A/N: This was a request by a very much appreciated acquaintance, Echoes 01. This was requested January 21st, and I'm so sorry it took this long to get out! I hope this is enjoyable to all readers, regardless :) To Echoes 01: This probably isn't what you had in mind, but I hope you like it!
This is set sometime after the events of Batman: Under the Red Hood. Jason's still a "bad guy", whatever that means ;) He hasn't met or fought Tim yet, and doesn't know Tim's name. He'll refer to Tim as Replacement while he doesn't know his name, and when Tim decides to tell Jason his name, Jason'll call him Little Bird, Babybird, and such of the like.
Prompt: "I would love to read anything involving the multiverse or time-travel."
Summary: Why? Why him? What has Jason done to piss off whatever higher power exists, and when did he do it? Why the hell is he here (wherever this is) with the Replacement, of all people!? This is some sick joke. Yup. That's exactly what this is. A really sick, twisted joke.
Enjoy and please tell me what you think guys! (There is going to be about one or two more installments to this, so do not fret :))
Holy Multiverse!
Jason sighed, looking up at the ceiling and leaning back in the metal chair. The bright fluorescents were hurting his eyes, but Jason is honestly tired of being in this situation. He's been good!
Four weeks! It's been four weeks since he's killed! Why is the universe trying to get back at him now?! What did he do, anyways?! All Jason does is kill off the parasites!
The universe sucks ass.
He firmly tried to ignore the fact that the Replacement was sitting across from him with his wrists secured to the clear, boring, table just like Jason's own, because Jason doesn't want to be here, much less be stuck here with this fucking kid. Sure, this would be the first time he meets his "superior" replacement, but Jason honestly finds no interest in getting to know the kid...
Or maybe he does, somewhere in him, but the Pit's just too close to the surface today and, really, the only thing keeping the kid alive is Jason's restraint (fine. Maybe the wrists secured thing helped too, but Jason will deny that to his dying breath).
The second thing Jason refuses to acknowledge?
That would be the, uh. The… The whole fact that he's not a he anymore, if you catch the drift.
So, they may have swapped genders at some point arriving here, but in his mind, Jason's still a he. No matter what he may look like, he'll always be Jason Peter Todd, son of blah, blah, blah, you get the point. When he was born they'd said "It's a boy!" and wrapped him in a blue blanket, thank-you very much.
(even though when he'd noticed his balls had migrated to his chest, Jason had most definitely—not—screamed out a foul string of profanities… Totally not.
(we won't speak of it))
Now, Replacement is a whole other thing. Jason's pretty sure that the kid's always been a she, despite the… appearance.
Matter-of-fact, this would be the first time Jason's ever really spoken to—slash—met the kid. So, hey, Jason's got a low pay-grade (lies) and the binoculars were fuzzy. Therefore, Replacement's always been a she.
Jason snickered to himself. He's not actually going to say that, but he can think it. Replacement, apparently, decided that he'd wake up then with a groan.
"Ooow. Why m'I so sore?" Eyes fluttering open, Jason watched as Replacement squinted at the fluorescens before blinking rapidly. When he re-opened his eyes—slower, Jason noticed—Replacement looked around the room. Jason waited patiently for Replacement to notice him, not saying a thing.
Replacement seemed annoyed as he noticed his bonds, testing them.
"Wouldn't do that," Jason remarked, leaning back in the chair and bouncing his knee. He would extend his right leg out, but s'kida hard to do that when your ankles are cuffed to the legs of your chair. And oooh, his voice is way too… feminine, for his liking.
Jason wants to cringe at the sound, but he decides against it. Not in front of Replacement, anyways.
Speaking of the kid, when Jason'd spoken, his head had snapped to look at Jason so fast he was almost worried the kid's neck would break.
Instead of asking the kid if he's okay and all that garbage, Jason snorts and says, "There's easier ways to kill yourself, y'know."
Replacement's mouth dropped open at the sight of Jason. The reason why could be because Jason's as dressed as Replacement is. As dressed, of course, in Jason's case, being in a crimson red sports bra for a top, and black cargo pants tucked into boots. As for his hair, Jason's is up in a tight ponytail—he thinks, because he doesn't feel it on his back—and Replacement's is loose on his head, cropped just below his ears.
Truthfully? Jason's not sure whether to be offended or not.
"What're you lookin' at? Look at yourself, pendejo!" He opts for offended.
Replacement blinked a few times before, slowly—oh so slowly—looking down at himse—herself. When he—she—did, Replacement let out a squeal of surprise. "Wh—what!?" Ohhh that shriek did not help her case. "How did this happen!?"
Jason is laughing so hard his entire body is shaking—he's not even going to deny it.
Replacement's head snapped back up to glare at him. "And who're you?"
"Who're you?"
The kid looks surprised, like he—she, god damnit, hadn't been expecting that answer. Narrowing her eyes at Jason's smirk, she repeated the question. "I asked first, so you answer, then I will. Who. Are. You?"
Chuckling to himself mentally, Jason mimicked Replacement. "I asked first, so you answer, then I will. Who. Are. You?" Jason added a head tilt as his smirk grew to a shit-eating grin.
Replacement growled and opened hi—her, mouth to say something, but h—sh—know what? Fuck it!—he was cut off by the door swinging open to reveal a very feminine-looking Nightwing and—
"Holy fuck! B?!"
Who else could that be in the dark blacks and greys of the Batsuit?
Replacement's voice was tentative when he asked, "'Wing? Dick? Is—is that you?"
Nightwing now looked completely confused, and Batman—woman?—frowned deeply. Like, when they'd walked in, Nightwing seemed so fucking happy, and B wasn't exactly scowling, but she—and wow if Jason doesn't get a kick out of calling Batman a she—hadn't been smiling either.
"Uh, Tess? Are you insulting me, or are you genuinely confused…?"
"They're not from here Rachel."
"Someone give the gal a gold star," Jason drawled. Shifting in the restraints, they tightened and he grimaced. "So can you let us outta here?" Ignoring the feminine voice. Not even going to pay it any mind. His voice is fine; there's nothing wrong with the way he sounds. Nope.
"No." There's a similarity. That damn tone of voice that always grates on Jason's nerves is ever-present in this B's voice, and Jason's getting that familiar feeling he does whenever he's around Bruce.
It's not a positive one.
"H-how come?" Jason glanced at Replacement and kinda feels bad for the kid. He must be so confused right now. "And… Whose Tess?"
"You, genius." Jason looked over at Rachel—Dick, on their world, or in their universe—whichever is right—with an arched brow. "I'm just wonderin' who that makes me."
Rachel finally seemed to notice him—to really notice him—as she paled. Her mouth opened into a small 'o' and she whispered, "It's not possible."
"What's not possible?"
B's lips twitched. Seeming to decide there's no harm in the truth—which is so not like Jason's B it's astounding—B folds her arms over her chest. "You're Joyce Penny Todd.
You're supposed to be dead."
Jason's decided on something.
The multiverse hates him.