A/N: Just a little snippet of Jason's origin story borrowing heavily from the comic version pre 52, some of the dialogue is taken from that. This is set before Misunderstandings, clichés and feuding billionaires and is in that au although it's not really that au yet This just sets the scene and is pretty much what happens in the comic. May continue it or may leave it as a one shot. Tell me what you think.
Unbelievable
"Unbelievable", Batman had returned to where he had stashed the car to find the bat mobile missing three tires. Some lowlife had actually had the balls to take his tires. His first reaction was anger and indignation that someone would dare do this to him. However this was closely followed by an overwhelming sense of hilarity, for the first time the Batman laughed in crime alley, not a sardonic chuckle or wry twist of his lips but an actual laugh. After composing himself Batman bent to assess the damage done to the car, preparing to call it in to Alfred. He heard footsteps approaching, the thief returning to finish the job he supposed.
He stood to his full height an imposing figure cloaked halfway in shadow; he was caught off guard however when the returning thief carrying the tire iron loosely at his side was not some villains goon acting on a bet or one of his usual bust getting cocky. The tire thief was a kid, a scrawny one at that. He couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve at the most. Expecting a shriek or at the very least some attempt to deny his involvement, Batman was again temporarily stumped when the kid just turned tail and ran.
"Oops", that was all Jason got out before he spun around and ran away as fast as he could. No way was he letting the bat drag him off to juvie. He still had the other three tires so it wasn't such a big loss to lose out on the fourth. He heard the bat following him but he ducked into different alleyways and cut through an abandoned building to throw him off. When he finally neared his own building he looked back over his shoulder to ensure he had indeed lost Batman, he had and so he climbed the fire escape to his apartment. He had found it a little over six months ago and although it was still freezing at night and had damp on some of the walls it was a vast improvement from sleeping on cardboard in trash filled alleyways. He had a mattress to sleep on which he had found in the alley outside the building and there were only a few other squattersin whole place and none of them ever bothered him so he was pretty happy with his current situation. Not to mention the three bat car tires now stacked by his mattress waiting to be sold on so Jason could by some real food for a change and maybe a coat since it was starting to get even colder now November had come around. He thumped down on his bed and pulled out the crumpled carton of cigarettes, lighting up one and inhaling deeply he closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation. "You live here kid?" Jason jumped dropping his cigarette and burning a hole in his mattress, he put out the glowing embers with his hands before anymore damage could be done. He tried to keep his voice from wavering, he really didn't want the bat to know how close he actually was to pissing himself right at this minute with the guy's creepy white eyes staring at him as he leaned up against the doorway into his room as casual as if he visited the squats of preteen homeless kids every day. "Yeah. What's it to you?" good he thought, his voice sounded strong a little belligerent even.
Batman looked around the hovel the kid was apparently living in; he took in the moulding walls, the bare stained mattress with one ratty blanket on it, and the poster partially covering a crack in the wall. He looked back to the obviously scared kid, God he looked so much like Dick at that age, only angrier with harder eyes and a defiant tilt to his chin daring the older man to malign his living space. "Where are your parents son?" the boy shrugged crossing his arms.
"Dead." Was all the reply he got, he prodded a bit more his stomach flipping a little as it had a few years before when an eight year old boy had watched his parents fall to their death. "Who looks after you then?", as if it wasn't obvious to anyone that no one had looked after this boy in a very long time. The kid seemed to flair to life in that minute jumping forward a little indignation written on his thin face. "Jason Todd takes care of himself!" he almost laughed as the boy – Jason Todd – answered his next question before he had even asked it. He could tell Jason was mentally cursing himself for revealing this as his face fell after making the statement. They stood and stared at each other in silence for a while before Batman broke it. "You hungry kid?" the boy shook his head but the rumbling of his stomach at the mention of hunger answered more truthfully. The batman chuckled lowly causing heat to rise to Jason's face. "I'll tell you what 'Jason Todd' you come with me and put those tires that you stole back on my car and I'll make sure you eat tonight."
The boy considered this then sensing that he would end up putting to the tires back whether he agreed to or not he sighed and picked them up, looping one on each arm and holding the third with his free hands. Sure, they were heavy but he wasn't making three trips there and back with the Bat looming over him.
Jason finished screwing the last tyre on and stood looking up at the Batman. "So is this the part where you drag me to the police and I get put in juvie?" he was surprised when the dark figure shook his head.
"No Jason, I think I know exactly where to take you. After I find us a place to get some dinner." Two chilli dogs and a ride in the freaking bat car later Jason was stood on the doorstep of Ma Gunn's school for boys with Batman by his side. It rankled him to be forced into this situation; he didn't want to live at this place which was obviously an orphanage despite its name. He wasn't little orphan Annie he was Jason Peter Todd and he could take care of himself fuck you very much. But, if the Bat was ok leaving him here it must be a good place, right?
So as it turned out, Batman's judgement? Not so good. Ma Gunn was apparently a criminal and trained the young boys in her care to follow in her path. Jason had run away at the first talk of a heist he didn't want to learn to be a criminal he just did what it took to survive. Batman had found him again, of course he would. He didn't believe him at first but he went to the museum and caught her and the boys in the act. And Jason had helped, he had actually helped Batman, and what would his dad say if he was still here he thought. Nothing good probably. The night ended with him taking another ride in the Bat car.
"Y'know if you turn me over to the social workers the chances of someone my age gettin' a decent home is pretty slim." Said Jason, trying to persuade the man to just drop him on a corner somewhere.
"Don't bet on it...Robin."
"Robin?" Jason didn't even try to hide his grin, "Robin".