Jason crossed his arms indignantly, ignoring the pain that coursed up his arm.

"I called for back-up," he scowled, "not a ketchup dispenser."

Dick laughed wheezily. "You're one to talk."

They were both sitting up against the side of the dumpster, breath shallow and uneven but still there. Around them, dozens of unconscious and bleeding bodies were sprawled across the alleyway floor, arms and legs sticking out at odd angles.

What could he say? They weren't just going to go down without a fight.

"...You were injured, you idiot," Jason coughed. "Why'd you even come out here?"

"Oh shut up, Red, and just admit you're glad I'm here."

"I would be glad, 'Wing, if we weren't going to die."

"We're not going to die."

The firmness in his voice didn't shock Jason, because Dick was literally the never-ending optimist.

Jason, on the other hand, knew better. Even when things seem to go right, even when you're taken off the streets by a man who promises to never ever let you get hurt again, you still end up having to claw your way out of a coffin all alone.

That reminded him- if he did die, he wouldn't get to send him that crowbar for Father's Day this year.

"Yeah right," Jason scoffed, but still unwilling to burst that ridiculously fragile bubble that his brother had built around himself.

Dick shifted and groaned, and blood pooled around him like red waves. Despite himself Jason swallowed. Not because he hadn't seen blood before, of course, but maybe because he'd been so used to pretending that his older brother was invincible (even though clearly he was not).

Still, though, it wasn't as if Jason had ever believed in invincibility.

"Hold still," Red Hood scolded. "If you die before me I'm going to kill you."

"Oh, so you want us to die together?"

"Better than dying alone."

That silenced Dick for a while, and Jason didn't exactly feel proud of it, but understanding came with pain anyway. Or maybe the other way round.

Dick reached his hand over clumsily. "You're never alone," he wheezed.

"Alright, geez, just don't move-"

"-you're never alone," Dick continued. "Not then, not now. Not ever."

Jason looked away. "I know, Goldie. You don't have to tell me."

"If you know it, then why don't you believe it?"

Red Hood clutched his gun. The anger that came boiling up was stale and cold, and chewed a thousand times.

"Experience," he commented matter-of-factly.

Jason knew that wasn't the answer Dick wanted, but the truth was rarely what it was supposed to be.

The dead should stay dead. Family should remain family. Good was good and evil was evil and the line between them was clear.

(At least, it was supposed to be.)

"The Bat reply yet?" Jason asked, changing the subject.

Dick frowned. "I haven't been able to reach him. He might be in trouble..."

"More trouble than we're in?"

"It's not so bad," the first Robin reflected. "I mean, at least we're bonding."

"We're bleeding."

"Same difference."

Jason rolled his eyes. "There isn't a positive side to everything, you know."

"Yeah. I know."

"Then why don't you believe it?"

Dick offered him a big grin. "Experience."

Jason folded his arms, blood soaking his sleeves. "We must have had very different lives, then."

"Maybe." Dick hummed. "You don't really believe that, do you? You must believe that there are some happy endings in the world."

"Well, yeah, there are. But it depends on how you were born. If you were born happy, then, well, you'll die happy. But if you were born into a sad life, then your death will be sad as well."

Dick looked almost offended. "That can't be true! So you're saying you think there's no way to change the course of your life?!"

"Aren't you the one to believe in fate and stuff?" Jason rebutted. "Besides, I'm not saying that. I guess people born happy can still die sad... but all I'm saying is, happiness is a lot harder to achieve than sadness."

"You can't believe that."

"But I do."

Dick huffed, and Jason looked at him skeptically. "C'mon, you've got to see it this way. You were born happy, and, well, look at you! If you're happy now then, when we die, yours will be a happy ending. But mine can't be. It's just the way it works."

"So is that why you never come back home?" Dick's voice cracked. "Because you believe you'll never have a happy ending?!"

"It's not like that-"

"No! It is! You never think you deserve it, that bit of happiness that is us, do you? You make yourself angry! You make yourself sad! You don't want to be happy because you think you can't be! You-" Dick coughed, and his body shook with violent tremors.

Red Hood crawled as quickly as he could to steady him, hands trembling. "Calm down, big bird, I need you to stay still-"

"Not... not until you admit it," he choked. "Until you say there are happy endings for you, somewhere."

"And me saying it will magically fix things?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," Dick mumbled agitatedly.

"Fine then," Jason sighed. "There is a happy ending for me, somewhere. Are you happy now?"

"Pretty happy."

"You're an idiot."

"Well, if you thought I was going to let you waste your life thinking it was a tragedy, then you're an idiot, too."

Jason would have laughed, had he not had two broken ribs. His vision blurred slightly, and all of a sudden, a fear gripped him.

He said he wasn't afraid of death. He wasn't.

But he was afraid that they weren't going to let him stay dead, and that he'd open his eyes, and the sky would be made out of wood again.

Because death was (supposedly) forever, and forever was safe. It might be good, it might be bad, but it never changed. No chaos. No fear.

But life was change, and no matter how you saw it, change was scary. Throwing your heart out to the wind in hopes of someone catching it.

Jason wasn't strong enough to live a third life.

"Hey," he croaked, trying to break the interminable silence. "...If you could change one thing in your life, what would you change?"

"...Like, without consequences?"

Jason closed his eyes. "There are always consequences."

"...Well, I guess, I'd save you."

"Really?"

Dick cast him a look. "Isn't that what you want to hear?"

And Jason thought about it. Thought about the warehouse and the clown and the bomb, and Batman being to late. But he'd never hated Batman for being too late, had he? People made mistakes- Jason knew that. But to do nothing afterwards, when Jason thought he mattered enough, that hurt.

But saving him?

Would that have changed the years of anger, the years of vengeance, the years of loneliness and pain? Maybe.

But, then again, it would've changed these last few years as well. And it wasn't happiness, no, not really, but it was damn close to it.

And Tim would never have entered their lives. (This was bittersweet, but more bitter than sweet.) Was it worth it, to exchange one life for another?

"Not anymore," Jason muttered. "You should've gotten off your lazy butt and saved me the first time."

"Yeah, I should've, shouldn't I?"

Jason ignored the pity in his voice. "So, besides that, what would you change?"

"...Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing."

"What, has your life been as perfect as you, Golden Boy?"

"No. But, I wouldn't trade my life for the world. I like how things have ended up, Jay. I liked being Robin and Nightwing and, to an extent, being Batman. Things are never going to be perfect, little wing, and if you wait for things to become amazing then you miss how amazing things already are! I have a father and a grandfather and three younger brothers and a sister and a wonderful girlfriend and I wouldn't change any of that. You came back and Robin came back and, well, life may not be perfect, but it sure is worth living."

Jason was silent for a while.

"No wonder everything is rainbows and sunshine for you, if you look at it that way."

"Don't deny it- I'm amazing."

"I wouldn't push it that far."

His mind began to get fuzzy, as the conversation slowed, and the blood loss got to both of them.

"...Is this what a happy ending is like?"

"Maybe," Dick slurred. "It doesn't feel so bad."

A black shadow grew on top of the rooftop, followed by a bright spark in the darkness. Jason's mind didn't really fully comprehend the picture, and for a moment he though he was still Robin, tumbling through the air with Batman at his side.

"Robin, get Nightwing," the dark voice commanded.

Robin hurried to Nightwing's side, and Jason could see the worry that lined his face. He'd forgotten about the weird bond the Demon Brat shared with his older brother.

He felt Batman's arms around him, probably to take him to the Batmobile, but some part of his mind registered it only as a hug.

"Batman," he mumbled dreamily, "you made it. Just on time."

Maybe it was the blood loss, but Jason swore he saw Bruce smile.

Hey guys! This is the fourth instalment in my little universe-with-no-name-(yet), and unlike the others, is less focused on comedy and action and more dialogue-heavy, and shorter. Still, I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, check out the other entries in this world below, in chronological order:

1. The Worst Things In Life

2. On Top Of The World

3. Someone Should Have Told Me

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to like/review/follow! Goodbye!