It was raining, the rooftops of Gotham were covered in the sleek slush of rain changing to snow. As a shadowy figured moved across from one roof to the next, slipping and stumbling. The figured slipped, not from the rainy mixture but from exhaustion and the gashes on his torso. It was with his last bit of will power that he made it to his destination and slipped into the apartment building of one Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne.
Tim luckily was out on patrol and wasn't due in for another couple of hours, so the figure known to some as the Red hood and to others Jason Todd, moved through out the place rummaging for bandages and other medical supplies. It had been a long and stressful night for the vigilante, what with his past coming up and out of nowhere and all. Jason hadn't been prepared and his back up plan when injured and out of steam? Well that's where Tim's place came into play. When you have a big bad villain on your back and you cant fall back to your own hide outs, and you need to lay low. Tim's place or for that matter any of the bats houses would be the perfect hide-out.
Jason knew where the all lived, he made sure of it just in case he needed to hide-out, and tonight Tim's place was the closest. Plus, if Tim knew he were here he would totally freak. Jason was a little sad to miss that part. Messing with the replacement was quickly becoming one of Jason's favorite past times. Though it was best to day dream about torturing the replacement later, right now he needed to focus on stitching the gashes on his chest and torso, and getting as much blood as possible over Tim's nice clean apartment so he could royal freak out when he get in from patrol.
Jay quickly settled down onto the bathroom toilet and gingerly lifted his shirt trying not to irritate the area in which the hired assassin had manged a lucky blow, okay a couple lucky blows. Even though he tired to be careful he still hissed out as dried blood cling-ed to his shirt as he lifted it up. Jason took in the three deep gashes that curved from his hip bone up to his chest...damn this wound was going to need more stitches then he thought. Doing this sober was going to be a bitch, and Jason highly doubted that the little princess of the house had any booze on hand.
With an over exaggerated sigh he quickly got to work on stitching the wounds and cleaning them out, Jason worked fast, but it was sloppy work at the best. It should hold him till he could make it out of Gotham to lay low for awhile till he figured out exactly how much the assassin knew about him and where he was staying. Jason held in a whimper as he started on the third gash, and that's when he heard it, the distinctive turn and click of the front door being opened.
To say Jason was startled was an understatement, he had been so focused on trying to make a good quality Alfred stitch that he had lost time and hearing the click of the door had made him jump. Different scenarios flew through his mind on a possible slip-out with out being detected or staying put and telling Tim to shut up and deal with him for another twenty minutes top or Jason will personally shut Tim up. The slip-out was quickly out of the picture as Jason heard Tim's quiet voice shake with concern as he called out a
"hello?...dick are you here? Are you injured?" Tim's small figured slipped into view of the soft hallway light and Jason put on his best smug face as he shuggered and waved.
"Sorry replacement, no dickie-bird here. Just needed some supplies and I don't figured you mind if I slipped in an burrowed some shit, figured you owed me that anyways." Jason winked at the stunned kid as he just stared at Jason like he was in some dream state and the one and only dead robin wasn't sitting in his bath room, getting blood into every nook and cranny. In fact the kid just stood there so perfectly still that gave Jason the creeps, and it wasn't long before he was snapping his fingers and waving his hand to get his attention.
Tim snapped to and anger, fear, and a million other emotions ran through his body before he quickly moved his hand to a batarang.
"Jason what do you want? And how-how did you get into my apartment?" Tim stayed still, and held steady on the batarang.
"Chill Kid im not here to start anything, believe it or not. Honestly just needed some supplies and I used the front door if you must know...Kon isn't the best password to use for arming your security locks." Jason looked so smug Tim thought Jason was probably born with that face.
" How do I know this isn't some kind of trap, that you aren't here to start something, like trying to kill me like you usually do?" Tim eyed the wounds seeping blood into Jason pants and Tim's freshly cleaned guest towels with annoyance.
Jason held up his hands in a mock surrender "Look kid, I know you don't trust me, and fuck im not asking for your trust give me twenty minutes and im out of here. Scouts honor."
Tim sighed and put the batarang back into his belt. "Fine but im stitching you the rest of the way up, because your doing of horrendous job of it."
"Please your teaching me, I'd rather bleed out then let my replacement sow me up." Jason huffed as he started to pull the the stitch through the last gash.
Tim placed his hand on top of Jason's, and was meet with glaring blue eyes, that narrowed dangerously into thin slits. Tim saw Jason's eyes up close for the first time and he was almost startled but the intentisty of them. The anger, the hate, and the most troubling all the bottled up pain.
"Jason, look my place my rules okay? Let me stitch you up. So with can get out of each others faces a lot faster." Tim grabbed the needle and thread from Jason and got to work.
Jason watched Tim stitch him up and noticed Tim's hands were tiny like girl tiny. Jason huffed and laughed inside his head at that, then he looked down at his own they were gross to say the least, the tips missing chunks and the finger nails were jagged, but I guess clawing your way out of own coffin wouldn't leave them looking the best. Jason hissed in pain as Tim pressed down with one of his bony fingers.
"Geez pretender im not a fan of you, and I know your not the biggest fan of me, but a little more gentle please?" Jason said without hiding the malice in his voice.
Tim nodded but poked again at the same spot certain he was feeling something inside the wound. "Sorry, but you must have a piece of glass or something inside this gash. Hold on one second."
Tim turned around and rummage through a small bag that sat atop of the toilet and pulled out a pair of tweezers. "Sorry in advanced but that's going to have to come out."
Jason nodded as Tim stretched the wound open and dug around until he pulled out a small chip.
Tim stared at the chip for half a second, before it came to life with a small beep. Jason stared in disbelief and let out a heavy sigh. "Great a tracking device this night keeps getting worse and worse."
Jason pushes Tim out of the way and pulls his shirt down and heads out to the front room of Tim's, ungodly clean apartment Jason notices, and grabs his helmet. Tim follows quick on Jason heels.
"Feel like telling me who put a tracking device on you?" Tim looks like a sassy girl with his hands on his hips, and this adorable little pout. Jason thinks for a split second he likes the look on the kid, but a bigger part reminds himself this kid replaced him.
With a non-nonchalant shrug Jason Puts his helmet on, and pulls out one of his hidden knives, "The league of assassins if you really want to know."
Tim freezes and it maybe his brain froze for a second Jason's not sure, but it clicks back into place just as fast. "the league! Like Ra's Al ghul!"
Jason gives a little laugh and nods, " Yup believe it or not I guess he decided his still pretty fucking pissed at me, so we better get a moving before his hired guns show up."
"what...we? Did you just say we?" Tim has that adorable pout on his face again, Jason thinks if he had the time he liked to see what other faces he could get the kid to make. Then again this kid damn well replaced him, like replaced him and was a better him then he was.
Jason reaches over and grabs the kids hand and he tugs impatiently so they can get the hell out of dodge. "Now come we don't have all day to chat, but I promise when this is over, ill take you out for dinner. Because no offense princess for being on good terms with Alfie you look like you need more food in ya."
Tim is like an elephant and doesn't budge even with Jason pulling with all his might. "Jason no offensive, but im not going with you. You don't trust me, I certainly don't trust you, and not to mention this is your mess not mine."
Jason hates to admit it the kid is right on one thing, Jason certainly doesn't trust Tim, hell he barely knows him, the only times he has had contact with the kid is when he had a knife to his throat, and Jason isn't certain but his sure he can still see a scar across his neck, the other time was when he went to titan tower to see him. However Jason cant leave the kid here to get killed by the league, he doesn't think Ra's has beef with the kid or anything, but Jason knows the killers after him wont really care about that.
"Sorry kid your safest with me right now, even if I have to carry you out your coming with me."
Tim starts to protest again when a small alarm starts to beep in Tim's apartment, and the door handle starts to jiggle. Tim and Jason don't even have to look at each other, there heading for Tim's patio in record speed...and as the both jump for the next rooftop they try there best to ignore arrows flying past them.
They deck and roll in unison onto the rooftop, and Jason is grabbing Tim's hand like they have always been partners and its Jason's repsonspeability to protect him. Tim for what its worth goes along with it and oddly enough lets Jason guide them as the run from roof top to roof top, Tim try to steal glances back at how many assassin are after them and from what he can tell there is only the one. Tim's free hand looms over his distress button but after a moment he decides Jason doesn't want the other bats help, plus after Dick choosing Damian over him, Tim has to admit he loves the thrill of hanging with the notorious Jason Todd even if it ends up getting him killed.
Jason stops quickly, and flings Tim behind him, He just as quickly and flawlessly pulls out his gun and shoots the assassin right when the ninja was on top of them. He falls with a thud and Tim's starting to think his gotten himself in way over his head.
Blood is falling freely from the head shot Jason delivered to the fallen assassin, Tim's pretty sure if he could see Jason's face he'd have the biggest grin upon his face. Tim is just staring in disbelief. Its like his mind and body cant both click in to place at the same time, his fist are shaking, what would Bruce think if he knew Tim didn't stop this? He let this assassin get killed?
Jason throws a hand on top of Tim's shoulder and throws his head back with a hearty laugh, "C'mon princess its not the first dead body you seen, and trust me there is more were this scum came from."
Tim pushes Jason's hand off his shoulder and turns to face him, grabbing Jason by the front of his jacket, "Listen Hood, I'm done, this is as far as I go with you! You just killed someone! I'm done im going to the bat cave! You'd be wise to do the same or at least get out of Gotham before the league kills you."
Tim is turning around and ready to sling over to the next roof top when Jason's words stop him cold. "Fine see ya around Robin." Tim lets out a sad little laugh, and sighs, Jason doesn't know. Its ironic really Tim's been replaced, and Jason the one he replaced has no clue.
Tim shakes his head and whispers, "I'm not Robin anymore."
Jason leans forward and puts a hand up to where his ear would be if his helmet wasn't in the way. "Sorry but I could've sworn you just said your not Robin anymore.
Tim just nods, holding back tears. If Jason thought he was having a shitty night, Tim's night is also going pretty shitty.
Jason is laughing! Like side splitting laughing, holding himself up on the ledge of the building. " Oh you got to be shitting me! Ol' dickie bird choose the brat over you? Now that's just classic."
Tim wants to hit Jason, to pound that smug look off his face, because Tim is nothing without Robin, nothing without Bruce, his nothing without Kon, and Tim thought the only thing keeping him going was Dick, but know he doesn't know. To top it all off the only person he can talk to tonight apparently is the emotionless Jason Todd.
"Thanks for the support Jay, I thought you of all people would understand seeing as how I replaced you." Tim says that with a nastiness that surprises himself.
Jason stops, and Tim is pretty sure his doing his death glare behind that helmet. "Look kid, I died and then you replaced me, Your not even died and Ol Dick replaced you. So excuse me if I would like to find a little humor in my otherwise boring, and pointless existence." Jason reaches for Tim's hand, and its strange how Tim is already finding it oddly comforting. "Now lets move please before the rest of the league shows up, I don't really feel like dying again."
Tim lets Jason lead the way, "Jason, maybe im being a little out of line here, but do you want me to go with you? I mean I could go my separate way right now, and we could never see each other again. After all there after you and not me, so why keep pulling me with you?"
Jason grabs the kid and pulls him close to his side and holds tight as the grappling line takes them across Gotham, "I don't know you look lost, I guess. Plus you know how long its been since the last time I had company? Figure if im gonna die again tonight, id rather not die alone again."
Tim nods, "Jason your not going to die again, I promise." Jason guides them down to a sewer hole on the streets and lifts up the manhole, "Well kid, we can split here if you want, this sewer line should lead me or us out of Gotham, I mean you gotta admit if you disappeared for a couple days that freak Dick head out look no other, it would really stick it to him." Jason is offering his hand out to Tim as he starts to lower himself into the sewer line. "C'mon pretender come with me, I'll never replace you I can promise you that, and trust me when I say that, for once in your life do something rash, I have a feeling you've never done something for yourself just what your parents wanted you to do, what Bruce wanted you to do, or whatever Dick wanted you to do. This is completely your choice stay in Gotham were you been replaced or come with me and live a little?"
Tim stands in the middle of an alley way staring down the barrel of a gun that isn't pointed at him, if he stays Jay is right, Robin has been taken from him, Kon is gone, Bruce is gone, Dick has Damian to worry about now, so what does Tim have to loose? His reputation at being the perfect son, Bruce prefect little solider, Dicks perfect little brother, he was the one Robin that never did anything rash, and you know what tonight for once in his life he wants to be rash, even if he ends up regretting it. So he does the one single handily most crazy thing his ever done, he takes Jason's hand and follows him down into the sewer and away from there home.