The Last Talon

Chapter Thirty-Two

3 Years Later

Jason stared at the computer screen in front of him, but he couldn't concentrate. He sat back in his chair and looked down at the small child at his feet. The little girl's dark hair was falling out of its braid as she sat on the floor playing with her toy horses.

Jason watched her for a while, envying her complete absorption into her own world of pretending. It was all very well him working from home to take care of his daughter, but she was such a distraction; he could happily watch her all day.

Finally sensing his eyes on her, the little girl looked up and pouted.

'Are you finished?' she whined.

'Nearly.' Said Jason, glancing back at his screen. He was nowhere near finished.

'When Mommy back?'

'Soon. When she finishes work.'

'Why she go to work?' The child grumped, she was used to having both of her parents around. As much as she loved her daddy, she hated it when her mommy went to work.

'Because your Mom is a very clever lady who Grandpa needs to run his company.'

The child sighed dramatically and went back to her play.

Jason glanced at the calendar on his desk, not that he had forgotten the date. It was the anniversary of that day. He switched off his screen, work could wait till later.

'Gracie, do you want to go and see Dick?'

The little girl lit up, scrambling to get to her feet and running out the room to find her shoes. With Jason's help, she found and put them on along with her coat, the early spring air still a little chilly.

She chatted excitedly to him from her car seat in the back while they drove the 20-minute drive to their destination; pulling into the small parking lot of Gotham's private cemetery. He took her small hand in his own and led her up the gravelled path towards the Wayne plot.

Jason had always hated it here; waking up in your own grave will put you off a place. But today, with the sun shining and his daughter's presence beside him, it felt oddly calm and still. Peaceful.

As they approached the Wayne's plot, Jason smiled.

'I thought I might find you here.' He said.

The man by the graves looked around, his bright green eyes shining in the sunlight.

'I know I shouldn't, someone might see me. But it felt wrong not to visit on the anniversary.'

'Dick, if you want to visit your parents, it's alright.' Said Jason. His son had forgone every part of his old life, this last connection was something he would never make the boy let go of. Well, he was no longer a boy. In the last three years, Dick had aged and grown taller. He still looked young, but he now resembled the 21-year-old he was.

After the treatment to cure the virus and after Raven's final attempt at healing his broken body, it had taken Dick a further week to wake up from his coma. When he did, he cried in pain as his body felt human for the first time in over twenty years. His senses were dulled, he spent the first few days practically deaf and blind, but slowly they adjusted, and he was able to see. His hearing improved but even three years on he struggled to pinpoint sounds if there was too much going on. The sound filters still came in handy on these occasions.

When he was released from Wally's care and able to return to the manor, the long task of his recuperation began. Over the course of the next year, he learnt to live with his human body; relearning to walk and even how to properly use his hands. Everything felt so weak and useless without his Talon strength.