This takes place about two years after Dick leaves the Titans.
For reference, Bastion is the codename the Bats use for Commissioner Gordon since they don't want anyone to accidentally hear something and find out he's still working with them, which would compromise his job. Likewise, The Nest is the codename Alfred uses. I know Agent A is more common, but I couldn't actually find evidence of him using that name. More importantly, though, I felt like his Nest alias was more fitting since it's harder to tie back to him and it symbolizes how the bats think of him as home.
Listen, Jason knew it was stupid. He knew he should have kept walking.
But come on! It was the Batmobile. The Batmobile was just sitting there, unprotected, in Crime Alley. Honestly, how could he not steal from it?
The engine compartment and the inside were all too well protected, but the security on the wheels was way easier to circumvent. He'd gotten three off before he heard something behind him and swung around.
Batman stepped back just in time to avoid a tire iron to the knee.
Jason cursed and tried to run, but the Bat caught him easily.
"That's enough," he said, taking the tire iron away before Jason could try to hit him again.
"So what now? Juvie?" the boy growled and Batman set him back down.
"Now you're going to put them back where you found them."
Jason snorted and crossed his arms. "Why should I?"
"Simple. You put them on, I take you home. You don't, we wait here for the police while I do it."
"Well, if I'm going to lose either way then I'll go with the one where you have to do the work." Jason felt a shiver go down his back at the Bat's glare, but glared back anyways.
"Where do you want to go, then?"
Jason frowned. "That's it? You're not going to insist I go home?"
"In my experience, children don't purposefully choose juvie over home unless there's a good reason."
Jason's nose scrunched up and he looked away.
"So where do you want to go?"
He considered how he wanted to answer as he glared at the ground. Then he shrugged and said, "Africa."
"Africa?" Batman asked incredulously.
"Hey, you're the one who asked."
"Why Africa?"
"None of your business."
Batman grunted and crossed his arms. "Anywhere specific or do you want to be left on a random dune in the middle of the Sahara?"
Jason blinked. "Was that a joke?"
"No. Answer the question."
"I don't know. Just Africa."
"It's a large continent."
"I know that! I'm not stupid! I just… All I know is she's in Africa. I'll figure it out from there."
"She?" Jason scowled at the man and he sighed. He knelt and tried to grab Jason's shoulder, but he jerked away before the man could touch him. If that upset the Bat, he didn't show it. "Lad, I can't just drop you off in the middle of a foreign continent, not without a good reason."
"I wouldn't be the first kid you've kidnapped," Jason muttered.
Batman stood. "Alright, I'll call the police then."
The boy scuffed his foot against the floor. "Whatever."
The Bat watched him for a moment then nodded and stepped off to the side. He raised a hand to his ear.
"My mom," Jason said and Batman turned back to him. "After my mom - my step-mom - died, whenever he'd catch me being upset, my dad would tell me to stop complaining because she wasn't even my real mom. He'd say my birth mom ran off to Africa. Figured whoever she is, she has to be better than him."
"And your dad is?"
"Willis Todd."
Batman nodded. "I've heard of him."
"Did you hear he was dealing with Ennio Terzi?"
It was so subtle that Jason almost didn't notice even though he was looking for it, but Batman stiffened.
"Yeah," the boy scoffed. "He was going to introduce us."
"I see." He held out the tire iron. "I'll see what I can find on both your parents."
Jason considered telling the Bat exactly where he could shove the tool, but this was probably his best chance at actually tracking down his mom. Who could find her faster than the so-called World's Greatest Detective? And if he did get kidnapped and brainwashed into being the next Nightwing, well, that still sounded better than Willis.
Honestly, it sounded better than juvie too. Willis had enough connections to get to him there.
Jason took the tire iron and got to work.
Batman studied the boy he'd caught stealing his tires as he asked Batgirl - who was at the cave working on a case - to pull up what they had on Willis Todd.
The boy looked to be around eleven, though there were hints of malnourishment that could be making him look younger. He was fair-skinned with freckles across his cheeks and nose alongside a thin, recent-looking scar. His hair was wavy and naturally black, but sunbleached to the point it leaned more towards red. He was thin, but his frame spoke of a height and broadness that was being held back by a lack of food. He was practiced in stealing, given how fast and sure his hands were as he dealt with the tires. It was a shame, really, given he was very smart, having managed to get the tires off the Batmobile without triggering anything.
Batman hoped he could get the boy settled somewhere where he would be safe to rise to his full potential.
"Short version, not much," Batgirl said when Jason was finishing up the first tire.
Calling Todd an eel would be an insult to eels. On the surface, he was an upstanding citizen and the proud owner of one of Gotham's biggest casinos. Under the surface, he was one of the lesser crime bosses in Gotham. He didn't have any of the fancy gimmicks of the big names and he didn't have the power of shadowy people like Thorne, but he was slippery, slimy, and careful with plenty of people lined up to take the fall if something didn't pan out. Everything they had on him was circumstantial at best, but it was enough to tell Batman what kind of man Todd was. There were also signs that Todd and Terzi had been in talks, though it hadn't gone anywhere which Batman could now put down to Todd's bargaining chip disappearing.
The boy, Jason, was registered as being the son of Willis and his late wife Catherine. Catherine had died in prison, having taken the blame for her husband after the FBI got too close. The boy had disappeared a year earlier while being transported to his father's casino. There were differing accounts on if the boy had been taken or had ran, though Batman was now sure it was the latter.
"I don't think this one's going to be solved in a night, B."
"Agreed."
"Which means you better figure out a place for the kid quick. You've been spotted. The call just went out, but the nearest car isn't far. I'd give it five minutes at most, but probably less."
Batman turned back to Jason to see him moving onto the last tire. He dropped down next to the boy to help him finish. He was surprised the boy didn't flinch away, though he did scowl at the man. Once they were done, he stood up and said, "I need to go. There's a youth shelter a block north of here that's safe. I'll find you once I've tracked down your mother."
The boy grunted and Batman opened the car. Police sirens filled the air as he slid inside.
"Um, B?" Batgirl said over the car's comm once he was racing away, amusement tingeing her voice.
He grunted.
"You know, the guy that called you in? He was still on the phone. He… Well, hear for yourself," she snickered before an audio file appeared on the car's media screen and started playing near the end.
"- just standing there a-Hoy sh-There's a kid down there!" a man's voice said.
"A kid?" a woman's voice asked.
"A boy."
"Nightwing?"
"Younger. He's talking to him, kneeling near the car."
"Can you give me a description?"
"Uh, maybe. It's dark. Um, he's White. Got black hair, a red jacket. His clothes are kinda baggy. He-OH NO!"
"Sir?"
"He just got into the car, and the kid got in after him. He's taking the kid!"
Batman stopped the audio and turned on the autopilot before swinging around to glare at the backseat.
Jason glared back at him despite the fear in the boy's eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"The police were coming. I wasn't going to stay there and get picked up."
"I told you to go to the shelter."
"There's no such thing as a safe shelter," Jason scoffed. "You're just trying to get out of our deal."
"I'm not."
"I don't believe you."
Batman shot the camera above the screen a look when Batgirl's poorly muffled laughter came through the comms. "You're not helping."
"Sorry, but you're officially a repeat offender, B. Wing's going to be upset, you know. Especially with the timing."
"He's not staying."
"I'm not going anywhere until you find my mom," Jason argued, apparently having his confidence boosted by the young woman's teasing. He crawled into the front seat to better give Batman a defiant look.
"Kid, you have to stay somewhere."
"Keep me wherever you keep Nightwing," he said with a shrug.
"Nightwing lives with his family." Dick had moved up into the manor once Dick Wayne had become public knowledge. His old room was still there, but no one had touched it since.
"Yeah, sure," Jason said, not sounding convinced. "But you said you'd take me to my mother if I put the stupid tires back on."
"I have to find her first."
"And I'm sticking with you until you do."
"Kid -"
"I'm not going to some stupid shelter so CP&P or one of my dad's guys can find me."
Batman sighed and conceded that point. The shelter he'd recommended was a safe place, but that didn't mean Willis couldn't have one of his men keeping an eye on it in case Jason showed up.
"Batgirl, contact Bastion and bring him up to speed," he said and directed the car into the nearest entrance to the cave, ignoring the small victorious sound that came from next to him.
"He's not going to be happy. This is going to cause a new wave of people protesting to have you brought in."
"I know. He'll be even worse if you don't give him a heads up."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sending the message now… You don't think they'll try to rescind the ban on the League, do you?"
"After what happened last time, I would hope not."
"Who's that?" Jason asked.
"The Nest."
"Will Master Jason be staying in Master Nightwing's old room?"
"Oh Wing will love that."
Batman had planned to have Jason stay there, but Batgirl's comment made him rethink. She always was the best with emotions. If she thought it would upset Dick… "Set up one of the beds in the infirmary for him. He won't be with us long."
"Of course, Sir."
Jason's head was on a swivel as they pulled into a massive cave Batman told him was called the Batcave. He thought it was a stupid name, but the fact that it was the secret headquarters for the guy who'd managed to escape capture from both the Teen Titans and the Justice League probably made up for it.
If it didn't, the cave itself did.
There was a giant computer with a ton of different screens in different sizes. There were motorcycles modeled after Batman, Batgirl, and Nightwing. There were tall glass cases against a wall, all empty except the one with Nightwing's old suit hanging in it. There was some sort of museum thing that had a bunch of stuff, including a giant penny and a robotic t-rex.
Then there was Batgirl and The Nest waiting for them.
Batgirl looked the same as ever while Jason had never heard of The Nest. Which probably made sense, since he didn't exactly look like he was about to go kick butt. He looked really old and wore a fancy masquerade mask instead of the practical cowls or domino masks the others wore. It was black with swirling silver designs that looked a bit like bats and birds while dark gray ribbons kept it on his face. He also wore a neat suit that made him look like the butler in a book Jason had read while hiding in the library.
He was even holding a tray with a plate of food and a glass of juice on it. Jason looked up at the Bat as he remembered how The Nest had called him Sir. "Is he your butler?"
He couldn't figure out if Batman being rich made no sense or too much sense. Sure, he had a lot of cool stuff, but why would a rich guy risk getting himself killed to help people? Rich people only cared about themselves.
Unless he was an adrenaline junky. That'd probably explain the whole kidnapping thing too. Tick off everyone and all that. But then why help Jason?
"Be respectful," was all Batman said before turning to Batgirl. "Did you get a hold of Bastion?"
She nodded. "He's not happy, as expected. He said if Jason ends up in a suit and we don't give enough warning for him to get vacation time during the reveal, then he's handing us over to the wolves."
"He's not staying and he's definitely not getting a suit.
The Nest hummed.
Batman gave him a look while Batgirl fought down a smile.
Jason was led to the infirmary by The Nest while Batman and Batgirl went to whisper at the computer. He showed him to the bed that had been prepared, apologizing that it was only a medical bed. Jason accepted the tray of food without pointing out how he'd been sleeping in boxes or on the floor of abandoned buildings for the past year.
He may have given the man a look that said that, though.
He ate the food then passed out. If asked, he'd say it was a calculated move.
When he woke up, the cave was empty. Unfortunately, he couldn't access the computer. Or the motorcycles. Or the gadgets. Or Batgirl and Batman's suits, which hung in their own cases next to Nightwing's. He could, however, look around the museum at all the supervillain swag (even if he still couldn't touch anything!).
He also found what he assumed was "Nightwing's old room." It was pretty bare, just a bed, wardrobe, and a dresser with a large flatscreen on top. As he searched the drawers and found them empty, he wondered where Nightwing had moved to. He knew the younger vigilante spent most of his time in Blüdhaven, but he'd figured Batman would still keep him close at hand. Wasn't that important for the whole kidnap and brainwash thing?
Even better than Nightwing's room, though, was finding the awesome gymnastics and acrobatics setup in a small cavern off the main cave. He knew Nightwing had been a circus kid before the abduction, so he assumed it was for him.
Jason spent a good hour practicing the parkour and freerunning skills he'd picked up on the streets before he realized he was being watched. He turned to see The Nest sitting on a bench, watching him as he sipped at a cup of tea.
"How long have you been there?"
"I've been keeping an eye on you since you awoke. Would you like some breakfast now?"
He frowned at the idea of the guy creeping on him, but nodded anyway.
"Any preferences?"
Jason faltered. How long had it been since he'd had the pick of what he could eat? Before he'd run away? Before his mom - his step-mom - had been taken away? Before she'd started using?
Had he ever had that choice?
"Uh, pancakes?"
"Of course. Do you want something in them or would you prefer them plain? Perhaps blueberries or strawberries? Bananas?"
"Chocolate chips?"
The sigh he gave told Jason that was the answer he'd expected, but he was still disappointed.
Why did Jason feel bad for disappointing the random butler guy?
"Very well. Anything else?"
"Maple syrup? Oh, and orange juice! Um, please."
"Right away. Feel free to continue amusing yourself in here. I believe Master Nightwing's old television is still connected if you'd prefer to watch that as well. We can discuss other entertainment options once breakfast is over."
Other entertainment options turned out to be a handful of movies and books as well as a soccer ball (which The Nest stubbornly called a football) that Jason brought into the gym to play a fun mix of Keep It Up and the Floor is Lava. The Nest also offered to bring down some of Nightwing's video games from wherever he disappeared to that Jason wasn't allowed to follow (he was pretty sure the cave connected to Batman's house, but The Nest refused to answer his questions), but Jason had never played a video game before so he didn't know what he would like.
Jason was reading a fancy edition of the Odyssey (it looked old with an expensive-looking leather cover and pretty watercolor illustrations every few pages) when a teenager came marching into the cave. He had warm olive skin with messy brown-black hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a black dress shirt with gray slacks and a blue sweater vest.
Jason realized he must be Nightwing just before the older boy yelled, "Hey, old man! You in here, you jerk?"
Noting the anger in his voice, Jason tucked himself further into the little hidden alcove he'd climbed up to.
"Master Batman got home shortly before yourself. He will be down in a moment," The Nest said, slipping into the cave from a different entrance. "You did not return here last night. Are you injured?"
"I'm fine. I was just tired so I stayed at the safehouse. But if I'd known the night Dad had, I would have come home instead. What the hell, Alfie?"
The Nest cleared his throat. "As I'm sure you've heard, we have company."
He nodded his head to the side and Nightwing's turned until his gaze locked onto Jason. "Shi-"
"Language."
"Shoot. He really did it."
"He did. I would suggest putting on a mask, but I fear that it might be too late."
Nightwing chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck as he turned back to The Nest. "In my defense, I would have worn a mask if someone had thought to tell me Dad kidnapped another kid and had him in the cave."
"That isn't quite what happened. Your father will explain. Do you have homework?"
"No." The Nest stared Nightwing down. "Maybe, but it can wait until after Dad tells me what the he-eck is going on."
The man tutted, but dropped it. Instead, he turned to the younger boy. "Master Jason, please come down and introduce yourself."
Jason considered his options, then stuffed the book into his jacket and climbed down.
It was Nightwing. The guy could get up to his hiding spot in seconds if he really wanted to attack Jason.
When he was on the floor, he walked over to the two. He frowned as he spotted the blue and gray tie hanging loose from Nightwing's neck and the golden emblem of Gotham Academy on his vest's left breast. Batman sent his kidnapped kid to (rich, snobby) school? How did that work?
"I'm Jason," he says, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Nightwing."
"You know I know you're Richard Grayson, right?"
"Not my name," Nightwing huffed, turning to The Nest. "Didn't you guys explain anything to him?"
"We're not keeping him," Batman said and Jason jumped. The three of them turned to see him walking in, already suited up.
Which was weird because his suit was definitely still in the case.
"Hey, B! Why the heck did I have to learn you kidnapped a kid from the gossip mongers at school?"
"Why aren't you wearing a mask?"
"Because I had to learn you kidnapped a kid from the gossip mongers at school! I didn't know I had to wear a mask in the cave!" Nightwing threw his hands in the air to exaggerate his point as he began to pace. "What the f-heck, B? I make one comment about moving out in August to live closer to university and you get a new kid? Seriously?"
Oh, that's what Batgirl meant by timing, Jason thought with a snicker.
Wait, why would Batman let him leave? Unless...
Batman wanted someone younger. Someone easier to control.
Jason narrowed his eyes at the two.
Meanwhile, Nightwing was still going.
"I'm going to Gotham State! I'll be right over the river! I already promised to come by every weekend or so! And you still felt the need to replace me? What the -"
"This has nothing to do with you," Batman finally cut in, grabbing his shoulder to stop him. "And I'm not replacing you. I told you, he's not staying."
"Then why's he here?"
"I'm tracking down his mother. The kidnapping was a misunderstanding." Batman sent Jason a look. "He snuck into the Batmobile."
Jason flipped him off.
Nightwing gave a cough that was very poorly hiding a snort. "So he's not getting a suit?"
"No."
"Because that's one hell of an origin story."
"No."
"He caught the kid stealing the tires off his baby," Batgirl said, popping up out of nowhere.
How did she get her suit out of the case without me seeing? Jason thought, glancing over at the cases to see hers was missing, unlike Batman's.
"He did what?" Nightwing laughed as Jason contemplated the Bats' power. He focused back in when Nightwing turned to him and slapped his shoulder playfully. "Kid, you've got a death wish and I love it!"
"Had three of them off before he even got there," Jason said, puffing out his chest.
"We really need to upgrade the security on the Batmobile," Batgirl chuckled as she stepped away from Nightwing's attempt to use her as a crutch, causing him to fall over in his laughter.
It took Bruce a little over a week to narrow down Jason's possible mothers to Sheila Haywood. Although he didn't let it show in front of Jason, this left him a little unsettled. The woman had put a little too much effort into trying to cover her tracks for Bruce's comfort. He asked Barbara to look further into her before he left for Ethiopia with Dick and Jason.
He hadn't planned to bring his son, but the boy was on winter break and there were reports that Joker had connections in the region that Batman figured they could look into while they were there.
Nightwing chaperoned the meeting between mother and son, both for the boy's safety and as moral support. Not wanting Dick Wayne to be seen in Africa, he'd worn sunglasses and covered the bottom half of his face with a scarf while Jason had used temporary dye on his hair to give him his natural black so they could pose as brothers. He stayed back when they found her and kept watch, but he thought it went alright.
He didn't realize that she'd spotted him. That she was in contact with the Joker. That she'd overheard the clown discussing the rumors of Batman's recent abduction of a black-haired child. That she'd connected it to her son's miraculous ability to track her down.
After the meeting, Nightwing took Jason back to the hotel room to meet back up with Batman while Sheila went to a warehouse to meet up with Joker.
The boys were in high spirits when they got to the room, which waned when they were greeted by Batgirl telling Batman, "- wanted on Haywood."
"Why are you talking about my mom?"