Live to Rise

His name is Jason Part 1

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EVERYTHING BELONGS TO DC AND KAI MACIEL THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK
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Hong Kong

November 18, 15:04

"His name is Jason Todd. He was Robin. And I know he's alive."

Tim's words felt childish, even to him. His voice echoed through the dark corridor before leaving the two teens in an awkward silence. He waited impatiently for Red Hood's reaction, only hearing the sound of his own breathing when the older teen turned around and simply started walking away.

Tim's eyes widened under his mask.

"Hey! Wait!" he said, following the Red Hood. Tim had expected a reaction. Any kind of reaction would be a welcome clue. He didn't expect or want to be ignored, not with something this important.

"There should be an elevator at the end of this tunnel..." the older boy muttered.

"Hey! Did you hear what I said?"

"Oh! Here it is!" the Red Hood found a hidden button in the cement wall and pressed it, which resulted on a mechanic wall opening right in front of them. "They really should upgrade their security. I was expecting DNA scans."

"I'm talking to you!"

"At least an eye scan. C'mon Robb!"

"Stop ignoring me!" Tim cried out, standing in front of the older boy. "Why don't you say something?"

The Red Hood stared at him for a good ten seconds and pressed the down button on the elevator door. The metallic doors closed behind them and they started going down.

"I have nothing to say, Baby Bird," the Red Hood finally answered, staring deep into Robin's eyes under his red helmet. "If you want to believe the League kept the second Robin alive and brain damaged, feel free. It's stupid and beneath that genius brain of yours, but you can believe whatever you want. It's none of my business. How's that for an answer?"

Tim opened his mouth to answer him, but the elevator stopped and the Red Hood grabbed his twin pistols.

"Talk time is over. Get ready to fight. I'm not your babysitter, if you get yourself killed, that's on you," he said, walking out of the elevator.

Sighing, Tim grabbed his staff and followed him down a white and silent corridor. He tried to focus all his attention searching for enemies, but he always found himself staring at the Red Hood's back. Fortunately, he was good at multitasking.

He thought back on all the videos he had watched on Jason. His snarky remarks, his violent streak, the way he moved, his fighting style... how much would he have changed in three years? Specially after dying, being brought back and tortured? How would that shape him if he had his brain healed?

What would he think when he learned that Batman had chosen a new Robin? How would he react to him?

The first time Tim put on the uniform, he went straight to Jason Todd's memorial glass case and stared solemnly at his predecessor's costume. At the time, he knew this was the end of an era, the official end of Jason's time as Robin as Tim Drake became Batman's new partner.

The new Robin.

He had stared deep into the R symbol on Jason's old uniform and touched his own on his chest, the only thing linking them to each other.

I promise, I will make you proud, he vowed that night before following Batman to their first patrol.

After that day, Tim would stare at Jason's uniform or his hologram and silently ask him if he was a good Robin, if Jason thought he was doing a good job, if he made Jason proud. All those conversations were one-sided. Tim knew would never receive an answer. Until now.