Bruce carried Jason back to his room, being careful laying him down. He checked to make sure Jason had not reopened any wounds and then pulled the covers over the young man. He closed the door walking down the stairs to the familiar room, hitting the familiar three notes on the piano, seeing the familiar door open, riding down the familiar elevator, arriving in the familiar dark cave. He sat down, turning on the computer. He thought about Jason, about how cold and unfeeling the boy had become. Bruce wondered if the darkness he had seen recently in Jason was always there or if it was just his personality and feelings changed and amplified by the Lazarus pit. He knew that Jason had forgiven Bruce about not saving him, not getting to him in time. But Jason he feared would never forgive, nor would he ever understand why Bruce never killed Joker.

Like Bruce said, it would have been too easy, too easy to let the anger, pain, and revenge take control of him. That is exactly what happened to Jason, he had let the anger, pain, revenge all bubble inside until it had to be let out. Jason focused all his time on anger and revenge, let it cloud his judgment. The great and powerful Batman felt powerless. What if it was just too late to save his apprentice? What if the moment Jason killed for the very first time was the moment that it was too late for anyone to do anything. Bruce slides his hands through his hair and shook those feelings away. It couldn't be too late, he had to fix this, and it was his mess to begin with. He saw something tonight in Jason he hadn't seen in the boy since before he was resurrected. Bruce saw a slight glimmer of hope; he had seen feelings, tears, things aside from anger and revenge on the boy's face. He had seen how upset and sad Jason had gotten when Bruce talked about the funeral, about when Bruce held his cold body in his arms. There was hope, somewhere in that cold heartless shell Jason still had compassion, it just needed to be let out.

Bruce noticed the computer was on and pulled up Jason's blood results again. He re-read the results; it was obvious that his high levels of testosterone were the cause of his amplified aggression. But Bruce couldn't pinpoint exactly what the normalities were in Jason's blood. He needed to take another sample of blood from Jason, and he reluctantly realized he also needed to see Ghul. Ghul knew the pit, knew better than anyone what it could do and what effects it can have. This also meant he would run into Talia again.

''GREAT'' Bruce muttered to himself.

Alfred entered the cave, carrying a tray of tea and food. Bruce was not hungry; food was the last thing on his mind right now. He had bigger things to focus on.

''Alfred i really have more important things th-''

''Save it Master Wayne, you are taking a break, having some food, and then i suggest you go and take a nap''

''Alfred i need to focus on Jason right now, i don't have time to ea-''

''How are you going to help the boy if you aren't at your full potential sir?''

Bruce sighed, it was useless to argue with his old friend and he knew Alfred was right, he was so tired. ''Alright fine.''

4:15 am

That's what Jason saw on the digital alarm clock when he awoke. He looked around and slowly and gently got up and creped out of the door to his room. He didn't want a repeat of earlier. Hearing nothing he gingerly walked to the stairs and started going down it. He looked around the huge castle, nothing had changed, the mansion still had that old familiar smell , the old outdated wallpaper , time stood still here. Jason walked to the room with the old grand piano and hit those three notes; he turned and waited for the secret door to open. His head was still swirling from earlier.

''God, i could really use a cigarette right now ... or 5'' Jason thought to himself. Those things always calmed him down and let him unwind... well that and a nice bottle of jack.

When Jason stepped out of the elevator he couldn't believe he was back here. The Batcave. The cave where a chunk of his life was spent suiting up, battling the bad guys, fighting crime as the boy wonder. He remembered his first day as Robin, how he declared it was the best day of his life. Jason chuckled bitterly ''how naive i was''. There was nothing but the sound of the humming of lights turning on. Jason surveyed the cave slowly walking around; nothing had really changed, other than a few new gadgets here and there. He turned his head to the left and that's when he saw it. The glass case.

Jason timidly approached the case; it was roughly six feet tall, circular in shape. He saw his suit, all cleaned up , all repaired. He couldn't believe it, his face was full of shock, Bruce had kept it and everything. Jason surveyed the entire costume, up and down and then saw the plaque. It read '' In Memory Of Jason Todd, Robin, A Good Soldier''

He couldn't stop the tears forming in his eyes, the old man kept it up here like a daily reminder of his failure to Jason. His knees felt weak and he collapsed against the case, he wanted to sob so bad but he couldn't. He felt numb and overwhelmed. He heard the doors to the elevator open and saw Bruce walk into the cave. He saw Jason slumped against the case...HIS Case.

''Jay''? Bruce's voice was surprisingly emotional and kind.

''God'', Jason thought closing his eyes, ''I haven't heard that nickname in forever.'' Jason tried to reply but nothing came out and then the tears started flowing and he couldn't stop, his whole body started shaking and Jason put his face in his hands. ''Way to be a pussy Jason'', he gritted in his mind.

Bruce must have walked over because he suddenly felt arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him into Bruce's embrace. He wanted to pull away, wanted to just get up and run away, but he couldn't, he needed this. Jason let it out, let it all out. The anguish, the hurt, the misery, the pain, everything that happened in the last five years was being let out.

''I'm sorry Jay , I'm so so sorry''

Jason just responded by pulling tighter into the hug Bruce had him in.

''I don't know who i am anymore Bruce'', Jason whispered.

Bruce said nothing, just let the young man sob into his chest, Bruce held on tight.

Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd sat like that for an hour, slumped against the case. They said nothing.