Nightwing: Heartache

Part 32: Bat Cave Debrief

November 23, 1:30am
The Batcave

"You're sure?" Barbara asked Dick.

The entire Bat Family stood around the Batcave, masks off but suited up. Barbara sat in her wheelchair beside Dick while he iced his hand. Tim leaned on his bo staff, eyes on the floor. Bruce sat in the chair in front of the computer. He wasn't facing the rest of the group, his eyes glued to the computer screen. Alfred leaned on the computer, hands limp at his side.

"I'm sure," Dick replied sullenly.

"All these years," Alfred mumbled, his voice breaking.

A war of emotions raged inside him. Heartbreak, joy, rage, anger...had Jason really been alive this whole time? How did he get mixed up with the League of Shadows? Dick was sure it had been Jason's body Batman pulled from the rubble of that abandoned warehouse, but... stranger things had happened. But they had been sure. They had buried Jason, grieved. For years. And now?

Dick looked down at Barbara, a similar look of confusion covered her face. They had all missed this. Tim was more complicated. He glanced between Dick and Barbara, waiting for them to lead. He was understandably shocked, but he had never known Jason Todd. His grief was secondhand.

Dick looked at Batman's back again. "Bruce." Batman didn't move an inch. His cowl was down so they could see the back of his head, but that was it. "Bruce," Dick said again, louder.

"What do you want me to say?" Batman mumbled back. His voice was distracted.

He finally turned his chair around. His face was... broken. Downcast. His fists balled at his knees. "Would you like me to admit I failed him? Sent him to die, failed to rescue him. Buried him, failed to see he was still alive? Is that what you want?"

"Master Bruce," Alfred trailed off, unable to come up with the right thing to say. He placed a comforting hand on Bruce's shoulder. "None of us knew."

"We all failed Jason," Barbara added.

She looked to Dick. They all did, aside from Bruce. Waiting for him to say something. Dick set his jaw and crossed the room to put a hand on Bruce's other shoulder.

"We won't fail him again," Dick declared, "let's go get him back."

Bruce didn't say anything. He just placed his hand on top of Dick's, giving a small squeeze of reassurance, of thanks, so small it was barely there, but it was.

It was time to get to work.