Figured Jason had to make things right, so here's a little one shot.
A Visitor to the Batcave
Jason was back in his safe house after his run in with Dick, and he was still shaken up by what happened the night before. He knew that he needed to check on his 'older sister', but he didn't want to start a war in the cave. He took more time and finally chose the option to go and visit her.
BUTRHBUTRH
She just got shot 36 hours ago, but she so wanted her own bed; instead she was on a medical bed in the Batcave. Flamebird had been shot by Joker with one of Red Hood's special Kevlar penetrating bullets, and the bullet had been very close to her heart. She was resting, and almost asleep, when a figured started coming toward her.
"I'm sorry, Rei-Bird." The deep, yet familiar voice said.
"Don't blame yourself, Jay." Flamebird, well right now Reiena Grayson, said.
"How do you know it's me?" 'Jay' asked.
"In my 14 years of staying in Gotham, Jason Todd was the only person to call me Rei-Bird. My fire shield was how Joker got free, it's my own fault." Reiena stated.
"If I didn't keep those special bullets loaded, maybe you wouldn't be in this mess." Jason said, finally walking into the light, and seeing Reiena now looking at him.
"We all take risks, and besides, if you had shot Bruce, me or Dick; you wouldn't have shot to kill, sure we'd have a bullet wound but we'd be alive." Reiena remarked.
"Why didn't he just kill Joker five years ago?" Jason questioned, looking Reiena right in her eyes.
"Look at the way you turned out. You were raised just like Dick and I were, with a no killing philosophy. When you came back, that was taken away and you weren't scared to kill. Sure you wouldn't kill any of us on purpose, and even though you're only killing drug dealers and crime bosses it's still wrong. Everyone, even Joker, deserves their day in court. Bruce watched his parents die right in front of him. Do you really think he could ever kill anyone, even a villain?" Reiena answered.
"Bruce never cared about me, just saw me as a replacement for Dickie-bird. I could never move like Dick did or even escape as fast. Bruce kept pushing me and trying to turn me into a copy of your brother." Jason said.
"Jason Peter Todd; I can't believe you'd ever think that. Dick and I were not Bruce's favorites; we were just the first kids he took in. Sure Dick could move the way he does at a young age, but that came from years of being in the circus." Reiena said, a bit of anger but more annoyance in her voice.
"Okay, go ahead, yell at me, but you know I'm right." Jason remarked.
"I'm not going to yell; just think about it. All of us were lost at one point or another in our lives. Dick and I lost our parents to a mob boss' desire to bilge the circus out of protection money, and you were on the streets at a young age. Bruce saw not only potential in us as crime fighters, but also saw a chance to help children that were on their own with no one to take care of them." Reiena said, but this time, she grimaced as she moved the wrong way.
"I still can't turn back now, I'm grateful to Bruce for taking me in, but I can't forgive him for not avenging me by killing Joker. I want you to know that I ….well."
"I understand about turning back, and I think you said enough when we met after all these years apart." Reiena said, but then she had a look like she was concentrating on something. "I hear footsteps; you better get out of here before Dick decides to fight you again. Not to mention what Bruce is going to do next time he sees you."
"Alright, Rei-Bird, I'll see you later." Jason said, and with that he headed back into the shadows and for the exit to the cave.
Soon enough, Bruce and Dick came walking up to the hospitalized heroine. "He was here wasn't he?"
"So what, Bruce, he may be a killer and drug dealer now, but he's still my baby brother." Reiena said, looking at her father and brother.
"I can't believe he'd have the nerve to come here." Dick said; his fists so tight that his knuckles were almost white.
"You'd do the same if you were in Jason's shoes. At least he still cares about some things." Reiena said. "He will stay on the path he's on now, but he needed to be straightened out on a few things too."
"Alright, well I'm sure he'll stay away from here from now on. The way he was when you started to fall, I knew he still cared about some things, and he wanted to make sure you were alright." Bruce said, thinking about what his daughter had told him.
"I'm going to rest now. We'll see Jason again, even if he's on the other side of the law now." Reiena said as she turned her head away from the two men and they looked at each other then left out to let the fire controller rest from her ordeal.
Bruce and Dick knew in their hearts that the fire controller was right, so they headed out, not giving Jason's visit another thought.
BUTRHBUTRH
Safe House, One Hour Later
It took a bit of time, but the deadly vigilante returned to his home. He removed his helmet and domino mask then sat on his rickety bed. He was glad that Reiena was alright, and that she was able to keep him sane with what she said. He had always felt like he was just a street kid that Bruce took in out of pity, but Reiena proved that Bruce's love for him as a son was as strong as it was for Dick and her.
"You always can make me understand, Rei-Bird."
He had to get up at dusk to handle the drug dealers under his rule, so he decided to lay down and get some sleep before his long night.
Two Hours Later
Jason still slept, but he was tossing and turning a little bit.
Reiena stood perched on a building's edge and she suddenly started falling…and from Jason's point of view a hand shot out but Reiena continued to fall.
The vigilante shot up and his eyes were wide open. It took him some time to realize that he was in his bed, but when he did, Jason swung his legs off and sat there. Not only was Reiena the one that helped him when Dick wasn't around, but he also loved her.
"She always has someone to catch her when she falls, whether it's Bruce, Dick; and if they can't help, I'll sure as hell be there for her. I just hope nothing like what happened the other night never happens again." Jason said to himself as he got over the sweats he had from the dream he just woke from. With that, he lay back down to try and get a good rest before his next trip out to Gotham's underbelly.
