"Yeah, that sounds pretty fucked up." Came Roy Harper's voice through the end of my cellphone. I was standing with my back leaning against one of my small, white colored apartment walls. I hated the smell of the place. It had a strong scent of wet paint, even though there was none nearby.

"Yeah, it was. It was a waste of my time honestly. Why would he have Barbara, and Tim call me up just to wait at the manor, when he wouldn't even be there?" I asked. Thank god Roy was still up. Talking to him has about an equal affect of smoking a cigarette. He really calms my nerves.

"Hey, at least you got to see for yourself that everyone else was alright. You know?" He asked carefully, as if he didn't want to upset me somehow. He did have a strong point. I did get to see that everyone else was still alive. I guess that made the manor visit somewhat worth it.

"Yeah I guess you're right. I just wish Bruce wasn't such an idiot. It seems like I fight with him every time I see him. I don't know if things will ever get back to the way they were ten years ago." I breathed. Deep down this was a big fear of mine. What if I never reconnect with Bruce? I remember back to when I was brought in to be Dick's replacement as Robin. The bonding moments I had with Bruce, as I trained, and hung around the manor were very important to me. He was the father I never had. He taught me what it was like to actually love someone more than myself. I loved him so much that if it came down to it I would give my life for him. I remember when I was little I used to tell Bruce that i'd never let anyone hurt him. I was his little protector. I mean, nobody was around at that time so Bruce was all I had. Dick was off leading the Titans, and Barbara was doing her own thing as Batgirl. Tim wasn't even around yet, and Damian hadn't been born. So it was just me, and Bruce. You know for all those years I thought Bruce had bonded up to me, just like I had done with him. As I heard the time bomb ticking the time away from my life he was the last person I was thinking of. The regret I had. I had failed him, but later on I would come to the conclusion that he had failed me. He let his little protector get blown all the way to hell. He let his child sidekick's horrific death go unpunished. Could you imagine trying to reform that loving relationship after everything that went down?

"Don't worry too much about arguing with Bruce, Jason." Roy's voice said through the phone.

"He'll come around eventually. When Ollie found out about my addictions he took away my status as Speedy, and I swore I would never talk to him again. It put a strain on our relationship for a long time, but eventually he found me when I had hit rock bottom, and helped me get clean, and now we're back to our old ways before the drugs. I swear Bruce will open up to you. You've just got to hang in there." I could tell Roy truely believed that Bruce would indeed come around by the tone of his voice. I however was still very deep in doubt.

"Yeah, but Roy you know how Oliver is. He's got one of the biggest hearts i've ever seen. Bruce isn't the same way. He can be emotionless at times. He can shut people out of his life, and not look back. It'd be way out of character for him to just open up, and fully accept me back into the family, and deep down I don't think I was ever really apart of his family to begin with." I said just letting my emotions flow out of me. When this happens you can bet it's because I haven't talked about these feelings for a while.

"Bruce wouldn't have taken you in if he didn't love you." Roy expressed. A response popped into my mind right away.

"Yeah he would. I wouldn't be surprised if he only took me in to save him the trouble of locking up another future criminal." I spoke bitterly.

"Jesus Jason, thinking like that is what's causing you to grow farther apart from him. You've just got to believe that deep down he cares, or you'll find yourself pushing him away from you." Roy explained whole heartedly. Maybe he was right. I needed to find a way to rid myself of all these memories. I can't cling to the past. I've got to accept the decisions he's made in life. It sounded so much easier than it actually was to do it. Now that he was going to kill the Joker for Dick, and Damian. Tell me? Wouldn't you pissed off with everything that went down tonight if you were in my place?

"You're right. Maybe with time I can forgive him, but I can't do it now. It's still just to soon." I told Roy. I quit leaning against my apartment wall. I was still dressed for travel. My jacket was still firmly around my body, and my shoes were still clasped around my feet. I sat down on my bed, and began untying my shoe laces. I held my phone inbetween my shoulder, and my face, so that it was pressed up against my ear.

"I'd do it before it's too late. You never know if Bruce will be here tomorrow." Warned Roy. At his words I remember what I said to Tim in the garden. About how i'd stay around the family more. I remember thinking about how I would try get closer with Tim, and Barbara, because now I couldn't get close to Dick, and Damian ever. Maybe I should drop by again in the morning? No. I already told them I wouldn't be back until the funeral. I won't go back on my word.

"So, does Kory know about this yet?" I asked changing the subject right away.

"Not yet. She's still asleep. I've been up the past few hours in my living room just thinking about how i'm going to tell her. You heard the stories about how close she was with Dick back when they all lived in the tower in New York. The news will devastate her." Roy explained cautiously. I never met Kory back in my first life. I do remember hearing stories from Dick when he would stop in the manor once in a blue moon. He told me she was the most gorgeous girl in the entire galaxy, and boy was he right. I was stunned at how hot she was when I first met her. I'll never understand why he let a hotty like that slip away from him. I guess he really loved Barbara that much huh? Not that Barbara is ugly or anything. It's just that Kory is hotter than the god damn sun, but she was Roy's girl now, and honestly i'm not romatically attracted to anyone at this point of my life anyway. Got too much shit on my mind, and plate to play the dating game.

"Just be calm about it, and if she freaks out just give me a call, and i'll be right over to give you a hand with her." I said warmly. I really just want to go over to Roy, and Kory's anyway. I was lucky to have Roy, and Kory as friends. Really lucky. The first time I ever met Roy I was in the last few years as my stint as Robin. I remember he had just dropped from the orginal teen titans, and was now in Star City full time following Oliver Queen's Green Arrow around as Speedy. I remember Oliver paid Bruce a visit to discuss a mysterious criminal who is now known as the Doll Maker. I guess he was stealing children from all around the United States, and was transforming them into his own personal slaves, and leaving the not so perfect children's dead bodies all around Star City. Well Oliver brought Roy with him, and we hit it off right away. He was a little older than me. About four years to be exact. Well, we both had a similar taste in motorcycles, and music. We ended up riding Dick's abandoned old motorcycles around the garden, and all over the mansion's neatly cut grass. Needless to say Alfred didn't approve. On the way out of the mansion Roy told me that if I ever needed anyone to hang out with just drop by Star City. I told him that I would, but it never happened while I was Robin. I also heard from Talia al Ghul that Barbara, Bruce, Alfred, James Gordon, Oliver, and Roy were the only people who attended my funeral, and that Talia watched from afar as the League of Shadows were focused heavily on Bruce at the time. I didn't get honored by the league in anyway at all. All I got was my Robin suit hung up in the Batcave. Oh well. It wasn't like I was Superman or anything. I was just a part time Robin.

"Will do. Alright man i'm going to go ahead, and get off. Make sure you get some sleep. I'll speak to you tomorrow." Roy said. His voice was sounding tired, and frail.

"Alright." I said, pulling one of my arms out of a sleeve of my jacket. I pulled the phone away from my ear with my other hand, and ended the call. I lightly threw my phone onto my bedside counter. I pulled my other arm out of my jacket, and then proceeded to threw my jacket to the ground below. I used my feet to kick both of my shoes off. Good god my feet smelt like sweat, and burnt popcorn. It wasn't a good mixture i'll tell you that. I pulled my socks off, and balled them up. I threw them across the room, and they landed into my wide, white laundry basket. I pulled my jeans off, and threw my shirt over my head so that I was down to my blue boxers. I then covered myself up with my heavy blanket. I leaned back gently on my bed, and slowly closed my eyes. I began drifting off to a deep sleep. Sleep. Where the nightmares of my life manifest themselves into my dreams.

"Jason!"

"Surprised Bruce? I thought you'd be."

"How? How did this happen?"

"Why don't you ask your little girlfriend Talia? I'm sure she'll have all the answers for you."

"You... you murdered all those people?"

"I was trying to get Batman's attention. Let me ask you, did it work?

"Why? I... I taught you better than this."

"You know what else you did? You let me blow up!"

"I... I couldn't find you!"

"Well, here I am standing in the rain. All grown up."

"Jason. Let's talk."

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you? I've come too far to just talk it out now."

"Listen to me! Come back home! If it's the cops that's stopping you from doing this, than I can sort this out! You've just got to stop killing these people!"

"The manor's not my home anymore! I've still got plans for you, and this city! Tonight you, and I are saving Gotham! We're saving this city by putting an end to that murderous maniac, and you're the one who's gonna pull the trigger!"

(Well, that is chapter four. If you enjoyed let me know, and if you didn't enjoy also let me know. The reviews, followers, and favorites are jumping up quite a bit, and i'd like to thank everyone who has already done at least one of those. I am interactive, so if you have any questions about the story, or want to state a opinion just leave me a message, and I promise that I will get back to you."