GOTHAM CITY
JUNE 30TH 2013 02:15 EST
Honeybee skittered across the edge of the roof. Her twin space buns were neatly nestled on top of her head, bouncing lightly as she moved, barely enough to be noticeable. She stepped onto the ledge of the building and looked down at the street below her, taking in the thin illumination of the closed businesses beneath her. It was an unusually quiet night for Gotham – she had only stopped a mugging and then a failed robbery attempt, and she had failed to notice a single one of Gotham's more infamous rogues.
Honeybee sighed and stepped back from the ledge, before vaulting forward to do a flip over the expanse and onto the next building. She landed on her feet; her arms spread wide to keep her balance. Honeybee supposed maybe it was time to call it a night. Gotham didn't seem to be in any real pressing danger, and her corner of the Narrows was exceedingly quiet. Maybe tonight would be a good night to turn in early. Waspia was home sick after all, and Honeybee felt uneasy without her older partner. She had become so accustomed to her presence, that being without her felt wrong. Like a phantom limb was missing from her body, cut off and out of reach.
Honeybee had just about decided it was time to call it, when she heard a gruff voice from the alley below her. Her eyebrows shot up under her mask, and she peeked over the edge of the roof, seeing two men talking in the alley below her. She frowned and dropped down into the fire escape to get closer, gritting her teeth at the chittering of the metal as she moved. The men didn't seem to notice, too involved in their conversation.
"I need my money, George," one of them said, standing tall over the man named George, who was cowering back.
Betty narrowed her eyes. This could not be good.
"I just need a little more time," George replied. "Please, if you –"
"Time's up," the man growled. Betty saw the glint of metal, and she sprung into action at the sight of the knife. She flipped through the fire escapes down into the alley below, and just managed to reach the ground as the man cornered George in the back of the alley.
She landed in a crouch, and she jumped to her feet, racing to the two men. George caught sight of her, and the relief on his face was palpable. Honeybee cursed under her breath as the man with the knife turned around at his expression. There went the element of surprise.
The man snickered at Honeybee, and she frowned, dodging the swipe of the knife aimed at her. Knives always made her job so much harder, as she wasn't invulnerable or had advanced healing like some of her friends. She was just normal flesh and blood – which meant the wrong nick of the knife could be fatal.
She swiped the legs out from underneath the man, and he was sent crashing to the ground, the knife falling out of his hand with a clatter. She turned to George with a frown.
"Go! Run!"
George did as he was told, taking off past the two of them in a rush. The man growled as he saw George pass, and he reclaimed the knife, standing with a fury. Honeybee raised her arms to block any swipes of the knife hitting any important organs and readied herself for the fight that was to follow.
The man charged at her, and Honeybee dodged the swing of the knife and then rose back up to hit him in the face with a punch. The man stepped back, and Honeybee tried to kick him, but he was quick enough to avoid it. She grimaced and avoided a second attempted swipe at her, stepping clear out of the way, which only made Honeybee grimace even more.
"You little bitch!"
Honeybee rolled her eyes at the name – she had been called worse by far worse – and she reached for the arm the knife was in. She grabbed hold of it and pressed hard on his wrist, causing him to wince and pain, dropping the knife onto the floor of the alley with a small clitter.
"Ready to give up yet?" she asked. Honeybee did not give them a chance to answer, as she kicked him square in the chest, sending him reeling back onto the ground. She knocked the knife further out of the way with her foot and stepped forward as the man rose back to full standing height, rubbing at his neck with a grimace.
"Not quite," he hissed. He rushed her, but didn't reach her, a birdarang flying from the rooftop. It scrapped the man's arm, and he let out a grunt of pain, reaching for the trail of blood now lining the side of his arm.
"You sure about that?" a voice taunted, and Honeybee rolled her eyes. From the rooftop came Robin – but not Dick's Robin. No, this was Jason. There were enough similarities you could believe this was the same person just in a new suit, but because Honeybee was looking she could tell. The sleeved were no longer quarter length, the black fabric reached all the way down to his wrists. Black lines accented the red torso, looking almost like spider webs coming from the center of the suit. The gloves were abandoned in favor of a technological gauntlet on their left arm, and the boots were tighter, with a red stripe running up the side.
Robin smiled wickedly and raised another birdarang from where he stood between Honeybee and the man. The man growled again and tried to rush the both of them, but the two were ready. Robin dodged a punch aimed his way with his gauntlet, and Honeybee unhooked her lasso, flying it out so that it hooked around his feet. She pulled, and he fell onto his back with a loud thud. Robin took advantage of him being down and punched him in the face, knocking him out for at least a few minutes.
Honeybee unhooked her lasso and looked to Robin; her hands akimbo.
"I had this on my own," Honeybee said. Robin grinned and crossed his arms.
"I was in the neighborhood, thought I would lend a hand," Robin shrugged.
"Uh-huh." Honeybee wiped at her sweat lined forehead. "And where might the Batman be?"
Robin's cheeks colored red, and Honeybee knew that Robin had run off. Jason had taken to being Robin like a fish to water, albeit bumpy water. He was a fine Robin, he had a heart to help people and he was well-trained, but he had a penchant for bucking authority to do his own thing. Honeybee knew it was something that strained his and Batman's relationship.
"He's never going to let you join the Team if you keep doing this," Honeybee pointed out. Robin frowned and jutted out his lip in a slight pout, looking for once like the thirteen-year-old he was in the suit. "The Team relies on following Aqualad's authority – you can't just run off on your own."
Jason may be able to visit Mount Justice and even knew every member of the Team, but Batman had forbidden his newest protégé from joining officially. Honeybee didn't know if part of it was to give Dick (now Nightwing) his own space as a hero, or if it was purely because Jason had yet to prove he could follow someone else's lead without going off on his own. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Honeybee couldn't be sure.
"Well, prepare to eat some crow," Jason said, smile growing. "Because he's letting me join the Team!"
Honeybee blinked. "What?"
Robin? Join the Team?
Fear and pride mixed in her chest. Fear, for what the Team did was dangerous, even if it was no more dangerous than what Jason did nightly in Gotham now. But Betty had made a promise to herself all those years ago, in the Batcave, that Jason would not die, would not be in too much danger. That he wouldn't be another Waspia.
But also, there was…. pride. Her little brother wasn't so little anymore. He was thirteen now, with a superhero identity. He was due to start high school in less than a year. He was going to be a great addition to the Team, Honeybee knew that no matter how scared Betty might be for her little brother.
Honeybee smiled and held back from hugging Robin, keeping in mind their secret identities.
"That's great, Robin. Really. Now help me tie this goon up before he wakes."
GOTAHM CITY
FEBURARY 12TH 2014 15:37 EST
"Easy on the cinnamon Marianne," Betty counseled, and the pre-teen bit her tongue as she poured the cinnamon in the bowl of batter. She picked up the container of cinnamon and looked up at Betty, hoping for approval, and Betty smiled at the little girl. Alex looked up from where he was texting on his phone on Betty's couch and smirked.
"Ignore her Marianne," Alex interjected. "Measure that with your heart."
Betty rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, that's enough cinnamon."
Marianne seem sated by Betty's council and put down the container of cinnamon next to the bowl of muffin batter. Betty had finally gotten around to teaching Marianne how to bake, and the little girl was showing wonderful proficiency. Betty knew it wouldn't be long before the girl was showing up Betty in the baking field.
Alex shifted on the couch and looked over the top of his phone, most likely where he was texting his new girlfriend, smirking.
"There's never too much cinnamon," Alex insisted. Betty sighed and picked up a spoon, acting like she was going to throw it at the boy.
"Too much cinnamon overpowers the muffins, Alex," Betty said. Alex rolled his eyes and returned to his phone, and Betty turned back to Marianne. Marianne was smiling, holding back a laugh, and Betty reached for the cut-up bits of apples that were sitting in a small, clear bowl.
"Now for the most important bits of apple cinnamon muffins," Betty sagely said. "The apples."
Marianne took the bowl and poured the apples over the batter, and Marianne then reached for a spoon. She began to mix the bowl unsurely, her movements uneasy as the spoon began to twirl around in the batter. Alex hummed from his spot on the couch and Betty ran a hand through her hair as she watched. She smiled at the little girl as Marianne looked up at her, face reading nervousness at her task.
"You're doing great Marianne," Betty assured, and the creases in Marianne's face disappeared.
"Thanks Betty," Marianne whispered softly. Marianne had never outgrown that shyness that Betty had first encountered in her, and Betty was willing to bet that was something that she was just going to have to grow out of as she got older.
"It sure does smell good from over here," Alex interjected. Betty sighed and leaned against the counter.
"It's just the batter, Alex, we haven't started baking it yet," Betty said. Alex stuck out his tongue from the living room, and Betty shook her head. Marianne put down the spoon and looked at the batter, frowning, and turned to Betty, ponytail swinging as she moved.
"Is it mixed enough?" Marianne asked anxiously. Betty grinned warmly and put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's perfect, Marianne," Betty calmly said. She squeezed her shoulder softly. "Don't doubt yourself love. You're doing great."
A soft pink dusted Marianne's cheeks and bridge of her nose. Marianne was shy and humble, a soft-spoken girl who often questioned if she did anything right. It made Betty want to wrap Marianne in a hug and tell her that it was okay, as Betty could remember when she was eleven. Fresh out on the street, costumed and ready to fight, she felt like a pretender, like she could do nothing right. It was a horrible state of mind, and Betty didn't want Marianne to grow older with that kind of mindset. It was toxic and detrimental, not good for a girl or anyone to have.
"Now let's put these bad boys in the oven, shall we?" Betty asked, and Marianne giggled softly. Marianne and Betty carefully spooned the batter into the muffin tin and then set inside the broiling oven to cook, setting the timer and then making their way over to where Alex was still sprawled out on Betty's couch.
Marianne lightly hit her cousin's leg, and he pulled them back so that Marianne could find purchase on the couch. Betty took a seat calmly across from them in a soft blue chair, crossing her legs so that her knees hit the armrests.
"What'cha reading so hot and heavy over there?" Betty asked. Alex's eyes danced across his phone screen for another moment and then looked up at his ex-girlfriend.
"Taking a 'which Justice League member are you' quiz?" Alex answered. Betty laughed, not bothering to stifle it, while Marianne's eyes lit up and she leaned forward towards Alex.
"Can I do it after you?" Marianne questioned. Alex nodded once and then clicked on his phone, most likely to answer the question. Betty sighed and rolled her eyes, leaning her chin on her hand.
"You realize those things are like super fake, right?" Betty said. Betty actually knew the Justice League, for with them and against them, and she knew each member was too complex to be boiled down into a category for others to slot themselves into. They were real people, with loved ones and flaws, more than just the symbol they were for everyone else. Betty herself had seen a 'which sidekick are you' quiz, and had decided that the whole lot of similar quizzes were poppycock when she ended up getting Kid Flash.
(Wally, for his part, thought it was hilarious.)
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Of course, they are, Betty, but they're still fun to take, party pooper." He returned to his phone and clicked on it again. "I'm trying to rig it to get Wonder Woman."
"Doesn't that defeat the whole point of the quiz if you're just going to try and get a specific person?" Alex lolled his head back to look at Betty like she was a right fool, and Betty rolled her eyes at Alex.
"Once again, way to take the fun out," Alex pouted. Marianne giggled and laid her hands in her lap.
"I want to get Honeybee," Marianne revealed, and Betty furrowed her brow.
"Marianne, Honeybee's not on the Justice League," Alex interjected. "She's like not even an adult yet."
Marianne pouted and crossed her arms, jutting out her bottom lip. "Well, she's way cooler than them anyway."
Betty's heart warmed, and she felt a small blush rise to her cheeks, one she quickly shook off before her friends could notice.
"She was the first girl sidekick!" Marianne continued. "I used to watch her on the news all the time when I was a kid."
"Marianne, you're like, twelve. You are a kid," Alex pointed out, which earned him a jutted out tongue from said twelve year old. Marianne leaned back against the couch, smiling widely, face flush with excitement, seeming to come alive as she grew comfortable with the conversation.
"I'm just saying she's like…..an icon," Marianne said. Betty leaned forward, smiling gently at Marianne.
"There's an actual Icon, you know. And he's actually on the Justice League," Betty teased lightly, and Marianne huffed.
"You know what I meant," Marianne grumbled, and Betty laughed.
"I do, Marianne. She's a big deal to you." Marianne's face lit back up and she clapped her hands together, and butterflies erupted in Betty's stomach. Betty knew that to the people of Gotham, Honeybee had become one of their protectors, someone people could look up to and rely on. But it was another thing to see someone she knew, and knew well, admire Honeybee and look up to her – as Betty knew every time Honeybee failed. Every time Honeybee fell short of what a hero could be.
But Marianne….she just saw the good in Honeybee. All the things she did to protect Gotham and the world, the times Honeybee lived up to their expectations.
Alex put down his phone finally and smiled wickedly. "I'll bet you five bucks that her and Robin have made out."
Betty's nose wrinkled at the same time that Marianne called out a "Gross!".
Alex shrugged like it was no big deal. "Really? Two teens going through puberty in high pressure situations? Look me in the eye and tell me it didn't happen at least once."
Betty – who could look him in the eye and tell him that – shut her eyes as her mouth twisted into a disgusted frown. The idea of kissing Robin, past or present one, made her stomach turn. For the second and current one, it was easily explainable why. She had known him since the boy was ten years old, seen him through thick and thin as his unofficial official big sister. He was his little brother, plain and simple, and the very thought alone was beyond disgusting.
But with Dick…..
Betty supposed once upon a time, if they lived in a different timeline, the thought wouldn't be so terrible. She had harbored a crush on him early in her hero career, but it was a school-girl crush, puppy love if you could even call it that. She was eleven and he was ten, and he had known so much and down such cool tricks, any eleven-year-old girl would think he was the coolest boy to exist.
Now though, he had become such a good friend to her, the idea of becoming anything more felt wrong somehow. He was attractive, sure, and smart and kind, but when she thought of him like that all she could think was that he was going to make some other girl very happy. Their was no want to make him hers. She supposed it made for a good story – literal partners turned friends turned lovers, but…it just wasn't the story laid out for them.
"That's gross, Alex," Marianne dismissed for Betty.
"Just wait until you get older, it won't seem so gross then."
GOTHAM CITY
JUNE 13TH 2014 01:47 EST
Betty very rarely used a motorcycle. It just wasn't in the MO of the Beehive (the official name for her and Waspia), they were more likely to run across the rooftops and fling themselves across the sky like bugs flying in the night sky.
But of course, there were exceptions.
Honeybee's motorcycle raced across the Gotham streets, weaving between the cars that were still out at the late hour, caring not for the annoyed honks they were sending her. She had a far more important task at hand than not annoying people on the highway.
Jason. She had to get to Jason.
In front of her, Batman and Nightwing were racing as well to get to Jason's whereabouts. Jason had been captured by the Joker while on patrol nearly two days ago, and his tracker had been turned off, leaving them to find him. The three of them had searched madly for days, sleeping not and focused solely on bringing the young teen home to them.
But it had been for not. They had had no leads, no clues to reveal to them where Jason could be. Even for the World's Greatest Detective, there was nothing. The Joker once again was proving himself to be Gotham's greatest enemy by taking one of their heroes and hiding them away, hidden so securely that they could not be found.
When suddenly half an hour ago, Jason's tracker had gone back online, suddenly with no warning. They knew this was no accident, this was a calculated move on the part of the Joker. It could be a trap, but it could also be the endgame for whatever game he had been playing the past few days. No matter what it was, it was all they had for finding Jason. If it was a trap of not, they had to try.
The tracker had said that he, or the tracker at least, was in a warehouse on the edge of the Narrows. Honeybee had not hesitated to get on her bike and race to where they thought he might be, not caring if she was intruding into an affair of the Batfamily. Jason was her family just as much as he was theirs.
Honeybee kept her eyes narrowed beneath her motorcycle helmet, the helmet hard and too small for her. But the pain of it was summarily ignored, her focus taken away from her and only allowed to think of Jason.
She turned the street corner, now within a few miles of the warehouse. Her tires splattered gravel and mud, splashing in puddles as she raced towards the warehouse. In front of her, Batman jumped off his bike and raced into a warehouse, banging the door open and letting the crash sideways onto the ground. It banged against the cobbled street and Honeybee swerved to avoid it.
The last swish of Batman's cave disappeared into the building, and Nightwing and Honeybee came to a quick stop next to the door, both dropping their bikes and not caring to put up the kickstands. They were in too far a hurry right now to worry about something as simple and trivial as that.
Honeybee stepped inside, and from the moment her foot first touched the floor she just knew. Nightwing raced over to where Batman was crouched over a wooden chair, his large body blacking Honeybee's view of who was sitting in it. But Betty didn't need to see to know. Maybe it was some kind of divine intervention guiding her, maybe it was the familiarity of grief and dread, maybe it was something else entirely, but whatever it was that guided her forward slowly, she didn't know if that foreknowledge was a blessing or a curse.
Tears collected beneath her mask as she stepped closer, and she finally saw the proof of what she knew. Jason was slumped over in the chair, his Robin costume ruined and slashed through, revealing gashes of blood that no longer bled because there was nothing to pump it anymore. He was pale, and his hair was matted to his forehead with sweat that had yet to dry. His mask was town in half, revealing one unblinking, unseeing blue eye.
Her throat caught and she felt her legs give out from underneath her, and she fell to her knees. Beside her Batman remained hunched over Jason, staring at him like if he just kept his eyes on him then maybe Jason would spring to life. A marionette would pull Jason's strings back to life and he would stand, return to them. Nightwing stood on Batman's over side, his hand over his mouth as tears started to fall softly and slowly down the boy's cheeks.
Distantly Betty could hear the police sirens, and she remembered dimly they had tipped off the police in case of the worst. But this was this was the worst…..and they didn't need the police. Joker was long gone, living a dead Jason behind as some kind of message or warning, she didn't know. And in that moment, she didn't care.
Because in that moment, all she could feel was an overwhelming want to have her brother back.
GOTHAM CITY
JUNE 18TH 2014
The funeral was a quiet affair.
For Robin there was no large memorial like there was for Waspia. Batman had sprung into action moments before the police arrived, disappearing with Robin's body and leaving Honeybee and Robin to sort out telling the police it was a false alarm. A trick. Some ploy by the Joker to mess with them. Betty knew why they didn't have one for Robin – once it was revealed that Waspia had died, the rogues of Gotham had felt emboldened, knowing they could take down one of their enemies for good. And no matter how much they missed Jason and Robin, they couldn't let that happen again. The fact that Gotham had killed two of them would embolden them even more – word would get out eventually, but for now they would not advertise the fact.
Betty thought it was all nonsense. Her bother deserved to have the statues, the moving tributes and speeches. He had more than earned it, after dying so horribly. At the hands of the Joker, tortured and beaten for days on end. Jason was a hero, had suffered so much in his life. He at least deserved a celebration in death, something to honor his memory. But those decisions weren't up to Betty. Bruce was Jason's legal father and the patriarch of the group of heroes of Gotham. It was his decision in the end what to do with Jason and Robin's memory, not hers.
In the end, they had decided to bury Jason at Wayne Manor with Bruce's parents, but they held the funeral here, at a gravesite that Bruce had paid a pretty penny to use with no body or gasket. It was amazing, really, what money could do, the requests that seemed insane that they could get away with.
Betty stood at the edge of the small burial plot, dressed in the darkest black dress she had, this dress with no embellishments or bows. It was far too somber an affair for any of that. Bruce and Dick stood next to the empty grave, talking between themselves, most likely reminiscing about some story they had of Jason.
The three of them had been Jason's family, but they had known Jason different. Jason had lived with them for years now, trained him and loved him as their own, legally and officially making them his family. Though Betty had claimed him as her brother, there was a distance that came with no legal or official title tying them together. Betty and they might grieve together, but she would give them the berth they needed. Or maybe she just wanted to be alone as she mourned. Maybe it was both.
Betty's eyes cast across the lawn, where the other funeral attendants were milling around. Wonder Woman and Superman lingered unsurely by the garden gate, funeral programs held tightly in their hands, out of costume and wearing dark clothing. Green Arrow, Artemis, and Roy stood somberly by a tree, talking with Aqualad with unsure frowns. Zatanna and Raquel sat on a stone bench, near by M'gann was whispering something to them.
The funeral had been small. Only a few members of the League and the Team – rather this funeral had been small. There had been the official one for Jason Todd, adopted son of Bruce Wayne. It had been large and open to the public, and it had passed in a daze of shaking hands and half-hearted condolences. This one was quieter, allowing them at least one moment of grief to just themselves before the mission and the world needed them again.
Betty watched them all for a minute more before shutting her eyes. If she shut her eyes, she could convince herself she wasn't at a burial plot. She was at the park. She and Jason were getting ice cream, and he was telling her all about some girl at school he had a crush on. If she focused hard enough, she could smell the cold, crisp smell of the ice cream and hear Jason's laugh as it rang across the air.
But only almost.
"Betty," a voice whispered, and she opened her eyes slowly and turned to where Conner was standing next to her now, staring at her in concern and with compassion. His wide blue eyes looked down at her and he hesitated for just a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder.
Betty smiled weakly at him. "Hey Conner."
Conner smiled in return and squeezed her shoulder
"I would ask you how you're doing but," Conner shook his head, "I know that's a stupid question."
Betty took a shaky breath and stared at the cloud just over his shoulder.
"I-I just miss him, you know?" Betty whispered. "I never – I never thought that he –" She took another breath and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to will the tears to not fall. "He told me, when he first started, that he wouldn't – that he wouldn't be like my mom. That he wouldn't die." Betty laughed darkly under her breath and reopened her eyes. "You can see how well that turned out."
Betty's mind flashed to the night in the Batcave all those years ago, and she wanted to go back in time. She wanted to take Jason by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. Make him see how dangerous this was, make it to where he never became Robin the first place. Because then he would be beside her now, he would be alive and still with her.
Conner stood in silence, not quite sure what to say, but Betty didn't mind. Having him here was enough now, a reminder that while she may have lost her brother, her best friend was beside her still. Betty didn't want flowery words or platitudes; she was fine with silence. Conner reached for Betty's hand and she let him take it, finding comfort in his touch, no matter how small.
"I miss him, Conner," Betty whispered. Conner squeezed her hand.
"I know. I do too."
Betty looked up at the sun, and tried to will Jason back to her.
But he didn't come back to her.
Not yet.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feath is not made perfect in love." – 1 John 14:18
The first part of this chapter used to be a stand-alone, but for pacing reasons I've instead made it the beginning of this chapter. So if you've already read it, that's why it's a repeat.
And….sorry for this chapter, but we all knew it was coming. I originally was going to keep Jason's death completely off-screen in case season 4 contradicted me and just go straight to the funeral, but it felt too sudden for me.
And sorry it took so long. I started school and a new job, so I simply just don't have enough time to dedicate to this fic as I did before. I hope y'all enjoy and thank you for bearing with me.
One chapter left for Part 2, and then we're on to season 3!
Review Replies:
MsRosePetal: Yes, he joined the Team! But…..things got dicey real fast. I plan on having some flashbacks and references to his time with the Team in Season 2, so we'll get to see more of him. I wanted to add in a mission with him and the Team, but for pacing it had to be cut. This is not the end of the line for Jason, even before we get to the infamous Red Hood storyline.
vide0nerd7: I have both looked forward to and dreaded killing Jason off, as I love him to pieces and I just want him to be happy but at the same time as a writer it's just so much fun to write. I didn't focus too much on the actual death, as I wanted to focus on the impact it had on Betty more so we get a good idea of her headspace going into Season 2. She won't be as grief-stricken as Season 1, but it will be a huge impact on her character.
Thank you for patience. Have a blessed day!
-PrincessChess