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I am saying it,
… it’s been one continuous accident …
Joanna Klink, excerpt from Orpheus. Eurydice. Hermes.
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Servo Masters golf marks 25th edition, longest continuous event in the country
The upcoming Servo Masters golf in Digboi will be the 25th edition of the tournament, making it the longest continuous golfing event in the country and Indian Oil Corporation is keen on expanding its presence in the sport further.
The Servo Masters, to be held from November 16-21 at the Digboi Golf Links in Assam, began in 1999 and remains the only golfing event to be held at the same venue all…
Servo Masters golf marks 25th edition, longest continuous event in the country
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Prayer and faith - 2025.10.22
Psalms 55:17 (KJV) Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
Let us be encouraged to keep on praying. The LORD promised that He will hear us. We can call on Him anytime and as often as we want. In the morning, at noon, in the evening. Whenever we think of something that needs us to pray let us pray at the moment not waiting for any set prayer…
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How the RBI’s New Cheque Clearing System Is Creating Chaos for Banks & Customers in 2025
Banks promised real-time cheque clearing—but shocking delays have sparked chaos across India’s banking system. The Gujarat Urban Cooperative Bank Federation urges RBI’s urgent intervention. What hidden glitches and risks threaten your money? Discover the startling truth behind 2025’s banking crisis before it hits your account. Read now!
The banking world in India is facing a shocking disruption…
How the RBI’s New Cheque Clearing System Is Creating Chaos for Banks & Customers in 2025
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RBI Cheque Clearing Goes Real-Time October 4, 2025: Experience Instant Same-Day Settlement Across All Banks in India
India’s cheque clearing experience is about to get a dramatic, real-time makeover—will the funds from your next deposit truly appear in hours? RBI’s bold October 2025 reform promises instant settlement, but surprises and pitfalls may still lurk. Uncover hidden rules, automatic approvals, and security twists that could upend how crores of Indians bank every day. Ready to rethink cheques forever?…
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Enhanced patient selection with quantitative continuous scoring of PD-L1 expression for IO treatment in metastatic NSCLC - New Study
Enhanced patient selection with quantitative continuous scoring of PD-L1 expression for IO treatment in metastatic NSCLC
Summary
Quantitative, continuous scoring of PD-L1 expression offers improved patient selection for immunotherapy (IO) treatment in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Traditional immunohistochemistry (IHC) relies on semi-quantitative methods and arbitrary cutoffs,…
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I will love you through all the changes of the seasons (And with all the small changes in you, I would fall in love. Yes, all over again, I would.)
Dead on main
Part 1 here Part 2 here Part 3 here
The King stood before Jason, his wrath apparent, his cape fluttering behind him, galaxies ending and birthing among the seams of the cloak, his aura commanding and domineering-ruthless in his oppression. His face was a mixture of a King-cold and regal-and that of a father-enraged and incited to vengeful wrath. His pure snow white hair fell over his glowing lazarus green eyes and Jason couldn’t help but find himself bewitched by them.
How many times had he dreamt of such a gaze?
Had Danny dreamed of him? Had he too longed for Jason? Or-Jason felt the fire turning into a blaze-combating the coldness of the air, melting the spreading ice-or was Jason just a fool? Waiting for a lover who was waiting for someone else? Who was in love with a memory?
Enraged, Jason met the wrathful King’s gaze with his own…Then everything seemed to freeze and it seemed as if time itself stopped.
…
For a moment, pure shock slackened the King’s features, he stumbled back slightly, his eyes wide with shock, his frame bone weary-as if weighed down by years of loss and grief. There were signs of defeat in his eyes, but in the moment they had meant Jason’s, something stirred to life.
Danny’s mouth opened but words seemed to have fled him. He faltered, hope widening his eyes but years of being denied-of being given false hope-had made him jaded. Even as the King hoped, he did not believe. His strength to believe had been robbed from him long ago-the same day Jason had vanished and he had not returned.
“Jason?” The smallest of whispers graced Danny’s lips, echoing in the stillness of the warehouse.
Around him, Jason felt the Bats and the Birds stiffen and jerk-saw Dick renew his efforts to stand beside him, to confront whatever threat this was together. But they didn’t matter, only the daughter in his arms and the man standing before him mattered.
One small whisper, one hopeful broken smile and just like that, all of Jason’s anger-all of his wrath-faded.
Hope-such a fragile thing-such a hard thing to kill.
“Danny.” He whispered back, his own voice cradling Danny’s name like it was something so precious, something so beloved. And it was, so dearly that Jason loved Danny.
Did Danny still love him?-Could he-would he love Jason again?
“Is it you?”
“Is it really you? Jason?” His voice was fragile, filled with broken hope, like a bird that had fallen and could not trust his own wings, could no longer trust the wind to carry him.
Danny jerked forward, reaching outward towards Jason-hand outstretched before it fell-“Or am I dreaming once more?” He questioned himself.
“Have I truly found you, Jason?”
His gaze moved over Jason, analyzing, trying to find discrepancies, to find the trick, to find the the lie that fooled the ardent hope that eventually led to his heart being broken once more for daring to try again-to hope again. How many times must Danny’s heart be broken before he learned not to hope anymore?
Countless. Danny would never stop hoping to find Jason. Even in all the agony, Danny would never stop hoping until he had his Jason in his arms again-For to stop hoping would mean to give up on Jason-and Danny would never give up on Jason.
The more Danny’s eyes roamed, the more uncertain-yet at the same time sure that this was his Jason-if just a little different-“You look different…”
And the single whisper seemed to stab Jason in his heart.
“Your eyes look tired” Danny said, but his own eyes carried the same fatigue, didn’t they? “Your smile…"He closed his eyes in nostalgic remembrance… "Would you still smile the same way?-At me, could you-would you smile?”
Danny shook his head, eyes going distant, unfocused, “I’m dreaming again-aren’t I?” A fragile smile graced his lips, “You’re not really here, are you?” A sharp laugh burst from his laugh, full of self-deprecation and grief. “How long must I wait-have I not waited enough?” His voice broke, his form slumping over slightly.
“How long has it been now?” He dragged a hand roughly down his face, defeat evident. “It feels like an eternity…” He whispered, voice ragged as if he had shouted til he had lost his voice. “-I’ll wait an eternity-but by the ancients-how much longer…”
Jason closed his eyes, because perhaps the man Danny was waiting for was truly gone. Perhaps Danny was truly waiting for a man that would never return.
“I-” Jason’s own voice broke, sounding loud-too loud in the silence of a man waiting for someone that may no longer exist. “I am not the man you are looking for.” His voice felt stilted, like blocks tumbling out of his mouth. “I am not the man you fell in love with.”
Confusion fell upon Danny-his frame stilling, eyes becoming silent and unreadable. Like a madman unleashed, Jason plowed on, his voice growing louder, his chest pounding in the way that was most familiar, hands clenching, knuckles feeling numb. Jason’s grip on Ellie tightened, but he kept the grip gentle-he would bring no harm to his daughter.
His hands didn’t need to shake in pain anymore, didn’t need to clench in rage, his knuckles didn’t need to be roughed up enough to bleed or ache for people who did not appreciate Jason’s countless sacrifices to his core values, instead, he would do it for his people-the people of Crime Alley-and his hands, however rough they were, could have a softer purpose when he was with them.
“I am not the Queen you once ruled beside.” Death rustled around him, and Danny’s eyes caught the sight, his eyes widening as his gaze fell onto Death and his daughter that was wrapped protectively in both Jason’s and Death’s gentle hands.
“I am not a man that is adored-nor am I kind and gentle like the husband you married.” Jason’s body trembled, feeling his strength leaving him with each word, his confession robbing him of his composure. He could feel himself cracking-
A son reduced to a soldier-forced to wait for scraps-of love-of acceptance-forced to reduce all that he was to garner approval-humiliated-discarded-left behind-replaced. Lost and forgotten.
“I am not the same man-I am not the love you knew before. My heart is changed-I’m changed-I’m different.” He struggled to explain, words failing him, unable to express all the ways that Jason had changed, how he was not the same man that was once loved-so ardently loved and cherished. Jason had changed-he was not the same.
Jason was tired of dreaming-would he only ever find happiness in realities that weren’t real? That were left behind in the past? Was Jason’s chance of happiness truly left in the past? Could Danny learn to love him again?
Say that you love me-that you want me, only me, not the ‘me’ that you remember.
“I don’t love-I don’t think I remember how to love right-I do it wrong-and to be loved-It’s been so long-I think I forgot…His voice broke. "I think I’m broken…”
It must be. Why else would everyone think he was not enough?-Something must have been irreparably damaged when he had died that second time. He must have lost something.
The living lost their lives by dying, it wouldn’t be incorrect to assume that the dead lost something when they returned.
“Danny-I…His voice went silent, "I am not the man you once adored.”
Danny’s silence, the incomprehension on his face was too much for Jason, he fumbled, trying to find more words but Jason was tired-and his body was shaky and his head was pounding-making it difficult to think-and he really felt like he needed to throw up.
Still-Jason hoped-Jason still-
But even bloody, broken and barely beating, Jason’s heart had always found a way to love people, even when they always eventually let him down. Even when his heart had stopped beating, Jason had still loved.
Could Danny find a way to love Jason? Even in all his brokenness?
“Would-could you fall in love with me again?-Even if I’m different, even with everything that has changed? Would-Could you love me all the same?”
Jason laughed-and even his laugh sounded broken-never hating himself more than he did at this moment. “I know that you’ve been waiting-Waiting for the man you love-but…” He stole a breath of air, throat feeling tight and lungs feeling as if they were filling with smoke. “I’m different. I am not the man you loved…”
“I’ve done things…”
Danny tilted his head, a worried expression contributing to his exhausted appearance. “What happened, Jason?” His voice was gentle. Oh-so gentle and Jason had forgotten the last time anyone had spoken to him in such a gentle tone, like words could leave scars if spoken to harshly. Like Jason’s heart was worthy of being protected from too harsh words.
He stilled, finally unable to keep the tears at bay, “Hurt people-a lot of people-even people I cared about and…-and I killed a lot of people-they deserved it-but still…” His voice trembled.
“Danny…” He croaked out. “I’ve done so many things I can’t take back-even still…”
Was it selfish to still want someone to love Jason, even after everything he had done?
Even in all his rage and grief at being abandoned, forgotten, of not being chosen or being replaced, Jason had never made it a secret that he just wanted to be loved back.As much as he had loved, not less, or almost, just as much. With every drop of love that Jason’s heart had squeezed from his veins, Jason wanted to be loved back, just as much, with just as much devotion and wrath.
“Would you fall in love with me again if you knew all I’ve done-the things I can’t undo? I am not the man you are waiting for-not anymore. Danny, I’ve changed.”
Danny took a step forward, a step closer to Jason, and Jason flinched back as if he had been hit.
“And I forgot-Danny I forgot about you-and I was so angry-so, so angry-and I’m still so angry-Danny!” Jason took in a ragged breath, “Could you really love this? Love me as what I am?”
Danny’s eyes flickered with tears, “Oh my Jason, my sweet Jason, what makes you think I can’t?”
Something in Jason cracked, and words unbidden ripped from Jason’s throat and for a moment his throat felt so raw that he thought a batarang had ripped it open once more.
“Because they couldn’t!” The screamed words echoed out in the warehouse and helplessly, Jason looked towards the now long cold body of the Joker.
Because Bruce was Batman, and Batman would always choose to 'save’ a rogue rather than save his 'son’.
Jason gestured wordlessly, over towards the silent Bats and Birds who had now learned that struggling was useless. He could feel their gazes on him, tearing into him, judging him, forgetting and replacing him, deeming him unworthy of being a son.
A sob broke through Jason’s clenched teeth. He could feel tears dripping down his face, could feel Dani in his arms, could feel the soft reassurance, the unending love that she sent towards him. Could feel Death wrapping herself around him tighter, trying to protect him, to assure that he was loved, that he was enough.
But Jason couldn’t quite believe them. It was too good to be true-and Jason didn’t deserve good things.
Before him, Dick broke through his shock, despair hunching his figure, “Jason, that’s not true! We-” Like a dam, voices of the Bat-family joined the protest.
For the first time that evening, Danny acted on his anger, his gentle features falling from his face and morphing into one of wrath.
“Silence!” His voice bloomed and Dick and the rest of the Bats and Birds winced, groaning as their ears began to bleed and the pressure intensified. Jason vaguely heard Red Robin collapse further, his knees no longer able to keep him upright, Spoiler and Robin followed soon after.
“You have done more than enough.” His eyes flickered as he passed an unforgiving gaze upon them, swirling lazarus green irises glowing in response to his rage.
Jason flinched, wondering if soon that gaze would be directed at him as well.
But it was in vain, for the moment Danny looked at him, his gaze softened, eyes sad. “My sweet Jason, what have they done to you?”
Jason gaze fell, unable to accept the kindness directed at him, “Nothing I didn’t deserve.” It was true, Jason had done just as much as they had done to him.
Danny’s voice hardened, “I see.” Then something shifted, and a coaxing lilt could be heard. “Jason…you are my Jason, my husband, my Queen, no?”
Jason froze then hung his head, “No, not the one you knew. I…I’m sorry.” There was something like defeat spoken alongside those words. But Jason was tired, tired of hoping, tired of waiting around for someone to love him. There was a pattern and it was becoming abundantly clear that the 'Jason that was loved’ and the 'Jason’ that Jason was, were two different people.
Then Danny sighed and Jason felt like his heart was breaking all over again. “If that’s true, could you do something for me?” Danny’s voice was soft but firm, ringing out with finality. There would be no dissent allowed, this was a command hidden behind a question.
Jason stomach sank, and he felt like throwing up, but he forced himself to look up, to meet Danny’s gaze, and nod in acquiesce.
Danny pointed at Jason, “The crown that was bestowed upon you by the infinite realms and our wedding ring, can you take them off and destroy them, can you sever the last connection between us?”
Jason’s heart shattered and he felt Dani gasp in his arms, even Death froze in alarm.
“How could you ask me this?” Jason asked, voice hallow-a mere rasp now-Jason himself felt hollow. He had never thought Danny would ever ask him something like this. Never.
“I had forged those rings with my own hands-mined their metals from meteors from the sky you loved so much, melted them down with the fire of the stars and my own core.” Jason felt his despair rising-had Danny truly abandoned him as well? “A symbol of my love for you-'eternal love, forever yours’ inscribed with my own blood-my own essence and yours were entwined together to make them!”
Anger flickered, then rose, roaring in Jason’s ears. “Do you realize what you have asked me?-The only way to destroy those rings-the crowns-is for one of us to be destroyed. They are eternal, a reflection of us! You ask the impossible of me!”
Danny smiled, “Only my Jason-my husband, my Queen knew the impossibility, knew his ardent devotion to me, yet you claim to be not him?”
“The impossibility of me not loving you anymore…dont’ you know that it is impossible?” Danny whispered, but it was as if he had shouted, for everything that was listening came to a stop.
Jason’s eyes widened, feeling his chest heaving, feeling his emotions whirling around him-settling into shock-and then softness. Of course, of course…
“Danny.” Jason said, his voice reverent-filled with fragile hope, still a smidge of protest made it way past.
Danny shook his head, stepping forward once more, “You ask me to fall in love with you again-” And Danny laughed, tears falling down his face, “As if I had stopped loving you!”
He took another step forward, but this time Jason could not jerk back or find it himself to move away, he was frozen, at the mercy of his lover, his everything, his eternity.
“But if you must know-if you are so uncertain-” Danny’s stare was intense, boring into Jason’s as if peering into his soul-and perhaps, maybe he was. “I will fall in love with you over and over again-” A determined shine was reflecting off of Danny’s eyes and-Jason had never ever seen anything quite so beautiful before.
“-I don’t care how, where or when!” Danny took another step forward. Each step forward was like a beat of Jason’s heart.
“No matter how long it’s been you are mine!” Another step forward and Jason’s heart stumbled like a newborn foal. He could feel tears streaming down his face but this time they were not those of despair.
“Don’t tell me you’re not the same person!” And Danny’s voice rang out with such a ferocity that he could feel his core shake with the timber, recognizing Danny’s claim-his core called out to Jason’s, “The core of you has not changed! You still call out to me!”
And Jason’s core responded, like hearts synchronizing, they beat as one.
“You are always my husband,” Jason trembled as Danny finally stepped into arm length, so close and yet so far, “-and I’ve been waiting!”
“Waiting for you!” Danny said firmly, “Only you! Always you!” He cried out, voice hoarse from emotions of longing and unfulfilled yearning. With a shaky hand, Danny cupped Jason’s cheek-and never before had Jason felt anything so wonderful, so…
Warm.
“Danny…” He whispered, leaning into his husband’s touch, staring into Danny’s eyes that were filled with wonder and slight disbelief, as if he still could not believe Jason stood before him.
There was a silence between the two men as they drank each other in, categorizing each new scar-the scars on their hearts and on their bodies that had not been there before-the wary and heaviness that they would now help each other carry-and the grief that had changed them both.
“I am not the same as I was, either, Jason. I’ve changed as well. Do you find yourself unable to love me?”
“No,” Jason shook his head vehemently before he cupped Danny’s hand that was holding his face ever so gently, entwining their fingers together and kissing his palm gently, reverently so, “No matter how much you’ve changed, my love for you will not-I will only fall in love with the little changes in you.”
Danny’s eyes softened as he let out a small huff of exasperation, “And yet somehow,” he raised an eyebrow, “you thought I would not be capable of the same thing.” He sighed, “Falling in love with you the first time was not hard-falling in love with you over and over again should not be so hard either.”
Then he smiled gently, his eyes full of adoration, “Even now, I am falling in love with you again, my sweet Jason. Telling me you’ve changed does not change how I feel about you, no matter how long it’s been, I will always love you.”
Jason swallowed, eyes feeling sore and irritated, but his heart feeling light and so filled with love and pure warmth. With revelation and reverence, Jason stood before Danny. How wonderful it was to be surrounded by the people who loved him. Then and there, Jason felt like he could do anything. Including believing that he was loved.
(Here he stood surrounded by destruction, and yet he had never felt more free. The aftermath of his death surrounded him and Jason had screamed 'I live, I’m alive, I will live’ and never before had he screamed so loudly. Jason was alive and the living waited for no one, not even for those that had died.)
“How long has it been?” He whispered, needing to know how long Danny had suffered without him. How long had Danny waited for him? Never again, never again would Danny have to wait so long.
“Twenty years.” Danny whispered back, his voice heavy with remembered grief.
Jason closed his eyes. For twenty years Danny had waited for him. For twenty years he had mourned him, remembered him and had sought him out. For twenty years he had never replaced him and now as he stood before him, he accepted and loved him as he was. Now as he stood before him, Danny only ever wanted to help shoulder his burden and love him.
In his arms, Dani shifted, and Jason pressed a kiss on top of her head, wanting to smooth out her hair, but unable to with one arm carrying her and the other in Danny’s grasp. Jason never wanted to let go-of either of them. Around him, Death fluttered softly, chirping softly like a mother bird to her chicks.
Jason could finally believe it.
How loved Jason was.
“I love you.” He whispered, letting the words and his core express the feeling of pure adoration and devotion he had for this man. For the people that had waited for him and loved him as he was.
Words could not describe the love Jason had for his family. He didn’t think they’d ever would. But 'I love you’ was a start.
Danny’s eyes crinkled softly as tears spilled on his cheeks, “I love you, too, Jason.”
Unable to hold himself back any longer, Danny reached out to scoop both Jason and Dani into his arms, pressing a firm kiss on Jason’s lips.
With a wiggle, Dani finally let her revulsion shine through, “Nope! You two are not smashing faces with me in the middle-it’s been twenty years! You are not-” With an over-exaggerated gag, Dani wiggled free from Jason and stumbled away like a shell-shocked soldier.
“After all I’ve been through today!-That was probably the worst-most traumatizing experience in my entire life.” She shivered in disgust, a look of pure horror plastered over her features.
Danny rolled his eyes, meeting Jason’s gaze fondly as they looked at their melodramatic daughter.
Danny giggled, “She gets that from you,” he accused playfully.
Jason chuckled, “Probably, I’ve been known to dramatize things a bit,” Then he winked playfully-if only slightly wetly-because it had been such a long time since Jason had felt this at ease and this free to be himself-“But that just makes it all the more fun.”
Danny laughed and Jason felt himself falling in love all over again.
Yes, it seems Danny was right. All these changes in one another would not be able to override the love they had for one another. The changes were simply small things that Jason would discover and fall in love with. Again, Jason would fall in love with Danny all over again.
Just like Danny would. All the changes Danny would find, Jason was sure, Danny would no doubt fall in love with each one, no matter how small or big.
Yes, how loved Jason truly was.
Holding Danny tightly against him, Jason let all his walls collapse, felt all his fear leaving him as Danny gave him the courage to believe again. Jason could believe that he was worthy of love, and in Danny’s arms, he knew he was loved, ardently so.
Green eyes, the color of swirling lazarus green gazed into his, and Jason could feel himself falling into them, forgetting everything else. Nothing else mattered anymore-
“Before y'all start smooching again, what are we going to do with our Bats and Birds problem?”
Danny blinked owlishly and Jason snapped back to reality. “Uhh” He said dumbly, blinking as he turned to look at the prostrated Batclan.
“Oh, shit, I forgot about those guys.” Danny said sheepishly before glancing over at Jason, looking for reassurance, “People you know?”
Jason shrugged, “Acquaintances.” (Though from the narrowed look in Danny’s eyes he knew the other man didn’t quite buy it.) Then he looked over Danny’s shoulder to the crumbled Nightwing that was looking at him with sad dejected eyes, tear streaks and snot maring his face.
Dani glanced at him as well, “Ugh!” Then shook her head in disgust. “I am not touching that.”
“Well, Dickface over there is my brother.”
Dani’s face wrinkled, “Ugh-he’s crying again-ew!” She shivered in disgust, “He’s the grabby type too. I do not need him all over me.” Then she turned accusing eyes at Jason, “You just had to give me a snot-faced uncle-didn’t you?”
A whimper escaped Dick at the title of 'Uncle’ and Dani turned to look at him, squinting slightly, “Is it normal for him to cry this much?”
Jason looked at his snot-faced brother, at his red rimmed eyes, face puffy from crying and overall in a state of mess. “Yeah…”
Jason shrugged, “Yeah, pretty much.”
Dick shot him a glare but he couldn’t quite make it look fierce or put any heat into the look, not when his face was being smashed into the concrete and not when he looked happy enough to do some of those handstands and backflips he usually did.
Jason shot his husband a glance and Danny flushed, “Oh my ancients-this is not a good first impression with an in-law!” Flustered, Danny waved his hand quickly and Dick finally sprang up with a groan, rolling his shoulders and shaking out his joints before he launched himself at both Danny and Jason and pulled them into a bone crushing hug.
The only reason he had not grabbed Dani was because she had had the foresight to distance herself and dodge his attack.
'Lucky her…’ Jason grumbled, internally, as he tried in vain to push his clingy octopus brother away from him and his husband.
Sobbing, Dick clung onto both of them. “Welcome to the family!” He then promptly dissolved into 'I’m so sorry, Jaybird’s and 'I love you so much’s. Jason blocked him out after the 4th 'I’m sorry’. This was too much emotions for one day, in Jason’s opinion.
Danny shot his husband a pinicked glance, but Jason could only shrug as he gave up his struggle to get away. “It’ll go by faster if you just let him do whatever he wants.” Honestly, Jason was much too tired to fight his brother.
“Oh…” Danny said blankly, patting Dick’s shoulder gingerly.
“At least he’s not using your shirt to wipe his face.”
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t let him catch me.” Dani called from a safe distance of 6 feet.
Danny glanced at her, then back at Jason, “And what should I do with the rest?”
Jason gave them a cool glance, noticing how Dick’s hold stiffened slightly, “The Bats and Birds are not allowed in Crime Alley.” He shrugged, “Perhaps help them find their way out.”
Jason core was much too tired to do anything else besides send Danny and Dani-Death too-emotional feedback of love and warmth and receive it in return. He would trust his husband’s judgment in regards to them.
Danny nodded, giving them a cool glance as well, “Very well, one smooth escort out of Crime Alley coming up!” And with a wave of his hand the Bat-Clan soundlessly fell into green portals.
Dick jerked back, eyes wide with panic and alarm, “What-!” He shot Jason a helpless glance, then a slightly pleading one to Danny.
Jason rolled his eyes, “Relax Dickbreath, Danny just teleported them outside of my turf.”
“And I made them unable to come back!-Like one of those never ending hallways! If they step into Crime Alley they’ll just be spit right back out.” Danny said a bit proudly, “They won’t be able to enter unless they were invited by one of the Crime Alley’s people.” Then he shot Jason an appeasing look, “You get total say of course, as this is your haunt. No doubt you’ll be able to feel anyone trespassing after your core awakens further.”
Jason shot him a tired but grateful look. It was nice to finally be supported, wholly and unconditionally.
“Did you just turn the Bat-Family into vampires?” Dani called from afar, laughing uproariously, “That’s hilarious!” Then she paused, “Who calls themselves the Bats anyways?” She paused again, grin going wide, “Goes with the dark and gloomy theme they got going, anyways.” She shrugged, “Bats and vampires.” She mused.
Dick slumped in relief before an exhausted look crossed his features. “This is not gonna help with the eldritch rumors.” Dick muttered tiredly.
Jason shrugged, “Not my problem.”
“And oh-by the way,” She shot a disgruntled look at her parents, “I’m crashing at Dick’s place. No way I’m going home with you two-not when you guys haven’t seen each other in twenty years.” She gagged, then shivered in horror. “I’ve been traumatized enough for one day. No thank you!”
Jason didn’t quite buy that excuse but he didn’t dissent, neither did Danny. They knew when to pick and choose their battles with their daughter. This was not one they would win.
Jason could feel the suspicion and the protective need to investigate Dick radiating off of Ellie’s small frame, all of it hidden behind her cheer but practically spoken to him through the communication of their cores. No doubt, Dick could read the suspicion hidden there, but Jason also had no doubt that he’d be using this opportunity to prove himself and win his spot as her favorite uncle.
Dick gave her wide hopeful eyes, and Dani narrowed hers, “But no funny business! You keep your hands to yourself!”
Dick nodded, head bobbing up and down, “Promise! No funny business,” he crossed one hand over his heart, the other arm still wrapped around Jason and Danny, mostly Jason but Danny was wrapped around Jason so he really didn’t have any other choice but to be trapped in Dick’s embrace.
Jason grimaced, “Exactly.” Agreeing with Ellie’s rule.
At that, Dick shot him a confused glance and Jason found himself no longer willing to entertain his brother. “Get off me, Dickbrain! I’ve got a whole husband to woo!”
With a look of realization, Dick sprang away, embarrassment coloring his ears red. “Of course, Dani and I will be off right away.” Then his smile turned lecherous, “I wouldn’t mind having another niece or nephew to look after!” Dani gagged in the background and, vaguely in the corner of his eyes, he could see Danny turning pink.
Jason felt his own cheek growing warm and he growled out menacingly. “Go home, dick-and take care of my daughter or so help me-”
Not that he was really worried, as now that Dani remembered she was reincarnated, and had been visited by Death, thus prompting her core to fully awaken-she know had full range of her usual abilities and could, no doubt, defend herself quite easily even if multiple multiversal threats made themselves known. She was nigh impossible to hurt now, and even if she was, her regenerative abilities would heal her-like they had already healed her now. There was also the fact that the Joker was now dead, making Jason not so hesitant to leave his daughter in the care of Dick.
Dick raised his hands in a placating gesture as he snickered cheekily, “Yup! Yup! Got it! Homemade meals and bedtime at 9! Got it, no need to remind me!” Then his eyes softened as he looked at Jason, “Thank you for trusting me, Little Wing-and thank you for giving me another chance.” Then as quick as a flash, the moment was over. “Also, I can tell when you’re using 'dick’ as an insult.”
Jason rolled his eyes, feeling slightly uncomfortable, “Whatever, we’ll be back tomorrow morning to pick our daughter up.” Then he glanced at Ellie, “We’ll send Jazz if something comes up.”
Dani rolled her eyes, “20 years. Just send Jazz to come pick me up in a week, don’t bother with your excuses.” Not that Dani was incapable of taking care of herself, just that Jason was a worrywort. He silently thanked her for amusing him, but Dani merely shrugged in response-probably knowing his need to ensure everyone’s safety after such a close call.
Beside him, Danny’s pretty pink turned into a deep crimson red and Jason couldn’t help gazing at him in adoration.
Dick, coughed, “Right then, we’ll be off then-give you love birds some privacy.”
Jason grunted, then turned his gaze to the fallen Joker. He’d have to get his men to clean the mess up….
“Just go, I’ll take care of everything here.” Dick gave him an earnest look, “You deserve a break, Little Wing.” Jason shot him a grateful look.
Then Dani piped up, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he does everything the Crime Alley way.”
Jason sent his daughter a grateful glance, then shot Dick another glance to make sure Dick got the message to take care of his daughter, before he turned back to his husband. Exhaustion was on the forefront of his mind and all Jason wanted to do was go home and sleep in Danny’s embrace.
It had been such a long time…
Tired, exhausted, and drained, Jason buried himself in the arms of the man that had waited for him for twenty years. Finally, after all this time, he finally knew peace.
With another wave of his hand, Danny opened up a portal towards home and both of them stepped through, right back to the rest of everything that Jason had lost. As the portal closed behind them, he heard Dani shout out, “One week! I need my happy reunion with Dad just as much as you do Danny!”
Then the realm with swirling lazarus green welcomed back her Queen and King, quickly rushing to help care for his core. Death chirped a final note of love before she faded into the background, off to carry out her other duties and give her chosen rulers some privacy.
Gently, Danny scooped his lover into his arms, crooning soft words of love and cherishment. It would be a long night, indeed. Not long enough, but it was a start.
Yes, how deeply loved Jason was.
Continuous of 'If I could love you, I would. (Soulfully, you know I would.)’, 'Would you love me as I am, not as you remember me?’, 'When I left the past behind…I left you behind too’, 'My hands were made to be gentle, even if they are rough around the edges (Even as they pull a trigger now)’ and, 'The wrath of a king pales in comparison to that of a father or that of a husband (If a king can be worthy enough to be compared to a father or a husband)’
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The wrath of a king pales in comparison to that of a father or that of a husband (If a king can be worthy enough to be compared to a father or a husband)
Dead on main
Author’s note: Thank you for your patience and support. I have read every single comment, and seen every single like and follow. I appreciate y'all guys. Anyways, have fun. :)
Part 1 here Part 2 here Part 3 here Part 4 here
Death’s embrace had been gentle, like that of a mother comforting a struggling child, firm but gentle in the direction she had pulled Jason in. It was warm but dark in her eternal (-it had been eternal-it was supposed to be forever) embrace. Jason knew he was safe here, that no one would ever be able to hurt him again. He could rest, be content and know peace. Here, Jason had rested, tucked away from the troubles of life.
Death had granted him asylum, had taken his hand and had gently led him away into the afterlife. He had felt warmth then something shifted, and Jason stood in a realm of the dead, one of them, and knowing no more pain of life.
Then Death’s gentle hands were gone-and while Jason had never truly seen her-Jason could still feel her all around him, gently encouraging him to move on, to find something for himself here in the fields and islands of lazarus green. Jason did not mourn for long, knowing someday, his family would join him here.
It would be later when Jason found out that this was not guaranteed, as only tragic poignant deaths filled with the strong energy of emotion-enough to create and form what Jason was-a ghost-would come to the infinite realms and become one of her people. Death had not delivered Jason to an afterlife like heaven, but to a realm of the dead-somewhere where they lived as the undead. Not everyone met tragic ends, some went peacefully, and moved on completely from their lives. Jason had not truly moved on, Jason’s death had merely birthed him a new life. An undead life, but life nonetheless.
So Jason’s hope to see his family faded-why would he hope to see them when he knew what that would mean? That they too had met a tragic end? Had experienced what he had? Jason would not hope that on anyone, so he had moved on the best he could.
He had made new friends in the form of Johnny 13 and Kitty, followed them to a sleepy little town called Amity Park and had met the love of his undead life-had met their daughter-and had settled down. Decades had gone by, as time had flowed faster in the realm of the dead, and Jason had fully settled into his role of being a husband, of being a father and eventually, of being a Queen.
Then once again, Jason had lost it all. But this time, there was no gentle guiding hand of death-and the green that had once comforted Jason, that had once been the color of his lover’s and daughter’s eyes-that had been the color to bring warmth and meaning to Jason’s undead life-now had been the thing that had brought him blinding agony and torment. Jason still had no good reason for what had been done to him.
Jason had been resting peacefully before he had been ripped from Death-his kingdom, had mourned losing Death’s sanctuary and the peace-the family she had offered him. Without her gentle touch, her gentle guidance, he had been lost and had quickly fallen into anger. The dead know peace, it’s the living that have lost it, that are struggling to find it. Jason had lost peace when he had come back to life, he was not dead, he was alive and so the peace of death-and everything she offered him-had too been ripped from him.
He had lost his husband, his daughter, his friends, and his role of being Queen-he had lost his death. Again, Jason had lost his ‘life’.
Worst, this time he did not get the privilege of keeping his memory-no, he had lost that too. Again, Jason had lost everything.
And he did not remember it.
He felt it though. Understood, deep down, that he had lost something-someone? And had become so filled with anger and rage and wrath that eventually Jason had lost his sanity, too.
He was a Queen without his kingdom, a husband without his lover, a father without his daughter, a friend without friends, a son without gentle guiding hands, stranded in a strange world that was no longer his. Jason was dead, forced into the world of the living-surrounded by everything he had lost in his first death and consumed by everything he had lost in his second.
Because Jason truly had died a second time when they had revived him-when they had ripped the afterlife from his veins and had killed him again. The living and their selfish thinking that all those that had died wanted to be alive again-they could not understand that you did not have to be alive to live, you just had to move on. And Jason had moved on-only for all of Jason’s progress in death to be ripped out of his hands so he could prove himself to useful-again-for people who did not truly want or love him.
Only for all the progress in life to be looked down upon and judged because it did not fit the antiquated moralities of a family that had forgotten him, replaced him and had only ever seen him as a soldier.
A Queen reduced to rags and wrath-forgotten and dismissed-reduced to a mere soldier, a pawn in other people’s games. Yes, Jason, twice fold, had lost everything, did that not entitle him to rage? Or had he not earned that yet? How many more times did Jason have to prove his use for his anger to matter? For his pain? How much loss did Jason have to experience before his pain was deemed worthy of rage? The rage filling his chest was far better than the pure agony of loss that Jason had felt.
Did his lack of memory of everything he had lost mitigate the pain he had felt?
Even now, as he held his daughter against his chest, having found someone he had lost, feeling her breath against him, Jason could only instinctively understand that she was his daughter. He could not yet remember-could only feel the grief that losing her had brought him-what almost losing her again had done to him. Jason still could not remember all that he had lost, but he could feel it. Jason would always feel the absence. The grief he had felt of losing…everything.
The grief of almost losing his daughter again.
How much more did Jason stand to lose? Why did Jason had to lose everything? He had not chosen to die the first time. Nor had he chosen to die the second time. Why must those that die lose everything they held dear? Where was the fairness in that? Everyone only cared about the pain the living went through, but no one cared for the pain of the dead. The living lost someone dear to them, but it was the dead that lost everything. Twice, Jason had lost everything. How much more did he stand to lose?
There was a rage that came with that grief. Of having to endure the pain of losing everything. Was there truly nothing Jason was allowed to keep? Was he really unworthy? What had decided that Jason was unworthy of being loved? But there was also a numb emptiness.
As Jason stared at the green that was overtaking the room, in the aftermath of not being chosen over the Joker-again, only one sentiment mattered to him.
'Am I really not enough?’
Because when Jason had chosen his daughter, it had been the easiest decision he had ever made. So what made Jason so different?
'Am I really so unworthy of being loved? Of being picked?’
There was an answer, but Jason wasn’t sure he quite liked it. No, he sensed, with a rising despair, that it would destroy him if he ever managed to form the thought.
Some people would never love you as much as you loved them, sometimes not even in the same way, if they even loved you at all.
What was so wrong with Jason-
Something suddenly came to be, and the green light was suddenly accompanied by a ’darkness’. No one else reacted, no one except his daughter, who showed no alarm. Jason could tell that she found the presence comforting, as much as she found his.
Who was this being?
Flashes of a crown-of a crowd-cheers-a throne room with two thrones-a gentle hand holding his-leading him-choosing him to be-
'My son, my Queen. I have finally found you.’
Jason shifted, feeling the subtle darkness in the room coalescing around his and his daughters form. A simple answer, a revelation, a greeting from a mother, the acknowledgment of who he was before he had forgotten-a son, a Queen-was all that was needed to stall Jason’s desperate question and block the thoughts that would have destroyed Jason.
It was the feeling of unending unconditional love coming from this being that stunned Jason. Surely, this is what it felt to be loved by a mother?
Jason was…He didn’t need to wait around for people to figure out he was worthy-that he was enough! He was loved, wasn’t he? He was a son?
He looked down at Dani who was nestling in the arms of her father, surrounded by Death-a mother who protected her children fiercely.
He was a father.
And Jason started to remember…
Flashes of green islands-a beautiful smile-someone holding his hand-the sound of laughter-and the feeling of being love-spiraling castles and-
Only flashes…still only flashes…Jason needed more-he remembered something?
He had forgotten that…-he remembered that Death had chosen him as Queen-as her champion, as her child firstly-always as her child before anything else. He remembered that he reigned over her people as their protector, an equal to their King, his lover. Worthy enough to become Queen, enough to be beloved by his people, chosen as Death’s Champion. Loved and cherished as Death’s son, chosen as a father, and as a lover.
The only entity that had loved him as her child, and solely as her child-and had guided him gently-even in all his wrath-she had never abandoned or had forgotten him-she had lost him. Just like Ellie had lost him, and just like…Danny…
…?
Danny?
Death…
Jason welcomed her touch, letting her calm his raging and chaotic mind, letting her hang from his shoulders like a cloak-not as colorful as the one he started off with, but just as comfortable-just as dear. It reminded him of Bruce’s gentle touch, in the way that Bruce had once pulled him deeper in his embrace, his cloak and the shadows of the night concealing them both.
When Jason had died, he had lost his father’s gentle touch and when he had been revived he had lost the maternal touch of Death.
Just how much had Jason lost?
He was the Queen of infinite realms, a chosen child of Death-why did Jason have to lose so much?
Was Jason going to lose Danny too? To forget and lose him was one thing, to remember him and lose him anyways, was another. This time, it would be by choice, this time Jason would have truly lost him.
Now, as the room began to glow in a lazarous green shine, Jason felt Death take his hand again, but this time she did not lead Jason away from everything he had lost-this time…This time she led him back. The question was, would he be welcomed back? He had not been before. He felt her silent apology, felt her mourning his loss like he mourned it himself-like he mourned all that he had lost.
It was nice…to finally have someone willing to stand by his side and mourn with him for all he had lost, rather than mourn him for having changed, for being different. Grief changed people, Death understood that. Jason would not have to doubt Death’s understanding. He could feel it.
But…Jason was beginning to become angry. The shock of almost losing his daughter and the fatigue of dealing with the Joker and Batman was wearing off, now anger was coming forth. Anger of having almost lost it all-again!
Anger of being denied his anger for so long, for having lost so much-!
Jason felt Death rise to meet his anger-her own coming forth in response to having lost him and he welcomed it as a balm to his own wrath. It was nice to know someone was just as angry as he was, that someone would not shame this anger and could understand-wanted to understand and wanted to be angry with him. Not against-never against. Death would always be on his side, she had chosen him after all.
Because Bruce was Batman, and Batman would always choose to 'save’ a rogue rather than save his 'son’.
A faint scar crossing over his esophagus was answer enough, but Jason had always been a fool when it came to his heart. And his heart had always believed in second chances, hadn’t it? He had had a second chance in life, why not in this?
Death had given Jason a second chance.
To be angry, to be wrathful, to be a son, to be loved.
Jason felt as she wrapped protectively around his daughter, around him-her Queen and Princess once again in her reach. With her acknowledgement, Jason felt death once again begin to fill his veins-he was dying-he was coming to death(unlife)? And his core, which had been in a slumber, began to beat, stirring and awakening-and with it, Jason’s memories-the ones that had not yet been remembered-all of what had been forgotten-sprang forth.
With each lurching beat, a new memory burst forward, jumbling together in a cacophony of sound, feeling-pure emotions of happiness, sadness, joy, pleasure, anger, love-and green light-visions of a nostalgic past that Jason had been forced to abandon.
The memories of green flashed before his eyes, in what felt to be a small eternity, and time seemed to both slow and speed up-both the present and the past vying for Jason’s attention. All the love, the warmth, the years of ruling by the side of his King, of watching over their daughter-all of it bloomed inside of Jason’s mind-shattering everything he thought he knew and everything of who he was.
Everything that Jason had lost…Stood surrounding him.
He knew, oh how he knew, with a deep sinking bone despairing feeling, that he would not be getting this back either.
A son reduced to a soldier-forced to wait for scraps-of love-of acceptance-forced to reduce all that he was to garner approval-humiliated-discarded-left behind-replaced. Lost and forgotten.
This time…
Would he lose Danny too now, now when he only just remembered what it felt like to be cherished by him?
The room in the manor that had once been his-now renovated into another memorial, frozen in time as to say he was not allowed back unless he could be the 'Jason’ from before-as if the Jason he now was, was unworthy of making space for. Only welcomed if he fit the mold, otherwise thrown out and forgotten.
Would Danny also find him unworthy as he was now? Would he welcome him back or condemn him?
Or…
…had Jason truly been lost?-Or just deemed unworthy from the start? Forgotten because it was easier than to remember and mourn?
'Lost!’ Death cried out in agony. She warped around him, fluttering in her distress. 'Never forgotten. Eternally beloved.’
'My child, my son!’ In her mournful cries, Jason truly felt what it meant to be remembered. What it was like to be cherished enough to be mourned. To be worthy of being remembered and seen as a son-not a soldier. 'Never a soldier’ She affirmed-and Jason felt her anger turn to wrath at the mere thought of it.
Of course, Death would never forget him. She had lost him. A mother would never forget her child, never try to replace her beloved son-nor use him for her own gains or try to conform him-break him into something usable.
'You are my Queen.’ Death exclaimed.
A voice, male, echoing from his memories, joined hers. ’You are worthy just as you are.’
Jason’s head pounded in his skull, a bead of blood dripping from his nose from the pure onslaught of information and emotional turret that had been rammed into his brain. His core sputtered, fire flickering as death fanned its flames.
A low chuckle-slightly hysterical, slightly cynical-ripped its way out of Jason’s throat as he gazed in at the summoning sigil that was spreading across the floor, painted in the blood of the Joker, its green glow familiar.
And Jason remembered why it was familiar.
After all, he had waited so long for this…To remember why he loved this color so dearly, to be loved again by those swirling eyes of lazarus green…
Jason took a step forward then faltered…Took a look around at all the figures that surrounded him, at his brother that stood before him.
Death said he had been lost…that he had not been abandoned, that he was still beloved….but…
If even his own family could not love him as he was now, could Jason really hope that Danny still could? That he would? Or would he too mourn the 'Jason’ of the past? Leave Jason behind for prettier memories?
The Joker may be dressed as a fool, but it was Jason that would always be the fool. But what would happen when Jason didn’t want to be the fool anymore?
Beside him, Dick snapped his attention to what Jason was now currently sneering at, just in time to see the Joker’s blood complete the sigil and the green Lazarus glow to become as bright as the morning sun.
Around them, the Bats and Birds widened their stances, some of them retreating into the shadows, attempting to use whatever darkness was left as a cover. Jason ignored them, they were not important-what they did was of no importance anymore.
It would always be important, how many of their actions had left scars on Jason’s heart-left him faltering, doubting the love that had been offered so freely and unconditionally?
Jason was tired of them-tired of everything-and angry. Both angry and tired of being the fool.
Jason was done waiting. Of being the fool hoping to be chosen.
Why did he believe that Batman would choose her?
He had not chosen him.
A faint scar crossing over his esophagus was answer enough, but Jason had always been a fool when it came to his heart. And his heart had always believed in second chances, hadn’t it? He had had a second chance in life, why not in this?
Would Danny give him a second chance? Could he?
Jason was a Queen-he should have never been reduced to this!-This waiting!-And begging!-To be chosen, to be loved.
Dick-ever the protective big brother-stood in front of Jason, shielding both Jason and Dani from the eyes of whatever was being summoned-and Jason could tell, from the slight pressure and dread forming in his stomach that this being was powerful-and angry. No doubt, from how pale Dick had gone, that whatever he was feeling was worse than what Jason was feeling-and on a much larger scale.
After all, Jason was a Queen, the wrath of a King was a moot point.
As if he could ever hope to stand in front of the King of the infinite realms-to incur his wrath and survive-only his Queen could incur the King’s wrath and survive.
But Jason was the his? Queen-and an angry one at that.
A King could only ever hope to survive after incurring his Queen’s wrath.
With a flash of green light, the temperature in the room plummeted, causing Jason’s breath to fog in the air. In his arms, Dani’s barely awakened core chirped sleepily in response to her other father’s presence and Jason’s slowly awakening core. Weakly, Jason’s core responded back and Dani’s slightly tense body began to relax as the temperature lowered to a comfortable cold that both her father and her ice core enjoyed.
Jason’s core flickered, fire rising.
“Shit!” With a muffled groan, Dick collapsed to his knees, his head bowed forward as he struggled to remain upright, a hand splayed out, a shaky arm bracing his now shivering body upright. His teeth chattered.
While the beam of light faltering signaled the end of the summoning, it was Dick collapsing to his knees that really indicated the arrival of a powerful figure. A glance around revealed a similar state to the rest of the Bats and Birds-even Batman had had no choice but to bow under the pressure.
Unimpressed, Jason continued to stand tall, the pressure of the King doing little to subjugate the Queen. A Queen never bowed, not even to a King. Not even when the King was displeased with the Queen. Would Danny be displeased with Jason?
Instead, he merely gazed ahead, his eyes slightly cold as he took in the figure in the middle of the sigil-heart cold and numb- and tired.
Say that you love me-that you want me, only me, not the 'me’ that you remember.
Wrapped in a cloak painted in the infinite realms stars, stood the man Jason had been dreaming of ever since his second death. So much had changed since then.
Jason was tired of dreaming-would he only ever find happiness in realities that weren’t real? That were left behind in the past? Was Jason’s chance of happiness truly left in the past? Could Danny learn to love him again?
He could feel a stillness in the air, the air having become quiet as death’s King stood in a realm of the living. Jason felt his rage flicker to life as he met the King’s wrath with his own.
Jason, a lost husband, a betrayed son and a wrathful father had a lot to say to the King that had lost him.
Jason found, that his wrath-
It was nothing new.
Continuous of 'If I could love you, I would. (Soulfully, you know I would.)’, 'Would you love me as I am, not as you remember me?’, 'When I left the past behind…I left you behind too’, and 'My hands were made to be gentle, even if they are rough around the edges (Even as they pull a trigger now)’
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Circle to Search provides steady translation
Google has introduced a reasonably main improve to the comfort of the interpretation constructed into Circle to Search on Android, which is able to now proceed translating because the content material on-screen modifications.
Google has barely undersold the characteristic with the identify “Scroll and translate.” The truth is, it can now proceed to translate as you swipe by screens, scroll down…
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My hands were made to be gentle, even if they are rough around the edges (Even as they pull a trigger now)
Dead on main
Part 1 here Part 2 here Part 3 here
Warning: Text contains blood and gore. Seriously, it’s the Joker, of course it was gonna get bloody. Nothing too bad tho, in my opinion. Promise. ;)
The Joker had decided it was best to keep out of Crime Alley. Or Jason had assumed so since he had not seen ‘cape or grappel’ of the Bat since their last conversation. Overall the Bats had left him alone after Jason had banned them from Crime Alley, whether it was as their identities as a vigilante or as a civilian.
Jason should be relieved that they were finally respecting his 'boundaries’ but he figured it was less of respect and more of the fact that they didn’t want to be shot at. Which for the record, was a good reason to avoid anyone, regardless of how much you wanted to speak to someone.
Jason knew logically, why they would avoid him, but it was his foolish heart that didn’t understand. Jason missed his family, even when he knew it was best to be away from them. After all, it was them that had been so careless with him to begin with. But even bloody, broken and barely beating, Jason’s heart had always found a way to love people, even when they always eventually let him down. Even when his heart had stopped beating, Jason had still loved.
It was Willis Todd and his step-mother, Catherine Todd, that had been the first to be careless with Jason’s heart, then it had been Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Sheila…the list went on. Even still, Jason had still found it in him to love.
Even in all his rage and grief at being abandoned, forgotten, of not being chosen or being replaced, Jason had never made it a secret that he just wanted to be loved back. As much as he had loved, not less, or almost, just as much. With every drop of love that Jason’s heart had squeezed from his veins, Jason wanted to be loved back, just as much, with just as much devotion and wrath. Even in all his scathing remarks, Jason had just been vocalizing his pain, whether it was by calling Tim his 'replacement’ or by screaming-raging, wordlessly at Bruce whenever he did something that inevitably showed Jason that Bruce would never choose him. Because Bruce was Batman, and Batman would always choose to 'save’ a rogue rather than save his 'son’.
Jason understood that now, he had made peace with that now. Some people would never love you as much as you loved them, sometimes not even in the same way, if they even loved you at all. Jason didn’t want to normalize that type of 'love’ in his life, and he also didn’t want to normalize his rage. Fortunately, most of his rage had dissipated the moment he had stopped waiting for the people in his life to see that he-Jason, not Robin, not Jason Todd-Wayne, just Jason, the Red Hood-was still here, if just different.
It was love for others, the desperation to be loved back, that made Jason wait for so long, to stay stuck (in misery and unhappiness and filled with rage), and now it was his love for himself that let him walk away, that let him see that he could have more. He could have peace.
His hands didn’t need to shake in pain anymore, didn’t need to clench in rage, his knuckles didn’t need to be roughed up enough to bleed or ache for people who did not appreciate Jason’s countless sacrifices to his core values, instead, he would do it for his people-the people of Crime Alley-and his hands, however rough they were, could have a softer purpose when he was with them.
He hoped to eventually give that same peace to the people of Crime Alley. It would take rough hands to get the job done but Jason had found that his hands were rough enough. It would take an even more gentle hand to keep that peace, but rougher hands had been gentler. Jason had no doubt that his would do just fine. And Jason was willing to do whatever he could to help the people of Crime Alley.
He would not allow the people of Crime Alley to be forgotten, to have their struggles to be overlooked or dismissed like his own had been, whether that had been just as Jason Peter Todd, as a Wayne or as Robin. Red Hood was a moniker for vengeance, but in time, he hoped, the people of Crime Alley would also see it as a symbol of hope. Just like Robin had been for Jason-should have always been-not ever as a soldier. Robin had never been made to be a soldier, even if the people around him had tried to turn him into one.
Robin had once started off on the quest for vengeance, broken and left behind by a world that did not care for his pain, now, in bright colors, he stood for hope. Jason hoped the same for Red Hood. That somehow, someway, Red Hood could be Crime Alley’s Robin, even if he stood in less bright colors.
So Jason rallied, both as Jason-his civilian self-and as Red Hood to better the conditions of Crime Alley. He was not naive enough to think he could wipe out crime, but he could control it. He cleaned the drugs on the street, making sure it was safe to consume, made sure no one would sell to kids, then funded programs to help people get off the stuff. He gave people opportunities to make an 'honest’ living by working under him and if not-by giving them a recommendation-or sometimes getting them out of Crime Alley all together.
After killing off Black Mask, as well as the other crime lords, Crime Alley was easier to manage, so helping the people directly instead of indirectly was easier now. People trusted him to help them, to give them a second chance-whether that came in the form of a job or as a program to help them get clean or an escape from it all.
Not to mention, Red Hoods infamous rule of never involving children in your crimes, no matter how 'desperate’ you were. Jason had killed for less, and after he no longer had to constrain himself to the 'no-kill rule’, people were well aware that Red Hood would not hesitate to put a bullet through your brain if you so much as touched or looked at a kid the wrong way. The children knew that, which is why they had slowly come to trust Red Hood as their 'safe’ person to come to if something had gone wrong in their lives.
It was the most high honor that had ever been bestowed on Jason. No, he had not cried the first time it had happened. No, it had not reminded Jason of himself when he had been desperate and homeless and living on the streets after the death of his mother.
Red hood’s rule also extended to women, even if they were 'working’ girls. Anyone who put a hand on a woman would have Red Hood and his men to look forward to. By that, Red Hood’s bullets, because Red Hood wasn’t going to accept bullshit excuses of a man that used his fists. If a man was below using words, then Red Hood would not bother to use them to reason with him, he would simply put him below the ground. You could not reason with a violent man, hadn’t Jason figured that under the outstretched hand of Willis Todd, his own father? Under the outstretched hand of the Joker, crowbar in hand?
Never again would Jason cower underneath an outstretched hand, neither would anyone else. Not if Jason had anything to do with it.
Red Hood was making Crime Alley a safer place, for everyone that lived there, even if the path had to be paved with blood. As long it was no longer the blood of the innocent, with the bodies of children and women lining those paths, Jason would be satisfied. But until then, Red Hood would be there. At the very least making sure they were avenged, that they were not forgotten, or dismissed, that they were mourned properly. Mourned and remembered as the children of Crime Alley, the lost sons and daughters, hope extinguished-but never as a soldier. Never as a soldier.
Jason hoped, with gentle hands, he could guide the children of Crime Alley away from the fate he had ended up with. He would never stop fighting for that.
With rough hands, Red Hood held a gun, fingers taunt around the trigger, barrels facing against men who had lost their humanity and any hope of redemption when they had crossed the line of hurting children and women. With gentle hands, Jason volunteered his spare time at the homeless shelters, handing out supplies, reading to the children and finding purpose in helping those around him.
With the rough hands of Red Hood and the gentle hands of Jason, Crime Alley was slowly becoming better. Everyday, Jason became more and more sure he was doing the right thing, maybe not morally, but the right thing that needed to be done.
“Boss…”
Jason glanced up from his data sheets that were analyzing the steady, if slow decrease, of crime throughout the Alley. Maybe someday, they could actually call it Park Row again…Hah! Jason was kidding, of course, he would never do that. That was for wealthy privileged white folk like the Gotham elite. Like Bruce.
He snorted, focusing back on the man that stood anxiously before him, his face slack with fear and beaded with sweat.
“What happened?” Jason growled out, Red Hood’s modulator making his turning his voice into a deeper, more mechanical version of his own. They knew not to disturb him when he was doing paperwork, so it must have been something important. His comm had also been silenced, so whatever it was, was important enough that they had to come disturb him in person.
The man hesitated, swaying on his feet, face pale and his hands trembling slightly, seemingly frozen between indecision, unable to spit out the words on his tongue.
Jason slammed a hand down, breaking the tension, and the stalemate of the fubbling man before him. “Tell me, that’s an order!” He barked.
The man snapped out of his haze, “It’s the Joker…” He gasped out, “He’s in crime Alley. He has a captive-it seems it may be one of the children-”
Jason was already rushing out the door.
“And the Bat? Where is he in all this?” He yelled back.
The man stubbled after him, “He seems to be missing, Boss.”
Jason sneered. Batman missing? With another innocent child dragged into the mess that was the Joker’s and Batman’s never ending game? Not surprising.
“He’ll come, he always comes when it’s the Joker.” Jason mocked. He pushed his way out of the building and made his way towards his bike. “Give me the location.”
After the man shakily rattled off the address to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Crime Alley, just barely enough to be considered part of the Alley itself, the pieces began to fall into place. He turned back towards the man, “This child, do they happen to have blue eyes and black hair?”
The man froze, before nodding, if only a little uncertain, “I think so.”
Jason sneered. So the Joker wanted to play a little game, didn’t he? He would quickly find out that Jason was no longer willing to play those games, no longer willing to wait for vengeance. Red Hood did not need permission from any of the Bats to kill a rogue messing with his people. With children.
Red Hood gunned it down the street, clicking on his comm, a comm that connected him to all the men and women that worked for the Red Hood. “The Joker is in Crime Alley, soon the Bat and his cauldron will be as well. They do not have my permission to retrieve the Joker, nor do they have my permission to enter Crime Alley as a whole. Employ the tactics to delay and stall their invasion into Crime Alley. I’ll let you know when it’s over.”
After a few calls of confirmation, Red Hood clicked off the public comm, going to a more private comm with the higher ups he had elected for situations like these.
“Tell me everything you know.” He commanded.
Immediately someone began to raddle off information, their voice slightly tense, no doubt from the stress of the entire situation.
“Joker and his goons got here about 5 minutes ago, set up shop after they dragged in one of the street rats in there with them. Been holding them captive as a bargaining chip. We’re in a stalemate, Boss. Been waiting for you.”
“I see.” Jason gritted his teeth. 5 minutes, 300 seconds too long. Yet not long enough to have planned this on such a large scale. No, the Joker had been planning this ever since his escape from Arkham. Ever since he no doubt heard the rumors of Batman and Red Hood’s estrangement and no doubt thought there would be a good 'laugh’ poking around at it.
Jason gritted his teeth.
“E.T.A. 7 minutes. I’ll be there shortly.” Jason hoped that the Joker found this laugh worth it because it would be the last one he would have.
7 minutes later, cut shorter with a few shortcuts and driving like a demon out of hell, Jason arrived to see his men subtly surrounding the warehouse, their faces etched with tension and wariness, stances tense. No one else was out, no doubt his men had cleared everyone else out of the area as was standard protocol.
There were no points of access except for the high windows that Joker no doubt anticipated someone crashing through, and the door that would no doubt be guarded to the teeth.
His comm crackled to life. “The big Bat has been spotted. He seems to be accompanied by Robin, Red Robin, the purple one, and-Fuck! Nightwing!” No doubt the Black Bat was nearby. She just hadn’t been spotted. Not his men’s fault, even trained vigilantes life himself didn’t always manage to spot her in time.
Jason hummed, looked at the warehouse with the window, looked at the front entrance, and thought about the child that was running out of time. The child, whom Jason had spotted with his thermal vision, was curled up in a fetal position, too far away from the doors for that to be an optimal strategy for a quick retrieval. The window would be the better option of the two, it was closer. He made up his mind.
“Let Nightwing slip through.”
The comm crackled-“Thank God…I really don’t feel like having my ass handed to me by a pretty face, my self esteem is low enough as it is.”
Red Hood grunted, but couldn’t quite stop the corner of lips from twitching upwards.
A second voice jumped in, “Your comm is still on.”
“Shit!”
The comm crackled again then went silent.
Jason crept towards the door, counting the seconds, a grenade in one hand, a gun in the other.
“Nightwing has slipped through! Repeat, Nightwing has slipped through!” Shots sounded over the comm, one of his men yelling, cursing out the 'purple one’. Another one he could faintly hear taunting the 'Robin with anger issues and a big knife’ as he called him. All tactics that Red Hood had approved. Was it really petty if they worked?
He clicked his comm, “Everyone stays out, I’ll handle this with the Blue bird.”
A flash of blue-from his cover, Jason threw the grenade, his throw long but true, aimed at the steel doors and shot a single bullet, piercing the grenade right through the middle and causing an explosion to ripple through the air and smash through those same steel doors. Jason rushed forward, stomping over the mangled bodies of the men that had been guarding the door and firing a quick round of bullets towards those that had not died in the blast. No mercy for the men that worked for Joker. A quick death was mercy enough.
His guns fired off in succession, each bullet flying true, each bullet either maiming or killing, but never grazing. They fell to his feet, their blood rushing to form pools that Jason had to be careful not to slip on. Jason continued forward, never stopping or slowing, his bloody footprints the only evidence he had been there. And the dead bodies, of course.
He heard the Joker’s cackles before he saw him, felt the usual rush of disgust at being forced to play in his games, a mere pawn to bring the maniac amusement and entertainment.
That would end today.
“No fair,” Joker pouted, dragging the child from where she had laid slumped at his feet. Jason felt himself bristle at the sight of a discarded tire iron that had laid next to her. “You’re an early little bird! You were supposed to arrive with Batman! Where is he? Hmmm?” The Joker leered, uncaring for the child that had begun to struggle in his grip, jerking back and forth as she fought her way back to consciousness.
Blue eyes-flashing green?, barely visible from underneath all the bruises, stared back at him in horror, small hands pushed at a green suit that held them in place, shoes squeaking as they scrambled to get away. Blood ran like a river down their face, both from a bloody nose and the gash on their forehead, two black eyes sported the look. Dirty and mangled, but still, the Crime Alley kid still carried herself with a hint of defiance. There was a familiar regal air underneath her unkept appearance.
Jason felt a sliver of pride that the kid had fought so well even when hurt and cowed. Beaten but never broken, those were Crime Alley kids for you. Pride was quickly overtaken by the familiar rage that Jason only ever felt in moments like these. No one fucked with kids, not if he had anything to do with it.
20 steps away.
“A pity,” Red Hood snarled, “As Batman is a bit too caught up at the moment, you’ll just have to settle for dear ole me.” He mocked.
Jason stalked forward.
15 feet.
The Joker cackled, hooted and hollered, “Oh, but that’s the greatest joke of them all, isn’t it? The Bat might not care enough to show up for you, but he’ll definitely show up for me! You see, dear old Batsy always shows up for the Joker!” The Joker wiped away a stray tear, “Hah! What a laugh!”
10 feet.
Above them, a pair of soles shifted, an athletic body prepared to pounce.
The Joker went back to sneering at Red Hood, “You always know exactly how to make me laugh! Hmm, like father, like son, no?”
5 feet.
He recognized the girl, Sarah was her name. He had only one conversation with her but it had been about her name. Even then, Jason had always felt something familiar with her and her blue eyes that stared back at his. Shouldn’t they have been swirling green as well? They should be blue too?
'Names Sarah. Parents figured if they named me something pretty and simple, I’d have a pretty simple life-guess it didn’t work out the way they wanted it to, huh?’ She had run off after that, leaving Jason baffled at the sudden word vomit when the child had been quiet the whole time Jason had passed out water bottles. That had been a few days ago, Jason had yet to see her again, as Red Hood had kept him busy.
But even in all her silence, Jason had recognized she had felt the same familiarity that he had felt. Ellie?
4 feet.
The Joker snapped to attention, “Nuh uh uh!” He tutted, “No ending this game before dear ole’ daddy Batsy arrives.” He shifted, revealing his trump card. Red Hood stared silently at the clock, the timer attached to tnt, an exact replica to what had led to the death of the second Robin.
The comm crackled to life at that exact moment. “The Big Bat broke through! Repeat, Batman broke containment!”
Jason expected rage, he did not expect a sudden detachment from the entire situation. Suddenly-and if it weren’t for the child-Jason would have been utterly uninterested in anything the Joker had planned.
“Thought we could all do with a trip down memory lane, stir up some old feelings and hash some things out.” He smiled, but Jason saw no actual light in them, “Wouldn’t do for a father and son to be so estranged from each other.”
“No, No! It’s much more fun when both father and son are in on the fun! The more the merrier, am I right?”
Jason sneered, stretching out his limbs, while in a showful manner, it wouldn’t be good for him to be stiff.
Suddenly, the wild card of tonight spoke up, “More the merrier my ass!”
Above them, a faint sound of a grapple catching hold was heard.
Simultaneously, a lot of shit happened all at once.
Sarah sank her teeth into the hand that was holding her in place, eliciting a screeching yowl from the Joker, the vigilante that had been waiting for the right moment, finally crashed through the window, and the bullet that had not even left the barrel went wild as a batarang came crashing into it, sending the bullet away from between the Joker’s eyes and into…
Because Bruce was Batman, and Batman would always choose to 'save’ a rogue rather than save his 'son’.
Glass landed in shards all around him, the cackling of a madman could be heard and distinctly, he could hear the familiar soundless sound of Batman’s footsteps as he once again rushed forward to protect the Joker from the consequences of his actions, somewhere, Nightwing flounced about taking out the goons Red Hood hadn’t killed yet but Jason could no longer care about either one of them.
Sarah…Danielle?
Over the chaos of it all, the Joker made eye contact with him. his eyes gleaming with malice. “I told you Batsy would come! He always comes!”
“Now for the grand bit!”
With a cackle, the Joker prepared to launch the bomb into the air, but he paused, a giant grin spreading over his face, “What’s this?”
Blood was pooling, the problem was, it wasn’t the Joker’s, and it wasn’t Jason’s either. Jason felt his head grow light, felt his heart begin to pound, felt a growing dread begin in his stomach.
He distantly felt himself falling to his knees, why else would the ground be so close?
No.
No. No. No. No. No! No! No! No!
Sarah-Dani-lay sprawled out, like a discarded doll, one arm twisted over her face that was turned to the side, away from Jason, the other arm trapped underneath her, blood pooling around her head.
She wasn’t breathing.
Ellie?-Daughter?
No…
“Well, isn’t this interesting! Turns out the little birdie that never got to fly caught a stray!” The Joker crooned then tutted, “Poor thing!” Then he slapped his knee and hollard, “That’ll teach her not to bite!”
He wiped another mirthful tear from his face, “Oh…You Bats always manage to give me a laugh!”
Smoke must have filled Jason’s lungs cause suddenly he couldn’t breathe. The whole world moved in slow motion.
Then Jason was moving-fast but not fast enough-lurching forward, pulling the girl into his arms, cradling her still form. Her body was still warm.
Why did he believe that Batman would choose her?
He had not chosen him.
A faint scar crossing over his esophagus was answer enough, but Jason had always been a fool when it came to his heart. And his heart had always believed in second chances, hadn’t it? He had had a second chance in life, why not in this?
The helmet-he needed the helmet off! Jason was choking-He couldn’t breath-He-
Jason yanked his helmet off, letting it tumble to ground beside him, unregistering where that God awful screaming was coming from-or who was begging-and someone really needed to help them because they sounded so scared-and desperate-and Jason couldn’t help Sarah Ellie and whoever was screaming at the same time. He could only focus on her, first her, then whoever was making that God awful noise. Jason had never known a human to ever make a sound like that before, but by God, Jason never wanted to hear it again.
“No! Please! Please! No. No! No! God no, don’t do this to me! Please don’t do this to me! I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Jason wondered what they had done to be so apologetic. They must have done something really awful if they had to beg for forgiveness like that. Jason had heard people that were desperate before, but this was on a whole new level. God-someone should really help that person-Jason had to focus on Sarah!
(He could hear Nightwing attempting to soothe the guy but he must have been doing a terrible job because the guy only seemed to get louder and even more frantic-but Jason couldn’t worry about that-he had to help Sarah-Ellie-his daughter?!)
Sarah who wasn’t breathing…
He knew, oh how he knew, with a deep sinking bone despairing feeling, that he would not be getting this back either.
Help Sarah? Help Ellie? A flash of swirling green eyes-there had been more than one pair? Hadn’t there?
But Sarah couldn’t be helped anymore, could she? And whoever was screaming could wait, couldn’t they?
Jason looked up, at the Joker who was now madly cackling, who was leaning over the both of them as he taunted Batman and Nightwing, waving the detonator all the while, forcing them back, “Any closer and we all go boom! And wouldn’t that be a shame, because that would mean the show ends early-and we wouldn’t want that!-We’re barely just getting started!”
The Joker reached to brush away the grime from his purple and green suit, a fool with only tragedy in mind-no tall tales of fun or relief. None.
The Joker may be dressed as a fool, but it was Jason that would always be the fool. But what would happen when Jason didn’t want to be the fool anymore?
Well, now the man was laughing, and wasn’t that weird because there was nothing funny about any of this. They needed serious mental help. Laughter was not meant to sound that broken or hysterical, it was ranging on Joker level of insanity. Jason would recommend several shrinks to him after all of this, he’d follow up after to make sure the guy went, he did not need another rouge with a laughing gimmick on his hands.
The Joker must have heard it too, cause he snapped towards Jason, turning wide delighted eyes back at him, “See!” He pointed, hollering, “He gets the joke! It’s funny!” He sprang forward, “I’m glad someone is finally appreciating my jokes.”
Did Jason still count as someone?
I’m not a soldier.
Robin had never been made to be a soldier, even if the people around him had tried to turn him into one.
He glanced down at Sarah’s limp body, pushing the bloody strands of hair from her pale face. Never again would he see those beautiful blue eyes of hers, married with suspicion but unable to hide the cheeky mischief hidden deep within.
Again, Batman’s plan to prioritize life-even a madman’s life-even at the expense of others had fallen through. Always at the expense of others.
(B had been Jason’s back up plan, but look at how that had fallen through.)
It was nothing new.
Joker slapped his knee, ending down to peer at Jason, “Looks like your son has a better sense of humor than you, Batsy!”
The Joker had won. Again. He would always win this game, wouldn’t he?
(Batman had to win everytime, a rogue? Only once. Robin dying was enough proof of that.)
Jason giggled, rough and jagged, “Go bang!”
“What?” Joker tilted his head to the side, a morbidly curious expression on his face, “And he might actually be crazier than me now?”
It didn’t matter anymore. None of this mattered.
Even if Jason died a second time, his first death, the death of Robin, would be all that mattered.
“It doesn’t matter.”
None of this mattered.
The joker brightened, leaning in.
“Isn’t that the biggest joke of it all? Not even you matter, not anymore!”
The Joker’s face darkened, because while the Joker liked to claim nothing mattered as a way to get away with all the destruction he had wrought, he was still an egotistical bastard at the end of the day, “Of course nothing matters-”
At the very least making sure they were avenged, that they were not forgotten, or dismissed, that they were mourned properly. Mourned and remembered as the children of Crime Alley, the lost sons and daughters, hope extinguished-but never as a soldier. Never as a soldier.
“Then let us all go Bang!”
With a sneer, Jason raised his gun, pulling the trigger and one moment the Joker was sneering back at him, and the next his face no longer had the capacity to sneer, much less ever move again. With a hole in the middle of his eyes, the Joker fell, his body landing heavily to the side, blood pooling beneath him.
After all, his need to see the Joker dead had never been about the Joker, it had only ever been about whether or not Bruce had cared enough to avenge him.
Sarah had gotten the vengeance she deserved.
When Robin died, Red Hood came to life-and Red Hood was not a symbol of justice, he was a symbol of vengeance.
Jason closed his eyes, waiting for it to all end, for the bomb to take them all. To finally end all of Jason’s torment. But nothing happened.
That perhaps, was the biggest joke of them all.
Life would continue whether or not the Joker lived. Because the Joker was right, in the grand scheme of things, lives like the Joker’s did not matter, and their deaths? Even less.
But that man was sobbing now, and it was really grating on Jason’s last nerve-because shouldn’t they get the hint and shut the fuck up? Jason had a God damn headache and his bitch ass crying was not making it any easier.
He had to carry Sarah out of here.
“Is he dead yet?”
Jason snapped his head downward, seeing blue eyes squint at him in suspicion.
“What?” He croaked. Sarah?…Ellie, who was Ellie?
Daughter.
“I asked if that motherfucker was dead yet?” Sarah began to wiggle, then stopped, grimacing in pain, holding her side, then switching to clutch at her arm.
“You’re alive…” Jason said numbly, head groggy. The world was starting to spin.
“Duh, every girl knows to play as dead as a fish in situations like this. Ain’t the first time, won’t be the last! You cry like a bitch ass motherfucker by the way.”
Jason stared at her, taking in her still warm body, her breaths that were no longer being stilled, and the blood that was pouring from a gash in her arm-where the bullet must have grazed her-where the blood had come from.
Near him, something shifted, and Jason glanced up, only to see Batman, analyzing the splatter of the Joker’s brain. Jason didn’t have the time or energy to tell him to get the fuck out of Crime Alley. Someone moved closer to him, hovering over him, touching him, but Jason couldn’t quite feel it. Nor hear what they were saying, not when he was focusing so much on Sarah.
“Nope,” Sarah peered over at the Joker’s corpse, “He dead dead. No faking that! Not with a hole that big in his face, gee-Nice shot!”
“Medic,” Jason croaked out, shaking himself out of his revelry. “I need a medic!” As gently as he could, he clambered to his feet-someone helped him-probably why he did not collapse-but he didn’t know who-couldn’t find it in himself to care about that or anything but Sarah-but Sarah merely rolled her eyes in response.
“Oh look at me, first a damsel in distress, now a damned princess in a princess carry. I ain’t a doll, I won’t break if you jostle me! It’s not like I died, I just got shot!”
Then she huffed, “If I was you, I’d be more worried about the tears and snot running down your face! No bueno! Not a good look. Actually, you’d be doing me a huge favor,” she pointed at his face, “by cleaning that up.”
Something shifted to walk next to him, and Sarah cast her gaze on whatever it was, Jason hadn’t really identified-or identified it at all, really-it as a threat so it didn’t matter, “What’s with the guy in blue?” Then she glanced around, “None of you motherfuckers are allowed in Crime Alley. Get the fuck out. We don’t need no bastards like you coming in and rolling in the dirt with us Alley folk, get out! Why you tryna piss me off? First the Joker bastard kidnaps me and now you lot, today can’t get any worse.” She grumbled, settling in Jason’s arms, withdrawing into safety. Then she sprang up, and pointed, and Jason groggily followed it.
Vaguely, Jason could tell he was going into shock. Also, what was Batman still doing here?
“And you,” She spat vehemently, “I only got shot cause you were tryna save the Joker! What!? Is my life not as precious as that sociopathic clown!? What you tryna say?! If I wasn’t beaten black and blue, shot and needing a blood transfusion, I’d get up and beat some sense into your worthless piece of shit behind, you no good dirty-”
Jason reached up to slap a hand over her mouth. “Not worth it, he doesn’t learn, no point in it. Save your energy for something actually important.”
Sarah shot him a surprised glance, “Oh, so you mean he special?” Then she gave Batman a sideways glance, “You know what,” She said, expression deadpan as she looked him up and down as she appraised him in all his Bat glory, “You might be right.” She sneered, “He’s not worth it.”
“Let’s just go home, Dad.”
Daughter.
Jason stumbled, looking down at Sarah. Next to him, all around him actually, he heard gasps and murmurs. “Dad?” He whispered back at her.
“Figured you earned it after crying over me like that. We’ll talk about it more when we get home, Jason.” She winked at him. Though, Jason could see a touch of pink filling her pale cheeks, a shyness in her gaze. A recognition of who he was. From before-where everything had been green.
A flash of memory-green swirling eyes and impish laughter-a mischievous smile-and a deep riveting voice gently chiding both of them. Jason knew those eyes-those were Sarah’s?-Dani’s?-eyes.
Daughter.
Jason’s brained stalled. “Okay,” he whispered. “We can do that.” He said dumbly. “We can definitely do that.”
As long as Jason didn’t have to let go of Sarah, he was fine with that. Jason would give the world to make it up to her for having her involved in this mess.
So with gentle hands, Jason cradled his daughter. With rough hands, he protected her from the world. With a trigger he had pulled, he had killed the man that had hurt her.
And in this life, he had found her again.
That was a good start to any in fatherhood, he supposed.
“I’m sorry-” for not getting here in time-for not remembering everything-for leaving you with no idea where I went-for not finding you in time.
Sarah patted his shoulder amicably-“Knew you would find me-you always find me. Let’s just go home, yeah?” She coaxed, gently.
“Yeah, time to go home.”
He turned towards the Bats that stood before him, surrounding him, his mind a mess, his heart messier.
(Here he stood surrounded by destruction, and yet he had never felt more free. The aftermath of his death surrounded him and Jason had screamed 'I live, I’m alive, I will live’ and never before had he screamed so loudly. Jason was alive and the living waited for no one, not even for those that had died.)
“The Bat and his Cauldron are not welcome in Crime Alley.” His voice was a mere rasp, but it was loud in the aftermath of what had happened. Next to him, Nightwing flinched.
“Jaybird, please-”
Jason plowed on, “You know why, your moralities are a danger to me and my people. I have sacrificed everything of who I am to maintain the safety of Crime Alley, and yet in a single day, I almost lost something I could never ever hope to replace-a daughter-my daughter because some of you prioritize morality over saving innocent lives.” Pressed against him, he felt Sarah shift, looking downward, he pretended not to feel the sudden drops of wetness of his skin or the way her form was now slightly shaking as she clung to him. “I’m not willing to risk that again.” He hugged Sarah Dani tighter against him, closing his eyes as he remembered her too still form. “I can’t…I’m sorry. I’ve already lost too much already, I cannot lose her too.” Not again.
Jason remembered two pairs of green swirling eyes and a dinner table where a butler stood at attention.
“Jason?”
“I need you out of Crime Alley. And I need it to stay like that.”
Before him, the Bat-Family stood defeated, but it was Nightwing who still persisted. Never one to give up even in impossible odds.
“I’m sorry, Jason.”
Jason paused to look at him, to look at his brother.
“You were right, Jason. About everything, about this too. I was so caught in the past that I overlooked the present. I overlooked my own brother-and now-now I put your daughter in danger with my own carelessness-I…I’m sorry, Jason. One of the worst mistakes I have ever made was leaving the plaque up, not taking down the memorial, but the one I most deeply regret was letting my brother live with the notion that I didn’t love him. For that, I am truly sorry.” Then he glanced at Sarah, gaze remorseful, “And I’m sorry, that I almost cost you to lose everything, again.”
Say that you love me-that you want me, only me, not the 'me’ that you remember.
“You are my brother, I-you must know that I love you, Jaybird.”
Jason closed his eyes, too drained to cry another tear.
“Nightwing is not permitted in Crime Alley,” and Dick shoulders slumped, head hanging low, finally defeated, “But Dick is always welcomed.”
With a jerk, Dick whipped his head back towards Jason, a wide hopeful smile blooming on his face. Jason couldn’t help the way a wet laugh made its way out of him at the sight.
With his own slightly choked laugh, Dick sprang forward and wrapped his arm around both Jason and Sarah, much to Sarah’s displeasure.
It reminded him of bright exaggerated colors. It felt like the warmth of a black cloak, the smell of leather and the belief that no matter what happened he would be fine.
“Did everyone forget I need medical attention or did you think broken ribs could be solved with hugs and kisses? Get off me, you big fat lug! Does everyone cry like a baby in this family or something? Geez!”
Even so, Jason accepted his brother and his newly found daughter with gentle hands. Even as the ground beneath their feet began to soak in the Joker’s blood, igniting the cries of all the dead that had finally been avenged.
—–
In the infinite realms, the King stirs, sensing thousands of his people’s tragic deaths being avenged in a singular motion. Oddly enough, the action had not only been fueled with vengeance, but also fierce protection by a revenant, one of his own, for a reincarnation of one of his fraid-his daughter-Ellie-had been in danger. The revenant had protected her. A flash of green rage coiled around him-hadn’t Clockwork told him that that universe would be safe for her to reincarnate into? A much needed respite? He had promised her safety.
He had already lost Jason-his core-mate, his lover, his friend, his Queen, he would not tolerate losing his daughter.
Beneath the Joker’s corpse, the blood that had spilled from his final wound began to form something, spreading out to create a bubbling glowing green sigil. Only when the sigil was complete, did the green glow as brightly as the sun.
By then, the Bats and Birds had noticed too little, too late.
The King was coming.
And he was not happy.
Continuous of 'If I could love you, I would. (Soulfully, you know I would.)’, 'Would you love me as I am, not as you remember me?’ and 'When I left the past behind…I left you behind too’
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