A/N: Had to make some minor corrections and add some references.

/

The Meeting

By

AJ

Part 28

Nightwing was mad at himself. 'Why do I get myself in these predicaments?' He let his own pride get the better of him. He should have informed Bruce, but he knew what Bruce would say, "Get more evidence," and that's precisely what he was trying to do when Jason got the drop on him. He knew he wasn't ready to go out, and yet he had to. He had to find out if his hypothesis was true, that it was Jason Todd behind Tim's attack. Jason only got the better of him because he was compromised more than he wanted to admit. He couldn't go to Bruce with just supposition and suspicion. He had to have hard evidence. 'I guess I got it now.' Nightwing mused.

Nightwing tried to work his hands free. If he could just bring his hands together he could reach . . .

"Don't even try it Golden Boy," Jason's voice came over the com-link built into his mask. "I have my eye on you, and I made certain you were completely weaponless. Remember, he trained me, too. You won't find what you're looking for."

Jason's words prompted Nightwing to still search for the small sharp blade he kept hidden in his left glove. It wasn't there.

"Why are you doing this Jason?" Nightwing asked. "Whatever it is we can talk this out."

"Like the way Batman talked to the Joker to keep him from killing me?"

"Look, I don't know anything about that."

"Don't try to kid a con artist. You knew."

"And what if I do know, what does killing me have to do with killing the Joker?"

"This isn't about the Joker," Jason said. "At least not this part. This little escapade is between you and me."

"I thought . . ." Nightwing was confused.

"Oh, I do want the Joker dead, but I also want you out of the limelight as well."

"Jason, this isn't like you."

"Oh isn't it?" Jason retorted. "You don't know me, Grayson. You never did. You weren't around that much. You never saw how much I had to suffer through Bruce's gloating."

"Jason, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you? The perfect circus brat, the kid who could do no wrong. I had to listen to Bruce praise you every time I made a mistake. I had to work twice as hard to do one simple flip. It took me weeks to be even do two let alone three or four. Do you know how that made me feel, to be in your shadow? He didn't want me. He wanted you."

Nightwing was stunned. Was it true? Did Bruce really want him more than Jason? Then why did he even take Jason in? No, it couldn't be true. Bruce wouldn't simply admonish Jason and even belittle him like that. Jason had to be wrong.

"Look Jason, I'm sorry for not being around. Bruce and I were having our difficulties. I'm sorry if he might have taken some of that out on you. He wouldn't have taken you in if he didn't see something in you."

"BULL! I was a street kid, a thief . . ."

"Jason please . . ."

"Enough of this," Jason stated. "I have an appointment to keep."

"You can't do this!" Nightwing tried to reason but all that was left in his ear was static, and the counting down of the clock that was connected to the explosive device that was sure to mean his doom. With his arms pinned to his sides and his legs strapped together, there was no way he could be able to free himself in time once the bomb would go off and the cable were to snap. He was looking at a 50-story drop, right down to the pavement. It was his parents' deaths all over again, but this time it would be his, too.

/

Bruce stared at the screen, his mouth a tight line, his eyes narrow slits.

"Kill the Robin Killer" was obviously pointing to the one person whom he wished he had killed, but the big blue boy scout prevented him from doing so, all because for a short time, that pasty face maniac became Iran's ambassador. That obviously didn't last long once he confessed to Jason's murder. Bruce recalled that time vividly, how the Joker nearly destroyed the whole U.N. with his poison gas. How he almost got away, the helicopter exploding, and the Joker's body missing. Then he came back and nearly destroyed Barbara Gordon, putting her in a wheel chair, possibly for life. Why couldn't the system see just how dangerous the Joker really was, but in this state, the death penalty had been rescinded years ago, and all they could do was put the joker in prison or behind walls of stone and in a padded cell. And if he were to kill him . . . that not only would end it, it would end Batman. It would go completely against his principles. He almost did, but it would not bring Jason back.

"He cannot expect you to kill the Joker, can he?"

"I don't intend to, but if I don't Dick's life . . . "

"I can help," Tim stated.

"Tim, you should be in bed. You're not strong enough, yet."

"Bruce, I can do this. Dick needs help. You can't be in two places at once. I can rescue Dick while you go after Jason."

"Jason?"

"The Red Hood is Jason," Tim stated. "Dick and I figured it out. He went out to prove it."

"How do you know?" Bruce asked.

"Because he's the only person it could be. Who else knows that I became his replacement as Robin, besides you and Dick? Alfred of course and Dr, Tompkins."

"Barbara knows," Bruce pointed out.

"What about the Justice League. You've made it pretty clear that I have to keep my mask on at all times. So, who else?"

Bruce didn't answer.

"Plus, you and Jason, besides Dick and I, knew that it was the Joker who killed him. And even though his back was turned, I saw someone around my age that has strawberry blond hair with a white streak at Ra's al Ghul's stronghold. Who do we know fits that description?"

Tim held up Jason's old photo, the one where he first came to the Manor. The child had strawberry blond hair and a white streak that was barely visible then.

"But how can it be him?" Bruce asked. "There isn't enough evidence to prove that it is Jason."

"Then dig up his grave and you'll know."

"That bomb is going to go off in less than six hours. To dig up Jason's grave would be a waste of time."

"Isn't it worth the time to know for certain?" Tim argued. "Dick would argue the same thing."

Bruce had to admit the logic of Tim's words and the fact that Dick would also make that same argument. Time after time he had drilled into Dick's head when he was younger about gathering evidence. Was that what Dick was doing when he was ambushed? There was no hard evidence that the Red Hood was Jason Todd, and yet, how could it not be. Bruce's eyes were once again drawn to the screen. He couldn't let his eldest son down. There just had to be a way to rescue Dick, stop the Red Hood, and keep the Joker right where he was, in Arkham Asylum.

Continues with Part 29

A/N: Resources: A Death In The Family, A Lonely Place of Dying, and Under The Red Hood