Talon chapter 10

Chapter 10 - I love you

"Hadrian Al Ghul?" Each syllable out of Bruce's mouth echoed through the chamber like a gunshot.

He stared down at the child who fearlessly stared back at him; the look in his eyes was not that of a naive kid who didn't know how the world worked. His face was so young, but his eyes seemed so old and tired. Worn down by the world. The emerald green coloured orbs were bright, yet somehow dull at the same time. His face was not unlike old pictures of himself that Alfred had kept from when he was a child. An almost perfect copy of his own face, but with emerald eyes that were brighter yet somehow still duller than Talia's.

"You can call me 'Harry'," Harry said calmly as he stared back at the man who was his father in this world. He was tall, handsome, and looked like he had a fondness for protein shakes. Alfred was exactly how Jason had described him, as far as Harry was concerned. A small moustache on his upper lip, while his head was bald on the top, with black hair covering the sides and back. His neat, black butler suit looked really out of place when paired with Bruce's bat suit and the ninja outfits that the other two were wearing.

"Your mother is Talia Al Ghul?" Bruce asked softly.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "My mother is Talia Al Ghul, my aunt is Nyssa Al Ghul, and my Grandfather is...was...Ra's Al Ghul."

"Was?" Alfred spoke up, sending Harry a questioning look.

"It's a long story," Jason answered on Harry's behalf. "I'll tell you all about it soon." He assured the older man.

"And your father?" Bruce asked, still staring down at Harry. He wasn't even sure why he had asked; the answer seemed so obvious to him. But still, a part of him wanted - no, needed - to hear it.

"I think that would just be stating the obvious to you," Harry replied knowingly. "If you're half as smart as Jason and Mother claimed you are, then you've already worked it out."

"Indeed," Alfred said, walking forward and stopping next to Harry so he could get a closer look. "Good lord, it's like taking a step back in time. Master Bruce looked exactly as you do when he was your age."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Harry told him seriously. "I've heard much about you from Jason, Mr Pennyworth. It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"Always pleased to meet a fan, Master Harry," Alfred said as he gave Harry a small bow.

"You don't have to call me that, Mr Pennyworth," Harry told him.

"Perhaps not, Master Harry," Alfred replied in a slightly amused voice.

"The bird," Bruce said suddenly, gesturing to Hedwig. "An owl. A snowy owl, correct? What is she doing with you?"

"Her name is Hedwig," Harry said, raising a hand up and scratching the side of her head. "She's been with me since I was born."

"He has a special connection to her," Jason added. "I think it might be part of his powers."

"Powers?" Bruce repeated instantly, finally looking away from Harry so he could stare at Jason. "He's a metahuman?"

"Well, he can definitely do things a normal person can't. According to him, it's magic."

"Magic?" Bruce's gaze spun back around to Harry, who was levelling Jason with a mild glare.

"Was it truly necessary to tell him?" Harry sighed.

"Sorry," Jason said, sounding quite unapologetic. "But he'd find out sooner or later anyway. Might as well get it over with. Besides, he works with flying aliens and robots; he's seen weirder than you."

"I don't know if I should be offended by that," Harry admitted honestly before speaking to Bruce. "Yes, I can do magic. Not much, but I'm capable of a few spells at the moment."

"Like what?" Bruce frowned thoughtfully.

"I can summon things to my hands, providing they don't weigh too much. I can generate fire, pick locks and a few other things." Harry listed. "I've never really explored my limits, what with trying to keep my abilities secret from my Grandfather."

"Why would you do that? Why not tell him?"

"I would think the answer was obvious," Harry replied. "He had great plans for when I could simply just fight well. If he had discovered that I had magical abilities, then who knows what he would have wanted for me? Heck, he might have ended up tossing me into that pit of his in the hopes that it would have boosted my powers."

"Perhaps you should accompany me," Alfred cut in before Bruce could continue his questioning. "I dare say that now's not exactly the right time for a proper tour, but for now, I would like to escort you to your room, Master Harry. It'd be wise to continue this conversation in the morning once we've all had time to wind down and process what has happened."

"I suppose you're right," Harry agreed before nodding to Bruce and Jason. "Father, Jason, I'll see you in the morning." He said before he and Alfred began walking to the elevator. Hedwig hooted in Harry's ear. "No, you can't eat the bats in the cave," Harry told her before they entered the elevator. "I'll get you food in the morning," He added just before the doors closed.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Alfred told him before pressing a button, causing the elevator to go up. Choosing not to comment on Harry talking with his owl. "We have some bird food available. I often leave some out for the birds that frequently visit our gardens. I'm sure I can find something there that is appropriate for 'Hedwig', I believe that's what you called her."

"Thank you, Alfred," Harry said while also nodding to say thank you, while also confirming that he did get her name right. "We both appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it, Master Harry," Alfred said at once. "It's my duty to make the lives of every person living here as easy as I can," He said with a small bit of pride. "Though, dare I say, it seems an impossible task, when one considers everyone's desire to dress in costumes and fight crime at night." He added just as the elevator doors opened. The two stepped out of the elevator before the doors closed. The doors were then covered by a wall that slid in with an old grandfather clock attatched to it. "This is one of several entrances to the cave. I'll be sure to show you the others soon." He told Harry just as they resumed walking.

"I can't imagine that it was easy for you, raising my father," Harry said while he looked around the manor. It was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen. Not like the Malfoys' place, which screamed, 'hey, we're rich, notice us'. It seemed much more like it was just unapologetically rich. Everything from the red carpets to the paintings on the wall, the antique furniture and the giant chandeliers. Everything just screamed rich; it was a home straight out of most people's fantasies. Yet, so unlike every other mansion he had ever been in. He felt almost as if the building had welcomed him in, much like when he had attended Hogwarts for the first time.

"It wasn't the easiest of tasks, Master Harry, but I managed," Alfred responded. "Though, truth be told, I often wonder how successful I was. I've more times than I could count been unsure if I had raised your father the way I should have."

"He's a world-famous superhero who regularly saves lives, trust me, you could have done worse," Harry told him matter-of-factly.

"I suppose that's true," Alfred said with an amused smile.

"This is a very big building," Harry frowned. "I sincerely hope my father doesn't insist you clean the entire thing by yourself."

"A cleaning crew comes in on a weekly basis, Master Harry," Alfred informed him. "Though I do take pride in maintaining the cleanliness to the best of my ability in between those times."

"Hmm," Harry hummed thoughtfully. "Jason would tell me that Father would be pleased to see me. I imagine I'll truly know his feelings once he's recovered from his surprise at finding out that his adopted son is alive and he has another son. Still, if it's a bother to either of you, I am more than capable of surviving on my own."

"Perhaps you are, Master Harry, but I dare say that neither I nor Master Bruce want that," Alfred assured him. "There are few things in life as important as family. I imagine it'll be a struggle for both of you, but I don't see Bruce letting you go so easily. Family is important to him, just as it is to me." He said as they finally stopped outside a door which Alfred opened before gesturing for Harry to enter. Harry walked in and took a look around the room. Large windows, a massive bed, wall fitted cupboards, a separate chair in the corner of the room and a large TV opposite the bed. "I hope this will suffice for the time being," Alfred said, stepping in after Harry.

"I've most definitely slept in worse than this," Harry said, taking one more look around the room. "All of this is unnecessary; you don't have to do this much for me."

"Nonsense," Alfred said with a dismissive tone. "You're not only an Al Ghul, but you're also a Wayne. If Master Jason and Master Dick could have a room like this, then so can you."

"Ah, yes, Dick, is he here?" Harry asked.

"Master Dick is currently in Bludhaven, though I imagine we'll be seeing him soon," Alfred answered.

"And just for clarification, he chooses to go by 'Dick' instead of Richard?"

"Indeed, he does,"

"Well, at least he'll be able to take a joke then."

(.)

"You okay, Bruce?" Jason asked, watching as Bruce almost seemed to stumble into his chair. Jason had just finished giving Bruce a summary of what his life had been like since he had been gone and how he got back in Gotham. As expected, Bruce wasn't happy.

"I'm fine, Jason, it's just...just a lot to process," Bruce said, waving him off as he spun the chair around to face Jason. "I...I'm glad you're back," Bruce offered him a warm smile.

"Thanks, Bruce," Jason said, returning the smile for a moment before he winced. "I...I'm sorry, I...shouldn't have gotten caught by Joker...I...I was stupid."

"Don't!" Bruce said firmly. "What happened doesn't matter. You're back. You're here. That's all I care about."

"Thanks, Bruce," Jason said once more. "I got to admit, I was half expecting to come back and find someone else wearing my uniform."

"Jason," Bruce said softly. "When I made you Robin, it wasn't to replace Dick. Nobody can replace him. Just as nobody would ever replace you. It doesn't matter if I have one Robin or hundreds, you're not someone I'd just toss out. Believe me, I...your...' passing' hit all of us hard. We had you placed in the same graveyard as my parents, not even ten feet away from them. I...visited, not as often as I should have, but every now and then. Each time got harder and harder. It took us all a while before we got back to something close to normal."

"I'm sorry, Bruce," Jason replied sincerely. "I...I never wanted to disappoint you."

"And you never have," Bruce said instantly. "This won't be easy for either of us. But I don't care. You're back, that's what's important. We'll have to think up a story for you before you can leave the grounds. Last everyone in Gotham heard, Bruce Wayne's ward had died. It'll take some time before you can walk freely, but we'll manage it."

"Looking forward to it," Jason offered him a grin. "I have gone a long time without burgers and pizza."

"We'll get you some tomorrow," Bruce decided before checking the time on the Batcomputer. "Or today, I suppose."

"Harry," Jason said suddenly. "What do you plan to do about him?"

"I don't know," Bruce admitted honestly. "We'll have to adopt him; it shouldn't take too long to make some fake papers and make it legal. But still, I don't know what to do. He claims that he has magic powers. Why does he think it's magic and not something else?"

"I'm not sure," Jason answered honestly. "But he seemed pretty confident about it. I saw him blast one guy out of a window with fire that shot out from his hands. If you take your eyes off of him for a moment, then he's gone with the same ease as you. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure if that's magic or just pure skill."

"What can you tell me about him?" Bruce asked, leaning back into his chair and giving Jason his full attention.

"He's smart," Jason responded. "He's kind as well. When I was stuck in that cell, he visited me every day. He snuck me extra food, gave me information and even found out what brainwashing methods the league were going to use on me. He's got a good head on his shoulders. Young as he is, he knew that Ra's wasn't the best role model in the world, and he worked with his Aunt Nyssa to help stop him and free me. He's also a good fighter, even without his powers. The day the league was attacked, he took down a lot of soldiers by himself."

"Took down?" Repeated Bruce with narrowed eyes, the temperature of the cave seemed to drop a few degrees. "Explain what that means."

"Exactly what it sounds like, Bruce," Jason said stiffly. "He made sure they weren't threats."

"I..." Bruce paused and took a breath, looking pained. He exhaled and seemed to slump slightly in his seat. "I suppose it can't be helped." He rubbed his eyes. "He was raised by the league; it's just wishful thinking on my part that he would have never killed anyone."

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think he enjoys it." Jason confided. "We were in the middle of a full-scale battle against a lot of men, including one guy who is supposedly as tough as you. He did what he had to do. But he didn't seem to enjoy it any more than you would. He even stopped me from killing anyone."

"Jason?" Bruce stared at him hard. "You were trying to kill someone?!"

"It's not my fault!" Jason exploded suddenly.. "I was tossed in that pit, and I've been ten times more fucked up than before! Screw you if you think that I can't defend myself properly in a battle! Besides, it's not like you never killed anyone!"

"What are you talking about?" Bruce frowned.

"You killed Joker," Jason spoke as if that was an obvious thing.

"Who told you I killed him?"

"Are you saying you didn't?!" Jason gaped at him.

"Jason, you know we have a code, I-"

"He killed me!" Jason roared, filled with anger. "Are you kidding me?! It was one thing to turn a blind eye to the dozens of graveyards that he filled! It was another to ignore the fact that he crippled Barbara! But he killed me! And he's still alive?!"

"Jason, I-"

"I thought I'd be the last person you'd let him hurt!" Jason cut him off, his face red with anger and hurt, his eyes brimming with tears. "If it had been you that he killed. I would have searched the Earth for that evil pile of death-worshipping garbage and sent him on the fast track to hell! Did I really mean that little to you, Bruce?"

"Don't ever say that!" Bruce said, rising to his feet. "You mean the world to me, and you know that."

"Then why is my murderer still alive?!" Jason cried furiously. "Why didn't you kill him?! What?! It's too hard to cross that line?!"

"It'd be too damn easy!" Bruce shouted. Jason took a step back, not able to remember the last time he had ever heard Bruce shout. It wasn't often Bruce had raised his voice, especially at him. "There is nothing I want more than to kill him," Bruce admitted easily, his voice lowering back down to civil levels. "I...Jason, when he killed you...I nearly killed him. It took all I had to stop myself from doing so, and even then, I had to have help from friends. Every day, especially since you were taken, I have dreamed of killing him. Every time I think of him, I imagine breaking him and subjecting him to every torture imaginable and ending him and dumping the remains somewhere nobody could find."

"Then why didn't you, Bruce?" Jason asked, a lone tear dripping down his cheek. "Because of your code?"

"Partly," Bruce admitted. "My code...it's a big part of who I am, Jason. Without it, I'd be lost. I would no longer be me. But it's not just that. I...I didn't want to disappoint you, Jason. When you died, you died believing in me. Believing in what I taught you. If I broke my rule, I would have betrayed you. Betrayed who you were, betrayed what I taught you. I couldn't do that. Our mission is to help people, Jason. That's what it's always been. It's not up to us to take lives. No matter how right we feel when we do it, no matter how skilled we are. Jason, we are not above others. Our rules are what separate us from the very criminals we fight. I get it, really, I do. I've wanted to kill so many of them, even before Dick had become Robin. But we can't, Jason, we have to be better." He said, moving forward and pulling Jason into a hug. "I'm sorry, Son, I'm sorry if I disappointed you. But don't ever doubt that I love you."

"I..." Jason's arms went up and wrapped themselves around Bruce. "I...I love you too, Bruce."

(.)

A.N: Hi guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter. For the record, Jason is not done with the Joker. This last scene was just to help establish that he doesn't hate Bruce.