Jason Todd x OC

Word Count: 1,480

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: IF YOU ARE EASILY TRIGGERED BY DESCRIPTIONS OF ABUSIVE SITUATIONS, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU INSIST, THEN SKIP TO THE UNITALICIZED TEXT AT THE BOTTOM. DON'T BLAME ME FOR WHAT'S WRITTEN WHEN YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN AMPLE WARNING. Bit of a flashback for this one, filling in some backstory. Sorry this one took a bit longer, I really wanted to get the feeling right. This has some heavy topics in it, as well as major references to other media that covered the topic. If you know, you know. I'm hoping the next chapter will be more uplifting. As always, enjoy!

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"It's been 6 months now Jason, I think it's time to face facts."

WHACK!

"Ungh… mff… shnd…"

"Repeat that a little louder kiddo. I think you may have a collapsed lung! That always impedes the ability to converse."

Joker strutted his way over to the young male on the floor, brandishing his choice of weapon for the night. He seemed gleeful and proud of his work as Jason looked up through bruised eyes. He had mumbled while trying to collect all the blood that had pooled in his mouth, spitting in the face of the deranged clown.

"Now that was rude. The first boy blunder had manners. I suppose I'm going to have to teach you a lesson so you can better follow in his footsteps."

"Fuck you."

"That's the spirit! You're a chip off the ol' bat block. Not that it'll do you any good."

WHACK!

The feeling of another rib cracking under the heavy impact of the crowbar made Jason want to scream, cry out, something, anything, but he refused to. Refused to give the criminal any sort of satisfaction. Where was Bruce? Why wasn't he here cracking his knuckles across Joker's jaw? He should have been able to find them by now, although as he thought about it, he wasn't sure how long it had been. All sense of time was gone. For all he knew the endless torture could have happened over the course of 6 months like the man said or 1 hour. Feeling the metal crowbar slam down onto his side made Jason curl up into a ball, scrunching his eyes shut as he tried to keep silent.

Opening them again, something felt different. His body was heavy, almost like his feet were coated in lead. Looking up, his wrists were bound in rope, his fingertips numb. Looking down, his feet were just inches from the floor. His uniform was bloody, torn at the shoulder and hip from a knife fight prior to him passing out. Joker regularly had people sent down to "play with him" inmates from Arkham asylum who were escorted by a guard, someone who had been bribed most likely. Judging how easy it was for the inmates to get in and the strange markings drawn all over the room, Jason figured out he was being kept in the abandoned wing of the Asylum. Specifically, the cell the founder, Amadeus Arkham, was kept in when he went insane.

"Wakey wakey."

The tapping of metal on stone broke the younger male out of his thoughts, all senses on high alert as he tried to scan the room. The noise continued from behind him, getting louder as it got closer. The excited tone of the Jokers voice sent chills down his spine, leaving his mind racing with all the possible torture methods he would have to endure for their time together. The sound of sizzling made him whimper, struggling against his binds.

"What's wrong? Do you think I'm going to hurt you? Why? I'm not the bad one here. Oh no, no, no, no. It's Batman. He's abandoned you. Thrown you away. Replaced you with that new kid of his."

"No, he wouldn't…"

"So this… Isn't him? Huh. Usually the ears are a dead give away."

Joker appeared in front of Jason, holding a newspaper article with a grainy photo of Batman with another Robin. He wouldn't have believed it had the article's date been way past the day he was taken. It had been almost ten months past to be precise. Joker hadn't been lying… Bruce had left him behind with this psycho and found someone else to replace him. This had to be a trick though… Bruce would never be so cruel… would he? Sure, he had his cold shoulder moments, but to leave him behind in the hands of their worst enemy, to be tortured and abused night after night. That didn't sound like Bruce.

"I didn't want to show you that Jason, I really didn't… But you needed closure. Oh don't worry kiddo, you can be my sidekick now! Imagine it! You and me, out on the streets, a real dynamic duo!"

Jason's eyes widened in panic as the Joker laughed like the maniac he was, before swiftly lifting the glowing red poker iron to the wound on his shoulder. Letting out a shriek in agony, Jason opened his eyes, the sound of medical monitors and harsh white lights flooded his senses. His shoulder burned as he went to move, instinctively reaching for his thigh where his gun would be holstered. He panicked as the gun was nowhere to be found, his vision blurry as he adjusted to the lighting.

"Jason… It's alright, you're okay. We're in the Batcave."

Bruce's voice snapped Jason out of his fight or flight response, the younger male reaching out, his hand trembling as he did. Bruce's face came into view as he felt the man's hand grasp his, grounding him. He lightly tugged on the older man's hand, wanting him closer, wanting the comfort of knowing this wasn't some twisted dream. Bruce not only stepped closer but sat on the table, pulling the smaller male into his lap and holding him. Jason clutched onto the male's shirt, burying his face into Bruce's chest as he sobbed, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke.

"Please… Don't leave dad…"

"I'm not going anywhere son, I'm right here I promise."

Bruce shifted slightly as he pulled out his phone, texting most likely Dick, before he settled again, both arms cradling Jason who trembled in the embrace. He was safe, he was loved, and he wasn't going back to that wretched Asylum. Bruce would rather eat a bullet than let him go back, but it didn't stop the nightmares from haunting him. Just when he thought he was past them, they'd always come back, and stronger than before. More vivid, more real sometimes than when it had actually happened.

Nuzzling further into Bruce's arms, Jason took a deep shaky breath, the older man's cologne easing his nerves. They stayed like that for several minutes, just holding onto each other before footsteps echoed down into the cave. Stealing a glance towards the sound, Alfred came into view, holding a glass of water and most likely some ibuprofen. If anything, Jason was more glad that Alfred had come down alone. He hated the idea of his brothers seeing him like this, a grown man behaving like a child. Alfred however had seen him as torn and beaten as could be and at the lowest of low. He and Bruce had sat through every nightmare, every hallucination, every panic attack after they rescued him.

"Master Jason, I brought you some painkillers as well as a few snacks for you and Master Bruce. I thought the two of you might be hungry after everything that happened tonight. You both did miss dinner after all."

"Thank you, Alfred. You can set them on the table, Jason and I need a moment."

"Very well Master Bruce. I shall return to the study should you need me."

Watching the older man leave, Bruce undid the medical sensors that were still attached to the younger male's body and slowly stood up, carrying Jason to the chair he rolled over earlier. They settled in as Bruce gave him the medicine and water, softly stroking his hair like he used to do when he first took him in. His eyes fixed themselves onto his son's pale features, glad he was alive. Jason however, looked back up at the man, slightly confused. He wanted to ask what was wrong, why he was staring at him like that, but the other spoke first.

"I'm sorry… For everything."

"Bruce…"

"I said some awful things to you Jason, and I regret every word. I would never kick you out of the house, no matter how much we disagree on something. After everything that's happened, I know how much that would destroy you and to have thrown that in your face like I did… It was inexcusable. I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know that you will always have a place here in both the Manor and the Batcave."

Jason felt completely dumbstruck at Bruce's apology. He wasn't expecting it, and their argument from earlier had been the farthest from his mind at that moment, but his eyes began to water. He and Bruce always got into it more than any of his brothers and usually they'd sort things out, forgive and forget. But this was different. Bruce loved him, Jason knew he did, but hearing the older man say that he'd always have a home with him lifted a weight he didn't know he had been carrying. Jason wrapped his arms around his father, hugging him tightly.

"I… I love you dad."

"I love you too Jason."