The Titanic AU based on a post I made on tumblr! There will be period appropriate homophobia as it is a JayDick fan fiction.
The Southhampton docks was bustling with activity and voices. The day was bright and the people around seemed to be filled with energy and excitement. And why would they not be? After all they were all about to set sail on the largest ship in the world. The RMS Titanic was prepared to set sail on her maiden voyage. The ship was luxurious as it was huge. Measuring 269 meters in length and over 150 feet in height. She was huge, beautiful and unsinkable.
A nine year old boy stood in the middle of the docks, staring up at the ship in stony silence. He pid no attention to the people moving around him, his eyes focused on the ship that would take him from his home in London and force him to live somewhere else. Somewhere unknown. He hated the unknown. He hated feeling so lost and uncertain when he was accustomed to being assured.
"I do not want to go." He spoke up, for what was probably the tenth time. He didn't care though. It was as true now as it was three hours ago. Damian Wayne had never been one to hide his disdain.
"I know," The voice beside him replied softly. "Neither do I." Damian turned his head so he could properly see the young man beside him. His father's ward had been a constant in his life since he was four and he had been unceremoniously dropped on his father's doorstep by his mother. Damian had few memories of his own mother. She had left when he was very young, leaving Damian with his father and returning to her own home in lands far away. Damian's father, Bruce had already taken in a child by this time. A twelve year old boy with a complexion as dark as Damian's own and eyes as blue as the morning sky. He looked troubled now. Almost frightened by the sheer size of the ship before them.
Bruce Wayne had taken Richard in after his parents were killed when he was very young. Six or so. Bruce had raise him as his very own and when Damian came along, he looked to the older boy as his older brother, blood or not. Bruce was a very wealthy young man, having inherited his family's wealth after his own parents had lost their lives in a robbery. Bruce fueled the pain from losing them to help those in need. Thomas Wayne had been a doctor who catered to those in need and Bruce channeled that in the the law. There were many who could not afford a lawyer of the Wayne signature and Bruce reached out to them and gained a reputation as a cut throat but fair lawyer who cared more for the victim than the money. He came to claim the moniker of Bruce 'The Bat' Wayne. Bats struck fear in the hearts of men when darkness fell and Bruce used it to instill fear in those who hurt others.
"Boys," A voice suddenly spoke up, startling Damian who turned his head towards the man, eyes narrowing slightly. "I trust you're both prepared?" Dick did not turn to face him, still gazing up at the ship.
"We are." Dick murmured for Damian who continued to scowl. Thomas Wayne Jr. had Bruce's face and build but none of his warmth. Same cheekbones and strong jaw, same dark hair and thin lips. His nose was a bit thinner and his eyes a shade lighter than Bruce's, but it was no doubt that they were brothers. He looked away from the two boys to gaze at the Titanic.
"The finest ship in the world," Thomas mused, hands on hips as he came to stand next to Dick and gaze up at the ship. "It's larger than I had imagined." His voice was a low rumble that never managed to sound like Bruce's. Dick seemed unimpressed.
"I don't see what the fuss is all about," Dick looked away from the ship to fix Thomas with a curious stare. "It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania." Damian looked from Dick to Thomas who sighed with a little smile. He shook his head, brows pulling together.
"You can be blasé about somethings Richard, but not the Titanic. You are far too difficult to impress." He looked away from the ship to fix the two boys with a long stare. "Shall we?" He motioned his hand towards the crowd.
"In a moment," Dick once again spoke up for Damian. "I'd like to look for a bit longer." Thomas nodded at this, tipping his hat towards Dick and offering him a small smile that Damian never understood.
"Very well, Richard. I will see you on the ship. Nephew, stick with Richard." Damian stared silently after his uncle as he vanished into the crowd of people, no doubt to find his own group.
It still hurt to really look at the man. Too many memories. Bruce Wayne had been killed by one of the criminals he had put away. Joseph Carr had managed to escape his prison and confronted Bruce at his firm. This had left Damian without a father and Richard without the man who had raised him. Until Bruce's younger brother had returned. Thomas Wayne Jr had spent his youth abroad, never interested in the family. He had been to Paris and Egypt and even to India. He had returned right after Bruce's funeral and had gone so far as to dismiss the family butler, Alfred. It had been a bitter few weeks. Bruce was gone and this man with his face was taking away everything Damian and Dick held dear. Alfred had been like a grandfather to them and it had broken the old man's heart to have to leave them. It only made sense that Thomas would wish to take even more it was a man who traveled. Now his interests lay in traveling even farther than he had before. America held promise. America was unknown.
"You will not leave me?" Damian suddenly spoke up and Dick looked away from the Titanic to smile at his brother. His eyes were bluer than the sky and in that moment Damian adored him more than anything in the world.
"Never." Dick replied softly. Damian reached out for Dick's hand and clung to it, feeling better when Dick squeezed it reassuringly. They stood there for a long while and stared at the ship before them, both lost to the unknown it presented.
Playing poker was a form of art if you asked Jason Peter Todd. It took patience, cunning and confidence with each hand. With each fold of a card, the player was painting their picture as the winner or loser of the game. Jason Todd was an artist and he knew full well that this painting would not be forgotten. Today that art would be considered more of a war. The winner after all would be winning something far grander than a few coins or beer.
It was high morning on the 10th of April. The sky was blue and Jason Todd was ready to face the world. First he just had to win this damn poker game. He was facing off against three older men who seemed far more confident than Jason had felt. Three tickets sat in the middle of the table, ripe for the taking. The bar was loud and crowded and smelled of tobacco and old beer. It was a smell Jason had become accustomed to.
"I fold." One of the across next to him sullenly spoke up, showing his lousy deck. The young man next to Jason slowly lowered his own cards and once again, there was nothing. Jason but down any disappointment and looked to the graying older man across from them. The man scowled, showing his own hand of cards. Nothing for him either.
The two boys with Jason watched him carefully. Roy Harper was a smart mouthed twenty year old Irish man and Tim Drake was the little street urchin that had followed them since Jason had caught him trying to steal some food. Urchins needed to stick together after all. Tim was fifteen and still naive to how bad the world really was. He looked at the bright side of things and although it was endearing, Jason also found it dangerous. He was seventeen and saw the world for what it was dirty and filled with pain and ambition. The rich ate and the poor starved. That was how things were.
Jason grinned at the young man next to him, nudging his shoulder. "You gonna save our asses Harper?" He asked and Roy snorted, showing his deck that had nothing of merit.
"Nothing."
"Yeah." Roy muttered. They looked towards the final man who slowly smiled, dark brown eyes filled with excitement that had both Tim and Roy looking very nervous. The bar seemed to fall silent as they waited for him to show his cards. His two teammates leaned close. The man called Sven set down his cards and Roy breathed out a soft curse.
"Two pair." Jason muttered as Sven and his two friends shared quick grins, all assured they had won. Jason turned to his boys. His green eyes were saddened as if deeply troubled and Tim's stomach dropped.
"I'm sorry boys." Jason spoke up with a shake of his head and both Tim and Roy started in, dismayed.
"Todd, that was all our money!" Roy shouted, voice booming in the tavern and catching the critical eye of the barkeeper who was pouring a glass for an elderly man across from him.
"What will we do now?" Tim asked as Sven and his friends both kicked back in delight. Jason shook his head with a little sigh.
"We're not gonna be able to worry about that for awhile." He replied, looking from Roy to Tim. "Because we're going to America! Full House Boys!" He called out with glee, throwing his winning cards onto the scratched surface of the table for all witnesses to see. Roy was on his feet in an instant, fist high in the air as he called out, gaining the attention of all the patrons.
"We're going on the Titanic!" He crowed. "We're going to America!" He grabbed Tim by the scruff of the neck to hug him. Sven sank into his seat, his two friends heatedly arguing in a language Jason did not understand. He did understand however when one of them socked Sven in the face. Jason and Roy broke into laughter, watching as Tim quickly gathered their winnings.
"We're going to America!" Jason repeated in awe. He was going home.
"I'm afraid you're not likely to be going anywhere! You lads better hurry!" The barkeeper suddenly spoke up, causing the bar to fall quiet. He pointed to the clock behind him. "Titanic sets sail in five minutes!" There was a hush of silence.
"Shit!" Roy cursed, and all three of them scrambled for their items. Five minutes to get to the ship. They could do it. Jason saluted Sven and his fellow losers before racing after Tim and Roy.
"Run!" Tim cried out. There were people everywhere when they finally made it to the docks. Jason laughed out loud, high on glee of their winning. He ducked under the arm of a passing man, spinning out of the way of another. He could see Roy ahead, red hair flaming in the morning sun.
"We're living the highlife now boys!" Roy shouted over his shoulder. Jason passed by, legs pumping as he gripped his bag over his shoulder.
"We're damned royalty!" He corrected. They approached the ship, dodging by the various people, Roy reached for Tim to help pull him along. They approached the deck leading to the Titanic, stopping the man from sealing the door.
"We're passengers!" Jason called out as they made their way towards the entrance. "Don't go, we're passengers!" He held the tickets out to the man at man, breathing heavily. The man accepted them and nodded for them to enter. They ran like mad men, laughing and shouting as they raced by other guests of the Titanic. They reached the decks, the sun nearly blinding as they strode across the deck towards the railings. Roy was silent as he looked over the edge, but both Jason and Tim were excited and loud as they looked at all the people. They could see the little tavern they had been in not six minutes before.
"Goodbye!" Jason shouted to the crowd on the docks below. "We'll miss you!" Beside him, Tim waved gleefully, dark eyes bright. They continued to wave and shout, neither caring about anything and Roy watched them with a little smirk. The Titanic began to set out and Tim continued to wave at the crowd, laughing as he did so. Jason leaned back, watching the tavern as it began to shrink away. Beside him, Roy chuckled.
"We're the luckiest sons of bitches in the world." He muttered, voice nearly drowned out by the crowds. Jason nodded, eyes never leaving the shrinking tavern.
"Yeah. We really are."