Author's note: Much to my boyfriend's disapproval, I am so in love with the thought of Jason Todd and Tim Drake becoming lovers or Dick and Jason, it doesn't matter. Robin love all around. Please leave a review! I do not own any of the mentioned DC characters.

Italic/bold is a dream sequence.

Italic is a memory unless noted differently.

Before him stood Robin, the teenage protege of Batman. The iconic colors boldly contrasting against the Dark Knight's. Criminals and the madmen of Gotham feared the Bat but although Robin was often seen as a weakling in comparison, he was still a challenge. One day, a Robin could don the cowl and fight the insanity of Gotham. And if there were a weak spot in the Batman's facade, Robin would always be that cinch in the black armor that couldn't protect even the heart of Bruce Wayne from feeling the loss. Robin didn't say a word, just slowly sized up Jason before taking a battle stance. Jason smirked, flicking his thumb against his nose and beckoning Robin to come at him.

Blocking the light with his hands, Jason sat up, sweat beads rolling down the back of his neck. Gotham was under a heat wave and the safe house wasn't equipped with an air conditioner. Trying to sleep during the day was hard but it was the only way to beat the heat and to hide from the darkness. He mentally noted to buy and install one if he was going to stay here any longer.

The bathroom light flickered with repeated buzzing before finally staying on. In the mirror, Jason's dark blonde hair was half wet with sweat, half sticking up in odd directions. The Robin in his dreams had black hair. It had been years since he dyed his hair black like Richard Grayson's. He did it to keep the image, to become -The- Robin. The red mask he wore now, the new Jason Todd, didn't need to hold up any image except that he meant business. He was going to clean up Gotham once and for all. None of this no-killing bullshit Bruce preached was going to make the streets safer. Better to kill the vermin than contain it. No one was going to change his mind. He suffered first hand the depths of madness Gotham possessed. He had told himself one death was enough. He was going to die here again. Jason splashed cold water on his face and ran his wet fingers through his hair, smoothing back the white streak in his bangs.

His shoulder was swollen and it hurt to lift his arm but it was a pain that had to be ignored. Last night a thug got an open hit on him with a lead pipe. His skin was dark blue and green where it hit. Jason's blue eyes looked up from his shoulder and like every morning; the young child who watched his drug addicted mother shoot up, the young thief who was offered a second chance by the Batman, the enthusiastic and reckless teenage Robin, the mid-twenty angry dead man before him all shared the same piercing blue eyes. He was one man versus Gotham, one man versus even the good guys. The odds had never been in his favor. Bruce treated him as some prodigal child. Dick tried to be civil but like brothers, they couldn't always get along. Damien, the only biological child of Bruce Wayne, called him the weak Robin. They all couldn't understand the bitterness and the anger that coursed through him. Not one of them could just.. you know, understand. Except Timothy Drake. Except his fucking replacement. The one person he treated like shit, tried killing more than once, was different. The one person he least expected to treat him like he was still apart of the family, Tim was the only person who bothered to try to understand.

.../...

"You're still having your Robin dream?" Barbara asked.

Barbara looked from her computer screen at her younger "brother." His dreams were strange, but she knew there was a deeper meaning to this phantom Robin appearing. It could have so many meanings for Jason but only he could figure it out himself. If he knew, he certainly wasn't sharing.

Nodding briefly, he changed the subject. She knew not to pry. Jason would open up when he was ready. This is how it had been since they started these chats. It wasn't just therapeutic for him but for her as well. You could call it a Joker Support Group for former Robins. The chats weren't as often as they had been since he took off five years ago without a word but upon coming back, he just showed up as if he had been a few minutes late. She didn't expect him to come back to Gotham. There was nothing here for him that he wanted. 'Except for him', she thought.

From behind Jason, a harsh voice pierced through the relaxed chit chat, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought Babs could use company. We were gonna for a run later."

Babs gave Jason a glare but she knew he wasn't saying it to be cruel to her. It was meant to be a stab at Dick.

"Shut your mouth"

Smirking, Jason got up, surrendering his hands. "I'm leaving anyway. Got justice to do" Jason kissed Barbara's cheek before putting on his red helmet.

"See you later, -DICK-" Jason saluted him as he left.

Dick gave Barbara a stern look.

"Oh, don't gimme that look."

"Jason is nothing but trouble. What could you two possibly talk about?"

She let out a defeated sigh, "You wouldn't understand, Dick"

"Babs, I love you. I may not get it but you can talk to me about anything"

Richard was sincere. He always was. She knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for her but she couldn't yet find the words to express how she felt about everything that had happened. From keeping up with Nightwing and Batman to losing the ability to walk, finding a purpose in her life again after experiencing so much as Batgirl, she still couldn't express her emotions about it. With Jason, he knew. They didn't have to talk about it to understand each other. It's what had bonded them. She hated Joker just as much as him. There were times she wished she could kill him for destroying their lives.

"I love you too but there are some things you can't fix. Jason and I have more in common than you think." Barbara wheeled away from her computer, stopping to look back at her tall lover, "And you have so little faith in him that it hurts me. He's your brother and he still needs you."

Dick sighed, looking down, feeling ashamed.