Chapter Text
You swore that Gotham City had never seen a sunny or happy day in its lifetime. The last time you remembered it being a bright day was the day you moved in, and even then you’re convinced you must have imagined the blue skies and the sun shining down. To be fair, most of your days were spent sleeping in and recovering from a long night of duty. You couldn’t remember the last time you had a day off to focus on yourself. You didn’t mind it that way though. In fact, you often preferred it to keep yourself distracted from him.
The snow was beginning to pick up and you knew you had limited time before it became the blizzard-like conditions the weathermen promised for the evening. You preferred being inside, sitting next to a window drinking hot chocolate when the snow picked up like this, but you were out of luck for the day. It would become a race against time to get back to Wayne Manor before the sidewalks were slick with ice.
You put your hands in your coat pockets, hoping that would keep them warm for a little bit longer. You just had to make sure your fingers weren’t so cold they couldn’t grab the keys to unlock the door by the time you were there. Then again, Alfred would probably be waiting right behind it just to make sure you got home safely. Even nearly a year later, everyone was still on edge about his disappearance.
The Manor seemed to tower over you the closer you got to it. At least there weren’t reporters surrounding the gates anymore. A year ago it seemed like they wouldn’t quit taking photos of the entire family as Bruce announced to the world the disappearance of his adopted son, Jason Todd. It was probably the first time you had ever seen him look so concerned and worried. You weren’t sure if any of it was faked for the press or not.
Every day as you walked up to the gate you still hoped that Jason would pop up out of nowhere. He had a tendency to prank you after all. Maybe this was just some elaborate joke where he would come out and scare you. Maybe tonight you would get to scream at him for being so stupid, before wrapping your arms around him and pulling him in for a hug. Maybe tonight you would finally see Alfred relax while Dick listened through the sitting room door, hoping to hear the entire lecture Bruce would give Jason for his recklessness.
You placed your thumb over the fingerprint scanner, giving it the moment it needed to identify you. With a click heard from the gate, you opened the door and stepped through, stopping midway. You turned your head both ways, looking for a hint of black hair peeking out from a bush.
You sighed and proceeded through the gate, shutting it. You only left when the gate’s lock clicked back into place.
You were likely the most optimistic one out of the bunch. Bruce kept searching for him though. Some nights you would find him hunched over the Batcomputer, scanning the radars for any signs of him. Alfred always worried about Bruce the most on those nights. Everyone knew the guilt was eating him alive.
Dick stopped searching a few months ago. He knew Bruce was still on the hunt, and Dick always knew that Jason had a bit of a temper on him. He wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that Jason and Bruce had a fight so bad that Jason made a run for it. Closing in on a year of his disappearance, Dick assumed he left over the only other alternative he could think of. Dick knew better to ponder the alternative in front of you.
You made your way up the long driveway, cursing the fact that you had yet to buy a car. Bruce offered a few times, but you insisted on saving up money for it. You wanted to feel like an adult, not a spoiled rich kid adopted by Bruce Wayne. It’s why you insisted on Bruce giving you a “salary” for your work spent as Oracle. While you weren’t actively out on the streets, you focused on aiding Batman behind the scenes, scanning radars and hacking into computer systems. You had started teaching Barbara the basics of coding and hacking one day when you were really bored. She was fascinated by it. You still remember her saying, “It’s a good thing you’re on our side and the bad guy’s side, (Y/N).” It gave you a bit of an ego for the rest of the week.
Before you even opened the door you could hear the shouting. It had been a while since you last heard the Manor quiet. Perhaps this was better than the peace and quiet though. It distracted you from your thoughts at least.
As you turned the key and entered the Manor, you saw a batarang fly across the room. Your eyes widened slightly in reaction, but it wasn’t the most surprising thing to see fly across the room. Shifting your eyes to the right you could see Tim panting, kneeling next to one of the tables. On the other side of the room, Bruce was entering the entryway from the sitting room, a disappointed look on his face.
“Must we do this in the Manor and not in the Batcave or the very specific training rooms in the Batcave?” You asked, mildly exasperated, closing the door gently. The warmth of the Manor was almost painful at first as it clashed with the cold snow that rested on you. You knew your cheeks and nose had to be a bright red by now.
Both Bruce and Tim ignored you, sending glares at each other. “Your reaction time needs to be improved before you can go out there again,” Bruce warned. Tim nearly rolled his eyes, but he knew that would be a fate worse than death for him.
“My reaction time is fine, Bruce. I get it, it’s close to one year since he’s been gone, but I’m not him.” Tim knew he was playing with fire by mentioning Jason, but there was only so much he could do. Bruce kept pushing him and working him to the bone lately. It was only going to be counterproductive to push Tim this way.
Bruce was quiet, but both you and Tim could tell he was angered by this statement. Not necessarily because Tim was wrong, but because Bruce knew it was the truth. You looked over at Tim, shooting him a small but sympathetic smile.
You still remembered when Tim joined the group, or the Batfamily, as you preferred to call it. It had only been a couple of months since Jason disappeared, which made you resentful for longer than you’d like to admit. You were still so sure Jason would come back any day back then, and at first it seemed like Bruce was simply trying to replace him as quickly as possible. You later understood why he needed a new Robin, but for those first few months it was hard for you to come to terms with it. You had ignored poor Tim for the longest time, despite his efforts to try and make a friendship. By month 4 of him being in the Manor you came around. It simply took a long night of duty and Pauli’s Diner at 5 AM to celebrate for you to open up to him.
Tim looked exhausted, but appreciated the sympathy nonetheless. When it seemed like Bruce was calling it a night, his shoulders slumped and he rested his back against the wall. He wasn’t expecting Bruce to ambush him ten minutes after dinner with batarangs and explosive gel thrown directly at his chest. Something about, “Always being prepared for the element of surprise,” Bruce claimed.
You shook your head at the two of them. You were used to the antics, now being here for almost a year and a half. You were barely a legal adult when Bruce brought you and Jason in, making you promise that you both would strive to be the best that you can (AKA, no more robbing people or trying to steal the Batmobile's tires). Bruce made it a priority of his to learn where you two thrived. While you found a love for coding, he learned that Jason could channel his anger properly through combat fighting. It worked out that you both would become quite useful in different ways.
As you took off your coat and hung it in the coatroom, you noticed Alfred approaching the three of you, a slightly concerned look on his face. “Oh, good, you’re here, Miss (Y/N),” He breathed a sigh of relief.
“What’s wrong, Alfred?” You asked, a confused expression on your face. Something seemed off.
“A video has been sent by an anonymous server. It was received only moments ago, with a request that Master Wayne views it immediately. I would assume that all three of you would prefer to view it together.”
Bruce was skeptical of the video immediately. “Where is it coming from?” He asked.
“I’m not sure,” Alfred admitted. “It was sent to the cloud by the GCPD. Commissioner Gordon received it with a note that requested only you watch it. I had it scanned for any viruses or malware before being uploaded to the Batcomputer for your viewing.”
“Thanks, Alfred,” Bruce responded.
Without another word spoken, Bruce made his way past Alfred and down into the Batcave. You and Tim both knew to follow closely behind. You shot each other a confused look, trying to guess what the video could be about.
As you made your way down into the Batcave, the lights lit up with every step you took. Bruce was much faster than both of you. It had been a while since you were in the Batcave, opting to have your own separate room near it for duty purposes. It was often easier than being in the way if Dick or Tim needed to stop by and pick something up throughout the night. While Dick wasn’t here as often anymore with him now being in Bludhaven, he would swing by at times for evidence or a new gadget.
When you made it closer to the center of the cave, you saw his suit still hanging up near the side of the room. Bruce kept it there as a memory, a reminder of Jason and what he was still searching for. He was always more sentimental than he let on. If it were regarding anyone else, it would’ve made you smile. For now, it merely sent shivers down your spine.
Bruce loaded up the Batcomputer, watching the screens light up with what seemed to be a dozen cases. He was always on the hunt for what Scarecrow or the Riddler had planned. It seemed like there was always someone breaking out of Arkham Asylum. You couldn’t figure out why there wasn’t better security measures put in place yet for that place.
The recording loaded up faster than the computer did. The screen was black for only a moment, before the lights turned on in the room it was filmed in. The room was easily recognizable as Arkham Asylum, but you couldn’t identify which wing it would’ve been in. At the center of the room sat someone strapped to a chair in ropes. Had it not been for the giant “R” on his chest, you may not have even recognized Jason.
He was beaten to no end. His head hung low, hiding what you could easily assume were countless bruises and cuts. His suit was heavily damaged, with holes that exposed various open wounds. Some of the larger ones showed signs of infection. He was noticeably skinnier, with the suit seeming to dangle off of his shoulders rather than fitting to his form.
His breathing was heavy as he lifted his head up briefly to look at the camera. Your eyes widened when you saw the “J” that was burned into his cheek. It looked like it was fresh judging by the redness and puffiness of it. On the other side of his face was a large black eye and a cut on his lip. The blood didn’t look fresh.
“Have you got something to tell the nice man, Jason?” You knew that grating voice anywhere. The manic giggle towards the end of the question was a sound you only ever heard from the Joker.
“My name is Jason Todd.” Jason spoke slowly. His voice sounded hoarse and pained. You could only imagine what he had been through. Had he been with the Joker all this time?
“Who do you hate my boy?” Joker asks, laughter ready to spill.
“Batman,” He spat out with venom.
“Excellent. Of course, you do!”
After some silence Joker came into view. “Did you hear that, Bats? Kid’s not yours anymore. He’s mine. Mine, mine, mine. To do with as I wish. Hey, I never asked. What’s the big secret? Who is the big, bad bat?” He asked, moving closer to Jason. Jason bent his head down, refusing to look the clown in the eye.
“Of course, sir, its-” Before he could respond, Joker pulled out a pistol and fired directly into his chest.
It felt like someone had punched you in the throat with the way your breath escaped you. You didn’t even realize that your hand darted out and took a hold of Tim’s. Tim looked down for a moment, giving it a light squeeze in support. You couldn’t even feel it.
“Never could stand a tattletale. That’s why I like to work alone. No one to spoil the punch line. You should try it sometime. After all, you’ve seen what happens when you drag your friends into this crazy little game of ours. Working alone is really only a problem when you need an extra set of hands. Let’s see if we can’t solve that little conundrum!” His laugh was maniacal as the video tape ended. The screen reloaded to the start of the film, ready to play again. You couldn’t stop staring at the boy who was sitting in that chair.
You couldn’t remember what happened for the few moments after that tape. You knew people talked about those revelations or discoveries that made it seem like time was standing still. You had never experienced that until tonight.
One moment you were staring at the screen and the next you were staring into Tim’s shoulders. You could feel the weight of his arms around you, you could even hear how he spoke gently to you, but you couldn’t respond to it. It was like you were frozen.
That night would end up being the quietest night your mind had in over a year.