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Its amazing how low criminals in Gotham are willing to sink to attain their nasty desires, Jason thinks. There are just some things that shouldn’t ever be done and kidnapping little kids is at the top of that list.
The little boy in this case wasn’t so little, only a few years younger than Jason if he had to guess. But he definitely looked the part of a child, wide-eyed and chubby cheek-ed, where Jason never really had the chance to be a kid.
A quick glance at the kid told Jason everything he needed to know; he was a rich kid who had probably never seen real danger in his life so Jason had to end this quickly. Besides, he didn’t want to waste anymore time scouting and whatnot; if he waited any longer to save the kid and Batman found out, he would be in so much trouble and he would never hear the end of it. Jason certainly didn’t want that.
So he swooped down in an unmistakable display of red and green, knocking out the thugs before they knew what was going on. And it really didn’t take long either; a swift kick here and a well-placed punch there and they were down for the count.
“Well,” Jason hummed, clapping his hands of dust. He scowled down at the unconscious bodies, as if they’d be able to see his discontentment. “That was a little anticlimactic. I thought they’d at least put up something of a fight.”
A squeeking sound reminded Jason he actually had a victim to save. “Oh, shit,” he mumbled, turning to the kid. Jason undid the ropes and binds quicker than he took out the thugs and pulled the boy out of the wooden chair he was tied to. “You ok, kid?” he asked, looking over the boy’s body for any telltales of injury. “They didn’t hurt you too badly right?”
“You’re Robin,” the kid said, however. He looked up at Jason, who was easily two feet taller than him, with the largest eyes Jason had ever seen.
Jason gave him an odd look. Of course Jason knew who he was, why was this kid reminding him? “What?”
“You’re Robin,” the kid said again, a little louder this time. “As in Batman and Robin.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.” This time, it was the kid who gave him the weird look and Jason thought maybe he might have said that a little too harshly. However, not being one to admit a fault so easily, he quickly changed the topic. “Anyway, where to? I should at least return you to wherever these guys got you from.”
The kid looked like he was struggling with deciding whether or not to tell Jason where he lived and it was trying on Jason’s nerves. He had other things to do, alright? “Alright, why don’t I just take you to a phone? You can call your parents or whoever and ask them to come get you.”
The kid smiled real big at that, all teeth and glittery eyes and Jason nodded. “Ok, we’ll do that.” Jason offered out his hand and the kid took it eagerly, acting nothing like a child who had just been kidnapped. “Can you at least tell me your name, kid?”
The boy grinned up at him. “Timothy,” he said quickly, stumbling over the sounds of his own name. He seemed to think for a moment, then blanched, “but you can call me Tim, if you want. Only my mommy calls me Timothy.”
Jason nodded. “Then, nice to meet-ya, Tim.”
..
The next time Jason met Tim it was under less dangerous circumstances. At least, for Jason it was.
“Robin!” Tim squealed, grinning when he saw Jason approach.
Jason would have rolled his eyes if the boy could see it under his domino. “What are you doing on the bus, kid?”
“Taking photos,” Tim chirped like it was normal to ride the bus to Crime Alley just to take photos.
“Does your mother know you’re out this late?” Jason asked, maybe a little too loudly. “Or where you went? I bet she’d kill you if she knew.”
Tim shrugged at that, his smile fading but not disappearing. “Who’s going to tell her?” he asked, “You?”
Jason snorted, “I might. What were you taking photos of anyway?”
Tim’s ears went a little pink and Jason wondered if this kid could get any cuter. “Nothing in particular.”
Jason laughed, plopping down on the hard metal seat next to Tim. “Sure,” he sang. Holding his hand out, he gestured for the camera. “Well? Let’s see ‘em.”
Tim frowned and hugged his camera close. “I-it’s not digital,” he told him. “I have to develop them.”
Jason dropped his hand. “oh,” he hummed, “not fun.”
They sat there a couple stops, in silence, watching the lights go by. It was rather comfortable silence, despite Jason being in his Robin get-up and whatnot. Tim didn’t seem to mind it, however.
“Why are you taking the bus?” Tim asked, “I thought Batman had that awesome car.”
“He does,” Jason answered, “But I’m mad at him right now.”