Part I: Rebecca Robinson is left to face Gotham's worst Halloween ever. One ex-Robin and one dead-Robin are running loose in Gotham with their own goals and agendas. Rebecca's mind isn't the ideal one to begin with and with a history like she has... Will she be able to survive without loosing her sanity or her life? What will happen when Clown Prince of Crime wants his toys back and even Scarecrow can't stop him? Will Rebecca end up just being a toy to dead man's legacy?
Chapter 4 - Joke is rated M
Romance will be slow burn. (And I do mean slow.)
Contains detailed description of graphic violence, strong language and descriptions of mental illnesses and self-harming.
Broken Toys
Chapter 20 - Choice
At this point not many things can surprise Jason. He has been Robin, he has been Arkham Knight, he has hanged out with Scarecrow and stalked Bruce for over a year. But somehow he finds himself wandering on the streets of Gotham without his mask, without a plan, not knowing what to do or where to turn, when he stumbles upon a familiar purple haired girl. Rebecca Robinson is lying next to a wall, BatCom left open, her eyes closed. She is covered in blood, source of which seems to be the two mean looking cuts on her cheeks.
Jason looks at the girl with mixed feelings. Last time that he saw her was at the Stagg airships and he let her escape. Those tattoos are still showing but now Jason can have a proper look at them. Her scars, her disorder, those tattoos aren't voluntary.
"Fuck." Jason hits the wall next to him and kneels to check the girl's pulse. It's weak but somehow she is still alive. He notices that her right shoulder is dislocated but that is least of the girl's problems. If she is going to live someone needs to close those wounds on her cheeks and fast.
It horrifies Jason to realize that someone is going to be him.
"Fuck." Jason curses again. He isn't sure why he is doing this, perhaps some twisted heroism complex that is still left in him but never the less he clumsily rips off the sleeves from Rebecca's jacket and uses them to block the wounds. The placement of cuts makes his efforts mediocre at best but now is not the time to be fancy. He can hear Alfred's scoffs in his ears.
Jason picks Rebecca up. She feels light and cold. Her fingernails have turned blue, one of the symptoms of hypovolemic shock. Jason knows it would be best not to move her but side streets on Gotham aren't exactly the safest place to leave her on. It's practically a miracle that someone hasn't found her yet. Must be something to do with Gotham's criminal population being reduced by the Cloudburst.
Lucky for Rebecca, Jason knows Gotham's streets in and out. He also knows that there is a military safe house nearby meaning a medical base. It's the girl's only hope.
Some small part of Jason's brain is wondering why he is doing this. Why he is helping this random girl that he barely even knows. She shot him earlier, she has been nothing but a trouble.
The tattoos, the scars, she is connected to the Joker. This should made Jason angrier but somehow it doesn't. The girl seems to somehow symbolize Jason's own situation. If she dies, all hope for him is lost. He needs a mission, something to do.
Jason kicks the door open finding the base empty. It's not surprising, Scarecrow is probably pulling no punches with Bruce anymore. Jason heads to the medical bay and lowers the girl on operation table. He places Rebecca's feet on an empty first-aid-kit so they are elevated. Then he covers her body with a blanket to prevent hypothermia.
Jason removes the sleeves that are soaked in blood already. He cleans the wounds as best as he is able to and stitches them shut. Jason was never the best at stitching but the cosmetic accepts are least of Rebecca's worries.
He looks at all the blood on the operation table. She has lost too much of it. Jason knows that she needs a blood transplant which is easier said than done. O negative seems to be the best option in this situation since the wounds are not bleeding anymore and Jason has no way of knowing her blood type.
Now that the immediate action is over Jason has too much time to think. His mind goes to Bruce, to his life as Robin, all the things that he has prevented himself of thinking. No, he can't think about that. Not now, not ever. He needs to do something. He searches the blood packs and inserts them to Rebecca's arm. Finding the veins is surprisingly easy. He only needs to poke around couple times before hitting the correct spot. Now that the blood is running, Jason turns away.
The situation finally sinks in. He couldn't kill Bruce. He had the chance but he couldn't do it. After everything, after everything he had done, what the Joker did to him, Jason still couldn't do it.
Jason screams. It is the only thing that he can do. Then he takes a case from the table and throws it against a wall. It breaks and spills it's insides to the ground. The sound makes Jason feel a little better. That feeling soon disappears so Jason takes another object from the table, he doesn't even look to find out what it is before throwing it and screaming some more. This still doesn't feel enough so Jason flips the table and kicks it farther away from him. The physicality feels good. It feels right. He goes to the lockers and starts to take stuff from there, breaking everything that he can find and finally tearing the lockers down. Next goes all the plans, the papers, all of it from the walls. He rips them until they are in tiny shreds and screams some more. He continues storming around the room, destroying everything that comes to his path.
First he doesn't hear her. But when he turns around he is faced with big green eyes that are staring at him looking slightly out of it.
"What?" Her voice is raspy. Rebecca stares at him with empty expression and then turns to throw up. "Augh."
Jason doesn't know what to say. He lifts his hand to feel the helmet but then realizes he left it back at the compound. He feels the burned J on his cheek and quickly lowers his hand.
"What happened? Who are you? Where am I?" She starts to hyperventilate.
Jason stands still not knowing how to react. She wasn't supposed to wake up. What was he thinking? He should have left her to die. She was not his problem.
Slowly her breathing steadies. Rebecca lifts her eyes back to meet his. He knows she is looking at the letter under his eye but she doesn't comment on it. "Who are you?" Her voice is still weak but calmer and somehow demanding.
"No-one." Jason answers too quickly. Her gaze travels down to his outfit and flick of recognition spark on her eyes.
"You are the Arkham Knight." It is not a question. "What happened?"
To him? To her? Overall? Jason picks the one that is easiest to answer. "I found you. On an alley. You were dying."
"Why did you help me? I thought you wanted me dead." Rebecca asks. She looks at the blood transmitter.
Jason stays quiet. He doesn't know the answer.
"Okay fine. Don't tell me. Are you going to hurt me?" Rebecca asks after some time has passed.
"No."
"Are you just gonna stand there?" Rebecca raises her eyebrow.
"Shut up."
"You have been crying." She points out.
"No, I have not." Jason realizes that he sounds like a young child caught doing something that they were not allowed to do. "Which one I am talking to now?"
She tilts her head. "Rebecca Robinson. I took my meds."
She tries to move but hisses in pain.
"Your shoulder is dislocated." Jason tells her.
"Well locate it back then."
"Excuse me?" Jason can't believe his ears. The situation is too absurd for him handle.
"You obviously already stitched my cuts and helped with my blood loss. Why not finish the job while you are at it?" Rebecca asks.
Jason chuckles. It is the only sensible thing to do. "You want me, person who threatened to kill you, left you to Crane and mistreated you in various ways to relocate your shoulder?"
"Yes." She bits her lip seeming suddenly nervous.
"You know what. Fine. I'll do it." Jason walks to her, stepping over the mess that he made while destroying the room. "This is gonna hurt." He warns.
"Just do it. No wait." She takes one of her bloody sleeves that Jason ripped off and puts it in her mouth to bite on. She nods to Jason and turns to keep her eyes on the opposite wall.
Jason puts his hands on her torso and straightens her posture. He feels how small she is under his fingers but he quickly moves his focus onto her arm. "Try to relax and don't move."
Rebecca nods, not looking away from the wall. Jason moves her hand to the correct position. His eyes travel to Rebecca's face and he pops the shoulder back in. It makes a nasty cracking noise and Rebecca squeezes her eyes shut. Her breathing quickens but it soon returns back to normal. She lets the sleeve drop and wipes her mouth. Jason realizes that he is still holding her arm and quickly lets go.
"Thanks." She says moving her arm carefully.
"No problem." Jason says awkwardly taking a step back.
Rebecca moves to remove the needle from her arm.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Jason asks puzzled. She is still suffering from blood loss but this doesn't seem to be concern of hers.
"This," She waves the needle in front of Jason. "Can wait. Look, I get that you probably don't want to talk about …that." She points at the scar on Jason's cheek. "But you have to listen. Earlier this evening, after when you let me escape, when I was Punch Line, I visited Panessa Studios. There were five sells, four of which inhabited, full of Joker-fied prisoners and one of them was planning with Harley Quinn to escape."
"And I should care because?" Jason crosses his arms.
"Because those prisoners, they had received Joker's poisoned blood back in Arkham City and they were turning to... him. If they get out there it will be at least four more of him running around in Gotham." She looks genially afraid.
"Not my problem."
"Oh, so you are okay with that? What about the time when you received that burn-mark? Where you part of his fan-club back then?" She asks sarcastically.
"You don't know what you are talking about." Jason spits angrily.
"Oh, I do know. Just because you are willing to ignore the problem doesn't mean that I am. I am too weak to destroy the four Joker-clones. I'm not even sure that I can walk. But you are different. We need to kill them." Rebecca says with a look of determination in her eyes.
"First of all, there is no we. Second, you don't know a thing what you are talking about. Third, just like that you are okay with murder?" Jason laughs at her.
"If they get out there… It will be a lot worse than what you and your little buddy Scarecrow did. I saw your dirty work. I guess Batman outsmarted you in that too. How is it going by the way? Killing him?" Rebecca tries to stand up but nearly fells over. She tries again, this time being more careful and leaning on the operation table that she previously was on, succeeding to stay on her feet this time.
"None of your business." Jason says defensively avoiding her eyes.
"That well. You have to kill them. I'll do it by myself if I have to." She still leans to the table but moves slowly towards the nearest gun. Jason looks how she lifts the weapon with shaking hands before dropping it back to the table.
"Do you even know how to use that?" He asks.
"I am a quick learner." She answers trying again.
Jason lets a long sigh. He could let her leave and most certainly die. The option seems tempting but he has sacrificed too much work on this girl. He might as well go the all way.
"Fine. But you will stay here." He orders, following her and taking the gun from Rebecca's hands easily.
"No way."
"You are too weak to even walk, let alone to travel all the way to Bleak Island. You don't know how to fight, you will only be in the way." Jason explains checking that the gun is loaded.
"And how will I know that you actually will kill them and not just ditch me?" Rebecca demands. It is an impressive act, Jason thinks. Especially considering that Jason is holding a loaded AK-47 and that Rebecca can barely stand on her own feet.
"You know, girlie, you don't really have a choice on this." He points out. He resists the urge to push her over.
"Don't call me that. And how will you get in? Batman has the place on lockdown." Rebecca responds.
"I'll figure it out." Jason says.
"What if I told you I know a way in?"
"You are lying." He accuses her.
"Cross my heart and other bullshit, I'm not." She says arrogantly. "Well?"
Fuck, Jason thinks. "Fine. You can come. But first we need to make an extra stop."
Rebecca grins annoyingly. She tries to follow him but at this point her body is trembling like a leaf in the wind and she nearly falls over again. Jason curses and lifts her easily to his arms. Medically speaking, Rebecca should not be moving, she should be in a hospital and she will probably die of exhaustion but in life one can't have everything.
I felt nervous. It was the first time when I left my apartment in weeks. I was standing on a bright lobby waiting for the receptionist to finish whatever she was doing. Frantically I looked around the room. There were really no good hiding places but windows were always an option. It was only the first floor so I wouldn't even break a leg while landing. On the negative I wouldn't get a proper head start either.
"Hey? You got something to do here?" The receptionist snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Umm, yes, yes I do." I said stepping closer to the counter.
The receptionist lifted her eyebrows. I wiped my sweaty hands to my jeans.
"I had time reservation with one of your…" I trailed off when the receptionist started typing her keypad.
"With Martin Earls. Just go to the dressing rooms to change your clothes. He will be here soon." The receptionist told me handing a key. I took it and walked with small, quick steps to the locker rooms. I checked the number on the key and found a matching locker. Quickly I changed to sweatpants and to a long-sleeved shirt. I was already wearing a sport bra and my hair was tied out of my way. Unsure what to do I returned to the lobby and stood awkwardly out of the way hoping that I could somehow sink into the wall behind me.
"Rebecca Robinson?" Man that I assumed who was Martin Earls asked. He was a young, good-looking man with black hair, very typical in Gotham, jug-ears and soft features. His eyes went straight to my scars and to those tattoos that weren't covered by clothing. He was kind enough to pretend not to stare.
"Follow me. I will be doing your schedule. It is very important that you will follow my instructions so you won't break anything. Now the first step…" He trailed off. I jogged close behind him, cursing Dick in my head who had talked me into this.
After Earls had explained and finished my training schedule, he showed me how to use the different machines correctly and told me where my krav maga classes would be held. I had googled different self-defense classes that were available in Gotham and krav maga seemed most convenient. I also had announced myself to free running lessons and quickly learned that I was in shit shape. No muscle strength, no stamina and no durability. So getting myself a gym membership seemed like a good idea. I was determined to pick myself back up. Dr. Cassidy deemed it to be a good idea too. Self-defense lessons were just in case. You never knew in Gotham.
I enjoyed the physicality. Slowly but surely I was getting better, I could run without dying from exhaustion and could hold myself long enough in a fight that I had the chance to escape. Someone who knows what they are doing or has some experience could tackle me easily but it was a start.
Most I loved free running. It was just so fun. The adrenaline cleared my mind and I could just go where I wanted when I wanted. It was the best feeling in the world.
One day I was walking home from my class when I went past Gotham plaza. It was an extravagant shopping center full of fashionable boutiques, beauty salons and restaurants. I usually strolled right past it but for some unknown reason today was different. I looked at the window to my reflection. I was still underweight but my scars had healed mostly. Little foundation and you barely noticed them. Otherwise I wasn't wearing any makeup and my hair was on a messy bun. My strawberry blond roots were mixed with faded green hair dye. That annoyed me. I could do nothing to my tattoos or to my scars but I could do something to my hair. I wasn't just his plan B anymore.
I stepped into the mall. It took me awhile but eventually I found a reasonably prized store that sold what I needed. I picked couple cans with me, payed and went straight to home. It wasn't my first time dyeing my hair so it didn't cause any issues. I even painted my nails black while I waited the color to soak in. While I rinsed the dye in the shower I avoided looking at my tattoos. When I finally looked in the mirror it was only to check that my hair had turned out how I wanted it to. Dark purple locks surrounded my pale face reaching to my shoulder blades. I felt a twist on corner of my mouth. I let it grow to a full blown smile.
Dick follows closely behind Raven back to Elliot's hospital. The place is quiet giving Dick the creeps. Lights are flickering and the elevator has crashed to the bottom of the shaft. Seems that Bruce already got through here.
Raven opens the secret passage leaving Dick no choice than follow her. She has stayed silent the whole trip here refusing to answer despite Dick's efforts. He still isn't sure which side Raven has taken but he has his suspicions.
Dick and Raven finally arrive to their destination. The lair that Lazarus machine is held is dark and full of unconscious loyalists. Dick checks their pulse while Raven walks to the destroyed Lazarus machine. Ra's is nowhere to be seen just as the rest of the leaders of the league. Raven stands still, her back facing Dick. She lifts her hood helmet up and covers her face with it.
"Everything okay there?" Dick asks reaching to his escrima sticks.
Raven doesn't move. Then slowly she takes her sword from her back. Dick drops into fighting position. Raven lets the sword go. The sound that it makes when the blade hits the ground sounds like a bomb going off. Raven, still not turning to face Dick, walks tardily to the destroyed machine. She seems to look for something. She takes a full minute before stopping. Dick can't see her so he doesn't let his guard down.
A single arrow heads towards Dick. It nearly hits him but at the last moment he manages to jump out of the way. Before he has landed three more arrows are about to hit the spot where he was standing forcing Dick to move.
"You don't have to do this Ayda." He yells summersaulting. The next arrow blows up when it hits the wall behind Dick throwing pieces of it around the room. Raven steps out from her cover armed with bow, quiver and several nasty looking arrows.
"You are right. I don't have to do this. But I want to." She shoots the next arrow aiming at Dick's head.
A/N: Ayyyy, only two chapters to go. Please leave a review if you have time.