#so what if Jaybin was truly a hallucination at the beginning but then Jason returned

[prlssprfctn]

Dick watches as the newly proclaimed crime lord, Red Hood, storms off on his bike, without a care in the world. Logically speaking, Nightwing should try to chase after him — he was an awful headache to his family lately, wasn't he? — but he had no power to deal with this right now, not when it was useless anyway; Red Hood escaped Batman as if it was his hobby, there was no way Dick himself would succeed, especially while he is wounded.

'Stuck-up,' he still murmurs faintly.

'You hate him?'

Dick almost flinches. Almost, because he is already used to the ghost of his little brother appearing out of nowhere, in day and night. Even now, little Jason is sitting atop of someone's car, swinging his feet in the air mindlessly. He flashes his brother a smile once their eyes meet, and Dick mirrors it in the instant.

'Hate is a strong word, Little Wing.'

'Well, I hate geometry. That's not that complicated,' Dick snorts at that.

'Why does it matter, anyway?'

Little Jason hums mindfully. There is a hint of hesitation in his actions, before he admits:

'I like him.'

Dick blinks a few times.

'You like Red Hood? Why would you like Red Hood?'

This doesn't sound like something Jason would say, right?

...Then again, Dick knew very little about his brother, and these things he knew, he started to forget a long time ago. It would be probably easier, to keep these details in mind, if only he had someone to talk about it — someone, who knew Jason, too. But Bruce is stubborn in his grief, and Dick cannot speak about Jason with no one else but his own ghost.

'He protects Crime Alley people in the way they need it,' Jason insists firmly. 'So, I like him. Can you not hate him, too?'

This is so fucking strange. Why Dick's consciousness tries to reassure him to like that red asshole? Isn't that just... bizarre? Is he finally going insane?

'Uh,' Dick rubs the bridge of his nose. 'Listen—'

The comms crack faintly, catching his attention. Barbara asks about the status of the mission, and he reports it quickly before turning around again, to look at Jason once more and resume their conversation.

But the ghost is gone again.

And Dick is still puzzled.

Maybe he should go through Red Hood's case one more time?..