Okay, I’ve been avoiding rambling about the Titans Tower thing because I was afraid that the moment I opened my mouth, I’d immediately start ranting sarcastically about the fanon version of the titan tower, but I really want to talk about Jason’s message... more seriously (or not, this post won't necessarily be profound, insightful, or thorough, it’ll basically just be more rambling). If I can't help myself at the end please believe that I tried my best to rein myself in guys.
As I’ve said before, I think the way Jason left that message is (1) more akin to how the girls at my school would write their names on desks like "() was here <3" with the handprint is like a cute waving hand as a "hi guys <33" rather than, uh... *checks notes*... Jason slitting Tim’s throat and using his blood to leave a message like how serial killers do while Tim was lying there dying on the floor due to fanon and (2) hilarious if I think about how he was going up and down a ladder with a red can to paint that on the wall because he was too damn dramatic.
and (3).... (3) is gonna be long and I don't like (3) it's just some thoughts at the bottom of my head that I need to get it out.
For some reason, I keep thinking it was Jason’s blood, not Tim’s… because, well, Jason didn’t slit his throat... that didn’t happen... technically, it could have been Tim’s blood, Jason’s, someone else’s, fake blood, red paint, anything.
But this is just me rambling, so I like to think it was Jason’s blood. It reminds me of the scene where Jason takes off his helmet in front of Bruce, anxiously waiting for him to realize who it is, just so he can smile when he hears Bruce say his name. And his hand didn’t tremble at all when he sliced open his own scalp to get at the flesh, blood, and tissue. I think Bruce had some guesses about that, but Jason did it anyway to force the confirmation. "Check it all. You'll find that it's me." "It won't make me believe." "No, it will. You are a creature of logic and science. You'll to know what I am."
Maybe it’s the same with the writing on the Titans Tower. I mean... Jason realized there wasn't a statue of him in the Tower. The phrase "Jason was here" serves as a reminder to everyone that he was once a Titan too, he had been there fighting alongside them, he was one of them.
It was also a way of announcing his return. Don't you think he was anticipating their reactions? Did he hope Bruce, Alfred, or anyone else would be happy to see him back? (He sent Alfred a gift in utrh) Did anyone even care that he was alive? Did any of the Titans remember the boy who used to fight with them, or had they forgotten him entirely? He saw that there wasn't a statue of him in the Titans' Tower yet he still wanted them to know he was back, so he wrote those words in his own blood, just as he had done with Bruce. If the Titans wanted to, they could test the blood and confirm it was really him (the handprint might even yield fingerprints, I’m not sure how that works, I don’t really know but I imagine he left enough evidence for them to know it was truly him, just like with Bruce, because... well, because he cared). He was Jason, the real Jason Todd, the second Robin, back from the dead and he was right there. Did anyone care?
Haha, so I find myself wondering what they did with that message. It seems like they’d just wash it off... but I keep thinking about how perhaps Jason was likely waiting to see how they’d react, whether they’d even bother (because why else would he left that message I think it’s likely that he really did care)... but in the end, it seems they didn't, because nothing happened afterward. No one came looking for him. I don't think Jason really had any clear expectations about it, he probably didn't even count on them verifying it and coming to confront him, though it would have been great if they had. But it seems there was no reaction from them at all. Maybe they didn't get it tested, maybe they didn't believe it was actually him. Or worse, they knew but simply didn't care. No one cares about him, no one cares whether he's alive or dead.
If I were to write this like some terrible Titans Tower AU fanfic, the Titans would be absolutely furious upon seeing that message, convinced Jason had used Tim's blood to write it. They’d be dead set on that idea, even though Tim hadn't actually lost that much blood. They wouldn't have time to dwell on the writing or get it tested because they’d be too busy fussing over poor, weak, pitiful Timmy who’d just been attacked by a terrorist and had no way to fight back. They’d probably scrub the message away in a hurry, seething with rage at how cruel and heartless Jason was for using Tim's blood like that. They’d likely think back to the boy who used to fight alongside them, telling themselves they’d known all along he was no good and bound to go down the wrong path, and the current situation would just prove it *cough cough Raven saying Jason always believed he’d surpass them all cough cough cough cough*. But they wouldn't dwell on it for long, they’d be too busy caring about poor tiny little baby Tim 🥺 and completely forgot about Jason's message. And Bruce cares more about the Joker. And Alfred certainly cares more about Bruce. Hey, it doesn't matter anyway. No one cares.
*grimaces and retches* Just kill me already. What the hell did I just write? It’s absolutely horrific, terrible, and revolting. I’m practically gasping for air and convulsing. This’s unbearable. If you want to torture me, all you have to do is tie me to a chair and read aloud any random post from that damn "titan tower" tag. I’d foam at the mouth and drop dead on the spot.
