drug had already been administered, he was unconscious yet again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of gravel scraping against concrete was what nudged him into consciousness. Glazed over jade eyes cracked open, unfocused as they stared up at a dull, flickering streetlight, a few bugs flapping madly around the bulb and smacking their bodies into it. A pressure around his ankles, and he was being dragged, arms splayed over his head as leather and his gun holsters crackled through leaves and other debris on the dirty Gotham streets. Jason's dazed eyes locked onto that streetlight, watching as it slowly drifted out of his line of sight, and darkness took over as he passed out once again.

Chapter Text

The world slowly faded into Jason's awareness, a strange sort of floaty feeling engulfing him, no doubt from the epic cocktail of drugs they had him on. He squints as his blurry vision comes into focus, the visibly concerned face of Dick Grayson looking down at him. Jason tries to look away, only to find his neck in a brace. "What the f-"

"Good, you're awake!" Dick blurts, looking more relieved than he has any right to be. "Alfred wasn't sure if you'd wake up tonight or tomorrow..."

Jason narrowed his eyes as he tried to make sure his glare wasn't as spacey as he felt. "Okay, Grayson, this is real cute, but I want you to back the fuck up. I want out of here."

Dick looked visibly alarmed, and made as if to speak, only to be cut off by a lower voice from behind him.

"I don't think that's a good idea, chum."

Jason's eyes widened as Bruce stepped forward, clad in a dark blue (probably Armani) suit. Bruce looked almost ten years younger, the usual lines of his face not yet present. Also present was a look of deep worry and concern, his face more open than Jason had seen it since before his own death.

"You took quite a fall. It seems you came from another Gotham and landed wrong...your back is badly sprained, you're lucky to not have more permanent damage."

Jason shook his head, not giving this Bruce the satisfaction of a response. Of course, these people were only being kind to him because they weren't his. This Bruce seemed downright caring. Not to mention how....touchy the others were with him, even knowing he came from another reality.

It was just enough to piss him off even more than he already was.

Bruce seemed to sense his mood and sighed, looking slightly downtrodden. "Listen, Jason...I don't know how things have gone in your world, but here, you disappeared one night...we never found you. So forgive the boys for being a bit...affectionate."

Jason's eyes darted back in Bruce's direction. So, they were misplacing their feelings about the Jason they had lost onto him, just because he looked like him..? Well. Fair enough, he had essentially done the same thing to them.

"So. What's your story, then? Why aren't you Batman?" Jason asked, a frown on his lips. Dick stepped forward again, giving a small sigh.

"When you disappeared, one of our villains took the credit for your supposed death and made some very unwise comments about how much he enjoyed killing you to Bruce back when he was still Batman. Bruce choked the life out of him, and then passed on the mantle to me."

Jason's eyes widened. This Bruce had killed? Well, there was no doubt that this was a different Bruce entirely than the one he left behind in his Gotham. Only...

"Which villain?" He demanded seriously.

Bruce sighed, crossing his arms. "Here, he is known as the Joker. I don't know what you call him in your world."

Jason couldn't believe it, it was like his ears were ringing. Bruce had killed the Joker for making comments about their Jason's death? That was all it took? How terrible of a parent was his Bruce in comparison to this level of devotion?

"-son, please snap out of it. I'm sorry, I know you must be disgusted by me. I never knew I was capable of something like that, but Joker...he crossed a line. I knew I couldn't continue as Batman with rage like that inside me, so I gave the mantle to Dick. I hope you can forgive me. I know you're not my Jason, not my son, but..."

Jason shook his head quickly. This was completely unreal. Bruce was apologizing, to him, for killing the Joker on his behalf. Where did this begin to make sense?

"That's all I've ever wanted..." He murmured softly. Dick glanced over at Bruce sharply and gave him a swift nudge. Bruce blinked and stepped forward, laying his hand on the side of Jason's gurney.

"Listen, Jason...I don't know the relationship we have in your world. I don't know how you feel about your Bruce, if you even have one. I do know that if you're looking for a family, if only temporarily....well..."

Jason blinked as the implication of Bruce's words hit him. "You're...what..?" He felt stunned, unsure of how to even comprehend what was happening.

Dick gave a warm smile. "Well, you have to stay somewhere while you heal. Can't travel back to your world if you can't even stand up. Bruce wants to know if you want to stay with us until then. And don't worry, we're not trying to use you to replace our Jason...we know he's gone. Maybe for good. But you...? You're everything he could have been, and that gives us all hope. What do you say?"

Jason felt torn. Here were two alternate versions of Dick and Bruce, unknowingly offering him everything he'd ever wanted. But...it was only temporary. Was it too cruel of himself to enjoy this, no matter how short the time period?

Screw it, he deserved the chance to be selfish.

Just this once, he was going to take what he wanted, what was freely being offered.

He looked up at Dick and Bruce's hopeful eyes and spoke.

"Y...Yeah. Yeah, I'll stay."

Chapter Text

They left him alone after that, insisting he needed to rest to flush the remains of the sedative from his system before they moved him from the Med Bay up to a room in the Manor. Alfred had evidently been having a small field day upon learning this version of Jason enjoyed books, as theirs was not an avid reader. He had outfitted the room with numerous dark oak bookshelves, selecting many classics from the various shelves throughout the Manor, as well as a few more recent novels he made a special trip to the bookstore to retrieve. They didn't want him to exhaust himself by reading too much when he should be resting, but Dick snuck him down a copy of A Song Of Ice and Fire when he could. Jason stashed it under the blanket when he got the urge to sleep, something that was becoming oddly more common as of lately. He chalked it up to after effects of the inter dimensional jump and allowed himself to drift off, feeling safer than he had in years.

Eventually, by the end of the day, he had convinced them by complaining loudly for the majority of the afternoon that he was really feeling much better and he was sick of only the bats and their guano for company. This was partially the truth, and partially because he wanted to see how genuine this world's Batfamily was on their offer to treat him like family. It seemed entirely too good to be true, especially after everything he had done....

He needed to talk to their Bruce. He had been honest with Jason about his sins...surely he wouldn't judge Jason for his. And if he did? Well, Jason couldn't enjoy this reprieve from the shithole he called his life without knowing that they accepted him. All of him.

Alfred came into the Med Bay then, with Bruce, Dick, and Tim in tow to help move his gurney upstairs. Before he lost his nerve, Jason spoke up.

"Bruce...? Hey, I...uh... I need to talk to you for a sec."

The former Batman nodded, and Alfred gave a short nod before stepping outside with Dick and Tim, the latter giving a small sigh as they went. The door shut behind them, and for a moment, there was only silence.

"So..." Bruce said after a moment, as if unsure how to approach the conversation. "What did you want to talk ab-"

"I've killed people." Jason blurted, folding in on himself sheepishly as soon as he did. He didn't know how else to admit it without beating around the bush. The truth was, he had killed people. Many were bad people, true, but occasionally there were some who hadn't chosen that life, hadn't wanted to be thugs. They may have peddled drugs to children, but only to feed their own.

Jason had been too far gone in the madness of the Pit and rage about how his Bruce had treated him that he hadn't cared at the time about those few not so guilty people.

He cared now.

Bruce was regarding him with the strangest expression, a mix between pity and understanding. "Jason...I know it's hard. To have blood on your hands...you start to feel like you're worthless as a person. It'll get better in time. It took many years for me to accept the things I can't change...and no, I don't regret what I've done. I might regret that it was necessary, but...well. When you're a father, you'll understand. I'm sure your Bruce would have done the same in my position."

Perhaps it was the way Bruce spoke of his mistakes with forgiveness and understanding. Maybe it was just some leftover hooey from jumping across space and time, but Jason found the oddest lump in his throat that just wouldn't leave, no matter how hard he swallowed.

"He.....no, he wouldn't. He didn't." Jason choked out around that lump, feeling disgusted with himself. Why was he still feeling upset about that? He didn't care. He didn't. Really. He had moved on, and had better things to worry about than why his Bruce hadn't cared enough.

The Bruce in front of him gave a small sigh, his steely blue eyes softening. "Jason...what happened...? What did he do?"

Jason grit his teeth and tried to turn away, ignoring the sharp pain in his neck and back as he did so. He hated that he was stuck here, unable to lash out or leave, both of which were his usual methods of dealing with strong emotions.

Bruce's face grew more concerned, and he leaned closer, his hand reaching out to give Jason's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Jason...you can talk to me. I won't judge you, I promise. I'm not that Bruce."

Jason's face was stubbornly growing red, angry tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He was pissed, that's all, his wires got crossed sometimes, just stress, he didn't really care, he didn't-!

"J...Joker. H-He...he killed me. I...I was dead. Dead! And Bruce did NOTHING!" He screamed, hands shaking in unrepressed fury. For years he had dealt with the hurt, the anger, by taking to the streets of Gotham with a vengeance, determined to hit Bruce where it hurt. But in reality, he was the one who was hurting, and it was all coming out now, in front of this version of the father he'd never had. All that pain, erupting at someone who didn't deserve to have all his frustration and betrayal directed at him.

Bruce's eyes were wide and vaguely horrified at this revelation. His hands clenched into fists, and he shook his head once to clear it.

"He let the Joker live...after what he did to you? Oh, Jason..." The former Batman looked furious, the father in him coming out. "That was a mistake he never should have made...a mistake that cost him a relationship with his son. He may have his precious morality still intact, but at what cost...?"

Jason breathed in deeply, trying to force his emotions back down. He had no business bearing his soul to this man, just because he said all the right things and acted exactly the way Jason had always wished Bruce would act: open, honest, and fatherly.

Bruce surprised Jason by standing up, then, and turning for the door. The younger man surprised himself by not wanting the other to go.

"W..wait... Where are you going...?" He asked hesitantly, as if afraid that he would be ignored after everything he had just said.

Bruce turned to smile back at him, not unkindly. "I'm working on a way to get you back home. Any specific events you can tell me will make it easier to find your universe...besides, I want to have a word with your Bruce about proper parenting." There was only the slightest hint of malice in his voice at the last words, causing Jason to mentally shiver. He would hate to have that kind of anger directed at him by this Bruce...

He nodded, feeling suddenly quite small after his outburst. Soon after Bruce had departed, however, Alfred, Dick, and Tim had swooped into the room, surrounding the gurney.

"Hey, I heard yelling, Jay, you okay?" Dick asked, looking all too concerned. This mother hen business was becoming a trend with him.

Tim nodded, looking from his big brother back down to Jason. "Did Bruce say something to upset you..? I haven't heard anyone that angry in a long time..."

Alfred's mustache twitched as he looked down at the bedridden former Robin. "Rest assured, Master Jason, that I am here to provide any services you may require. Even just to listen to any grievances you may have with your... other Master Bruce."

Jason's eyes darted back and forth between them, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. It was obvious that they only wanted to help, but he was beginning to feel a bit smothered. He wasn't used to them being here, wasn't used to them caring.

Tim, sharp eyed as he was, seemed to notice something was up, and took a step back. "Let him breathe, you two. He's under a lot of stress, and us breathing down his neck isn't going to make it better. Jason, do you need some time alone...?" At his words, Dick visibly deflated, and Alfred seemed slightly less chipper than he was before.

The jade eyed teen gave a low sigh, feeling a bit guilty for making them upset. He wasn't trying to be antisocial, it was just a lot to take in. "No, no, I'm okay, Repl.... Tim."

Tim arched an eyebrow at the name but nodded all the same. "Well, then, let's get you moved upstairs. Damian will be home in a few hours and you'll want to be settled in before he attacks you."

Jason visibly cringed, not having realized that Damian existed in this world too. "Oh, great. Can you at least leave me with a Batarang or something then? I'm not exactly in a position to fight with the Demon Spawn."

Dick, Alfred, and Tim made very confused faces as they looked from Jason to each other. "I'm gonna assume this is another universe difference and leave it alone. But don't worry, Jay, you won't need protection from Damian." Dick said, laughing slightly as if at a private joke.

Jason frowned, feeling like he was missing something, but remained quiet as the three carefully wheeled his gurney over to the elevator, and towards his new room.

Chapter Text

For the first time since crash landing in this universe, Jason was alone. He breathed a steady sigh, relaxing into the pillows as much as he can with a brace strapped to his body. Hopefully he would heal damn quick, as much as he genuinely liked these versions of the Bats, he longed to leap from rooftop to rooftop again. He was never happy to be benched, even dealing with circumstances like these.

Green eyes examined the room for the umpteenth time since Dick and Tim had oh so carefully moved him from the gurney to the bed, the sheets having been made up and cleaned by Alfred the moment the possibility arose that Jason may stay overnight. This wasn't a room he went into often in his own world, it was actually a part of the library next door. Evidently someone in the past of his universe had knocked down the adjoining wall to extend the library. He idly wondered if the fact that he read and the other Jason didn't had anything to do with that fact.

The walls were deep green and vertically striped, with a dark cherry wood finish that matched the hard wood floor. The wall opposite the bed was lined with four large bookshelves, and on the nightstand next to him was a small laptop. On top was a sticky note that said 'Feel free to do some research, -T' .So the little Robin had gone out of his way to give Jason a chance to find out more about this universe?

Damn, he was making it really hard to hate him.

He scooped up the laptop, albeit a bit awkwardly, as he couldn't raise his shoulders off the bed, and rested it on his stomach. The former Robin quickly pulled up an Internet browser and googled 'Bruce Wayne'. Everything seemed to be the same as in his world, Bruce still owned several thriving companies and was the richest man in Gotham City. However, his number one most donated to charity was one Jason had never heard of...the 'Stay Strong' program. After a bit of poking around, he discovered it was designed by Bruce seven years ago, after his ward, Jason Todd, disappeared, and no ransom was demanded. It funded missing children campaigns and implanted several child psychologists in schools all over the area, to make sure children had someone to talk to they could trust, before making such a risky move as running away. It also helped to make sure children in foster care had access to resources to protect them should a parent turn out to be unfit. Jason shook his head to clear the growing headache and kept searching.

Dick Grayson was Bruce's oldest ward, and one of Gotham University's best athletes. He was a great basketball player, and had been offered a full scholarship despite his rich parentage. Dick had declined it, and instead asked for the money to be funneled into improvements for the court. "How sweet." Jason huffed in annoyance. Why did Dick have to be so irritatingly perfect in every reality?

Tim Drake, son of Janet and Jack Drake, heir to several of their companies as well. When his parents had passed, Bruce had stepped in and adopted him, after signing a public statement promising that Tim's shares would remain in Tim's control until he reached 18 and either took over his family's companies or appointed permanent CEOs.

Damian Wayne was a bit of a mystery. Sure, he had been in the public at the same charity galas and events as the rest of the Batfamily, but he didn't make many public appearances without someone with him. Jason frowned, inspecting a photo of the whole family closely. Damian appeared to be around six years old in this world, and his skin wasn't nearly as tanned. His hair was even darker than it had been before. What exactly was going on...? Was Talia not in the picture? No, she must be, because the papers kept mentioning his elusive parentage, and questioning who his mother was. And really, who else could it be?

The door to his bedroom suddenly burst open, and Jason cursed loudly as a dark blur lunged across the room to fling arms around him, knocking over the end table in the process and leaving his book opened on Chapter Fifty-Two: The Awakening. He debated whacking the clinging creature over the head with the laptop before suddenly realizing who had just tried to hug him to death.

"Jason! You're Jason! Well, not our Jason, but still a Jason anyway! Are you okay? Does your back hurt? Dad said you're gonna stay with us for awhile. Are you gonna stay forever? You can share my room if you wanna!"

Jason's jaw dropped, jade eyes locking on the over excited form of Damian Wayne, even more pale in person. His eyes were the same shade of blue gray as Bruce's, only filled with childlike mirth. He grinned, revealing one missing front tooth, hands on his hips.

"What's wrong? Why arencha sayin' anything?" Damian asked, looking at him oddly.

Jason blinked. He set down the laptop to rub his eyes, before looking at Damian again. No, he hadn't changed back to the seething rage monster that was the Damian he knew.

"What the hell...?" He stated, too thrown for a loop to even notice the approach of footsteps until a female form had slunk into the doorway, a demure smile on her dark red lips as she smiled at the six year old.

"Now, Damian, where did you run off to? You were supposed to meet your father in the entranc-!" She cut herself off with a short gasp as she caught sight of Jason, her hands flying up to cover her mouth in shock.

Jason blinked mildly in surprise at Selina Kyle, the woman clad in a simple black evening gown, a pale leg peeking out through a slit in the dress. Her short pixie cut was gelled into a spiked up do, and her made up eyes were filling with tears.

"Oh...ohh, Jason, I told myself I wouldn't come see you because it would hurt too much to see you...to see the man you've become..." Selina became choked up, biting her lip as she gave a teary smile and stepped forward to cup Jason's face in her hands.

The former Robin blinked, looking from side to side as if to find an explanation for Catwoman's overly familiar behavior. He bit his lip awkwardly, unsure of why she was acting so overly friendly. "Uh...yeah, I don't know how to say this, but I hardly know you where I'm from."

Selina's green eyes widened and she seemed stunned. Damian cocked his head to one side, frowning. "But...you're my big brother. How come you don't know our mom?"

Jason made a garbled noise of surprise, choking on oxygen as he tried to speak. "Wait, my what?"

Selina nodded stiffly, sitting at the end of his bed and trying to compose herself. "I don't know how things are where you're from....but here? You're my baby. My first son. Willis Todd and I met around nineteen years ago, at a casino. I was young, easily flattered, and he seemed charming. He left me soon before you were born. I raised you myself for about five years before I met Bruce...he had just adopted Dick about two years before that, so Dick was nine, you were barely five years old..."

Jason bit his lip, surprisingly interested in the life this version of himself had lived. Selina Kyle as his mother? He never would have thought of that, let alone imagined it could actually happen in any sort of reality. And yet here was the proof.

Selina looked lost in nostalgia, a faint smile on her face. "You were such a good baby, too. I didn't have a lot of money when you were younger, but we made it together. You never kicked up a fuss when I couldn't afford to buy you something or another. The only thing I could do was let you bring in a stray cat you found, you called her Catherine, Catty for short."

Jason spoke up somewhat wistfully. "My mom from where I'm from...her name was Catherine."

Selina gave a warm smile, the mention of another mother not seeming to upset her at all. "Life's funny that way, isn't it?"

Damian by this point had grown bored standing and so had wriggled onto the bed with Jason to listen to the story. At one point in time Jason would probably have shoved him off, but he couldn't justify doing that to this innocent version of Damian Wayne. And that's how he knew things were really strange, to even consider using 'innocent' to describe Damian without the words 'is not fucking' preceding it.

The woman continued, her sadness growing more palpable the longer the story went on.

"Things were great for awhile. Bruce and I weren't a public thing, because he was worried that the media would portray me badly due to our financial situation, accuse me of being a gold digger, the usual. I didn't care, but with you just starting school, I was worried. Children can be so cruel... Well, at one point, Bruce revealed to me that he was Batman, and Dick was Robin. Imagine his surprise when I had to tell him I was Catwoman, and you were Stray."

Jason interrupted her at this, feeling confused. "Stray? What's that, some kind of sidekick?"

Selina nodded. "Basically the Robin to my Catwoman. You insisted after I was shot one night after a burglary gone wrong. Most of the time you were a diversion, but as you got older, you were just as accomplished of a thief as I was. But Bruce wanted us to stop, and as long as he promised that our family would take priority over being Batman, I would agree. But then..."

"I disappeared." Jason answered, a frown on his lips. He didn't think something as trivial as his disappearance would cause so much strife as it had in this world.

Damian clung tightly to Jason's hand and Selina gave a sad nod. "You were walking home from school one day...I was going to pick you up, but I was late from a doctor's appointment, as I was pregnant with Damian at the time...you started home by yourself. I...I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for not rescheduling. I'd never been late to pick you up before..."

Jason shook his head, not wanting to see her upset. "No, Selina, there was nothing you could have done. If Batman himself couldn't find the other me, maybe he just wasn't able to be found."

Instead of comforting her, she only seemed more upset. "I know it's a long shot, but...I just want to see my son again. My baby...he would be nineteen now. A man. That's why I didn't want to see you when Bruce told me what had happened...no offense to you, but it's just too painful. You look, act, and sound... just like him-!" Against her wishes, hot tears began to course down her cheeks again. Jason was at a loss of what to do, and settled for reaching out and squeezing her hand.

"Sorry." He mumbled, glancing away. If there was one thing he knew he was awful at, it was trying to be comforting.

Selina shook her head and leaned forward to pull him into an embrace. "It's not your fault. This must be very strange for you...but the Jason Todd of this universe was very well loved. We all miss him terribly..."

Jason blinked, inwardly giving a small sigh. Here he was in a world where many people's lives had been drastically affected by his absence, and yet back home he doubted anyone would even notice he was missing. Even after going out of his way to help the Bats hunt th-

A sharp twinge of pain from his back suddenly flared to life, and he flinched, biting his lip. "F-fu...dge." He amended quickly, realizing that Damian was still in earshot. Selina looked concerned, checking his IV.

"Oh, baby, you're due for another batch of painkillers. I'm so sorry, I was supposed to give you more, and we got talking..." She trailed off, reaching down to the med kit resting on the floor by the IV. Jason blinked in confusion, the pain making it suddenly hard to think. Hadn't Selina said she wasn't planning on seeing him...?

Before he could dwell on that fact, she had injected the drug into the IV bag.

"I think Alfred has a mild sedative in here...go to sleep, baby. Sweet dreams, okay...?" She said softly, brushing his bangs out of his face and pressing a kiss to his forehead. As the sedative swept through his system, Jason relaxed into the blankets, idly thinking how nice it was to have someone wish you a good night, before drifting off.

Chapter Text

Bleary green eyes cracked open. Pain, a dull, sweeping ache through his whole body, like he'd just been beaten with a crowbar. The room he was in was dark...a warehouse? His arms were bound tightly, and a thick feeling of mental fog held him in place even more than the cuffs around his wrists. He was squirming and biting his lip, and could hear slow footsteps approaching him. No, nonono wake up, he didn't need to dream this, he'd lived it! He had seen this movie and knew how it ended...laughter, crowbar, boom.

A dark shadowy figure creeping closer, and no, wake UP!

He became aware of flashing yellow eyes that darted to the left, and then someone was screaming next to him.

A female voice.

M-Mom...?

"No, please, don't! AaaaAAAAGH-!!"

The voice was cut off to a low moan, raspy choking noises, and then silence.

Drip, drip, drip...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason snapped to awareness, a cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He might have been screaming, but he couldn't tell. His throat hurt, but that could be from anything.

Pounding footsteps, and then dark red hair shone lightly in the moonlight as someone crouched beside his bed in the darkness. Beyond her, he could just barely read the red numbers of the alarm clock reading 00:00. It was exactly midnight. He grumbled sleepily and used his pillow to cover the clock, hating the way the glowing numbers reminded him of the display on the bomb that killed him.

"Jason? What's going on, are you hurt? Did you jostle your back?" The female voice asked.

Jason squinted in the darkness, before he realized who was speaking. "Wait...B...Barbara?"

She nodded, turning on the bedside lamp. "Sorry I wasn't here sooner, I just got in from patrol. Black Bat and Spoiler can handle it for the rest of the week....I meant to come see you, but Selina said you were asleep..."

Jason blinked sleep from his eyes, trying to force himself into a state of more awareness. "Why....do you care, Barbie? You hate me, remember...?"

The older woman shook her head, tucking a lock of dark hair behind his ear. "I'm not your Barbara, Jason. Whatever issues you have with her, just remember, I'm not her, okay?"

Jason sighed and glanced aside. It was disconcerting having all these versions of people he knew suddenly care. Even stranger to look into the face of someone who only shot you glares across rooftops and find nothing but empathy. "Well, I like you better out of the wheelchair, that's for sure."

Barbara arched an eyebrow but didn't ask him to elaborate. "Was it a nightmare...? We've all had our share. Alfred here has a strict rule about them, however. After a nightmare, you get hot chocolate and popcorn."

Jason blinked and gave a small shrug. "Well, if it's a rule, who am I to break it?" He asked in a teasing tone. Babs laughed and shook her head.

"I'll run and go fix you some, I'll be right back. Don't fall back asleep on me, okay Jay?" With a small smile, she was gone, the room feeling surprisingly stifling without her.

Jason grimaced as he wriggled himself into a slightly upright position, cursing his injury for the umpteenth time. It figures he couldn't enjoy this world without a handicap, could he? Then again, he couldn't say that he hated having them come and check up on him every now and then.

The laptop on the nightstand next to him suddenly pinged, a new message appearing on the screen. His brow furrowed as he looked over, the Unknown Sender setting off alarm bells. One ominous line of text stood out from the screen in a dark blue font.

THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU.

Jason forced a hand out to snap the laptop closed, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and worry. What the hell was going on? Who had he pissed off in this world to cause them to want to hunt him down? No, that couldn't be right...this was Tim's laptop, wasn't it? But yet, it seemed suspicious that someone with the ability to get past that kid's genius firewalls wouldn't make sure the message was seen by the right person. No, this had to be for him. But...why? And who? Damn it, he didn't even exist here, for crying out loud.

Again, he was left with more questions than answers, and God, he was sick of that!

He let his head fall back against the pillows and grumbled to himself, trying to imagine who this message was from. Nobody but the Batfamily knew he was alive...right?

It was to this wandering thought that he drifted off yet again.

Chapter Text

Jason was back in the warehouse, wrists bound tightly above his head. His hands were both totally numb; the lack of feeling a blessing compared to the pain in his shoulders and back.

The dripping noise had stopped hours ago, but he could still make out shuffling noises, and sounds oh so close of slurping and sharp pain at the side of his throat. He was too out of it to be able to distinguish any shapes in the darkness, just those bright yellow eyes and laughter in his ears.

That laughter suddenly became a hiss as a loud 'boom' shook the warehouse. The eyes disappeared quickly, and Jason stared ahead with dull, unseeing eyes. His knees were stinging from biting into the cold concrete, and he became aware of just how cold he was. He was momentarily grateful he had lost the feeling in his hands because he's certain they would be painful from the frigid air by now.

There was screaming and muffled thumps in the distance, before all was still.

He remained quiet, not wanting to attract attention. Still. Unmoving. If he was more lucid he would have held his breath.

Suddenly, there were several shadowy shapes approaching him, lurching towards him in a distinctly unnatural way.

Jason no longer had the energy to struggle away from the gloved hand that lifted his head up from its place sagging at the end of his neck. A suddenly too bright light shone in his eyes, and he resisted the urge to hiss at the pain.

He didn't have the strength to pull away.

A familiar but twisted voice spoke, too muffled to make out, as if Jason was hearing him underwater, but he knew that low bass tone, and it was on the tip of his tongue, a tall figure in an Armani suit, his father-

But almost as soon as he finished his thought, the figure before him swam and morphed into a dark and ominous figure, two black horns rising from his skull, white evil eyes locking with his. His mouth was too large, open and hissing as jagged white teeth protruded from lips that were bloodless and thin. Jason felt a wave of fear and revulsion at the sight of this horrible creature.

A younger voice this time, lighter, more of a tenor than a bass. Jason's addled mind supplied the image of the man in a sleek Batsuit...but that wasn't right either, wasn't he Nightwing? He couldn't remember. In this light he didn't look like either. He looked just...normal. No costume, just jeans and a sweatshirt advertising a brand of cereal most eight year olds thought was too sugary. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and he suppressed a whimper. The image twisted as well, his form seeming to switch from Batman to Nightwing to Dick Grayson every time he blinked.

"You'll never be more than a placeholder, Jay. Once the real Robin left, Bruce had to have somebody hold the position until he found someone who deserved to wear the suit. God knows it wasn't you, Little Wing. You always were disposable. A bad Robin. A failure."

The words feel like they're half distorted by sleep in this dream world but it still hurts to hear.

A softer male voice, the red wings at his back seeming to flick from a black cape and cowl to red feathers and back again. It was making Jason's already disoriented brain feel that much sicker. He seemed to laugh, smirking down at the older man's broken form.

"I knew you weren't the first Robin the moment I saw you. You call me the Pretender but you've never truly been a part of our family. If you hadn't gone and gotten yourself blown up like a good little failure, we would've let the Joker have you anyway. Look at you, following in his footsteps. Are you Batman's protege or Joker's?

Jason wanted to speak, to tell these people to leave him alone, to quit haunting his dreams. but it was like his tongue wouldn't obey. It was getting harder and harder to focus on them, and the warehouse was greying out into nothing. His chest hurt, and he didn't know if it was their words or an injury.

A fourth voice, female, and it was impossible because she was wheelchair bound, she couldn't be here, in this horrible warehouse, the same one he had died in a thousand dreams ago. The same one his dreams loved to pull him back into, making him wake up screaming and shivering with the phantom pain of explosions and crowbar wounds-!

"Jason, I told you not to fall asleep again!"

He snapped awake with a jolt, blinking as he came face to face with reality, and Barbara Gordon.

"Wha...?" He asked somewhat stupidly, feeling desperately confused. He couldn't for the life of him remember falling asleep...what was in that IV!? It seemed like he only had the nightmares when he was given more drugs..!

She smiled, giving a small laugh. "Popcorn and hot chocolate, silly! It's the best thing to clear away nightmares. Besides, with all the stuff they've got you on to stop the pain, I bet you're having some super vivid dreams."

Jason carefully accepted the mug, giving a nod. "You don't know the half of it." He murmured, thinking back to the warehouse, those evil yellow eyes, those demonic versions of his family....

"I wouldn't worry too much. If it gets too bad, we'll have to change up the dosage, but for now you need the painkillers more than avoiding the dreams." She remarked, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl and popping it into her mouth. Jason followed suit, the warm buttery taste of the popcorn making him feel better. She reached her hand down to flick the 'on' button of the remote to the TV, nestled between bookshelves. The station was just the news, but just the familiarity of listening to the anchor speak about crime statistics and Arkham's terrible security was comforting. It reminded him of home, and with a pang, Jason realized he would have to go back sometime. These people wouldn't want him here forever, not to take their Jason's place.

....Right?

Chapter Text

The next day, Jason slept soundly, with not a hint of the dreams of the warehouse. It took him a few moments to realize that he had forgotten to tell Barbara about the message on the laptop, but when he went back to check, it was mysteriously missing. Perhaps...he had dreamed that as well? The rogue bat huffed irritably. He wanted off these damn drugs, he would rather face the pain than lose his mind in a drug induced haze.

Giving an idle yawn, Jason rolled over off the bed, crouching and reaching down to pull a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird from the drawer in the nightstand.

And froze, emerald eyes wide. He thought his back was nearly broken? How had he moved so easily, without a thought? His back hadn't even twinged.

Almost as soon as he though it, a wave of agony so intense it brought him to his knees washed over him. Jason threw up, hot sick staining the rug and his pajama pants. He shook violently, his arms barely holding him upright. He heard someone yell and crouch beside him, strong but gentle hands helping him up, supporting his back carefully.

"Easy, Jay, easy now. Just breathe, I'm going to put you back on the bed now, okay?"

Jason heaved a choked out noise of pain, hands clinging tightly to the shirt of whoever was there. He caught a whiff of expensive cologne- Bruce. Bruce was here.

Before he had time to react, he had been scooped up into the older man's arms, and laid onto the bed. The action was so swift and smoothly done, Jason hardly felt any pain. His face flushed red with embarrassment and anger that the other would come and watch him in his weakest state.

"G-go away..!" He pleaded as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, angry despite the circumstances. Bruce, infuriatingly calm, simply bundled up the dirty rug and tugged down Jason's pajama pants with the familiarity of a parent dealing with a sick child, replacing them with a fresh set just as quickly.

"It's okay to ask for help, Jason. I don't think any less of you." He said softly, sitting down in the chair by the bed and setting the soiled clothes on the floor. Jason's eyes narrowed in frustration.

"Yeah, well I think less of myself. I don't need you, I've never needed you!" He knew he was acting like a child, but the hurt antihero couldn't help it. He didn't know how else to react, was used to either fighting with words or fists, and the Bruce he knew was only too easy to rile up. This one, with his calm and fatherly demeanor, this was something Jason didn't know how to handle.

Bruce gave a small sigh, shaking his head. "That's just the thing, Jay. I think you do need me. Maybe not the me of this universe, but your Bruce. And as he's unable, or perhaps unwilling to be the father you need, then I'll have to fulfill that role for the time being."

Jason's face flushed red with shame as a rush of incredulity washed over him. "You can't be serious, you have kids already, I'm not yours..."

Bruce's expression darkened for the slightest of moments. "Jason, you may not be the boy I raised in this universe, but you are still Jason Todd. Until you're well enough to go home, you are a part of this family. You have as much a place here as Dick, Tim, Damian, and the girls do."

Jason didn't know what to say. It was totally the opposite from what he was used to. In his world, even if he had wanted to rejoin the Bats, it was a luxury he hadn't been offered, one that would only be used as a bribe to dangle tauntingly just out of his reach. In this world, they were determined to accept him, even if he didn't want to. It was...refreshing, to say the least.

"I can see this is a lot for you to take in....do you want to talk to someone about it? Alfred, maybe? Or Selina?" Bruce asked, the genuine look of concern on his features heartbreaking.

".....I just... Fine. Cassandra. Do you have a Cassandra?" He blurted, settling on the one Bat he had never actually met back home. Surely she would be less painful to be around, he had no misconceptions about her to be shattered.

Bruce's face looked briefly disappointed, but he gave a sharp nod. "I'll have her come up." He said, before leaving the room.

Only moments later, a dark and rather mousy looking girl had arrived in the room. She moved without making a sound, but something about her strikingly dark black eyes seemed...off. Jason frowned, feeling immediately uneasy. He was sure she wasn't this...creepy, back home. Right?

She said nothing and sat down in the chair, casting her dark gaze in his direction. Jason resisted the urge to squirm. It wasn't even like she was looking at him, more like she was looking through him.

"So....you're Cass?" He asked in a desperate attempt to get her to stop staring at him like that. She inclined her head ever so slightly, before standing up and walking closer to him. Jason bit his lip, unable to put more distance between them as he would have liked.

The small girl crept closer until she was looming over him somewhat ominously.

And then she spoke.

"Fight."

Before Jason could even register what had been said, she was gone, leaving nothing but stifling silence in her wake.

Fight? What the hell was that supposed to mean? If she wanted him to recover, he was trying as much as he could, there wasn't much he could do in this bed...plus, he was sure that Bruce wouldn't let him leave the bed for awhile after what had just transpired.

He found himself pondering the mystery that was Cassandra Cain long after she had left his room.

Chapter Text

Alfred had been very adamant about Jason not quitting his painkillers too soon, but the antihero had been firm.

"I can't stand these nightmares anymore, Al. I'll be fine without the drugs, okay? I'm staying in bed like a good boy, I don't need them."

Tim frowned as he walked by, overhearing the conversation. "I don't know, Jason, after yesterday..."

Jason flushed red at the reminder, but didn't relent. "Listen, yesterday was a fluke. Bruce said that I didn't hurt my back by moving, so I'm okay."

Tim frowned, a look of concern on his features. "Jay, listen...you're my big brother, okay? I care about you. We all care about you. I just...I don't want to see you get hurt anymore."

Jason blinked at the open display of affection, before running the back of his head a bit nervously. "Yeah, I...uh...I like you guys too. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you drug me into the next millennium. I mean, for real, I've had worse than this by a long shot. I don't need them." The firm tone in his voice indicated that he wasn't going to change his mind.

Tim's face darkened for a moment, before he sighed unhappily. "There's no arguing with you, is there...? Why can't you just let us take care of you?" The third Robin leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed.

Jason huffed, arching an eyebrow. "Because, I'm not an infant? I don't want to be coddled. Is it nice to have versions of the Bats that are willing to forgive my mistakes? Oh yeah. Will I miss you guys when I get sent back to my reality? For sure. But I don't need to be babied. I'm fine." He paused as he assessed his place in bed, hooked up to an IV, with a back brace on. "Okay, fine, I'm not okay, but I will be. Really."

Tim, however, had a deep frown on his features. His hands twitched a bit before he slipped them into his pockets. He looked...alarmed. "Bruce...hasn't told you yet...has he?"

Jason frowned at the younger man's tone. "Um...What do you mean? Told me what?"

Tim grew more frustrated, one hand coming up to rub his temple. "God damn it, Bruce..."

Jason scowled, crossing his arms and being careful not to bump the IV. "What? Just tell me, damn it!"

Tim looked up at him with pitying eyes. "The only way you can go home is if your Bruce builds a special machine that syncs up with the one in our Batcave, called a Zeta Tube. We managed to contact him, and....he refused."

Jason's heart sank at the same time that his eyes widened. "He..." It was like he couldn't compute that. All Bruce had to do this time was build a machine? And he wouldn't do it..?

"Why...?" He hadn't realized he had spoken, and not with such a broken tone of voice.

Tim kept speaking, as if trying to wipe that heartbroken expression off Jason's face. "Bruce tried to give him the specs and information on how to build it, but your Bruce...he..."

A new voice cut in, angry. "He said that their Gotham was better off without you in it." Dick appeared in the doorway behind Tim, looking furious.

Jason's jaw dropped slightly. Sure, he knew that was probably a fair point, but it still hurt to hear it. "He...he wouldn't...he wouldn't just leave me here..." The ex-Robin didn't want to believe it...no, he couldn't believe it.

Dick's voice took on a sadder tone. "Bruce tried to talk him out of it, but...he wouldn't listen! Your Bruce is a total ass! Yeah, you've killed people, but nobody who wasn't already guilty! He kept saying that he wouldn't jeopardize the safety of Gotham's people to bring you back, and that if he did, every person you killed once you returned would be on his hands."

Jason was totally numb. This couldn't be happening. There was no way. Bruce wasn't that cruel, he couldn't be-!

Except that he was.

Jason's eyes widened in realization. Gotham came first, over everyone, even precious Golden Boy Dick Grayson. What made him think he'd change his mind over the family mistake?

Dick and Tim both approached the bed, the elder of the two looking unsure of what to say and Tim just looking empathetic.

"Sorry you had to find out this way..." Dick finally murmured, his anger having been replaced by sympathy. "But don't worry! You can stay here as long as you want to, we won't ever kick you out...!"

Jason remained quiet, lost in his thoughts. "I want to talk to him." He said finally. "My Bruce. I want him to tell me to my face that I'm not worth it."

Tim spoke up a bit timidly, biting his lip. "Er, I'm not sure that's a good ide-"

"NOW! I want to talk to him RIGHT FUCKING NOW/!" He screamed, fury taking over his emotions. How dare Bruce do this to him? He wasn't even allowed to choose? The other Bats in his real dimension were just okay with that? Just leaving him here, where they wouldn't have to worry about the rogue Bat and all the issues that came with it? God damn it, he had been trying so hard to get back in their good graces, he had even swallowed his pride and agreed to help them track down that fucking dj-

A sudden feeling of nausea washed over him, sidetracking him from his thoughts, but he forced it back. What had he just been thinking about? Jason had the oddest feeling that it was important, but it was gone just as quickly as he tried to recall it. Was it because of the remains of the drugs in his system? Fuck it. No more drugs! None!

It was at that moment he realized he had ignored Dick and Tim's frantic efforts to get him to start breathing again.

"...damn it, Jason, please! We'll take you down to the cave so you can talk to your Bruce but don't stop breathing like that again." Dick's voice was hard, harder than Jason had ever heard it before, but he was too focused on his own scrambled thoughts to care.

" 's not like I've never quit breathing before." He snapped bitterly, inwardly pleased at the pained expressions gracing Dick and Tim's faces at the words. "Now let me up! If you won't help me get there, I'll go on my own." They all knew he was serious, even if it meant crawling, Jason would get to the cave.

Tim stepped forward, digging in the corner around medical supplies, before coming forth with a wheelchair. "I know it's embarrassing, but it's easier than moving you to a gurney." He explained at Jason's hostile expression.

The antihero gave a low huff of acceptance, before gritting his teeth as he achingly slowly was allowed to inch his way into the wheelchair. He refused to acknowledge Dick's help, the older man keeping his back straight and helping support him most of the way. He would have wheeled himself, but his back injury wouldn't allow his arms to move back far enough to get good momentum. Unfortunately he had to accept Tim's help wheeling him to the elevator down to the cave.

A small part of him idly wondered what use an elevator was here, in his world it hadn't been installed until after Barbara lost the use of her legs. But this Babs could walk...

He didn't have time to think of that right now. The nausea was returning with a vengeance. Must be nerves about confronting his Bruce. Jason grit his teeth and set his jaw, trying to look as menacing as possible from a wheelchair. He heard them before he saw them, this Bruce dressed in his Armani suit arguing at the Batcomputer's monitor, the looming and silent face of the Batman blown up several times bigger on the computer screen.

"You can't do this to him, damn it, he's your son!" Bruce yelled, eyes passionate and angry as he slammed his hands against the cold metallic keys.

Batman's eyes were narrowed and voice cold as he answered. "Jason has made it very clear in the past that he feels no such familial bonds to me or any of the others. I have fulfilled my obligations to him."

Bruce's eyes widened and his nostrils flared furiously on behalf of the hurt antihero. "So your idea of 'fulfilling your obligations' is sending him off to Ethiopia and letting the Joker put your boy in the ground? And then when you were given the gift of having him come back to you, you turned him away! Why? Because he was betrayed that you never tried to avenge him? That you replaced him a mere six months later? Did you even wait for his body to cool before you threw the suit at Tim? He has every right to be angry!"

The Batman growled low in his throat. "His inability to follow orders was never my fault. His death was regrettable, but I have a strict moral code. The death of yet another innocent life is no reason for me to break that code. Otherwise, I would be as bad as the Joker."

Jason tried not to let his hurt show as he was wheeled into view. "Bruce!" He spat out instead, both of them glancing in his direction. He couldn't bear to listen to them bicker anymore.

Batman arched an eyebrow behind the cowl as he took in Jason's state. "I was not informed that you were hurt."

Hate flared in Jason's heart at the cold tone he was spoken to with. "Would it have changed anything had you known?" He asked bitterly.

Batman remained silent for a moment. "No. I would have considered having you sent to a medical wing in Arkham to keep you safe until you were healed, but ultimately I would have decided it wasn't worth the risk."

And God, Jason knew that would be his answer, but it still hurt.

"Arkham? Arkham Asylum? You've sent him there?!" Dick demanded furiously, his usually cheerful demeanor slipping from his features in an instant, hands clenching around the handles of the wheelchair hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "That's where crazy people go! He doesn't belong in there, in a sanitarium with his own killer! What were you thinking?!"

Batman glanced at Dick for a moment before returning his attention to Jason. "I'm sure you'll be quite happy with these versions of the people you know. They already seem to care for you as if you belonged."

Tim was nearly shaking with rage as he stepped forward. "He will always have a place with us, but he doesn't belong in this universe! Have you even considered the implications of stranding him here long term? Both of our universes could merge together from one trying to purge Jason out and the other trying to pull him back! Or your universe could crumble, or ours! Do you even care, or are you just trying to keep Jason away from a shitty city filled with shitty, ungrateful, useless people?"

Jason flinched at Tim's words. He hadn't even thought about what could happen due to him lingering in a universe he didn't belong in... Great, it figured he'd finally find a world where he wasn't universally hated by the Bats, and him staying there might put them all at risk. Perfect.

Batman set his jaw, and when he spoke, it was chillier than the winter Gotham wind outside. "I've spoken with J'onn on the matter. Due to the fact that your universe's Jason is dead, he can remain there without damaging anything. Likewise, J'onn expressed concerns about leaving Jason alive here when he was never supposed to leave his grave. Chances are, without him either dying again or leaving, this universe would begin to crumble."

Jason's blood ran cold. The implications of what Batman was saying were huge, and infinitely painful. "You....you planned this...d-didn't you?"

Stony silence from the other end, while Bruce, Dick, and Tim sent shocked glances at each other.

The hurt was overwhelming. Instead of being happy or even neutral to the fact that Jason had cheated Death herself and come back to life, Bruce considered him a burden. He thought he was supposed to remain dead. A sick part of himself wondered if he hadn't fallen off the roof and into the portal, would Bruce have just let him lay there on the concrete with a broken back? Left him for some gangsters to find and kill? To have someone else clean up the mess Jason had unintentionally made by rising from his grave?

"I didn't want it to have to be this way. You came back to a world that only ran properly if we pretended you were still in the ground."*

Jason clenched his eyes shut, ignoring the hot tears that were forcing their way down the sides of his cheeks. "Turn it off." He said softly, turning his head away.

Bruce's hand hovered over the button for a moment. "I-I don't know if I'll be able to locate the signal to call him agai-"

"I SAID TURN IT OFF!" Jason wailed, hands clenching into fists. All he wanted was to be out of the damn wheelchair, out of the brace, able to walk under his own power. Because then he'd go out and perform his usual method of soothing his anger... Taking down as many thugs and drug dealers as he could. Sometimes he was at it for days, relentlessly hunting down the leaders and throwing them duffle bags full of their lieutenant's heads, before putting a bullet between their eyes.

A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts, a feminine hand giving a small squeeze. He glanced up quickly and saw short black hair and piercing green eyes. Selina. Damian bit his lip nervously, looking up at Jason from his place at her side.

"I'm sorry, baby." She said softly. She didn't try to tell him it would be okay, didn't try to smother him with meaningless words of comfort. She was simply there, and Jason appreciated it more than he could say.
Damian carefully slid his way up onto Jason's lap, hugging him tightly around the middle.

" 'm sorry too! Our other dad's a big jerk. I hope our real dad beats him up!"

Jason couldn't muster up the energy to laugh even for Damian's sake.

As much as he enjoyed these people, he had never considered that he would stay there forever. He expected that he would end up back home within the week, and so to suddenly realize that no, he was trapped here due to Batman's inability to cooperate...that he didn't even have a choice...!

He had never felt so unloved in his life.

The new versions of the Batfamily knelt beside his chair and took turns holding him while he cried.