Chapter Text
Bruce stared at the gun in his hands before looking back at Jason. his son, Jason. his son who was miraculously alive and holding a gun at the jokers head.
"Jaso-” He started before being cut off.
"No Bruce. Either you kill him or I do."
Jason shoved the gun into Joker's head hard enough to bruise. "And the only way you can stop me is by killing me."
The mere thought of killing his son sent an uneasy feeling down Bruce's spine.
"Jason, son you know I won't-".
"No Bruce!" Jason shouted, angry much angrier than he ever was as robin. "It's me or him."
“Jason you can’t expect me-”
“This is exactly what I expect from you, what I expected from you.”
Bruce looked at the gun. the gun. the gun that could finally end it. finally end the joker . finally give him his son back . But was it worth it? He stopped for a second thinking about what he had just asked himself. was the Joker worth his son . Was a psychotic, sick, killer worth his son? Worth Jason? Was that even a question? He had thought about it. Thought about it every single day. Thought about ending the Joker's life. Maybe he had to stop thinking and just do it.
He took a deep breath before aiming the gun, hesitating ever so slightly before pulling the trigger.
His arm fell to the side as the gun and joker both thudded on the ground in unison.
Bruce took a few steps back, staring at the bloody hole in the Joker's head. He'd done it. He killed the joker. He broke the one rule he held so sacred. And he'd done it using the same weapon that killed his parents. The same weapon that started this whole– well everything. It was almost poetic. It didn't feel like he thought it would. Bruce felt relieved, angry at who? He didn't know but most of all... scared? Scared at what he has could become.
What would his parents think? Alfred? Dick? commissioner Gordon?
He was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. When did he end up on the floor? Were there hands on his shoulders? It didn't matter though. it felt as though nothing mattered anymore. Perhaps nothing did matter anymore. It was so crushing and at the same time so light, like a weight was taken off his shoulders and an entirely different one came to take its place. It was like everything had changed and maybe nothing changed at all. Did that make sense? Did anything make sense?
He was brought back to reality by someone calling his name.
Bruce whipped his head to the source. Jason was crouched in front of him with concern and hope? He was saying something but Bruce couldn't understand.
Jason stopped what he was saying, looking back at him before coming closer and tucking his head under Bruce's chin.He hesitated for a second before wrapping his arms around him and rested his chin on the mess of black hair ignoring the quiet near silent sobs that racked Jason's body. God, when did Jason get so big? He was nearly as big as Bruce and definitely taller by a few inches. It was painful to think about the time that they had lost but now he was here and that was all that mattered right?
Usually in any other situation Bruce would be about what has just happened and what could happen. His head would be buzzing with thoughts. But right now? All he wanted to do was stay here with his son. He would have plenty of time to think about everything later for now he could just be with his son was all Bruce could think of as the first of the tears fell and old grievances bubbled up to the surface.
Explaining to commissioner Gordon what happened would be a pain and don't even get him started on Dick and Alfred, so Bruce wanted to get out of there before that could happen.
The car ride back to the cave was quiet but comfortable. Though every once in a while Bruce would get too lost in his thoughts and have to be brought back to reality by Jason. It was going to be a long night. He knew at least that much.
He hopped out of the car wasting no time calling Dick.
The phone rang a few times before he finally picked up.
"Look Bruce, whatever it is, can it wait till morning?" Even through the phone Bruce could sense the resignation and tiredness radiating off his son but he knew with the situation at hand that Dick would want to be informed.
"No," He replied flatly, slightly proud that he didn’t betray a single emotion.
"If it's about a case the-".
"It's about Jason."
The silence stretched so long that Bruce was beginning to get worried that he didn't hear him right.
There was a sharp inhale before Dick spat out "What," teetering on the edge of sadness and hate.
"Come to the cave," He said. "I'll explain it there."
"Bruce, what are you even talking about?" Dick sounded more concerned now as if he was worried that Bruce had lost his mind but to be fair maybe he had. Maybe killing the Joker had made him lose his mind and he just didn’t realize yet.
"I don't have enough time to explain it right now."
"You can't just tell me to come to the cave with something related to my dea-"
"He's alive," Bruce replied, not wanting to hear or even think of the possibility of Jason being dead again before hanging up. Normally he would have felt bad about dropping a bomb like that on Dick and hanging up but his mind couldn’t stop thinking about the Joker. It was clouding his every thought. His every thought kept deviating back to the clown.
"Master Bruce, I-" Alfred sucked in a breath as his eyes flickered from Jason to Bruce and landed on Jason again.
"Hey Alfie," Jason said shyly, offering a small smile, taking a few steps forward until he was barely a meter away.
"Master Jason," He breathed.
And that was all it took before Jason was sobbing in his arms.
"It's okay, my dear boy," Alfred said as he patted Jason's back holding back his own tears. It seemed like an eternity before they finally pulled away.
Bruce knew he owed Alfred an explanation, he was hoping to do it with Dick but given the expression Alfred was giving him Bruce knew that he would want one right now. And he was going to tell him everything including the Joker though he would have still found out even if Bruce hadn’t told him but he wanted to be the one telling him.