Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I’m so sorry.”

Dick Greyson held an umbrella in his hand as he stood in the cold, dark rain. The entirety of Gotham seemed to be weeping, and Dick couldn't blame them. He clenched his fist, and gritted his teeth, trying to stop the tears from flowing. Bruce had left hours ago, cold and unfeeling as always, leaving him alone in this graveyard of misery.

Here lays Jason Todd.

That was all it said. No beloved son. No beloved brother. Bruce didn't think any of that was necessary. They hadn't gotten into an argument about it, and of course, Dick had lost. Dick closed his eyes for a moment when he saw the faint blue glow that had become so familiar to him. 

He took a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. And slowly opened his eyes. There, sitting on top of the tombstone, swinging his legs back and forth, was Jason. He wasn't alive, of course. His skin was a grayish blue, and the whites of his eyes had turned black as the night. He was wearing the Robin suit. Not the usual red, green, and yellow one, though. He was wearing the red and black one. The one he had died in. Blood poured from his forehead, and his domino mask was broken. Jason tilted his head to the side, as if studying Dick. Dick knew this habit of his well. Jason alway did it whenever he was thinking.

"You can see me." Jason said, simply, he voice stranded echoey, as if he was speaking through water. It sounded so much like him, but didn't at the same time.

"Yes, I can."

"I tried calling you, the night it happened, but it went to voicemail." Jason said, calmly, too calmly.

Dick flinched at the reminder. He had been replaying that night in his head, over and over again. Dick had heard his phone ringing, but when he saw that it was Jason, he let it go to voicemail. He had just had a huge argument with Bruce, and needed space from them. I will call him back in the morning, He had thought at the time. How could he have known that that would be the night Jason stopped living.

"I know." Dick replied. He didn't beg. He didn't make any excuses for not being there when Jason needed him. He choked out, "I'm sorry."

Jason remained silent for what felt like and eternity, before he said, "I know you're sorry…"

Jason jumped off of his headstone, hovering a foot above the ground. He moved closer to Dick, and placed his hands on his shoulders. Dick shivered as freezing cold shot through his body at the contact. Jason rested his head on Dick's shoulder, while wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Is it cold?" Jason asked, almost sounding like he was concerned.

"Yes."

"Good!" Jason replied, cheerfully before turning somber, "That means your still alive. Well, unless you died from the cold."

"What do you mean?" Dick asked, warily. Dread filled him, and he had the terrible feeling that he wouldn't like the answer. He began walking away from the graveyard, Jason still attached to him. Ghost could only leave their resting place while attached to a person.

"Well,…it…it's kinda…hard to explain," Jason hesitated, unable to find the right words, "When a person dies, they…they get frozen…in time…at the moment of their death."

"What does that mean exactly?"

Jason sighed as if tiredly, and said, "Nevermind. It's not important anyway."

Dick turned his head to look at his younger brother, keeping a steady walking pace, and saw Jason with his eyes closed. He sighed, and faced forward. He had known that Jason would show up, or at least he had hoped. That was why he had stayed at Jason's grave hours after Bruce had left. He hadn't wanted to believe that Jason was truly gone, but now that the kid was literally leaning on him for support, he had no idea what to say.

Dick suddenly had an idea. He started humming the lullaby he used to sing to Jason at night. Before everything went wrong. Before Dick had his falling out with Bruce, and left Jason alone in that cold manor. Dick's heart thrummed painfully in his chest at the thought.

He had abandoned Jason.

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

Jason lifted his head slightly upwards, and small smile spreading across his face as he listened to Dick's soft humming. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard it. It felt like an eternity. He laid his head back on the shoulder of his older brother, and started thinking.

He didn't really know how to feel about Dick being nice to him after his death. Especially when his brother had been so cold to him during the last few months of his life. Why now? Why after he had gone and gotten himself blown up by the Joker did Dick finally decide to care about him? Jason sighed softly, and noise barely audible, but the bats always had good hearing, so naturally, Dick turned to face him.

"Is everything alright?" Dick asked softly.

But this only caused a spark of anger to go through Jason. Of course, he wasn't alright. He was fucking dead, and his older brother was being so confusing. Why was Dick acting as if  everything was normal between them. Jason let out a frustrated yell, before disappearing from Dick's view. He hadn't left, but Dick could no longer see him.

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

Dick watched as he younger brother vanished, and lowered his head. Tears threaten to fall, and he bit his lip. He knew that he had no room to feel sorry for himself. He had never treated Jason right. He knew that. Dick knew that Jay was still there. The freezing cold sensation of the undead continued to linger around his shoulders. He felt so stupid. How could he ask his brother that. Of course, Jason wasn't 'alright', he was dead.

Dick continued walking down the street of Gotham, towards Wayne Manor. Well, that was another thing to be upset about. Jason hadn't been buried in the family cemetery. The chill on his shoulders got impossibly colder, as if Jason were thinking the exact same thing. The coldness of the undead was entirely based on the mood of the ghosts. Happy ghosts are almost lukewarm, but angry ghost were as cold as the darkest depths of space. Jason were probably a mix of sadness, anger, and confusion based on his temperature.

As Dick was thinking this, the manor came into view, and he had to steel himself before stepping closer. He didn't want to be in this luxurious house. Especially when his younger brother was dead. It didn't matter if Jason became a ghost. This place brought back some bad memories, like how he treated Jay when they met. Dick took a deep breath, and walked towards the large iron gate. The gate swung open as he approached; Bruce had given them sensors that would allow them in the manor at any time.

He walk to the front doors, and was about to knock, when the door opened from the inside. Alfred moved out of the way to let him in as he said, "Master Richard, it is a pleasure to see you returning home. Though, I wish it were under better circumstances. Would you like some tea?"

Dick nodded, and followed Alfred to the kitchen. He sat down heavily in one of the chairs at the countertop. Alfred moved around the kitchen with a practiced ease as he prepared the tea. Dick rested his head on the table as he felt Jason's spread throughout the room. Alfred didn't acknowledge the sudden shift in temperature as he gently placed the cup of freshly brewed tea in front of Dick. Dick stared at the cup for a few moments before sitting back up. He brought it to his mouth, and hummed at the sweet taste. He took small sip, and finished the glass in a few minutes. Alfred took the cup from him.

As Alfred was cleaning the inside of the cup with a cloth, Dick asked, tentatively, "Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Richard?" Alfred responded without looking up.

Dick took a deep breath, and finally asked the question he had been wanting to ever since he found out about Jason's death, "Was I a bad brother?"

Alfred looked up, and stared at Dick for a few moments. He returned to cleaning the glass as he asked, "Do you wish for me to be honest, Master Richard?"

Dick nodded, saying, "Yes."

He had to hear an outside opinion. The temperature in the fluctuated slightly. Jason. For a moment, Dick wondered if Jay was curious about Alfred's answer.

Alfred sighed softly, and said, "In the simplest of terms, yes, you weren't the best brother towards Master Jason."

Dick's entire body slumped downward at the words. He had known the answer. But, it hurt for more to actually hear someone say it.

Alfred continued, "But, that doesn't mean that you should beat yourself up over it. No one is a great elder brother. I certainly wasn't towards my younger brother."

Dick's eyes widened, "Really?"

Alfred simply nodded.

"I didn't even know you had a brother."

Alfred seemed to shift ever so slightly, and Dick decided to stop talking.

Alfred looked at the grandfather clock, and said, "You should be getting to bed, Master Richard. You have had a very long day today."

Dick nodded, and stood up. As he left the kitchen, the cold wrapped around his shoulders, and he knew that Jason was with him. Or, at least his ghost was. He walked up the fancy stairs, and closed to door to his room with a soft click.

Jason reappeared after the door was closed. He was sitting on top of the desk, swinging his legs back and forth just like he had on the gravestone. Dick tried to look at him, but his eyes wouldn't leave the ground.

"I'm so sorry."

Chapter Text

Bruce heard Dick's bedroom door click shut. He sat on the edge of his bed, with his head in his hands. How could this have happened? He had promised himself one thing the night that his parents had died. He had promised himself that he would never that happen to someone he cared about ever again. Tears streamed down his face. He would allow himself this time of mourning. He balled his hand into a fist, and almost punched the wall before remembering that Alfred would have to fix it. 

He laid down on the bed, and looked up at the ceiling. Fifteen. Jason was only fifteen. Bruce rest his arm over his eyes. What did his fight even mean anymore. He has wanted to stop others from going through what he went through. Now though? God, what was he doing with his life. His face was wet with tears, and tried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming.

He pounded his heart with each question that ran through his mind. Why did Jason have to go to Ethiopia? Why did he chase after the Joker? Why did the Joker have to kill Jason? Why couldn't he save Jason? Why did he not show up on time? Why…? Why Jason?

Bruce barely heard the door click open, and Alfred walk in with a tray. Bruce didn't turned towards the sudden light in his once dark room. He didn't want the light. How could he deserve to be in the light, when Jason would never see the light ever again.

"Master Bruce…"

Bruce stayed silent. He didn't trust his voice not to shake. With a sigh, Alfred placed the tray on a table by the bed. 

"I brought you some tea."

Alfred leaves the room, closing the door with a click. Bruce heaves a sigh of relief as the room is once again engulfed in darkness. He sits up, the bed shifting to support his weight. He reached for the cup before hesitating. He blink blankly into the darkness. Jason probably would've laughed off his sadness, instead of wallowing in it like Bruce. Jason…

Here Lies Jason Todd.

When he craves the stone, he hadn't been able to call himself a father. But how could he have been able to explain that to Dick. He had never been good at expressing his emotions. How would Dick This understand that Bruce didn't feel himself worthy of calling Jason his son. Not after that last argument they had. The last time Bruce ever saw Jason alive. The last thing he ever said to his son. He had been so stupid. Why couldn't he just say what he meant? Why did it always come out in the absolutely worst way possible. He could still remember the way that Jason had froze. The hurt and pain in his eyes. The way his breaths came out more as shuddering grasps. And what had Bruce done? He stormed off, ranning away from any responsibility, like a coward.

I'm not looking for teenage rebellion! I'm not you're father!

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

Jason watched as Dick struggled to form words. He would start, then hesitate before looking away and giving up. Jason swung his legs back and forth, waiting for his older brother to finally say what he want to. Dick sighed as he walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed. Jason tilted his head to the side, his blackened eyes scanning over the body of his brother. Dick's shoulders were tense, and his form rigid. The reason was obvious. Jason was making him uncomfortable.

After a while of staring blankly at the wall, Dick spoke, "Jason…?" His voice was soft. "Can you stay with me tonight?"

Jason almost laughed. He asked, amused, "And what do you wanna do? Cuddle~?"

"That would be nice." Came the small reply.

Jason frowned. His brother actually wanted to cuddle? with him. But wouldn't that be super uncomfortable for Dick. Ghosts made those around them feel cold. Why was Dick asking to cuddle.

"But, you will feel cold and uncomfortable."

Dick shook his head, and said, "The cold is actually very comforting. It reminds me that my baby brother his with me."

Jason was stunned speechless. Dick found his presence comforting? Jason bit his lip as he thought it over. 

Jason jumped off the desk, floating over to the bed. Dick held out his arms, and Jason nestled himself into the warm hands of his brother. Jason rested his head on Dick's shoulder, and closed his eyes. 

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

When Dick woke up, the comforting cold that Jason brought him as gone. Dick looked around blearily, and couldn't see any trace of his brother. He quickly got up, and got dressed before leaving his room to find the kid. Dick followed the cooling temperature of the house, turning around when it started to warm. As he walked passed the closed doors of the library, he felt the temperature drop. Of course Jason would be in the library. With a sigh, he opened the door, and walked in. Dick looked around the large room, and couldn't immediately see Jason. He walked through the shelves, unable to find the kid, until he came face to face with the entrance to the Batcave. Could Jason be in their? 

Dick put in the code, and the door slowly swung open. A shockwave of bone-chilling cold radiated out of the cave as Dick walked down the stone steps. As he reached to bottom, he heard the a voice coming from the Batcomputer. He walked over, and froze in shock. It was a new recording from a few weeks ago. One that Dick had already seen. The woman was reporting of the new of the night.

Now onto our next topic of discussion: The Joker has once again been returned to Arkham Asylum after of unfortunate murder Jason Todd, adopted son of Bruce Wayne, while the boy was on vacation with Bruce in Ethiopia. The fifteen year old Jason Todd's death occurred due to an explosion. The Batman was later seen hunting down the Joker across the country of Ethiopia before finally capturing him, and returning him to Gotham City. Not comment has yet to be made by the Wayne Family in light of the tragedy that befell young Jason.

After that, the recording rewinded back to the beginning, and started playing again. With each replay, the temperature of the Batcave plummeted lower and lower. 

"Jay…?" Dick called out quietly, but the sound echoed through the cave due to the extreme cold. Goosebumps formed on Dick's arms and legs, but his years of training stopped him from shaking.

The chair at the Batcomputer whirled around, but it was empty. Dick knew that Jason was sitting in the chair, even before it moved, given that all the cold was radiating from that chair. Jason's form flickered into existence, and Dick's heart broke. Jason looked around, as if confused by who was calling him before his eyes locked onto Dick. Jason leapt off the chair, and wrapped his body around Dick's torso. Dick froze as the cold attached itself to his limbs. It took a few moments before he could move his muscles, and even then, they screamed for him to stop. He ignored the pain as he rubbed circles in his brother's back, trying to calm the child down. He knew it wouldn't work, but he had to a least try to provide comfort for his distraught and sobbing little brother.

Ghostly tears streamed down Jason's cheeks. He sniffled, as he whaled harshly, "I…I got curious. I…just…wanted to know what…B-b…did to him. I had thought that…that B…would finally…give him the…punishment he deserves. I…had thought that I…I would be the…last person he ever…hurt."

Chapter Text

Jason floated down the halls of the manor, trying to avoid Dick as much as possible. He knew that his cold presence was affecting him, even though his older brother refused to admit it. As Jason looked around, something left off. It was like something was missing. The walls just seemed so bare. He came to the end of the wall, where the portrait of…

Jason froze in shock. The family portrait of him, Dick, Bruce, and Alfred was gone. Someone had removed it from the manor. It had alway been his favorite. He went through the halls, checking every place the held a painting of him. As he passed through each location, his heart sank lower and lower. They were all gone. Every single portrait of him in the manor was all gone. Disappeared. Vanished. Like they had never been there in the first place. It was like someone was trying to make it look like he had never lived there. The ones of Dick and Bruce and Alfred, heck even the ones of Barbara, were still hanging in the halls. 

Why? Why would Bruce or Dick do something like this? Hadn't he been go enough while he was alive? Jason knew that it couldn't have been Alfred. No. Alfred wouldn't never have been so cruel as to erase anh trace of his existence from the halls.

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

As the months flew by, Dick watched as Jason's hurt transformed in a strong anger that froze Wayne Manor like a castle made of ice. Bruce kept trying to figure out a good way to make the house warmer, but nothing worked. Dick was forced to watch as his baby brother fell farther and farther into a pit. 

Gotham watched as Batman grew more and more violent with criminals. People hid in their houses and locked their doors when they saw that familiar shadow on the rooftops. They would speculate as to what has made their Caped Crusader so angry. But he wasn't the only one. Nightwing stopped his light remarks when face with rogues.

The air around him seemed to freeze, and nobody dared the cross his path. Cold dripped from his shoulders like a shield, challenging anyone to come near. It didn't go unnoticed that Little Robin, as the people of Gotham liked to call the child, was nowhere to be seen. He was the light to Batman's darkness, and without him, that darkness was on the verge of swallowing up the entire city.

There were many theories about what happened to the Little Robin. Some said he was murdered, which would explain the anger that both Batman and Nightwing had. While, others said that the child died and came back as a ghost, which many believed to be the reason for the extreme cold around Nightwing.

Sometimes, you could hear Nightwing's sad chirping in the middle of the night. Some even claimed to hear the faint sound of a response.

Four months after the Joker was locked up in Arkham Asylum, he managed to escape. There are many different stories of what happened to him afterwards. Nightwing appeared where the Joker was causing trouble almost instantly. People claim that he had a downright murderous look on his face as he watched the man from above. His movements were almost animalistic as he stalked his prey. Nightwing chirped softly, tilting his head to the side as if speaking to someone. He nodded his head, and jumped down silently. Nightwing landed on all fours, and stalked up behind the Joker.

Nightwing chirped loudly to get the Joker's attention. The Joker spun around to face Nightwing. Nightwing tilted his head, chirped softly, and launched himself on top of the Joker. Nightwing smiled as he pulled out a crowbar, and the smile was wiped off the Joker's face. Night swung sharply, mentally asking A or B? Forehand or Backhand? Well, it doesn't really matter, now does it? How about all four?

Nightwing swung over and over again as the Joker laughed hysterically. Eventually, the Joker stopped moving and Nightwing stopped swinging. He grabbed the body of the Joker, and went into a nearby empty warehouse. He set the timer for twenty seconds, and left. The explosion rang out behind him as he sighed in relief. He looked up, and saw Batman staring at him with a far away look.

"I had to do it. For Jason. He needed to die."

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

 Dick woke up that morning, shivering as he always did these days. With a sigh, he got up, wrapping his blankets around himself to try and stay warm. It didn't work very well. He walked to the bathroom, and brushed his teeth, trying to keep his blanket from falling down. He froze as he heard the ghostly scream of his brother.

"Dick!!"

Dick dropped to toothbrush, and wiped his mouth, and ran out the bathroom. Jason was floating back and forth, passing around the room. When he spotted Dick, he through himself into his arms.

"I'm sorry! I…I didn't mean to! I…I'm scared, and I…I don't know what…what to do," Jason sobbed, and Dick held him tightly.

"What's wrong, Little Wing?" Dick asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

Jason pulled away from him, and said, "Look at me!"

Dick took a better look at his brother, and froze in shock. Jason was flickering. He was solid one moment, and then slightly transparent the next. It was barely noticeable, and Dick wouldn't have figured it if Jason hadn't pointed it out. He had never seen anything like this before, and he had seen plenty of wandering ghosts. Dick looked at his brother sadly, took a deep breath, and said, "Jay, have never seen anything like this before."

Jason sobbed into his shoulder, and was about to say something, when he heard a knock on the door. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, and Jason went over to sit on the desk, swinging his legs back and forth as always. Dick opened his bedroom door, and saw Bruce raising his hand to knock again. Dick blinked in surprise, and stood out of the way so Bruce could come in. They stood in silence for a few moments as Bruce studied the room. 

Bruce turned towards him and asked stiffly, "I'm heading into the office today. I should be back by four. Lucius has been bugging me about it."

Dick nodded, and said, "Okay…"

Bruce stood there awkwardly, and nodding and leaving the room."

"His social skills are getting worse." Jason said, while hanging off Dick's shoulders. Dick frowned. Bruce was more rigid than he used to be.

Dick sighed, and said, "Well, it hasn't been the same for him since you left."

"Do you think I'm going to disappear?" Jason asked sincerely, looking at his faintly flickering hand.

"…" Dick didn't know what to say to that. He truly had never seen a ghost flicker like Jason was. Instead of responding, he turned around and wrapped his arms his brother. Tightly. Possessively. As if by holding Jason close enough to his chest, he could stop him from leaving him again. Stop him from disappearing, and not coming back. He knew it was foolish. How could he stop a ghost from disappearing? But he truly, desperately wanted to believe that he could keep his brother close.

{ ~ >^^< ~ }

As minute turned into hours, and hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks, Jason's flickering only continued to get worse and worse. It started with a deeper flickering. More of his color would go with each blink. Once he completely vanished with the flicker, it began to take over between him disappearing and reappearing. From one second, to two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds. 

By the time it was about thirty seconds, Jason started telling Dick what he saw when he disappeared. It was dark, and felt as if he was in a very small box. He would feel as though he was almost out of oxygen, which was strange because ghosts didn't need to breathe. He breaths came in short bursts, and he felt lightheaded. Everytime he returned to the place, it would reset, and would start having trouble breathing.

The longer it went on, the less Jason was aware of his surroundings. Dick would catch him staring at random things with foggy, unseeing eyes. He would have to call Jason's name several times before awareness returned to his eyes. He would look around, blinking, and ask what happened.

Dick walked into his room, three weeks after when Jason came into his room crying, and found Jason staring up at the ceiling with blank eyes. His brother had stopped responding about two days before. The flickering had reached two minutes. He was gone for two minutes, then here for two. Dick felt a rush of panic every single time it happened. He didn't know which one would the last, but somehow, he knew that Jason wouldn't make it still tomorrow. Dick rested his head in his hand as he watch his brother flicker again and again and again.

Suddenly, he felt movement on the bed, and lifted his head to look through teary eyes. Jason was looking in his direction, with a sad smile on his face. His eyes were focused, and locked onto his. Jason reached out to touch Dick's face, and said softly, "I'm scared."

Jason flickered, he was gone, and Dick knew, deep in his heart, that it was the last time. 

Goodbye, Jason Todd…

Goodbye, Little Wing…