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.

[lion_cub]

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

[lost_arrow]

Shit, Jay.

Come on by one of these days.

[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.

[daredoll]

You died.

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

[notafraidofyou]

...Hey.