A/n: I couldn't not do Jason for this one. Also, yes hi, I am still alive, I just got a new job and the rest of my life decided it was the best time to add on to my stress at the same time so i'm super busy and tired, but hey, new episode of Wayne Family Adventures today so it's not all bad!
As for this fic, not entirely sure of the setting since I don't know much about Jason's return as Red Hood, but let's just say it's before the fam knew Red Hood existed?
Today's prompts: Revenge, unreliable narrator, loss of identity, "I see what's mine and take it"
Jason lay on the top of the roof, looking down the barrel of his rifle as he aimed at the red and black.
Where did the green go? A stupid little part of his brain couldn't help wondering bitterly as he watched the new Robin jump around next to them.
He didn't even dare think about them yet. The black and blue made his chest feel weird, and the bat just made his fists clench. He'd deal with them later. For now… his replacement.
The second he'd found out about the new Robin, he'd hated him. Robin had been his. Robin had been all he'd had. He'd died in that suit, with that name.
Batman had given it to another like nothing had happened. Like it hadn't belonged to a person. Like the suit had just gotten dirty, so he'd made a new one and handed it off. Like he hadn't lost his life because of it.
His vision tinted green, his teeth grinding against each other.
Stop it, he berated himself. This isn't what you're here to do. Not yet.
As much as he wanted to hurt Batman, scream at him and punch him and let out all of his anger - he had so much anger, so much he never did… before if what he remembered as before was true - he knew this was the best way to hurt the man who'd once cared about him. This was the best way to see if the billionaire had ever cared about any of them in that suit.
A kid dying once in those bright colours didn't seem to have done anything. He hadn't learned his lesson yet. The big bad Bat was still fighting bad guys with his boys beside him, all three cooperating like nothing had happened. Cooperating in a way Jason had never managed to get them too.
Back to the new kid, huh?
Everything always came back to the new Robin. The Replacement. The Replacement who seemed to be doing better than he ever had. Who Nightwing was swinging around in the same combo Jason and him had made one boring, rainy day.
The green got stronger.
That was another thing. He had hoped Batman would have cared about his death, and while he was angry - so angry and frustrated and hated the man - a small part of him expected it. He'd always known, even as Robin, that Batman had never truly cared about him. He was just there to fill the hole that Dick had left.
There was that twinge in his chest again, at his name. The one he'd thought of as the older brother he'd always wanted.
He'd thought at least Dick would have cared. Cared that Jason had died, grieved or been sad or mad at Batman on his behalf. He'd thought Jason had meant something to Dick.
He'd been wrong. Before him was proof of that, Nightwing supporting and working with Robin like it wasn't another person, like he hadn't lost the one before. The footage of his own funeral was proof - the lack of the acrobat obvious. Nightwing was even working with Batman, coordinating attacks as well as ever, communication and banter and laughter and -
Jason almost pulled the trigger right there, but stopped himself.
As much as he wanted the new Robin gone… what would it achieve? He would make Batman and maybe even Nightwing hurt. Or it might backfire completely and prove that whoever was in the red-green-and-yellow suit didn't matter, had never mattered. It was just a suit to them, a role, not a person. He'd kill Robin, but they wouldn't know the significance of it, just another child dead in their pursuit of justice.
He'd kill Robin, but where would that leave him? Was he just 'the one who killed Robin'? Was this all he was destined to do, to be? He'd been Robin himself not long ago, the dead Robin, but there was no chance at all of him going back to that. He wasn't sure he even wanted to be Robin again. He wasn't the same person.
His finally made a decision and his finger curled around the trigger.
He watched the bullet as it ripped through Robin's cape, shocking both the new kid and Nightwing. The vigilante in black and blue immediately went over and checked on the Replacement, fussing over him in a way Jason can't remember Dick ever doing for him. He sees the panic in Nightwing's movements even from here.
Did losing the new Robin mean so much to Nightwing? Did he ever worry that much about losing Jason?
Nightwing is shaking, and Jason is too, but for a different reason.
He's angry. He's so mad, at all of them. For so many reasons. For so many 'what ifs' and 'did they's and he'd sad about his death. Underneath all the anger are so many other emotions he doesn't even know how to name, but they hurt. He's been hurting ever since he stepped out of the Pit.
He can see Dick arguing with Batman, gesturing wildly at Robin. Jason can guess what they're arguing about. It was something he doubts was ever the cause of an argument between them after his death. He doubts Dick ever fought Bruce over him after his death, even if a part of him wishes Dick had. Even if he did, it wasn't enough, because here they were, all together, working seamlessly with the Replacement.
It was too much.
Jason can't take it anymore.
He packs up his rifle and leaves. He'll be back, with a better plan, one that will make them listen. One that will get him the revenge he deserves for his death, even if it means the death of another poor boy in bright colours.
He hates that he does it, but just before he goes, he turns back to look at them one last time.
He can almost see the blue eyes behind the mask as they stare at him, locking eyes for less than a moment before they Jason looks away and leaves.
Nightwing is left staring at his brother's silhouette for a few more seconds before he's distracted by a punch being aimed at his face.
A/n: Not much to say. I think we all know that Dick really did not want to be there, and hated Bruce for a bit, and everything that Jason didn't see. I would have liked to make it more powerful by having two povs on this situation but I don't have time and I wanna read the new WFA ;)
Stay safe, take care of yourselves (sleep! Go to bed! I'm such a hypocrite, but do it!), and see ya soon.
- CrowofArcadiaOaks