Work Text:
Case # 0427
File 1
6:50 pm. August 16th, 2015. Call from Todd, Jason. Playback
“Hello?” casual monotone. He didn’t know.
“Hey Bruce..” Loud sounds of alarm mixed with cursing echoes down the line behind the resignation.
“Jason? What’s going on? What are those noises?” Confusion sounding through a voice usually so monotone.
“Alarms.” Pain and resignation rockets back.
“Why are there alarms? Jason. What’s wrong?” A hint of panic from the monotone.
“Is everyone there?” A question not usually asked by the resignation.
“No, it’s just Alfred and I.” The monotone begins to panic more.
“Fuck. Tell Tim I’m sorry.” A sigh as the resignation starts to remember.
“Jason.” The monotone broken now filled with concern.
“Dick, you totally are the best brother you could ever be.” Pain beginning to push through resignation.
“Demon Brat, You’re a good kid. Don’t let anyone give you shit for who you are.” Encouragement to the youngest bird so new to the family.
“Cass, you’re a good big sister and the best fighter on the planet as far as I’m concerned.” A compliment and reminder to the strong woman who no longer hides.
“Jason. What’s going on? Why are you doing this?” the monotone has been overwhelmed with the panic.
“Bruce, let me finish. Please.” The painresignationremembrance cracks as the sounds grow louder.
“Jason. You will tell me what’s going on right now.” Monotone becomes an order.
“Alfie, thanks for taking care of me and B when we couldn’t keep ourselves together.” Pain and Resignation becomes burdened with sadness.
“Jason... Please. What’s happening?” The panicked question asked once again by the monotone.
“Bruce, Dad, I’m sorry I failed you. I’m sorry I was such a terrible son.” The sadness breaks. Tears are free-flowing now.
“Jason, what’s going on? Please son, please, explain why are you doing this?” the monotone is no longer monotone full blown emotion loud and clear for all listening to hear.
“Thank you both for everything. If you hadn’t seen something good in me I would have never had the life I do now.” Resignation once again loud through the speakers.
“Jason. What’s going on?” a question asked many times now receiving the answer so desperately sought after.
“I’m going to die, Bruce.” Sadness destroys resignation. All that’s left are the sounds of sadness from the speakers and the sounds of angry cursing in the background almost drowned by the alarms blaring their song of death.
“What? Jason explain.” The monotone returned. Emotions masked and guarded and the detective tries to trace the call.
“There’s a meteor heading straight for Gotham. Roy and I are going to blow it straight to hell before it can hit.” Resignation never ending through the sobbing.
“Jason, send me your coordinates. Now.” An order from the monotone once again.
“In about 4.25 seconds there’ll be a bright flash of light just above the city line. That’s where you’ll find me. Bruce? Make sure I stay dead.” Resignation and finality in the voice of the lost one.
“Master Jason. Master Bruce has left the Cave and is trying to assist.” The calm British voice soothing the lost one more than the old one will ever know.
“Al.. I lo—“ a loud noise echoes through static and then there is only silence.
Playback Completed.
File 2
6:52 pm. August 16th, 2015. Call from Harper, Roy. Playback
“Daddy!” an excited little voice chirps.
“Hey Little Squeaker..” tired joy sings back, worry burrowing deep underneath.
“Where’s Jayjay? I wanna talk to him.. Daddy? What’s that sound?” one could almost see the little one’s head tilting in confusion.
“Lian, sweetheart, can you hand the phone to Stephy for me?” insistence breaks through the resignation singing over top of all.
“Yeah but daddy what are those sounds?” panic lacing the confusion now.
“Sweetie pass the phone..” insistence sings soothing.
“Roy? What’s going on.” A demand echoing with worried confusion.
“Steph, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. I’m going to die. I want you to go to the warehouse and in the left side of the top drawer in my shop there’s a letter. Read that and you’ll know what to do.” Resignation and a deep sadness perforate the voice.
“Roy what the hell. You can’t just spring this on me. On us.” Anger threading panic.
“Steph… please. Do this for me.” Sadness, breaking cracking like glass.
“…ok. I’ll do it. But you need to explain this to your daughter.” Panic giving way to sadness.
“I will. Give her the phone.” Resignation returns stronger than before.
“Daddy? Daddy the noises are louder now.” The small voice hurts to listen too.
“I know baby. Listen sweetie.. I’ve got something serious to tell you.” Sadness returns to make the resination that much stronger.
“Ok. What is it, daddy?” An innocent question in a hard time.
“Sweetie, you know how Jayjay and I were talking about this new mission and how we left you with Stephy?” another question asked
“Yeah?” an answer phrased as a question.
“Sweetie, Jayjay and I aren’t.. We aren’t gonna be coming back from this mission…” tears apparent in the resignation and sadness.
“Daddy? What do you mean?” confusion and panic beginning to meld.
“Lian baby, Jayjay and I are gonna save a lot of people but we’re gonna die in the process..” Sadness crackling like lightening over the deep rolling sounds of resignation like thunder.
“Daddy? DADDY?!?” Panic screaming along the line.
“Lian, I love you and Jay loves you always -- always remember that.” sadness echoes and burns.
“DADDY NO PLEASE NO NO NO” Screaming now from the tiny child.
“I love you to the moon and back Lia.“ sad sad sad aches and ebbs love coursing through the current.
“NO DADDY YOU CAN’T PLEASE!” Panic continues to reverberate.
“Lian I have to.” Anguish reaches to the panic.
“DADDY!”
“Lian I love you so so so much my heart can’t hold all of my love but you have to let me go sweetheart.”
“NO! DADDY!!!”
“Lia… please.. Don’t let your last memory of me be so horrible. Hang up the phone.”
“I DON’T WANT TOO! DADDY YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME!”
“Lian hang up the phone.. I love you to the moon and ba—“
“DADDY!”
Playback completed.
FILE 3
IMG
Ok, so if you’re reading this it means I’m either dead, about to be dead, or you’re snooping around in places you shouldn’t be. If you’re snooping, fold this letter up and put it back where you found it. If it’s any of the other two options, keep this and read it thoroughly. This is what you are going to do. If you have my body, cremate it. I am not coming back via Lazarus pit or cloning. If you don’t have my body, don’t go looking for it. It’s either hidden away in a place where you won’t find it or already burnt up. In the event of my death, you are to immediately notify these two people, Jason Peter Todd and Koriand’r. If they cannot be notified, either because they died with me or for some other inane reasons, notify Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance and Bruce Wayne. They need to know what happened to me. I’m gonna address them individually so here we go:
Jay: I’m sorry. I hate that I’m leaving you. I love you more than words can say. You are my light in the darkness and I’m so sorry. If you aren’t with me, then I want you to take care of Lian. Please live for her, if not for anyone else. I want you to promise me something; don’t live your life on my memory alone. Don’t feel like you’re betraying my memory by moving on; you aren’t. Please don’t become a shell. Live.
Kori: Princess, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry that you have to face this. I’m sorry that I’m leaving you. I’m so god damned sorry. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for putting up with my bullshit. Thank you for forcing me into realizing my feelings for Jason. Thank you for orchestrating Jason and I moving in together. Thank you for giving me, my light. In the event that Jason is in the same state as me please look after Lian if that’s what she decides. Please help Dinah make sure that what Lian wants goes. Take care of her and yourself.
Ollie: I’m dead or almost dead now so I guess I should tell you. I have a kid. Her name is Lian Harper and she is the light of my life. But just because I’ve told you this does not mean you automatically get to be a part of her life. She gets to choose that. If you try to force your way into her life, you will never see her. Ever. She’s going to the Batfamily because I at least trust them to not fuck up my daughter. You do not get to see Lian unless Lian asks to see you. If that happens she isn’t to be left alone with you. Now onto emotion things I suppose, you did your best in the beginning but you fucked up, there’s a reason Batman glares at you in JLA meetings and that is why.
Dinah: I’m so sorry. I hate that I have to write this. Thank you for being there for me through everything. Thank you for supporting me even when I was in the wrong, you are the closest thing I’ve had to a mother and I thank you for it. Lian will of course be able to stay with you if she so chooses. I’m trusting you to make sure that what she wants goes. Please don’t let me down. Lian is the most important part of my life. I love her more than anything. Take care of Jason for me, he’s cantankerous and occasionally mean but, I love him. So please, don’t let him fade. I’m so sorry that I’m asking you to do this. I trust you with them, please don’t let something happen to them.
Bruce: I don’t have emotional bullshit to go over with you. Lian stays with you until she decides where she wants to go. Dinah and Kori are enforcers for Lian’s will. You will do as Lian asks; Not as a favor to me but, because you owe me for keeping your son together for as long as I have. Remember. You. Owe. Me. For. Everything.
Well, that’s about all I have to say to you people. Make sure I stay dead. Don’t Be too sad.
Roy Harper
Playback completed.
Close Case File #0427 Y/N? Y
Case File #0427 Closed on August 16th, 2034
A body crumples to the floor of the Batcave. Lian Harper-Todd cries for her fathers, lost so long ago. A group of family members are gathered with her. It has been nineteen years and she is twenty four. She misses the men that made her into the hero she is today. A glowing hand reaches out to the woman on the ground.
“Come Lian.” The woman is lifted to her feet. “Your fathers wouldn’t want you to mourn them so long after their passing.”
Lian sniffles, “You’re right. You know what they’d want? They’d want me to kick ass and that is exactly what I am going to do.”
A red form streaks out of the Cave. The Red Hood flies again.