Muse: Look who finally decided to get a chapter up. For shame. Making your viewers wait a week! FOR SHAME!

Mun: Shut up you. It's your fault. You didn't give me any good ideas until recently!

Muse: I was busy being enthralled by the need to create other art. Hmph.

Mun: Why do I have you as a muse? Ugh...

Anyway! Have a lovely conversation to start us off! HM! But seriously, guys I am so freaking sorry this took so long. At first I had a really great idea, but then hated it. Deleted this chapter five times in the process of writing. Kinda felt an everything block. Just laid in bed not wanting to do anything really.

But I have been feeling chipper lately and popped this bad boy out! My favorite chapter by far. Mainly because it is a total of 3,199 words! YES! All completely in less than two hours! I WAS ON A ROLL TYPING THIS! I seriously hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please forgive me for being so late on delivering this. Everything block is a toughie to beat...

Moving on, thank you EVERYONE who has review/favorited/followed this story. I mean, almost 5,000 views on this story alone. Never have I made something that so many people enjoy. I hope to continue doing things like this for a long time. I like seeing people enjoying things I work so hard on.I love each and every one of you. Your favorites, your follows, and your reviews always make me grin from ear to ear whenever I see them.

Without further ado, enjoy the chapter. And don't forget to leave those amazing reviews!

(Bruh... Bruh... I own the plot only... Everythin else? DC mang... DC...)

The darkness is what bothered him the most. Not the vast emptiness or the apparent water that held him aloft below. No, it was the horrible darkness that got to him out of all the things. Darkness was the one thing he just couldn't handle. Waking or sleeping. Now it surrounded him completely and there was no hope for escape.

Where in the actual fuck was he? Jason couldn't answer that for the life of him. Unless he was dead and this was his personal hell. Frankly he thought there would be more torture involved. Unless this is just some mental torture then he would give props to whoever devised it. It surely ruffled his feathers.

At first it wasn't so bad to just be floating there. Absolute silence and no pain. To him it was perfect and gave him time to think and process what was going on and where he was. But that was when he realized his mistake. Leaving him alone to his thoughts was always dangerous.

Faintly he had pieced together that the last thing he remembered was having a hard time breathing. The air just wouldn't go into his lungs and he started to panic that he would die then and there. Blood filling his mouth and lungs constricting painfully. His friends voices yelling around him as they tried to help him breathe again. Finally darkness had claimed him and he knew no more.

It was that last fractured memory that made him believe without a doubt he was either dead or dying. Had it been minutes since he blacked out or days? Time didn't seem to exist in this eternal darkness.

Once he figured out how he got there he decided to let his mind wander. He thought about how he left the mansion in a rush. Angry beyond reason at what Dick had the audacity to say. The betrayal and pain from hearing such a joking term come from his eldest brother. Just when he let himself feel a bit of comfort with being in the manor again. Of being surrounded by his brothers and Alfred. Of being close to Bruce again.

Jason had been stupid to let himself slip in any way. The Batfamily didn't care about him and were only caring for him until he was healthy enough to ship off to Arkham. Anger rippled through the young man and he trembled from it. There was a spike of pain in his chest causing him to gasp.

A familiar feeling of not being able to breathe filled his chest and he began to thrash in the water. Which caused the water to start dragging him under, pulling him towards the dangerous depths below. Oddly enough he felt a sense of comfort from being pulled under the water. Voices whispered in his ear of promises of peace and that he wouldn't ever be in pain again. Had those voices always been there? Each one was like a soothing melody to his ears causing him to slip more beneath the water's surface.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pressure on his chest, above his heart to be precise. The young vigilante jerked with the motion and surfaced a fraction from the water below. Another pressure to his chest caused him to jolt. His head jerking above the water enough for him to hear it. Voices. Familiar voices.

"Dick, get the ventilator, NOW."

"Jaybird don't you dare give up on us. Not now. Please."

"Oh my god…."

"Master Jason, can you hear us?"

Each voice rung clearly in the vast emptiness that Jason has been in for who knows how long. They were the voices of his family. Was he imagining this? The pain sure as hell felt real. Shock registered in his heart as the pain fell away then an odd warmth. His family was here trying their hardest to save the wayward robin. At first he felt his heart stutter at the thought of his family fighting to save him. Even after all he had done. Soon enough his breathing was returned to normal, although it didn't feel as if he was the one breathing.

That warmth and hope was firmly crushed without a moment's notice. They were only helping him because they wanted to deliver a living, breathing, Jason Todd to Arkham. As his head fell back and he was floating along the surface the voices from above and below fell silent.

That's when the memory hit him.

Wind whipped at his face and rushed by in his ears as he ran across the rooftops with a large smile on his face. A younger Jason Todd, dressed up in his Robin outfit, was enjoying himself thoroughly as he jumped to the next rooftop and continued his run. It would have been better with Bruce there, running a few steps ahead. Casually looking around when really he would be looking back to check on his charge.

But Bruce had been working late at Wayne Tower and couldn't make it home for his and Jason's regular nightly patrol. So against the older man's orders, Jason decided to go out alone.

It was his second year as Robin and he felt that he was capable of handling a night patrol on his own. He has gone on rather dangerous missions solo. Well, he would go in first and Bats would show up later. But it still counted on solo when he took out a large fraction of whoever they were facing. That is why the newest boy wonder snuck out when Alfred was nestled away in the kitchen working on cleaning up the dishes from the dinner he shared with Jason.

Now here he was flying high above the city of Gotham and enjoying this immense freedom he held. Sure he was aloud in many parts of the Wayne manor and could even head out for a walk around the city for a few hours or so. But none of that compared to this. Watching the city lights blur as he ran by, hearing the on goings of the nightly dwellers, and the stars. The stars were always so beautiful and shone so brightly. It was his favorite part of patrolling. Whenever he and Bruce find a moments rest they would just sit there in silence. The older watching the city below and the younger watch the stars above.

Another laugh ripped through his throat as he came to a stop on a high rooftop and surveyed the area below. No sign of any criminal activity, but it was just a slow night. Tuesday's aren't so active as the weekends or Friday really. Though Jason had already been out there a good two hours and Bruce would be home soon. He better get back.

"Please! Someone! Help!"

Scratch the going back part.

With quick reflexes, courtesy of Bruce's training, he was leaping across rooftop after rooftop towards the sound of the distressed voice. He stopped above an alleyway and was met with the sight of a younger boy, a little older than him, being cornered by three large thugs. Jason narrowed his eyes at the thugs and got out a handful of small orb like devices. Silently he jumped down and threw them at the ground in front of the thugs. They exploded upon impact startling the men back.

As the smoke cleared they came face to face with the boy wonder who was standing in a defensive position in front of the other boy. Eyes narrowed behind the mask as he held a batarang tightly in his hand.

The men stared at each other with wide eyes before casting cautious glances up above as if waiting for another being to come dropping down from above. They were looking for Batman, Jason realized faintly.

"You better leave this kid alone before things get bad." He warned giving the thugs and open chance to walk away before they got their asses handed to them.

"Kid owes us money. We came to… Collect.." The one who appeared to be the leader of the group said stepping forward and glaring at Jason. "Move aside, boy. Before you get hurt." He growled and took another step forward.

The young boy wonder's eyes grew cold and he tightened his grip on his weapon. He looked faintly back at the older boy and a silent message was somehow passed between them. Maybe because Jason was a street rat at one point and knew what it was like to be in this position. Then he turned his attention back to the three thugs.

"Last chance." A snorted laugh came from one of his friends.

"Kick his ass Jimmy." One of the two said before 'Jimmy' smirked and launched himself at Jason. A dark smile crept across Jason's face as he launched himself towards the other and jumped upwards at the last second to land a harsh kick to the older man's face. Cries came from both of his friends when Jimmy slammed into the ground heavily kicking them both into action. Neither of them realized the kid they had originally cornered was running out of the alleyway and taking off down the street.

Jason busied himself with landing blow after blow on both men attacking him. His attacks were coordinated and held a lot of power to them. That's how his reputation as a different Robin was most known for. Whereas Dick was one for speed and fancy moves, Jason was one for direct strength and cunning attacks.

It worked well in his favor more than once. One of the two crashed face first into the wall after Jason vaulted off the other and landed both feet on his chest. There was a sickening crack signaling the guy was going to be down for quite some time. His focus was all on the last guy now. So far the third man had been holding his own well, showing signs of fighting experience. He blocked the stronger of Jason's attacks and landed a few punches of his own. The younger kept coming though and refused to give in until the older went down.

Everything went downhill the moment he caught sight of the third guy looking behind him grinning like a madman. He barely had time to turn his head before the sound of a gunshot filled the air.

Pain blossomed from his left shoulder causing a cry of pain to fall from his lips as he grasped his wounded shoulder. This allowed the third guy to land a kick to his gut knocking him back to the hard cold ground below. Jason grunted as he rolled with the force of him falling and landed on his back.

Shakily he sat up and pressed his hand to his wounded shoulder again. He didn't have to look to know it was bleeding. The immense fire like pain in his shoulder was enough evidence for that fact. Jason trembled partly from the pain and from fear. He needed to get out of there now. Not only was he injured, but two of the thugs were on their feet and making their way towards him. No way was he going to be able to hold them off. It was at this moment he regretted his choice of going out alone. He was in deep shit here.

"Told you to get lost, you little fucker." Jimmy snarled as he reached Jason first and picked the masked boy up by the collar and shoved him against the wall. Another grunt from the younger as his wound was jostled. The man wrapped a meaty hand around his frail throat and added pressure. Panic fluttered in his heart as he used his good arm to try and pry the man's fingers off his throat. His lungs constricted and his heart hammered in his chest like crazy. This was how he was going to die, for making a fatal mistake and not listening to Bruce. Tears burned at his eyes at the thought.

This was it for him. He was going to die here. Without Bruce there, or Alfred, hell he even wanted Dick there! Someone he knew and trusted so he wouldn't feel so alone when he died.

'Bruce…. I'm so sorry….' The young boy wonder thought as black spots began to cloud his vision.

Suddenly the pressure on his throat was released and he was dropped to the ground. Limply the boy just lay there waiting for the thugs to do something, anything, to end his life. But instead he heard grunts of pain and the sound of two bodies hitting the concrete. Then suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and a gentle hand tilting his head up.

"Jason?... Can you hear me?" Jason's heart stuttered at that voice. It was Bruce. Bruce was here and he saved him. He wasn't going to die. Carefully he began to weakly open his eyes and stared at the face of his father. Wearing his full Batman gear as well. A small frown of worry on his face.

"B-Bruce…" The younger mumbled weakly. All he wanted to do now was have Alfred check him over and then go to bed. For a week. That sounded like a very good plan to him.

"It's alright. We will get you to the cave and Alfred can check you over." Bruce mumbled as he looked at the wound on Jason's shoulder. He didn't like the look of all the blood. Of course the bullet would have to be taken out which wouldn't be fun for his adopted son. Carefully he gathered the semi-conscious boy in his arms, only earning a small groan in response.

"How did you….?" The boy tried to ask but his mind was growing fuzzy and eyes heavy. It's been a very long tiring night for him.

"Alfred informed me of your leaving the manor in your full gear. Seeing as we already had a planned route tonight, I knew you would follow it. Thankfully I found you." Bruce mumbled as he carried Jason to what he believed would be the Batmobile. "Jason, you were supposed to stay in the manor. What compelled you to sneak out and try to patrol on your own?" The older man's voice was rough and tense. But that was just because he had been worried out of his mind.

"Wanted to… Prove that I could…. Be trusted to work… Alone." Came the slurred response as he settled his son in the seat opposite of his own. "Didn't work out…. So well.." A cracked smile came across the youngers voice and Bruce let a small smile of his own pass his lips.

"Jason… It's not that I don't trust you to work on your own. I have yet to teach you everything I know. But you are improving every day. Soon you can start to work on your own. And when you do, I will still be here to help you along the way." The older man spoke softly as he got in the high tech vehicle and began to head to the manor.

"You promise?..." Surprise spread across Bruce's face as he cast a small glance at his son.

"What?"

"You promise…. To always be there… To help me?" His voice was soft and full of so much emotion. Jason had taken off his mask the moment he was settled in the Batmobile so now those bright teal eyes, so innocent and full of life, were staring at Bruce wide and filled with emotions. His heart softened at the sight and he nodded.

"I promise Jason. I will always be here for you."

Jason was trembling as he was pulled from the memory back into the eternal darkness that surrounded him. He had forgotten about that night. That night so long ago that seemed so insignificant a week later. The promise he had Bruce make that night seemed so silly at the time. He brushed it off as he was losing blood and he had almost suffocated to death. That he wasn't in his right mind.

Now, years after the experience, the words burned in his mind. Bruce really had been there for him. Sure he wasn't there when he first clawed free of his grave, but Jason hadn't exactly gone straight to him now did he. He had instead walked a great distance from the grave site and collapsed on the side of the road. Yet once Jason came back to Gotham and revealed himself as the Red Hood…

Every time he got in a load of trouble one of the Batbrats or Bruce himself had been there. Either to get him out of trouble of to patch him up after. Even now, after all the shit he has done to the ones who call themselves his family, they would still fight to keep him alive. Fight to protect him.

Tears burned down Jason's eyes as he stared up at the darkness before him. No other person has ever really made as big an impact on him than Bruce and them. His biological father abandoned him when he was young and didn't give two shits about him. His adoptive mother over dosed and left him to fend for himself. Hell, his birth mother handed him over to the fucking Joker!

He never made any real friends as a kid. Avoided others like the plague. But Bruce… Bruce showed him a kindness no one else has ever shown him. Gave him a home. Gave him confidence. Gave him a family.

Jason felt regret and guilt eating away at him now that he thought about this all. He has tried to kill all of them multiple times. Has argued and fought with each and every one of them. Treated them horribly and tried to push them away. And they only ever tried to pull him back. Back to their family. Back to being one of them.

How could he have been so stupid? Sure he probably won't ever forgive Bruce for not killing the Joker. Though he could try and be a part of the odd grouping they call a family. It was his only chance at having one and really, who better than Batman and his birds?

Suddenly a light began to shine down on Jason, cutting through the darkness and giving him a glimmer of hope. If there was a light there was a way out. He began to reach into the light finding himself struggling with the water that seemed to grab at his clothes and force him back down. No, he wanted to go back. Needed to try and work things out with Bruce. Work things out with all of them.

There seemed to be a low howl coming from the water below as he tugged and fought letting the light consume him. With one last grunt he was pulled free and shot into the light like a bullet.

Behind him the water howled in anger at the prospect of another victim.

His attention was turned back to the light which began to grow brighter and brighter until he was forced to close his eyes.

Don't worry guys. I'm coming.