For several hours, Jason rests in a blackout sleep. One with no dreams. With the curtains closed, he’s spared the melatonin-stealing sun and is able to recover some of his strength. 

 

However, when he awakes, Hell has a surprise for him. Pointing at his mouth, on the bedside table, Ivory appears. 

 

“Oh fuck me. Alright no, I’m going for a walk.” He sits up. “You can come with me but only because you belong to Dante. Got it? We’re going for a walk around Wayne Manor, in the mist.” 

 

He goes into the bathroom, brushes his teeth, makes sure there’s nothing in the mirror, then throws on his boots and heads out. 

 

Unintentionally, he ventures off the beaten path, away from the property, where Harley Quinn crosses his mind. 

 

“I wonder if she’s alright. Man, I didn’t mean to leave her there. She cared about Dante too. I hope she’s alright. God. Dante.” 

 

He gives Dick a call, taking a curved walkway graced by the warm rays. For over an hour, the two former Robins connect, Grayson giving Jason plenty of room to spill his heart out.

 

“Dick, real talk. I used to lie in bed and picture Batman finding me dead. I used to daydream about him being so upset over my dead body. I used to relish the idea of him having to take me home and bury me. I used to grin over him weeping for me, over him sobbing and feeling like a jerk-off for losing me. I used to take a lot of pleasure in that fantasy.”

 

“That’s awful. You must have been in a lot of pain."

 

“I was. I am. And I thought, see, Bats, I told you he messed me up. But now that I’m on the other end of it, I can’t stand it. It’s unbearable. I shouldn’t have thought that way.”

 

“Bruce loves you. Don’t blame yourself for what happened to your friend. If he’s at Devil May Cry, he’s in good hands.”

 

“For all the times I’ve killed people, even some demons, times I’ve been cruel and harsh, and a shitty person, I feel like this is my punishment.”

 

“It’s not a punishment. We all make mistakes but this isn’t a punishment for yours. That’s not how life works.”

 

“I don’t know, Dick, the rules are different in Hell.”

 

“I don’t really care.”

 

Grayson receives a somber pause. A wave of hopelessness and shame is expelling from his fellow Robin, his words aren’t penetrating the Red Hood. 

 

“Do you understand me? I hate to say this, but you’re traumatized again. I watched my parents fall. It stayed with me. I know how much pain you’re in and I’m here for you. You’re in no condition to be Red Hooding it up right now. Keep recuperating and keep going for walks. But that’s it, okay?”

 

“Oh man, you’re right, man, I am traumatized, ugh…” Gasp! “What?!”

 

“Jason?”

 

“There’s, there’s a church, right here. A few miles away from the manor. It looks just like, no, exactly like the one from Limbo City. Should I go inside?”

 

“Well sure. Church can be a really comforting place to go when you’re hurting. It really helps some people. Yeah, go in. I think that’s a great idea.”

 

“I’ll take you with me. Stay on the line.”

 

He makes his way around, looking for the back entrance. He finds it in an unfortunate state, needles sprinkled throughout the grass near the opened doorway. A drug dealer’s forced a pathway inside, but this actually intrigues Jason. He smirks. 

 

“Ooooo, squatters.”

 

“In a church? Ugh, I wish I was surprised.”

 

“I’m gonna run them off.” 

 

“Yeah? Keep me on the line in your pocket, this I wanna hear.”

 

“You got it.”

 

Nightwing mutes himself while Jason clips the communicator securely to his belt, then pulls out Ivory. 

 

“Not in the mood to kill anybody today. I know they sure as hell won’t come back if they see what this baby can do with a warning shot.”

 

He keeps it raised and ready, and finds himself chipper when he does in fact, locate a few suspicious men huddled in a corner, in the sanctuary. 

 

“How’s it going, guys?” he asks, his voice freakishly filled with glee.

 

They turn around. Two young customers and a grimy dealer.

 

“You the fuzz?” questions the dealer.

 

“Depends? Is that Smack you’re selling?”

 

“Where’s the badge?”

 

“Who says I’m a cop? Maybe I want, oh that looks like Ecstasy right there. Yeah, get out.”

 

“Make me.”

 

“See the gun I’m aiming at you? I’ll make you meet your maker is what I’ll do.”

 

“Lick my ass, you peter-sucking marine.”

 

“Nice one!” Jason laughs. “Listen, I’m a man at a loss. You don’t wanna fuck with me right now.”

 

The customers look at each other worriedly. One of them makes a break for it. 

 

“No no no, come on!” the dealer whines. “He’s trying to intimidate you with the man, man! Screw this crayon-eating, fudge-packer!”

 

They can’t hear it, but Nightwing is cracking up at these insults.

 

“You with him?” Jason asks the other customer. “Is Molly really worth a bullet in the chest?” 

 

Terrified, this guy bolts too.

 

“Hey hey, come back! He ain’t even a cop! Alright, cocksucker, you just lost me all my cash for the week. You happy with yourself? Let’s see how damn tough you are when the pimp is armed too.” 

 

The dealer decides he’s gonna pull out his own gun. 

 

“Oh you’re a pimp now? I’m gonna blow that thing out of your hand if you try and shoot me.” 

 

“Put your money where your mouth is, dipshit!” He raises his weapon. 

 

BANG. Jason shoots it right out of his hand, Ivory’s mystical blast, making the criminal scream like a girly-girl. Nightwing, still muted, explodes laughing.

 

“Uh-oh, you better run!” Jason warns. The dealer, who may or may not have tinkled slightly in his trousers, scampers away.

 

“Whatever, kiss my ass, man! I’m just trying to earn a living, man. Choke on some cock, man!”

 

Annoyed with his immature rhetoric, Jason fires again at his feet. Another high-pitched scream sends Nightwing rolling on the floor.

 

“Bye, Felicia!” Jason merrily waves as the dealer accidentally does a little ditty of a dance while stumbling outside like a frazzled squirrel. Jason unclips his communicator.

 

“You still there?”

 

“I’m still here alright, that was hilarious!”

 

“He was talking some mad shit. The best part is, he’s not wrong! HA! No, but for real, I forgot to mention the part about loving my friend like, more than a friend.”

 

“The mad shit is funny because this dealer is a buffoon. The part about you and your friend, I already picked up on that, and it’s definitely a good thing. You need that.”

 

“If he was talking trash to my younger self, I’d be pissed.”

 

“Same. I’d be more protective right now.”

 

“I appreciate that.”

 

Outside, the disgruntled junkie is still griping.

 

“You know that church is haunted, manI I don’t need to go to jail again, man!”

 

Jason gleams, admiring the stained glass, the pulpit, the pews, the empty but clean baptistery. Apart from the mess near the backdoor, it’s all exactly as he remembers it, but less run down.

 

“I’m home. Oh man, does this mean I can finally clean this place up? Make it nice inside? Repair everything?”

 

“Sounds like you’re having a pretty positive, spiritual experience right now. I gotta go but I’m gonna see if I can pull some strings and get us into Devil May Cry.”

 

“Really?! That’s good cause otherwise, I was gonna sleep by the door.”

 

“No need for that. I know the Devil Hunter. I’m sure we can work something out. I’ll talk to you soon!”