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Jason didn’t know what to do right now with the kid right then and there. Not a fucking person knew what to do right then and there. Bruce was lying on fucking life support, the Batman. He was the Dark Knight for god sakes. He came back to life. He brought Damian back to life. He got Jason back in the family. He could take down the Justice League. But the fall, the impact, the vicious way that Thomas Wayne Junior took on Bruce. Both men were hurt, but Thomas Wayne from Earth-3 laid in the custody of JLA, alone and on life support.
The broken way they both fell, Selina’s scream from above as she tried to reach for him, only to grasp at air. The way Damian’s small body lurched forward towards him with Dick as they desperately scrambled to keep him alive. Jason had been aiding Tim, keeping the broke Red Robin from moving.
“We need to help them,” Tim screamed.
“It doesn’t do anyone any good if you’re dead, Red,” Jason yelled back. He wanted to run towards his father figure aswell but he couldn’t. He had to focus on helping the younger one like Bruce instructed him to do. Bruce knew what he was doing up there, atleast Jason thought. But Jason wonders if Bruce knew the risk when he took Owlman down with him.
Now Jason listened to Alfred’s instructions as he forced Tim upstairs to his room, stitched up to hell and back. Red Robin took quite the beating from Owlman before the family stepped in. Jason was supposed to be helping Cat and Bat on the roof when it all went down. Jason wonders if he should feel guilty like Tim clearly feels. Tim was the one managing Owlman from the beginning after all, Demon Brat’s screams at the replacement weren’t helping. But then Dickiebird stepped in to break up another fight while trying not to break down himself.
Damian felt angry.
Tim felt guilty.
Dick felt grief.
Jason felt numb.
He knew the risk of this night life. Hell, he knew it better than any of them. Jason Todd, the dead Robin, the cautionary tale. He knew that Bruce knew what he was doing. Bruce had to have known what he was choosing when he took that fall with damaged armor. Bruce chose the safety of gotham by sacrificing himself, that doesn’t make it any easier.
“Someone should call Cass and Steph,” Tim spoke, his words were drenched in pain, “Tell them to come back, ya know, if they have to…”
Say goodbye.
“I think Barbie has it covered,” Jason replied flatly.
“Maybe I should go out and help Dick find the kid,” Tim weakly offered. As if Alfred would let that happen. Tim looks like he is about to be on life support himself with five crushed ribs and some other major injuries. The brat ran away again right after he and Timmy got in eachother’s space and Dickiebird yelled at him.
“I think Dickiebird has the brat covered,” Jason responded, “Anyone else and the kid might decapitate them.”
“He’s right,” Tim told Jason, “It’s my fault.”
“Like Bruce is stupid enough to not know the risk he took,” Jason replied bitterly, “Don’t let your self loathing issues insult Bruce’s intelligence. The fucker did it to himself to protect this stupid city.”
To protect us.
“I should still be doing something, shouldn’t I?” Tim let out a desperate sob, “Bruce sacrificed himself-”
“He’s not dead yet,” Jason retorted, “Fucker is too dramatic. If he dies, he wants us all to be around so he can take one last fucking gasp of air before saying ‘I am the night’ and croaking on us.”
Tim let out a laugh that meant he really didn’t think Jason was funny at all but there was nothing left to say. Jason didn’t feel any better or worse about it either, he couldn’t really feel anything at all. He didn’t really know what to do at this point. He doesn’t feel like comforting Selina or cooking with Alfred. He just feels like floating, so he just does what Bruce tasked him with last- watch Red Robin..
“You think he’s going to make it?” Tim asked him. Jason didn’t have any answer for that but a shrug. Tim rolled his eyes but Jason could see that tears were about to roll again. Tim didn’t really think he had much to live for beyond Batman. Without Batman, who is Tim Drake-Wayne? Jason didn’t know, “Where are you going?”
Jason looked at Tim, he could leave. He could blow up a bunch of criminals dug out and try to feel something. He could go get wasted and have sex to try and feel something. Maybe sign himself into Arkham to feel something. Or he could just sneak into the JLA and put a bullet right through the Owlman’s fucking eyes. Maybe then he could fucking feel something other than this nothingness that consumes him.
Fuck and he thought the replacement had it bad… Who the fuck is Jason Todd without Batman?
He guesses that he waited to long to answer because replacement is off doing his pathetic little puppy eyes, “Jay, I can’t be alone tonight.”
It’s a fucking plea that Jason knows all too well. It means if you leave I might do something really fucking stupid. If you leave then you will do something really fucking stupid.
One look at Tim’s pathetic attempt to hold it all in, Jason feels something. The same feeling he gets when he knows he has to play the hero or big brother. It’s not something hard and concrete that Jason can latch onto like pain or anger, but it’s strong enough to bring him back to life. Someone needs him. Tim needs him right now. It keeps Jason grounded and firm. Things are real again, and it hurts, but it’s better than nothing.
“Okay baby bird,” Jason let out a shaky breath, “I’ll stay tonight.”