PART TWO: TIM
Chapter twelve
Different. Jason decided that was the best word to use. He felt warm, he felt safe. No nightmare tonight then. No terrors of the Joker and Batman hunting him down… and really he had never liked the mattress he had in his apartment so he wasn't sure why it was so awesome right now. Actually, maybe that was all a dream because he felt like it was Saturday morning at home and that Alfred would come in any minute to inquire if 'Master Jason' planned on getting up for lunch at least.
"Master Jason, I know that everyone is waiting for you to wake up. Master Timothy's antidote is working. So please, my boy, please wake up. My children need you."
WHAT?
Jason's eyes shot open. Alfred? Was it really all a dream?
"Alfred!" Jason screamed.
"Master Bruce!" Alfred actually yelled.
"Alfred, please tell me it was just a dream." Jason pleaded, breaking down into tears.
"Oh, my poor boy." Alfred's kind hands offered Jason a sip of something cool. The water helped clear away the last of the cobwebs. Everything rushed back in the same moment Jason found that although he was in his bedroom at Wayne Manor he was restrained to the bed with leather straps.
"Jason…" Bruce's voice wasn't supposed to sound so… so fragile! He wasn't supposed to look older!
"Dad, Dad, please tell me it was just a dream." Jason wept. He could not stop the tears.
"Is he alright?"
Dick was here too, his hair shorter. Apparently someone had convinced a mullet was not the way to go. Jason giggled and then burst into a fresh stream of tears.
"Master Timothy suggested he may need to purge the dead pit blood. This could be one way."
"Do you think Tim should have a look at the antidote again?" Dick suggested worriedly.
Jason hiccupped and wanted to ask who they were talking about, but he could not stop the tears.
"I think we got him in enough trouble with his Dad. He gave Alfred clear instructions. If anything looks wrong we can contact him."
"Yeah. Bruce… that kid is something else."
"Perhaps you should continue outside the room. Master Jason needs to rest…"
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"-broke up. So much has changed. You know, I am going to have to tell you everything all over again when you wake up."
"Dick?" Jason opened his eyes. Why did this stupid antidote have to be so hard? Crying, vomiting and a few other distasteful ways of purging the Pit's blood. Thanks Ra's. Not to mention the exhaustion.
Huh. For the first time Jason felt, though tired, almost normal. Not crazy normal, but like he had before the Joker.
"Jason! How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit with a truck. Are my ribs broken?"
"Nah. You got a nice bruise on your stomach though. The knot on your head is more interesting. You look like you got a second face trying to protrude…"
"Shut up Dick. My head is just fine." Jason glared at his brother. "So… did I go all manic again?"
"No. You threw up for almost an hour straight and then slept for two days this time. You look… like you don't need to throw up."
"Yeah and I don't need to cry or anything else either." Jason added. "Anything else I should know?"
"Well, your elbow has a hairline fracture."
"Probably deserved it. Everything is a little fuzzy…" Jason yawned and then suddenly he remembered. "DICK! The kid, the new Robin…. Is he alright? I really whaled on him…"
"His shoulder is a bit sore I think, but except for some bruises on his face and a couple nastier cuts he escaped relatively unscathed. He's going to try to get here to look at your charts today. This may be the only time Bruce condones sneaking out…"
"Sneaking out?"
"Tim doesn't live in the manor, he's our neighbor. Normally his parents are off on trips, but this time they were home and he was supposed to be doing extra homework when he went to rescue you… By the way you cost Gotham a million dollars by springing Joker from Arkham… anyway, Tim is grounded and his parents are keeping a close eye on him, for once."
"So he ain't… well, our brother?"
"Not like adopted, no." Dick said. "He's Robin though, so…"
"Yeah. I guess that's closer than any adoption." Jason agreed.
The door opened and both Bruce and Alfred entered.
"Lunch!" Dick called. Bruce walked to Jason's other side and unlocked the first cuff.
"Bruce… does this mean I'm sane again?" Jason asked.
"We hope there will be no more manic episodes, Master Jason. We cannot seem to rid your blood of the Pit's refuse completely, but enough that with some medications that Master Timothy has come up with, you should be able to control it." Alfred said. Jason sat up, muscles complaining as much as they had when he had first started training to be Robin. He rubbed his wrists, and stared in some dismay at the heap of food. Dick and Bruce each had their own trays and both were eating already. Jason, after nearly two weeks on his back ill, insane, and crying did not think he could eat all of this.
He did justice to it, suddenly realizing that of all the things he missed the past couple years as Talia tried to brainwash him and then he traveled the world to become stronger than the bat, Alfred's food was the best. He could not finish it all, but he ate enough that Alfred was satisfied and took the trays away. Bruce sat down and stared at Jason, but did not talk, while Dick chattered away about the changes in the Bat cave and more, but little was said about their friends.
Jason did not question it. There would be time. He did wonder why Barbara hadn't come to see him. Dick said she knew.
A quiet knock at the door made them look up. A boy of fourteen or fifteen, a bit on the small side, but moving with the grace of someone who knew their strength, dark hair, keen blue eyes, and a hesitant smile on his face stood there. Dick lunged for him and gave him a hug, ruffling his hair. "Still grounded kiddo?"
"Yeah. Dad's pretty upset still." The boy shrugged. "But they flew to Metropolis for an interview with Mr. Kent. Kon thinks they're criminals I need out of the way, but he asked Mr. Kent to take care of it for me."
"You should just call Clark straight out."
"Oh, it was Kon's idea. I mentioned that I needed to get someone out of the way. He wanted to tell Superman that he could think too."
"Clark knows who they are. He came to see me last night wondering what was up." Bruce said. "Your eye looks better."
The kid touched the skin under his left eye. Jason frowned. He could not remember getting a blow to the kid's face, though considering his purging, the memories weren't crystal clear. Something was off about the way the comment suddenly made the boy self-conscious. But Jason was too tired to figure it out.
"It's fine."
"Well, hey! Jason this is Tim. I know you've sort of met him before, but we need to do it proper." Dick said. The kid's eyes fell on Jason, thoughtfully. Jason met his glance. He had taken the kid's measure on the roof tops, but the fury that had flooded him then had abated. He would need to reevaluate.
"Hi Jason. I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a less painful way to rid your system of the pit's blood." Tim said.
"No problem. Tim… Timothy?"
"Yeah. But Tim's okay."
"I prefer Timmy." Dick interjected. Tim gave Dick an evil eye, which was reminiscent of a Bat-glare. Clearly this one learned fast. "Whoa. That was almost as good as Bruce's. Unfortunately I'm immune."
"Dude you are still as annoying as ever." Jason said. "Thanks Tim, for uh… this." He waved his hands, trying to convey what Tim had done for him. A shy smile crept across the boy's face. His eyes remained guarded but he knew very well what he had done for them. He had given everything in that last fight.
"I'm glad I was able to do it. Alfred showed me your stats today. I think we've beat the Pit Blood. Um, you do have to take some medication weekly to help it keep from building up again, because I can't determine how to completely purge it. I'll keep working on that."
Jason eyed him. "Are you a workaholic?"
"My team thinks I am." Tim blushed.
"Speaking of your team." Bruce stood up. "Impulse was in the Hall of Justice yesterday asking after you."
"Who is Impulse and tell me he's not a good guy." Jason groaned.
"Bart Allen. He's Barry Allen's grandson from the future. He's learning. I'll take care of it, Bruce."
"Tim." Bruce approached the boy. He reached for the boy's shoulders. "I can't thank you enough for what you did." Bruce actually hugged Tim. Tim was as shocked by this as Jason and Dick and did not move at first. Then his arms clung to Bruce and for a long moment it looked like Bruce and Tim would hug until it grew awkward. Then Tim straightened and Bruce let him go.
Jason thought there was a tear in Tim's eyes.
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Jason was up and shuffling about the Manor the next day. He had lost a bit of weight and strength during the purging. It was so amazing to have a good bed, good food and a family to watch over him. He had not realized how much he missed this. There were moments when all the hurt came flooding back, seeing that the Joker lived, that there was a new Robin. Yet Jason felt safe at last, maybe for the first time in his life he felt that he had a real FAMILY.
He made his way to the bat cave when evening came. Bruce was at the computer bank, Alfred was working on something in the work room and Dick was sparring with a young woman of Middle Eastern origin. Tim was also there, talking on the coms with his team Young Justice, and face palming once every few minutes. Jason watched the spar, wishing he had the strength to spar. The girl was amazing to watch. She moved even more lightly and gracefully than Dick.
"Done." She announced and with a swift movement Dick was on his butt. "Who?"
"Uh, Cass, this is Jason Todd. Tim told you about him."
"He the one who hurt Tim?" A dark light came to her eyes.
"Tim told you why." Dick said gently.
Jason felt his measure taken by the wisp of a girl. She was very hostile, but he supposed she had reason. Bruce was watching Jason out of the corner of his eye. Dick, even Alfred, had a look of caution about them. Tim, especially, had his eyes on Jason. Jason was not cleared yet and he had hurt their Robin. The kid had gained a good place in the bat family.
"Huh." Cass finally said, relaxing her stance. "Batgirl." She pointed at her chest. "Oracle watch me. Batman new father. You… brother."
"We have an adopted sister?" Jason blurted to Dick. "And you didn't think to tell me that?"
"I did tell you! You were just unconscious." Dick protested. Tim may have snorted. Whether at Dick or at the kid Impulse, whose name issued in warning tones every few minutes from Robin.
"Hi Cass. Good to meet you. Never had a sister before. What do I do?"
Cass stood frowning, understanding the question.
"Hugs are usually good ways for family to say hi." Dick offered. Two matching glares hit him and he held up his hands. "Tim, I need a hug."
Tim was in the middle of face palming again.
"BART! Focus."
"Impulse has attention deficit disorder." Dick informed Jason. "And he's a speedster."
"Impulse is going to drive me to an early grave." Tim muttered after signing off the com. "He spent the whole meeting guessing my identity." He stepped onto the mat. Dick immediately dragged him into a hug that Tim stood in for a second before responding to hug Dick back. "Kon was egging him on, too."
"Tell 'em." Jason offered.
"Bruce doesn't want that. He doesn't trust Impulse or Superboy."
"There's a Superboy now? When did Clark have a kid?"
"Clone." Bruce barked.
"Kon is as real as Mr. Kent." Tim barked back in what was clearly a long standing back and forth. Jason was really starting to respect this kid. He had no fear of Bruce.
"So I thought you were grounded." Jason said.
"My parents decided they wanted to stay in Metropolis for the week." Tim said.
"That happen often?"
Tim blinked a coupled times as he processed the question. "They like to travel. They are archeologists. They go places quickly all the time when they have too."
Dick dragged Tim backwards into another hug. Cass was the only one who didn't look like she understood Jason's surprise. Jason had a lot to catch up on.
Bruce had to be caught up as well Jason decided when Tim and Dick had headed out to cover patrol. After two weeks of watching Jason purge himself of the Lazarus Pit the father was loathe to leave his son now that Jason was no longer screaming obscenities, cursing Bruce and the Joker, or losing weight by vomiting and crying. Jason has already snuck a glance at the security recording of his first nights in the cave after Tim had taken him down. It had not been a pretty sight.
However the pain behind his madness still existed.
"Bruce, I need to know why the Joker is alive." Jason said, pulling a chair as close to his adopted (only) father as he could. Bruce flinched away, but Jason had intentionally rolled the wheels of his chair into Bruce's wheels, and the father could not back up. He stilled and his face dropped into the emotionless mask of Batman.
"I need to know. He killed me. Literally. I was really dead when Ras switched my body and left the fake for you to find. I was dead for ten whole minutes and then I was in a coma and then I was in the Pit.
"When I was coherent enough to understand Talia told me how you let Superman stop you from killing the Joker. We both know he couldn't stop you if you really tried." Tears were pouring down Jason's face. "Why did you let the Joker live?" He asked, rubbing his aching head.
Bruce looked shocked, grieve and angry. "I tried to kill him right after your funeral, but Clark stopped me. Dick and I were so angry and we tried twice more, but got stopped each time by Green Arrow and Superman. I was furious and I was grieving. I wanted to die. I became reckless. Dick cut himself off and lived with the titans and Barbara was still in a physical rehabilitation at this point. I was alone."
"How could Arrow stop you?" Jason spat.
"Probably because I knew that if I killed him I would be wrong. Yes, he should die for what he did to you and to the hundreds of others, but he cannot die at Batman's hands."
"What about Bruce Wayne's hands?" Jason demanded.
"I cannot separate Bruce and Batman. Jason, I was going mad from guilt and vengeance."
"You are well. You were well when I came back!" Jason yelled.
"Because of Tim!" Bruce yelled back. "This tiny, lonely boy tried to put my family back together for me, because he believed in me and my family. I didn't chose him to become Robin. He didn't come to me to become Robin. He came to me to ask Dick and me to work together again, because we were both so dark without each other.
"Dick and I quarreled in front of him and it was only then that he took Robin and came to rescue us from our own stupidity. Alfred told me that I had better take Tim as my partner or I would be dead in a month and everything you had ever fought for would be stained with my grief."
Jason felt breathless. Bruce had ripped open the mask he had worn and let Jason see every emotion that his son's death had caused, had let him see the pain and the anger and the hatred. Jason didn't think he could doubt Bruce's love after that, even when Bruce also showed him the healing that had taken place. Knowing that Bruce loved him made Jason glad that Tim had come in the midst of all the pain, to bring that sliver of light back into Batman's dark world.
"I wish you had killed Joker." Jason said honestly. "I am so selfish to wish that you had, even when I know that it would have broken you."
Bruce's face crumpled. "Jason,"
"No, let me finish." Jason demanded. "I want the Joker to have been dead by now. But, you are my Dad, the only one I ever really had, and I want what is best for you. It hurts that you couldn't avenge me and that your crusade had to come first. I want you to kill the Joker and I want you to be Batman. I can't have both, can I?"
Bruce was silent.
"I get it." Jason murmured. "I want you to be Batman, more than I want the Joker dead. I want you to be my dad."
So how do you like seeing the world from Jason's point of view? I had that last part in a chapter further down the line, then realized that Jason would still feel all his hurt, it would just not be magnified beyond his ability to handle. Let me know what you think.