The list of reasons for Jason's anger with Bruce is long and varied, and some of it has to do with Batman's responsibility to protect the city, and some of it has to do with Bruce's unswerving moral code. But the more immediate reasons, the reasons pushing to the forefront of Jason's battered heart - those are personal.
"Because I died," he says, "and he didn't care. It's like I didn't matter at all." Jason closes his eyes and inhales a deep, steadying breath. "Y'know, the first Boy Wonder, he left. Moved on to doing something else. But me? I get beat to a bloody pulp and blown up, and Batman didn't do a damn thing to the maniac who did it." He took me away from you. It's been months, and Jason still clearly remembers just how fragile his own voice sounded speaking those words. An all-too-familiar stinging sensation that heralds tears pricks at his eyes, and Jason unclasps his hands to rub the heel of his palm against one closed eye, then the other. Another deep breath in, and he opens his eyes again and turns his head to Steph.
"If it'd been the other way around - if someone took him out, I would've stopped at nothing to find whoever was responsible and make sure they never got the chance to do it again. But not only did he not stop the Joker, permanently, he just ... replaced me." And that's a fresh wave of hurt that he'd only learned about in Wonderland, because whoever became Robin after Jason either hadn't been chosen yet or had already come and gone.
"He just picked someone else to take my place, some other kid to be a soldier in his damn war, and - I mean, did he even tell you about what happened to me, or whoever was unlucky enough to be Robin number three? Or was it just like - 'Here, your number's up, time to strap on the cape and tights now'?"
no subject
"Because I died," he says, "and he didn't care. It's like I didn't matter at all." Jason closes his eyes and inhales a deep, steadying breath. "Y'know, the first Boy Wonder, he left. Moved on to doing something else. But me? I get beat to a bloody pulp and blown up, and Batman didn't do a damn thing to the maniac who did it." He took me away from you. It's been months, and Jason still clearly remembers just how fragile his own voice sounded speaking those words. An all-too-familiar stinging sensation that heralds tears pricks at his eyes, and Jason unclasps his hands to rub the heel of his palm against one closed eye, then the other. Another deep breath in, and he opens his eyes again and turns his head to Steph.
"If it'd been the other way around - if someone took him out, I would've stopped at nothing to find whoever was responsible and make sure they never got the chance to do it again. But not only did he not stop the Joker, permanently, he just ... replaced me." And that's a fresh wave of hurt that he'd only learned about in Wonderland, because whoever became Robin after Jason either hadn't been chosen yet or had already come and gone.
"He just picked someone else to take my place, some other kid to be a soldier in his damn war, and - I mean, did he even tell you about what happened to me, or whoever was unlucky enough to be Robin number three? Or was it just like - 'Here, your number's up, time to strap on the cape and tights now'?"