week 11

[redhandedrobin]

Grey dusk in Gotham, and he leaned back to catch the last few rays of his 'sunrise'. He was up early this morning.  Footfalls on the rooftop, confident and at ease.  A hero, then.

"You take some finding."  Hal sat down on the edge of the building, and Jason looked over, frowning.

"You looked better with the cape and hood."

"Lost a couple powers when they took the cape back," Hal shrugged, grinning, "Won my soul and body and life. Not a bad trade."

"Yeah, it's not. It's fuckin' wonderful for you. I'm very happy for you. Fuck off or I'll send you to meet the new Spectre." the threat was as empty as Hal's old threats of making Jason sweep the walkways of paradise- not that they'd ever needed the sweeping. 

"Jason..." Hal frowned, reaching a hand and letting it rest on his shoulder. "I came to check up on you. I... of course I knew you were back, but..." he glared out over Gotham, the pilot's eyes seeking horizon, "I knew things were bad.  I've been meaning to come, just hadn't gotten around to it.   Crisis, you know.  Always one of those."

Jason shrugged.  "That's about the only constant in this world."  Hal frowned, hearing everything Jason hadn't said, and knowing more than he wanted to about Jason's return, about the last few years in the mortal realm.  The world was fucked, and so was the boy beside him.

"What do you want from the world, Jason? An apology?  Consider being alive the universes' idea of 'oops, we're sorry!'."

Jason spun to look at him, his eyes snapping, "What do I want from the world? What do I want? I want everything. I want a home. A family. Food.  Friends, even.  I want forgiveness and somebody to give a fuck about me and someone to be happy I'm alive, not acting like I'm a better memorial than a man," he choked on a sob, "I want to live."

Hal reached out for him again, and Jason let him squeeze his shoulder.  "I can't give you those things," Hal said softly.

"Yeah, I know, justice is always blind t'Jason Todd." Jason snorted.

"No.  It's not." Hal's eyes were compassionate. "Don't give up, Jason."

"Don't know how."

Hal shook his head, "Neither do I." he said slowly. "Come on. Want a beer?"

"I'm underage."

"Yeah, so?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

Comments

[old_csat]

*frowns* This Gotham sounds a hell of a place. Listening to you boys, I'm beginning to think that I've been lucky for most of my life, insanity and all.

You've a really good definition of 'everything', by the way. I think you listed everything worth having, right there. Hope you get 'em, too.

Heh. The whole 'universe doesn't owe you' thing ... it's true, but it'd be nice to hear some false comfort once in a while, I think. 'course, every time someone comes to me with those worries, I say pretty much what your friend there said. But that's because I'm crap at comfort.

Anyway. Wish you luck, kid. And a better class of universe, if there's one for the having.

[redhandedrobin]

It is. It's pandemonium and silence wrapped up in evil.

Thank you.

And as for a better class... I've seen all 52 of my worlds. They all have their issues.

[old_csat]

Well, that certainly doesn't sound like a nice place to live.

*rubs nose* Welcome. S'true, anyway.

52 ...? Oh. Multiverse thing, right? That's still bloody confusing to me.

[redhandedrobin]

It's home. If I have a heart, it's here.

Yeah, multiverse thing. Try not to think about it too hard. Just gives me a headache.

[old_csat]

My heart came with me. Everyone should be that lucky.

*nods* Good plan!

[redhandedrobin]

*chuckles* true, that.

[lion_cub]

It's never easy to be dead and then alive again, not even the way I do it.

[redhandedrobin]

No, it's not, I guess.

Just... some people make it look so easy!

[lost_arrow]

Shit, Jay.

Come on by one of these days.

[redhandedrobin]

Thanks Roy... don't mind if I do.

[goblin_king]

Changeling child. Outcast in another world.

Were you not so old, many of my kind would find you fine prey. Offer dreams, everything you ask for. In return, take your loyalty, your future, your life. *smiles* Again.

You would be happy. It would be false, but you would be happy. I've watched it so many times.

What you want, changeling child, take for yourself. Let no-one offer it to you. Your want is too visceral to trust others to fulfill it.

[redhandedrobin]

Don't think I've met you before...

*tilts his head, mulling the advice* Ain't no changeling of any kind. And taking what I want doesn't work so well for getting me what I want, I figure.

[goblin_king]

Jareth. Goblin King. We haven't met, but I've seen you.

You have the spirit of a changeling, whether or not you are of their kind. Child lost, child betrayed, child stolen and forgotten. Bright lights, always, but so quickly burned through. I hate them. They make me regret, and it is a rare thing that can do that.

Taking can be paired with giving. I mean only that you should never trust those who seem to offer all with no cost, no strings. It only means the strings are expertly laid, unbreakable.

[redhandedrobin]

Jason Todd. *doesn't like the sound of that one, at all*

Hnnn. Haven't been a child in over a decade... and I'm not the bright light of the family. *shrugs* But thank you, anyway.

*chuckles* So I'm guessin' you hate me, too. Well. There's a club if you'd like to join.

Aaah. Wish I'd heard that advice a little earlier. Wise words.

[goblin_king]

I wouldn't worry. I can watch, but unless asked I cannot touch. Rules of the game.

All mortals are children to me. It's no insult. And passion burns bright. Brightest. For good or ill.

Hmm. How to explain. Hatred is a passionate thing and I do not feel passion towards you of any kind. I do not know you. The changelings have a long history among us, and it is that history I hate. More so now that it has played a part in losing me what I love the most. Do you see?

Strings deeply laid. Did you die to escape?

[redhandedrobin]

Rules, huh? Sucks when the rules constrain you.

mm. I suppose. And I suppose I have it.

That makes sense, that you hate the idea and not the individual. Well... I've got a few that fit in those categories, too. I think I see.

You could say that.

[goblin_king]

*laughs* Indeed. However, since the price of disobeying these rules is somewhat ... unthinkable ... I think I'll err on the side of continued existence.

Oh, you are passionate. That is the first and easiest thing to see about you, changeling child.

I hate few people. I tend too much towards apathetic, really. But there are reasons I live in exile, and reasons I have lost so much. Those reasons are what cause me to hate.

Did it work?

[daredoll]

You died.

I'm sorry, . . . if you ever need a friend, or at least a friendly ear give me a shout okay?

[redhandedrobin]

Yes. I died. I don't know which killed me, Joker's torture, or the bomb he left. It's a blur. A very painful one.

Yeah, sure. Thanks.

[notafraidofyou]

...Hey.

[redhandedrobin]

Hi.

[notafraidofyou]

So--that really kinda sucks. You okay?

[redhandedrobin]

Yeah, I'm fine. *shrugs*

[notafraidofyou]

Okay. So... how've you been?

[redhandedrobin]

Pretty good. You?