Blessing In Disguise

Nine

We get to the coast after several days. I lose count again. But we're much closer to the states than we were, so I can't complain. Especially because of the plan I come up with while leaving the train.

"Little D," I say. He looks up at me and I begin. "If we take a plane out of here we'll have to get into my old bank account. Seeing as I'm legally dead that might be a problem. One flight might be our lucky shot though. One plane, from here to California."

"What will we do then, Jason? Gotham is on the other side of that country."

"I've got friends in Cali that can help. Or I did have friends. Anyway. The Titans are still standing, I asked your mom about it at one point. They can help us get across the states. We'll just get from here to San Francisco and we'll be okay."

"We are in a bay not far from Shanghai. Should that be where we take the plane from?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

And we do. It's a two day walk but we make it to the airport and then we both change into a new outfit. We had been swapping between two and saving one, but seeing as we're finally headed to the states, we can use a luxury to celebrate. I also get the pleasure of marking on the map where we've ended up.

We buy tickets from a touchscreen at a kiosk and it doesn't even deny my bank account. So far, so good.

Security checks the backpack as my carry-on, and I explain lightheartedly that I'm returning from study abroad with a young friend, and I'm so happy to finally be headed home. The guard, a black woman with a kind accent, one I recognize as southern American, laughs lightly. "I heard you'd died in a bombing, Mr. Todd."

"A rumor started by myself," I laugh. "I was a bit rebellious, if you remember?"

She seems nervous to be meeting a celebrity, even if I haven't been seen in forever and I was thought dead. We leave her for the gate, however, and soon we're waiting, first in line, to get into the plane. There are few people around and I decide to take Damian to the little café for something to eat while we wait. I guess I can use my funds a little more.

I pick out two pastries, one Damian recommends for me and one I think he should try. It looks a bit like a cinnamon roll. We nibble on our sugary delights, and then I spot the computers. A row of six or seven, all for guest use.

I get on one and send a quick email to Bruce, using the Yahoo account I did a long time ago. It says, "In Shanghai now, be home soon. Love you." I check my emails, all junk mail from right around when I died. I delete them all. Then, I click back to the news homepage, finding a headline titled, "Joker still at large" and I have to read the story.

Apparently my killer is still out there.

I have to head to the small bathroom, where I lose what little of the pastry I'd eaten and the scraps I ate since the train. I wonder numbly why the Joker was allowed to live and all of a sudden, I let one tear loose.

I haven't cried since coming back. Not even after I found out about my replacement. But now I sob in the single stall, wishing faintly for things to end up okay.

I don't really care that the Joker lived. I just have to ask myself why Bruce let him live. Damian, who followed me, whispers, "Jason, perhaps Father did not wish to break his code. I know he does not kill. Perhaps not even losing you could do that."

"No," I say. "It couldn't. Okay, I'm okay. Sorry, little D."

"Come along, the plane is boarding," he says, referring to the static announcement on the overhead. I follow the kid, using the back of my hand to swipe the tears from my cheeks. It's okay soon enough.

I let Damian have the window and I take the middle. The flight is fairly empty, so I don't end up with anyone on my other side. I find that nice, because I want to let Damian sleep and perhaps sleep some myself. There's more room now.

The only flight to the States that I could get before tomorrow was this one, which is headed for LA. We'll just have to walk to San Francisco when we get there, I guess.