"..You're an idiot, you know that?"
Silence that lasted a full ten seconds. The hum of a motorcycle filled its place.
"This is crazy."
Roy Harper was exasperated. The man sounded tried and no doubt looked it. They all did anymore. Roy's voice had it's usual drone of annoyance and slight contempt. He was miles away, but there was definitely a stern frown in place as he spoke. Arms crossed across a firm chest, teeth clenched tight, Roy may have been frowning and a bit of a sour puss, but he did have a point.
At least Roy sounded sober if nothing else.
A rare thing anymore.
Crazy.
It was crazy. More than crazy actually, but Jason couldn't admit that out loud. His hands gripped the accelerator, pushing for more speed.
"Come on Harper, don't be like that," Jason reasoned, "Besides, you know how I feel about reunions," His lip sneered over the word.
Roy Harper sighed, giving an audible pop over the intercom, "That's what I'm afraid of."
Reunions and Jason Todd were like oil and water, no matter how hard you tried, they could never mix.
"Don't be such a nag."
"Jason, I don't think you realize.."
"That Gotham's taken a real spin down the shitter?" Jason finished for him. He knew. With evidence of that fact lying all around them, it was pretty hard to miss, especially with Roy's constant bitching, "How can I forget when you keep reminding me?"
Roy's voice lowered, "It's not just Gotham," He cautioned darkly, "you know that."
Jason let one hand fly loose, gesturing to the unseen man in his headset, "Fine, the whole goddamn world. Whatever." Roy's insinuations were that Jason lacked a pair of eyes and any common sense. That he hadn't lived under an oppressive sky for three years. They all knew the world had turned to shit, it wasn't exactly a secret. "It's really a shame how little places there are left to build that summer home I've always wanted." Jason said sarcastically and rolled his eyes, "I'm not blind, Roy."
Roy avoided Jason's cynicism with practiced ease, "I just don't understand why you're doing this. It's moronic."
Jason grinned, "Thanks for the encouragement."
"I'm serious. Why are you doing this Jason? Why do you even care?"
Jason couldn't give the answer he knew Roy wanted. He didn't have one. He only admitted one thing, "I'm tired of hiding, Roy."
The message was crumpled and lay heavy in his back pant pocket. Jason had read over it at least a dozen times.
Dick Grayson's name, a plea and an address.
Three years, Jason thought about the fall of Gotham and how he'd refused to help, how he'd ignored their cries. He refused to ignore Dick a second time, he couldn't. "Grayson wants help, fine. I'll give him some. Feels only right."
The divide was built after the fall. After the man of steel had destroyed half the planet and killed any who opposed him. Roy, Jason, Kory, others had fallen to the wayside, laying low in the shadows, but everyday had been a struggle. Jason refused to pick one side either way, good or evil, he didn't believe in following anyone but himself. He was done with the heroes, rejected from them, but he certainly wasn't following any madman either.
Jason hadn't fought. Even when Bruce, Dick and the others had fallen, Jason had refused to fight. Even when they needed him, he'd held his hand and told them to piss off. If guilt was what he felt when he read the letter, it seemed only right.
Right and yet wrong considering one very important fact. Dick Grayson was dead.
Or so Jason had thought.
Roy too.
The wind swept the intercom with a strong whipping sound, "It's been three years, Jason. Why contact you now if he's been alive all this time? Assuming it's even him."
Jason eyes narrowed at the thought, "Don't know if you've heard, but me an the bat-clan were a bit at odds. We didn't exactly swap recipes at family dinners or anything. Communication was a bit of a problem area for us, but this is definitely Dick's handwriting." That he knew.
Batman and his small flock of birds, none of them truly understood good, solid contact. It was all about masks and hiding. Avoidance was a sport between them.
"Still, might be a trap or something."
"Dick doesn't do traps," That took intelligence, something Dick Grayson severely lacked.
"Odd that he knew were to send the message." Roy mumbled, "Where's he been all this time?"
More answers Jason didn't have. "The fuck should I know?"
Roy might have found the venture useless, but he had his needles and drink to comfort himself with. He'd fallen more than Jason had ever seen him. The final nail had been Kory's body, cold and lifeless, broadcast with the rest of the heroes. A warning to all who would oppose the new order. Roy was broken, even more so than Jason. Roy had lost hope, lost everything and Jason didn't know what to do with him anymore.
Roy had found his drugs and Jason had no one left to rely on. Then the message came, written in Dick's handwriting, begging for his help. Calling Jason to Gotham.
So Jason answered.
Gotham. It'd been too long.
Jason's foot found the edge of the road as he stopped the bike. His red helmet pulled off and revealed short, unevenly trimmed hair caked in a layer of dirt and sweat. A hand rose to wipe at the moistness at his forehead. Jason's body was tight and cramped from too many hours of riding. Tired. He peered across the skyline. Across the city scape. There was light, the feeling of life, but it was..
Dark.
Roy said something Jason didn't hear.
It was really, really dark.
Roy sounded aggravated on his end, "You're not even listening, are you?"
Jason shook his head for no one to see, "It's bad Roy."
"I know."
"No," Jason swallowed and shook his head again. It was nothing like either of them could have imagined Gotham would become. His eyes continued to scan the shadow, the blackness surrounding everything. The darkness of a void. Gotham had become a void. Even more lifeless than it had ever been. Everything looked, felt wrong. "It's really, really bad Roy."
"I know," Roy repeated quieter, more resolute. "Jason, you know you don't have to do this."
"Yeah Roy, I do."
There was another pause, "It's not going to make a difference, nothing is." Roy was back on another one if his woe is me speeches.
Typical. It was getting so damn typical.
Jason knew he was losing him, "When I get back we're having a serious talk about getting you some Prozac or something, this whole moping bullshit has got to stop." Harsh words, but Roy needed to hear them.
There was a long pause, Jason thought they might have been disconnected, but Roy finally spoke.
"When..if you get back, I'll be gone," Roy said calmly, "That's the real reason I called you, besides to tell you what a dumb ass you're being. Jason, I'm joining."
"Joining?" Jason snorted as if it where a bad joke, but his throat suddenly hurt, "Joining what? Hopefully, you mean AA because you're obviously drunk."
"I haven't touched anything in a week," Roy said coldly, he sounded hollow, "I'm done with it, for good. I'm joining them. I can't do this anymore. You're getting reckless and dangerous and after Kory,I..I just can't deal with it anymore. Like you said, I'm done running."
Roy sober was far more serious, severe and clearheaded than a man using so many different narcotics had any right to be. He was serious, more serious than he'd been in ages.
Serious and even more broken.
It made the words all the more painful to hear.
Jason's teeth ground over a smile, his breath was sharp, "Are you fucking kidding me? If this is a joke, it ain't fucking funny." The question wasn't in humor. Honestly, Jason had been waiting for this. The final break between them.
Though complete surrender, Jason hadn't expected that.
Roy said his words carefully "It's not a joke, Jason. If you have a fucking death wish, I won't stop you. But let's face it.." The next words cut Jason even as he tried not to let them, "it's over." Roy's voice remains strong, "I'm finished and so are you. It's time to throw in the towel. We can't win."
Jason narrowed his eyes, Roy sounded sober, but he was spouting nothing but nonsense, "You're pussying out on me, now? After everything we've been through?"
"I told you, I'm not running anymore, I'm not relying on anymore friends. That's all I've ever done and look where it's gotten me, Ollie, Kory, I'm not losing anymore."
"So you're ditching the last one you've got?" Jason asked with venom, "Fuck you Harper. You're nothing but a goddamned coward."
There was a quiet and Jason could feel his heart beat in his own ears, then a whisper, "I know. But it's the only option left. We can join them or die, that's it."
That was it, the last person Jason had, Roy was abandoning him. Just like everyone else, Roy was leaving him too.
Jason should have been used to it by now, but he wasn't, the feeling never got any easier to deal with, "What about Kory? What the fuck would she think about this?"
Koriand'r, Starfire, their only true friend, the third part of their trio.
The reply was flat, "Kory's dead, Jason." Roy continued callously, "They're all dead, Ollie, Dinah, Bruce, Tim, Babs," His breath hitched, "Dick, they tried to fight it and they couldn't win. This is the world now Jason, it's time to accept it. Like they couldn't. Let's be smarter than them. "
Jason fumed, He bit the inner corner of his lip. He wanted to punch Roy in the face. Punch him till his hands were bloody and raw. Bringing up those names like Roy had any right. All Jason could do was punch his bike. "You're lucky I can't fucking hit you right now."
Roy had waited to tell him on purpose, so Jason couldn't pummel him senseless. Like the coward that he really was.
"Jason I.." Roy stalled, he didn't know what to say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to die. Not like Kory, I'm done fighting them."
Jason asked quietly, deadly, "So you'd rather fight me instead?"
"If I have to," Roy admitted.
"They'll probably kill you."
"They only kill you if you fight. I have to try if nothing else. I'm putting my hands up, Jason."
Surrender. Roy was surrendering.
Roy was lost to him, gone and Jason knew he was dead serious.
Jason saw the color reflected in his helmet, everything seemed tinted in red, a mask of color. He felt dizzy and sick, but mostly he was pissed. Roy had made his choice and Jason had to accept it, like it or not. "If dying's what your afraid of then you better hope we don't see each other again."
Roy didn't respond, but Jason knew he was listening. "Because I can guarantee you this much Harper, if I ever see your pathetic face again, I'll put a bullet right through it." For Kory, if nothing else.
Roy didn't relent, he hardened. Jason had made his decision and Roy his. "That goes both ways, Todd."
The line cut.
Jason threw the device from his ear and crunched it with his boot. The sound was oddly satisfying. Jason wouldn't need it anymore. He didn't need it or Roy. Jason knew he was too attached, had been for awhile.
It's better this way.
Kory had been wrong, Jason worked better alone, always had.
Jason's sight was set to the tallest tower he could find.
Wayne. Wayne Tower still stood. After everything, it was still as big and bright as ever.
Jason killed the engine. He'd deal with Roy later if he had to.
The gun fell smoothly into Jason's gloved palm.
Who needed friends anyway?
Certainly not Jason Todd. Certainly not the Red Hood.