NEVER TOO LATE
"Jay, what's up?"
"Nothing."
"Sure like the scars on your wrist are nothing."
"Leave me alone, Dick."
"No."
"Fine, I'll leave. No one ever wanted me here anyway."
Jason gets off his bed and heads over to his window. He pulls on his backpack and jumps out. That was the last time Dick saw him for a while.
-4 years later-
I was looking through Jay's room on the anniversary of his disappearance. He left four years ago and I haven't seen him since. I pull open one of the drawers in his desk that I've never opened. Inside I see piles of paper. All of them have writing on them. They don't make much sense but I go down to the Batcave and sit at the Batcomputer. I set them all out and lock the door so Tim or Damian or any one can't interrupt me. I set to work reading them for three hours. I start to fall asleep from a long week in Bludhaven. So I go up to Jay's room and grab his iPod. I've been listening to his music hoping he would come back if I did. I head back downstairs to see Tim and Damian reading the papers.
"Hey Dick, what are these?" Tim asks
"Put them down and leave. Now."
"Why?" Damian demands with a pout on his face.
"Leave guys. I need to work."
"What for?"
"Get out!"
They leave thereafter rather quickly. I don't yell at them often but I've been so stressed out lately. I'm a senior in high school and I'm out all night in Bludhaven. I turn on the music and sit back down. The papers seem to have a pattern to them that I just need to figure out. On one sheet it says one thing and on another something similar but not. On some sheets the writing is upside down and on others backwards. He even wrote some in Romani. After some time one song turns on and everything clicks. I quickly place the pages in order of the song. I neatly stack them and start reading.
'This world will never be what I expected
And if I don't belong who would've guessed it
5498
No one will ever see this side reflected
And if there's something wrong
North
Who would have guessed it
The world we knew won't come back
Washington
The time we've lost can't get back
Lancaster
The life we had won't be ours again
Pennsylvania
This world will never be what I expected
And if I don't belong
96143
Maybe we'll turn it all around
cause it's not too late it's never too late'
It's a song that had two arguments. My side and his side. And the one word lines are an address. He's been there the whole time and I could have found him years ago. I write a quick note for Bruce before I pull on a hoodie and a helmet and fly out of the cave.
Once in Pennsylvania I head to the address to see an apartment block. I walk up to the front desk and ask them if a Jason Todd lives here. The woman shakes her head. I start leaving but she calls me back in. She hands me some papers. I head to a bench and set them all out.
'I will not leave alone everything that I own
To make you feel like
Even if I say it'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
836
Now and again we try to just stay alive
And I have left alone everything that I own
To make you feel like
Even if I say it'll be alright
Still I hear you say
E
You want to end your life
Now and again we try to just stay alive
Even if I say it'll be alright
Still I hear you say you want to end your life
Now and again we try to just stay alive
6'
I run up the stairs to the fifth level and look for room 836 but I don't see it so I head to the sixth floor. There are no numbers so I walk around for some time until I see the letter E on one of the doors. I knock lightly and step back to wait. Someone pulls open the door and I ask for Jason. He gives me a weird look then closes the door. I knock again and he yanks it open.
"What do you want?"
"I'm looking for my brother. He left notes behind and I'm using clues he left. He gave me these three numbers and I don't know what they mean."
I show him my hand where I had written 836 not thirty minutes ago. His face quickly shows recognition as he heads into the apartment. He comes back with more papers that I take. I head up to the roof to figure out this puzzle. I sit on the edge as I read each page carefully. There is only one word on each page but I have to put them in order to get the little code he left.
I look over the words over and over again. I even pull out the other papers he left. I put my hands in my pocket and feel his iPod. I turn the song back on and when the words start I listen closer to them. Maybe the clue is in the words.
After another four hours of sitting on top of the roof and watching the sun set I finally figure it out. I pull out a flashlight as I put the words in order.
'This
Look
And
To
I
The
To
It's
North
Even
Still
Star
You
On
Now
The
Maybe
cause
South
No
Side
And
On
Who
The
And
To
Roof
It's
Of
Even
The
Still
You
Apartment
Now
Maybe
Building
cause
The
The
Then
The
This
And
Turn
Even
Still
Now
Left
Maybe
cause'
I do as it says as I see his mask. I pick it up and look around for him. It's like he knows I'm here.
"Hey Dick, I thought you'd never show up."
"Jay!"
"In the flesh. Now leave."
"I just found you. I'm not leaving."
"And I just showed that I'm smart enough to make a trail difficult for even you to find."
"Jay, Bruce has been down since you left."
"When has he ever been up?"
"It's not the point Jay. It's not too late to come home. It's never too late."
"No. I'd rather die than see any one of you ever again."
"And I have left alone everything that I own. To make you feel like it's not too late."
"And if I don't belong?"
"Even if I say, it'll be alright still I hear you say you want to end your life. Now and again we try to just stay alive maybe we'll turn it all around cause it's not too late. It's never too late. If you want to die then fine. I've given up on trying to save you. Because obviously I'm too late."
I jump off the roof and head to my bike. I pull on my helmet and look up at the roof and stars one last time. I see his reflection as his body tips forward.
"JAY!"
His body falls limply until at the last second he lands gently on the ground. He looks at me then starts running away. I drive after him until I cut him off. He stops and glares at me but stays.
"What the hell?"
"You said you didn't care anymore?"
"You're my brother Jason. It doesn't matter what I say. I don't want you dead!"
"Well. I do."
"How about this, follow me somewhere and I'll show you what it's like to almost die."
"Why should I?"
"If you follow exactly how I show you. I'll leave you. If you don't then you have to come home."
"Fine."
I grab a second helmet and hand it to him as I start driving to my first home. Luckily they are here in Pennsylvania this week. At the ticket booth I ask Mr. Haly when the performance is over. I buy two tickets and drag Jason inside.
"What does his have to do with death?"
"You'll see. Trust me."
The performance was great. They even had an acrobatic family but now they have to perform with a net. Afterwards when everyone was gone I start towards the trapeze. Jason sits in the audience and watches as I climb to the top and throw down my hoodie. I hop on and start flying around and the trapeze artists come back out to watch with the rest of the circus family. When I land back on the platform they clap and start towards me. The family climbs on the other side and wave for me to start. The man swings out after I do as I release the bar and feel absolute weightlessness. I latch on to the man as he swings me back toward their post. He swings out then comes on as well. I ask them to get my brother up here as I look over the edge like I did all those years ago. Soon enough Jay stands up here and looks around.
"Okay, so you want me to swing on the trapeze?"
"No."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"Just watch first."
I step to the edge of the platform and take a deep breath of air. I look down at the net then . . . I
Fall.
I stay in one position as I go down until I hit the net. I look up and see Jay looking over the edge. I walk over to Pop Haly and ask him to remove the net. He does quickly as I climb back up next to Jason.
"Why is he taking down the net?"
"I'm going to show you what it feels like to almost die."
I grab his hand and look him in the eyes.
"I want you to jump off with me. We can't tuck into a roll to save ourselves until it's almost too late."
"Are you crazy?"
"This is basically what you want to do too."
I don't listen to what he says as I jump off and drag him with me. He starts screaming but I'm calm the entire time. Now I know how my parents felt as they fell too. At the last second I curl up and roll when I hit the ground. I look at Jay and see him kneeling on the ground.
"I win."
"Jacka-"
"What?"
"Donkey."
"That's what I thought. I knew you wouldn't do what I wanted if I told you beforehand. That's why I didn't tell you until you were already up there and couldn't get out of it."
"Fine. Isn't that how-"
"Yeah. Now I know what it feels like too."
"I'm sorry I scared you like that. Can we go home?"
"Yeah. Thanks Pop Haly."
"Come back more often kid. It's good seein' ya."
Jason and I leave the tent as I hop on my bike. He gets on the back as I head home. When we got back Jay was happily accepted back in the family and I could tell he was glad to be back. I guess the song was right. It's not too late and it's never too late.
A/N: I've had this for a while I just haven't been able to update until now so here ya be. Underneath is Gemini's version with Dick and Jay.
-Leo
Never too late
"Hey, Jason! Wait up!" I yell at the back of his head as he runs across rooftops away from me. We had just bumped into each other while I was helping Bruce in Gotham. He had just been standing on the edge of a roof smoking and staring over the edge at the street below when I stumbled into him. When he saw me, he dropped his cigarette and ran. After the initial shock of seeing my wayward brother wore off, I ran after him.
After about 15 to 20 minutes of running, I finally catch him. I grab him by the shoulder and spin him around. He reeks of smoke, alcohol, and gun powder. He doesn't have his helmet or mask on, so I can see the bags under his dark green eyes and the dirty white spot in his hair. I shrug it off and say, "Hey Jason. How've things been?" I say taking my hand off of his shoulder as he crosses his arms over his chest and slouches slightly.
"Fine."
"Dude, you are not 'fine'. What's wrong?"
He just glares at me and anger flashes in his eyes. "What makes you thing something's wrong?" He spits back.
I eye him wearily. "Why were you on that roof?"
"None of your damn business."
"Jason. Why were you on that roof?" I ask in a more serious voice while I take off my mask and look him in the bloodshot eyes.
"Why would you care?" He barks before turning his head to look away and mumbling "No one cares anyway. Not anymore."
"And what do you mean by that?"
"Bruce hates me, this is the first time in years you've talked to me, hell, the only person I talk to on a regular basis is the guy I buy my cigarettes from." By this point I was seriously concerned.
"Why were you on that roof?" I ask again gently. He just snorts a bit of air out of his nose and avoids my eyes by looking down and to the side. Then something hits me like a sucker punch to the gut. "You weren't thinking about jumping, were you?" When he doesn't say anything, I know it's his confirmation. "Why?"
"This world will never be what I expected Dick. I will never truly belong here, besides, I've been dead before. It's not nearly as bad as living here, like this." He spat.
"You know it's not too late to fix things between you and dad, right?" I ask him.
"After all of the time we've lost? I can't get that back, and neither can you."
"Jason, it will be alright."
"In how long? To what end? All this game has ever been is to stay alive. If I just ended it now it would be so much easier on everyone."
"No it wouldn't Jason! I don't think we could handle you dying again! I don't think I could handle it! Are you even listening to me!?" I screamed at him as he pulled a bottle out of his jacket and took a drink. Then dad appeared.
"Why are your masks not on?" He growled from the shadows. By now I'm nearly crying.
"Do you know what this IMBECILE was going to do?" I yelled, openly crying now. "Dad, he was going to jump off the roof WITHOUT A GRAPPLE!" He came over and put a hand on my shoulder. Then I hugged him and sobbed into his chest. He looked over to Jason, who had taken a defensive stance with his arms crossed.
"Is this true?" He huffed a confirmation. "Jason , you know I'm not angry with you, right?" He said while rubbing my back in soothing circles.
This took him by surprise, "You're not?" He asked
"No, I'm not. Alfred has been asking about you, by the way."
"He has?" He said, trying to hide a smile.
"Yes. It's a quiet night. Why don't we head back to the cave?"
"Fine." He said, still trying (and failing) to hide his smile.
"I call shotgun!" I yelled before running off in the general direction of the Batmobile, followed at a distance by Bruce and Jason, but not far enough that I didn't hear Jason ask:
"Bruce, are you sure it's not too late?"
"Jason, it's not too late. It's never too late."
A/N: Hope you liked it.
-Gemini