Chapter 9: The Unexpected.

"Oh now that looked like it hurt." Jokers voice sounded around him as the crowbar slammed over his body over and over. "That looks like it hurt alot worse." The laughter deafened Jason as he watched the time slowly tick away.

3

'I survived.' Jason looked on in horror as the timer shone brighter until only the numbers were in his sight.

2

'This isnt how it happened.' The crowbar continued to slam against him as the timer ticked away.

1

"Yaargh!" Jason shot from bed his hand upon the 9mm he left under his pillow. The lights were out in the loft of his bedroom and smoke drifted before his eyes. Jason leaned over and hit the switch of his bed side lamp.

Across from him over the railing that looked down upon the living area were three bullet holes embedded against the far wall. The gun he held was smoking and his brain fought to understand what had happened.

"Jason!" A soft innocent voice came from the living room below him. Jason threw the blanket off of him as he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. Into the light an arrow followed by Roy Harper holding his bow up ready to fire. Stephanie was right behind him holding a small stiletto blade beside her. "What happened?" Stephanie asked looking around the room.

"Nothing." Jason flipped the safety on the pistol and placed it back under his pillow. "Just a bad dream." Jason got from his bed and pushed past the two and stalked down the stairs.

"You usually turn your home into a shooting range due to bad dreams?" Roy asked as he lowered the bow and placed the arrow back into his quiver as they stepped into the living area.

Roy and Steph each took one side of the wrap around couch and were staying with Jason. Roy only due to work in the city and didnt want to waist money on a motel, which Jason was fine with. Stephanie cause Rose was "Annoying" her, which Jason was sure the reverse.

"When I have that dream I do." Jason walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

"Well good thing you've got this place sound proofed." Stephanie joked said through the door. "Or did you do that for another reason?"

"Not now." Jason warned as he scooped water over his face from his sink.

"Sorry," Steph said this time lower, realizing she crossed a line, "Hey do you wanna talk about it?"

"No." Jason said as he dried his face and opened the bathroom door. Steph was standing in front of the door with her arms crossed. "Move."

Steph turned her head up lifting her chin in defiance. Jason stood nearly a head taller then Steph and crossed his arms. Steph mimicked his movement crossing hers as well. Jason stared at Steph who stared right back at him.

"You two want me to leave?" Roy joked as he pulled his trucker hat over his head and clasped his Kevlar top in place. "I'm leaving anyways. Got some stuff I've got to take care of." Roy looked over Jason who stared back at him. "I WILL talk to you later." Roy said sternly before exiting through the window.

Steph never moved as Jason continued to stand in the doorway to the bathroom. "You seriously need to move."

"Not until you tell me what that was about!" Steph nearly screamed as Jason pushed past her and headed away. "Damn it Jason tell me!"

"I WAS ROBIN!" Jason shouted causing Steph to stop. "The second Robin. My last day as Robin was nearly seven years ago! I was tricked by my biological mother to follow her to Ethiopia where she handed me over to the Joker. Joker shot her in the head in front of me, beat me with a crowbar and then was going to blow up the building with me inside it!" Steph covered her mouth with her hands as Jason told her the truth. "I survived by Batman saving me at the last minute. Then you're little crush took over my mantle after I spent nearly a year in a coma. I left and became Crimson.

"I left everything and everyone behind." Jason continued. "So now every now and then I have nightmares about dying in that warehouse. When I do, I usually wake up screaming. Night terrors are common for someone who's gone through what I've gone through."

"Jason..." Steph reached for the young man. "I'm so sorry.. I didnt know.."

"No one does." Jason turned towards her. "Only members of the Bat-Family." Jason crossed his arms. "Which is where you're going."

"Excuse me?" Steph asked angrily.

"I told you I cant keep you here." Jason leaned back against his kitchen counter. "You wont be safe here. You need to be somewhere you can be protected. Trust me. Batman and the others will protect you. Way better then me or Rose ever could."

"You and Rose were trained by Deathstroke though!" Steph said stomping her foot.

"I was also trained by Batman." Jason offered causing Steph to lower her head. "Batman can help you in ways you'll never know." Jason smiled as he pulled his phone from his charging pad. "Trust me."

Crimson sat atop the Gorge City Police Department over looking the skyscrapers of the city. Crimson smiled as he thought of Chicago and how the cities were nearly identical. He had sent Steph back to Gotham nearly a month ago. From what Bruce had told him, she immediately seemed to join the family with no problems.

Crimson looked over his new chest plate of his armor and smiled. The figure of the crow was mesmerizing. He had designed the chest piece himself and the dark red of the outline of the bird mixed with the slightly lighter red armor of his suit mixed perfectly and gave him an intimidation factor he felt he had been missing. He wore the 'x' shaped belt just right so the crow was clearly visible behind it. His holsters he had spray painted a nice matte black that popped well with the black outlines of his feathered cowl and black gloves and boots.

He activated a small button on his gauntlet and flipped a button on the side of his cowl to reveal files of many Gorge City Police Officers. He had been trying to find a good contact with in the department, so far to no avail. If the cops in Gotham were crooked, then these cops were zig-zags. If they werent being paid off by the Capolinos, they were being paid off by the Anders, or in a few of the higher up officers' situations, both.

"Cant catch a fucking break can I?" Crimson sighed and sat down on his look out perch, that of a simply carved gargoyle with large wings that blocked the wind from him. It was the only one the building with wings high enough to conceal him while he tried to hack the Police Department's data base.

His intercom rang to life from his cowl. The picture showed Barbra Gordon and himself pressed face to face as she took a selfie of them. Crimson hit a button on his gauntlet.

"Hey Barbie Doll." Crimson greeted his ex girlfriend.

"Jason?" The voice wasnt Barbra's. Female yes but not Barbra's.

"Who is this?" Crimson continued to scan the files of the officers as he also tried to pin point the voice.

"Its Cassandra." Crimson stopped looking through the files and lowered his gauntlet computer.

"What happened?" Crimson stood up and stared over the city.

"Barbra went through an emergency surgery earlier today." Cassandra started. "She and Dick called off the engagement in secret about three weeks ago. Something about them always fighting about how they just couldnt keep up with each other anymore. Apparently Barbra thought that a experimental surgery to gain full control of her legs was the answer..." Cassie's' voice trailed off.

"She cant walk can she?" Crimson had already started running from roof top to roof top racing to get back to his apartment.

"Doctor said the experimental syrum would strengthen her spine.." Cassie was fighting back tears now. "The syrum attacked it instead and she lost full motor control from her waist down. Jason I... I'm..."

"I'll be there tomorrow." Jason hung up the phone as he flew through his open window and immediately started packing. Never changing from his Crimson suit.

Jason sat by Damien as Bruce and Commissioner Gordon talked to the doctor at Barbra's room. Damien had his face buried in a leather bound book with ear buds in while Jason stared blankly at the wall.

'I should have been here.' Jason thought. 'I should have taken her back, should have saved her.'

Bruce walked over to the boys and Jason bolted up. Gordon looked over Jason and Damien before stepping into his daughter's room, closing the door behind him. Jason looked over Bruce's face and turned his head away from his father figure.

"The syrum is attacking more then just her spine." Bruce stated painfully. "Doctor says they can treat it though."

"Treat it how?" Jason asked never looking up.

"With a medication that has a high success rate." Bruce grabbed Jason's shoulders making the young man look at him. "Its 97% percent successful. That's the best option we could ever ask for. She agreed to it."

"If she hadnt," Jason's eyes teared up a little as the thoughts passed through his brain, "How long was she given?"

Bruce looked over Jason and hugged him in tight. Jason was caught unaware and stood in surprise for a moment before hugging Bruce back. Damien rolled his eyes and removed his ear buds.

"Two months to answer your question." Damien stated plainly as Jason and Bruce let go of the hug. "So I say this is a victory in all regards."

"Oh shut the fuck up you little Demon Spawn." Jason blurted before rubbing his eyes clear. "And a comrade is unable to walk and you call that a victory?"

"I call her alive," Damien said defensively, his knuckles had turned white from where he was holding onto his book, "Being a victory Todd."

Jason looked over the young child and laughed. "Fair enough kid, fair enough."

Gordon stepped from the room and motioned for the family to enter. Bruce and Damien entered first but as Jason stepped forward Gordon closed the door leaving them alone in the hallway.

"Oh hell." Jason muttered quietly.

"Mr. Todd," Gordon took off his small wire framed glasses and absently cleaned them, "Its been how long?"

"Well," Jason was about to smart off but then remembered Barbra on the other side of the door, "Nearly six years sir." Jason lowered his head. 'Yep, when you walked in on me porking your daughter.'

"That's when I caught you and Barbra," Gordon's voice trailed off and he coughed, "I never hid the fact that I prefered her dating Mr. Grayson over you," Jason exhaled loudly and crossed his arms getting ready for the string of insults, "With age one sees his mistakes. I thought Barbra and Richard were good together. I was clearly wrong. If they were as good as I thought they were," His voice trailed off again.

"Sir," Jason kept his arms folded, "This isnt your fault. She made this decision herself." Jason fought hard forcing the words out. The last thing he wanted was to throw the blame on Barbra. The words tasted wrong as they escaped his lips. "She thought that if she had full control of her legs then her and Dick could have worked. Dick isn't the type to be settled sir." Jason remembered him dating Starfire and he clenched his fist.

"Well," Gordon coughed again and held out his hand, "Despite how I feel about you Jason, you're a good kid. You certainly passed all my expectations."

'Ok no way in hell am I letting that one pass!' Jason smiled and shook Gordon's hand. "Well when you start at the bottom, you can only head up." Gordon's eyes widened as Jason patted the older man on the arm and pushed his way into the hospital room.