Jason felt warm arms wrap around him as the sound of a gun went off. A bullet hit his armored chest, and he heard it plink as it hit the ground, no longer having enough force behind it to pierce his kevlar suit as it had been meant to.
The arms released their hold on Jason as Dick swayed on his feet, a red stain blossoming on his chest.
"No!" Jason screamed as Dick fell to the ground, blood gushing from the bullet wound that had been meant for him.
Jason raised his own gun and shot every thug in sight, not particularly caring whether they ended up living or dying.
Dick looked up at Jason as his crimson blood soaked the ground. He desperately wanted to wipe at his husband's tears and tell him everything was going to be fine, but blood filled his mouth, spilling out onto his lips.
"Why... Why did you..." Jason sobbed. "It was supposed to be me!"
Dick's eyes slipped closed and his chest stilled as the life left his body.
Jason continued sobbing, his eyes snapping up when he heard the sound of a door slamming open and the sound of marching feet.
After one final look at his husband Jason ran, swinging off into the night.
—
I seriously thought about ending it there...
—
Damian sat, his body slumped, tears running freely down his cheeks. He stared up at the case that was filled with a brand new Nightwing suit.
"I miss him too," Jason said, sitting next to his youngest brother and wrapping an arm around him like Dick would've done.
"Why'd he have to go?" Damian sniffled, curling closer to Jason's side like he used to do to his oldest brother.
"I... I don't know Dami... but he died a hero," Jason said, fighting to keep his tears from falling.
"I should've been there," Damian mumbled.
"There's nothing you could've done... nothing anyone could've done," Jason said quietly.
Damian sniffled. "He was supposed to be the one who couldn't die. He... he had healing powers from the court," he sobbed.
Jason turned away as his own tears spilled down his cheeks.
"W-who's... who's going t-to be my Batman n-now?" Damian asked, pulling his knees more tightly to his chest.
"Bruce—
"I don't want Bruce! I want Grayson!" Damian cried, burying his face in his knees.
Jason's face scrunched up as he tried to keep his tears from falling. "I... I know bud. I want him back too."
—
Bruce sat on the bed of Dick's first room, a photograph of his oldest grasped loosely in his hands. He looked around the room, tears falling silently down his cheeks as he thought about his sweet caring oldest child.
"I... I'm so sorry Dickie..." Bruce mumbled under his breath. "I should've been a better father... you... you deserved so much better."
Tears continued to drip down Bruce's face as he thought about Dick's happy smile and mischievous cackle that he'd been famous for as a kid. He hadn't deserved to die so early.
—
Alfred cried as he mixed up the dough for what had been Dick's favorite cookies. The boy he considered his first grandson was gone.
—
—
Dick's bright golden eyes snapped open, glowing slightly as he looked around.
It was cold. Dick didn't like the cold. It made him feel stiff, stiff and tired.
He seemed to be in some sort of a large black bag... a bag that reminded him just a bit too much of waking up in a small pod with the court of owls.
Dick was suddenly thrust into an intense flashback that had him clawing at the bag until he eventually ripped it open and jumped out.
Puffs of fog filled the air as Dick breathed heavily. He looked around, but it took him a few moments before he actually registered his surroundings.
Bags like the one he'd been in covered the ground.
Body bags Dick's mind supplied... meaning... meaning he must've died and been brought back by the electrum.
But if he'd been in a body bag... and there were other body bags here... Jason must've not known about his inability to truly die...
Dick's breathing picked up again as he looked for a way out. Of course there wouldn't be one. His body shook slightly as he slid down to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest and trying to block out the scent of blood and death that his heightened sense of smell couldn't help but pick up on.
—
As soon as the truck's door opened Dick jumped out and started running as fast as he possibly could...
—
After nearly an hour of wandering Dick finally found a street that he recognized. He slumped against a wall, taking deep relieved breaths and finally realizing just how much he'd been panicking.
A flash of red caught Dick's attention and he looked up just in time to see Jason running across rooftops above him.
"Jason," Dick whispered, his eyes watering slightly simply because of how overwhelmed he was.
Dick quickly reached for his belt's grappling gun, only to realize that his utility belt wasn't there anymore. "Great... Just great," he mumbled under his breath, quickly beginning to climb the building's fire escape.
Jason was sitting on the edge of the building with his head in his hands.
"Jay?" Dick said, reaching out and brushing his fingers on Jason's shoulder.
Jason's head whipped around when he heard Dick's voice. He teetered on the edge for a moment before Dick grabbed his shoulder, steadying him.
"Jason?" Dick asked quietly after Jason had been silent for a few moments.
Jason immediately tackled Dick in a hug, holding him tightly and pressing his tear-streaked face into the crook of his neck. "You're... you're alive?" He asked in disbelief.
Dick hugged Jason back just as tightly. "It's a talon thing," he said with a sniffle.
Jason laughed, wiping at his eyes. "Never do that to me again."
"Hey," Dick said lightheartedly. "You weren't the one to wake up in a body bag."
Jason cringed, remembering his own death and subsequent revival. "Just... Just..." Jason trailed off, hugging his husband even tighter. "I really missed you."
Dick ran a hand through Jason's hair.
"I guess you never know how much you'll miss someone until you don't have them anymore," Jason mumbled.
Dick let out an airy chuckle. "You'll always have me Jaybird... Always."
