Mixed Messages ~ {d.w}

➵Thirty

"Echo, were you listening?"

I shake my head, "sorry.... can you repeat that?" I snap back into reality, only glancing at Batman for a moment. I've faced worse looks but his, by far the most nervewracking.

Without a reaction, he explains again. "The plan. You and I are going to head to the location. Damian is going to be on standby, scoping out the place for anything suspicious. He'll be nearby when the exchange happens. Next, once you have the hard drive, signal. One of us will come get you. Since Cyber is high tech and will have taken precautions. The quicker we get the drive and get you out of there, the safer this will be."

I glance at Damian. He's going to be on standby, not with me. "Oh- alright," I agree, nodding. Tim was on the computer, not listening much to our conversation. He, Nightwing and Oracle would be manning the controls from here. The cave. The Batcave. Man, if I wasn't in a life-threatening situation, I would so be fangirling.

I was uneasy. Not because of the plan but because Tim was on my computer. I had wiped it clean of anything but Batman and Tim insisted on checking it. I'd gotten the location already. A warehouse in Bosnia.... Batman and Nightwing especially seemed to be shocked when I told them the location. I fear I know exactly why. Bosnia's the place where Jason was killed by the Joker.

I never liked the Joker. I don't think anyone really does. He's cruel. Nobody knew the connection I had with Jason... Neither of us had said anything. I couldn't make up my mind whether or not I wanted anyone to know. I wanted badly to have my family back. To have a real chance at a life. But what if Jason didn't want me. He left me.

It was years ago. I was with Jason. We were walking down the street. He had come to get me from school since mom refused to. It was a dreary day one that even made me feel depressed. I remember it to be near winter time. Near my birthday.

I was young... "Jay, will you hold my hand?" a little me asks, pouting and shivering. Mom had refused to buy us winter coats so all I had on was a small jacket. It was worn out and ripped in some places but it was better than nothing.

"No," he'd said. He was walking a few paces in front of me. He was trying to get away from me. Ever since I'd come into the family, Jason was out of it. Even more so than usual. I knew from the get-go that I wasn't his full blood sibling but I'd hoped that he would accept me and treat me like it.

"Okay..." I was so sad but I didn't argue. That was the most he'd ever talk to me. Sometimes, I wouldn't even see Jason. Not for days. I was always worried but I never said anything. Jason would just get mad at me if I tried to talk to him. I remember seeing something shiny down the street. I wanted to go get it. I asked Jason and he said yes. That he'd wait for me. But when I got back, Jason was gone.

I waited and waited but he never came back. I slept in shipment container behind a restaurant that night. All I had were the clothes on my back, a crumpled up newspaper and the echo of my own voice.

"Echo, are you alright?" I look ahead to me to see Damian staring at me, worriedly.

I was about to nod and say yes but my eyes caught a red helmet and a brown leather jacket. It was Jason...

Damian caught on to what I was staring at and waited for me to chose. I hadn't told him about how we got separated.

Jason turns around and I look away. There's no way he'd ever recognize me.

"Yeah.... I'm fine..." But I'm not. Once again I'm silenced by myself.