Any day you got shot in the back was a bad day, but today was it's own special brand of F'ed up. He'd had a huge, ridiculously blown-out-of-proportion fight with Dick, over something ridiculous that wasn't even Dick's fault.
I know I took the path that you would never want for me
I know I let you down tonight
All this went to Jason, and his need of a brain-to-mouth filter.
It had started with Bruce, naturally. He had blown Jason off down in the cave, then made a few not-so-subtle comments abut Jason's crime fighting methods. Read: blowing the bad guys brains out before they could hurt anyone. Jason had turned on a dime and stormed up to the elevator. Upon exiting, he had run smack into his brother, who had taken one look at his face and known exactly what had hapened.
So many sleepless nights where you were waiting up on me
I'm just a slave unto the night.
Dick's face filled with pity, making Jason even angrier. "Jay..."
"Don't call me that." Dick flinched and withdrew his hand like someone had burned him. Jason felt guilty, then angry at Dick for making him feel bad for him.
"This is all your fault, anyways."
Dick frowned. "What?"
This simple question practically enraged Jason. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You're the 'Golden Child' who can do no wrongs! You follow his ridiculous code to the letter! You do eveything he asks of you perfectly, without hesitation. If he told you to jump off of a cliff, your only question would be, 'which cliff?' I bet, if you killed someone, he wouldn't even care!"
Dick's eyes hardened slightly. "So you think he loves me more. Jason, Bruce adopted you, right?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"He didn't adopt me." The words were spoken softly. "He never adopted me, Jay. Everyone else is legally his son, but I'm not."
Now Jason was annoyed that Dick was making this about himself. "You still follow him everywhere and hang off his every word! You practically worship the ground he walks on!"
"You probably don't know this, but I actually have killed someone!"
"Oh, yeah? Who?"
"The Joker. But B managed to revive him."
Jason wasn't sure which made him angrier. That no one had told him that Dick had killed the Joker (albeit temporarily), or that Bruce had saved him. He kept taking it out on his brother.
"Still! He forgave you for it! Unlike me!"
"You still think our father/son relationship is perfect?"
"Well, yeah! It's better than mine!"
"Why do you think I stopped being Robin?"
"How, should I know? You got to old for it?"
"Bruce fired me."
Jason was momentarily in shock. He knew what Robin had meant to Dick. But, he was still mad. "Pffft, like I care. Screw this crazy dysfuntional 'family'. I'm leaving. For good."
He headed for the door, but Dick stepped in front of him. "You don't mean that."
"Yeah, I do. Why didn't you just stay dead when Luthor killed you?" Dick's eyes widened and he stepped out the door, taking advantage of the distraction. He fled the manor grounds.
Remember when I told you that's the last you'll see of me
Remember when I broke you down to tears
I know I took the path that you would never want for me
I gave you hell through all the years
So, ahh, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life on you
Ahh, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life on you
As he walked through Gotham, he heard voices coming from a dingy alleyway between two red-brick buildings. "Give me your wallet and watch!"
"Please, no!"
"Now."
Thank God, a mugging. Kicking the crap out of some douchebag was exactly what he needed. He stepped into the dim area.
"Y'know, it's a much better choice to just get a job. You'd make more money than you would robbing this guy. Although, with your IQ, you'd probably end up working at McDonalds or Dairy Queen."
Thug Life looked at him. "'Oo the heck 'er yew?"
Ah. He was also drunk. Wonderful. He was interuppted by a safety clicking off by his ear. "'Ey, Gus? D'ou want me t' shoot 'im?"
Another drunk guy. With a gun. 'Gus' shrugged. "Ya know what Marley?"
"Wazzat?"
"You got a gun, man! You can do whatever the damn heck you want!"
They burst into racaous laughter. The man they were robbing edged into the street and ran. Jason didn't blame him in the least. Normally, this position wouldn't be a problem, but he wasn't wearing his body armor at the moment.
Suddenly, the was a small Phut! noise, and the bottom of Jason's shoulder blade exploded with pain. Great, this gun had a silencer, which meant no one had heard and called the police. He knew the bullet had punctured a lung and possibly clipped a rib or two, from the way it was hurting. Better and better.
The two idiots left Jason lying on the ground, laughing, their alcohol-addled brains already causing them to forget about the mugging. There was no way that they'd remember this tomorrow. Jason was astonished that they could stand, let alone walk.
He knew he was losing blood, and fast. He pulled his phone out, and since his fingers were too numb to dial, he went to the call back list, which consisted of about seven calls from Dick in the last ten minutes. Jason had simply silenced his phone and ignored him. Now he wasn't even sure his brother would pick up. "Jay?"
Dick sounded relieved. "Dick... shot... dunk idiots... back... hurts... ow..."
"Jason? Where are you? Jason!"
I've been around the world, but never in my wildest dreams
Would I come running home to you
Five minutes later, Dick was kneeling beside him with some bandages. "Come on, I'll take you to a safe house of mine. You're gonna be fine."
Jason wanted to sigh in relief, but he didn't have the energy. He would never admit this, but he did care about his older brother. Even if he didn't know how to show it. He'd looked up to him so much when he was Robin.
I've told a million lies, but now I tell a single truth:
There's you in everything I do
Jason came to in an unfamiliar room. Memories came rushing back to him. everything he'd said to Dick, and he'd still come back. Jason felt lower than he ever had before. He banged his skull into the headboard a couple times and groaned. Loudly.
Remember when I told you that's the last you'll see of me
Remember when I broke you down to tears
I know I took the path that you would never want for me
I gave you hell through all the years
So, ahh, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life on you
He got up and padded into the living room. Dick was watching TV on the couch. Jason cleared his throat, and Dick jumped. Then he smiled. "Little Wing, You're up! How are you feeling?"
Don't
tell me that I'm wrong
I've walked that road before
And left you on your own
Jason shrugged. "Fine. Listen, Dick, I am so sorry-"
"It's fine."
"What?"
"Didn't you hear me?"
"Yeah but, I was a-"
"Yeah, you were, but you're sorry, Ok? And you won't do it again."
Please
Believe them when they say
Its left for yesterday
Please forgive me
Jason felt like a little kid who'd been caught lying. "I guess?"
"Good. Go back to sleep."
"Ok."
For all I've
Done
Jason walked back to the room. He lay down and closed his eyes, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.
So, ahh, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life on you
Ahh, I bet my life, I bet my life, I bet my life on you
THE SONG IS 'I BET MY LIFE' BY IMAGINE DRAGONS. LISTEN TO IT, IT'S REALLY GOOD.
REVIEW, FOLLOW, FAVORITE, WHATEVER.
I KNOW I TOOK THE PATH THAT YOU WOULD NEVER WANT FOR ME
I KNOW I LET YOU DOWN TONIGHT
SO MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS WHERE YOU WERE WAITING UP ON ME
I'M JUST A SLAVE UNTO THE NIGHT.
REMEMBER WHEN I TOLD YOU THAT'S THE LAST YOU'LL SEE OF ME
REMEMBER WHEN I BROKE YOU DOWN TO TEARS
I KNOW I TOOK THE PATH THAT YOU WOULD NEVER WANT FOR ME
I GAVE YOU HELL THROUGH ALL THE YEARS.
SO, AAH, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE ON YOU
AHH, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE ON YOU
I'VE BEEN AROUND THE WORLD, BUT NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS
WOULD I COME RUNNING HOME TO YOU
I'VE TOLD A MILLION LIES, BUT NOW I TELL A SINGLE TRUTH:
THERE'S YOU IN EVERYTHING I DO
REMEMBER WHEN I TOLD YOU THAT'S THE LAST YOU'LL SEE OF ME
REMEMBER WHEN I BROKE YOU DOWN TO TEARS
I KNOW I TOOK THE PATH THAT YOU WOULD NEVER WANT FOR ME
I GAVE YOU HELL THROUGH ALL THE YEARS
SO, AHH, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE ON YOU
AHH, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE ON YOU
DON'T, TELL ME THAT I'M WRONG
I'VE WALKED THAT ROAD BEFORE
AND LEFT YOU ON YOUR OWN
PLEASE, BELIEVE THEM WHEN THEY SAY
THAT IT'S LEFT FOR YESTERDAY
THE RECORDS THAT I PLAY
PLEASE FORGIVE ME
FOR ALL I'VE DONE
SO, AHH, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE ON YOU
AHH, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE, I BET MY LIFE ON YOU