Red Hood

19. New Hope

"Hey Alfred," Tim sat back in his chair, watching the man move about the empty kitchen.

"Yes, Master Timothy," he turned a glance with a sponge in hand.

Tim fidgeted with his fingers, the hem of his shirt, his coffee cup, anything that would keep them busy, "Do you think... do you think we'll find him?"

Alfred placed down his cleaning supplies, quiet for a moment at the meek voice, "Everyone is doing everything they can, down to the last detail, I believe that we shall find Master Jason before you know it.

Besides, we have gone through many challenging things before; it is only a matter of calming down and taking a breath, just like we always do," his eyes lit with reassurance.

"I guess so," Tim sighed, watching as he swirled the dark roasted liquid in his cup.

"And do not fret too much," Alfred then raised a perfect eyebrow, "it wouldn't do well to collapse of stress."

Tim grinned at him, "Well, we wouldn't want to pull a Dick, huh?"

The older man chuckled, "No we would not, Master Timothy, no we would not."

___

Damian was tired of it all, slouching lower than usual at his school desk.

The first few days back there were absolute torture, all the teachers telling the "poor boy" that if he needed "absolutely anything" he only needed to ask, hushed whispers following him wherever he went.

In the halls, the classroom, and recess.

Not to mention any bully who dared to tease him avoided the topic lest they have their brains beaten out. Well, more so than usual.

It reminded him of his first few days as Bruce's biological son, but this time it was because Todd was added to Gotham's 'missing persons' list.

"Damian," his teacher, Miss Jones, glanced at him with worry, startling him out of his reverie, "would you like to sit out on class today? I can write a note and let you out earl-"

"Of course not," his scoff cut her off, voice as irritable as ever, "I am perfectly fine."

"A-alright, Damian," she turned back to the board and continued with the lesson, but Damian inwardly growled at her repeated looks. He had no problems and did not need to be sent home.

Being sent home for something as simple as worrying was imbecilic.

But despite telling himself that nothing was different all the way up until recess, it didn't seem to convince his heart that what he said was true. Nor did doing it the day before, or the day before that.

"Dami?"

Startled, and berating himself for not sensing Jon's arrival, he rolled his eyes at the half-kryptonian's worry, "Yes?"

"You told Miss Jones nothing was wrong," Jon frowned, blue eyes murky as he sat next to his friend, "but you were lying. You've been lying all month."

"Tt, I have not," Damian slid off the bench, walking away from Jon despite the puppy dog eyes.

"Have too," Jon's voice surprisingly rose, "you've been closed off ever since J-"

"Do not say his name," Damian growled, surprising himself as he whipped around.

Though it seemed Jon expected this, a reassuring look softly on his face, "It's okay to be upset, Damian. I'd be sad too if it were Conner, Ma, or Pa who went missing."

"You do not know what it is like," Damian felt his face and eyes heat up, "and who says I even miss Todd? He's as annoying as a mosquito swarm in the summer."

But as he spoke, he wiped his face, surprised to feel his hand come off damp.

Crying? Damian Wayne does not simply cry over such trivial reasons!

Damian also didn't expect the arms that soon wrapped around his body, Jon squeezing softly despite his super strength. And Damian let him, not realizing it was something he needed, especially after dodging numerous attempts by Grayson.

It was... nice.

___

The movie theatre seats dug into Dick's back, something he and Jason always complained to each other about, watching their favorite movie.

Technically it was their favorite movie to criticize, but that still counted, right?

Either way, it was supposed to be a break from worrying about everything at once; patrol, missions, criminals, his day job, and the disappearance.

Well, Bruce said it was a "mandatory mission", but call it whatever you like, Dick couldn't help but think of everything at once.

Guess I failed the 'mission', he thought with a chuckle of disdain, startling the movie-watchers near him.

"Sorry," he whispered with a fake smile, a smile he found to be using more often as the days went by.

But once the movie was over, he found himself walking through Gotham Park, finding different hints of Jason throughout the city: Graffiti in the park, bullet dents from a specific mission in one area, explosion stains at the old toy factory.

Feeling a tear slide down his pale cheek, surprise filtered through as Dick wiped it away. He hasn't cried in a long time.

Though as each memory flitted past, some more humorous than others, all of them had shown how capable and resilient his brother was: both as Red Hood and Jason Todd.

"Jaybird," Dick sighed, a spark of a smile breaking through the gloom, "wherever you are, I hope it all works out."