Jason Todd x OC

Word Count: 1,504

Summary: A fateful night in Gotham City sends a young girl spiraling as she discovers a part of herself that could spell disaster for those around her.

A/N: Jumping right into things with this, it's gonna be one hell of a ride so hang on.

/

The night air was cold as it rushed in through the open second story window, while rain lightly pattered against the grounds down below. The weather did nothing to lighten his mood however, as Jason was still upset over the argument with Bruce. The older man always shot down his ideas, not even bothering to hear them out most days. Which was, in his opinion, bullshit. Complete utter bullshit. His adoptive father's words echoed in his head as he paced his room, double checking that he had what he needed.

"That's not how we do things Jason. Don't stoop to their level Jason."

He zipped up the front of his red hoodie for a little extra warmth as well as his leather jacket for the safe feeling it provided, strapped on his belt, and holstered his guns just as a precaution. Even he knew a simple stroll through Gotham was never just a simple stroll. He did leave his tactical suit and locator in his room however, wanting to leave absolutely no possibility for Bruce to try and go after him and bug him about coming home. He almost left his cell phone there too but knew better than to completely cut off contact with the rest of the family, no matter how pissed off he was. Instead, he shut it off, slipped the device into his pocket and leapt out the window of Wayne Manor. Head ducked down as he crossed the back garden, using the bushes and fountains for cover. While it may have seemed like an unnecessary precaution, Jason knew Bruce well enough that the cameras would be recording and actively looking for him.

Leaving the estate had been an annoying trip, but then again, when you were trained to sneak in and out of places for a living as a child, it was like second nature. Staying unseen as he made his way towards the outskirts of Gotham City had been harder however, as getting seen by the wrong person usually meant a gunfight and a bullet for Alfred to dig out of his shoulder later, along with another argument with Bruce. Something to avoid at all costs tonight. He had done well for the first hour, but now it was a little past eleven, prime time for criminals to be out and about, and it was also when Gotham truly came alive.

Finding his way towards his usual empty buildings, he could barely see the city lights and neon signs lighting up the cloudy sky while he climbed, eventually settling down on the left building's roof, his favorite lookout, just gazing at the life in the distance through the rain. It may have seemed stupid to the others, but to Jason it was a sight he thought he wouldn't get to see again after the incident. Ever since, he never took the small moments for granted, in fact they became some of his favorite moments. Reading a book in the library with Damien, playing a game of chess with Tim, going out for a morning run with Dick. Even sharing breakfast with Bruce. Not that he would ever admit that to the man's face.

He sat there just watching for at least an hour, his jacket slowly getting heavier as it soaked in the rain. Shaking his head, Jason shook himself from his thoughts, dropping back down into the empty alley between the two buildings grumbling about how he probably should head back before the rain got him sick and how his jacket would need a few days to thoroughly dry. He dusted the damp dirt off his pants and took a step towards the alley exit when another sound caught his attention, soft muffled screams... They didn't carry an excited tone like the ones from Gotham's sports fans but there wasn't any accompanying pleading or begging like there normally would be if it were a break in. If there was, it was hidden by the patter of rain on the stone buildings, however he knew this was different. Well for Gotham at least. Most criminals liked to make a show of their victims in some twisted competition of who was worse. Just the thought made him sick, anger bubbling in his gut as he silently made his way down the back of the alley towards the source of the sounds: a dilapidated brick building.

Most of the wood paneled roof had rotted over the years with the excessively rainy weather, and the bricks on the farthest corner were slowly crumbling away, separating from the building. Glass windowpanes were broken, some missing completely from their rusted casings. The situation didn't look promising, but he couldn't ignore the fact that someone was most likely being gutted by a psycho. Setting aside his annoyance and the cold chill settling over his shoulders, Jason carefully started to scale the building, the eroding mortar making it easier to create hand holds, but also carried the possibility that he would be sent falling to the ground in a pile of brick rubble.

The closer he got to the top of the building, the harder it was to keep quiet and the less balanced he had, as the bricks were barely held in place as it was. Cautiously peeking through the gap next to an empty window frame, Jason could see a small fire tucked under what remained of the rotting roof, a man with a serrated blade knife, and a girl who looked roughly to be 18, possibly younger. Her wrists were bound above her head to a ceiling beam with a thick rope, her knuckles and fingers stained red with blood. No doubt from trying to fight her captor and loosen the ropes. The light of the fire glinted off her tear-stained face, her cries muffled by the gag stuffed in her mouth. Draped behind her was a ratty white fur blanket, the fur closest to her hands matted and stained dark red. Based on her condition she'd most likely been here for at least a day, maybe a few.

She was dressed up in a white wedding gown, the long sleeves torn by the shoulders and at the ends, one completely torn off, laying on the ground by her feet. The layers of the skirt were ripped on the left side and draped down onto the floor a few edges dark with dried blood from the gash on her thigh. Based on her appearance alone, she wasn't going to make it another few days if she didn't get medical attention soon, however he doubted she'd make it through the night with the psycho in front of her brandishing his blade.

"You ruined everything. You ruined your dress, you ruined the photos, just like you ruined our wedding. You ran off to the cops so you could be a whore without getting any punishment from me. Well. You can't run away now, can you? No one left to save you."

She let out a muffled, panicked whimper against the musty gag as she wriggled her already bruised wrists against the rope bindings, a last ditch to get free. Terror took over her face as the man stepped ever closer, knife in hand repeating the words "You ruined us, so I will ruin you." like it was some biblical scripture. Her gaze flickered around the room, then back and forth between the man in front of her and to Jason, who was currently creeping to her rescue through the empty window.

Jason lightly shook his head at the girl as if to say, 'I'm not here', pulling his focus on taking light, quiet footsteps as to not alert the attacker. All it would take was a swift crack to the back of the head with the butt of his gun, and the man would be down for the count. But since when has anything ever gone according to plan? Just as he got close enough, the man whipped around, smacking Jason across the face before shoving him to the ground, enough to disorient him for a few seconds. The man used those few moments to cut the girl's binds and drag her towards the exit of the room, picking up the gun that had clattered to the floor.

The poufy wedding gown and the gash in the girl's left thigh made movement hard and only served to slow the psycho down. Weighing his options, he shoved the girl to the floor and pointed the gun at Jason, grinning as he pulled the trigger. When nothing happened, he tossed the gun and lunged at Jason, the two devolving into a mess of fists, punches and grunts, slamming across walls, stumbling over rubble, and eventual rolling across the floor, the serrated knife plunging into Jason's shoulder while the gun slid across the floor.

"You dumbass! Shouldn't have tried playing the hero in something when it's none of your business. You kind of remind me of Batman. Sticking your nose where it doesn't belo-"

BANG.