CHAPTER ONE

He hadn't worn a suit since he was Robin. Not a real one. He'd had plenty of Robin suits. He'd broken one almost every night that they went out on patrol and he was pretty sure that alone was the sole reason that he was Alfred's favorite. Jason had needed him more than the others. Even if it was just because he was reckless and clumsy, because, if you are coming after the golden boy- charm really didn't get you anywhere. All of his suits after that never really felt super. It was just what he wore until it broke, then he would replace it again. But he'd had this suit for a while, he'd just hope that he'd never have to wear it.

The car ride to the manor was silent. The four of them hadn't been in the same place all at once since Grayson had run off to play Spiral. Those had been the good days. When Dick was gone and Tim was still talking to him. He glanced at him in the rearview mirror. Alfred was driving and he had taken the front seat so that the three actual brothers could mourn their father. Dick was watching Damian who was messing with his phone acting like he wasn't upset at all, but he had his hand clenched tight in Dick's with no sign of letting go. Dick's other hand was on Tim's knee. It was perfectly brotherly, but the sight of it had been enough to have his hands balling at his sides and his eyes moving forward. Tim wasn't looking at any of them. His eyes were straight out the window, watching the city go by them as they made their way back home.

There wasn't anyone following them. Bruce had been buried at the manor two days prior but the city had also had a ceremony, closed casket of course, and a second grave made up for him in a, now empty, local plot. So they all went. The three of the living sons accepted condolences while Jason waited in the car to avoid suspicion and tried not to mope about something so stupid. Which he knew it was. But that didn't make any of this suck any less.

They sat for a minute when they pulled up to the manor, the weight of the day and the onslaught of people keeping them glued to their seats. Only Alfred saying, "I will have dinner ready in half an hour" pulled them out of the car. They went their own ways when they actually got inside. He watched Dick go up to the attic and Damian head out on the grounds. Jason walked up the stairs to Bruce's study and stood in the doorway, willing himself to feel nostalgic but he got nothing from it. He hadn't spent enough time in this house to feel anything but formal discomfort when he was there. He stepped inside and looked around at all of the books, the papers that were still spread across Bruce's desk that he hadn't gotten around to.

"It was a nice service." He jumped a little when Tim showed up in the doorway. He was always too quiet, and sneaking up on Jason was his favorite past-time.

There was a ghost of a smile on his face that Jason couldn't help but return as he shrugged. "It looked better from the car. Not as much color or crying." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and let himself really look at Tim for the first time since… a long time. He looked smaller somehow. Sad. But mostly he looked tired. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Tim just shrugged. And after that he shook his head and laughed in a humorless way. "Dinner is ready. We probably shouldn't keep Alfred waiting."

None of them ate very much. But they sat there longer than they needed to anyway, none of them wanting to get to what they were there to hear. It was Alfred who rushed them off to the cave so that he could clean, telling them he would be in with the papers shortly. They were quiet. Dick sat at the computer with Damian on his lap, while Jay and Tim sat on one of the evidence tables close by, looking around at the cave that had made all of them.

Alfred had made quick work of the kitchen and when he came down he had four envelopes with each of their names written on them. Damian opened his first and read it over quickly and silently, nodding to himself as he went along. "He wants me to go to the Titans," was all he said and they all looked at Dick to go next.

He read his more slowly than Damian had. And when he spoke his voice was thick. "He… left me Damian," was all he said and he looked at the boy on his lap. Jason would have expected him to lash out and say he wasn't a toy to be passed off but he just sat quietly and settled little further back into Dick's chest.

Tim was next. His hands trembled as he pressed his thumb under the seal and shook out the heavy letter. His was longer than the others, detailed with direct orders but, at the end of it, all Tim said was, "He gave me the company." Jason put an arm around him as the shock set in and then they were all looking at him.

Jason ripped his envelope open and pulled out the single small white letter that had two words etched into it in a tiny neat sprawl. He drew in his eyebrows. "It just says 'The Cowl.'"

The computer sprang to life at his words and read back, "Voice recognition, Jason Todd. Video access granted."

The screen went dark for a minute and then Bruce was there staring at all of them, still half in his suit and looking like he had just had a particularly rough night. Jason sprang to his feet and stepped closer almost like he thought he could touch him if he reached out but stopped himself right before he got to the desk. The video of Bruce sighed and somehow managed to look right at Jason even when he wasn't really there. He was quiet for a minute, just looking at them until, "I never intended on any of you having to take this from me." His voice was like a fresh punch to the gut as he waited for his next words. "When I started training Dick, I told myself that the Robins were a contingency plan. If I ever went the wrong way that they would be the end. They would do what had to be done to make sure that I was stopped. But I never saw that in Dick. I didn't see it in Tim or Damian. They are good men with large hearts. They cannot do the things that you and I know have to be done Jason." He swallowed hard feeling the gaze of four people shift to him all at once. "I know you never asked for this-"

"No." Dick protested confused but the video kept going.

"I know that I failed you in a way that I can never be forgiven. But Gotham has always been your city. As much yours as mine. I trust that you understand what I mean when I say that the Red Hood can wait. Gotham needs a Batman." He typed something into the computer and kept talking. "In the case of my death, I would like you to take the cowl. The manor, the cave. Our resources are all yours. The codes have been updated to fit you, voice command has been changed to your voice and your access level will have no limit." He looked at the screen again. At Jason through it and never blinked. "I hope you finally see that I trust you. With everything I have. You are the only one I would want to have this burden because I know you can take it." the computer dropped back into the flat blank screen that it had been before but no one had been watching it for quite some time.

"This has to be a joke right?" Dick was the first to talk. Jason didn't look at him, he still just couldn't believe this was happening. "Jason has the least training of all of us. I mean he was only Robin for a few months! He-"

"Is the best option." Alfred said from right behind Jason, a comforting hand tightening on his shoulder. "Master Bruce always knew that if things went badly, Jason would be the one to step up and do what needed to be done." He held a hand up to Dick when he tried to talk again. "It is done. Let it be done."

Dick stood up and glared at him hands balled into fists at his side. "You didn't even want to be a part of this family." He hissed furiously, "You don't deserve this."

"Neither do you." Tim bit at him, finally joining the conversation. "It's not like Jason asked for this."

"Jason never asks for anything. Bruce was always so guilt driven by him getting himself blown up that he-"

"I don't want it." They all stopped and looked at him. He was staring at the letter. The one with two words on it in Bruce's handwriting, the heaviest letter he'd ever received. He looked up at Dick, his throat burning as he glared at him. "If you are going to cry about it then take it. You did such a good job last time." He barked at him and shook Alfred's hand off of him, marching back up to the manor and out the door. He wanted to be in his bunker. He wanted to be alone.

Tim ran a hand over his face as Jason stormed out. Dick turned to him. "You know this is a mistake," he looked to Damian who was sitting in the chair Dick had just vacated staring at Dick with wide eyes.

Damian refused to look at him. He hadn't even acknowledged that Tim was there since it happened. He'd heard him. Dick had been so quiet when he told Damian. The boy had refused to accept it. He'd yelled at Dick for lying to him. Then he'd said it. "It's Drake's fault." Dick had said something, but it didn't matter. He needed someone to blame. Tim looked at his little brother now. He could take that blame. But he wasn't letting him lose the last person in his life.

He stood up, stepped up to Dick. He looked him straight in the eye. "Bruce gave you the one thing that mattered the most to him. Damian needs you. Gotham can survive without Bruce. Can he?" he whispered the last question and Dick's anger washed out. The grief was still there underneath it all. He doubted that it would be going anywhere any time soon.

Dick turned and looked at Damian who was just staring at the letter in his hands. Dick gathered Damian in his arms. Tim had turned to leave when Alfred touched his elbow. He sucked in a breath and met Alfred's eyes. He knew Alfred wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth he seemed to lose his words. He touched Alfred's elbow and gave him a brief smile. A reassurance that he didn't need to worry about him. He knew it would do very little good, but he had to try.

Jason was in the garage. He was cursing and kicking at his bike. He tried again, but the engine refused to turn over. He grabbed a key to the Ferrari and the lights flashed as the doors unlocked. Jason looked up from his bike. He shot him a smile and climbed into the passenger seat. Jason slid into the driver's seat. He handed over the keys. The engine roared to life. Jason drove carefully through Bruce's collection of cars. None of them as loved as the one below, but all cherished. He rubbed the permanent marker on the edge of the seat. Bruce had done it when he was a kid. He'd gotten bored while his dad had worked on the engine and had drawn stick figures across the original leather seats.

"You can do it," he said letting his head rest against the seat as the wind rushed through his hair. It was a rare day in Gotham. The sun was out, the smog had lifted. It felt like the city was apologizing for taking Bruce from them. Jason sighed.

"No one wants me to be Batman," Jason said softly, so quietly the wind almost whisked it away.

"Bruce does. I do," he looked over to Jason. "You can do this." Jason glanced at him, for just a second before focusing on the road ahead of them.

He expected to go back to Jason's bunker. Jason, for all his bravado and insisting to do things on his own, needed a safe space that was just his. So when they pulled up in front of Tim's building he was a little surprised. Jason turned off the car once they had pulled into his space in the parking garage. He played with the keys before handing them back to him. Their hands rested together between the seats. He watched Jason push open the door and climb out of the car. "Are you going to sit there all day?" Jason asked. He followed him through the aisles and into the elevator. Jason hadn't been there before, and yet he knew the floor and didn't hesitate when the doors opened. He pressed his thumb against the lock on the door, earning an eye roll.

"Why would he do this?" Jason asked as soon as the door shut. "Why?" Jason asked voice breaking. He looked up at him and moved. Jason's arms wrapped around him as soon as his head touched his chest. He held on. "I'm not ready for this," Jason whispered into his hair, his voice ragged with tears that he refused to shed. Tim just hugged him tighter. There were things that he could say. Words that might convince him that he would be ready, but Tim just wanted to be held for just a little bit longer. Just wanted to pretend that they were still together, that Bruce wasn't dead, and that he was happy. That they were happy.

He didn't know how long they stood in his entryway holding each other, but Jason yawned and he realized just how tired he was. There had been so much to do. There hadn't been any time to sleep. He pulled Jason in to the living room. Jason sat down, shifting onto his back as he settled in. He pulled a blanket around his shoulders and joined him on the couch. He wrapped his arms around Jason as best he could and closed his eyes, listening to the steady beats of his heart. Jason shifted and he settled more comfortably onto the couch. He felt something brush against the top of his head. It reminded him of his mother when he was young.

He woke up slowly. Jason was still asleep, his breaths a relaxed rhythm. He sat up carefully moving the blanket so it still covered him. Jason looked younger when he slept. His face relaxed and carefree. He grabbed a bottle of water and settled in the recliner across the room. He pulled out Bruce's letter, crumpled from getting stuck between them.

The letter began with simple instructions. He'd expected the first few lines. They had talked enough about his future that he knew Bruce wanted him to take over WE. He skimmed his thumb over his name at the top of the page in Bruce's precise handwriting. He reread the letter, taking his time. He looked up at Jason, he'd pulled the blanket tighter around him in his sleep.

I have rewritten this and cannot find the right words. I don't think there are any. Just know that I am proud of you. I am proud of the man you have become. I know that I don't say that enough. I have let you down. I have let you all down, but you most of all. You've lost so much. I watched the hope fade from your eyes with each person and did nothing. You are one of the strongest people I know. Do not let the darkness consume you as it consumed me.

He closed his eyes and held the paper to his chest. Bruce continued on, but his chest ached.

"What does it really say?" Jason asked.

Tim looked at him, eyes dry. "He told me that he'd chosen you." he folded the letter carefully and slipped it back into his suit pocket.

There was more, there always was, but Jason didn't want to fight about it right then. He sat up, his head feeling heavy like he was getting over a cold and his skin was freezing. He pushed the blanket off of him and got up, walking over to the window. The nice day was gone and it was another rainy night in Gotham, no signal in the sky- like the rest of the city knew somehow that no one would answer it. But it would be up. Too soon the signal would be shining in the clouds and Bruce had left Jason to answer it. Jason of all people.

"Do you think this is a test?" he said finally into the quiet of the apartment. "Do you think that somehow, somewhere Bruce is watching us to see how we handle all of this?" he knew that he sounded stupid and hopeful like some little kid.

Tim smirked at him. "Yeah that would be great." He told him sarcastically, "You respond so well to tests."

And there it was. It always came eventually. The small hint at their past that made the present too painful to stay in. He felt the pain and panic rising back in his throat again and turned back to the room. "I should go." He told Tim grabbing the keys and heading for the door.

His hand was on the door knob when Tim's closed around his wrist. "Where are you going to go?" he asked suspiciously.

Jason closed his eyes trying very hard not to roll them at the door. He thought about lying. "I don't know." He said instead. Tim didn't let go of his arm so he turned around. "What?" he asked.

"You aren't going to run are you?" he asked.

Jason snorted humorlessly. "And go where?"

Tim continued as if he didn't answer, "Because if you do, I know a team of highly qualified Meta humans that can find you."

"Tim."

"And I swear-"

"Tim." He grabbed him by his shoulders and made him look at him. He let go. "I'm going back to the manor- home I guess. If you need me, I'll probably be there until I can figure out what's going on. Okay?"

Tim blinked and nodded at him. "Okay." He told him calling, "I'll see you tomorrow." as he shut the door.

Tim was in the kitchen with Alfred before he'd even woken up looking all pressed and professional in a green sweater with a stack of papers in front of him. Jason knew he looked like a mess. He'd spent four hours hitting things down in the cave when he got back and passed out in an old pair of sweats and a Gotham knights t-shirt that hadn't fit him since he was fourteen. "Good morning Master Jason." Alfred said warmly, putting a cup of coffee in his hands and pushing him into a chair. Jason blinked as a plate was placed in front of him and frowned. He had forgotten what this was like. He was going to have to get used to this again. To having people.

He drank his coffee and watched them. Tim crossing through contract lines and adding notes and Alfred bustling around them, setting food on the table and wiping down counters. He picked at a pancake, he never really had much of an appetite in the mornings. "We have a busy day." Tim told him still flipping through his document. "You should eat. We won't have time later."

He put down his fork and took a deeper drink of coffee. "What are we doing?" he asked, his voice was husky from his late night and he grinned when Tim glanced up at it. He'd always had a thing for Jason's morning voice.

Tim forced his eyes back down. "You're coming to work with me."

"Why?" he asked forcing himself to take a bite of pancake.

"Lucious needs to get your…measurements." He said clearing his throat.

Jason pushed the plate away and went to take a shower. He wasn't hungry after all.

He felt naked being dressed in the clothes that Bruce has always hoped he would wear. The jeans fit too well and the the red cotton shirt felt like it was tailored for him. Jason threw his jacket over it and followed Tim out to the car he had waiting in the front. They sat together in the back not talking to each other as Gotham sped past them, the morning yelling and honking into traffic was surprisingly relaxing. He sat back in the seat and let his eyes shut. He hadn't realised that he dozed off until Tim shook him awake.

The receptionist sat up a little straighter as they approached, fixing Tim with a million watt smile. "Good morning Mr. Drake." she said immediately and turned to Jason with flirty eyes. "Who is your associate?"

"This is Jason Todd," he told her easily. Jason had never been one to visit Bruce at work or show up to work functions with dad. His name wouldn't be in the system. "My boyfriend." The receptionist blinked and tried to make it look like she wasn't surprised. "Will you please have a badge made for him?"

"Yes sir," she agreed instantly and snapped a quick picture of Jason before shooing them to the elevator.

Jason smirked at him when the doors closed. "Boyfriend, hm?" he asked. "What exactly did Bruce write you?"

Tim flipped him off. "Unless you want to be put on as a member of the board then shut it." He told him. "You need a reason to be here on a regular basis. I'm your reason."

"Yes sir." He saluted and Tim punched his arm.

Tim knew that it was the easiest explanation, but he'd spent most of the night before thinking of some other reason. Some reason that didn't remind him of what they'd had. It was too easy to slip back into old routines. Their relationship had started like that, just settling into a patrol rhythm together. And then they were just… together. He hadn't even noticed. He'd woken up one morning and realized they were dating. He wouldn't let that happen again.

He walked past Bruce's office steps stuttering when he saw the name still etched on the glass door. Jason's words cut off. He glanced back to see that he had stopped. Jason was looking into the office his expression too open.

Tim shook his head. No matter how much Dick denied it, Jason had wanted to be part of the family. Every time Tim would come home from a rare dinner he'd ask how it went, eager for any news on his siblings. He'd listen to every story like he couldn't get enough. He was always there when they needed him. Tim took Jason's hand. He missed Bruce, as much if not more than they did. Jason gripped his hand tightly. He let go as they walked into his office.

"Fox will be down in a few. You can get some sleep if you want." he pointed to the couch, he'd specifically had brought in for his power naps. It didn't exactly go with the design of the office, but it was comfortable. It got used more than his bed at his apartment did. There never seemed to be enough time to actually get in bed. Instead he found time for a quick nap on the couch while he worked on a case or a report. Or just a few minutes to close his eyes between work and patrol. Occasionally Bruce would stop by to make sure he left. He'd study the photos on his shelves like he hadn't looked at them before while he finished what he was working on and they'd head back to the manor together. They had been some of his favorite moments.

Jason was looking at the photos now. He had pictures of the whole family. Stephanie and Cass featured in most of them. The only picture he had of Damian was with Dick. Dick was making a face and Damian was rolling his eyes a smile tugging at the corners. He'd seen Bruce smiling at that picture too many times to count. He had a few of the Titans, mostly of them in their street clothes. He could tell when Jason saw it. His shoulders raised as he tensed. He only had one picture of Kon on the shelf. He had still been Robin. Kon hadn't even known his name yet. They were all in costume. Bart had dragged them all out into the crowds of people all dressed up for Halloween. He'd met three other Robins that night. Kon had posed, flexing, with every Superman he saw. It had been a fun night, none of them had wanted it to end. Cassie had snapped the picture of them before they headed back. Kon's arm was draped over his shoulder and Bart blurred slightly at the edges because he couldn't sit still for anything.

Jason turned, but before he could say anything Lucius walked in. He greeted them with a warm smile and shook Jason's hand. He watched as Jason followed the older man, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Mr. Drake, there is a Clark Kent in the lobby for you. He's from the Daily Planet. I told him we weren't giving interviews at the moment but he said you'd requested it?" she sounded like she didn't believe Clark, but didn't want to take the chance. He was surprised that Clark had come.

"I did. I meant to let you know. It's okay to send him up."

Clark thanked the security guard as the man showed him to his door. The reporter looked at him before shutting the door, giving them as much privacy as the glass walls could provide.

"You got a letter too?" he asked. Clark sat down in the chair across from him. It was strange seeing the man of steel look so defeated. Part of him still thought of his childhood ideal of what Superman was, but the reality had changed. It was Clark sitting before him. Clark looking tired and a little lost.

"It was programmed into the Fortress. I don't know how he did it and I can't even make him tell me." Clark rubbed a hand through his hair with a wan smile, his signature curl fell over his forehead.

"How are you doing?" Tim asked before he could stop himself. He could see how the Kryptonian was doing.

"It's quiet," was all he said. The silence stretched as Clark looked out the window behind him. "I don't understand what he was thinking. Jason?" Clark looked at him over the rim of his glasses. "Do you think he made the right choice?"

"I do," he answered simply.

Clark tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Okay. Most of the league will follow my lead, but he'll need to earn Diana's respect." Clark spoke frankly like he did during a mission briefing. The switch was startling.

"Wait? Just like that you're backing him?"

Clark quirked a tired smile at him. "He asked me to, and I trust you." Clark stood. "The next meeting is in a week, barring any invasions that is. I'll see you then." And just like that Superman walked out of his office completely unaware of how he'd just blown Tim's mind. He didn't know how long he sat there repeating Clark's words 'I trust you', but the next thing he knew Jason was walking back in. He looked more like himself.

Jason liked Lucius immediately. Which was impressive seeing as Jason didn't really like anyone ever, let alone all at once. He didn't talk much, just let Jason snoop through devices and gadgets until he needed to measure him again or strap him into something before pulling him back out of it. Jason tapped a small blue shell on the table and a net of electric wiring shot out at him. He side stepped it and looked back guilty at the man behind the desk.

"I'd be careful Mr. Todd," Lucius told him with an almost smile. "That charge might not look big, but it will put you down for the count."

He picked up the unopened pod and walked over to the work desk. "Do you mind if I-?" he asked and Lucius shook his head pulling up a chair next to him. He gave Jason access to his tool set and watched as he carefully cracked the pod and examined the trigger mechanism inside of it. "Pressure released?" he asked.

Lucius looked impressed. "It is." He agreed.

Jason nodded fiddling with it. It was the same shock that Dick used in his Escrima sticks. He had been so impressed with them when he was a kid, the perfect tool to take down but not kill an attacker. He thought about his guns. He thought about having to give them up. "How small do you think we could make this?" he asked, noting the twinkle in Lucius' eye as he sat back in his chair.

He left Tim at the office around three with a promise from Lucius that he would have his suit ready to try out in a week. He turned the electropod in his pocket and picked up his new company pass from the cute receptionist on the way out. The company car was waiting for him in the front, the driver holding a door open to him. Jason hesitated before eventually climbing in. This was all so surreal to him. A kid from the wrong side of the street that thought he was man enough to steal tires off the Batmobile was now climbing into the back of a Wayne car and going back home. To a manor. Bruce Wayne's manor. That he willed him to stay in- at least until Damian was old enough to take over. But he didn't want to think about that.

Alfred greeted him at the door with a cup of hot tea and demanded his jacket from him. "How did it go?" he asked looking more like himself.

"It was… okay." Jason told him honestly and then added, "It was weird." And he frown at Alfred, that hesitation from earlier hitting him again. "It feels like I should have…" he stooped and pursed his lips. He didn't want to finish that thought if he didn't know where it was going.

Alfred understood. "Are you hungry, sir?" he asked.

Jason shook his head and lifted the tea. "This is all I need. I think I'll go downstairs for a bit." He told him heading for the cave entrance in the drawing room as fast as he could to escape the look Alfred was giving him.

The cave lit up as soon as he walked through the door and he stood there for a minute taking it all in. There were so many levels of the cave that he wasn't sure he had ever been through all of them. There hadn't been enough time before he took off on his own, too young and stupid to think he'd need help-

Stop.

He dropped the mug and spun around ready to punch Dick's stupid face in. He was the only person who could mimic Bruce's voice that well and he had given him a free pass yesterday.

No one was behind him. He stayed tense but didn't move, his eyes scanning the room slowly as he listened for any sign of movement. "You aren't funny Grayson." He said into the silence, but that was all he got in return. Jason took a step back and glass crunched under his shoe when he hit the mug but he wasn't convinced yet. It had been so fucking clear. He sprinted up the stairs back to the manor and slid into the entryway where Tim was handing his jacket over to Alfred. They blinked at him and he wondered how he must look to them right now.

"Is something wrong, Master Jason?" Alfred asked, if he was concerned he did a good job covering it.

His eyes shot to Tim who was less good at covering his concern. Dick wasn't here. He wouldn't be able to resist shoving his nose where it didn't belong. His heart beat faster but he forced it down, "I uh, broke a glass." He breathed and pushed past them to the kitchen to grab a towel.

"Shall I bring you another cup?" Alfred asked.

He swallowed before he turned around and put on an easy face. "That would be great." He told him and pushed past them before Tim could ask and marched back down to the cave.

He stopped in the doorway, it was still lit up from when he left, the broken glass still on the floor, everything else had been untouched. He stepped cautiously and looked back up the staircase to make sure they hadn't followed him before he asked.

"Bruce?" he asked into the void. It was so quiet. His hands were clenched in shaking fists at his side as he waited, stupidly to see if a dead man would answer him. But the moment passed and Jason's ears heated as his throat tightened and he resigned himself to cleaning the broken mug. He hadn't even realised he cut himself until he was bundling up the pieces.

Alfred made another cup of tea. Tim watched him from the counter. He hadn't seen the man stop since Br- since the funeral. All of the dishes, even the ones on display that he'd never seen used had been rewashed. Everything had been dusted multiple times. Alfred poured the tea and set it on a tray as he poured a second.

Tim ducked under Alfred's arms and wrapped him in a hug. Alfred stood stiff against him before his arms closed on him and he let out a shaky breath. He knew there wasn't anything he could say to make it better. Alfred pulled away and he let him. "I'll take them down. Get some sleep?"

"Is that not what I should be saying to you?" Alfred asked a wry expression on his face. "I will retire for the evening if you will see that Master Jason and yourself sleep as well?"

He picked up the tray. "I promise I'll try."

Alfred seemed to know that it was the best he was going to get. He left the pot next to the sink and headed toward the stairs. He knew the man was drained just by that fact alone. He'd never seen him leave a dirty dish for the entire time he'd been at the manor.

Jason was pressing a bandage to his palm when he walked down with the tea. "You okay?" he asked setting the tray next to the computer. Jason tossed the plastic tabs in the trash bin.

"Please tell me you didn't make this." Jason said a look of mild horror as he took in the cups of tea.

"No. Are you ever going to let that go?" Jason snagged his cup. There was something tense around his eyes. Tim watched him smirk. The tension easing a little. "I burned tea one time."

"It was thick. I still don't understand how you managed that."

"You drank it," he grumbled as he sipped at his own cup. He didn't know how Alfred did it. He could practically feel the stress of the day fading away.

"You made it for me," Jason said with a shrug.

Tim stared at him. He should make some stupid remark back. Instead, he sat down at the computer and logged in. His access didn't appear to have changed. "We should go over the open cases. Most of them are just ongoing things that will need to be monitored. There were some fishy deaths near the docks that need to be considered a little closer." He glanced over and Jason was just looking at him.

"Why didn't he just give it to you?"

"I don't want to be Batman. I never have. Now most of the GCPD will work with you."

"Tim."

"What? We need to go over this." he refused to look away from the screen. "I have patrol in a little over an hour. You have a League meeting in a week. This needs to happen." he paused, waiting for Jason to object. "You worked this case with him. Let's start there." he pulled up the file. Jason sat down in the chair next to him. They worked the rest of the hour on the open cases.

"I'll be back," Tim said heading for the cases.

"I'm not just staying in here all night."

"Your suit isn't ready." he reminded him as he pulled off his shirt. Jason's eyes darted down his chest and back. He grabbed his top, pretending that he hadn't noticed.

"I have my own suit." he motioned to the Red Hood sitting a few feet away. "No one else knows that I'm supposed to be Batman and you should have some back up out there." He pulled his pants on and started with his belts. He reached for his wings, but Jason was already holding them up. He bit back a sigh and let him attach them. "I'm coming with you."

He flexed, feeling the mechanics flex with him. "Fine."

The symbol on his chest had never felt heavier as Jason took to the alleyways, trying to get used to being in a team again. The outlaws had been on hiatus since Biz had gotten back to his normal mind and family matters had always been so few and far between when they actually thought to ask Jason for help. Even then the comm's were quiet. Tim, on the other hand, was a fountain of information. He talked almost the entire time, nervously and dutifully correcting the way Jason stood. The way he moved. The way he spoke. Poking at him until he fell into the right stance. "Bruce did it this way." he would say, or, "Try it like this." By the end of the night he was stumbling across rooftops instead of sneaking through alleyways and his entire body was sore from doing things he hadn't even tried since he'd been Robin.

He shucked off his boots and jacket, falling into the computer chair and finally feeling the bruise on his shoulder from the butt of the empty shotgun that he had been whacked with at the docks. The computer jumped to life at his touch and so many things popped up that he didn't even know where to begin. Jason forced himself to go to the report logs and not play with the new program so that he could type it out as fast as he could and get to the showers before Tim used all of the hot water. He stopped right before he finished though, a ghost sense of Deja vu creeping over him that he couldn't explain. His hands fisted on the keyboard and he closed his eyes, refusing to look over his shoulder even just for a second.

"Almost done?" he jumped as Tim came back into the cave in his pajamas and his hair damp.

Jason shook off whatever it was that had frozen him and finished his sentence before he hit send and pushed away. "It's all yours." He told him clearing his throat and leaving him there before he could figure out something was wrong.

He spent most of the week with Lucius messing with electric pods until they were small enough to fit in a bullet casing and tested the pressure release until it cracked at impact. After that they moved onto ballistic pellets. And then whatever else Jason could get his hands on. "You are putting everything but a bullet into that gun." Lucius smirked at him as he watched him target the test dummy and shoot.

Jason shrugged, "Bruce was never big on bullets." He told him and shot again. "But it's what I know best. So I figure if I take the kill out of it, then maybe he wouldn't stare down at me disapprovingly from… wherever he ended up."

When he wasn't in the lab, he was in the cave training. Throwing batarangs, running obstacle courses, relearning to use the stupid grappling hook and all that mess. He pushed himself as hard as he could, he ignored Artemis' calls and he went on patrols before Tim could make an excuse to go without him. The routine was mind numbing, but it wasn't really much different from what he was doing before.

He felt ridiculous and self-conscious while Lucius and Tim examined him, walking around Jason like lions as they pulled at and adjusted the suit. He couldn't look at them, the red haze of the night vision sensors in the cowl making everything look just that much more insane. He couldn't believe that he was wearing this. When he was a kid he had always dreamed about someday being Batman. Of course Jason had never thought about what taking over the job would mean. He snuck a grin at Tim when he walked in front of him, unable to keep it to himself. Tim's eyes twinkled at him and Lucius pulled him back in with a question. "It's tight." He answered, "In the shoulders. I can't lift my arms past my torso." He admitted lifting them as far as he could. Lucius nodded and told him to take it off.

He felt more like he was putting on a costume as he changed into his street clothes and waited while Lucius took the suit to the back room. "Well," he said when he came back to them, "I am going to need this for another week to make adjustments," he said with a frown. "After that it's yours until you break it, Mr. Todd." He nodded to both of them and they left.

"The meeting is in two hours." Jason sighed, his anxiety already spiked at the thought of having to stand in front of a room of people who had respected Bruce and expected Dick to be his successor. "If I go as Red Hood, Diana will throw me out of the tower."

"There is another option." Tim told him after a minute and stopped in the middle of the lobby.

Jason stopped as well and fixed him with a look. "I can't." He told him, nausea climbing up his throat. "I won't."

Tim frowned and took him by the elbow. "You have to."

When he was twelve, Jason used to sneak out of his bedroom window when his step dad had a bottle too many. He would hang his feet off the side of the building and watch crime pass under him. Listening to the shouting and the gunshots and wonder what it would be like to stand back and run with all he had to the edge of the roof and force himself to jump. The way he saw it, it could end one of two ways. He would fall and probably die, or he could keep running and fly away.

Jason had never believed that people could fly until he met Dick. It was always such a big deal to everyone how Dick moved- the flying boy wonder, never ceasing to marvel everyone who met him. But if you looked past Dick, if you watched Bruce...you never would have known that his feet even touched the ground.

Jason felt like he was sinking. He looked at himself in the reflection of the elevator doors as they shot up to the top of the tower, trying to tell himself to breathe. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was an imposter, a little boy in dad's clothes. His throat tightened thinking about that. The worst part was that the suit actually fit him pretty well. Even looking at himself now the resemblance was only slightly questionable and he hated that he was about to have to step into a room and be faced with a horde of second glances. It was different than when Dick had worn the suit. He had been smaller, skinnier, there was a distinct difference there if you knew to look that told you this was someone new. But when Jason put it on…

Tim wouldn't even look at him. He made an excuse to stay in the cave, claiming that it was league members only and shoved a comm in Jason's ear. "Breathe." He reminded him into the comm. "The worst of it will be immediate, and then the meeting will start. "

"Right." He grumbled trying to be comforted by that, "Just have to get there." Jason told himself but Tim answered like it was to him.

"Bruce knew you could do this." he said.

He snorted. "Then why are you in my ear?"

"He also knew you'd need help." Jason swore that he heard a smile in his voice, but he didn't have time to think about it as the doors opened into the meeting room and the Justice League sat before him.

And Jason froze. He swallowed hard and told himself that he had to move but the way that they were looking at him- the silence that encompassed the room- made it very apparent that they had just been talking about him. He looked to Clark first. They had never had an amazing relationship, but he had been kind to Jason, said things to make him think and gave him chances that he hadn't deserved. Now Clark was looking at him with his jaw slack, his eyes concerned as he looked him over thirstily, recognition hitting him like a ton of bricks while the rest of the group sat frozen still. Tim was saying something in his ear but he didn't hear it. His heart was hammering in throat drowning out all other noise. He closed his eyes. Two steps forward and the hard part is over, Bruce's voice washed over him, startling him into taking the steps that were commanded and the elevator shut behind him, causing the rest of the League to step back into action.

Clark was the first to speak, meeting him at the edge of the table with a strong hand for him to grasp and keep himself steady. "I'm glad you're here," he told him like he really meant it. That was what brought him back into the reality of the situation.

"Back at 'cha," he told him with a hard nod and followed him to the open seat next to Clark at the other end of the table.

The meeting went by quickly and most everyone was able to keep their glances to a minimum as they spoke. They listened as Jason went over his reports, allowed him input in their cases and Tim's when he prompted Jason to speak up. But Diana's eyes never left him. He stared back at her, waiting for her to take off or charge across the table to hit him. But when the meeting was over, she got up and left as the others broke into their own conversations. "That was better than I expected from her," Clark said, pulling Jason's attention back. "She will come around eventually." He told him as they stood. "I just think that the suit caught her off guard. You look more like him than any of us ever thought about."

Jason swallowed hard and followed him to the elevator. "I have a new suit but it didn't fit. I thought the hood would just-" he stopped as Clark held up a hand.

"It was the right choice," Clark agreed. "Give her time. Until then, welcome to the team," he said patting his back, and giving him a warm and genuine smile that Jason could not help but to return. He thought back to when he was twelve, sitting on the edge of the roof. He thought about stealing the tires off the batmobile and how many stupid mistakes he had made after that. He thought about the fighting, the killing, the running, the battles that he had fought on the wrong side- and for the first time Jason saw this burden as a chance. A chance to make all of that right. A chance to learn how to fly.