Meeting Jason Todd Chapter 1, a batman fanfic

Guys this is Jason so it does have swearing in it. I tried to keep it at a minimum though.

(Authors Note)

Ok so I really wanted to do this because I really like Jason, so comment what you think :)

Chapter 1

1st Person- Bruce

Tonight is routine, just a patrol around Gotham. It's still a sour note sometimes when I expect to hear a smart aleck comment from behind after I take someone down but one never comes. Robin is gone, I just have to deal with it, the only miscalculation was that I didn't want Dick gone too. I miss him, without him there is no longer light, no colour, only the black of the night. I've talked to him briefly but in the end it's not the same as having him around full time.

I grapple around the streets looking for crime, strategically leaving crime alley until last since I parked the Bat-Mobile there. I hate that part of town but it also made me who I am now. I take down a rapist and a few more criminals around the city but the night is soon drawing to a close. All of the more dangerous criminals are in Arkham, I have no doubt they will find a way to escape since the place seems to be a revolving door but for now they are staying put. I grapple my way over the rooftops, trying to prolong my trip back to the car. It's getting colder, the nights longer as winter slowly comes into play. When I finally grapple down something odd is going on, the car seems to be on an angle tilted forward, that's strange. I walk over and kneel down to examine the front of my car and I am stunned when I see my front tyres are gone.

I do something I know I haven't done in while, I smile. I actually smile at this ridiculous but serious situation and I shake my head. It feels unnatural to me but it feels good, I'm impressed, curious as to who did this, it takes real balls to take anything from me. This car clearly belongs to Batman.

Then my keen ears hear someone approaching so I soundlessly retreat to the shadows and wait for whoever it is that approaches. It's a child with a tyre iron, maybe eleven years old, he looks thin and small. He reminds me of Dick, same hair and eye colour. His clothing suggests he's worn it for a while judging by the tares and holes in his jeans, black jumper and sneakers and just the general look of his clothing being worn out, probably due to insufficient funds to buy more. If he's going to survive the harsh winter then something has to change for him, other wise the cold will eventually get to him, if he doesn't die of starvation before that, judging by how thin he is, he hasn't eaten in a while.

I effortlessly sneak up behind him as he begins to kneel down to steal my other tyres.

"Come back for the rest did you kid? If only I hadn't decided to stop patrolling, should I leave and come back later?" He gasps and quickly turns to look at me, clear fear in his eyes. He gulps but visibly takes hold of his fear.

"It wasn't me I swear! Could of been anyone, this is crime alley," he sneers at me but I can hear his voice shake slightly.

"Oh sure, everyone carries tyre irons these days, it's wallet, phone, um keys, what am I, missing, oh that's right, my tyre iron!" I growl sarcastically and cross my arms.

"Yeah it has it's uses." He says and smiles then hits me in the stomach before I can prevent it. My hand goes to my stomach and I'm once again grateful that the Kevlar takes most of the blow. That little pest is quick, oh I'm going to get him!

"Come on Batman, the corpse of my grandpa would of caught me by now, move it or loose me Fatman!" He's already running off and I follow him. He runs ahead into another alley and I grapple up upon rooftops following him from above so he will be unable to see me, hopefully my actions will encourage him to put his guard down. My theory is proved correct when he looks behind and when he can't see me he slows to a jogging pace. He goes into an old building that I doubt is even safe anymore and I follow him silently after a few seconds.

He turns through hallways and eventually walks into a filthy apartment. One would think this type of place would be uninhabitable to live in but few furniture here and there begs to differ. The roof and walls are cracked and have holes in places of various sizes, and the floor isn't much better with the various insects currently inhabiting the floor, disgusting. He retreats into another room but I don't follow just yet. I make a note of the small kitchen, various dirty dishes piled up to the point of rotting food and disgusting smells, the small lounge room has a worn and torn couch but that's about it and the bathroom is just as filthy with a broken toilet seat and grime everywhere. It would be irresponsible to leave him here, I will take him to a boarding school or a foster home where he will be safe and hopefully get taken care of.

I open his door to see him sitting next to one of my tyres on his bed, leaning against the wall smoking. He seems startled by my presence at first. I walk up to him and grab the cigarette from his hand and grab the packet as well. I put it out and crush them all with my hands and throw them out the window. He looks up at me angrily and glares.

"Just take your tyres and get the hell out of here!"

"Don't smoke, it hurts rather then helps and speaking of help your going to get up and help me, now." My tone is one of finality.

"Yeah sure, would you also like me to wipe your ass?" He crosses his arms and glares back at me. I pull him up.

"Don't swear, now get moving," I say calmly and he walks ahead of me. He rolls one of the tyres out the door, it's size proving to be difficult for him and I pick the other one up, at least it's just these two.

"So what, I'm guessing you'll take me to the police now huh? Typical though, just like all the other criminals. You know you make it hard when I'm just trying to live." His tone is one of bitterness and defeat.

"No, I'm not turning you in, your just a kid, but I am taking you somewhere."

"I am not going to any foster home, no way in hell, I'd rather live on the streets."

"How about a boarding school? They could help you." I ask and he considers it.

"I don't know Batman, I don't like the idea."

"Well sadly for you, you don't have a choice. You can escape, by all means please, I haven't ran in a while and it will be fun catching you but ultimately that's the reality, I will catch you. How long do you think you can survive the winter for? No, it would be irresponsible of me to do that."

"Yeah well, I didn't ask for your help, Jason Peter Todd looks after himself, always has always will."

"Jason huh? Ok then." He secures the tyre back onto the Bat-Mobile and then I follow with the other side. "Now, what to do with you."

His expression turns worried.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I can't put you in a hotel, the only ones that will take you are dodgy at best, not safe, I'll take you to a friends place."

"How about you just leave me alone and I go back to where I was."

"You don't have a choice."

"I'm not going to some place with people I don't even bloody know."

"Would you rather I take you to commissioner Gordon?"

"No." he says in defeat.

"Ok, I'll take you to Barbra, she will help you then she will take you to boarding school, not negotiable Jason."

"I didn't ask for your help." I kneel down to his level and put a hand on his shoulder,he flinches slightly but doesn't pull away.

"Jason, the way things are for you, your not going to last the winter kiddo, you need help, and if you won't go to a foster home or something then this is my only other option."

"Everything's falling apart, my mother just over dosed, my fathers gone, I've never been so alone." He seems so lonely and scared and all I want to do is hug him, he's just a scared kid that Gotham took a hold of like it always does and turned him to criminal activity, but I should refrain from doing so, I don't know this child, I have to remind myself that he is not Dick but a scared, angry abused child. Tears go down his face, and I act impulsively. I grab him and wrap my arms around him before he can resist. To my surprise he doesn't resist he just stands there and eventually I pull away, but not before slipping a tracking device on him.

"If you try this for me and it doesn't work out I promise you I'll find someone to adopt you myself, someone who will look after you really well, there will be no need for orphanages or anything like that and you could stay with them for however long you want, but you have to give it a real try ok?" I mean every word that I say and as a last resort, if I exhausted all efforts to find him somewhere I will adopt him myself but that will be a last resort due to my nightly activities.

"Ok, I promise to give boarding school a go."

"Get in the car, I'm taking you to Barbra's, you will like her."

"Let me just get a few things." I wait by the car as he goes back and grabs his belongings. Mostly just some posters, a cd collection and a stuffed bear.

He and I get in the car and I drive off.

"Are you cold?"

"Kinda."

"I'll put the heater on then."

We drive in silence and finally I get to her apartment building and I park in the nearby car park then turn to him.

"She doesn't know your coming, so stand at the door and I'll do all the talking, ok?"

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." He says to me angrily.

"Just get your things," I reply and exit the vehicle.

We walk into her apartment building and I lead us to the elevator and push the button for the 5th floor in this 20 floor building. I'm lucky no one is around, but due to the early hour of the morning that is to be expected. He stays quiet, which I'm glad of and huffs every now and then.

"I'm sorry," I say to him and he looks at me in puzzlement.

"For what?" He's generally curious.

"You just had to leave your home behind, but I had to do it, you can't live in that place Jason and I'm sorry that your family have died, I'm just generally sorry." He looks away then when he turns back his face is angry.

"I didn't ask for your pity and quite frankly I was fine before you, just fine!" He yells and as soon as the door beeps he exits, walks forward a bit then stands there, obviously realising that he doesn't know where to go.

"This way." I lead him down a few hallways then I get him to stop, about 8 doors away from 307 and he stops as well.

"Stay here, I have to talk to Barbra alone."

"Whatever," he says aggressively and folds his arms.

I knock on the door and wait for her.

"Barbra it's batman, please open up, I need your help."

I hear things shifting inside and then footsteps, then finally she unchained a lock and opens the door. A young woman a few years older then Dick (who's 18) with brown hair has a face of concern that searches me for injuries.

"What's happened, what's going on? Are you hurt?"

"No, I need you to take Jason."

"Need ...what ...who?"

"Look just listen, just take him for the night, he's just a kid Barbra, and where he's living isn't fit for him, he has no one, just for tonight, and then take him to West Lane Boarding School, please." I beg her silently, hoping.

She's silent for a minute and I watch her expressions carefully as they go from stunned, to confusion, to anger and finally defeat. She can't turn a child away.

"Batman you owe me big and I mean Lamborghini big," she snaps .

"Understood, Jason come here please."

He walks slowly and looks up at Barbra who gives him a friendly smile.

"I didn't ask the giant idiot to do any of this." He says and glares at me.

"Well I wasn't going to leave you in a condemned building, I'll send someone to check you in a week and if your not happy you can live with me as agreed ok," I say and turn to her. "You know whatever you give him I'll give you the money for, in fact here get him some new clothes," I say and hand her money from my utility belt, "just look after him." I say and I leave. I have arrangements to make very soon.

XXX

1st Person Jason

I walk back to the Bat-Mobile slowly, because honestly I'm exhausted. I've had no food at all in ages and trying to get those tyres was taking it out of me. I couldn't believe my luck, the Bat-Mobile, those tyres are pretty sweet, must be worth a fortune. I walk to the back of the car and kneel down, ready to take the next tyre when there's a very deep voice behind me and I gasp and quickly turn around and as I've suspected it's Batman himself! I thought I would of been gone and done by the time he could get back, but I swallow my fear.

"Come back for the rest did you kid? If only I hadn't decided to stop patrolling, should I leave and come back later?" He looms over me but I manage to speak.

"It wasn't me I swear! Could of been anyone, this is crime alley," I sneer at him but I can unfortunately hear my voice shake slightly.

"Oh sure, everyone carries tyre irons these days, it's wallet, phone, um keys, what am I, missing, oh that's right, my tyre iron!" He growls sarcastically at me and he folds his arms, I smile, knowing what I'm about to do next.

"Yeah, it has it's uses," I say then I quickly hit him with the tyre iron in the stomach and yell back as I start to run. "Come on Batman, the corpse of my grandpa would of caught me by now, move it or loose me Fatman!" I know these alleyways like the back of my hand, there is no way he is going to catch up to me. I run through one and into the next then look behind, and confirm that he couldn't keep up. I slow a little, mostly out of exhaustion but I keep to a jog. I finally get to my building and run through the hallways to where I live and run to my room. I open a the packet of cigarettes from under my bed and light up, enjoying inhaling the smoke and I close my eyes. I lean against the wall and open my eyes again and a second later he's here. It startles me, I mean one second he's not there and another he is, he casts shadows around the room and its quite frightening how big he is, how much of the room he seems to take up.

He seems angry and without even hesitating he walks up to me and takes both my cigarette and my packet and I glare at him as he puts it out and crushes the packet and throws it out the window.

"Just take your Tyres and get the hell out of here!"

"Don't smoke, it hurts rather then helps and speaking of help your going to get up and help me, now." Yeah, right, in his dreams.

"Yeah sure, would you also like me to wipe your ass?" I ask him sarcastically, cross my arms and I glare at him. Suddenly his hand clamps down on my arm and he pulls me up before I can react.

"Don't swear, now get moving," He says to me and to be honest his voice is frightening so I walk ahead of him without turning back and grudgingly start rolling a tyre.

"So what, I'm guessing you'll take me to the police now huh?" I say to him in a tone of bitterness and defeat. "Typical though, just like all the other criminals. You know you make it hard when I'm just trying to live." He pauses and thinks.

"No, I'm not turning you in, your just a kid, but I am taking you somewhere."

"I am not going to any foster homes, no way in hell, I'd rather live on the streets." I say to him and shake my head. It's not happening, I'll run away, I don't care.

"How about a boarding school, they could help you." I think about it for a second.

"I don't know Batman, I don't like the idea."

"Yeah well, I didn't ask for your help, Jason Peter Todd looks after himself, always has always will." I say as I put his stupid tyre back on and tighten it.

"Jason huh? Ok then." He says to me and puts the other tyre back onto the other side of the care then walks back over to me. "Now, what to do with you." This shocks me and my heart skips a beat, is he going to hurt me or possibly worse? It's not the first time I've suffered abuse and honestly it's my word against his.

"What do you mean?" I ask suspiciously.

"Well I can't put you in a hotel, the only ones that will take you are dodgy at best, not safe, I'll take you to a friends place."

"How about you just leave me alone and I go back to where I was." I can take care of myself, I don't need your help.

"You don't have a choice."

"I'm not going to some place with people I don't even bloody know." I say to him firmly.

"Would you rather I take you to commissioner Gordon?"

"No." I say in defeat and put my head down.

"Ok, I'll take you to Barbra, she will help you then she will take you to boarding school, not negotiable Jason."

"I didn't ask for your help." I spit at him and to my complete surprise he kneels down and puts a hand on my shoulder, I flinch, expecting a blow but relax when I realise what he's doing. It's been a while since someone has touched me that hasn't resorted in bruises all over my body and I nearly start crying, it's been lonely and the contact isn't unwelcome.

"Jason, the way things are for you, your not going to last the winter kiddo, you need help, and if you won't go to a foster home or something then this is my only other option." I crumble, I just can't take it.

"Everything's falling apart, my mother just over dosed, my fathers gone, I've never been so alone." I try to will myself to not cry, I mean this is batman, he's going to think I'm pathetic and he might even hurt me but I can't, the tears come and I look down. Suddenly my face is in the Kevlar and his arms are around me, at first I'm so shocked I do nothing. But in the end it's nice, strange but nice and I don't resist but eventually he pulls away.

"If you try this for me and it doesn't work out I promise you I'll find someone to adopt you myself, someone who will look after you really well, there will be no need for orphanages or anything like that and you could stay with them for however long you want, but you have to give it a real try ok?" He seems so sincere, and I want to believe he means every word, that he cares, but everyone I know and love is gone, so how could a complete stranger care about me when my parents didn't?

"Ok, I promise to give boarding school a go." I say to him, I might as well try it, I can always run away later.

"Get in the car, I'm taking you to Barbra's, you will like her."

"Let me just get a few things." I say and run off toward my condemned building. I grab what little I have, poster, CDs and a stuffed bear, I get in and he follows.

"Are you cold?"

"Kinda." I admit to him. My clothing has holes and no matter how hard I try I always end up cold at night.

"I'll put the heater on then." I nod at him gratefully.

I wonder why I just chose to do this? Probably because I didn't have a choice. I wonder what this Barbra's place is going to be like and what the boarding school will be like. I hope I get a chance to get new clothes, I hate these ones. Who's going to pay for all this? The Bat? Boy he really is whacko, but I wonder who's behind the mask. I glance at him but his eyes are on the road and he's silent. It will be nice not being in that lousy building for once, I'm sick of all the cockroaches and bugs.

We finally get there and he parks and turns to me.

"She doesn't know your coming, so stand at the door and I'll do all the talking, ok?" Oh sure, great plan Bat!

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." I say to him angrily, I mean, what if she doesn't even want me here, she doesn't even know me.

"Just get your things," he says to me and I grab everything.

We walk into the apartment building and I follow him to the elevator. I huff every now and then angrily and he says something that startles me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry," he says to me and look at him in total puzzlement.

"For what?" I ask curiously.

"You just had to leave your home behind, but I had to do it, you can't live in that place Jason and I'm sorry that your family have died, I'm just generally sorry." I look away from him and grind my teeth. I don't want his stupid pity, I was fine without him, he can just piss off. I turn back to him and glare.

"I didn't ask for your pity and quite frankly I was fine before you, just fine!" I yell at him and as soon as the doors open I march out and keep walking until I realise I don't know where this person lives so I just face forward and I don't look at him.

"This way." He says and I grudgingly follow him down a few hallways then he stops suddenly.

"Stay here, I have to talk to Babs alone."

"Whatever," I say aggressively and I fold my arms around my things. I tap my foot as he knocks on the door and calls to her.

"Barbra it's batman, please open up, I need your help." I don't bother to listen to the rest, I hum a tune I know and eventually he calls me over.

"Jason come here please." Is all I catch and I walk over slowly and look up at a brunette with a big smile.

"I didn't ask the giant idiot to do any of this." I say and glare at the Bat.

"Well I wasn't going to leave you in a condemned building, I'll send someone to check up on you in a week and if your not happy you can live with someone else as agreed ok," He says to me then turns to her. "You know whatever you give him I'll give you the money for, in fact here get him some new clothes, just look after him." He gives her some money then leaves.

"Come in, I'm Barbra, if there's anything you need just tell me ok." I follow her into her apartment and look around. A large lounge room with a couch and two arm chairs facing a tv, an arch leads to the kitchen where a door would be and there's three other closed doors. She seems cheery and nice enough, then again I've been fooled before.

"Sit on the couch and I'll make you dinner." I sit and put my things on the floor.

"Can I have a shower please?" She goes away from the kitchen and grabs a towel and some male clothes that will be huge on me from one of the rooms then closes the door and opens another and pushes the door open for me. She hands me the towel and clothes and smiles.

"Thanks." I mutter and go in and shut the door. I haven't had a shower in a while so it's nice as I undress pull the curtains shut and turn on the water, so much better. I get warmer very quickly then end up sitting down in it and washing all the grime and everything off. I put the huge shirt she gave me on and boxers she gave me and I walk out.

"Give me your clothes and I'll put them in the wash," she says and I silently hand them to her and she goes away and comes back.

"Dinners ready, you look like you haven't eaten in a while, just don't eat to much or you will be sick." She hands me a bowel of steaming tinned spaghetti and a fork and I sit on the couch that now has blankets and a pillow on it and she sits on one of the arm chairs. I eat hungrily because this is the first thing Ive had in a while, I slurp it up but after a bit she takes it away and I look at her.

"I'm sorry, but if you eat much more you will be sick, we have to ease you back into eating, little bits. I know it sucks but you have to trust me ok, and I promise that if I have anything to do with it you will never go hungry again." I nod at her and lay down and get under the blankets, just grateful that I'm warm.

"Thanks." I say and close my eyes and she turns the light out, it's nice to have company, even for a short time. So far she hasn't layed a hand on me so I think I'm ok to sleep now, I'm a light sleeper anyway, so if anything happens I'll be out the door quickly enough.

I'm lucky I don't dream because usually they are plagued with nightmares but now I'm just to tired to dream.