Black & Red (Young Justice/Batman Fiction)

Chapter 10

The bullet's lodged in his left lung.

He's been in surgery for six hours. The longer it takes the worse it is.

I can't stop the shivering or make my teeth stop chattering. Every time I close my eyes I see Dick on the ground bleeding out. I tried to stop the bleeding, I did, and when I couldn't I... I cried.

"Help him... help him," I whisper.

Something soft brushes my ear and settles over my shoulders. It smells like lavender and peppermint, an Alfie blanket. Alfred sits in the chair next to me, pushing a hot Styrofoam cup into my hands. He holds it steady for me, because I'm shaking so bad.

"Any... anything?" I stammer.

Alfred shakes his head. His face is haggard. "None yet, Master Jason. But when there is something for us to know, Master Bruce will come and tell us."

Alfred and me, we're in the waiting room, but Bruce Wayne? Bruce Wayne gets to sit in the observatory and watch. I'm not mad I can't go. I don't think I could watch.

I close my eyes...

And see it again.

There's blood all over. On my arms, my clothes, my face, my hair, in my mouth.

I don't remember what all I did, I just don't. But I remember coming to.

I'm on my knees, holding the bloody bastard. He gurgles and chokes as he dies, blood gushing over his lips. The gun is slippery in my hand, but I hold it. I guess I got it from him. I musta' broke his hand when I took it, 'cuz his fingers are all twisted up. I shot him through the chin. We musta' wrestled and that was the best shot I could get off. It wasn't clean.

He's groanin' and kickin' and twitchin'; blood sprays everywhere.

....I don't think I care about the blood or that he's still alive and in pain. I'm empty as I watch him convulse. I stare into his eyes. They're a brown so dark they look black and his eyes are bleeding red.

That piece of filth shot my brother.

Nobody hurts him. Nobody shoots at him. Nobody hits him with baseball bats. Nobody touches my family... if you do—if you do...

I pull the trigger again and nail the filth right between the eyes. The twitchin' stops cold.

'"You're dead, man. You're dead."'

And then there's Dickie-bird.

I tried to make him stop bleeding. I tried!

"It's all right, lad." Alfred's arms are around me and he rocks me like a little kid and I cling to him.

I hear voices talking over and through me.

Police officers... they want my statement, but I think Alfie tells them to go to Hell. Nurses... they want to give me a shot and put me to bed. But I think Alfie tells them to go to Hell, too.

I think... I think Superman is here. That's his voice—or maybe it's not. I don't know.

"Master Jason?"

"Any... anything?" I stammer.

Alfie guides my head to his shoulder and I close my eyes.