In Blood

Chapter Four

Jason's P.O.V

Every step I took was mirrored with his. My father's. The Demon of Gotham, self proclaimed 'World's Greatest Detective'...the Batman.

Even if I wasn't afraid, there was a certain level of...anxiety one had when being on Batsy's bad side. The man was trained in every possible way to kill a man, and could easily do so - but instead, he choosed to kill his foes with hospital bills...that's his weakness.

He held back.

He couldn't take a life...even if it meant those he supposedly loved got hurt.

Someone like me.

A streak of lightning split the sky above in two, the clouds flickering in bright shades of purple before returning to dark greys.

We began diverting in our path, circling each other at a distance. Those frosted, icy eyes narrowed into a dangerous and unrelenting glare, locking with the mimics on my mask. Occasionally, I would glance back to the Impala, expecting to hear the screech of tires and an empty stretch of road...but no...

Sam looked on, conflicted. He wanted to intervene, and even stepped forward with the intent to do so, but Dean rushed out of his seat, and held his brother back by the sleeves.

As they bickered back and forth, my attention was put back on the Bat. All of it.

"Jason." He uttered my name coldly.

"Bruce," I responded back. Out of my peripherals, I noted Gordon's approach, and the Bat-Brats drawing their weapons. A chuckle escapes me. "Notable crew, here. Couldn't bring me back all by yourself?"

He remained silent, listening to me speak. Round and round we went, still circling - studying each other's form, and planning the best attack.

"Personally, I'm surprised it took you so long to find me," My teeth bared in a growl. "Was it you? Oracle? ROBIN...?"

"Nightwing, actually," Batman replied with a level, cool tone. "He noticed your train ticket on the camera feed, and...well, your pitiful attempt to blend in with a crowd. I thought I taught you better then that, Jason."

"And I thought I mattered to you, but seems like you had a replacement for me as soon as I died," Through my anger and ire, a saddened crack breaks through my snarl. "How long, Bruce...? How long did it take you to replace me!? A month? A week!? I TRUSTED YOU - AND YOU JUST LEFT ME TO DIE!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!" The Batman yelled over a large clap of thunder.

"He's right, Jason," Nightwing took a step forward, my glare snapping towards him as he approached. "Robin joined because his parents went into the Witness Protection Program! Listen, I was against having him become the next Robin - but things...they just happened. It isn't anyone's fault and he wasn't brought in to replace you!"

"So that's your explanation. It just 'happened'..." My words quaked with rage, and a slight bit of anguish. The hurt I felt couldn't be put into words...only in action. Inevitably, it would come to this - my temper clouding my better judgement, and it's all threatening to spill over in a violent, irreversible outburst.

Suddenly, Bruce's hand comes down on my shoulder. The gesture is supposed to be touching, but all it did was cause me to see red. He tried to win me over with what he deemed to be the truth, but I'm not so easily convinced. Everything I am is because of him, and I still hold onto that resentment with an iron tight grip. It's safe to say it all went in one ear, out the other...but I do catch a tiny portion. And it turns out, what I heard becomes the catalyst for disaster.