#superman!jon

           “I don’t know anyone better to talk to a kid about loss than Batman,” Jon said with a small smile. “And honestly, I don’t see why you’re so against Ricky being Robin. Shay was twelve when you took her on patrol for the first time. Heck, he’s older than we were when we started out. We turned out pretty ok.”

           Damian gave his friend an incredulous look. “Ok? You think that I’m ok? Jon, I haven’t been ok since I was conceived. I still have nightmares. About dying, about… them. I have to sleep in the guest room sometimes because I can’t… I can’t bother Emmy with this stuff. I’m twenty nine, you’d think I’d be over it. But I’m not and this is a world my son wants into and I just…”

           “So it was ok for Shay but not for Ricky?”

           “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Shay’s a good kid but she’d already been exposed to the darkness. She grew up in the Gotham streets. You know what those streets can create, we’re lucky she turned out as great as she did. Gotham created Batman, created me and the others…”

           “I happen to like you and the others,” Jon said. “I’m sorry, Damian, I don’t understand your argument.”

           “I promised Emmy I’d be a different Batman,” Damian said quietly. “I made a promise to Emmy and to Ricky and Lina and even my father that I would not let the darkness get to me. My father was so many things but he wasn’t happy. I want to be Batman and to be happy.”

           “I don’t—“

           “I’m scared, Jon.” He buried his face in his hands. “I’m terrified that something might happen and I won’t be able to go on and I don’t know what to do and why the hell are you smiling?!”

           “Sorry,” Jon laughed. He turned his face to the sky, trying to hide his smile. “It’s just… our dads used to talk like this. They’d sit on a rooftop somewhere and Batman would say “Clark I’m scared.” The reasons why were always different. World ending crisis, problem at home, whatever. And then my dad would look at your dad and say “That’s ok. All it means is that the world’s greatest detective is human.” Jon turned to Damian and gripped his shoulder. “It’s ok, Dami. It’s ok to be scared. All it means is that you’re human.”

           Damian stared at Jon for a long time. Then he burst out laughing. “God, you’re such a nerd, Hickville.”