Jason didn't like being controlled. He'd been on the bad end of other people's choices most of his life. His parents drove their lives into the ground like red necks playing chicken with borrowed tractors. His step mother was a drug addict staggering her way into an early grave. His father was one of Two Face's goons. Dad's criminally insane boss helped him into an early grave. His biological mother was into embezzlement and had gotten mixed up with the Joker. Jason and his mom had died. Bruce took him off the streets and with three months training was pretending Jason was the vigilante version of his dead son throwing him at the dark side of Gotham. Talia had brought Jason back from the dead to serve her father, the leader of a cult of assassins.
Jason was angry. It felt like he'd been angry his whole life but he'd had enough of other peoples spectacularly destructive lives messing with him.
Baby Bird had said angry works if you're in control of it. Tonight, Jason was Red Hood to the core. No control was left. Without even his guns, he threw himself at the first violent nut jobs he came across. Jumping into a minor gang war with nothing but brass knuckles, a police baton and a taser was stupid. Actually it wasn't stupid, it was STUPID!
Jason took off his helmet and tossed it in the dumpster he was slumped behind. He'd been stabbed in the stomach. The thought that he was going to die, huddled behind a dumpster, because he was too busy throwing an angry hissy fit to think straight, had sobered him. The evening was a blur. He had some first aid supplies and he did what he could to take care of himself but it wasn't going to be enough. He could hear the sounds of the gang war still continuing around him. Gun shots echoed in the night. Screams could be heard, glass breaking and things smashing. It's the lullaby of my freaking life thought Jason.
Dick felt the golden watch that Ironman or Tony had given him vibrate. He'd kept it even if it didn't work perfectly with local technology. Something about it's radio signal was very difficult to detect. Maybe it was because the watch belonged in another universe? Dick looked at the watch. It was a bio-metric alert from the tech he'd tagged Jason with when his big brother helped him go visit Bruce. Jason would be ticked if he'd known Dick had tagged him but well Batman, Robin, years of training...
Jason was in trouble. Robin would have to help. Batman and Jason were too busy being weird with each other. Robin had adapted the GPS in his watch to work locally. Robin slipped on his mask and tightened his utility belt. The night swallowed the small boy like a ghost in fog.
It was the smell of the smoke screen that woke Jason. Only Batman used that particular smoke.
A small shadow in the mist ate gangsters with web coloured like ash. It pounced down with devastating kicks then flipped away into the sky. A bird shaped throwing star pinned one thug's gun hand to a wall and Jason shook with pain and revelation.
No.
Tiny hands pressed against his wound and Jason was crying because he'd been furious that Batman might let his baby brother on the streets. The thought of it had made him sick at nights but Batman was nowhere to be found and Robin was giving him a determined brave little smile as if to reassure him everything would be fine.
Suddenly Wally West was lifting him. Little Robin climbed on West piggyback style and in a few minutes more they were at the backdoor to the Gotham Free Clinic and Doctor Leslie Thompkins was fussing at him.
"Jay?" spoke Robin worriedly. "You know Batman's going to come right?"
"Yeah," answered Jason looking at the blood covering Robin's hands but he didn't get a chance to say more because the good doctor put a mask over his face and before she could instruct him to count backwards from one to ten, the room blurred.
"You know I don't do this any more, right?" Wally asked Robin.
Robin looked at Wally giving him a helpless and confused look.
Wally shook his head and chuckled lightly. "Come on bro, let's go get you cleaned up. As soon as we've done that, call Bats and let him know where your at, though he probably already knows."
Batman was currently facing off with Commissioner Gordon over reports of a preschool sized Robin taking on a gang war successfully. Red Robin looked the Commissioner right in the eyes.
"Would you believe I got hit with a shrink ray? Obviously I am normal size now," spoke Red Robin.
The two bats melted into the night scowling but offering no further explanation. Robin called and they continued to the Gotham Free Clinic though the Batmobile was already half way there. Oracle was off line. Barbara was headed to the G.F.C. too.
"Sooo.. you know how Jason was dead?" spoke Batman to Red Robin who looked over. "He got better. He's Red Hood. Robin sneaked out to rescue him from a potentially fatal injury."
Red Robin's eyebrows raised. "Red Hood the killer?"
Batman gave no response.
Batman and Red Robin stealthed into the back of the clinic.
Wally stayed until he saw Batman. "Hey, I've got a Robin here who really needs his Batman," Wally hadn't even finished his sentence before Robin launched himself at Batman.
"Thank you," Batman muttered to Wally as he passed.
Wally fist bumped Robin to say goodbye. "The tux fitting for the wedding is the week after next on Thursday. Don't be late." Sighing a little, Wally belatedly remembered to pass over a plastic bag with Robin's uniform gloves in it. They'd not been able to wash the blood out. The dark of night, the gangs with knifes and guns, even Batman's potential disapproval hadn't bothered little Robin but Wally had to put the gloves out of sight to get his little buddy to stop shaking. Artemis would be waiting up for him. The entirety of Robin's call for aid could be summed up as...
"Rob? Calm down and repeat that?" Wally had spoken as he answered the com-link still tucked in the side table beside his drawer.
Artemis had looked over and spoken only one word. "Go!"
Jason woke to the feel of silk sheets, the smell of lemon furniture polish and the soft rumble of Bruce's voice.
"Little burrito bat, go to sleep," Bruce's deep soft voice teased.
"No. I want to see him wake up. He is going to wake up right?" That voice could only be the baby bird. It sounded tired and cranky and like he'd been crying.
Jason's eyes opened a crack and he looked over. Bruce was sat in a high backed wing chair beside the bed holding a squirming baby bird that he kept playfully snugging up in a blanket; flipping the blanket over the little guy's face then peaking in and teasing, "Go to sleep, burrito or I'll eat you up." He then pretended to nom, nom, nom little Robin who was all wrapped up in a blanket like a, well,... like a burrito.
"Don't eat me!" Robin shrieked giggling.
Damien, Jason corrected himself blearily. He goes by Damien in civies not Robin.
"Shhh! Oh, never mind. Look who's awake," spoke Bruce softly, gently. "Jason, how are you feeling?"
Jason would later insist it was the drugs. He started crying silent tears. It had never until this moment occurred to him that the Batman he had known had been anything less than a higher power that he could trust with his salvation or blamed for his damnation.
Jason knew the history. Batman had been created after Bruce's parents had been murdered in front of him. How stupid had he been as a child not to realise a hurt and damaged person was hiding behind the cowl. The death of his son who he'd taken in and shared his whole world with? Batman was just as freaking lost as he was. Jason wondered if the revelation would stick when the drugs faded from his system.
Robin or Damien, Jason supposed, wriggled away from Bruce and untangled himself from the blanket he was wrapped in. He was dressed in pj's covered in skateboarding floppy earred rabbits. He brought Jason the tissue box and held it up for him looking ever so worried.
Jason reached out and sleepily and ruffled Damien's hair with a pained smile. Damien smiled back at him tentatively then yawned obviously exhausted.
"It's a big bed," spoke Jason softly. "Climb up on the other side and go to sleep baby bird."
"Still not a baby," grumped Damien but he climbed on the bed and in moments was asleep with both his small hands holding tight to one of Jason's hands.
Jason stared at him for a moment. Cute little bugger. It felt all warm and squiggly to be worried about in that hug my teddy bear kind of way. Oooh man,... they must have me on some serious meds.
"If it's not too creepy for words, I'll guard your sleep. Rest Jason. We'll talk but it can wait for now," spoke the pod person Bruce.
"A little creepy but not super creepy," muttered Jason blearily thinking back to when he'd been younger. Too creepy for words... a much younger Jason told Bruce that once. "I am such a Joker's fart of a broken mess."
"Umm," answered Bruce with a soft hum of agreement and oddly enough commiseration.
The next while was something of a blur to Jason but probably the most terrifying thing was that the Red Hood Helmet had been found by police with DNA that had been linked to Jason. Police had been by the mansion. Lawyers in crisp pressed suits. The police commissioner had wanted to talk and Jason was pretty heavily drugged. He wasn't sure what he'd told anyone. He knew he had the intent to keep the 'Big Secret' but as his medication was reduced and Alfred came with broth and soda crackers the first food he'd had in an indeterminate time Jason asked Alfred what was going on.
"What do you remember Master Jason?" asked Alfred kindly.
Alfred and Damien had been constant and non-judgemental. Tim had been wary and watchful. Bruce had been just weird, too kind, too understanding, too not Batman. There had been yelling but the Baby Bird had family freaking out radar and, well no one really wanted to fight in front of Damien. Alfred must be acting as Damien's informant. They were working together or something.
"I know I was outed as Hood. Was anyone else outed?" Jason asked. Whatever his problems with Bats, exposing the identities of Batman, Red Robin and Robin was not something he wanted.
"No indeed. The case is going well. No untruths have been spoken but not every secret has been revealed. Every criminal investigation withholds some secrets Master Jason."
Alfred had gone on to explain that the truth had come out that Jason had been taken against his will by a criminal organization intent on brainwashing him to act against Bruce.
Kind of hard to have an opinion about being taken when he was already dead, thought Jason. They must be implying that he was never really dead or something.
Alfred further explained that the police now understood, the Joker was involved with Jason's initial disappearence however due to a lack of available evidence, this portion of the reported events was unconfirmed.
Jason was pretty sure Batman was ensuring no evidence involving Joker was available. It linked too closely to bat secrets. Okay so he'd been firmly established as a victim of crime?
Oh... yeah the brainwashing and chemical madness from the green goo... Jay remembered babbling to lawyers, social workers and psychologists about that. He remembered the Gordan chick helping Damien show complex math charts the little guyed prepared, illustrating how Red Hood incidents of violence had trended down since his initial exposure and escape from the assassins guild.
He remembered thinking why for the love of Two Face's tears won't anyone get the Baby Robin back in daycare. The smiley face stickers on the charts and Damien's desperate defense of him was soul crushing.
"Alfie? Bruce was in a big rush about this all?" asked Jason confused.
"Yes Master Jason. He wanted to ensure that you would have the best opportunity to be given the benefit of the juvenile court system."
"What day is it, err rather month is it?" muttered Jason. Jason had completely forgotten that in the eyes of the law he was still a minor and could potentially be tried as a minor. He hadn't felt like a child for years.
"You're birthday is very soon but with the proceedings almost complete we are hopeful."
Jason wasn't sure how he felt about that. He remembered confessing to killing people. Would his confessions even be admissible given how out of it he'd been? What verdict was even right? He remembered Tim hanging back in the shadows but always there if Damien was visiting; watching him like a hawk. I might be all kinds of scum but I wouldn't hurt the Baby Bird, thought Jason resentfully.
Jason actually had to go to court for the final shebang. He was still wheelchair bound. He'd managed to mess himself up good.
He was going home? He was under house arrest for a year. He'd have regularly scheduled visits with a shrink. Because he'd been tried as a minor the details had been kept out of the press. He, Jason Todd-Wayne was legally alive.
He remembered the last question the judge had asked before she'd passed sentence. It was a long winded version of would he be able to stop himself from killing again.
Jason had looked over at his, his baby brother then looked back at the judge. "Your Honor, everyone has limits. I can't tell you I wouldn't kill to save my own life because it ain't true. There are people I will always need to protect, family, friends who are as good as family who fall into the same category." Harper and Roy were waiting in the coffee shop across the street to learn what would go down. "Don't even get me started on how I feel about the Joker but other than that? I don't need to kill."
It was Gotham. The Gotham justice system had a strong precident towards second chances even for the potentially undeserving. The poor street urchin with the tortured past, adopted by the city's beloved prince then kidnapped with his family convinced he was dead. The poor victim brainwashed until he was a killer in a Red Helmet was getting a second chance. Apparently in Gotham wanting to kill the Joker was acceptable and the Judge thought his honesty about killing if his family or friends were threatened was proof of good will and the power of therapy or some crap like that.
The ankle monitor he had to wear was a joke, thought Jason. An ankle monitor to make sure the police knew if he left the Wayne estate? His baby brother could hack it in his sleep.
The clean slate kind of bothered Jason. He knew it wasn't going to turn him into an angel.
Tim was still wary. Bruce was still a freaking pod person. He wasn't angry enough. He was too patient and too forgiving. Alfred was always a constant. Damien was this weird mix of big brother and baby brother. He was a mischievous conniving little devil, no one could hope to control but he was so good hearted you couldn't really stay mad at him. He was really fun to tickle.
Alfie said Bruce would grouch up good when he'd had some time to forget to be thankful for the two dead sons restored who he'd been given a second chance with. Well, thought Jason, that wasn't quite how Alfie'd put it but Alfie was too eloquent to quote easily.
Damien kept getting ear infections where he'd spike kinda terrifying fevers. Doc Leslie insisted on surgery now rather than in November. Following one surgery at Gotham General, he was whisked up to the Watchtower for a second surgery by the Martians. The Martian chick kept Robin in dreamland sans sedation while the Martian dude did some telekinetic micro repair with the help of high tech Watchtower medical devices doing stuff.
A Baby Bird who could hear: was extra loud, less careful and honestly didn't seem to listen much more than he ever had. And he liked to dance acro style hip hop and sing and jump on beds way too much and his little friend Cat the concert violinist? That kid only made it 10 billion times worse! Bruce just had to get Dami that stupid tiny violin. Cat could play so sweet it would tame Ivy's plants but Dami sounded like he was torturing cats.
Bruce finally got to hear the song Dami'd learnt while he was away from home. Gah! It was a sap fest! Cat helped Dami polish it on violin then backed him up on piano and Dami'd spoken the words, the freaking Boy Wonder even was too embarrased to sing the words they were so sappy and that kid was a show off from way back.*
The Wayne grounds were large and Bruce, who Jason still had problems with was gone most of the day. Jason did get antsy for the dark wild streets and a less confined life. Depression settled around him. He felt like half of a person.
Clark had written an article just recently and had come to the manner to show Jason in person. Dami thought Superman was sliced bread. Jason could agree with Bruce on one point. The Superman worship was super annoying. Anyway Mr. Kent had written an article at Dami's request to counter some of the gossip rag stuff that had been getting Jason down. Everything seemed to be getting Jason down. The more he healed the more trapped he felt.
Roy keep him supplied with smokes but Bruce was trying to get him to quit and Alfie only let him smoke outside. The no drinking was kind of depressing too but it was a little law, it wasn't worth breaking it. Police, social workers and psychologists were all watching. It was only a few years till he'd be twenty-one.
Jay sat and resignedly read Clark Kent's article. Part of it stood out. "...An anonymous youth whose identity is protected under the juvenile justice system was drugged and brainwashed into a world of violence. Despite the best efforts of villians and evil minded criminals the boy's sense of justice redeemed Joker's legacy of the Red Hood at least a little. Rather than fall completely into darkness, this Red Hood's worst, fell upon the most evil of criminals..." Well, maybe Superman didn't completely suck. Jay smirked.
"But Jay you're just like Nightwing from the legend Uncle Clark told us. You're twice born and made new! I know you're going stir crazy! So am I!" piped Robin. They were down in the Bat cave.
"Birdie, Bats will never let me on the street again."
"It's in your blood and it's a part of who you are. You can't be Hood but you could be someone new."
"I do like the bird but the blue ain't my style. Make the bird red. Oh and I want electricity piped through those wacking sticks; like you said that Black Widow chick had. Supes you gotta stop telling this guy bed time stories. You're giving him ideas," teased Jay with a devilish smile.
"Don't you two dare blame this on me!" protested Superman.
Robin furiously set to colouring a new picture. His crayons were scattered all around. "Do you want a mask, a helmet or a cowl?"
"Master Jason if you must do this, please start on the team. There are good people there that know how be a hero without loosing your heart. Please my boy, do not close yourself off like you have in the past."
Jason respected Alfred so his reply was non-hostile. ''I think most of them are too shiny to want anything to do with me." Man Alfie was quiet. No one even heard him come down into the cave.
"There's Arsenal and Red Arrow," offered Robin.
"Conner has expressed interest in moving away from the team and branching out into something a little more hardcore," spoke Superman. "He is not interested in joining the League."
"I can suggest a few others," spoke the gravelly tone of the Bat. "We need a group to work a little outside the strict boundaries of the League. The Young Justice team is still a proving ground for younger more idealistic heroes..."
"Outsiders?" Jay looked back at Batman astonished.
The end? The beginning?
* "A Bird Without Wings" was a major inspirational song in this fic and the one that proceeded it.