Behind a Broken Heart - a Red Hood love story

Chapter 16

When we got back to the cave, Batman went to work on the blood sample, while I went upstairs to get a cup of coffee. I was feeling cold and wanted something hot.

I head back down and hear a crashing sound in the cave. I quickly head down the stairs. What I see makes me stop in my tracks. On the screen shows that the blood sample is 100% match for Jason. The crash was a tray that had hit the ground when Alfred saw the screen.

"So it is him." Bruce turns and looks at me. He sighs and stands up, walking over to me.

"It looks like it."

"We buried him though, Bruce. We had an open casket and we saw him. How is he alive now?" Bruce turns back around, deep in thought.

"You make a good point, Victoria. We need to dig up his grave." My eyes widen as he quickly leaves the batcave.

I head up to my room, needing a moment to myself. I lay back on my bed and take a deep breath. I still couldn't believe that Jason is alive, after all this time.

I look over at my window and noticed a box sitting on the inside of my window. My eyes widen as I get up and walk over to it. On top was a note, made out to me.

I hope you are doing better. I'm sorry. I set the note to the side and open the box. My eyes widen and my mouth dropped open seeing the blue dragon plushie in the box. It was the same exact one I had when I was a kid at the orphanage.

My real parents left it with me when the dropped me off there, it was all I had. A couple months before Bruce adopted us, I had talked back to one of the people who ran the orphanage. My punishment was they took my dragon away, and I never saw it again.

I sat on my bed, holding the dragon, a small smile on my face. Knowing Jason is alive, I know he is the one giving me these gifts. I was just curious as to why he was giving me all these gifts.

After a few more minutes, I head out to the Wayne's cemetery that is behind the manor. I see both Bruce and Alfred out by Jason's grave. I used to be out here all the time, when Jason first passed away. Bruce was using a bulldozer as I walked over to them.

"You missed it Bruce, I was listening to Black Mask and his assistant thinks we are just letting him and Red Hood battle it out then we take on the winner. I laughed at that." I know it wasn't important but I thought it would lighten the mood a little.

Bruce didn't acknowledge I said anything or looked my way. Alfred did walk over to me and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. I smiled at him and look back as Bruce jumps off the bulldozer, with a crowbar in hand.

"Do you need more light sir?" Alfred asks.

"No, I can see fine." He says. I walk a little closer to the edge so I can see the coffin better.

Bruce hesitates for a moment before he uses the crowbar to pry open the lid. I could feel my heart speed up, wanting to know the truth of everything. As the lid opens, my eyes widen. Inside, Jason was laying in there, looking like he did the day we buried him.

"Well, there you have it." Alfred says as I shake my head.

"It's wrong though. He died five years ago, he should be more decomposed than that." I say. Bruce nods his head agreeing with me. He grabs the body and lifts him up.

"That's not flesh." He says as the hair falls off of the body.

"It's a doll." I say as Bruce drops it on the ground. He then storms by us, not saying a word. Alfred and I look at each other, than quickly followed behind him.

I followed closely behind Bruce as we headed back down to the batcave. I could tell the Bruce was angry, but I didn't know how to calm him down.

"Master Bruce, you can't blame yourself--"

"It was stupid and careless." Bruce cut off Alfred as he slipped off his jumpsuit. "Body was made of high-end latex. If I'd bother to take a closer look when we got home..." Bruce walked into his changing room and shut the door on Alfred and me.

"Sir, please, remember how distraught you were. You and Victoria. Even I found it hard--"

"Stupid and careless!" Bruce says, coming out in his suit. I quickly step in front of Bruce, making him look at me.

"If you were stupid and careless, then so was I." Bruce opened his mouth and I put my hand up. "Jason was my best friend. I watched him die. I couldn't even look into the casket at his funeral. I should looked in there and I should have been able to tell the difference. We both missed it, we were both hurt and sad, we had our reasons." Bruce stared at me, finally sighing. "Now, what do we do next?" I ask.

"We go talk to the man who did this." Bruce says, walking past me and toward the batjet.

"Let's go then." I tell him and slip my mask back on. Bruce turns around, facing me. I could tell he was going to argue with me but I put my hand back up. "Nothing you say is going to change my mind. I have to know what happened to my best friend."

"Get in then." He says. I smirk and quickly jump into the jet. Bruce soons gets in as well. We then take off to talk to the man who brought Jason back from the dead, Ra's Al Ghul.