Ever Dimly (Young Justice/Miraculous Ladybug Crossover)

Ever Dimly

"I'm not in the mood," Robin muttered. Jason sat against the wall with his legs pulled up so he might wrap his arms around them and bury his face. There were way too many emotions welling in his chest so when Batman sent him to the cave located at Mt. Justice he headed straight for the unlit gymnasium where he would normally be.

Except, the previous Robin wasn't here, and instead he was greeted by the over-zealous greetings of Cat Noir and Kid Flash who didn't want to listen to him when he said he wasn't in the mood, particularly when he couldn't erase certain memories from his head. "I brought you cookies."

Jason's head lifted, the thought of Alfred doing such a thing to cheer either of them up crossing his mind, yet so did the idea that it might only be him now. "I'm not..."

"In the mood," Ladybug said. She set the plate of cookies down on the floor and sat down against the wall nearby. "I heard you when you said that to Cat Noir and Kid Flash before."

"Then would you leave me alone?"

"I don't think that would be in your best interest right now," she said, but looking over at her, she pulled her legs up to her chest like he did and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested the side of her head on her knees, watching him carefully.

"What would you know?"

"Robin..."

"I'm not Robin! I'm not him!" Jason snapped. One of his arms flew away so he could pound the wall next to him with his first. At that moment he couldn't escape Dick's face, eyes closed tight so he couldn't see the robin blue eyes while the oxygen mask rested over his mouth while the systems he was hooked up to beeped. It should have been him there, not Dick, but Dick decided...

"I'm not the first Ladybug either."

"Yeah. Well, you're at least able to live up to your namesake," Jason muttered. He swallowed, knowing she was only trying to help, and he appreciated that, but...

"I don't think Nightwing would expect you to be a Robin like him, but instead be your own Robin."

"That..." Jason swallowed, nearly choking as the tears welled in his eyes. "Why! Why did he take my place with Joker! It should have been me, 'cause I'm the useless one!"

"Why?" Ladybug tilted her head. "Because he needed, no, needs you. You're his younger brother."

"That..." The tears welling in his eyes were hot.

"I've seen how he acts around you, how he gloms onto you. He doesn't do that to anyone else, but that's how a family is, isn't it?" She then spoke in a softer tone. "Something happened to him, didn't it?"

"How can you tell?"

"If you don't come here with him you come here complaining about him, but there hasn't been a word about him. And..." She took a deep breath. "Kid Flash, when I pointed it out to him—I think that he came to the same conclusions, but he didn't try to steal any of the cookies I made for you." One of her hands reached out to grab one of the cookies so she might hold it out for him. "Here."

"I'm not hungry," Jason muttered. "And you don't have to..."

"Well, someone has to since Nightwing's not here." Ladybug shook the cookie at him. "And I know it's not exactly what he'd have done in this situation. I'm not him, but I can try to do something close to what he'd have done and I can point out that you should think about what he'd want for you, right?"

"He..." Jason sniffled, a tear rolling down his face. He reached up. "What he'd want for me? That's why I'm here and he's there, in a coma. He..."

"He's Nightwing." Ladybug said. "And as such I'm not going to give up on him that easily, nor should you. So, eat. He's more likely to come out of that coma if his family is there for him, but can you imagine Batman doing the family thing?"

"More than you think," Jason choked out, the tears coming. "But I guess that's who he is as a civilian. As Batman, you're right in the fact he's being cold and collected. I want to kill Joker. I want to kill him for what he did to..." He almost said Dick's real name. "... the previous Robin."

"Is that what he'd want you to do?"

"Is..." Jason closed his eyes, the sobs coming tighter, remembering what he'd been told—that there was a difference between revenge and justice. "He wouldn't."

"If it's okay, I'll keep you company until either I need to get back to Pari, or you have to head back to Batman."

Jason didn't say anything, but he was grateful for the act of friendship.