Jason was exhausted, physically and mentally as the chopper droned on towards the docks, and quite honestly he was not looking forward to the long get away that had not at all been planned. Regardless, it was good to be out of prison, away from Arkham, and as odd as it really felt to admit it, he was damn glad to see Sasha.

He gently tugged off his helmet with one hand, let it drop to the compartment floor with a dull thunk, and pushed his too long strands away from his eyes. The sweat plastered his hair to his head and he would have given anything to have a bottle of water on hand because he was far past parched.

He glanced over to the girl at his right and managed a small smile when he saw how content and relaxed she looked despite the situation. He supposed the young and reckless bounced back relatively fast. He always had as Robin. He wasn't experienced with unconditional love, but it seemed very real from her end, and that was something he would always be grateful for, because he sure as hell didn't deserve it.

"We're going to ditch this hunk of metal on the basin docks. Fuel won't last long enough to make it more than twenty minutes outside of city limits and we're much too large of a target up in the air. Once on the ground we run, fast as we can, just follow my lead. We're not going to have much leeway. If Dick's not already on our tail he probably has the PD trailing us, or worse, has one of his damn friends waiting to take us down. Can't be too sure at this point."

The girl nodded briskly and adjusted herself in the seat.

"And then?"

"I have a safe house just outside the warehouse boundaries. Should have remained untouched in my absence as I don't slack in security. Reliable inconspicuous vehicle in a tamper proof garage, already crammed full of gear and supplies, and a fridge stocked with a case of water we'll toss in the backseat. Should be more than enough to get us out of the city, and once we can be sure that no one's on our trail we can think about where to set up shop for the time being, but no sooner." He frowned, clenching the controls tightly.

"Mmm." Sasha clenched her jaw but nodded in agreement all the same.

There would be no time for rest.

She was half out of her seat already when they touched down and Jason wasted no time. He grabbed her by the arm and dove out the door leaving the beast of a machine running. They took off across the pavement, sped through row after row of steel buildings, and even though her lungs felt ready to burst she kept trekking on.

They never looked back.

Jason learned well before they reached the safe house that Arkham, and then prison, had been detrimental. He had bulked up way too much, his stamina was shot, and his legs were screaming in protest. They hadn't let him out much, the track had rarely been open to him, and running such a distance after all that time was murder.

Secretly, he was relieved when they made it to the safe house with no interference, and as welcoming as the well-worn couch looked he didn't dare risk it. He tossed a too-large hoodie into Sasha's arms, and promptly discarded his 1-piece suit of recent in exchange for jeans that no longer fit in all the worst places, and a long sleeve shirt that protested at the broadness of his shoulders. He wrenched the leather jacket over his back and rummaged through the closet. With time constraints he couldn't be picky, and he settled for pulling his hair back with the nearest rubber band, and tossing a baseball cap over the rest. Sasha simply pulled the hoodie over her head and her goggles down. Disguises they were not but the change of wardrobe would serve its purpose.

Jason removed the case of water from the fridge, tossed one to the teen, and set off into the musty garage. He pitched the rest into the backseat of the car, and motioned for Sasha to follow suit, much to her displeasure. He saw the complaints coming before she opened her mouth and he sighed.

"Look, it will be safer. If someone goes for me you won't be caught in the crossfire and you'll have an escape path."

And to give the girl credit she didn't argue.

He started the car and it purred to life much to his satisfaction. Knowing the long trip ahead, he spared the few minutes to let it warm up, and spent the time disarming their exit. When he slipped into drive and pressed that button opening the door he put one hand on the wheel, the other on his gun, and floored it.

Admittedly, while he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly with a half assed last second plan, he also hadn't expected what was to come…

He was half way down the driveway when he was forced turn and skid abruptly to avoid slamming head on into an unforeseen obstacle.

Red Robin stood dead center, and Jason had to resist the urge to bust the window out and open fire. Had he not been so damn tired he might have chosen differently.

Before he could get his door open and get the inevitable fist fight underway he ended up all the more surprised.

Tim rushed the vehicle, and instead of going for him, he was at the opposite side, wrenching the passenger side door open.

And as he sat their gaping, rage lost on the tip of his tongue, Tim ripped the cowl from his head, ran a hand through his mussed hair, and turned to him.

"Drive."

Despite his better judgment, he complied, flooring it.

Only after they had made their way out of crime alley, out onto the highway where they could blend into normal traffic and speeds, and they crossed the first bridge did he take the time to truly register what had happened. Jason watched Tim out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but not understand in the slightest. The teen stared ahead, rigid as he gazed out the front window, and it unnerved him that he was beyond pale. Sasha was less discreet in her worry, and he could see the confusion and fear on her face through the rearview mirror, his composure clearly the only thing keeping her from starting something. And honestly, he couldn't blame her, as he should have opened fire the moment he had seen the cape.

Before he could open his mouth, ask what the fuck was going on, and why the replacement had demanded to come along for the ride without any sign of backup tailing them, Tim was the one that spoke.

"I… did you- did you mean it?"

And truthfully Jason hadn't the slightest clue what he was talking about.

"Mean what exactly, because I've said a lot of shit since coming back, and you're gonna have be more specific than that kid."

Much to his annoyance, Tim took his time answering, and for several long moments he did nothing but worry his bottom lip.

"When you asked me to be your Robin. Did you mean it, or was it just some head game of yours? Because honestly-" He gave a sullen laugh, "no one has asked me to be with them. Not ever really. I'm always just… there, or forced upon them, and then… they're gone." He muttered, swallowing thickly, and Jason stiffened.

"What have you been dosed with?" He prompted. "You're jittery as fuck, white as a sheet, and sweating bullets. I'm not crashing because you go nuts, nor in the mood for second hand contact, so give me a reason to not open up the damn door right this second and boot you out."

When the tone of his voice caused Tim to flinch and curl in on himself, he decided to take the chance, and pulled over onto the side of road.

Tim didn't have chance to react before Jason was atop him and had him pinned to the door with a fistful of his cape.

"You better talk now Drake, or so help me…" He growled, and he honestly could care less at this point about how the teen's pupil's contracted in terror, because they were not in the position to mess around.

"Wherever you're going, take me with you. I-I'll be your Robin. If you still want me. So long as you… so long as you won't leave me. I'm not asking much, I just… you won't leave, right?"

Sasha shifted in the backseat. Jason needn't look back to know she had pulled one of the guns out. He only frowned and braced himself.

"The fuck is this about?"

Tim stayed limp in his grasp refusing to meet his eyes.

"I messed up. I… haven't been right, not for a while now. Bruce was gone. Dick pushed me out of his life, Ra's tried to recruit me, my father's murderer came back to life, and Bruce returned… only for nothing to change. And now I'm- I'm damaged in so many ways, and I just… wanted him to go away. Back where he came from, because he didn't have the right to come back, him of all people, and I…I…" Tim stammered, and as Jason slackened his grip, he hung his head. "Bruce caught me. Doesn't want me anymore… Didn't do it but, he still- and I couldn't say I would make the same choice again- he left me. Never… Never asked for me in the first place. But you? You asked. And I-"

"Shut up." Jason muttered, and with a huff, he released his grip and returned to his seat.

He turned to face Sasha in the back and even in her confusion she was at attention.

"Grab the blue duffle."

Within seconds it was open in his hands and he was pulling things from within.

"Change." And he tossed a t-shirt and some sweats at him. "Can't be seen with you wearing that. Pisses me off anyway."

"I…I can stay?"

Jason leaned back in his seat and let out a ragged sigh.

"Yeah… you can stay. I still want you. Even if you're in the middle of a meltdown and weird as fuck. But if you come along, the only way you're getting away is if you're dead, and even then you're mine. Consider that promise."

And Tim looked like he had a massive weight off his shoulders as he nodded.

Jason turned back to the girl, motioned for her to ease up, and started the motor.

Everyone was silent thereafter, even though Jason's own thoughts were rather loud, and the traffic made for perfect background noise.

And as the sun set as they drove off into the distance, Jason was surprisingly content with Sasha curled up in the backseat breathing softly, and Tim to his right just seconds away from tilting over onto him, snoring away. Granted, he felt like he has stepped out of that truck straight into the twilight zone, and never in a million years would he have thought he'd have two tag alongs, let alone one being Tim Drake after he had turned down his offering the year before during his own psychotic break.

But nothing had ever really been normal, had it?

All he knew was, by the time he was through whipping the kid back into shape and he was acting a bit more stable, Dick would have another thing coming to him.

Him and Bruce.