"Do you remember the emergency frequency if you need to reach me?" Bruce asked him for the fourth time.
"I open the window and yell really loud for Superman." Jason answered, voice filled with underserved confidence.
"Jay-"
"Yes I know the frequency. Unless it changed within the last 10 minutes since you asked me."
Bruce nodded before returning back to making sure his suit was in order.
It wasn't the first League mission he'd gone on since Jason had joined them but it was the first off world one. It'd never been that difficult to get back if something did happen. While Bruce was very clearly nervous and doing the worst job ever of hiding it, Jason was excited.
The other times he'd left Jason in Gotham, he'd left very specific instructions to not go out. He didn't want Jason patrolling alone yet. While he appreciated the concern, he found it slightly grating after a while.
He was Robin, he grew up on the streets in a way Batman hadn't, he could take care of himself. There was just no convincing Bruce of this.
But now, he was projected to be gone for at least a week, maybe longer. Gotham couldn't be left unmonitored for that long, and with Barbara being busy, it left Jason to handle the homefront.
He was more than ready to prove himself.
"I'm gonna get my homework finished." Jason called out to him. "Unless of course you wanted to make sure I knew where the panic room was?"
"Jay before you head upstairs," Bruce called out to him. "I'm leaving in the morning. You are staying put tonight to make sure you're caught up on everything before I go."
Jason knew that tactic. One last check to make sure nothing was going on that he could run interference for before he left.
He decided to let Bruce have it. One more night of coddling and then it'd be on him. The excitement thrummed in his veins. He was ready. He knew he was. Bruce hadn't told him not to patrol or anything. Jason actually had the full green light.
"That's fine. It lets me get a head start on some stuff too."
He'd long finished his school work. It was always one of the first things he did when he got home. He didn't want to get behind, and boy was it easy to get behind.
He hadn't been this excited since his first ever patrol with Batman. Of course the thrill never fully went away every night but the expectations had changed dramatically. Nothing he'd done could quite top the excitement that came with Robin.
He couldn't sleep either. He wanted it to be tomorrow night. He wanted to prove himself.
Robin had patrolled Gotham on his own before but that had been before Jason, but he'd been as old as Jason. If he could do it then Jason certainly could.
Jason was up before the sun.
Breakfast was a muted affair. The energy was weird. Between the adrenaline Jason felt and the all encompassing dread Bruce was radiating didn't mix that well.
When Jason came with his book bag ready to go Bruce seemed to be confirming a few things with Alfred in a hushed tone.
"You never did hear from him did you?" Bruce asked
Alfred hesitated slightly. "You know how he is."
"Yes well, you think he would still let at least you know." He glanced past Alfred to Jason.
He gripped Jason's shoulder, kneeling so he was eye level with him "Please be careful lad." There was a tone that Jason didn't hear very often.
Jason set his jaw. "You're worried for nothing. I'm Robin, I got this."
Bruce shared a look with Alfred behind him. "Right, well, I'm off."
"Don't worry." Jason called out as Bruce made his leave. "I got this. It's what you trained me for."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly before he disappeared. Jason knew he was going to worry the whole time, but it didn't matter.
School seemed to drag on forever.
He desperately wanted to get back and get a jump on things. Plan tonight's route, make sure there weren't any open cases he needed to worry about.
Normally he'd pay more attention but there were just more pressing matters for him to focus on.
He nearly leapt out of the car when it pulled in.
"I'm gonna do my homework downstairs Alfred." He called out before he could be stopped.
Alfred called out for him but Jason was already gone. He opened the grandfather clock and stepped through the secret entrance.
Jason took a deep breath as stepped out of the elevator into the Batcave.
Homework first. He thought to himself. Then everything else.
Jason went over to a workbench to pull out his school work when he realized someone was at the computer.
He hadn't gotten a good look before he stepped out of view, he could see their shoulder as well as what they were looking at on the screen. A mob case from a few weeks ago. Something he remembers Bruce commenting that they would need to keep an eye on.
Jason grabbed the first weapon in reach, a batarang, and slipped into position.
No one can just get into the Batcave, and no way was he gonna let this be his first screw up on his own.
"Hey!" Jason called out to him. "Step away from the computer."
They turned their head towards Jason slightly. He then lifted his hands from the keyboards and turned the chair to face Jason.
Jason fell out of the stance. "What are you doing here?"
Jason had seen his picture enough to know who Dick Grayson was. From what he'd gathered Dick had left the position rather suddenly a few months ago. During that time he'd been with the Titans trying to figure himself out and avoiding Batman if at all possible.
This was the first time they'd ever been in the same room. Jason wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. Dick may be seated but he was taller than Jason thought. He couldn't help but feel a little intimidated at the very sight of his predecessor.
Dick regarded him for a moment. "What do you mean what am I doing here? He didn't tell you?"
Jason didn't answer.
"He asked me to fill in while he was gone."
"He asked you to what?" Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"To fill in. Based on his notes here, I think there should be focus with that mob case you guys wrapped up recently. It looks like it might be bigger than originally thought."
Jason felt his brain stall.
Bruce didn't trust him. He didn't think Jason could do this alone after all. Well he could. Grayson hadn't been to Gotham in months. No way was Jason going to let him waltz in and act like he was in charge.
"Well thanks for coming all this way, and for the heads up about the mob, but I can take it from here and you can go back to wherever you've been this whole time." Jason told him.
"No, I think I'll stay here." Dick replies easily, his tone grates Jason's nerves. "Alfred would be upset if I didn't at least spend the night."
"Okay, that's up to you. But I don't need your help with patrol tonight, I can handle it."
Jason cannot get a read on what Dick's thinking. His face remains neutral.
"Oh really?" Dick asks him.
"Yeah, really."
"He's gonna be gone for a while. You think you can handle Gotham all by yourself for that long?"
"I've lived in Gotham my whole life, I grew up in Crime Alley. Yeah, I'll be fine. But if it makes you feel better you can run comms or something."
Dick doesn't respond immediately. He just studies Jason. "Alright."
Jason deflates slightly. "Alright?"
"Yeah, why not. You grew up on these streets. You can handle yourself. I'll stay put and catch up on my reading and be back up if you need it."
"I won't." Jason tells him instantly.
"Of course not."
He's agreeing a little too easily. Jason is suspicious, there is no way he's just going to let Jason leave. It's a waste of a trip. But he had agreed so Jason will leave it at that for now.
(Break)
When Jason comes to he immediately recognizes the pain killers in his system.
His head felt muffled, the soft sounds of his surroundings were barely audible.
He took in his surroundings realizing he was in the infirmary back at the cave. The embarrassment of his first solo patrol really settled in.
Jason had only been out for an hour before he'd needed help. Just one measly hour. He didn't even get to do anything. Barely making it to the more dangerous parts of town to make his usual rounds.
"Ah you're awake." Alfred announces as he comes back around. "How do you feel?"
His voice does nothing to sooth Jason. He blew it. Dick would report this to Batman and he would never get to patrol alone. If anything Bruce might restrict the freedom he does have on patrol.
Jason shrugs instead of an audible answer, he's not entirely convinced he could give one anyways without crying. And he won't cry over this. Babies cry and he's not a baby.
"Any pain I should know about? You did break your arm." Alfred continues, lightly prying.
"No Alfred, I'm fine." Jason finally tells him. "Where's Dick?"
"He's following up on a lead. He did ask me to let him know when you woke up so I believe he will be back shortly."
"Great." Jason says glumly, sinking further back into the pillows.
"Is everything alright?"
"I don't really want to talk about it right now."
Alfred seems to let him be for the time being. "Alright, I'll be right over there if you need anything." He pats Jason's knee before going back to the Batcomputer.
Sure maybe it was stupid to follow up on the mob case alone. And sure Batman had expressed concern and the two of them had trouble the first time around and it was arrogant that he thought he could handle things this time alone. And sure he should've just done a normal patrol route.
Jason had been too eager. He wanted to prove he could do this and maybe jumped the gun as to what he could realistically handle.
He wondered what Dick would say, what he thought of him. Did he think that Jason wasn't worthy of the Robin title now?
Jason could hardly blame him if he did, but he also didn't think he could handle it if Dick told him that. He didn't know Dick well enough to know if he would lecture him or write a report to give to Batman and let Bruce handle it.
He'd always wanted to meet Dick, the opportunity to prove not only to Batman that he could do this alone too but to also prove to the original that he was worthy of Robin was perhaps too tempting for him to ignore.
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. He knew that he shouldn't have jumped in like that. He hadn't even bothered to get a lay of the land, check his surroundings to make sure it wasn't a trap.
There was the roar of a bike as it entered the cave.
Jason watched Nightwing dismount and stop by the Batcomputer.
Maybe Dick wouldn't bother with him. That he would just write a report and leave it at that.
Of course Jason isn't that lucky, before he knows it Dick is at his bedside pulling up a chair.
"Walk me through what happened." Dick tells him. His body language says it's an order but his tone says it's a request.
Jason notes he's really talking to Nightwing, not Dick.
He sucks in a breath. "I'd made it to Bowery street, where B and I had done the initial bust. There were about four or five guys in the alley near the speakeasy entrance that led to the club they run. They were dealing heroin to a couple of kids."
"Thought they were just gun runners." Dick interjects.
Jason isn't sure he completely believes that's what he thought. There's no way if Dick read the complete file that he thought they were only gun runners. No one with skin in the game only dealt in one thing.
"Well I know heroin when I see it and they were selling to a couple of kids, they were my age. Couldn't have been older than maybe fourteen. I just- I couldn't just let that happen. So I jumped down. I didn't scout the area even though I knew it was crawling with other members I just-" His voice catches.
Dick waits him out, which Jason is grateful for.
"Apparently they were having a meet tonight and I wasn't exactly quiet. I think I counted about fifteen or so, all huge with firearms because of course they had firearms. Between their size and the alley I didn't stand a chance."
Jason sniffs before continuing. "He's right, I'm not ready to go out on my own. I can't believe you let me, I mean there's no way he told you it was fine."
Dick scoffed. "The entirety of our conversation was maybe thirty seconds. He didn't have time to get into the rules, not that I would've listened. He didn't mention you but it was implied. Besides, did you really think I was gonna let you go out alone?"
Jason shrugged. "I guess not but I don't know."
"I was curious to see what you would do if you were let off the leash essentially. I shadowed you." Dick admitted.
Jason blinked. He'll admit that he isn't shocked that Dick was nearby but shadowing implied he'd been significantly closer and Jason hadn't even noticed he was being followed.
"How do you think I got there so quickly?" Dick asks
"Duh I guess. So what now? What are you going to tell Bruce?"
Dick sucked in a breath glancing towards Alfred briefly. "What should I tell him?" His tone is soft, to the point Jason himself could barely hear him.
"I don't know." Jason replies, his voice equally quiet "You're in charge, you're the one who saved my ass. Don't you think Bruce should know about this?"
"About what? About how you smoked out the twelve guys in charge of the whole operation and helped get them and their products into GCPD custody?"
"I- I didn't do that, you did that? 'Cause I got my ass handed to me and a broken arm to remember the night by. How'd you do all of that by yourself?"
"I didn't smoke them out, you did. When you attempted to stop a drug deal. Sure I took them out but I was planning on staking out their headquarters nearby after you got back. I wouldn't have known where to look if you hadn't done what you did."
"Yeah but I needed help, I got hurt."
"Okay yeah, your method was stupid." Dick conceded. "And you weren't intending to do that. If it hadn't have worked out so well I have no idea how I would spin it. You did go in blind and recklessly, but you know that already I don't need to tell you that. At the end of the day, you got the job done, you just need to stop being so eager to prove. We all know how capable you are. Okay?"
Jason smiled slightly. "So you're not gonna tell Bruce I royally screwed up?"
Dick grinned. "I may fudge the details slightly. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. He'll be all over you with the broken arm anyways. Hate to make that worse."
"Yeah, he's such a worry wart. It's tiresome honestly."
"Well, if you ever want to get away for a little bit."
His eyes widened. "Really?"
"From one Robin to another, there are some things that only Robin can teach you. If you're gonna take my name, the least you can do is maintain the reputation."
Jason laughed, he felt the weight lift off of his shoulders at the mere thought. Dick thought he could do it, sure maybe he was lying and thought Jason would fail. But it felt sincere. How could it not?
"You know with the broken arm I can't let you out." Dick continues solemnly.
Jason's shoulders fall slightly. "Yeah, I figured."
"I do want you to run comms for me."
He perked up at that. The smile grew wider. "You really want me to run comms for you? Why?"
"To brush up your skill, and so you don't get bored and harass Alf while he does it. I'm sure you can handle running comms."
"Oh I can handle comms."
Dick winces. "Maybe I didn't think this through."
"No, you said I could run comms so I am running comms."
"Well now I am worried you'll use it to figure out how to get out while I am preoccupied."
"I would not do that."
"Couldn't keep me down with broken wings. I sincerely doubt that your little broken wing is gonna stop you."
"Well I, unlike you apparently, want to avoid further injury. I'd hate for my little wing to heal crooked."
(Break)
Running comms for Dick was different than for Bruce
The most notable difference being Dick was far more chatty. Not just with him but with every single person he came across. There were quips and comments and even full conversations with every single bad guy he took down.
No two interactions were the same either.
Dick also moved a lot faster than Bruce did.
He took the same short cuts but just seemed to arrive on scene in a fraction of the time.
Jason found himself feeling more and more upset as the week progressed. Once Bruce got back Dick was gone, he kind of liked hanging out with Dick.
For one thing Dick had a far easier time maintaining conversations about things he didn't care about, he talked while he worked, Jason felt he'd learned more about Robin and what it meant to be Robin in the last four days than all his training with Bruce.
There was also the added benefit that Dick was much better with a variety of languages than Bruce so Jason felt he could actually pass French, his one bad class.
When Jason got home from school on that fifth day he made a beeline to the den where Dick usually had been at this time of day.
It was empty.
He then checked the room Dick had been staying in.
Also empty.
He checked the cave.
Empty.
He decided to go find Alfred, if anyone would know it'd be him.
"Hey Alf," Jason called out as he entered the kitchen. "Have you seen- you're back early."
Bruce stood braced against the kitchen island where he'd been reading a newspaper. He stood a little straighter when he saw Jason. "Can I help it if we're efficient?"
He saw the way Bruce eyed his cast.
Jason huffed a laugh. "How was it?"
"Uneventful, unlike here I see. What happened?"
Jason attempted to tuck his arm behind him slightly. "Nothing serious, a rookie mistake honestly but- I'm fine. Dick handled things fine while you were gone."
Jason noted how Bruce's jaw tightened slightly when he said Dick's name.
"Good." Bruce seemed to force out. "How is he?"
The question looked painful to ask.
Jason hadn't been brave enough to attempt to figure out what happened between the two of them. From what he was seeing, he had a hard time believing that either of them could hold a thirty second conversation.
"He seemed- fine." Jason told him. "He was pretty focused on patrol and what not."
Bruce didn't have a response to that, instead he nodded curtly.
Jason chewed his lip slightly. "He left didn't he."
Bruce met his eyes for a moment. "I think he left this morning. He wasn't here when I got in."
Jason felt his face fall. "Oh, oh well. Glad you're back. I'm uh, I'm gonna go upstairs and do my homework I guess."
"I'm sorry lad." Bruce attempted.
"It's not your fault."
Bruce bit back whatever response he had. Jason wasn't sure what exactly it was, likely something along the lines of 'yes it is my fault but I don't want to get into it'.
Jason knew Bruce and Dick had problems but he'd thought Dick would've at least stuck around to say goodbye.
He flopped back on his bed and sighed. "Oh well."
Jason glanced up and saw a note taped to his headboard.
Hey kid,
Sorry for sneaking out on you like this. I hate to catch you in the middle of our stuff. I'm just not ready to deal with him.
Let me know when your arm is better. There are some things I'd love to show you if you're interested.
I'll see you later Little Wing.
(P.S. this name is sticking, get over it.)
Jason scoffed at the nickname.
Little Wing.
It didn't even make sense.
He reread the note and decided to give Dick a little grace. Whatever happened between him and Bruce was obviously very fresh for both of them and he appreciated that they wanted to keep Jason out of their shit so they could work it out themselves.
Maybe when his arm is better he can convince Dick to teach him a few of the moves he'd done on patrol.
But Jason was content with the idea he would see Dick again and he would get him back for one of the stupidest nicknames ever.
Little Wing would not stick if he had any say.
Day 2 Complete. I'll be back tomorrow