A/N: Hello! So I pretty much just wanted to stick one of my favorite Robins (Jason) in with YJ!Robin (Dick). A couple notes: First off, Jason comes from a little bit after his team-up with Scarlet and that time he kidnapped Dick and Damian in Batman Reborn. I really didn't like his "evil supervillain" costume that had the bucket helmet, so it's different. He went back to his first Red Hood costume, the one he wore in Under the Red Hood. Also, I'm not a huge fan of him being a ginger, so his hair is black (with the white streak). This takes place after "Denial" in Young Justice.
See bottom for more notes.
OoOoOoO
It happened suddenly, in a burst of light.
Batman had been debriefing the team after their mission to locate Kent Nelson. The team was gathered in a loose half-circle around the Dark Knight, listening idly.
Then, a flash of light, and there was another person in the room with them.
That person was Jason Todd. Who was just as surprised as they were about suddenly appearing in an unfamiliar place.
Jason Todd cursed mentally as seven pairs of eyes were suddenly trying to melt through his red helmet. Unconsciously, he reached for his gun. Then cursed mentally again. He'd lost his jacket (and all the weapons hidden in it) during his fight with Hatter before being transported here. Going on the offensive was not an option. I guess I'll just have to play nice, Jason decided.
"Well this is awkward," the Red Hood said as the heroes (and that's all they could've been, really, considering their colorful costumes) stared at him. Jason did a quick count, unconsciously analyzing the situation like he was taught to. Seven heroes total: Batman (fuck), Robin (shit), guy with gills, guy wearing the S-shield, Kid Flash, girl with arrows, and female Martian Manhunter. Jason had a slim chance of beating the teenagers, but combined with Batman and Robin…? He was so screwed if they decided to attack.
"Who are you? And where did you come from?" Batman demanded, breaking the collective shock of the six other heroes in the room. The Dark Knight seemed to be in charge of this little group, as he appeared to be the oldest person in the room, and all the teenage heroes were oriented towards him. Jason assumed he had interrupted a meeting of sorts. Or, knowing Batman, a lecture.
"Chill, B." Jason noted the Super kid mouthing "B?" at the Martian girl, who just shrugged her shoulders. "I come in peace. And as for how I got here… Pretty sure I took a wrong turn at the portal into the fifth dimension."
Batman narrowed his eyes. "That didn't answer either of my questions."
"Okay I'll admit to not answering the 'who are you?' part. And, yeah, the 'where did you come from?' was total bullshit. I suppose you can call me the Red Hood."
The Dark Knight continued glaring and Jason could tell he was contemplating attack. "The Red Hood was a criminal."
Jason watched as everybody (minus Batman) tensed and shifted uneasily. "But I'm not," Jason said snarkily. He actually kind of enjoyed playing with this Batman. The reactions were a lot less stiff and detached than his Batman. But Jason had his eye on that Robin. He wasn't wearing the shortpants, but the Red Hood did not recognize that variation of the Robin costume. And the Batman costume was varied slightly, too, now that he thought about it. Either this place was far in the future, or it was an alternate dimension…
But no matter what dimension he's in, Jason knew that voice. He was 92% sure that this Batman was Bruce.
"We'll see. And where did you come from?" Batman said, anger seeping into his voice.
Jason smiled viciously underneath his helmet. A perfect opportunity to test his theory. "Oh, you know. My mother's womb. Gotham city. The Bat cave. Oh, and your girlfriend, Talia's, place. Nice lady. You sure know how to pick 'em."
Robin was looking at Batman, wide-eyed. Jason definitely noticed Batman's mouth twitch at the mention of Talia. Definitely Bruce, then.
"Woah, woah, waoh, hold the phone," Kid Flash interrupted. "Batman has a girlfriend?"
Jason couldn't help but snort at the speedster. And, really, he was surprised the kid had kept his trap shut this long. Speedsters had a tendency to talk a lot.
"Two, if he's still dating that crazy cat lady," Jason said, waggling his eyebrows at Kid Flash (even though the teen couldn't see it).
Batman growled and half of the team reflexively took a step back. The Red Hood was silently proud that his fellow Robin was unfazed. Live with the Bat long enough, and his intimidation tactics become less… intimidating.
"You have ten seconds to tell me why you know so much about me and who the hell you are."
Jason grinned.
"Just an ex-partner from a different dimension. The usual," Jason said casually, brushing some dust off his armored Kevlar shirt.
Amused, he watched as Bruce's eyes widened and Robin studied his mentor carefully, trying to decide how to react.
"What? No contingency plan? I guess my Batman's a bit more paranoid. And prepared," the anti-hero added. Oh, how he loved to watch the man under the cowl bristle…
Batman turned to Robin, and gestured to him. He didn't recognize the hand signal, but Jason figured Robin would.
Bruce turned back to Jason. "You, Robin, and I are going to have a talk."
OoOoOoO
"I really don't see the point in handcuffs," Jason said to the young Robin, who was leaning against the wall of the interrogation room.
Jason kicked his feet up onto the metal table and laced his handcuffed hands behind his head. There was a lock pick sewn into one of his gloves, and he tried to subtly get it out. It was in a pocket on the inside of the middle finger of his glove, virtually invisible.
"So…" Jason began. Batman had ordered Robin to watch him while he went out to contact the Justice League.
"Tim Drake?" Jason tried. If this Batman was Bruce, this Robin was probably one of the Robins he had in Jason's dimension. Jason had heard whispers of the Replacement starting a team with a Super clone and a speedster. So, logically, that was his first guess as to who Robin was.
Robin didn't respond, just gave him an odd look.
"That's your name, isn't it?"
"No… My name is—" Robin cut himself off.
So, it wasn't Tim. It couldn't be the little Demon, because he would've gotten riled up at the mention of Talia. And Jason himself was a little shithead when he was Robin. This Boy Wonder was pretty mellow. So that only left…
"Dick?" Jason asked incredulously.
Robin stiffened and Jason immediately knew he was right.
"Holy shit, that's hilarious! You're this dimension's Boy Blunder!" Jason broke into a fit of loud laughter.
(He laughed half because it was fucking priceless and half to cover up the sound of the handcuffs opening.)
Once he finally settled down (Dick as Robin—again), Bruce entered the interrogation room.
Batman sat across from Jason and simply stared into the white-out lenses of the mask under Jason's helmet.
Oh, very intimidating, Bruce.
Jason took his feet off the table and tossed the handcuffs to Batman.
"Ex-partner? Did you not hear that part?" Jason teased smugly.
"Perhaps it was a test," Batman said levelly.
"Some test that was, Bruce," Jason said, purposefully letting Batman's real name slip out.
Batman looked to Robin, asking a silent question.
Robin sighed and said, "He already guessed my secret ID. Though asked if I was 'Tim Drake' first."
Batman went back to glaring at Jason.
Jason put his hands up as a sign of surrender. "Hey, not my fault the Robins of this dimension happen to be the same as Robins of my dimension."
"And who exactly are the Robins of your dimension?"
"Hmmm," Jason said, staring Bruce down thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I should tell you. Wouldn't want to mess with the timeline of this dimension."
Bruce narrowed his eyes. He was displeased by Jason's lack of cooperation.
"How 'bout this?" Jason proposed. "Since we're all buddies here, and it's not like you need to hide your secret IDs with me, why don't we all ditch the masks? Then I'll tell you everything – minus spoilers, of course."
Batman pursed his lips. He wasn't particularly comfortable with the idea of pulling down the cowl or telling Robin to take off his mask, Jason could tell.
Eventually, Batman nodded to Robin before pulling down his cowl. Robin reluctantly pulled off his mask. Jason pushed the hidden button in the back of his helmet that caused it to release and pulled it off. He set it on the table, scrubbing his hair with one hand to get rid of any helmet hair. Gently pushing his fingers underneath the edge of his domino, Jason pried it off.
Jason felt the stares of Bruce and Dick focusing on the white tuft of hair, so stark compared to the rest of his black hair.
It had been so long since he'd seen the eyes of the original Dynamic Duo, but Jason instantly knew their eyes were the exact same shade of blue in both dimensions.
"Better. That wasn't so hard, now was it, Brucie?"
Bruce narrowed his eyes.
Oh, how did Jason enjoy trolling the shit out of people.
"Your full name, if that isn't too much of a 'spoiler'?" Bruce prompted.
Jason cocked his head and briefly contemplated not telling him.
Oh, what the fuck. "Jason Todd, at your service," Jason said, giving an exaggerated bow.
"And why exactly are you not Robin anymore?" Bruce asked, folding his arms over his chest. Dick's blue eyes sparkled as he focused in on Jason, interested in the older man's answer.
Jason sobered, joking mood evaporating like water in a desert. He narrowed his eyes at Bruce, debating on what he should say.
Bruce noticed the Red Hood's change of demeanor.
Jason could tell the truth. And have this world's Batman and Robin a) not trust him, b) throw him in Arkham, c) pity him, or d) grudgingly give him a chance to prove himself.
None of those options were beneficial to Jason.
Jason could lie, saying he was a good little Robin and currently a hero. And have this world's Batman and Robin a) trust him, b) accept him, c) (possibly) provide him with companionship he'd been missing , or d) unwittingly provide Jason with a second chance (or perhaps a third).
Another chance. As those words ran through Jason's head, the tiniest bud of hope began to bloom. He wasn't sure what chance he was on – third or fourth or whatever – but the idea was more than appealing. He could be a new person in this dimension. He didn't have to be the Robin that died; the Robin that went to the dark side.
And, more than that, Jason wouldn't have to be alone anymore. His cheap, dark apartment felt so empty and unfulfilling sometimes. The fact that it looked so un-lived in sometimes twisted his stomach into knots. Jason didn't really have anybody that wanted him around. (For a while, there was that Scarlet chick, but she took off.) Honestly, if Jason died, Bruce would only feel the obligatory guilt for his estranged sidekick that was six feet under for the second time. Nobody would even miss him while he was in this dimension.
But this… This new world he'd stumbled across looked like America did to immigrants escaping persecution in their home country: a chance at freedom, and better yet, happiness.
And, honestly, after all that he'd been through, who was he to deny this perfect, perfect opportunity?
So he lied. Blatantly.
"My Batman and I had a huge fight," Jason began, voice emotionless. He did not want to betray the agony he still felt over the real chain of events that led up to him becoming the Red Hood. Especially because if any unwanted emotions slipped out, Bruce would probably call him out on his lie.
"I said he treated me like a kid, and he said that's because I acted like one. Eventually we both were so blinded by rage that he said he didn't believe in me and I quit as Robin. I went off the grid and took up the mantle of the Red Hood so I could infiltrate the Gotham Underground. I worked for months to build a reputation as a 'criminal.' Once I'd gotten some seriously incriminating evidence that could put half of one of the major mobs in jail for life, I went back to the Cave to tell Bruce what I had and apologize for the things I said. But when I got there, I found out that he'd already replaced me as Robin with some other kid. Needless to say, any desire to reconcile myself to him disappeared."
Bruce and Dick digested the story, carefully thinking over everything that they'd heard.
"It's still tense with him," Jason admitted. "But I work with some allies of his from time to time. I kept the name Red Hood because my cover as a criminal had been blown so there was really no point in finding a different name."
Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "If I may ask, how did you become Robin in the first place?"
Jason smiled wickedly, previous stoic façade gone as he recalled some of his best memories. "Oh, it's quite the story," he said, faking coyness.
Dick smirked at the older man's tone. How Jason became Robin was probably less tragic than how he gained the mantle if the man's lightheartedness had anything to do with it.
"Well, Bruce had parked the Batmobile in an alley. Imagine his surprise when he came back to find his car on cinderblocks with three of its tires missing and some tiny street kid working on the fourth."
Jason sighed dramatically. "And I would've gotten away with it, too, if he'd shown up thirty seconds later."
Dick snickered at the image of Batman glaring at a kid holding a tire iron.
"One long, uh, 'chat' later and I was Robin."
Jason noticed Bruce's lips quirk up infinitesimally. He grinned smugly.
"Is that all you wanted to know, Bruce?" Jason asked.
"How many Robins are there in your dimension? It seems as if you, Dick, and that 'Tim Drake' were Robins, so that's at least three. Whereas in our dimension we only have one," Bruce said.
"Hm," Jason thought. "Five, I believe. I haven't actually met the fourth in person, though."
Bruce pondered the idea of a Robin other than Dick. It was strange, he decided. Dick had invented the Robin persona.
"Well, there's also your other sidekick. Four of them, though they weren't Robins…"
"Other sidekick?" Dick asked skeptically.
Jason raised his eyebrows. "No other Bats in this dimension, then." Darn, Batgirl was kinda hot.
Robin stared at him like the the answer to the unasked question was in his face.
"Are we done here?" Jason asked.
"I suppose," Batman replied. "The Justice League will work to find a way to get you back to your dimension."
Yay, Jason thought. I can't wait to go home. Back to the empty apartment and the threat of being taken back to Arkham by Batman (no, Nighwing; Dick was never meant to wear the cowl). Fact was, Jason wasn't dead anymore, but he wasn't really living. Sure, he shot criminals every night, but that's all he'd really done with his second chance at life. And several attempts on Batman and Robin's lives that always made him feel pathetic when he failed. The only things that had really happened to him were bad things. Case in point: being sent to Arkham. Let's lock Jason up with his worst enemies like he's insane. (I'm not—I'm not insane. I'm just angry.) Oh yeah, Jason was having the time of his life in his own dimension. Getting transported to this place where Dick was still a kid wearing the R-patch and Bruce wasn't angry was probably the highlight of his second life. So the Justice League could take their time finding him a way back into his own dimension.
Bruce and Dick exchanged a glance as they watched emotions flit across their interdimensional visitor's face. He appeared to be lost in thought.
"You can stay here in the mountain until we find a more permanent arrangement," Bruce said, bringing Jason out of his thoughts.
Like clockwork, Bruce received an incoming transmission, pressing a finger to the comm-link in his ear.
"I'll be right there," Bruce said to whoever was on the other end.
"Robin," he ordered, pulling his cowl up. "Put your mask back on and introduce Jason to the team. I will inform Aqualad of the situation once I return. The League needs me."
"Sure thing," Robin replied as Batman swept out of the room. Dick took a moment to secure his mask on his face. "Bruce wants me to keep my identity a secret," he explained after a second. Jason stood up and stuffed his domino into one of his pant pockets. "You aren't going to put your mask back on?"
"Nah," Jason replied. "I don't really see the point in hiding my identity. Nobody in this dimension knows who I am. And Batman didn't order me not to."
"It'll probably be pretty whelming, not having to hide your identity," Robin said wistfully.
Jason simply cocked an eyebrow at Dick's choice of words. No matter what dimension he was in, Dick was always a dork.
"Everyone's overwhelmed or underwhelmed, but nobody's just whelmed," the boy explained after an awkward pause. Jason rolled his eyes and chuckled as he tucked his helmet underneath his arm.
As Dick opened the door, Jason decided that this Robin was innocent and hadn't been dragged through the mud by the world like Nightwing had. He wanted to keep Dick from going through that, he found.
Jason would befriend this younger version of Dick. He'd be a brother to him, the kind he'd never been to the Robins of his world. He would protect this Robin. Like he should have back in his Gotham.
OoOoOoO
A/N: I didn't really like how this turned out. I felt like it was rushed and chaotic and Jason was just one big rollercoaster of emotion. I'll probably come back and change this at some point.
But, that was the first chapter! I'd love to get some feedback! What did you like/not like? I'd love some constructive criticism.
Also, I have a tumblr. I post about a lot of Bat family/Young Justice stuff, so you guys might like it. I also talk about my writing and may post some spoilers. It's frozen-water-droplet . tumblr . com
Reviews are much appreciated!