The Other Brother
by Brian Doyle
These characters aren't mine, no permission has been granted, no offence has been intended
Hi Jason
I know we don't get much of a chance to talk these days... well, I suppose I can talk to you anywhere, but being here like this helps me focus a lot better.
I see your spot is as immaculate as ever, no surprises there. Alfred thinks I don't know about his regular side-visits here when he goes off to see Leslie at her clinic, but the whole "family" knows. He'd just say he was checking that the groundskeepers are doing their jobs anyway, and that's fine with us. Alfred misses you badly, did you know that? I think he misses you almost as much as Bruce does. I can see it when he looks at me. Sometimes he's not seeing me, he's seeing another kid he was responsible for, and feels he let down. It gives me the cold shakes to see that look in his eyes.
I've just been over to see my Mom, she's about a mile and a half thataway. Nice spot, on a hill, overlooking the bay. Be sure to say hi if you're in her neighbourhood, it's worth it for the view alone.
Y'know, you're the one I most jealous of in some ways.
Dick was, and still is, well... I know it's been said before, but he's the best. He's smart, dedicated, an incredible acrobat and a natural leader. He's an impossible act to follow, and I know that I'll never be able to be as good as he is. But you were the first to try and equal his record, to think that it could be done. Maybe you didn't know what you were letting yourself in for when you agreed to Bruce's offer, but still you tried and did as well as anyone ever could, better than anyone could expect. You took on the name of a legend and made it your own, for a while at least.
I'm jealous of you in another way too because, forgive me saying for this, you had it easy. Not an easy life, that's for sure, the records in the Cave make that very clear. God forbid anyone should have a childhood like yours.
But your relationship with Bruce was straightforward, he became your Dad, you became his son, properly adopted and everything, not even Dick had that.
You didn't have a father figure for a long time, and then you had the ultimate father figure. You may not always have appreciated that, or at least said you didn't, but I think you did. You must have done, deep down.
With me it's more complicated. I have a father I love, though to be honest we've done little more than shout at each other since he sentenced me to private school again. I had a Mom too, and I still love her even though she's gone. And now I have a stepmother who is actually very cool, and who didn't do a thing to force me into accepting her, which means that I already want to. She makes my Dad happy, and that's good enough for me. Who knows, I might even have a stepbrother of stepsister sometime, I know Dad would love that, Dana too probably, and I could probably get a major kick out of being a big brother. I like to think that if I can handle Bart, I can handle even the most hyperactive toddler... well, that's my theory at any rate.
So you see, I already have a proper family. No dark secrets in my family past consuming my every moment, no grim past, just a mother I miss, a father I want to be closer to, and a step-mother who seems personally determined to disprove every fairytale cliché about her position in the family.
And at the same time I have the ultimate secret family, a dark secret that I can't tell anyone about it and I was even forbidden from telling my friends in Young Justice _and_ my girlfriend,
Oh yeah, did I mention I have a new girlfriend now? Last time I came it was Ariana, long sotry, don''t ask me to go there thank you very much. Now it's Steph. Stephanie. She's in on the whole mask game too, calls herself the Spoiler, her dad's the Cluemaster, she's trying to make up for all the scuzzy stuff he's brought down. You ever meet him? I don't think you did, he's a third rate Riddler with a Joker sized ego, bad combination.
Did you have a girlfriend? I've never had the guts to ask Bruce or Alfred about your private life. I'm guessing, because I've been through your age that you probably had at least a few crushes.
In fairy stories and folk tales it's the middle son who gets overlooked. The oldest son always goes out into the world first, and the youngest son usually arranges to achieve some heroic feat, but the middle one, he tends to get ignored in the story, dumbly following the big brother into the same set-up so the youngest one can save them both from.
And so what _are_ you to me? You'd be older than me by a few years if you were alive, but now I've overtaken you. I've been Robin longer than you were too. I guess you're still my older brother though. How does it feel to be a big bro?
And that bring us back to Dick again, the other big brother. I used to think that he went out of his way to be nice to me because he felt guilty about not being closer to you. Maybe if you'd been another acrobatic circus kid from "The Flying Todds" or something he'd have got on better with you, but what were the chances of that?
There was also the whole bad blood thing about Bruce firing him as Robin, which wasn't helped when he took you on. Not your fault I know, Bruce's right the way down the line in my humble, and forever unspoken, opinion. Thank God they finally sorted it out... well kind of... until next time Dick feels Bruce is being too much of a control freak again. I don't think they could ever get as bad as they got after you died though. I hope not anyway.
The guys in Young Justice ask me if I worry that I'll never be able to be as good as Batman, I say no, that's not a worry. Batman is unsurpassable. What I don't say is that I worry about being able to live up to your legacy.
Now I know that you weren't a saint. I've read enough of Bruce's case files to recognise the things he didn't say about Felipe Garzonas, the diplomatic immunity case you worked on just before he retired you. That's not an accusation, I don't know what happened for sure, and I'm not sure how I would have reacted to the same situation, but it's just a grey area that should be recognised. No offence intended.
I also know you didn't always think things through before acting. I mean c'mon, the idea of going down to Gotham Public Records Office and looking up their copy of your birth certificate didn't occur to you? You had to go globetrotting instead?
Sorry, I'm wandering again... anyway, back to my own situation if you don't mind?
You see Bruce did something that I never dreamed he would do. He betrayed me..
I know that sounds melodramatic, but it's the only word I can think of that fits what he did. And that's made me angrier than I though I could ever get at Batman.
You and Dick couldn't get angry at Bruce the way I can. He was a father to both of you, and that alters your perspective, because underneath everything, you know that he loves you more than anything. Dick blusters about it every once in a while, but I think I know how he really feels deep down. So does Bruce.
Me? I'm not his son, and so _can_ get that mad, and just recently, for the first time I think, I have. I'm supposed to be his partner and Bruce's respect means everything to me, I'd do anything to earn it, but I feel that he doesn't respect me the same way, and our working relationship is based entirely on that respect and trust, at least, I thought it was.
He told Steph who I was, who I REALLY was. Without even asking me!
Now I've known her real name for a while now, but that's one thing, that came out as the result of a case, long before we got close. She doesn't have to worry about other people's secrets and identities. Bruce wouldn't even let me tell Kon and the others my real name, and those guys I trust with my life, often literally.
And the really troubling thing about it was the reason he told her. He did it because he needed to speak to me, but didn't want to run into Alfred after an argument they'd had. If a life had depended on it or something I'd have understood, that's a price worth the secret, but to save him embarrassment? Did my secret mean that little to him? It's insulting more than anything else. So I hope you can see why I'm so damned mad at him.
I can't even talk to Dick about it, because, like I dais, I have a feeling it would only make things worse than they sometimes are between them, and I don't want to be the one responsible for that, not even after what Bruce did.
Sorry, I hope you don't mind me getting this off my chest to you. I'm sure there are more interesting things to do in the afterlife than listening to some kid you never met whining on about his problems. At least I hope so, for your sake.
Oops, it's near sunset, and you know what that means with us, don't you?
Bye Jason, I'll come see you again soon bro, I promise, but right now the rooftops are calling me, and somewhere out there are muggers waiting to have their faces pounded into the ground by a certain red breasted hero.
It IS a family tradition after all, and I hope I'll do you proud.
Fin
by Brian Doyle
These characters aren't mine, no permission has been granted, no offence has been intended
Hi Jason
I know we don't get much of a chance to talk these days... well, I suppose I can talk to you anywhere, but being here like this helps me focus a lot better.
I see your spot is as immaculate as ever, no surprises there. Alfred thinks I don't know about his regular side-visits here when he goes off to see Leslie at her clinic, but the whole "family" knows. He'd just say he was checking that the groundskeepers are doing their jobs anyway, and that's fine with us. Alfred misses you badly, did you know that? I think he misses you almost as much as Bruce does. I can see it when he looks at me. Sometimes he's not seeing me, he's seeing another kid he was responsible for, and feels he let down. It gives me the cold shakes to see that look in his eyes.
I've just been over to see my Mom, she's about a mile and a half thataway. Nice spot, on a hill, overlooking the bay. Be sure to say hi if you're in her neighbourhood, it's worth it for the view alone.
Y'know, you're the one I most jealous of in some ways.
Dick was, and still is, well... I know it's been said before, but he's the best. He's smart, dedicated, an incredible acrobat and a natural leader. He's an impossible act to follow, and I know that I'll never be able to be as good as he is. But you were the first to try and equal his record, to think that it could be done. Maybe you didn't know what you were letting yourself in for when you agreed to Bruce's offer, but still you tried and did as well as anyone ever could, better than anyone could expect. You took on the name of a legend and made it your own, for a while at least.
I'm jealous of you in another way too because, forgive me saying for this, you had it easy. Not an easy life, that's for sure, the records in the Cave make that very clear. God forbid anyone should have a childhood like yours.
But your relationship with Bruce was straightforward, he became your Dad, you became his son, properly adopted and everything, not even Dick had that.
You didn't have a father figure for a long time, and then you had the ultimate father figure. You may not always have appreciated that, or at least said you didn't, but I think you did. You must have done, deep down.
With me it's more complicated. I have a father I love, though to be honest we've done little more than shout at each other since he sentenced me to private school again. I had a Mom too, and I still love her even though she's gone. And now I have a stepmother who is actually very cool, and who didn't do a thing to force me into accepting her, which means that I already want to. She makes my Dad happy, and that's good enough for me. Who knows, I might even have a stepbrother of stepsister sometime, I know Dad would love that, Dana too probably, and I could probably get a major kick out of being a big brother. I like to think that if I can handle Bart, I can handle even the most hyperactive toddler... well, that's my theory at any rate.
So you see, I already have a proper family. No dark secrets in my family past consuming my every moment, no grim past, just a mother I miss, a father I want to be closer to, and a step-mother who seems personally determined to disprove every fairytale cliché about her position in the family.
And at the same time I have the ultimate secret family, a dark secret that I can't tell anyone about it and I was even forbidden from telling my friends in Young Justice _and_ my girlfriend,
Oh yeah, did I mention I have a new girlfriend now? Last time I came it was Ariana, long sotry, don''t ask me to go there thank you very much. Now it's Steph. Stephanie. She's in on the whole mask game too, calls herself the Spoiler, her dad's the Cluemaster, she's trying to make up for all the scuzzy stuff he's brought down. You ever meet him? I don't think you did, he's a third rate Riddler with a Joker sized ego, bad combination.
Did you have a girlfriend? I've never had the guts to ask Bruce or Alfred about your private life. I'm guessing, because I've been through your age that you probably had at least a few crushes.
In fairy stories and folk tales it's the middle son who gets overlooked. The oldest son always goes out into the world first, and the youngest son usually arranges to achieve some heroic feat, but the middle one, he tends to get ignored in the story, dumbly following the big brother into the same set-up so the youngest one can save them both from.
And so what _are_ you to me? You'd be older than me by a few years if you were alive, but now I've overtaken you. I've been Robin longer than you were too. I guess you're still my older brother though. How does it feel to be a big bro?
And that bring us back to Dick again, the other big brother. I used to think that he went out of his way to be nice to me because he felt guilty about not being closer to you. Maybe if you'd been another acrobatic circus kid from "The Flying Todds" or something he'd have got on better with you, but what were the chances of that?
There was also the whole bad blood thing about Bruce firing him as Robin, which wasn't helped when he took you on. Not your fault I know, Bruce's right the way down the line in my humble, and forever unspoken, opinion. Thank God they finally sorted it out... well kind of... until next time Dick feels Bruce is being too much of a control freak again. I don't think they could ever get as bad as they got after you died though. I hope not anyway.
The guys in Young Justice ask me if I worry that I'll never be able to be as good as Batman, I say no, that's not a worry. Batman is unsurpassable. What I don't say is that I worry about being able to live up to your legacy.
Now I know that you weren't a saint. I've read enough of Bruce's case files to recognise the things he didn't say about Felipe Garzonas, the diplomatic immunity case you worked on just before he retired you. That's not an accusation, I don't know what happened for sure, and I'm not sure how I would have reacted to the same situation, but it's just a grey area that should be recognised. No offence intended.
I also know you didn't always think things through before acting. I mean c'mon, the idea of going down to Gotham Public Records Office and looking up their copy of your birth certificate didn't occur to you? You had to go globetrotting instead?
Sorry, I'm wandering again... anyway, back to my own situation if you don't mind?
You see Bruce did something that I never dreamed he would do. He betrayed me..
I know that sounds melodramatic, but it's the only word I can think of that fits what he did. And that's made me angrier than I though I could ever get at Batman.
You and Dick couldn't get angry at Bruce the way I can. He was a father to both of you, and that alters your perspective, because underneath everything, you know that he loves you more than anything. Dick blusters about it every once in a while, but I think I know how he really feels deep down. So does Bruce.
Me? I'm not his son, and so _can_ get that mad, and just recently, for the first time I think, I have. I'm supposed to be his partner and Bruce's respect means everything to me, I'd do anything to earn it, but I feel that he doesn't respect me the same way, and our working relationship is based entirely on that respect and trust, at least, I thought it was.
He told Steph who I was, who I REALLY was. Without even asking me!
Now I've known her real name for a while now, but that's one thing, that came out as the result of a case, long before we got close. She doesn't have to worry about other people's secrets and identities. Bruce wouldn't even let me tell Kon and the others my real name, and those guys I trust with my life, often literally.
And the really troubling thing about it was the reason he told her. He did it because he needed to speak to me, but didn't want to run into Alfred after an argument they'd had. If a life had depended on it or something I'd have understood, that's a price worth the secret, but to save him embarrassment? Did my secret mean that little to him? It's insulting more than anything else. So I hope you can see why I'm so damned mad at him.
I can't even talk to Dick about it, because, like I dais, I have a feeling it would only make things worse than they sometimes are between them, and I don't want to be the one responsible for that, not even after what Bruce did.
Sorry, I hope you don't mind me getting this off my chest to you. I'm sure there are more interesting things to do in the afterlife than listening to some kid you never met whining on about his problems. At least I hope so, for your sake.
Oops, it's near sunset, and you know what that means with us, don't you?
Bye Jason, I'll come see you again soon bro, I promise, but right now the rooftops are calling me, and somewhere out there are muggers waiting to have their faces pounded into the ground by a certain red breasted hero.
It IS a family tradition after all, and I hope I'll do you proud.
Fin