#Past Catherine Todd/Willis Todd

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Five Stages of Mamma Mia

Fandom: Batfam, DC Comics

Summary: AU where Catherine Johnson is Jason's bio mom and Jason doesn't know who his father is. (Jason Todd is Jason Johnson for fic reasons).

Chapters: 19/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Jason Blood, Catherine Todd Mention, Bruce Wayne, Willis Todd Mention

Relationship(s): Past Catherine Todd/Jason Blood, Past Catherine Todd/Bruce Wayne, Past Catherine Todd/Willis Todd

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Mamma Mia-inspired AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Father-Son Relationship(s), Jason Todd Experiences the Five Stages of Grief

Chapter Nineteen: Chiquitita (Bargaining)

As summer concluded, Mr. Blood helped Jason get dressed for Bruce's benefit dinner. "I hate bowties too, but I can't say you don't look dapper," Mr. Blood complimented as he fitted Jason's cumberbund over his suspenders. Jason hadn't smiled the entire day and spent most of that time hidden away in his room. After Mr. Blood fitted the cumberbund, he tied Jason's tie. Forest green velvet with gold trim. He wanted Jason to look his best. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," Jason mumbled. Mr. Blood picked Jason up as if he were a small child. He thought it'd make Jason laugh. Mr. Blood's heart sank when Jason threw his arms around his neck.

"You should be worried about out-dressing him," Mr. Blood casually whispered as he set Jason down. He gave Mr. Blood a puzzled look. "You heard me. Think of all those silly-looking adults drinking wine and making fools of themselves... And then there's you... All dressed up, sober, and absolutely charming. He'll be proud."

Jason let out a relieved laugh. "Yeah?" Jason asked.

"Yeah!" Mr. Blood nodded. He playfully shook Jason.

"Yeah!" Jason shouted excitedly. Mr. Blood laughed and helped Jason into his jacket. Jason held Mr. Blood's hand as they left the room and headed downstairs. "Do you think Bruce missed me this week?"

"Are you joking? Time away from the best boy in the world? It's dreadful!" Mr. Blood exclaimed. Jason giggled as they got in the car. "Before we get there, I want to go over the plan. Before dinner is the silent auction, and since I still owe you a gift for making the honor roll, you can have me bid on three items of your choice. Then, there's the song and dance of mingling before dinner. After dinner, there's dessert and a little touch of dancing." Jason nodded.

"Will I have to dance?" Jason questioned. Mr. Blood shook his head.

"And I think your brother might be there," Mr. Blood added. Jason grinned and swung his feet.

When they arrived at the manor, Mr. Blood grabbed his bidding paddle, and Jason clung to him. "Where's B?" Jason whispered.

"He has to greet some of his guests. It's customary—."

Jason jumped as he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes. "Dick?" Jason asked.

"Hey, Kid. You look snazzy," Dick smiled as Jason jumped into his arms. Dick embraced him and straightened Jason's jacket. "Bruce is gonna be thrilled. Mind if I drop in next to you for the auction? I love watching rich people fight," Dick smiled. Jason nodded, and Bruce entered the room to announce the start of the auction. He stopped mid-sentence to wave at Jason. Jason waved back with a sheepish grin. The auction was two hours long, and Mr. Blood bid on a private museum tour, a family camping trip, and dance lessons. Jason was overjoyed.

After the auction, the real fun began. Mr. Blood and Dick took turns with Jason, mingling among the crowd. "How old are you?" one of the women asked.

"Twelve, but I'll be thirteen next month," Jason replied innocently.

"And where's your mother and father tonight? I have to commend them for having such a smartly-dressed son," she whispered as she pinched his cheek. He frowned.

"Well, uh... My mom's not—. I'm—."

"Unconventional family situation. He's my little brother, but a friend of Bruce's also has custody from time to time," Dick answered. Jason nodded. Bruce wandered over and stepped back to take Jason in.

"We have got to take a picture. Where's Jay—? Mr. Blood?" Bruce asked. Jason grabbed Bruce's hand and stood on his tiptoes. Bruce crouched down to hear him.

"Dad's talking to an old student," Jason whispered. Bruce nodded and squeezed Jason's hand. "Do you want me to go and get him?"

Bruce looked at Mr. Blood from a distance and chewed his lip. "Um, I think Dick will go get him... Won't you?" Bruce asked. Dick nodded and walked off. "I'm so glad you came."

"I missed you," Jason declared. Bruce lit up, smiling from ear to ear as he hugged Jason.

"I missed you too," Bruce replied, "How've you been?"

"Good, I got enrolled in a middle school... A public one," Jason replied, "I start in two weeks."

"I know. Mr. Blood told me all about it. Are you excited?" Bruce questioned as a photographer approached. "Say cheese."

"Cheese!" Jason smiled while he held onto Bruce's hand. Bruce let go after the picture and whispered something to the photographer. She nodded. Bruce waved Dick and Mr. Blood over. They took a family picture, and Jason held his fathers' hands before they all returned to mingling.

Finally, dinnertime came, and they served Jason a large bowl of red soup. "Bruce, what's this?" Jason asked. Bruce shrugged.

"Try it, and I'll tell you," Mr. Blood replied. Jason obeyed and took a deep breath after his first spoonful. "Do you want something else—."

"Nuh-uh. It's spicy," Jason replied. Bruce grinned.

Dick picked over his chicken and ate his potatoes while Jason practically drank his soup. "Boiled fish soup," Mr. Blood whispered.

When the dancefloor opened up, Jason was slumped forward on the table in a deep sleep. A photographer snapped pictures of Bruce and Mr. Blood doting on him before getting a photograph of Bruce carrying Jason to his room. Jason stirred and smacked his lips. "Did you ever find out?" Jason mumbled. Bruce tried to pretend he couldn't hear him. "Am I yours? You had my blood... I know you had to check. I won't be mad." He set Jason down on the steps, and Jason laid his head on Bruce's shoulder.

"I did check... But I didn't want to know. I threw out the results before they were processed. Jason, I love you. Isn't that—?"

"If I'm not yours, would you stop loving me?" Jason questioned.

"Of course not. Jason, no matter what, Mr. Blood and I will always be your fathers," Bruce reassured him.

"Then I want to know. Please, Bruce?" Jason begged. Mr. Blood met them in the hall, and Bruce beckoned him. "Can we please find out now?"

Bruce nodded, and the three of them went to the cave. Jason sat at the foot of the infirmary bed, swinging his feet as Bruce took a cheek swab. Mr. Blood stood with his back turned. He was so nervous he couldn't bear to look. "Dad?" Jason whispered.

"Yes, Lamb?" Mr. Blood replied.

"I'm not gonna cry no matter what," Jason reassured him. Mr. Blood nodded as tears fell from his eyes. He didn't want Jason to see him crying. Bruce did his own cheek swab and processed the samples. Bruce couldn't look as the computer printed the results several minutes later.

"Jason, I'm sorry," Bruce whispered as he walked away from the computer. "I can't look." Jason nodded and took the results, reading them for himself.

Jason sat quietly for a while with the results in his hands, and he choked back tears. After several minutes of silence, he typed something in on the computer. "Jason?" Bruce asked.

Jason pushed past Bruce and Mr. Blood. Once he reached his room, he collapsed. Dick was the first to find him.

[trappednyourheart]

The wrong DNA test

( what if, Sheila wasn't really Jason's mother? The system is already corrupted, then what about the test?).

A huge brawl containing every rogue had started at the time of Halloween, causing the people from downtown to fled there home's as joker had clownized the whole neighborhood with his goon's.

Every bats had taken to groups to take out the three parts of Gotham's as the rogue's had started to make alliances, some had lasted quite long while had conflicts, and causing a big damage to Arkham asylum,

It didn't take long before they captured all of them, none of the bats questions as they observed Jason glowing green eyes starting to flick, they thought it was the pit again, growing wary of the cooperation, but Crime alley was involved and that mean business to Red hood's turf.

Catherine todd love her son as her own even if not biological, Jason knew that. But her thing with drugs couldn't make her stop.

Sometimes after that, they could hear Jason humming a tune,a nice melody from Damian's statement saying that Jason muttered to him “ lullaby” as Jason continued to read his book, maybe it could be from Catherine,

they knew how Jason's past with Catherine todd, his mom even if not related, Catherine loves her son like her own kid but her doing drugs and... overdosing couldn't be stop.

Maybe Jason just remembered his mother maybe reminiscing atleast something familiar...even if it was a bad time.

Jason had constantly have been hearing a woman's? Man's? Voice, singing him a lullaby...it soothing, like as if he known and loved this melody...and that's where the dreams kept coming, there was a person, giving him kisses, Talkin to him stories, singing him lullabies and soothing him, he could dream that he was actually a baby, a baby from a normal couple, well don't count the luxurious baby room.

Jason had took out a conspiracies why he was getting this dreams, ( he swears he's not becoming Tim) and voices, maybe like a misshapen memories from the pits of victims? No it's to peaceful for that, maybe magic? He already contacted Constantine but surely hang up after knowing who it was-

Just how is he getting this dreams? Unless it wasn't.... So he proved again his point, he started a DNA test, again but none had records...of Sheila being his biological mother...that was weird, last time he had a test was from the time as robin..and before his-

So he went to that hospital who had said where Sheila had given birth to him, and most of shock is that no one knows a mother giving birth named Sheila haywood but had a document of a baby, of one Jason jay nightingale, the most believing part was that it's the same day he was born in.

His mother, Daniel F. Nightingale was said to be trans as the doctor who help his mother safely delivered him, And saying that his mother loved him,

one Sheila Haywood had the constant trick to get him and taken him as his own, because his mother's family was a wealthy one they practically sold him to her.

Jason had thought that maybe his mother's family never wanted him to have a son with a man from Gotham's crime alley.

Meanwhile Danny had just been YEETED to the DC universe before the start of Batman's justice thing and had been adopted by a very wealthy fruit loops couple as there kid, so he stayed as the couples daughter even pretending, because he owed ghost writer a favor for the last time, and as DC universe exist so it's story, and one thing for sure the child he had to give birth in this universe has a very complicated fate,

he did the one night stand from his supposed friend Willis Todd? He had to befriend him as Dalia F. nightingale the supposed Wealthy daughter who fell in love with a peasant trope, and gotten pregnant making it a scandal, and reaching to his ‘parents’ circle and getting that drama.

But he never thought he would care for his child, his little jay, his ghost side would purr in delight when they held Jason, he was a very hard sucker especially from his pacifier or his breast, it's so weird being in a women body,

but the way his ‘parents’ sold his son to the women who was supposed to get his son killed and being revived by cheap parody ass of ectoplasm.

He went feral, he had an argument to his ‘parents’ but all fell deaf ears, he couldn't find his son in one of the hotels nearby where that BXtch was.

And that time was where his part of the script was fulfilled, ghost writer already took him, both sides of his, were angry.

He. will. get. his. baby. back.

[rosemarydisaster]

Reverse Mamma Mia Batman Au.

Think about it: It's Bruce's and Selina's wedding. Harley is trying to help with the invites so she just sends them to all of Bruce's contacts, which include his exs. Cue to Talia Al Gul, Janet Drake, Catherine Todd (She's Jason's Bio mum in this) and Mary Grayson showing up with dark haired boys with blueish eyes. When talking about their ages somehow it always tracks back to the time he was around their mothers.

So now Bruce and Alfred must find if any (or how many) of them are their bio sons all the while trying to keep Selina unaware (He doesn't even know why they're here). The Gotham city sirens are Donna and the Dinamos. At some point Selina gets upset that her fiance seems to be ignoring her and senses there's something afoot, so she and the girls get into detective mode.

The funniest part is the kids would also notice the weirdness and start investigating on their own. At some point they try to set up Bruce with their mothers (because in their mind he must choose the one that he had a child with). Bruce tries to do damage control and investigate, while hilariously the Sirens always get enough bits and pieces to think Bruce is cheating.

Mary Grayson spends their entire brunch talking about her husband and giving Bruce marriage advice. Catherine ends up confessing to Willis' abuse while stuck in Bruce's yacht (Jason messed with the engine), and he offers her help to get out of the situation. Before the coast guard rescues him Willis has been served divorce papers and Alfred has escorted him out. The girls interpret this as Catherine divorcing because she's trying to get back together with Bruce.

Janet Drake is horrified at the idea of dating Bruce again when they get set up in his bachelor party, but they end up having a wild night as friends. Talia and Bruce have a really emotional moment, a real "we could have been great" time. She confesses that Damian is his bio kid but they both realize they're not right for each other, not now. They leave things amicably and Talia has a talk with the kids about loving someone and letting them go. So the kids take that as "Fix Bruce's and Selina's relationship that has been struggling through the story because of wedding/possible affair/possible kids stress".

When they clear things out, Selina tells him she doesn't mind about his past nor about possible previous children. Bruce apologizes for not telling her sooner, leading her to imagine the worst. It's a really touching moment. The kids end up as flower boys and ring bearers for the couple. In the end he ends up "adopting" all of them in his heart.

He and Talia co-parent Damian peacefully, the Drakes leave Tim with him whenever they go traveling, Catherine moves into the mansion with Jason after her divorce from Willis and Dick stays in Gotham to finish his education while his parents travel with the circus. Selina is a bit confused about how she ended up with four kids, but very supportive.

[damianbugs]

dc might not like to address how they've unofficially retconned a lot of jasons original robin run to end up being absolutely classist, but i most certainly will bring it up whenever i can. while this is definitely narrative criticism, it is more of a study, as i am not expecting anyone, readers or dc, to really change how they view the todds.

jason goes from being a rather reserved, kind and genuinely friendly child to an angry and cruel boy who was contemplating murder at some point (batman: urban legends). not to mention willis going from an absent but well meaning man who turned to crime to support his family to now being an abusive father and husband. catherine todd was originally stated to have died from overdose, but was later confirmed in death in the family to pass away from cancer, so while the 'poor addict mother' stereotype still applies, it is more complicated in her case.

it is no surprise that in modern tellings, all three of them represent very realistic forms of poverty. willis the abusive criminal, catherine the addict (her battle with cancer is always noticeably left out) and jason the violent child left to repeat the cycle.

dc simply couldn't allow the todd family to remain poor but an all in all good family (though i am careful to say they were perfect, past or present, since depending how you read him, willis can still be seen as a bad father and horrible husband), and instead had to dramatise negative stereotypes of poor people in order to really perpetuate the existence of jason being the "angry" robin. this mostly comes down to dc perhaps wanting to bury older comics featuring the original characterisation (since the only way to read them is through piracy), and there is no better way to do that than make his current characterisation nothing like his old one, at all.

after all, how else can we ensure readers are aware of how angry, evil and emotionally unstable jason todd is, if not making his life the pinnacle of why poor people are terrible and should not have kids? dc is not trying to hide it at all, it's almost laughable.

while the blatant classism is very clearly the biggest issue, from a storytelling perspective it is also really disappointing. deconstructing catherine and willis todd to their morally reprehensible, abusive and neglectful 2d personalities in modern telling leaves a massive gap is what made jason so personable as robin. personally, i also think it takes away how homelessness and his own poverty seperate from his family might have affected jason's morals and opinions on certain topics — another aspect of his character that is very important but often undeveloped.

especially with jason; making him having always been this quick to rage and violent child/robin takes away the true devastation of his death and subsequent revival. he died an innocent, damaged and complicated but caring boy, and came back vengeful and spiteful. he is a boy who has suffered a lot in life, with a sick mother he had to provide for due to his absent father, who also died due to a life of crime — and yet jason broke free from the cycle and became something more.

he loved to learn, to go to school, to play sports and to help people. he loved being a hero, even when it got tough, and though sometimes it was hard to remember, he always tried to stay on the bright side of things.

it's one of the main reasons bruce is so unable to process and accept his son's return, because to him, the person who came back is not the son he lost. though, that is another conversation entirely.

on the one hand however, i can see why jason's current life story might be more appealing to certain readers (and depending on the work, fanon or canon, it can makes more sense). since now that he's broken out of the cycle of abuse, he can use his strength to protect other vulnerable people. the true 'people's hero' in a way batman and other adjacent vigilantes can not be.

it is just a little regrettable that to fulfill this, he and his family must adhere to classist stereotypes to make it more believable. after all, jason was very much the 'people's robin' even without all the retcons to his character. he has always stood up for people who couldn't do it themselves.

[bludrogue]

A Random Headcanon About Jason Todd

I don't know why this one popped into my head, but this one specifically has been itching my mind. Even though this isn't canon, but it's a thought. Although, my timeline is a bit different for this one, so I'm not exactly going off comic book logic. And so, here's headcanon number #2

Headcanon #2: Hair

-- Aside from the white streak in his hair, Jason grew out his hair in the League of Assassins - but not by choice.

-- When Talia had found him and brought him to the base, she did cut his hair and assisted him with a basic bathing routine. (Afterall, in Jason's state due to a lack of cognitive function and the physical injuries he retained, taking one would not be so simple alone. Even if he had the distant thought of desiring privacy.)

-- However, after that, he never recieved a haircut again.

-- Even after Talia shoved him into the pit. Even after all the training. Even after learning to control the pit. For the entirety of the time he spent training, and killing, and learning, Talia never cut his hair again. Thus, forcing him to grow out his hair and eventually starting to reach his shoulders.

-- Jason had never had his hair this long in his lifetime. Not even when he lived in the rundown apartment that he lived with Catherine as a kid. If his hair got too long to his mom's liking, she'd sit him on their only good kitchen chair -- not the ones that were wobbly or threatening to collapse with a creak -- and sneak Willis' good shaver to keep his hair short. (Although, Willis always found out and Willis was never happy to find out his shit was used.)

-- When Catherine was succumbing to her addiction, Jason would trim the edges with kitchen scissors. Using candle light to assist him to see where he was cutting. His hair may have never been perfect, but at least it was short.

-- On the streets, he dragged those same kitchen scissors with him. Having long hair was dangerous and much easier for traffickers to nab you, gang members could take that for a weakness, and individuals who can't keep it in their pants might explore specific ideas.

-- And hair cuts became mandatory living with Bruce. He knew Bruce wanted a copy and paste of the clean-cut, child soldier look that he imprinted on boy wonder.

-- But his hair was always short, never long. And he hated how long his hair was getting.

-- Strands of hair would fall in front of his eyes and block his view when he was trying to shoot. Those he trained with could easily grab the ends and yank him down to the ground. His hair would get caught on an endless list of things.

-- Also, taking care of his hair was a fucking hassle. The knots, the washing routine, stupidly trying to style it, but never getting it right. Tying it up, leaving it down. Everything about it infuriated him.

-- But worst of all, it reminded him of Dick Grayson and his dumb mullet.

-- Often times, his mind would be infested with lingering questions, specifically pondering what advice Dick would give him if he was still 'around'. Would he offer specific conditioners? Would he have recommended he use a certain gel? (Considering Dick greased his hair back for the mullet look.) Would he have shown him a proper hair care routine?

-- Oh wait, Jason would remember. Dick didn't give a shit about him in the first place. Dick never liked his fucking replacement. Hell, he wasn't even at his fucking funeral and was probably celebrating his death. Then his brother bonding hope would die out in an instant, replaced by the induced fiery rage of the pit. (His bathroom mirror has taken the brunt and the shattered glass is enough proof.)

-- And it's not like Jason didn't want to cut his hair. He was tempted every day his hair tested his patience. He desperately wanted to take one of the prized swords and slice off the ends of his hair just to have it manageable.

-- But he couldn't.

-- He's positive Talia would punish him if she found out he had cut his hair.

-- And he would be dragged down memory lane every time he thought Talia would punish him. He would be reminded of the time when he was five and sobbing on their decent kitchen chair as Catherine shaved the sides of his head. He wasn't crying because he was getting a hair cut, but he knew Willis wouldn't be happy when he got home. He never was, and he thinks that's why Catherine hummed random tune while she did, to enjoy the peace before the storm.

-- But he vowed the day he got out of the League he was going to cut his hair.

-- And as soon as he was out, he did.

-- His first day free - well, as free as you can get from the League of Assassins - he bought a hair trimmer and told his long hair to get lost. And that tight knot in his chest from having hair so long finally released.

-- And he would keep cutting his hair short.

-- To remind himself during the mist of war between him and the bats, that he is not their child soldier.

-- To remind himself even when he released his aggression on to robin, he's not that boy anymore. That kid is buried six feet under the ground and never to resurface.

-- To remind himself, when the relationship between him and the bats are improving and there's more than just room for tolerance - although he'd never admit he actually fucking cares about them - he still cuts his hair to shed off the monstorous version of himself and disconnect himself from the pit.

-- Until one day, years into the future, he's lounging in his living room with Dick in an apartment he can finally call home when Dick points out, "Hey, your hair's getting long," with a grin.

-- And Jason picks up on one of the strands, staring at the slight curl. This time, there's no fueled disgust or fiery indignation towards the hair in front of him. Instead, there's serenity and this is just his hair. Another piece of him he'll learn to appreciate.

-- With a soft hum he says, "Yeah, it is."

-- And that's okay.

(And Dick totally gives him advice and an entire hair care routine to follow.)

I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I had fun writing this, but I'll definitely write more head canons and link them. Let me know if you want me to write out any head canons. :D

Here's the link to my other headcanons:

Headcanon #1

Head canon #3

[thecruellestmonth]

Honestly really curious about the “Jason feel triggered by Dick’s kindness thing” if you feel like elaborating?

Every betrayal begins with trust. Jason Todd trusts Dick Grayson, and so Dick is a glowing, ticking timebomb.

-The Past-

Dick and Jason have history, not all of it good. Not all of it bad.

Nightwing: Year One

Batman #416 // The New Teen Titans (1984) #31

Skipping the early years all the way to the Red Hood era, Dick is someone who pretty consistently tries to give Jason a chance. Dick keeps up his guard and doesn't trust blindly, but he also tries to listen to Jason, reach out to him, and even work together when possible. Although Jason is an enemy, although it'd be much easier to believe the worst, Dick still generally chooses to keep his heart and mind open.

Outsiders #44-46 (2007), written by Judd Winick. When Jason obtains information that could free an innocent man from prison, he chooses to turn to Nightwing for help. In turn, Dick also chooses to believe in Jason.

Nightwing 2021 Annual, written by Tom Taylor. Despite (falsified) video evidence of Red Hood committing a murder, Dick doesn't jump to assume the worst in Jason. Dick chooses to trust and verify.

As Red Hood, Jason doesn't really like to ask favors or depend on others. Yet Nightwing tends to show up and help him anyway.

Now if Jason were healthy, then Dick's kindness would be comforting and reassuring. But in Jason's experiences, the most crushing pain comes from the people he's supposed to trust the most.

Catherine Todd, Willis Todd, police officers, social workers, a schoolteacher, Sheila Haywood, Bruce Wayne. Those people were supposed to protect Jason—those people ended up hurting him. After these experiences, Jason has become fixated on anticipating others' behavior (look up "fortune telling" as a cognitive distortion). Dick has become the latest source of safety. And so Dick's kindness is a trigger, as Jason anticipates more betrayal and pain.

-Dreams-

Jason's dreams have implied two things about his inner feelings:

1) Jason trusts Dick in ways that he no longer allows himself to trust Bruce—in his dreams, Dick is the first one who shows up for him when he's scared. Dick is the one who anticipates Jason's questions without being asked, and notices the fears that Jason tries to suppress.

2) Jason fears Dick is going to betray him, reject him, humiliate him. Because Dick is in a position where he can hurt Jason, then past experience says he inevitably will hurt Jason.

Examples:

Nightwing #121 (written by Bruce Jones, AKA the infamous tentacle monster arc) - Jason has been ingested by a mutating alien tentacle monster (long story). He dreams that Dick is in the darkness with him—but Dick mocks Jason for hoping that Dick would care to rescue him.

Truth & Justice #11 (written by Trammell) - When Jason has a fear toxin-induced nightmare of being buried alive again, Dick is the one who appears at his graveside and offers him help. However, the nightmare Dick then proceeds to ridicule Jason and attack his worth.

Task Force Z #7 (written by Rosenberg) - Jason has a nightmare of being surrounded by enemies attacking him. The nightmare culminates in the scariest part when Nightwing and Batgirl (Babs)—his older sibling figures—make him feel like a little Robin again, and tell him that all his efforts are just making everything worse.

DC vs. Vampires #6 (2022), a vampire apocalypse Elseworld written by Tynion & Rosenberg

Now Elseworlds (alternate universe) comics aren't canon to the main universe, but can still offer possible insight into characterization… In DC vs Vampires #6, Jason tells Dick (who has revealed himself as an evil vampire): "I always knew someday you'd screw up worse than anyone." Yet up until the moment when Dick reveals himself as an evil vampire, Jason never has a rational reason to anticipate that. So either Jason is just now lying to cover up his own shame for having misplaced his trust yet again, or Jason really has been harboring fears that Dick would betray him.

-The Present-

Circling back to recent happenings in the main universe: Task Force Z #8 (2022). Jason is behaving very suspiciously on a solo mission. Dick wants to know why—whether the greater good is at stake, or whether Jason is in trouble and needs help. And so Dick asks Jason to have a reasonable conversation... to which Jason responds by punching him and running away. Just the slightest suggestion of misgivings on Dick's part, and Jason chooses fight and flight. Another turn of the cycle, and Jason leaves the family circle again as quickly as he rejoined.

Task Force Z #8 (2022), written by Rosenberg

So Jason does cherish his brotherhood with Dick… but Jason is also watchful for the tiniest possible warning signs that Dick could hurt him, so he can cut off that bond before it can be used against him.

Dick Grayson is irresistibly trustworthy. Jason can't stop himself from trusting Dick. That's exactly why he can't trust Dick.

[setokaibapetty]

5 + 1 Fic Friday Roundup: Surprise Relative

Some fics where a surpise blood relation pops up. Like, sometimes the guy who raised you was lying about being your dad, sometimes a Pit gives you a baby, etc.

Imprint (AO3) - "He screwed his eyes shut, held his breath, desperately wished that he was back in his safehouse, alone and blissfully unaware. But the weight in his hands remained, and when he opened his eyes, it was to the bean-shaped 'fuck you' the Lazarus Pit had kindly bestowed upon him, arms and legs folded up against his front beneath off-white muslin while tiny lips smacked softly.'

Red Blood, Blue Blood (AO3) - "Jason Todd was living a very ordinary life in Crime Alley before his mother gets sick. Then, suddenly, Jason and Catherine have to grapple with the secret everyone has known since Jason was born with black hair and blue eyes—Willis Todd wasn't his biological father. Bruce Wayne is, and not only is he the richest man in Gotham, he has three other children who may not be glad to have an interloper in their midst."

Going Off-Book (AO3) - "Dick winces. “Tim, meet Damian Wayne. Apparently, his mom told him who his dad was when he turned eighteen and the first thing he did after finding out was enroll in the nearest police academy. He served for a couple of years and just arranged a transfer here from Metropolis.” He directs a pleading gaze at Tim. “Like I said, Bruce had to go out of town for a while, but he asked me to show Damian the ropes. Tim, I’m sorry, but—"

when the dead tree flowers (AO3) - "It wasn't solely Jango Fett's DNA that went into making Domino Squad. Palpatine had other plans for them. Thankfully, so does their second genetic donor, and he has just as few qualms about murder as a Sith Lord."

Open Arms (AO3) - "The story starts when Quinlan get's a call from the hospital; an old girlfriend has given birth and named him the father, leaving the baby at the hospital. This triggers a series of events that bring Fox back into contact with his bio family, who he is not as distant from as he might like to think."

Bonus: welcome all your bastard actions home (AO3) - "Daenerys had arrived at Winterfell three days past, a great host of dragons and roses and suns and krakens, clearly expecting Jon -- the King in the North, as uneasy that title rests on his shoulders -- to bend the knee. Instead, he takes her to the crypts to speak of ancient history."

[punkeropercyjackson]

Jason Todd's Marvel counterpart isn't The Punisher,Deadpool or Bucky Barnes-It's Miles Morales:By someone who's read every single comic Jason's ever been in and watched/played almost all his adaptions and is working on the same for Miles

Miles Morales is an altruistic,peppy optimistic sunshine boy who's a huge nerd in both meanings of the word and a paragon of soft,positive masculinity but also has a physical incapability of not running his mouth and snark off the charts with the never misses sense of humor to back it up,repressed anger issues from his trauma and isn't afraid to not hold back on people who deserve it because he may be soft but that dosen't make him a doormat.That's Robin!Jason Todd too and anybody who tells you otherwise is gross asf,because the only reason he was retconned to be 'a bad kid' was classist propaganda to demonize poor people,including his parents Catherine and Willis who pre-reboot were going through hard times but were good parents nonetheless

Miles is also the second mantleholder for one of the most well-known and influental superhero titles ever and was widely hated out of being a minority but is now widely beloved,a mama's boy who's mom is a brown haired woc with cultural roots when the writers aren't being clowns and is humanized instead of only existing for her kids,has a black and red theme and can't socialize normally nor does he flirt typically or have mainstream interests which combined with the rest of him makes a strong case for him being audhd but undiagnosed and also unable to mask.This isn't quite the same thing but a nice contrast is that Miles' canonical animal variant is a cat while Jason's is a wolf and in both Spiderverse movies,Miles has a red hoodie as a key motif of his.In Itsv,Miles meets Peter B when Peter B approches him from behind while he's grieving Ripeter and shocks him in self-defense and it's followed up by them having unconventional bonding and i can't help but think of it as another,bigger contrasting parallel to Jason meeting Bruce because he was stealing the tires from the Batmobile and hitting him with a tire iron and that is followed up by him finding Jason grieving his parents at his apartment and them unconventionally bonding.Both these leadup to them getting that mantle(Spiderman/Robin)

When Miles was 15,he went to a far off place to find himself at the manipulation of an important woman in his life(though to Gwen's credit,she was a manipulated and gaslight teenager by adults instead of a gaslighting adult like Sheila)and it caused a major shift in his narrative because of a Canon Event Death.Police Chiefs and in Jason's case,himself.Miles G is strikingly similar to a fresh out of A Death In The Family and Lost Days Era Jason.He's a 15 year old boy who went from a shining sunflower to a wilted sunflower because his light was killed and he's resorted to coping by being an emotionally constipated asshole(but absolutely not abusive!!)with edgy tastes and a vigilante at the mentorship of an important figure from his dad's past he was also close to growing up,Aaron a Talia to his Jason,and Miles G even has green eyes like Jason does.Miles G is quite literally a Red Hood Variant Miles Morales

If we're doing timeline graphs,Into and The Spider Within=80s Batman,Across=A Death In The Family,Miles G becoming The Prowler=Lost Days,Beyond=Under The Red Hood,Spidey and His Amazing Friends:Wayne Family Adventures if it slayed,Kid Arachnid=Teen Titans Go!Jason(It's a good show and better than Gabriel Picolo's Teen Titans-they look like fuckin' racist instagram people💀)and Spiderman and Venom:Double Troubled=Tiny Titans.Zero Lego Miles media though and that's a hate crime,give us SOMETHING but actually everything we deserve a whole Lego Miles Morales franchise

One must also look at Miles' love interests,because him and Jason have the same types-Ghost Girls and Black Girls:Gwen Stacy,Rose Wilson,Kamala Khan,Dana Harlowe,Margo Kess,Artemis Grace,Tiana Toomes,Hailey Cooper and in an alternative universe from the 90s Young Justice run back when Jason was still dead,Anita Fite.And the male character they're closest to in their best continuity:Hobie Brown and Duke Thomas.The 'dystopian punk black teen boys on a mantle sharing team who're proffessional instigators and sweethearts with insane ass street cred who had their childhoods taken from them but only let that make them stay kind,optimistic and anarchistic' duo!Two inverses of their relathionships that makes them all the more fun and interesting-Duke and Jason are eachother's Robin and found/adoptive brothers,Miles and Hobie also share a title but are best friends and possibly in love considering how much wholesome chemistry they have and Jason is the one with the 'I see a black boy in trouble and imma help him' typa beat towards Duke by constantly saying he's a real Robin,Batkid AND Batboy to combat the antiblack narrative bullshit by stupid posers who think Robin means 'black haired pasty ass blue eyed male' when it means 'Gotham's light in the darkness' and Duke embodies it as The Signal and brought Jason back to the Batfam without even trying.You can also make a Siblings!Ghost Flower comparison with the 'sunny black boy and moody iconic ghost' dynamic and 'Sunflower' is a total Jason to Duke vibe

In Conclusion:Miles Morales is Jason Todd and he deserves to have it aknowledged rather than Jason being compared to 1.Someone who's like Flashpoint Thomas Wayne way more than him,2.Someone who's his opposite in multiple ways and 3.Someone who's only very shallowly similar to him and Miles being ignored and not even being given crossovers to boot

[suzukiblu]

may I ask if you have any fic recs handy?? dw if not

Hmmm, well, let's see, what have I read recently that I especially liked . . .

. . . oh okay yeah I got way too into this, lol. wELP, such is life!!

Eyes Like Kryptonite, by dragonez. Supercorp. Lena Luthor gets an either time or dimensionally-displaced Kryptonian on her balcony who inexplicably seems to think a Luthor can help him, and then she has to deal with that. Kara does not love this development (but definitely loves Lena) and Conner just wants to get home to his family.

I Want It That Way, by WynterSky. TimKon. I cannot even explain to you how good this fucking fic is. Just--TimKon, but make it 90's. Why are you still here? Go read it. Go read it NOW.

Catherine/Bruce Medieval AU, by iselsis and PotatoLady. Catherine/Bruce, past Catherine/Willis. What it says on the tin, and also omegaverse. I am WAY too into this fic, hah, "Bruce saves Catherine and takes in her and Jason both" is so, so small a genre but so, so GOOD a genre. [ tw: past rape ]

You and me and them. Let's be pack. Let's show the world we chose each other, by Ace_of_Hearts4444. TimKon. Tim finds out Kon is a newly-presented stray omega in an AU where being packless is a Big Fucking Problem and Young Justice has some fucking FEELINGS about that fact.

The tale of a cat who stole a diamond boy, by Ace_of_Hearts4444. TimKon. I'm not really into "Tim is Stray/Catlad" AUs, but I am VERY into this TimKon concept. Also, like yes, obviously Tim is exactly unhinged enough to do this.

in the shadows, by Kieron_ODuibhir. Batman was Bruce Wayne's imaginary friend, but now he's Dick Grayson's. I could cut a bitch for more of this concept, oh my GOD. 💔

A Hummingbird Suspended, by poisonivory. Thad/Match. Thad gets out of the Speed Force and wants to fuck shit up, but unfortunately Match is very attractive and has even more unfortunately grown some morals.

Gut Feeling, by Ao3time. Lois finds a superclone in a lab and welp he's hers now. No takebacksies.

With Violet Light, by Evilpixie. Jason Todd wants to blow up the Batmobile and ends up a Star Sapphire. There's, uh, an adjustment period.

This isn't how things are supposed to go. But we've always been unorthodox., by RenkonNairu. Superbat, TimKon. Kryptonian omegas are not the same as human ones, and human alphas are not the same as Kryptonian ones. And therefore Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake are having a fucking time of it with Clark Kent and Conner Luthor, and Lex is just doing his damnedest to ruin as much shit as he possibly can. [ tw: rape ]

Talk That Slick Talk, by thebodydies. Kenan/Kon. Kenan meets a weirdly friendly stranger who's apparently trying to pick him up. Kon is literally just wearing fucking glasses, man. Also I desperately need more of this pairing, especially in this interpretation, please and thank you. [ this is just smutty kinky smut and you should immediately go bask in it ]

( annnnnd not-DC-but-still-superheroes bonus round!! )

I wanna be that guy (the girl under you), by Stackthedeck. SpideyTorch. Peter Parker/Johnny Storm + kink = gender?? [ more kinky smut for you to go bask in!! ]

[cologona]

If you won some sort of lottery contest and DC allowed you to write a comic run for any character, any topic, no limits, what would your comic be like?

What kinda plot and characters would you want to etch into official DC canon? (Or would you prefer to write an elseworlds kinda thing?)

-redhoodinternaldialectical from the "main" blog

Sorry it took a while to answer this, I got pretty carried away! Jason is my favorite character and the character I know most about, so of course I'd write about him. This is going to be pretty long winded and fanfic-y, hope you don’t mind!

First things first I’m making both UTRH and Lost Days mostly canon again. Jason was a crime lord who did Mean Crime Lord Things for a while and that’s what I’ve decided everyone is referring to when they gesture vaguely to his villainous past.

I’m also bringing back the original “big boob” backstory where Jason makes Bruce laugh on the anniversary of his parents’ death. Catherine was an opioid addict due to illness, Willis was the person who taught Jason about cars (and thus how to jack tires) and Faye Gunn is no longer Jason’s grandma. (I really disliked Ma Gunn’s “redemption” in RHATO.) Just in case, I’m also reiterating Sheila’s role in Jason’s death.

Here’s a few lines I came up with for the Todds:

Jason keeps the letters Willis sent him from prison - the ones Ma Gunn hid- in the same picture frame that holds his Robin graduation photo with Bruce. He loved and resented Willis in equal parts, but mostly he regrets not having gotten more time. It’s all the same with fathers.

Catherine is curled up in bed, her expression is half a grimace. She asks Jason, who is reading a picture-book by her side, to get her ‘medicine’ for her. Jason doesn’t know how else to help her feel better so… that’s exactly what he does. In a moment, he returns with a small heart shaped box and a cup of microwaved soup.

If I can imply in some way that Catherine is in denial about the possibility of her dying I’d like to do that too.

I’m also doing a total overhaul of the All-Caste.

Essence is getting proper Tibetan braids, Ducra is going to wear a khampa chuba instead of her current old coat, and the Acres-of-All are getting reimagined as a towering Ziggurat with all the murals, pillars, curtains, and ornate trim befitting a monastery! The All-caste of memory will be bright and fantastical, but the ruins of the present will be dark and spooky.

Some references for what I'm talking about.

I’m also reframing the “Absolute Evil” part of the All-blades’ description to be an epithet for the Untitled. The sword is not literally judging Goodness and Evilness anymore; now they cut through negative psychic energy Jujutsu Kaisen style. I don’t think I need to spell out a justification for Jason being able to summon them whenever, but for any sticklers I’ll just say it’s because Jason- like the Untitled- has a lot of bad feelings and trace amounts of Dionesium in his system (among assorted other chemicals.)

Since Lost Days is being brought back that means instead of spending an entire 3 years with the All-Caste, Jason only spent a few weeks with them during his world-wide training arc. Ostensibly because a little magic would give him an edge over Batman. Ducra wouldn’t normally just give away powerful magic weapons to any chump with a free weekend, and she knew Jason was dangerous, but since the All-Blades are so specific and the ritual to attain them nigh-unsurvivable she saw an opportunity to use Jason. Sure she's one of the Good Guys, but she's not called a conniving old witch for nothing hoohoo!

Now a few plot ideas for a vague overall mini-arc.

First, Jason goes to ugly lengths to protect or prevent consequences from finding one of his family. Maybe someone threatens their secret identity…? The ‘opponent’ should be someone innocent and/or noble but not easily bought or fought. Maybe Vicki Vale, another Hero, or some kind of wealthy heir. The point is to cast doubt on if Jason’s return to the Bats is really so unquestionably redeeming. Jason has pretty much chosen to betray his morals for them after all.

Then, Jason chooses not to kill a villain who shortly afterwards victimizes more people and skips town before he can get caught. Basically a rehash of Diplomat’s Son except the Garzonas figure gets away. It’s technically a win for Batman- his presence kept Gotham safe after all. But it doesn’t feel like a win, especially not to Jason.

And finally, Jason frames himself for various murders committed by victims against their abusers. Maybe kick the story off with one of Ma Gunn’s boys killing her and telling the cops it was Red Hood in a desperate bid to avoid jail.

Obviously Jason can’t be allowed to do this long-term. It’s a bad precedent to set, an obstruction of justice, etc… Jason hasn’t broken The Big Rule though, and Bruce can only act so sanctimonious when those same complaints could be are made about him as well. There’s no way this ends any other way than Batman running Red Hood out of Gotham again and they both know it, but neither deviates from the path set before them.

One or two “monster of the week” issues where Jason fights various assassins and bounty hunters sent by his more influential enemies might be good- one should occur right after the above story. A consequence for his “return to form” so to speak. Batfamily fans may appreciate a scene where Bruce says something indicating that he ran Jason out for his own safety as well as Gotham’s. Batman may be able to hide in Bruce Wayne’s skin during the day but Jason’s only identity is that of Red Hood, and at times that makes him vulnerable in a way other heroes aren’t. This + some panels contrasting the generic mercenary look of Jason’s guns and equipment with the Bats’ spandex future-tech will be great for showing how separate Jason is from the Bats.

Now while Jason’s out of Gotham again there’s this detail in one of RHATO’s flashbacks that I want to expand on- that being how he used to be able to summon a lot more All-blades.

Red Hood Outlaw 34

“I had a lot of soul back then” - implying that he has a lot less soul now…!?

Jason’s been through a lot, in life sure but also more recently. Fight scenes where the All-blades take the form of daggers would not only be cool and evocative of the wavy dagger Talia gifted him way back when, they’d be good visual sign of his declining emotional state.

Later on as his soul ‘shrinks’ further, I’d give him a pair of mystical guns through which he can channel his All-blades into bullets. If it’s another gift from Talia I’m thinking dark brass revolvers with paisley filigree and a red Endless Knot charm hanging from each handle. If they’re from Essence or S’aru I’m thinking black lacquer and silver cloud-patterned ornamentation, with red coral embedded on either side of the gun. Beautiful Bayonetta-style guns with glowing red veins and a cowboy flair!

antique guns which inspired me

As for what he’s using the All-blades (All-bullets?) for, I think it’d be fun to have Jason exorcising some ghosts. He can solve various murder mysteries, figure out why this place or that person is haunted, and get into fights with horrific otherworldly creatures. Jason is an interesting character to do this premise with because he might just determine that some some spirits should get their revenge, and act on behalf of a ghost rather than erasing it.

I’m not sure whether I’d want to have Essence join him or not… On one hand it only makes sense that Jason would help Isabel and Essence find a way to free themselves from the Blood Blade, and that goal would provide his character with some direction. Then again, Essence/Isabel could be cool as antagonists. Jason might see some ghosts as valid but Essence probably wouldn’t see any merit in appeasing manifestations of lingering resentment. She’s similar to him in that she also turned her back on her family, but she’s different in that she did it because she believed so wholeheartedly in their cause. She’s old and sort of a Jedi, but she’s hot-blooded and she’ll never not be Ducra’s daughter in the same way it seems Jason can never escape Batman’s shadow. I bet she has some real juicy sunk-cost fallacy type thinking too, that’d be fun to dig into.

Anyways I think this is a pretty good set-up to explore the politics/morality of forgiveness. What makes the difference between an injustice and a hatchet that ought to be buried? When is forgiveness empowering and when is it coerced? Who is it that must forgive? Justice vs Revenge, that whole kind of thing.

Other than the supernatural stuff I want Jason working with Talia, and I’m reintroducing Sasha to the post-52 continuity. Duela is getting nixed.

I don’t really have any specific plot ideas for Talia, but I would like to establish Jason as one of her associates. With Lost Days back they have basis for an actual relationship again. They’re not always on the same side but Jason can sometimes do tasks for Talia (outside the purview of Ra’s and the LOA), and Talia can occasionally support Jason with various social power-play type moves.

An instance of Jason getting into a fight with one of the Bats because he’s doing a favor for Talia would be great! I wouldn't write Talia as an evil evil bad horrible dragon lady, so it shouldn’t be a huge blow to Jason’s status as a Good Guy. Also I like the idea of Jason and Talia’s relationship mostly being inferred through their actions supporting one another, rather than directly showing much ‘on-screen’ interaction between them.

Also it’ll be interesting to go into Bruce, Dick, and Damian’s reaction to finding out that they’re not the only ones Jason is loyal to. Bruce thinking Talia was a bad influence on Jason (like fanon), silently frustrated because what he really wants is for Jason to be a full Bat-Believer (like the good old days…). Dick being fine with Jason never falling fully in-line with Bruce, provided that at the end of the day his loyalty belonged to his family.

-brief topical detour to talk about Sasha-

The new timeline of events is that Jason and Sasha met as fellow patients while Jason was in his Vague Villain era. They escaped the hospital building together (Sasha in her bloody dress, and Jason naked save for his skimpy hospital gown dhoti) and having no one else they stuck together. They got close but at some point Sasha lost her memories, giving her a chance at a fresh start. This was around the same time Jason “redeemed” himself and so just like Max Dawkins, ‘Numbers’, and Gabby Christiensen -Sasha became another person from Jason’s past that he didn’t let himself have a relationship with.

Sasha was just old enough that she didn’t have to be sent into foster care, so with some help from Wayne Foundations she got her GED and her feet underneath her. Now… she goes to work, goes to her physical therapy appointments, fights with her mother over the phone, and yes- sometimes she goes to the club.

The new Sasha still has spiky red hair but her face looks entirely normal save for a subtle scar tracing around her jawline and chin- the edges of where her mask used to sit. She wears dark makeup and even darker clothes. She’s prone to false memories and dissociation. She’s lost most of her ability to feel pain. She can’t watch certain shows she used to love anymore because they trigger her. She never returned to Russia. She doesn’t have many friends.

Since this is comics, her reintroduction will come by way of a dramatic fight. Sasha will regain her memories one day and show up out of the blue to fight Jason, angry and heartbroken that he abandoned her. He tries to explain himself but she just says look what they did to my face, referring to the facial reconstructive surgery she was given while amnesiac. She’ll be difficult to fight, not only because being a partial Dollotron gives her enhanced strength but also because she’s being reckless and the longer they fight the more strain and damage her body accrues.

After Jason apologizes and they reconcile (they will both cry) Sasha can become a recurring side character that Jason visits, keeping him grounded and up to date with Gotham. I think it'd be cute for her to bid him farewell by saying she’ll hold the city hostage until he comes back. (Is Sasha going to become Jason’s love interest? No. If I give Jason a love interest it’s going to be Numbers.)

--Going back to the previous topic, I want Sasha’s return to be part of this greater arc of Jason addressing his "shrinking soul" problem. My brain is a little fried now so I’m not exactly sure how but she is related. I think she ought to be.

Jason wants Bruce to be right. He would like for his problem to be fixed by going home and saying sorry. But at the end of my run I want him to face the reality that it’s not about that.

...Perhaps it should be about Jason 'abandoning' Gotham? I don’t really want the final thesis of my run to imply that Jason’s soul would just be fixed if he killed Rogues though, and Jason always came back whenever a big disaster was happening so it doesn't quite fit anyways… Jason does believe in the value of “pure” heroes it’s just not what he’s supposed to be. Whatever his problem's “about” , it ought to prompt Jason to stop taking Bruce’s shit. I'm saying the man is literally breaking Jason's spirit.

I’m sympathetic to Bruce but I wouldn’t write him as a nice father. I would also have scene where a younger Bat accuses Jason of being overdramatic despite 'not even having it the worst’. I don't know who 'has it the worst' but I want to make a statement that you don't need to win the pain-race to be fed up.

Ah anyways, now my brain is really fried. I hope this post was coherent all the way through, I neglected to edit and organize my thoughts as much towards the end. Thank you for asking me such a great question, I had a lot of fun thinking about it! :D

[luffyrose]

Ghost in a Birdcage - DC x DP AU

I got a name for the Au! I am referencing the song Rule #4 Fish in a Birdcage as the title. I thought the song actually fit this whole au pretty well so yeah :D

Anyway, I told y'all I was working on stuff and part of it was this (plus the memes, which I'll share later) as well as thinking of a design for my Danny in this AU. I have a few ideas, but I'll probably work on the story itself before actually solidifying it.

Here's a little bit of sadness and softness from the past in this AU. Idk if this will be put into the main story, but it's just a general short story that is canon for this au.

~~~~~~~

GiaB AU Taglist: @markus209 @olivethetreebitch @chrysanthemum9484 @blackroserelina @avelnfear @edgyboi10000 @lokiaddams @samgirl98 @phoenixdemonqueen @iceknight-of-sun @autumnwulf @chronicallyonline-fandomwh0r3 @thegatorsgoose @nikki-pondtheauthor @jaxinkh @paper-bag-boy @dxrksong @lesling123 @learning-to-fly-on-my-own @gmkelz11

(As a lil side note the tag list is gonna be on any writing I do for this au, if I make other posts about it I'll leave it to the tag for people to find. Not including a link to the Ao3 when I do make the fic or one-shot series itself, taglist will be there too :D)

~~~~~~~

Small sniffles filled the room. Jason's gaze shifted toward his little brother, a frown overtaking the anger that'd been apparent on his own face. Danny, his precious little brother, was laying on the mattress on the ground beside him. Turning and scooting closer, Jason's hand lightly landed atop slightly wet and messy curls.

"Danny, are you feeling better?"

He could see the younger open his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by coughs. Along with the coughs, a loud clattering noise came from the door that had been locked from the outside. Gritting his teeth, the instant yelling from outside telling them to shut up making him look toward the door. Really, almost three years, and Catherine still couldn't accept that a toddler was going to be loud. Danny wasn't even loud on purpose! Huffing in silent rage, Jason's eyes fell back on his little brother.

Danny was staring up at Jay, his eyes wide in slight fear at the yelling, but he knew his brother would protect them. He was very small, almost 4 now according to Jason! But he was also very smart. His brother told him that a lot, especially when he hid away when the yelling or fights started. Danny liked to be smart. He didn't like seeing the other with new injuries though, but Jason let him put bandaids on them, and then he would take them out to the library.

The library was nice.

Catherine, that's what Jason always called the angry lady, didn't like to go in there. She didn't like to go anywhere with them, but Jason liked to take him places so it was okay. They didn't go places when sick though...so why was Jason getting some of his stuff?

"We're gonna go to the library buddy."

Seeing the smile that crossed the kid's face, the tension in his shoulder's loosened, but with the loud rattling of the door and cursing, they were right back to how they were before. Getting up quickly, he shoved what he could into a little bag and helped Danny up, the small boy coughing again.

"CALEB DANIEL TODD I SWEAR WHEN I GET THIS DOOR-"

Jason didn't let Danny hear the rest of it, carefully getting them both out onto the fire escape. He knew Catherine had been...less than ideal. His father was worse. But now with Willis gone, she didn't hold back. Half the time she wasn't home, the other half the time Jason was keeping her away from Danny. Sometimes he wished she just wouldn't come home, or that Danny wouldn't be in danger because she did.

So he made a plan. He was gonna get Danny a better home. A safe one. Except, when he'd gotten sick and wasn't getting better with the cold medicine he stole, Jason's plans didn't matter so much anymore. Danny needed somewhere to get better, but he needed a way to do that first. He'd found a way...though he didn't like it.

Carrying the younger on his back, the backpack slung over his front while a star blanket Jason had actually bought for once was draped over them both. Danny was watching the people they passed by, a small but nervous smile on his face before he inevitably hid his head in the crook of Jason's neck. "Jay Jay..." The elder hummed, feeling the smaller hands tighten for a moment after. "Is Cat-rin gonna be mad at you again?"

Slowing for only a second, Jason scanned the area before looking at his brother. Danny was too smart for his age, and Jason knew it was because of their stupid 'parents'. "She's not gonna have the time to be mad at me..." He trailed off, the lump in his throat stopping him from saying anything else until they were already in front of the Library. Slipping through the door when a young adult couple was leaving, too distracted in their conversation to notice the two poor kids, they made their way to a small dusty nook.

The nook itself was filled with old books that most no one wanted to read, and the librarian who'd seen them reading there tended to leave them be. Setting Danny down, Jason held up a finger, turning to go get some better books from elsewhere. A small sneeze made him chuckle, knowing his little brother hated how dusty it was when they hadn't been back for a while. Slipping through the isles he got himself some bigger books, and a few picture books for Danny. He knew the kid would read one or two before asking for Jason to read him his books, so he'd started picking light-hearted stories or classics whenever the two came.

Making his way back and sitting down, Jason passed the smaller storybook about stars to his brother, watching Danny's expression almost glow at seeing it. At first, Jason let himself be absorbed in his own book, the only thing other than it he paid attention to being the gentle pressure that was Danny leaning against him. It was after a little while that Jason realized Danny hadn't started to bug him like usual. Looking over from his own book, he saw Danny staring at one of the pictures of a constellation.

"Do you wanna learn more about the stars?"

He'd jumped, but Danny had nodded after a moment. Something was bugging him, Jason could tell, but he wasn't about to push it. Instead, he smiled and grabbed one of the nearby books. It was a much older book, more of a journal really, but it held a bunch of sketches of the constellations. So the two sat there, whispering to one another in the privacy of the little nook. Jason was glad he knew some astrology, and Danny was so genuinely amazed, that he could ignore the lingering pain from old injuries that hadn't had time to heal.

Feeling a small tug, Jason looked toward Danny, frowning slightly when he saw small tears. "Jay Jay...are you gonna go somewhere?" He could feel the pit in his stomach knot even more at that, staring for a moment before a wobbly smile tried to cover his face.

"...What?"

A sniffle caused the smile to fall. "Danny, hey, buddy, I'm not going anywhere...I- I'm gonna find somewhere better for you though. Somewhere where you'll get to feel better and not be afraid." Looking down as Danny's small tears covered his face, he gently used his sleeve to wipe them away, knowing he would never have the heart to lie to him. "That's not gonna happen yet though...and when you have a nice home, I'll make sure to visit. We can read and look at constellations too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'll do everything I can to try and keep that promise, alright?"

"Promises are hard to keep..."

Jason felt a sigh escape his lips, putting the book fully to the side and pulling Danny in for a hug. "They are...but just because they are doesn't mean that I won't try my best." Holding onto the younger, he felt the tears soak through the shirt on his chest, ignoring it. After Danny had stopped crying, he moved the boy back, hands on his shoulders. "If I can't keep my promise, you can get back at me." The small gasp from that made him laugh.

He seemed almost offended that Jason had said such a thing. "I don't wanna!" Jason tried not to laugh more, ruffling the younger's hair. "If you don't" —he was clearly thinking deeply about a suitable punishment— "then you have to help me." A proud smile formed on his face. With a slight smirk, Jason pulled the other back onto laying on his chest.

"Help ya with what?"

"With family."

It was quiet for a moment, Jason's fingers twitching for a moment before he started messing with Danny's hair. "How so little mans?" Danny seemed even more confused, pursing his lips as he kicked his feet some. Watching him with a small smile, Jason couldn't help but think this was the reason he'd survived so long. Danny was the one good thing in his life that had no strings attached. He was fine with that...but he needed Danny to be alright, even if it meant not being right there.

"You gotta help us have a BIIIIGGGG family. With more sib-a-lings!"

There was a snort from the older, ruffling Danny's hair. "You said it wrong you little dingus." Danny's own laughter erupted from him after a moment, swatting Jason's hand away. "But sure. If I break my promise, then I'll help you get a big and nice family." The toddler seemed to absolutely beam at that. "However! I still get to be the best brother-" Danny giggled at that, "and if anything is ever wrong you come to me, no matter what. Alright?"

With a happy nod, Danny's hair was once again ruffled up by Jason, the laughter filling up the small area they were in. Even when a few older ladies glanced over, not a word was spoken to the two. And when the librarian found both boys sleeping...well, if she gently readjusted the blanket they'd brought and let them sleep it was between her and the other librarians.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Five Stages of Mamma Mia

Fandom: Batfam, DC Comics

Summary: AU where Catherine Johnson is Jason's bio mom and Jason doesn't know who his father is. (Jason Todd is Jason Johnson for fic reasons).

Chapters: 20/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Jason Blood, Catherine Todd Mention, Bruce Wayne, Willis Todd Mention

Relationship(s): Past Catherine Todd/Jason Blood, Past Catherine Todd/Bruce Wayne, Past Catherine Todd/Willis Todd

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Mamma Mia-inspired AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Father-Son Relationship(s), Jason Todd Experiences the Five Stages of Grief

Chapter Twenty: I Wonder (Departure)

Jason felt hands grabbing his arms and legs, pulling him in every direction. “Urghhh… No,” Jason mumbled. He shook his head as he kept his eyes shut. The hands were freezing to the touch but not firm enough to feel corporeal. It felt like a bad dream. “No… Let go.” 

“Help us,” one of the people whispered. 

“Let go first,” Jason gently replied. Mr. Blood taught him not to panic. Fear would cloud his intention, making anyone there perceive him as a threat. Jason swallowed hard and waited for the hands to release him. One by one, they released him. “I’m gonna open my eyes. Okay?” 

“Okay,” a soft voice answered. Jason squeezed one of his fingers, opening one eye slightly. He knew he wasn’t in the physical realm. He blinked hard at the woman in front of him. “Don’t be afraid. We don’t want to hurt you. We’re looking for our son.” 

Jason glanced at the man next to her. 

“I know you… I mean—. You’re—. I’ve seen your portraits. You’re Bruce’s parents,” Jason whispered. The woman smiled and nodded. Jason’s thoughts raced. “He’s okay.” 

“Bruce didn’t come with us… So, we were wondering if he got lost. Time is—. How do you know Bruce?” Thomas asked. Jason raised his eyebrows. 

“That’s a long story… Do you know you’re—? Do you know where you are?” Jason questioned. He didn’t want to say it outright. 

“We know we’re gone, sweetheart… How do you know Bruce?” Martha questioned. 

“He’s my dad… I mean—. Not my biological dad. He—. I’ll live with him sometimes… And sometimes I live with my other dad… He’s not my biological father, either. They’re—. It’s complicated, but Bruce is okay. I don’t know why I’m here. I just—. I found out Bruce isn’t my biological father, and I woke up here,” Jason whispered. He kneaded his forehead with his palms, trying to remember an excerpt from one of Mr. Blood’s books. “Bruce is okay… He’s kind. I—. How am I here?” Jason panted as he looked around at the shapeless landscape. It was intangible, colorless and colorful, devoid of light and un-darkened. “I was fine a minute ago. I was—.” Jason started to tear up, but he sucked in a breath, desperately looking for something to hold onto. 

Thomas and Martha reached out. “Sweetheart, it’s okay… It’s not so bad—.”

“Martha, look at him, though. He doesn’t belong here,” Thomas interrupted, “Something about him feels different.” 

Jason couldn’t contain his fearful thoughts, and he started crying. “Oh, sweetheart—.” 

Words clustered in his throat, blocking his airway as he choked and gasped for air. He wanted Bruce, Mr. Blood, or Catherine, but the words lost themselves on his frightened tongue as reality sank in. He had no idea how to get back to the living. And if he couldn’t get back… That meant he’d never wake up again. “Maybe you’re here for another reason. I don’t think you’re deceased,” Thomas reassured him. 

*

Meanwhile, Bruce took Jason’s pulse, and Mr. Blood tried to establish a link. “Are either of you getting anything?” Dick questioned. Bruce ran a hand through his hair. 

“It’s faint, and he’s cold. Jason, are you getting anything?” Bruce questioned. 

Mr. Blood pressed his forehead to Jason’s. “I know it’s futile,” Mr. Blood snapped at Etrigan. 

“Bruce, I can’t find him. He isn’t—. He’s not there. His body is here, but I can’t find any trace of him in his body or anywhere in this—. Jason isn’t in this plane,” Mr. Blood replied.

Dick frowned and shook his head. “No. He can’t—. Jason was literally speaking to us a few minutes ago. He’s breathing. Does no one else see him—?” 

“Dick,” Bruce interrupted, “If he isn’t in this plane, can you find him in another?” 

“It’s not my area of expertise… I wouldn’t know where to find Jason. Bruce, you need someone who can travel between—. You need someone who can astral project,” Mr. Blood whispered. 

Dick grabbed Jason’s hand and squeezed it. He pictured Jason’s little, sad face the night they met. Bruce left the room with his phone in hand. “Is he—? How did this happen?” Dick asked.

“I don’t know. Jason’s a crafty little fellow, so if there’s something foul at play, he’s already aware of it. Jason’s smart. He’s read half the books in my library,” Mr. Blood mumbled, “I haven’t told Bruce this because I don’t want him to worry, but Jason has a natural knack for magic… And that isn’t something that—. I can’t train him to be that good… He just—. He is. Whatever ability he has, he was born with… And it feels ancient.” 

Dick took Jason’s tie off. “What are you saying, Blood?” Dick questioned. 

“I don’t know… I just—. Jason’s not a normal human,” Mr. Blood replied, “If someone can reach him from this side, he’ll be fine.” 

“How long does he have?” Dick asked. 

“It’s still too early to tell… The longer Jason’s away from his body, the more difficult it’ll be to return. It’s like driving a long distance. It depends on how much metaphorical gas he has in the tank,” Mr. Blood explained. 

*

Jason held Martha’s hand as Thomas looked him over. “What’s your name, young man?” Thomas asked. 

“Jason,” Jason answered. Martha doted on him. 

“That’s a lovely name. Is Bruce—? What’s he like?” Martha asked. 

Jason shut his eyes, thinking about his time with Bruce. “Bruce is—. I didn’t expect anything from the men I thought were my father… But they’ve been everything to me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without meeting them. I thought I was okay, but I wouldn’t have—. I wouldn’t—. Am I dying?” Jason whimpered. Martha pulled Jason into an embrace. Thomas rested a hand atop Jason’s head.

“I don’t think so… You’re the only warm thing here… And you’re solid. Nothing here is solid,” Thomas replied, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Not that we aren’t happy to meet you. You seem like a lovely young man. It’s just—. This is no way to meet our only grandson,” Martha reassured him. 

Jason sniffed and wiped his tears away. “I’m not your only grandson… Bruce has an older son. He’s grown up now, but he’s kind… And I—. Everyone likes him. You’d love him,” Jason corrected. 

Martha and Thomas exchanged smiles. “Two grandsons… Well, look at that,” Thomas grinned. 

Martha held Jason in her arms, rocking him gently. “We’ve got to find someone who can send you back home,” Martha whispered, “I’m sure Bruce is worried sick about you.” 

Thomas sat beside her, reaching over to pat Jason on the back. 

Jason closed his eyes, trying to find his way back to his body. Jason didn’t know much about astral projection, and he’d never been brave enough to attempt it. Thomas knit his brows together, and Martha shrugged. “I don’t know how to get home… What if I can’t—?”

“I’m sure someone here can help, Jason,” Martha reassured him. There was no concept of time there, so she had no idea how long they’d been gone, and she feared Jason wouldn’t return home. “It’s alright, sweetheart. It’s going to be fine.” Thomas took Jason from Martha. 

“And when you get home… I want you to tell Bruce something,” Thomas replied before whispering something in Jason’s ear. Jason nodded seriously.

[boyfridged]

yutro i need to hear more abt ur canon oc willis todd. please.

oh the pleasure is mine! (i feel like i have waited for this question my whole life though so it will be long. and won't even cover all of it.)

obviously, willis todd was born in the crime alley. he was raised by struggling parents and an assembly of aunts and uncles, not all blood related. his family broke down due to financial trouble. there's a whole background here i have in mind: the area used to be more dominated by heavy metal industry workers, but the companies started seeking cheap labour abroad, throwing the community into an almost decade old crisis and causing them to disperse while also trying to gentrify the area (partly by exploiting the queer & artistic spots in the area that are also often found in districts with high immigrant & working class areas. that's a thing that happens in many cities) (that's offtopic but hence the fancy cinema in the area!). when willis was very young, his father was a victim of aggressive lay-offs and was soon found dead. his mother left gotham with another man when willis was 17. he did not blame her for it.

he is also a 2nd/3rd gen immigrant. i do not have a "set" ethnicity for him (although in thursday night and my other wip he is vietnamese.) it's also important to me that he speaks the language.

he's never been exceptionally good at school but he's smart and knows his way around plenty things. he spent his adolescence working many odd jobs, involving the less-legal ones mentioned in canon - "running numbers" and boosting cars, but not only. he managed to get the GED despite and enrolls into a scholarship LPN programme provided by the wayne foundation (nothing to do with bruce btw, who at the time is not involved neither in the company nor in the philantropy. it's probably based on late thomas wayne's project.) it's not his dream job but this is what is available, it's honest work and he's good enough at it. this is also how he meets sheila.

willis does fall in love with sheila, but she takes interest in him first and tbh willis also falls a bit in love with pretty much anyone and everyone he meets. he sees the best in people. they are never serious though, but when pregnancy comes into play, willis is determined to work something out. maybe sheila thinks she can be a mother for a moment too, and she is vaguely around for the first 2-3 months, except she's not being a mother anyway. and also soon she looses her freshly obtained license as a result of medical malpractice, and willis loses his scholarship because of the association with her too.

he meets shiva by accident and performs first aid on her. sandra gives him her contact details "in case he ever needs anyone gone." willis being willis thinks absolutely nothing of it.

on that note. willis just has what i'd call middle mannered boyish charm, good-spirited sense of humour and the tiniest amount of shyness/awkwardness that makes people (women especially) like him a lot. and he doesn't mind casual romance himself so his address book (or whatever the contemporary equivalent would be) grows to be quite a weird list.

he's briefly a single dad to jay before he meets catherine. they manage just fine for a while, he gets a job as a mechanic, and he is home enough for jay to speak the language too (jay does not speak it later in life though. but jay's relation to willis is a whole another topic i could write hundreds of words about). when catherine gets sick and the financial issues follow, he gets much more absent and depressed. still, every decision he takes is always motivated by the love for his family. he might not have time nor energy to entertain jay as much as he'd like to, so their past-time becomes taking naps together. and willis likes music so he sings him to sleep.

i talked about willis' parenting and his attitude irt violence here so i will not repeat myself but i do think he was relentlessly patient and that this kindness in the eyes of many made him a bit naive. but he would also stop at nothing for his family. love drives men like him into paradoxical points of no return sometimes. &he is convinced he's getting his hands bloody so that jay's never ought to be.

i think he goes on blackgate on a murder charge, because blackgate is blackgate. if he did it or not is a whole another matter; and he surely knows too much for two-face to get rid of him. perhaps contrarily to the charge, his "crime" was actually trying to take a step back and this is what got him in trouble.

[bitterrobin]

3, 9 and 12 for the hater ask game <3

3. a screenshot of the worst take you've seen on Tumblr -- ooh I have a screenshot, hold on.

yeah. Granted, its an old post back when the Tim/Damian conflict was more recent (I think 2013/2014-ish) but it's still very emblematic of those kinds of Tim fans. The kind of fans who treat Damian (a child) as an abomination who will never change while still excusing Jason (a young adult/current adult). I still laugh at this, its so egregious. "Jason never tried to kill me" sure man. sure. "--in no way suggests he's changed his goals at all" uh huh. "im not coming back to the manor" okay. goodbye. I swear some people treat this era like Damian was trying to alien assimilate into the family and destroy only Tim's life on purpose. Because of course everything's about Tim, nothing can be nuanced enough to include the 10 year old's trauma and everyone's else's grief into account, and if you excuse the child's actions then you're advocating for bullying/bad parenting/sibling abuse /s.

9. worst part of canon -- simple answer, how writers will always rehash arcs and the same "explorations of a character." More complicated answer, I'm not a fan of the way supporting characters have been erased in current/modern comics. I don't like when those characters explicitly created to support the main character's plot lines and expand their world are either completely gone or so sanded down they're practically splinters of wood. Some examples, I see mentions of Tim's wider supporting cast that are gone (idk Ives sounds interesting), theres the fact Maya Ducard hasn't shown up until very very recently, Harold Allnut and Leslie Thompkins vanished into the aether, Waller got super-butchered etc.

12. the unpopular character you actually like/why you should like them -- hmm. Kind of hard to answer since I can't gauge the unpopular ones in wider fandom. Technically, every character has their haters- ah wait. hold on i'm receiving a vision. ITS THE PARENTS. No matter which side of the fandom its always the parents (TM) that get disparaged and raked through the coals. Willis and Catherine Todd, Janet and Jack Drake, Crystal Brown, Talia al Ghul, I could go on probably. Yes, I do actually like all of them. Willis's abusive nature was a retcon and even if it wasn't, its still rooted in classist ideas of "Poor man will inevitably abuse wife/child because he is poor and unsatisfied, something something he didn't work hard enough for capitalism." Willis can be a subpar father, but hitting his child shouldn't be the only aspect to explore. Jason tried getting revenge for his dad's death, he loved him, what you do with that is more interesting to me than "Willis sucked and Jason hates him and Bruce is better/Bruce is equally as bad and Jason also hates him." Catherine and Crystals addictions are often portrayed as "absent and not nearly there enough to provide their child protection." Catherine's sickness/addiction was super up to interpretation until it was retconned to "full blown drug addict". Crystal was being abused and trying. Children can resent their parents over this, but sometimes you need to look past the character and at the actual writer who wrote this into canon. Did they or did they not hold their own bigoted views and insert them into the comics because that's what they wanted and no one stopped them? Janet was dead before she could meaningfully warp Tim and by all accounts she was loving to Tim even when she wasn't always there. All of Jack's flaws are so utterly banal and human and a clear signifier of the 90's/2000's ideas of parenting that making him more than a slightly pathetic and macho-oriented man just...doesn't make sense to me. And I won't get into Talia because we'll be here for hours. I will say that Talia is truly in a lose/lose situation because people will hate her whether she actually has a hand in Damian's childhood or not. To me all of these parents can be nuanced and interesting to explore, especially in situations without their children. I like writing about Willis and Catherine's childhoods. I like exploring Talia's relationship with her father. I like thinking about Jack being hopeless and still having redeeming qualities and Janet being so loved by him it destroys him when she dies. I just think the idea of "parents before they were parents" is neat! I love thinking about the people they used to be before a child, because having children is so changing. Was Willis affected by his own parents? Did Willis actually know Lady Shiva as friends or was there some crazy backstory we'll never get? Did Catherine have her own hobbies and dreams, did she always want a child and accepted Jason as her own so readily because it haunted her for years? Did Janet go into archaeology for a specific reason, was it a family passion? Did Jack meet Janet and covet her intelligence and independence? Did Talia dream of becoming a world-renowned surgeon and having that be accepted by her father wholeheartedly, having her successes be her own successes?

Disclaimer: If you vent using DC characters then thats entirely valid! I'm just weirdly neurotic about accurate portrayals and in no way am I an authority on any of the above.

[batfsm]

Jason's "brother" first appears in the digital-first chapter Truth & Justice #10 by Jeff Trammell, Rob Guillory, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Becca Carey. This story focuses on Red Hood's time as a homeless kid. But he isn't alone in this version of his past; one of the people who helps young Jason is Max Dawkins, an older kid who once took care of Jason like a brother. Together, the two survive their childhood. After Jason Todd is taken in by Batman, Jason leaves some money for Max to help him get off the streets. Max turns his life around, even graduating from college — but is unfortunately murdered by Scarecrow. Killing Max off was a huge mis-step on DC's part, and bringing him back could give Jason Todd's character new depth.

So is Max before Nu52 or in New52? Because I never heard of him so I think he is New52.

Almost every member of the Bat-Family still has a powerful connection to their past life. Dick has had old family members reappear, like his uncle and sister — plus he owns the circus he grew up in. Barbara Gordon still has her father, and Cass Cain, for better or worse, still has her mother and father. Damian Wayne has his father, mother, and grandfather. But Jason Todd has no connection to his past life at all. Both of Jason's mothers are dead, and Joker recently killed Jason's father, meaning Jason has no connection left to his pre-Batman childhood. Bringing Max back into continuity would give Jason at least one supporting cast member who knew him before his death as Robin and his revival as Red Hood, which is something Jason desperately needs.

Jason has Crime Alley! He grew up on the streets, he knows the people probably the best than anyone in the family. He has someone on his side, the people of Gotham themselves!

This has to be New52 because I swear Willis was dead around the time Catherine died. Or still in prison. Wait, Catherine dies by the Joker? At least here. I thought it was the drugs who did it.

(This was where I saw it said Joker killed Catherine and Willis.)

Every other Bat-Family member, including Batman, has both a connection to their past and a civilian life with supporting characters. Jason has neither; rarely is he shown in his civilian life, and he has no supporting cast that isn't a fellow superhero. There is no doubt that, out of all the Bat-Family members, Jason is the one who has struggled the most to find his footing outside the team. Every Batgirl and Robin has their own supporting cast, and Red Hood deserves the same. Bringing Max back could be the first step to fixing that.

Who did Tim have before dating Bernard? Unless I’m mistaken, which I might be, didn’t he push Ives, Bernard, Darla(?), and his other school friends away to focus on Robin? Not to mention it seems as if he had no one to hang out with when Jack made him give Robin up...

Oh, I thought it was Dick’s grandfather who reappeared? Or do they not count William as a family member? Plus, isn’t Dick’s sister his parents killers adopted daughter?

Wait, who do they consider Bruce having as his supporting cast? His kids who technically are also his partners? His best friends who are superheroes? Something that ScreenRant seems to hate for Jason? Damian literally has no friends, that they show, besides Jon who is now Tim’s age, since they got rid of Colin and his other friends, including Jon, are superheroes or villains also.

Tim has Bernard and maybe Ives. Duke has his mom, same with Steph, and that’s about it I believe.

I’m surprised they counted Cass’s parents, Ra’s, and Talia in with Damian’s support. Especially since they didn’t put that Ra’s and Talia are as bad as Cass’ s parents…now.

Actually, if you get down to it, the whole family has each other to rely on also. So Jason isn’t alone.

Every other Bat-Family member, including Batman, has both a connection to their past and a civilian life with supporting characters.

Every Batgirl and Robin has their own supporting cast, and Red Hood deserves the same.

ScreenRant really reiterated themselves here.

DC really changed everyones backstory and made them worse didn’t they?

[thesandsofelsweyr]

THE CLIMB

《 CHAPTER 3/? // READ ON AO3 // TAG 》

My reimagining of how Jason escaped Arkham Asylum and ended up in Venezuela (Arkham Knight: Genesis Part 5 Retelling)

《RATING》 Unrated 《CATEGORY》 Gen 《WORDS》 2,467

《CHARACTERS》 Jason Todd, Slade Wilson, Original Male Character, Joker (mentioned), Bruce Wayne (mentioned), Catherine Todd (mentioned), Willis Todd (mentioned)

《TROPES》 Angst, Whump, Fix-It

《WARNINGS》 Implied/Referenced Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Blood and Injury, Head Injury, Delirium, Hallucinations, Flashbacks, Near Death Experiences, Suicidal Thoughts, Past Child Abuse, Swearing

《SERIES》 Part 6 of My Arkhamverse

《NOTES》

This was my first time writing Slade Wilson for public consumption so special thanks to @nonbinaryjaybird and dak for beta-ing this chapter.

If you enjoy the read please kudos, comment, and reblog 🧡

《 ALSO ON AO3 》 (comments & kudos there are very much appreciated!)

Jason stops dead in his tracks, paralyzed by the terror that cuts through him like the Clown’s scalpel. That wasn’t the voice of another ghost. That was real. He’d been so lost in his delusions that he hadn’t heard the makeshift trap door creak open or the heavy bootsteps descending the unfinished concrete staircase, approaching him. Panic grips his chest with a gauntleted fist, squeezing all the air from his lungs. Two bright beams of light pierce the darkness, illuminating him like a deer in headlights. 

“No…” His pitiful whimper catches in his throat. Any courage he’d regained from facing certain death had been sucked out of him the instant he heard that voice. How could he have been so careless? This is why I was left here to rot. This is why I was replaced. He should’ve known the Clown would never let him creep through these halls unprotected. He’d never let his prized plaything slip from his grip. His master will make him suffer for this.

He throws up a trembling arm over his face to shield his stinging eyes from the flashlights that are blinding him. His heart is galloping in his chest, racing toward that trap door that is now blocked by the pair of shadowy figures. He tightens his grip on the wall to keep himself from falling to his knees and begging these flesh-and-blood specters for mercy.

The faulty emergency floodlight flickers on again, the shadows rescind, and two living, breathing men emerge from the murk. They’re dressed in GCPD tactical gear, with helmets on and masks pulled up over their faces, hiding everything but their eyes. The larger of the two has a black patch over his right eye.

Jason licks his ragged lips with a parched tongue. He needs to explain; he has to make them understand. “This-this isn’t what it looks like,” he pleads desperately as nervous fingers pluck at his orange jumpsuit. Cold sweat drips down the sides of his face. “I wasn’t trying to escape, I swear. I-I was just thirsty. Please, it’s been days…”

The smaller of the pair pulls down his mask, revealing the round face of a kid not much older than he is; a face he doesn’t recognize. The kid’s thin lips skin back in disgust at the sight of Jason. “That’s the Batman’s partner?” he scoffs with a hint of an accent, looking Jason up and down with dark eyes. He slings his rifle over his shoulder, clearly unimpressed by the filthy, starved ex-sidekick who can barely stand. “Didn’t we just see him with another kid?”

Jason’s heart sinks and he has to choke back a sob. He’s here. He’s here and he’s close and he still didn’t come for me. He still doesn’t care. Warm tears pool in his eyes, but that other part of him refuses to let them fall. “You knew that already, dipshit. It’s past ‘time to face facts’ and man up. You’re steps away from freedom. You know the count. You counted plenty of times. Get the hell out of here.”

The taller man with the broad shoulders and the eye patch steps up to Jason, his one blue eye appraising him. Jason drops his own paler blue eyes to the floor like he’d been trained to do. “Looks like the Bat’s got a spare. Helluva retirement.”

Jason’s blood goes cold: they know who I am. Then his mind catches. That was an old fear, one instilled in him by Batman. Who the fuck cares anymore? He’s a nobody now. Just another plaything left to rot in the Clown’s funhouse. He idly wonders if these goons had dropped by to torture him on Joker’s invitation and he didn’t remember them. There are lots of stretches he doesn’t remember. Probably for the best. 

“Sorry kid, it’s nothing personal,” Cyclops drawls, and Jason hears the sound of a gun pulling free from its holster. “But don’t worry, I’ll make it quick. I wanna get back to all the shows I DVR’d, and my compadre here wants to get laid. Now, down on your knees like a good boy so we can get this over with.”

Jason glances up, and his brow wrinkles in confusion. “You’re here to… kill me?” he asks, incredulous. His brain’s still mush, and the ringing in his ears and the pounding headache aren’t helping him make sense of what’s happening here. 

“Yep,” Cyclops replies as he motions impatiently at Jason with his gun—a wordless reminder that he wants Jason down on his knees. “Your friend the Clown pays really well.”

Jason gapes at the gun and then back at the man holding the gun. “He-he wants me dead?” he asks dumbly. That doesn’t sound right. If the Clown really wanted him dead, he wouldn’t send an assassin to put a bullet in the back of his head, to give him a clean, quick death. No, when the time’s right, Joker will use his own hands and savor every single agonizing second. He’ll peel the skin from my bones, saw off my arms and legs, cut open my stomach, then rip out my guts while I watch. He’ll make me beg and beg and beg for death, and I’ll suffer until my last breath. A wave of nausea rolls through him, and he bites down on his tongue to silence a whimper.

“Uh-huh. Gave me a generous down payment to get rid of the secret prisoner he’d stashed down here. That’d be you.”

Cyclops’ words hit him like a punch to the gut. “Oh,” he says in a tiny voice. His head droops between his sagging shoulders. In the end, even Joker didn’t want him. How does someone fail at suffering? How useless am I? A stifled sob escapes his tight throat before he can swallow it down. He never thought the Clown could hurt him more than he had with all of his toys. No one in the world wanted him now. No one in the world would ever want him. Why the hell am I still alive? He still doesn’t understand what he did to deserve any of this. He fucked up, sure. Fucked up a lot. But he’d tried his best to be good for his mom, for Bruce, even for Willis… even for Joker. Yet, in the end, every one of them abandoned him. “...thrown you away like an unwanted puppy.” Sorrow and despair wring out his heart, and like the weak little coward he is, he breaks down and bawls. He welcomes the bullet this man has waiting for him. He’s ready for the sad story of his life to finally end. He doesn’t even feel like breathing anymore, so he just slumps against the wall and lets his broken body slide to the floor; a useless heap of meat.

“Wait, is he crying?” The kid aims a kick at his sore ribs, and he moans as he doubles over. “At least die like a man.”

“That kid’s got a point, you worthless waste of space,” Robin sneers, disgusted.

Cyclops kneels in front of him, and he can’t help but shrink back; a learned response from over a year of non-stop abuse. He keeps his eyes trained on the black and white floor tiles. “So it’s true, then? You were Batman’s partner?”

Being reminded of the man he thought had loved him, the man who’d replaced him without so much as a second thought, hurts like another kick in the ribs, and a broken sob shakes his cadaverous body. Then that sob’s sucked back in when a heavy hand seizes his jaw, thick fingers digging painfully into his thin flesh. His face is yanked up, and his eyes go wide as his body stiffens. “Answer me,” Cyclops demands cooly, a cold flame burning behind his one blue eye.

“Yes sir,” Jason hears himself reply out of habit and cringes. His training runs deep. Like Pavlov’s dog, but with crowbars and cattle prods in place of the bell. His tongue flicks at one of the empty holes in his gums—one of the punishments for his bad manners—before his eyes fall back to the floor. 

Cyclops releases his jaw. “I’ll be damned,” he laughs as he straightens. “I remember this little punk,” he gestures at Jason with his gun. “Always running at the mouth, never knew when to shut the hell up. The Clown must’ve taught him some manners. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, eh?” He holsters his gun. “Guess it’s your lucky day, Boy Wonder,” he says, grabbing Jason up by his scrawny bicep, as if he weighs no more than a doll. “I’m in the mood to gamble so you get to live a little while longer.”

The man’s words slowly sink into his sluggish brain, then the stomach-churning realization takes hold: these men are taking him away from here, away from his home, away from his master. Jason tries to twist away, but Cyclops’ broad fist is locked around his upper arm, tight as a vise. “I-I can’t leave here,” he squeaks as terror mounts inside him with each hobbled step. “He’ll think I escaped!”

“He? Who’s he?” the kid asks. “The lunatic who locked you up down here?”

“You-you don’t understand,” he stammers on, “what he’ll do to me when he finds me.” Or would he? Does he even still care enough to punish him one last time? The Clown’s threat echoes in his ear, prickling the little hairs on the nape of his neck as if the creep’s looming over him: “I’ll have more than teeth and fingernails to add to your little scrapbook.” Jason can’t risk it. He can’t face that agony again. That humiliation… that mutilation… 

The floodlight flickers off and on again: a portent, a promise of pain. Goosebumps erupt all over his wan flesh. “Not my problem,” Cyclops says dryly as he drags him along toward the stairwell. Towards the exit. Towards freedom. The stairwell doorway yawns open, a dark maw waiting to swallow him; to chew him up then spit him out, like every other time he tried to reach that salvation beyond.

Icy dread sinks its teeth into him, sending a chill skittering down his spine. This has to be another game. He loves his fucking games. And it wouldn’t be the first time Joker recruited others to play with his toy. He thinks I’ll go with them, he warns himself, remembering Dr. Haywood. The ‘J’ on his cheek tingles. He wants to hurt me again, like he did before I became his partner. He wants to punish me. He wants to… he wants…

“Attention!”

His terror takes control. A burst of adrenaline surges through his veins, and he wrenches his skinny arm out of Cyclops’ iron grip. Then he bolts: half-sprinting, half-limping back towards the safety of his cell. His shattered ankle screams in agony, but he’s so crazed by fear that he’s barely fazed. Besides, that excruciating pain lancing up his leg is a mere bee sting compared to what the Clown will do to him for failing this test. He’ll break my other ankle. He’ll break every bone in my body before he… he… Jason clenches his jaw full of broken teeth, wide eyes fixed on the hallway, and his cell beyond. His heavy breathing is torturous beneath his splintered ribs, but he doesn’t dare stop. He’ll curl up in his corner and await whatever punishment he has to endure for leaving his cage. He’ll show his master that he’s loyal. He’ll prove he can be a good partner…

A deafening boom thunders through the narrow corridor, drowning out all other sounds, then searing pain explodes in his shoulder as the bullet tears through that abused tissue. He cries out as his knees buckle and he collapses. Blood’s bubbling up through his jumpsuit. He wraps his shaking hand around the wound, pressing down on it to try and staunch the bleeding. Hot blood seeps through the cracks between his fingers. He tries to push himself back up on his feet so he can keep fleeing, but his knees give way and he falls flat on his face with a grunt. Undeterred, he pulls himself down the hallway, clawing at the tile with his free hand, slithering over the dirty floor, leaving a trail of blood beneath him like a gigantic slug.

He hears a deep chuckle as the two men leisurely stroll up to him. Then a strong hand is under his arm, hauling him to his feet, ending his comically feeble escape attempt as soon as it began.

“Look, kid,” Cyclops explains in his ear as he steadies him. “You’ve got two options: the easy way or the hard way. You can start walking, or I’ll put the next one in your knee and drag your ass out of here. Either way, you’re coming with us.”

“What? You’re bringing him with us? I thought you had a deal with this Clown guy.”

“This kid’s got some valuable secrets. The kind of secrets that your kind of people will pay a helluva lot more for than 2 million bucks. And by the looks of him, the Clown’s already loosened his tongue for us. Never had much faith in that pasty-faced psycho anyway.”

“Crazy Yanqui,” the kid spits. “The Dons won’t give you a dime for this rat bitch. C’mon. Finish the job, and let’s get the hell outta here. I’m freezing my nuts off in this city.”

Cyclops ignores his sidekick, and shoves Jason forward, nearly sending him sprawling. He stumbles ahead, jarring his ankle again. This time the pain is blinding and he yelps. He sucks in a gasp through gritted teeth as he regains his balance. 

He weakly shuffles ahead as he grips his bleeding shoulder, panting as he goes. Every other hobbled step earns him a rough prod from Cyclops. Without the fog of fear clouding his addled mind, it’s obvious once again that he’s on death’s doorstep. He glances up again at the dark stairwell only steps away and he can’t help but giggle. “That’s more like it, you pathetic fuck.” His giggle balloons into laughter, and soon he’s cackling as hysterically as the Clown. He can’t help it. It’s so fucking funny. These men are dragging him out of this pit. His suffering is finally at an end, but he’s not gonna make it past the trap door he tried to reach so many times before because he’s about to drop dead. His side starts to ache from his boisterous laughter.

“He’s lost his mind,” the kid comments, but it’s only a soft echo in his blood-starved brain. Jason takes another step, then the ground tilts up to meet his face.

Darkness.