Official_Peter_Stark here you go hope you like it!!

TW: ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

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Dick always thought one day he'd be replaced. It was one of those thoughts that plagued a person and made him check himself every time he made a mistake. Bruce had shown no interest in bringing in another kid so he thought it was just paranoia. That was until the day they found Jason trying to take the wheels off the Batmobile. He'd found it hilarious and admired the kid's confidence to try such a thing. "Where you from kid?" he'd asked. 

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere?" The boy nodded as his eyes flickered for all the exit routes. He seemed to accept after a brief moment that there was no way he was getting out of this situation. "Never heard of that neighbourhood." After looking the boy up and down, Dick knew he'd been living on the streets for some time and he knew that Bruce would've noticed it too. "Got a name?"

"Jason. Jason Todd."

"Alright Jaybird, let's get you something warm to eat." Now it was a few months later and Jason knew who they were. He didn't mind him at first. He actually liked having a little brother to annoy Bruce with and it was nice to have someone around the house who was half decent at playing games. Only, he noticed how Bruce looked at him. He knew that look because he used to get it when he was younger. He hadn't seen it in years but it had suddenly come out of retirement when Jason came into the picture. He didn't think much of it at first until he kept noticing it and compared it to the memories that he had. They were almost equal numbers but that couldn't be right. Jason had only been here for a few months, he'd been here for years! That was the start of the signs that he didn't realise were signs until they were. 

Then the calendar changed. Bruce had it filled out with all the events of the weeks and when he glanced at it, he noticed how many more of them included Jason and how few of them included him. He shook his head. Look at you Grayson, getting jealous over this. It's silly. It's cocooning obviously and Bruce just wanted the younger to feel comfortable at home. He was being so selfish making it about him when Jason hadn't had a father figure all his life. Yet the calendar played on his mind for the next few days. "Alfred, can I ask you a question?" he began, his eyes still focused on the calendar. He'd been in the kitchen to get a bottle of water and he'd noticed that a slot for him had been crossed out and replaced with a slot for Jason. Apparently, his school play was more important than his driving lessons. 

"You already have but do go on, sir." He went to ask if he did something wrong but the words died in his throat. What was he thinking asking a question like that? He knew why his things were getting cancelled and he shouldn't be so selfish as to make a fuss over it. He couldn't be causing this sort of trouble when he could be legally kicked out. Well kicked out was a harsh term. Bruce wouldn't want the media storm from that so he'd move him out into some flat far from home that he'd have to pay when he was 18. Old enough to be out of the older's hair. Old enough to be abandoned without any second-guessing. People would be happy to hear it, he was sure. Jason was the charity case after all so they'd be more focused on him and how he was actually from Gotham. Was that why Bruce was doing more with him? Gradually showing him off to the world whilst Dick was pushed out of the picture. "Master Dick? Are you quite alright?" He jumped at the call of his name but played it off.

"Yeah. I was gonna ask where something was but I remember where I put it now."

"Oh, that's rather fortunate. Are you sure that's all?" Dick hummed and walked out of the room as fast as he could without raising suspicion. He assured himself that he still had Robin. It was still Batman and Robin. Their bond was inseparable and there was nothing that could break it. So what if they didn't spend time together outside of work? They still worked together! Bruce probably just wanted to spend time with Jason because he spent so much time with him. This was fine. Everything would go back to normal in a month or so.

It did not go back to normal in a month or so. Bruce spent more and more time with Jason, talking to him at dinner and fawning over every grade he got back. Dick was getting the same grades! But no Jason was the golden child for getting those in his first month of school. "You never got those grades when you were in school." Yeah because I was nine and only just learned English Bruce, he wanted to shout back but instead he just feigned interest. A hum usually took the heat off him. Every time he felt shafted by the presence of Jason, he remembered that he had Batman and Robin. That was Dick and Bruce, not anyone else. It was them and only them. Even when Jason found the Batcave, he said to himself that it would be okay because there was already a protege for Batman and two of them just wouldn't do. He was okay with Jason sitting in with them, joining the training sessions, and helping out with cases. All of that was alright because, at the end of the day, Dick was Robin. Jason was just Jason Todd the foster kid. That was until he went to Barbara's for the weekend. Upon his arrival home, he went straight to the Batcave to catch up on the work he missed and find out about new cases. He'd been slightly suspicious of the lack of communication he'd been getting but just assumed that Alfred was cracking down on civilian time being civilian time. So he walked into the Batcave and saw Jason was in the gym whilst Bruce was on the computer. He started to walk over and Bruce must've heard him as he called, "Robin?" 

"Yeah?" Wait. There were two responses to that name. Dick turned to find Jason standing in the doorway of the gym with an awkward expression then looked back to find Bruce sharing the same one. Robin. That was his name. It was his and always had been. He'd been promised that it would always be his name too. The name meant a lot to him, being a nickname his parents had for him, so why the hell had Jason responded to the call? He waited for some explanation but there was only silence. "You're kidding."

"Jason, go upstairs-"

"No, stay here for this because I need to know why the hell you responded when he said Robin," Dick interrupted. He felt his stomach twist and turn as a wave of burning anger ripped through him. This was his name! His title! He could feel tears prickling his eyes but he wouldn't start crying now. He was sixteen and that was far too childish for him. 

"He uhm suggested that maybe I also become a Robin," Jason answered in a small voice. He looked like he wanted to disappear but the acrobat couldn't find an ounce of empathy within him right now to care. He snapped his gaze back over to Bruce who now took a stern exterior. No way was he using the Batman front right now. 

"Why would you do that?" Dick shouted.

"Don't take that tone with me, young man. He needed the title too just as you did when you were young. I thought it was right for you two to share it," he replied. How could his voice be so calm right now when this was a massive violation of their trust? Did Dick do something wrong? He didn't think he'd done anything wrong. He'd been vigilant and he hadn't been hurt seriously in months. He'd solved so many cases too. "Don't be childish about it."

"Childish? Bruce, Robin is the nickname my parents had for me! How the fuck did you think I would react when I found out you just decided to give it to some other kid without consulting me first?"

"Bruce, you said you'd ask him," Jason pitched in. That was a nice gesture but Dick wasn't going to acknowledge it because right now his attention was solely focused on the mentor who'd cut him so deeply without a second thought. He hadn't even been clued in. There was no discussion. 

"We're supposed to be partners!"

"We are and now we have another person to help. You're being silly now."

"Silly? You fucking asshole!" 

"Don't swear at me, Richard. I'll bench you faster than you can snap your fingers. At the end of the day, I'm the adult here and I have the final say. You're sharing the title so you can share the work. I would've thought you'd be happy with this decision since you're always complaining about not spending enough time out of the suit." Oh here were the tears. Great. He wanted to prove that the title of Robin was supposed to be his and his alone but now all he looked like was a little kid. Was this some sort of test of faith? If so, he was failing badly. 

"Out of the suit with you B. I wanted time with you but you wouldn't care about that would you? I've served my purpose as the charity case." 

"Don't be so melodramatic. That's not what this is about."

"Fuck off," Dick barked out. He turned around to escape to his room but locked eyes with his new foster brother. "Have fun being his new project. Let me know if you beat my high score."

They watched him rush up the stairs and out of the cave but when Jason looked over at the billionaire, there was no move to go after the eldest. He wasn't well experienced in raising kids but usually, you don't make one feel like a throwaway. "You should go after him," he prompted. Honestly, he was a little disgusted with how the fight had gone down. Insulting Dick instead of reassuring him that this change didn't mean their relationship was different wasn't how a dad was supposed to act. Especially when he brought the situation upon himself. It would've taken no time at all to have a proper talk about the position and make sure this never happened but he hadn't even made the effort then he expected it all to go smoothly. 

"No, he's being overdramatic. He knows you need the title and crime is getting worse," Bruce argued. The younger went to dispute that claim but the older held up his hand. "Go back to training and don't pay him any mind. He'll be fine." Although he did turn away and go back into the gym, he didn't go back to training nor did he forget about the transgression. Someone needed to know what had gone down so Dick could get some support. Alfred had already agreed to make the new Robin suit so that wasn't really an avenue the older could use and Bruce certainly wasn't going to start being emotionally available. He went to the bench and grabbed his phone. He went to his contacts and scrolled through the names, pausing a few times. He'd thought about telling Barbara but ideally there needed to be some sort of adult intervention here. Who was a responsible, emotionally available, neutral figure that Dick liked? He snapped his fingers as he scrolled onto Clark's contact. He'd received the number from the blue boy scout himself. Something about scheduling an interview that he'd never actually bothered to do. He clicked on the contact and swiftly tapped out a message. 

Jason: Hey, just a heads up - shit is getting intense here with Dick and Bruce so maybe take the guy out for ice cream he seems torn up about it

Clark: what happened???

Jason: B split Robin so we're both Robin now but he wasn't told about it - i kinda feel like im replacing him

Clark: I'll see what I can do, this isn't your fault

Jason: I know

He knew but that didn't make him feel much better about things. Maybe he'd check on Dick when he went to bed. 

He didn't. He'd been too tired. Maybe if he had, a few months down the line, they wouldn't be in the position they were. 

Someone was missing from the dinner table but it wasn't exactly surprising. Dick had been skipping a lot of family time ever since the Robin fiasco. Bruce insisted on Jason remaining Robin and Dick insisted on having Jason choose a different name. He argued it would have more meaning but Bruce argued he just wanted Robin to himself. The newer addition didn't comment too much on the fighting but he'd been keeping Clark updated whenever there'd been a bad fight. When there was, the alien would come over the next day and take Dick to go do something. It was putting a picture frame over a crack on the wall but it was nice seeing the older smile even if it was just for a few hours. "He's not here," Bruce stated, foregoing eating his meal in favour of staring at the chair. The guy cared, Jason knew that in some form, but he had a real shit way of showing it. He'd get angry and say things he didn't truly mean or mix up his words in the worst of ways. It was sad seeing him have this very clear regret but have him only show that in private rather than in front of the person who needed to see it. Bruce wouldn't go up to Dick's room where sobbing could be heard nearly every other night and it felt like the only time the pair talked was when they worked. Even then it was strained and they never talked about the fights they had. 

"You can't expect him to be, can you?" Jason asked, irritated. Seeing the same thing over and over did that to you. He especially hated it when Bruce moped around and wished for the presence of the older foster kid only to totally switch up once that person was actually in the room. 

"I know it's just...I thought he would've gotten over this by now."

"Gotten over you taking his mantle, which is the nickname given by his dead parents, to another kid after you hardly spent time with him for months?" the younger deadpanned as he stabbed at his steak.

"Your point isn't lost on me," Bruce stated as he flicked his eyes up to the staircase. "He's usually so good with this."

"He's no longer compliant? Geez, do you hear yourself speak sometimes?" He hummed.

"Alfred, can you go check on him? He'll still be mad from last night," he called when he noticed the butler pass the stairs. The older nodded but from his lack of response, it was obvious he was in the dog house with Alfred too. Not surprising though. He'd been getting plenty of lectures from the man about how he was successfully alienating Dick from the family. He even suggested putting him in the care of someone else like Clark for a few months. Bruce refused. He was still the acrobat's father even if he was doing a bad job at it. 

"I'm not a dad or anything but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be the one to do that. I hope you're buying him a Ferrari or something to make up for everything," Jason stated.

"He can't drive." The younger glared at him.

"He passed his driver's test, Bruce. He wanted to show you but you'd just chewed him out for getting a black eye. The guy was practically foaming at the mouth when I said I'd help him look for a car," he barked out. 

"I suck."

"You do." Bruce shot him a look. "Oh no, you're not getting sympathy from me. You suck." He shoved more steak in his mouth but practically choked on it when he heard Alfred shout in fear. The vigilantes abandoned the dining table and raced upstairs to Dick's room only to find the butler shakily trying to get a half-conscious acrobat to spill his guts. "What the fuck happened?" Jason yelped. 

"Overdosed! Call an ambulance now!"

"On it!" Bruce raced out of the room to get on the phone whilst Jason tried to push past the numbed shock to help the butler. 

"C'mon Goldie, I need you to live so I can kill you."

It felt surreal. The ambulance came and Dick was put on a gurney as he went in and out of sleep. Bruce rode in the ambulance to provide information on the teen's behalf whilst Jason and Alfred drove. They arrived at the hospital after what felt like an eternity long ride and Bruce followed the staff until they told him to stay in the waiting area. He wanted to argue, to scream and yell that he was the boy's father but he didn't. He just nodded and took a seat. He'd only witnessed the scene in a brief few moments but it would forever haunt him. The limp body of his bubbly acrobat was strewn halfway over the tub as his family butler desperately tried to empty his stomach contents. There'd been packs of pills on the counter and he remembered the colour of the box, it was the strong painkillers they kept. He should've put them in a proper medicine cabinet, they shouldn't have been on hand like that. There was a note on the side that simply read "Sorry." The lines had been shaky and the paper was wet with tears. Bruce put his head in his hands because he knew that this was all his fault. No one else was to blame. Alfred had told him again and again that he was alienating his first ward. He'd warned that Dick needed constant reassurance and the fights weren't helping. He told him outright that Dick will start to feel unloved the moment he suggested Robin be shared. Yet, Bruce didn't listen. He cancelled more and more events with Dick until the teen stopped asking for his presence. He'd made him feel so isolated in his own home. Home. He doubted that Dick saw it like that anymore and that was valid. He was right to. Bruce wanted to throw up. He wanted to scream. He wanted to drink until he couldn't stand it. He wanted to beat the ever-loving shit out of anyone who deserved it. In the end, though, he couldn't do any of that. He had no right to be so upset because he'd done this. He'd provided a motive and the weapon. This was his fault. The world whirled around him as his mind jumped from idea to idea on how he could possibly make this up to his kid. All of them fell short. He couldn't buy his reassurance back, he couldn't gift him mental stability nor could he import a fresh shipment of love. Everything had already happened. Nothing could be done. Bruce felt his eyes water and allowed himself to let a few tears fall. He nearly lost his boy over some silly argument and all of his horrible decisions. Dick would always be that little nine-year-old newly fostered into the family. Smiling and playing without a care in the world, dressed in a modified circus uniform with that little cape he'd wrap around himself on cold nights. As he remembered that, flashes of the limp and sickly version of his son flashed up. 

Jason and Alfred arrived shortly after. They sat on either side of him and anxiously waited for something, anything. They were desperate for news on the acrobat. Instead of news, they received a very pissed off Clark Kent who stormed into the waiting room. His narrowed eyes fixed on Bruce and he was practically shaking with rage. "You're a terrible father, you know that?" he barked out. 

"How did-"

"I told him we were here," Jason admitted. He stared Bruce right in the eyes and shared the same glare held by the alien. "He's known how you've been for months." The billionaire didn't say anything as he looked back at Clark. His fellow founding member of the Justice League now looked like he wanted to revoke the no murder rule put in place. He wouldn't, Clark was too proud to do that, but he wanted to. Very much so. 

"I shouldn't have let it get this far. I should've made you do this a long time ago."

"Do what?" Bruce asked in confusion. 

"You're handing over guardianship of Dick. You're not suited to looking after him and I along with the others have decided that we are better to raise him than you are," he explained in a cool tone although the shake of his fists betrayed him. 

"You can't do that. He's my son."

"Some father you are to allow him to feel unwelcome in his own home! I understand wanting to make Jason feel safe but that doesn't come at the expense of your other child," he snapped back. "You will hand over guardianship or I will make sure that you have neither of your children."

"That's counterproductive because surely giving him up will make him feel worse," the billionaire argued.

"Do you know how you're going to make it up to him?" He shook his head. "Do you know how you're even going to interact with him through recovery?" There was a long pause before he shook his head. "Then he's better in my care than yours." Bruce opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to come up with something but Alfred put his hand on his shoulder. He looked to the older for some kind of guidance as he had throughout the years they'd known one another and this time he silently promised to listen. To do whatever he said. Only, when he nodded, Bruce realised he was agreeing with Clark. That it was indeed in Dick's best interest to leave his care and go into the others. It wasn't fair, he mentally argued, that's not right. He was the boy's father and he had raised him since he was nine. So he let things get out of hand but he could somehow fix it, right? Although, he had no idea how to. He didn't know if he'd have the time. He didn't know if he had the strength to witness the mental scars of his greatest mistake yet. The man cast his gaze to the floor and returned his head to his hands with a long sigh. This was it, wasn't it? It's over, isn't it? Batman and Robin finally separated. Severed. Yet when infections got bad, sometimes you had to cut off the infectious part to save the body. With a heavy heart, he nodded numbly. 

"Fine. I'll talk to lawyers and get it done." 

"Thank you, Bruce. You've done the right thing." He hoped he did. 

Dick woke with a groan and felt the weight of the world hit him harder than Bane. He cracked his eye open before promptly deciding to shut it again upon being blinded by white lights. Did it work? Did he die? Maybe so but he could feel aches. Surely you weren't supposed to feel those unless you went to the bad place. He never quite believed in that. He was hoping for darkness and took the phrase "taking a dirt nap" very seriously in his outlook. He wanted to rest after feeling so tired. "Hey buddy, you waking up?" Clark called. Oh. He was alive then since Clark wasn't dead to his knowledge. This would be even worse if Clark had happened to die the same day. He opened his eyes again and after blinking a few times, he realised the white light was the hospital lights shining in his eyes not some sort of holy light beaming him up. He turned his head to the side, feeling the breathing mask tight against his face. It was uncomfortable and he was tempted to pull it off but he was too exhausted to lift his hand. He stared at the hero with tears in his eyes which fell when Clark reached out to delicately play with his hair. Bruce would always play with his hair after a rough night out. He'd be there and take care of him but Dick had the distinct feeling that his mentor wasn't in the room. Probably for the best. He couldn't deal with that disappointment right now. Clark didn't look disappointed. He looked empathetic. He'd always understood what was going on, and always validated his emotions whilst his own mentor shot them down. He found himself wanting Clark rather than Bruce in the room right now so in some way he was thankful for just the other. It would've been nice if the others were there but they were probably mad. They might be agreeing with Bruce. He didn't want that. "I'm gonna help you Dickie. I promise. You're gonna be okay." Tears dripped down the teen's face as he leaned into the man's touch. He desperately needed comfort because holy shit he almost died. He almost succeeded in his attempt. That flicker of fear of what he was capable of was enough to make him sob. He'd lived through so much and it was all going to end in a bathroom with a pack of pills. There was no real goodbye to everyone around him. That felt horrible. They would've just gotten the call that he was gone and what if they never knew just how much they meant to him? "Shh now. It's all gonna be alright from now on," Clark assured him in a soft warm tone. 

"I nearly died!" Dick shouted. 

"Nearly yes but you didn't. You're here with me. We're gonna get you into therapy, we're gonna talk, we're gonna do everything we need to do to help you okay? You'll stay with me for a little bit just until things settle at home," the older explained, maintaining that tone that wrapped Dick up in a hug. "I'll keep you safe."