The Equivalents

24. Confrontations.

A/N: *yawn* sorry about the two days with no updates. I graduated high school the other day and then went to a comic con the next day. I'm very tired and forgot to update. But I will today. So here you go!

Dick had just been trying to avoid Batman as of lately. Things between them weren't going too great. Dick knew that. So why would he pour fuel into the fire? He had bigger issues on his hands. He had to find his missing team. Steve had had it though with Batman and went to confront him.

"Bruce." He stated. "We need to talk."

"I'm busy." Batman kept walking.

"Not anymore." Steve stopped him. "What is going on with you and Dick? This was an accident, you're smart enough to know that. So why do you blame him?"

"I don't blame him." Batman said.

"Then what is going on!?!?!" Steve exclaimed. He felt like he was going crazy around these people.

"I blame myself." Bruce stated. "It was my fault. There was a pattern. Everywhere but Queens. I should've seen how obvious that was. I should've known. I should've prepared them. Dick has some blame in this. But it's my fault."

"So your anger towards yourself is coming out on Dick?" Steve asked.

"Yes." Bruce nodded. "I can't let anger and guilt get to me now. We have more important priorities."

"We do. But we can't do them if our team is at each others throats. If people can't work through their guilt and just blame it on someone else." Steve said. "We'll get Jason back. And Peter, and Bucky. We'll get them all back."

"I can't lose him again." Bruce mumbled. "I can't lose him and let it be my fault, again."

"What happened to him?" Steve asked.

"He went to the middle east. He found out his mother had gone there and he wanted to find her. It was a trap by the Joker. He tortured him. Broke him. I tried to get there in time, but I didn't. I was seconds late as I watched him be blown up." Bruce admitted. "He left because of me. He wanted his mother because I wasn't a good enough father. Because I was so focused on training my partner that I forgot to take care of my son."

Steve was speechless. How did you comfort someone with that kinda guilt? You couldn't. At least not with one or two words. But that's all Steve could think of.

"I'm sorry." Steve said.

"That's not even the worst part. When he came back, I should've learned from my mistakes. But I didn't. I still haven't." Bruce mumbled that last part. "I don't show emotion the way normal people do. I think you all realize that by now. But I can't lose him again. Especially not without apologizing. Letting him know I regret what I did."

"You won't lose him at all." Steve put his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "But for now, I think you need to have a talk with your other kids."

Bruce nodded.

"And maybe try going in as Bruce, and maybe not as Batman?" Steve suggested.

Bruce nodded again. "You're a good man. Thank you."

Steve smiled and left. Bruce went to the kitchen where he found Dick stress eating a bag of mini marshmallows. Tim and Cass were there too. Tim was trying to make more coffee and Cassandra was about to hit him over the head with the machine. If that was the only way he'd sleep, so be it.

"Dick?" Bruce asked. "I need to talk with you."

Dick frowned, but nodded and stood up to follow Bruce.

"Tim, Cassandra? You too." Bruce continued. The others stopped what they were doing and followed as well. Bruce took them to an empty room and closed the door.

"I'm sorry, Bruce. But I can't take another lect-" Dick was cut off by a hug.

"I need to apologize. It wasn't your fault." Bruce began. "It was mine. I was mad at myself, and I took it out on you."

"Bruce, this wasn't your fault either. It's those sick criminals." Dick stated. "They're the ones to blame. And they're the ones who are gonna pay when we find them."

"Yes." Bruce nodded. "But I needed to talk to you about this. And Tim and Cassandra? I'm sorry for indirectly taking this out on you as well."

"It's ok. We're all stressed out right now." Tim smiled.

Bruce pulled them in too and gave them all a group hug. "When we get Jason back, we need to have another talk. One where I can apologize for being too hard on all of you. You're not my soldiers, you're my family. And I need you to know that."

"It's ok, Bruce." Dick smiled. "We do know. We know you don't always show it, but we know. And if Jason doesn't know, we'll make sure he does. So let's find him."