Does it not occur to you that it may be for the better? I would prove beyond the shadow of a doubt what I chose and what matters to me, and there won't be anyone who can undo it. No more questions.
Because you're dead. You don't even get to enjoy this so-called peace. Your timecard is punched and you're nothing but worm food. For cryin' out loud don't make me quote Dylan Thomas at you. [There was a stubborn set to Red Hood's jaw.]
I got another option for you, fuck 'em all. Your mother, your father, all of it. You want to get your 'victory' you live your life on your own damned terms. And if you want to thumb your nose at your mom, you do the one thing she doesn't want you to do, you live your own life. Trust me, that's the best revenge and satisfaction you can get out of a bum deal like this.
Like I have ever been allowed to enjoy anything other than death, Todd! Stop trying to see me as you are, or as anyone else is!
If I'm alive, she will fight for me. And more people will die. On me. I don't care about revenge, and satisfaction hollows out too soon. There may be some other possibilities I will accept, but too many variables about this situation lead to outcomes that I prefer less than this one. I don't want to thumb my nose at her, either. I just do not want her in my life. And there are exactly two ways for this to happen. Three.
Now you're just being a whiny punk. Life is what you make of it, little D. [Thoroughly disgusted with him now, Jason had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.]
Right, because capitulating to your insane mother's machinations is such a better idea. Never mind Dickie or even Bruce who might just mourn your ass when you kick the bucket. Not to mention you're just playing into Talia's hands by just laying down and dying. Great plan there, boy blunder.
Oh, you probably missed the fact that I have up-close-and-personal experience with people of my family trying to evade death or bring each other back from the dead. They are not worth it.
I'll fight to win, the way I always do. But if death comes, it is not the worst option. That is all.
[Fight to win like the time he took six bullets in the spine from the assassin sent after you, Jason. Damian has a habit of taking on more than he can be reasonably expect to handle. If his death wish isn't obvious...]
I'm, sorry, is your pedigree supposed to impress me now? [He had far too much intimate knowledge of the al Ghul family. Sure, his time while he'd been little more than a walking zombie was patchy to say the least but he still remembered the pale green color of Ra's al Ghul's gaze seeing right through him like he was some kind of ghost.]
Really? Because it sounds to me like you're just going to accept things as they lie. Maybe even look forward to it which kinda says a lot about your mentality, doesn't it?
It seems to be your go-to talking point so you'll have for forgive me for misunderstanding. Every time I see you it's "I'm the son of the goddamn Batman" or "I'm the son of the most hardened criminals in all of history" yadda, yadda, yadda.
[It was a dickish thing to say but does anyone expect anything different from Jason Todd these days?]
I get not wanting to be sent back to your mom. [He offered the words almost like an olive branch.]
Hnn. Sometimes I do have far more specific points of bringing up, rather than generalizing. And this one comes from both branches of the family, though it was Grayson, rather than Father himself, who botched things on this side.
[But true, which is enough.]
[And Damian. Just.]
Or become the future that Father saw. Or breaking my promise for the third time and losing all the rest that I can be.
[Despite his tone, Damian is really answering. More than one of the options there seem less preferable than death, to him.]
I'm pretty sure the blame can be spread around pretty evenly here, little D.
[Yeah, they'd all run off half-cocked and Bruce for all of his 'good intentions' had thoroughly cocked things up by insisting Damian stay at home when they could have used him in the field.]
Or you could realize what a crock of shit most of the things Bruce shoves down your throat is and decide to forge your own path. Just sayin', screw all their 'expectations'. You're not them and you have your own life—and yeah—your own mistakes to make. You say you got three choices, right? Go to your mother and become some messed up 'conqueror of the world' which by the way, sounds like a massive drag. Put yourself into some situation where you have to break your promise to Bruce and then what? Lose what makes you Robin? And then the third option is just dying? Seems like you need to open your horizons a bit.
My point exactly. It is not trying to tote my family when they actually have screwed up and I have no desire to repeat those mistakes.
[Yeaaah. Bloody mess.]
You do not understand, still. When you kill, it's a conscious choice, you decide to take a life. When I do, it feels natural, the way I have been conditioned to act. To complete things. It feels physically wrong not to, at times, and the past of the person is not relevant, so long as they are not children.
All of that. All of that is held in check by the promise I gave. It gives me a reason to look, despite the drive not to. And you can't keep a promise selectively. You either do or do not, or it erodes the steadfastness it allows.
It is his way or going back to who I was supposed to be. No matter how much I disagree, at times, or how much I rebel specifics, I know which way I choose, and will choose over and over again.
Are we really having the nature versus nurture argument over who is a better killer? If you're such a badass killer then what is the problem here? Screw your "vow" to Bats and just get on with your life.
[Thoroughly unimpressed with Damian, he reached into his jacket for a cigarette. Jason didn't particularly crave one, he just wanted to tweak Damian's tail even further by smoking in his father's previous Batcave.]
Or don't and resign yourself to a life of playing good soldier for Daddy Bats. 'course you can keep trying for that 'Good boy!' accolade all you want but you and I both know it's never going to happen. Not when you've got blood on your hands and he has his precious baby redbird to fawn all over. He's really just Bruce's perfect partner, isn't he? Innocent, biddable, won't question orders and is nearly as desperate to please as Dickie. But with the added bonus of not having the taint of a killer shadowing him like you and I.
[Hey now, he'd gotten hugs from Bruce back in the day! And he'd even enjoyed them...not that he'd ever admit that out loud.]
Well, that's just my point. Sounds to me like you really do want that hug and a kiss but both of your parents are emotionally stunted psychopaths. Kinda makes it hard to fulfill your emotional needs, Little D.
[Jason's smile was just a whole lot of mocking as he held up his arms in the universal signal for a hug.] It's okay, your big brother Jase can help you out in the hug department assuming Dickie is willing to cut the apron strings long enough to let you go?
[For the record? Damian Wayne could punch HARD. And that was what he did, now. Two quick hits, one in the solar plexus, and one to the side of Jason's neck.]
[Damian landed that first punch just because he was so damned fast and Jason couldn't bring his arms up in time but the Red Hood was quick enough to block that second blow before it could connect with his neck.
The blow to the solar plexus was enough to drive the air from his lungs however so Jason wasn't so quick with the snarky comments now. But the nasty smile on his face really did say it all, didn't it?] That's. Your free shot, baby bird. [He growled somewhat wheezily.]
Or maybe we're just a whole lot more alike than you really want to admit, baby bird. [Now that he had the air back in his lungs, Jason went right back to mouthing off.]
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I got another option for you, fuck 'em all. Your mother, your father, all of it. You want to get your 'victory' you live your life on your own damned terms. And if you want to thumb your nose at your mom, you do the one thing she doesn't want you to do, you live your own life. Trust me, that's the best revenge and satisfaction you can get out of a bum deal like this.
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If I'm alive, she will fight for me. And more people will die. On me. I don't care about revenge, and satisfaction hollows out too soon. There may be some other possibilities I will accept, but too many variables about this situation lead to outcomes that I prefer less than this one. I don't want to thumb my nose at her, either. I just do not want her in my life. And there are exactly two ways for this to happen. Three.
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Right, because capitulating to your insane mother's machinations is such a better idea. Never mind Dickie or even Bruce who might just mourn your ass when you kick the bucket. Not to mention you're just playing into Talia's hands by just laying down and dying. Great plan there, boy blunder.
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Try to pay attention, Todd.
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Emo does not suit you, D.
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I'll fight to win, the way I always do. But if death comes, it is not the worst option. That is all.
[Fight to win like the time he took six bullets in the spine from the assassin sent after you, Jason. Damian has a habit of taking on more than he can be reasonably expect to handle. If his death wish isn't obvious...]
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Really? Because it sounds to me like you're just going to accept things as they lie. Maybe even look forward to it which kinda says a lot about your mentality, doesn't it?
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[And, stare.]
You hear what you want. But, yes, I do look forward to it more than some of the other options.
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[It was a dickish thing to say but does anyone expect anything different from Jason Todd these days?]
I get not wanting to be sent back to your mom. [He offered the words almost like an olive branch.]
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[But true, which is enough.]
[And Damian. Just.]
Or become the future that Father saw. Or breaking my promise for the third time and losing all the rest that I can be.
[Despite his tone, Damian is really answering. More than one of the options there seem less preferable than death, to him.]
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[Yeah, they'd all run off half-cocked and Bruce for all of his 'good intentions' had thoroughly cocked things up by insisting Damian stay at home when they could have used him in the field.]
Or you could realize what a crock of shit most of the things Bruce shoves down your throat is and decide to forge your own path. Just sayin', screw all their 'expectations'. You're not them and you have your own life—and yeah—your own mistakes to make. You say you got three choices, right? Go to your mother and become some messed up 'conqueror of the world' which by the way, sounds like a massive drag. Put yourself into some situation where you have to break your promise to Bruce and then what? Lose what makes you Robin? And then the third option is just dying? Seems like you need to open your horizons a bit.
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[Yeaaah. Bloody mess.]
You do not understand, still. When you kill, it's a conscious choice, you decide to take a life. When I do, it feels natural, the way I have been conditioned to act. To complete things. It feels physically wrong not to, at times, and the past of the person is not relevant, so long as they are not children.
All of that. All of that is held in check by the promise I gave. It gives me a reason to look, despite the drive not to. And you can't keep a promise selectively. You either do or do not, or it erodes the steadfastness it allows.
It is his way or going back to who I was supposed to be. No matter how much I disagree, at times, or how much I rebel specifics, I know which way I choose, and will choose over and over again.
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[Thoroughly unimpressed with Damian, he reached into his jacket for a cigarette. Jason didn't particularly crave one, he just wanted to tweak Damian's tail even further by smoking in his father's previous Batcave.]
Or don't and resign yourself to a life of playing good soldier for Daddy Bats. 'course you can keep trying for that 'Good boy!' accolade all you want but you and I both know it's never going to happen. Not when you've got blood on your hands and he has his precious baby redbird to fawn all over. He's really just Bruce's perfect partner, isn't he? Innocent, biddable, won't question orders and is nearly as desperate to please as Dickie. But with the added bonus of not having the taint of a killer shadowing him like you and I.
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Fuck off, Todd.
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[He was an asshole, they all knew it so was it so surprising that he'd toss Talia in his face one last time before the youngest Robin rage quit?]
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Why would I need that?
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Jason very nearly gaped at him.] Because that's what normal families do? I guess if you've never had it, you won't miss it though...
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What part of anything you know about me ever suggests 'normal,' Todd? OR about either side of my family?
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Well, that's just my point. Sounds to me like you really do want that hug and a kiss but both of your parents are emotionally stunted psychopaths. Kinda makes it hard to fulfill your emotional needs, Little D.
[Jason's smile was just a whole lot of mocking as he held up his arms in the universal signal for a hug.] It's okay, your big brother Jase can help you out in the hug department assuming Dickie is willing to cut the apron strings long enough to let you go?
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The blow to the solar plexus was enough to drive the air from his lungs however so Jason wasn't so quick with the snarky comments now. But the nasty smile on his face really did say it all, didn't it?] That's. Your free shot, baby bird. [He growled somewhat wheezily.]
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You know nothing about me, Todd. Don't forget that.
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