For those of you who wanted a part 2 :) @TheDemiBloodPrinces @mary6224 @GiovannaSales076 @Broken_blue_crystal @linnie-colt @lampterracoon
Dick's leg twitched painfully as he struggled against his chains. They were set just high enough that he couldn't comfortably stand or rest, his broken leg hanging uselessly at his side.
"How are you liking your stay?" Jason asked smugly.
Dick used most of the little energy he had left to lift his head for a moment. "Jay... let me go," he pleaded, a hiccuping sob escaping from his lips. "Please..."
Jason chuckled. "It's not going to be that easy Dickie," he taunted. "It wasn't for those Jr. leaguers you liked to pal around with."
Jason threw a magazine down in front of his brother. The front page featuring a gruesome scene of carnage, words announcing to the world the deaths of his teammates.
Dick's sobs caught in his throat. "W-why?" He asked, looking at Jason with his horror clear on his face.
"They hurt you," Jason stated.
"You're hurting me," Dick said, a tear rolling down his cheek.
Jason's eyes flashed an unearthly green. "I was protecting you!" He growled. "Like we promised. Like you promised."
"Jay..." Dick started.
"Don't," Jason warned. "I don't want to hear it." He turned and walked away.
Dick hung his head, his conscience heavy. He hadn't been there for Jason... he hadn't been there for his team. And it seemed he'd lost both.
Darkness danced in the corners of Dick's vision, promising a relief he was desperate to take. He stopped fighting, allowing his consciousness to slip from him, his body falling to pull against the chains that held him. His knees hanging just above the ground.
—
Dick awoke to the sound of a gunshot, followed by the splintering of the chain holding him up, and the cold ground rushing up to meet his face. He didn't have enough breath to do anything more than whimper, his leg feeling like it was being torn apart by a red hot poker.
Breathing came easier now that he was on the ground, one thing Dick was thankful for. He'd felt almost like he was suffocating while his hands had been chained above his head.
"Enjoy breathing," Jason mumbled from across the room.
Dick took another breath. "Jay?" He tentatively called.
Jason didn't answer.
Dick sighed, resting his sweaty forehead on the cool cement of the floor. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you ok... I... it tore me up for months."
"Please," Jason scoffed. "If it had actually been 'tearing you up' you would've gone after the man who killed me. You would've killed the Joker."
"I almost did," Dick said quietly, squeezing his eyes shut against a sudden wave of nausea. "Bruce had to come stop me..."
Jason paused as if taken aback. "That doesn't excuse the fact that you should've been there that night," he said.
"I was in space Jay, I was gone for months... I had no idea..." Dick trailed off, his head throbbing in time with his leg.
"Bruce has his excuses too," he spat, venom in his voice. "Excuses don't fix anything."
Dick took a deep breath, trying to keep his body from projectile vomiting like it seemed to want to do. "B-Bruce can't be everywhere at once Jay..." he mumbled.
Jason scoffed. "He would avoid being the only place that mattered that night... we'll see if he shows up to save you in time."
That's when Dick noticed the ticking noise... Jason had rigged the place to blow.
"Wh-why? Why kill me?" Dick asked.
"My revenge," Jason said, finally turning to make eye contact with his brother. "I'll finally get my revenge on the two people who should've been there that night... besides, I couldn't let anyone else kill MY best friend," a sick smile stretched across his face. "So I figured I'd do it myself."
Dick vomited violently, his head continuing to spin. He mumbled something nonsensical as his eyes drifted closed, the noise of the ticking bomb echoing in the warehouse.
—
Dick's first thought when he cracked his eyes open was that he must've died. That was until he felt a rush of pain flow through his body.
He couldn't quite tell where he was, but the light on the other side of his eyelids was blindingly bright.
"You awake chum?" Bruce said, squeezing Dick's hand.
Dick groaned. "Wh... where am I?" He asked, his voice crackling from disuse.
"We're in your room in the manor," Bruce answered.
Dick grumbled. "Why can't my room be a pit of darkness like yours?" He complained.
Bruce chuckled. "Tim can you close the blinds?" He asked.
The light became a bit less blinding, and Dick slowly blinked his eyes open. "Thanks," he said.
"Don't do that again," Damian said, and Dick suddenly noticed that the younger had a death grip on his arm. "We thought he'd killed you..."
There was a moment of heavy silence, broken by the noise of Tim accidentally knocking over one of the potted plants on the window sill.
Dick chuckled a little when he saw how frazzled Tim became as he tried to clean up his mess. The mood grew somber again however when he asked, "What happened?"
Bruce sighed. "After the team... we... we assumed he'd go after you. So we tracked your suit's signal. The tracker had been cut out of your suit, so we assumed you were dead..." Bruce trailed off, a haunted look on his face. "Until Tim found some video footage of... Jason. We followed the footage to where he was keeping you and retrieved you."
"What about the bomb?" Dick asked, not wanting to ask his real question 'what about Jason?'
"Tim disabled it," Bruce replied. "And as for Jason... he's in Archam."
Dick froze. Jason was in Archam... just like that he'd become one of the villains they'd worked together to try and stop.
"Thank you," Dick said, taking a shaky breath.
"For what?" Bruce replied.
"For making it in time," Dick said, hoping Bruce could tell how sincere his gratitude really was.
—
Dear Jason,
It's been a while, and I know you probably won't even read this, but I wanted to let you know that I forgive you.
I've heard about the progress you've made with the councilors at that facility Bruce moved you to. Honestly I'm proud of the change you've made.
Also glad you're not in Archam any more.
I worry about you.
-Dick
Dick sighed as he slid the letter into the mailbox. His leg twinged slightly, turning his thoughts even more to his brother. He really hoped Jason would change. Bruce had nearly shut down when his Robin had died, and the loss had been just as devastating for Dick.
Having Jason back as a rampaging murderer however, that was almost as painful.
Dick let out another sigh. His letter gave him a bit of peace of mind. It had been a long and hard process working to forgive his brother for the things he'd done. But it was done.
Taking a deep breath, Dick walked away, leaving thoughts of his brother behind. It was time for him to move on.