A/N) I have a thing for first meets that involve Jason Todd. Maybe that should be like my trademark or something. Anyway, here's one of the many ways I daydream about how Babs meets lil' Jay-Jay.
Motivation is your Superpower!
She hasn't been here in a while. Barbara figures, what with exams, ballet practice, and her 'nightlife' she has a pretty good excuse for not stopping by the manor for a couple weeks.
Besides - she was still sore about Dick leaving. And mad at Bruce for driving him away. And pissed off at herself for being pissed off about any of this. Let those two idiots fight, who cares - they'll get over their baby tears and remember that they were both supposed to be two grown ass men and -
God.
The red head lets out a frustrated sigh, pinching her nose. Just - don't think about that right now. You're just here to see Bruce and give him a long over do update on everything - updates based on their night work. She could have just called, sent a debrief email or whatever but - truth is . . . there may be one other reason she's here.
And it has everything to do with chewing out Bruce and his stupidity. Except not about Dick.
The side door's locked.
Barbara's brows furrow - weird, Alfred doesn't lock this door at this time of day. She knocks, her pale knuckles making a sturdy rap on the reinforced door. C'mon Alfred - don't make me use the underground entrance . . . She almost snorts at that. Bruce hates it when either of his partners use the underground entrance from outside the house. Especially in the day time.
She pounds a few more times.
Ok, there was no way Bruce would go through all this trouble to just hold off having this conversation with her.
No way.
But he is Batman - and Batman wasn't known for his willingness to be forward with his actual emotions. Damn. She grimaces and whirls away from the door, wishing she brought a grappling line or something. She'd have climbed right into his bedroom just to give him the feel of inescapability. Batman wasn't the only vigilante in town that could be scary.
Ugh. She stomps off to infiltrate the caves outside entrance. Fine, we'll do this the hard way.
She walks out and beyond the Wayne grounds, further back where most people don't know, and reaches the well where Bruce fell when he was a kid. He mentioned that story a few times and Dick decided to go find the well. Of course he had to drag Barbara with him and they'd both accidently fallen in discovering Bruce's mega secret entrance.
The well had dried up years ago and Bruce constructed a tunnel to get into the cave from here. Just in case. Paranoia makes him do weird things like that.
She stops.
Locked.
With titanium cleverly hidden by a nicely grown bunch of thorny bushes and the only way to get past that was through the safe encoder and she - doesn't have any way to hack it. When the hell had Bruce done this? Seriously? Was she like, out of the team now? Just because he had the stupidity to chase Dick off - hello! I'm still here damn you!
Unbelievable.
Screw Bruce. And Batman. And Dick who won't pick up her calls or tell her where he is. Screw the tabloids too - what the hell did they know about - anything. Her fury sizzles in her blood, Barbara Gordon was nothing if not persistent. She will talk to Bruce.
He can count down the minutes.
Nothing.
Two weeks. Of. Nothing.
She's been trying to catch up to Batman for two weeks just to verify the rumors and then strangle him for it - but nothing. Every time she changes her rout or follows a lead Batman's on, or tries to get to the signal before he does - nothing.
Wow.
Either he was purposely avoiding her, or - he's completely forgotten she's existed.
She decides she likes the former option better.
But that still doesn't help with the facts that the newspaper pictures are getting decidedly less blurry and that smudge they were all yammering on about was getting decidedly more real and she can't keep avoiding the truth no matter how much she doesn't want to believe such an awful thing and - and Dick still won't answer her phone. Dammit.
Even Alfred - She feels utterly betrayed, sad, and hangry. All the time.
Alfred - he picked up once. Barbara tried the land line to Wayne manor a hundred times, in hopes of somebody picking it up without thinking. Nope. It's like - Bruce and anyone else under his roof has fallen off the face of the earth . . . she checked to make sure they hadn't - she was a little paranoid too. Working with Batman for this long has that effect.
Alfred finally did.
Once.
"Good afternoon Ms. Gordon."
"Alfred! Thank God! How are you? How's everything? What's going on? Why is the cave on lock down? Why won't Bruce answer? Where has he been? Are the rumors true? Does Dick know? If he does, how pissed is he? Is that why he won't answer my calls? Is that why Bruce won't answer? Where have you been?" She's breathless and still not finished.
"I'm sorry for your concern Ms. Gordon but I - we are all fine and - " The line cuts off.
Whaat!
"Alfred . . . Al - Alfred?" Seriously! She lets out an angry growl, only Batman could make her feel this helpless and in a corner. She glares at the wall, as if she's going to develop Superman's laser vision if she's angry enough.
She hates this. She thought she'd out grown being left out of the loop. Guess not. She sneers at air, well - he'll see. One of these days she's going to have her own connections and group and lock Batman out, then let's see how he likes it.
Gah, she scrubs her face down and throws a pillow with as much force as she can. Doesn't make her feel better but - whatever.
She spends the night watching Undercover Boss to make herself laugh at Bruce even more.
Two months later and she's calmed down. Batman still hasn't crossed her path, and she's gotten busy again. Dick still hasn't answered or called, so she let's that go too. Actually - she forgets about her beef with Bruce at intervals. It's nice to forget sometimes. She's basically figured out that the rumors were true and she doesn't need further evidence, she's just curious to meet said rumor.
But otherwise she's forgotten.
Until one day she's driving past GA to get to an appointment and she sees a very familiar Porsche parked in front of the school. Alfred - she's so happy to see him - steps out and beckons to -
Her heart drops.
Dammit - guess she wasn't prepared after all.
A boy - younger than her and Dick, dark haired, sharp features and - slouchy. His entire stance screams 'I hate this' as he walks up to the old butler. Barbara's fingers tighten on the steering wheel, suddenly and irrationally worried for Alfred - why the hell should she be? The butler could probably beat up Bruce - probably.
To her shock and relief, the boy gives the old man a sharp smile and Alfred smiles back as the kid slips into the car. Then they drive off.
The light's changed green a minute ago and Barbara only just notices the honking and cruses behind her. She swallows, shakes her head and drives on - Bruce - Bruce really did it . ..
I mean I know - the papers said so all the time but -
She blinks in shock. Bruce really - she never thought that he would ever - how desperate was this guy?
To - to replace Dick? To replace . . Robin?
She's not so much as angry anymore, just upset and more than a little curious. That kid looked every kinds of moody and she can't help but wonder how the hell he could be Robin? It - it doesn't feel right. She doesn't like it. She doesn't want to accept it. Dick's been Robin for - years, for forever - just a tad longer than she's been Batgirl and she can't remember when there wasn't a Robin -
When Dick wasn't Robin.
And now Bruce - Bruce was hurting and in denial and needy and - he's replaced Dick, Robin!
She's disoriented and tired. Even though she's the only one participating in her personal drama and they aren't letting her participate in theirs - she still feels the weight of Bruce and Dicks anger towards each other - and Bruce goes and does this? How the hell is this supposed to help anyone?!
She knocks on the front door, rings the damn doorbell, she knows Bruce has a camera, she doesn't care - just let him turn her away again.
The door unlocks.
Her heart jumps, from what? - She has no idea.
"Yah?"
Barbara freezes. All the words she's planned on ranting like a river from her mouth - just dried up and clamps her mouth shut like a dam.
In front of her was the kid - about twelve, dark haired, thin, shorter than her - and bright eyes that - if they were just a shade more blue instead of green, could have probably matched up to Dicks . . . but his features were sharp, nose upturned slightly, and he had a bunch of little scars littering his face.
He was a kid and he - he was Robin . . .
God Bruce - the kid wasn't Dick Grayson. He doesn't even look like he could be Robin. He looks angry - like not right now but - that underlining tone in his eyes, like there's too much shadows there, a little boy who's seen way too much too soon and -
"Hello? Hey, anybody home in there?" He snaps his fingers in her dumbstruck face. "I mean, I know I'm cute and all but you don't gotta stare."
She snaps out of it, she sees him now - not studying him anymore - she sees him. He really is a kid, a kid that's smirking at her cheekily and she's suddenly amused and irritated.
There's something else too -
"Crime Ally." She blurts.
The kid freezes up like she's pulled a gun on him and backs away.
She mentally slaps herself.
Then his momentary panic attack drops and he's looking at her suspiciously. "The Narrows, yah - I'm from there." He tilts his head, challenging. "Problem?"
Good grief - he's - he's snarky, and very good at covering up his real thoughts and - where the hell did Bruce find him?
"Nope. Nice to meet you - "
He doesn't answer her, eyes still narrowed at her for her earlier comment.
Sheesh, did Bruce instill the paranoia already?
"I'm Barbara. You have a name kid or should I just call you Robin." The look he gives her is priceless.
She actually laughs. He looks so freaked out and shocked and terrified like it somehow his fault she knows and then she realizes -
"Relax, I'm Batgirl - Batman hasn't - he hasn't told you about me . . .has he?" She want's to hurt Bruce.
The kid relaxes just a tad. "N - no . . .not really. I know about you though, just not who you were - are. Barbara?"
"Yup." She restrains her anger for the sake of the kid. "You?"
"Jason. Jason Todd."
She files that away to look into later. "Yah - nice to finally meet you."
"Master Jason do bring our guest in." Alfred looks only mildly surprised to see her when he walks up behind the boy.
Babs waves. "Nice to see you too Alfred. Missed you."
He gives her a warm smile. "I must say, without your company - this place is sorely dull."
"Hey! I'm standing right here." Jason cries out in indignation.
Barbara laughs.
So, she was still going to chew Bruce out but - she glances at the kids put out pout and defiantly crossed arms, clearly upset that she finds him not intimidating at all.
Maybe - maybe he could be Robin. . .
"Hey, how come nobody told me Batgirl was hot out of costume too?"
Yup - she turns and glares at him - definitely Robin . . .
I like kid Jason.
Kid Jason, I like.
He's so adorkable.
If you like kid Jason, let me know!
Thanks for reading too.