Well, it's certainly been a while; hasn't it, dear readers? Really though, Charlie and I are both deeply sorry...we've both just been really off our games lately. Charlie only types up each chapter after she finishes actually writing whatever chapter she's working on...but on the plus side, the transition of the story and proofreading is definitely a lot smoother and more efficient. Seriously though, you're all troopers for putting up with our updating issues, and we hope you stick with us for the rest of the story (and God knows how many more Charlie will produce...really, I'm not sure even Charlie knows).

Jason hated his uniform with a burning passion. His scaly underwear rubbed him the wrong way, quite literally. The material bunched up and gave him an atomic Bat-wedgie. The scales were definitely the worst part. They rubbed against his cheeks, turning them an embarrassingly bright red. Jason didn't even want to think about what it did to his frontal area. At first he had been proud to don the uniform, and he was proud to be Robin, but he wasn't in the least bit thrilled about his uniform. Why would Golden Boy pick something so stupid and uncomfortable? It practically screamed "junior stripper". Jason honestly could not even guess what had gone through the previous Robin's head when he chose the costume design. Why couldn't he have the leggings that the Golden Boy adopted when he joined the Titans? It just wasn't fair.

Since Batman had returned from Metropolis he had been moody, even more so than usual. That was the first night Jason had gone out on patrol in over a month. Bruce had made him train harder than ever before, but if it meant he could go out, Jason was okay with it. What he was most definitely not okay with was the fact that Bruce expected him to live up to the Golden Boy. Crossing his arms, Jason pouted. Since Metropolis, he could no longer deny that Dick Grayson was alive. Batman had produced evidence that he was still walking the earth. How Bruce had come by the evidence, Jason was unsure. He could have pulled it out of his ass for all Jason cared. The point was that Golden Boy was alive, and the search for him only intensified. Once again he and Deathstroke had dropped off the face of the planet.

The poor boy longed for it all to come to an end, though he was unsure of what he wanted the outcome to be. If the Golden Boy died, there was no way in hell Bruce would ever let Jason go out on patrol again. It would be too dangerous. The man was a wreck over Dick's kidnapping. Jason couldn't even begin to imagine his reaction if the boy turned up dead. But what if the Justice League managed to save him and he was miraculously alive? Jason scowled; Bruce would probably kick him out of the house and give his room to Dick despite all of the empty rooms in the Manor. Dick already had most of Bruce's heart, while Jason had a small, forgotten, dark corner. What was there to stop the Golden Boy from completely taking over? It wasn't fair. No matter which way he looked there was a speeding bullet coming for him. It was a lose-lose situation.

A sly, mischievous smile crept onto his face. Jason did have one thing over Dick. Despite Golden Boy being Bruce's favorite child, he was only legally his ward. While, legally Jason was his adopted son. Ouch, that had to hurt, but lady justice tended to be a pain in the ass that way. Even if he had never met him,Jason could still rub that small fact into Dick's face. Maybe that would send Mr. Perfect over the edge. His grin grew bigger if at all possible. Maybe the Golden Boy would beat the crap out of him and Bruce would see that his perfect child wasn't as perfect as he thought. That'd be nice. Not getting the ever living daylights kicked out of him, but exposing Dick as a fake brought him an odd sense of glee.

Blending with the shadows of the night Robin allowed himself to drop from a fire escape to the hard pavement below. Rising from the crouched position he had landed in, he let his masked eyes scan the empty alley before picking his irritating Bat-wedgie. Robin preferred the back alleys to the roof tops while Batman preferred to roam high above the God-forsaken city. He figured that his taste for the streets came from the many years he had spent on them; he knew them like the back of his hand. Sliding through the darkness, Robin kept his eyes peeled for any sign of trouble. It felt nice to finally be allowed to go out on patrol again. He had been aching to go out for some time, and Bruce had really surprised him by allowing him to don the Robin costume once more, even if it was the most uncomfortable thing since bow-ties.

The air seemed to shift, and Robin frowned. One of the first things that Bruce had taught him was to observe his surroundings and never trust any one single sense. He was being watched. The hair on the back of Robin's neck stood on end as he turned on his heel and scanned the rooftops for Batman. However, he did not find him. Robin nearly face palmed; of course he couldn't find him, he was the freaking Batman! With a soft groan, he rolled his eyes. Why couldn't Batman trust him on the very streets he grew up on? The man was constantly babying him. If Robin fell and scraped his knee it was like the whole world had come to an end. He blamed Golden Boy for that one too. If the idiot hadn't gone and gotten himself kidnapped by one of the world deadliest mercenaries then Robin wouldn't have been on such a short leash.

With an aggravated huff, Robin pulled out his grappling hook, and smirked ever so slightly. If Batman wanted to chase him around all night then so be it. Robin would give him a run for his money. Barely aiming, he zipped to the top of the nearest building and took off running. He didn't bother to look back and see if he was being followed;what would be the fun in that? Robin's heart thudded so hard that he seriously though he was going to puke it up. He loved the feeling of living on the edge, of having pure adrenaline pumping through his veins. It made him feel so alive. Every fiber of his being buzzed with energy as he leapt onto another roof; it was like he was flying. All rationality told him to look back and see if Batman was gaining on him, but Robin ignored it. He imagined Batman's black gloved hand slowly reaching out to grab his cape that fluttered behind him, but Robin felt no tug to indicate that he had been caught.

At the next jump Robin attempted a flip he had not yet perfected. He'd give it to Golden Boy, he was one damn good acrobat, but Robin was working hard to match his skills; to make Batman proud. Flipping once in midair, Robin extended his arms before him to catch the ledge of the building he was quickly approaching. Once the stone ledge was firmly in his grasp, Robin swung his legs upward to flip onto the roof, but all did not go as planned. There was a terrifying moment when his weight shifted, leaving him unbalanced. Robin felt like Humpty-Dumpty. Without his consent a small yelp escaped his lips as he desperately tried to gain control over his body before he fell. Literally bending over backwards, the Boy Wonder collapsed into an ungraceful heap on the cold concrete. Though it was humiliating, he did not care. He was just happy to be alive.

Robin climbed to his feet and growled as he dusted off his suit. Bending over with his hands on his knees he breathed hard, waiting for Batman to make a smart ass, yet somehow condescending remark on his landing. But when he righted himself and looked around he found that he was alone. The feeling of being watched was still there though. Walking slowly to the edge, Robin gazed down and gulped. It was a long drop. Had Batman planned on saving him, or had he known that Robin's shabby acrobatic skills would somehow get him through? Shivering, he ignored the morbid thoughts and bathed in the momentary glory of knowing that Batman gave him enough space to handle his own problems. It felt nice to be trusted from time to time. It was moments like those that Jason could really appreciate being the Dark Knight's partner.

The cool night air flowed through his black locks, and Robin irritably brushed them from in front of his eyes. August had rolled in like a wave on a beach, and it marked the eighth month anniversary of the Golden Boy's disappearance. By far, August was one of Robin's favorite months. The temperature was just right after the nearly unbearable heat of July. No stars shone in the dreary Gotham sky, as usual, but thick black clouds had rolled in. A few stray raindrops landed on Robin's face. Great, now his scaly underwear would chaff. A single strike of lightening zigzagged through the night sky, and thunder was quick to follow. It boomed with the ferocity of a bass drum. Silently, Robin cursed the sky for ruining his perfect night.

Maybe all was not lost. An earth shattering scream pierced the air. It was nearly undetectable amid the thunder and lightning, but Robin heard it. He perked up at it even. Most people would have thought a scream in the night to be a terribly tragic thing, but he saw it for what it really was; a chance to prove himself. With his near death experience pushed to the back of his mind, Robin leapt into action. He rushed across the rooftop at a speed that would make the Flash jealous. Pushing all his power into his legs and feet, the Boy Wonder vaulted himself onto another roof, not even attempting to do anymore flips or stunts. Robin did not stop to catch his breath; instead he rolled with the adrenaline rush, allowing it to take control. Creeping toward the edge of the building he dared to peer over the edge into the alley below. What he saw did not surprise him in the least.

A young man with shaggy brown hair had an unfortunate young lady in his grasp. The woman couldn't have been older than twenty-five, and she was as thin as a rod. Her hair was tied in a thick ponytail at the top of her head, and she wore an alarmingly tight fitting outfit. The man had a hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her screams. Black lines were prominent on her cheeks from mascara smeared tears. One thing Robin took notice of right off the bat was that the woman didn't fight back very hard, which gave him the impression that she knew her attacker. He was probably an angry ex, or something stupid along those lines. They'd be together again in a month or so, most likely.

Robin only watched for a second before he decided to take action. Little did he know that it was going to be one of his biggest flops ever. With his chest puffed out in a proud manner, Robin swung into the narrow alley and landed directly behind the perp. Rising, he planted a firm kick to his back that sent him stumbling forward. Straight to business, just the way Batman liked it. The man swung around, and Robin barely had time to register the flash of metal under the harsh street lights. Jumping to the side a thunderous boom that was not thunder echoed throughout the small space. Rolling to his feet, he found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol. The sleek, steel gun glittered in the man's clenched fist, and his long spider like index finger was positioned over the trigger. He was ready, and more than willing to fire at the Boy Wonder again.

In that moment all the many months of Robin's training went down the drain. He forgot the countless disarming lessons Batman had given him, he just froze. It was like he was stuck in a block of ice. Well, there went his chances of making Batman proud. Then it dawned on him; If he took the perp out quick and clean he could still redeem himself. But what about the pistol? He smirked, well, he'd have to work it into the plan of course. The man hesitated, even if Robin was badass, he was still just a kid. Seeing the man's reluctance, Robin took his chance. Rushing forward, he flipped over him and another gunshot roared in his ears. There was a slight tug at his back as the bullet passed through the fabric of his cape. Ignoring his second near death encounter of that night, the Boy Wonder continued on his predetermined path.

While soaring over the man, Robin kicked up and sent the recently fired gun flying through the air. With quite a bit of effort he managed to land the flip. It was unsteady, but at least he hadn't broken his neck trying to do stupid acrobatics. Robin shot his right hand into the air and caught the pistol as it started its descent to the ground. Grimacing slightly, he held it steady. It was much heavier than he expected, but what had he expected? A feather? When the man finally gathered his wits about him, he turned and nearly fainted at the sight of Robin: the Boy Wonder, pointing a gun straight at him. The young boy's jaw was set, and his mask was scrunched in determination. Slowly, the man raised his hands and swallowed hard. The kid looked ready, and the man waited for the inevitable shot.

"I didn't mean to cause nothin'!" the perp cried. "I's just angry! I'snt gonna hurt her!"

"Do me a favor." Robin hissed in a low, menacing voice.

The man gazed at him with great trepidation. "Was't that?"

"Shut up before you piss me off."

The man shut his trap and closed his dark eyes. What the hell was going on? This wasn't the way Robin was supposed to act, at least, to the best of his knowledge it wasn't. It wasn't like he had actually met him before, but he had hear plenty of stories. Robin was supposed to be the easy going partner of the Dark Knight. He was supposed to crack terrible jokes and go easy on him. Robin most definitely was not supposed to be standing there holding him at gunpoint. The man was honestly scared for his life. Opening his eyes, he gazed worriedly at the boy, silently pleading for him not to open fire. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the young woman flick, then whimper. Obviously she was thrown off by Robin's odd behavior too. What had Jump City done to the boy? He was all out of sorts.

Robin wasn't going to actually shoot the street rat. But it would be fairly easy to put a bullet in his head. He could easily wipe the filth off the street forever. However, he knew that Batman would not approve. Before he even had a chance to lower the weapon a black object flew out of nowhere and knocked the gun from his hands. Robin swore under his breath, and appropriately the rain decided to pour. Lightning struck, and the wind howled. A figure was illuminated against the sky, a cape billowing behind it. When lightning struck again it was gone. Robin felt all the air in his lungs escape him as if it were sucked out by a vacuum when he was shoved up against the brick wall of the alley. Again as the sky lit up another image met him. The perp laid face down in the rain with his hands and feet bound by zip cords. The young woman's eyes sparkled with fear and wonder at what she had just witnessed. Vaguely, Robin was aware of himself being pulled away. Not until a cold voice whispered in his ear did he fully understand what was going on.

"What was that?"

Robin pulled away. "That was me taking down street filth, until you showed up."

"We don't handle guns."

"Wasn't actually going to shoot him," Robin grumbled. "Jeez, Bruce-,"

"Batman." He hissed.

"Whatever. My point is, he was in no real danger. Well, other than being locked up… You catch my drift. If I hadn't been there that girl could have gotten raped- or worse! I didn't account for his gun, so I just slipped it into the equation. I-,"

Robin saw Batman's jaw clench and he took it as his cue to shut up. He could almost see the Dark Knight as a bull with steam coming out of his nose. Batman was pissed, and quite frankly, Robin couldn't care less. Why couldn't the man see he was just trying to help? Bruce could be an unsupportive whiny bastard sometimes… Okay, so most of the time. Crossing his arms, Robin huffed and stared Batman straight in the eye. Slowly, he felt himself shrinking under the Bat-glare like a melting block of ice. He would not be swayed. He would not back down. Robin had to remind himself of those things. He would not look away. They stood like that for awhile, truthfully, the Boy Wonder was relieved when Batman finally sighed and broke his gaze. He had almost broken down.

"You didn't even stop to assess the situation?"

"He was harmless."

The Dark Knight resumed his glare. "That was reckless, you could have been killed."

"Lemme guess, Dick never made this kind of mistake."

"Robin." Batman warned.

But he didn't listen. "Dick wouldn't make this kind of mistake because he is better than me in every way, shape, and form."

When he spoke his voice was low and dangerous. "Dick wouldn't be standing here whining because he didn't have his way."

"Then what the hell am I doing here?"

Without waiting for Bruce to respond, Robin took off running. His feet slapped hard against the wet pavement as they carried him away from Batman and his anger. The rain came down in sheets, fast and heavy. The water plastered his black locks against his forehead and made it difficult for him to see as his hair shifted in front of his mask. He pretended the warm water on his face was rain. In his eyes he had done good, why couldn't Batman see that? He was just trying to make him proud… Or had he become a nuisance? Was he a thorn in the Dark Knight's side? Robin huffed, if that was the way he wanted it then Jason would become the biggest little shit on the face of the planet: active immediately. He had to find the Red Bird first thought, where the hell did he park that thing?

Jason Todd stood on the front steps of Wayne Manor where just months earlier Clark Kent had been fixing his tie. The large wooden doors loomed over the small boy like giants. He was still dressed in his Robin uniform, just to get a rise out of Bruce. In his green gloved hand was his domino mask that had long since been peeled from his face. Behind him his motorcycle lay abandoned in the front yard. Yeah, Bruce was going to be pissed. Jason let a smile creep onto his face, the man had practically asked for it. Raising his free hand he rapped on the door and waited. Vaguely he wondered what Alfred's reaction would be. Fortunately, he did not have to wait very long.

The old butler's face was that of shock and confusion, and that was saying something for a man who watched a grown man go out dressed as a bat. Normally not much surprised Alfred, he had seen everything over the years. However, the sight of Robin at the mansion's door took the cake. Quickly, he ushered the young boy in and gazed worriedly out the front door before quietly closing it and locking it. Jason stood there dripping a mixture of water and mud onto the eloquent marble floor as he watched the butler go about his business. Alfred pulled the curtains of the tall windows that over looked the grand hall of Wayne Manor. Turning on his heel he looked Jason over with a disapproving shake of his head. The old man disappeared for a moment, but he quickly returned with a fluffy white towel which he wrapped around the angry boy's shoulders. When Alfred turned his eyes on Jason they were stern, but his grey irises softened considerably when he saw the boy's broken expression.

"Master Jason, was it your intention tonight to reveal the Wayne secret to all of Gotham?"

"That all of Bruce's failed relationships are under the garden?" Jason snorted in response.

Alfred could not help but crack a smile, but his tone remained in lecture mode. "Honestly, what has gotten into you? Do you not realize the weight of your actions? Master Jason, you could have exposed our secret tonight, then where would we be?"

"Relax Alfredo, no one saw me."

"Are you certain?"

"Fairly."

Alfred sighed. "What are you doing in so early? It is hardly eleven."

"Bruce was being a dickhead."

"Language, Master Jason."

He rolled his eyes. "Can we talk later? I'm wet and getting cold. Plus, there are scales where scales shouldn't be. I just want to get dried and dressed, and then maybe watch some TV. I have a feeling this will be the last time for a while that I'll have the chance."

The old man eyed him. "I suppose I can grant you this as your last wish. However, I do not want to be seen as an accessory to the crime."

"I wouldn't dream of testifying against you."

Alfred's eyes shone with laughter that was not present in in voice. "Would you like some hot cocoa to take the chill away?"

"That'd be a great last meal."

Jason cast one last glance at Alfred before ascending the stairs and heading toward his room. Rain water rolled down his face and splattered on the floor. A shiver wracked his body, and Jason pulled the towel tighter around himself, all the while hoping he would not get sick. That would be the icing on top of the cake. His footsteps bounced off the walls of the empty wing, and for the first time he realized how empty the manor was. Even with three people living there it seemed as if everyone was constantly alone. Stopping at his bedroom door, Jason reached out and gripped the door knob. Slowly he shifted his blue eyes down the hallway and they settled on a door a few doors down from his own. It was the Golden Boy's room. Suddenly a thought struck him like a slap to the face, if the room were inhabited would the manor be less lonely? Jason pushed the ridiculous thought away. The mansion would still be lonely even if the Golden Boy returned alive and well because if he did Jason would get the boot.

With a sigh, the current Boy Wonder opened his door and stepped into his bedroom. God, he wanted a cigarette, but Jason pushed away his craving for nicotine. It made Alfred's world famous hot chocolate taste weird. Jason found himself quite reluctant to take his suit off for it was the only thing keeping the heat in. Grimacing, he decided to suck it up and get it over with. Stripping himself of the irritating uniform, Jason picked up a pair of pajama pants from the floor and put them on. He didn't really care if they were clean or dirty. Slipping into an oversized ACDC shirt, he shivered and pulled the comforter from his bed. Tiredly, he wrapped it around his shaking shoulders. Jason quietly slipped out of the room and moved down the hallway in the opposite direction from which he came.

As he passed, Jason was tempted to enter Golden Boy's room, but sheer indifference outweighed his curiosity and he continued down the hall. As he made his way to a back staircase he found himself reflecting on the events of that night. Would Bruce come home to reprimand him? Or would he stay out on patrol? Jason rolled his eyes; well that one was a no-brainer. Climbing down the seldom used stairs, Jason turned into the screening room and stretched out on the large couch. Smothering himself under the blanket he grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on. He left it on whatever it had been one previously, which appeared to be the news. Once Alfred had come and gone he would watch Family Guy. He couldn't take another one of the old butler's disapproving looks.

On the television screen was a rather attractive woman with curly blonde hair and dazzling green eyes. She was frantically reporting some sort of accident in New York City. Apparently the mayor had been assassinated. Jason didn't really care, he was only half listening. Besides, his mind had wandered onto more important topics like; where the hell was Alfred with his hot chocolate? Suddenly the screen flicked to the Rockefeller Center, the line at the bottom read: The Top of the Rock Taken Hostage by an Unknown Villain. Jason found himself sitting up straighter, taking a sudden interest in the news. God, was he turning into Bruce? The camera settled onto a little old woman. According to the captions her name was Meriwether, and she had been a hostage.

"Were you scared?" The reporter asked.

"No," said the little old woman. "I would have kicked his-,"

The rest had to be censored out.

Jason watched the screen with mild interest as the story was told through the eyes of the hostages. He had to admit, whoever it had been had to be good. Who else had taken the Rock hostage and gotten away? That's right, no one. The raven haired boy was practically on the edge of his seat when a report had announced that one of the hostages had the perp with their camera phone despite all of their electronics being taken away. Apparently someone had balls. When the clip came on Jason was disappointed to see that it was only seven seconds long, but then things got interesting. The clip started out with a shot of the attacker's back, but then he turned slightly and Jason felt himself freeze. His eyes flicked to a picture of the Golden Boy hung on the wall, then back to the mask less assailant. Sure it was a half faced shot, and he was older, but Jason knew immediately that it was the Famous Dick Grayson. It didn't seem like he was so perfect after all.

The screen shifted back to the female reporter. "After being shot by a sniper the suspect seemingly committed suicide. Although a body has yet to be recovered, police-,"

"Your hot cocoa, Master Jason."

Jason jumped slightly at the sound of Alfred's voice. He hadn't heard the old butler come in. Quickly he switched the TV off and prayed the old man hadn't seen anything. On the other hand, he wanted to tell someone. He wanted to prove Mr. Perfect wasn't so perfect. But that would result in Bruce taking a trip to New York and possibly bringing Dick back home with him. Jason could not let that happen. Alfred shot Jason a curious look before gently handing him the cup of hot cocoa, which he sipped only to find his appetite was gone.

"Is everything alright, Master Jason?" Alfred asked. "You appear to have seen a ghost."

"I don't feel well," Jason replied stiffly.

"Should I get you something?"

"No, I'll sleep it off."

Alfred frowned. "What about television?"

Jason pushed the remote between the couch cushions and gave a fake yawn. "There's nothing good on tonight. I think I'm going to hit the hay and avoid Bruce's wrath for a few more hours, Good night Alfredo."

*whispers* Jason Todd's a little shit, pass it on. Ah, though no matter how much of a little shit he is, I still love him.

Oh, and just for a bit of shameless plugging: Charlie is starting a series of Green Arrow/Black Canary one-shots (at my insistence kind of...i was complaining that there was seriously no fic for them, and Charlie offered to write me a one-shot and it just sort of spiraled from there. Anyway, they are set in the Young Justice universe and the first one went up today. I haven't read it yet, but apparently there is slight smuttiness, so if that's your thing, check it out.

Once again, I have no way of knowing when the next chapter will be up, but I hope you guys keep reading!