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It was early morning at the Batcave. Dick stretched with self-satisfaction of a job well done. Arkham breakouts were never easy to handle, but for all that could have gone wrong tonight, things had been mostly under control.
As an added bonus, Jason had even followed them back to the Cave. If that wasn’t a sign that their relationship was on the mend, Dick didn’t know what was.
There was no guarantee that Jason would stay of course. Bruce had stayed in Gotham to do a last round of patrol with Duke, though they should be on the way back by now. Jason could very likely make himself scarce before they returned.
Right now though, Dick was just feeling satisfied, and looking forward to a good night’s worth of rest.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Jason emptying his pocket of...was that C4?
“How much explosives do you carry?” Tim drawled from atop the medical stool. Alfred was currently stitching up a nasty gash on his shoulder.
“Enough to get me by,” Jason replied. “Plus a little extra for emergencies.”
Dick fought back a grin as he edged closer. Although he and Jason had worked the odd jobs together since Jason returned from the dead, he’d never really been close enough to see the type of arsenal he now carried. Goodness knows where he learnt so much about explosives. Bruce had mostly taught them how to dismantle bombs. Perhaps he learnt it from Roy.
He was about to ask when Jason twirled a USB stick in his fingers.
“I need to borrow the computer,” he said.
“So that’s why you followed us back,” Tim said as he shrugged on a t-shirt, stitches done. “I had wondered.”
Jason rolled his eyes, heading towards the supercomputer several paces away.
Dick was contemplating if this was a good time to tell Jason he was always welcome at the Cave when Jason froze.
“How long has this been here?” Jason said.
Dick blinked. From his vantage point, he wasn’t entirely sure what Jason meant. Tim, on the otherhand, had stiffened at the comment. Dick hurried away from the lockers and, as he took in the scene, his own eyes widened.
There, in plain sight of the console, was Jason’s memorial. The tattered Robin suit in full display along with the discriminating plaque.
Jason Todd. A Good Soldier.
Shit. He’d completely forgotten about that.
“Well?” Jason asked, spinning around. There was a nearly wild look to his eyes. Dick desperately tried to slow his erratic heartbeat.
Why couldn’t Bruce have taken that down? What was even its purpose now that Jason was alive?
“It’s a memorial, Jay,” Dick said as soothingly as he could.
Jason rolled his eyes. “I can see that. That wasn’t my question. How long has it been here?” He was starting to sound angry, not good. Dick wondered how much this fiasco would set them back by. He dropped into a more steady stance, in case Jason start attacking them all.
“Ever since you died,” Tim said.
Jason sucked in a breath. Then turned back to look at the uniform.
“He had it set up the moment he returned from Ethiopia,” Alfred said, tone calm and melancholic.
“And it’s been here since?” Jason asked. There was something…strange, in his voice.
“That’s right. Master Bruce never forgot you.”
Jason swallowed hard. Dick could see his adam’s apple bob, silhouetted from the light of the memorial.
Dick felt sick. He couldn’t even imagine what Jason must be feeling right now, to be reduced to a memorial, even though he had returned from the dead. But regardless of how angry Jason might be, how upset by the memorial, he couldn’t let Jason run wild either, so he slowly edged towards Tim and Alfred.
Tim was eyeing Jason contemplatively. Alfred, on the other hand, seemed calm as ever, putting away the medical supplies.
The heavy silence was oppressive. They all watched as Jason ran a hand through his hair, then covered his mouth with what Dick assumed was horror or disbelief or...something. Jason continued to stare at the memorial.
A Good Soldier. Not even ‘A Good Son’. What had Bruce been thinking?!
“Jason…” Dick began.
He was interrupted, by a sob.
It startled him. And took a moment for him to realise that the sound had come from Jason. It took him several more moments to realise that Jason was crying.
Dick exchanged looks of alarm with Tim. Even Alfred seemed surprised.
“Jason,” Dick rushed forward. He wished he could think of something comforting to say, but his mind drew a blank. “Jay...Bruce, he. He was...”
Jason turned to him then, eyes bright with tears and...and was that a smile? In fact, Jason looked...happy? What?
“He remembered me, Dick.” Jason said, even as his breath heaved with sobs. “He didn’t forget me. He gave me a memorial.”
“Er...yes?” Dick felt wrong-footed. This immense happiness was not what he had been expecting. Not to mention, this was the first time he’d ever seen Jason cry. And displaying such strong emotions - that wasn’t anger - so openly.
“Master Bruce has always been proud of you, Master Jason,” Alfred piped in. “You are a son to him. Your death was devastating to him. To all of us.”
Jason scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve. And he grinned down at the plaque, tracing his fingers over the words.
As if that motion was a summons, the Batmobile rumbled into the Cave.
Bruce and Duke walked down the ramp carefully as if sensing something delicate in the air.
“Jason…” Bruce said, when he noticed Jason by the glass case. He was tense, as if unsure of Jason’s reaction. Dick didn’t blame him.
At the sound of his name, Jason turned. Dick could tell he was trying to put on a more serious expression but it was as if he couldn’t stop grinning.
“When were you going to tell me about this then, old man?” Jason said, jerking his head at the memorial case. His tone was light, far lighter than Jason had ever spoken to Bruce since he’d come back from the dead.
“I…” Bruce was flabbergasted. But Jason spoke over him.
“It says ‘Good Soldier’ on there.” A smirk graced Jason’s lips. “Guess I was a pretty good Robin after all.”
“Of course you were.” There was so much force behind Bruce’s voice that even Dick was taken aback. He might have continued standing there, staring at Jason and Bruce with his jaw on the floor, if Alfred hadn’t gently tapped him on the back and pushed him towards the stairs where Tim and Duke were already headed.
Once the clock closed behind them, the three former Robins stood in the hallway awkwardly. Until Tim turned to Dick.
“Do you think Jason will like me more if I get a statue of him set up at the Teen Titan’s Hall of Fame?”