Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The pit thrummed through his veins. Years after the fact, that green thrum still shifted through his gaze and tainted his eyes green.

Years after the fact, and his body refuses to age beyond fixing the years of malnutrition from youth. New and old scars litter his skin, yet not a single wrinkle appears.

By now, Damian's an adult, Bruce is old, Dick looks young in that aged kind of way, and Tim looks old beyond his years. Barbera looks like Barbera, Stephanie has smile lines and Cass probably looks ageless as Dick.

Isn't Duke also immortal?

How long do Tameranians even live? There's Artemis, but she's not half god like Wonder Woman, and how does time even work in hell? Is Bizarre even alive?

He hasn't seen Roy in years

Carrie hasn't even been born yet, next year or five- ten? Who knows about Terry.

Beside being ageless, wounds still heal just like those first weeks, probably because of magic. The healing, strength and less need for sleep never leave.

Only downside it seems is a fast metabolism. Alcohol doesn't seem to work without spending a fortune, drugs like aspirin aside.

Of course, there also the whole every one you love will die.

But, those one hates too. The Gotham villains either died in some stunt, by his hand or just plain retired.

Joker's death was all too kind.

And, with his reason to stay on Gotham gone, he left. Stayed in contact with Damian and sometimes Dick or other members of the family when he was needed.

For a while he just drifted around the world, even space and places other or alternate. Memories came slowly.

With those memories abilities. Shadow travel, invisibility and astral plain shit to name a few. Some things even improved, like precognition and such.

Killed some demons, some people- maybe a god here and there too. Anything evil really.

There's nothing else to do, Essence's soul had remained trapped in her sword until it faded, and attempts to restore the Plains of All have limited success.

But what else is he to do?

What else is there when that's what most of Jason's futures hold?

Chapter Text

They were all in the middle of a warehouse, cobwebs in every corner and barely standing rails seemed to be all there was, all of the boxes and chairs moved out here hours ago.

They had a meeting, Red Hood and his higher ups, discussing how exactly to take care of Sonios without Batman being in their asses, mainly Red Hoods.

Because apparently, Red Hood didn't want Batman to find him just yet, apparently he couldn't afford Batman to find him until after everything was said and done.

While that was the thinking, Hood came up with a plan that seemed to do the opposites. Mainly bazookas, why would be any ones guess.

But they all had a theory. Hood was a teenager, that's not very young for a vigilante in Gotham, or anywhere these days, it was for a crime lord.

Crime lord's are generally thirty, hood sounded twelve, which means he's probably around eighteen - nineteen. Bit tall and bulky, didn't help that he suddenly looked a taller than usual last week, yes Hoods wearing the same shoes.

It's like Red Hoods suddenly making up for lost time with these growth spurts.

---

The next hint they got for the conspiracy board was but a bit later. Hood knew how to do the math the way they taught to various members nieces and nephews when they were fifteen.

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Hood read alot of older books like pride and prejudice, quoted everything from Hamlet to lord of the rings. But it's fairly established that Hoods a dramatic bastard, so theatre need it is.

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Hood helped an old lady figure out how her phone worked, like he actually knew how the phone worked.

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Another growth spurt

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Voice crack

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Another meeting in another warehouse, this one also cleared out, but ready to blow.

Hood confronted Batman. Hood somehow captured the joker, and then just a few hours later, a building blew up and Hoods alarm pinged his location.

They set up a rescue team and went looking, took only a few minutes since apparently Hood planned for everything.

Either way, it was not a pretty sight. Strange amount of green smoke stuff, lots and lots of blood.

Lots.

They got there to find Hood dead. The green smoke seemed to pour out his mouth, eyes and his neck. Blood slowed to a trickle, most of it spread below his body and dripped from various debris.

They were all silent as they put Hoods body in the bag. Then the back of a car.

The drive was silent still.

Hood was good, a bit trigger happy but he put research into it. Hood kept drugs from kids. Hood helped the homeless. Hood started shelters and charities all over Crime Ally. Hood killed rapist, traffickers and pedophiles. Hood watched over people working in the streets and those walking home at night.

Hood was good.

There was a subtle purple glow, and suddenly the body bag was torn open, Hood sitting up right. His faced seemed glazed over even with the mask. Blood still covered basically every inch of him, but that slash in his neck was gone. If they thought Hood looked young dead in the rubble they should see Hood with color in his face.

You think they'd pull over, but well, they were one of the more magically inclined people Hood hired. It was hard to say no, so they didn't, that smell of magic was too good not to study.

You could smell the death magic on him, you could smell the darkness that seeped through the glow of those tattoos.

They were silent.

---

Hood acted like nothing happened, and when someone asked he changed the subject.

A week later, crime Ally was split up, charities and such given to Wayne Enterprises.

A fat check in everyone's bank account later, and Hood was gone.

Chapter Text

Jason remembers what it was like to be dead. He didn't at first, it was just a blank space, not in the typical sense of feeling a gap in memory, just that that period of time never existed.

After that dip in the Well of Sins fighting Ra's, that sudden flush of memories brought back everything.

Deadman was there right after Jason died, apparently he tried to help. There was this wired wizard guy that stole Jason's and the flashes soul, superman's at the end? It was weird, there were pentagrams and candles - the whole shebang.

Then, suddenly Jason was pulled back to the light.

He remembers being stuck in limbo because of the whole pushing his mom's drug dealer/rapist down the stairs thing and killing him, along with the whole attempt to push a serial rapist- whose name isn't worth acknowledgment- off a building before the fucker fell himself.

There was this while debate over if his intentions and the good he'd done as robin made up for taking away someones opportunity to be better. For robbing them from the people that loved them.

The whole debate ended with a look into this guy's book of fate or whatever and it was concluded that if those men did live, they would not have done better- they would have continued just as they had before.

So, Jason went to the nice afterlife.

It felt like a day, but apparently he was there for almost six months, something about eternity screwing perception.

Jason had always remembered clawing himself out of the grave, but nothing from when he was brain dead.

Nothing from just wondering Gotham, nothing from the League of Assassin's.

Apparently he killed some people while he was on the streets.

Apparently he killed lots of people in the league if assassin's.

As baby Damian's personal guard when Talia was gone, often times even then.

Apparently he fought Dick a few times.

Fun.

Remembering everything had it perks though.

Mainly the retrieval of some forgotten skills thought to him by the Ducra. Jason now knew things even Essence didn't know, mainly seeing more than just the one timeline.

It was kinda horrible and kinda great. Jason saw everything that could have been and everything that couldn't. Learned a lot of things he didn't know before and things he will never know.

And Jason no longer wanted Batman to kill the joker.

Chapter Text

The family was gathered around a large table in the batcave. The set up of said table was strangely similar to if dnd maps were holograms.

They were a discussing something to do with Banes recent venom upgrade, which in Jason's opinion should be called angry juice.

Hulk juice, you get the jist.

Didn't really matter long as it wasn't called angry gaterade.

Anyway - Jason and Dick were in a heated discussion on how best to deal with the recent arms deals caused by the venom, when Jason suddenly stilled.

It could have been the glow of the holograms - but Jason's eyes lit purple, and his breath looked green.

Scratch that, it was not the holograms, the holograms are blue - how could it be the holograms?

Dick was still talking infiltration, Damian was petting Titus and doing his best to keep Alfred off the console, and Bruce looked zoned out.
Cass is laughing at something on Stephanie's phone, probably a picture of Bruce with some cutesy filter.

Which leaves Tim to look at Jason.

Who conveniently needs to use the bathroom just as the glowy mumbo jumbo occurs.

As Jason gets up to leave the glowy eyes and colored breath disappear, meaning no one else noticed that brief second of whatever.

Alfred the cat manages to jump on the console, ensuing chaos as cats do.

Meaning no one saw the bathroom glow, and no one saw Jason patting fire off his coat as he walked out.

Cats tend to be rather distracting.

Chapter Text

Cassandra saw love.

She saw that Bruce loved with all his heart and just didn't know how to show it.
She saw how Dick loved with his whole being, and knew how to show it - but also how to lie.
She saw how Jason loved with his passion and how he craved for affection.
She saw how Tim loved with his mind - how he overworked himself to feel worthy.
She saw how Damian loved with his actions - despite not wanting too.
She saw how Alfred loved with his loyalty, and how this love was subtle.
She saw how Duke loved with his determination, how his doubt weighs him down.
Cass saw how Stephanie loved with her soul, how she let it chip away.

Cass also saw Gotham's love.
This love is not pure like her families and *ahem* -
Gotham's love was dirty and twisted. Gotham did not want to be fixed, Gotham is exactly what she wants to be. Gotham will not change, and Gotham will choose her actors, her toys as what will keep the corruption, disease and evil - alive, because that's how Gotham thrives.

Cassandra sees how Gotham has sunk her claws into the people she loves, how Gotham has touched every one with her manipulation. These claws are deep, ripping flesh to ribbons and replacing blood with grime.

Cass knows that Bruce knows Gotham's alive, that she manipulates him. Bruce does not know how deep these claws sink. He does not see how these claws keep Bruce from enacting any effective change in Gotham, keeping him trapped in Batmans role.
Because Bruce is Gotham's chosen Knight.

Cassandra sees how the Joker knows Gotham in a truer since, how the Joker brings Gotham exactly what she wants, simply because he thinks their interest simply align. There is no doubt in Cassandra's mind that while Gotham prefers to set things up and watch the show play, she could control every action and never let you know.

Cassandra knows that Gotham knows Cassandra knows. Gotham does not like Cassandra. Cassandra could ruin Gotham's games.

Gotham loves her games.

Chapter Text

Screams filled the air, smoke leaped from the windows and several cars lay crumpled like crushed ants. Blood seeped into new cracks in the pavement, quenching a dandelions thirst.

People ran covering their heads from falling debris and ash. Others where holding someone close, being held close or just left.

Crying, blood seeping from mouths and limbs.

So much panic for such a small area, just the block. Just the one building falling, most of the damage on the streets with cars piled high.

A cat simpered underneath a pile of debris about to fall.
A little kid runs - too late to catch the fall.

It's not all hands, some are needed elsewhere, right now it's just Robin, Spoiler and Red Hood.

They're all on crowd control, when a building started to fall. There were screams of the people still inside, there was nothing any of them could do but get people out of the way and maybe catch a few people jumping from windows.

Then Hood ran over and catches the building as people hanged from windows. He's done this before, when they first met Duke as he was leading the robins and that building collapsed.

Hoods able to hold the building just long enough for Spoiler to get the remaining people out of the building before it collapses, but not before something strange happens with the shadows.

At least, that's how it should be. Every bat knows that Gotham is something other, even if it's not a concious thought, but that was smoke, and it felt different than Gotham.

Gotham wouldn't want to help with this.

Something y-shaped glowed in swirls on Hoods midsection, green seeped out of his helmet and golden rods erupted from his arms to hold up the building. Soon as Spoiler was done it all vanished, including Hood, who seemed to evaporate with the smoke.

...

Later, after the civilians were safe and and set up for the night Hood appeared behind Spoiler and Robin, casually waving hi. Spoiler waved hi back, and judging by her body language either didn't notice or didn't care about the magical color theory disaster that had occurred.

But Robin did notice, and he did care

Chapter Text

It was a dark and stormy night, all through the manor the lights were out.

Little birdies and bats laid on their backs and laundry was done.

In a single room, colored in dust a candle was lit to brighten the Gotham dusk.

A figure stood along the edge of the light, adorned in draperies and silk.

With midnight hair and glowing eyes the figure waltzed along with darkened steps.

The manor walls creeped lined with pictures akin with those departed and near.

Shadows raced behind the candles light and footsteps echoes along the manor steps.

The figure went to a location known, a room unused except for the most public of events.

The ballrooms crystal lights sparked on, starting music to whisper.

The figure started to dance, heels clacking among the ball room floors.

The figure twirled and danced, with only a flame as a partn -

"Jaylad, go to bed or at least stop narrating everything you do".

"A man stood at the ballrooms door, dressed in nights wear"

Bruce furrowed his brows, hand placed over his face, "Jason please" he sounded done with his most dramatic sons antics, but was secretly relieved.

"The man continued to stand in his old person wear instead of fucking off -"

The last time Jason got dramatic he had some how stabbed a man with a pitch fork and carried the poor bastard around, calling it a 'man-delarbra'. Finding him waltzing around waxing crappy poetry in a ball gown was an improvement.

Such and improvement in fact, that he took photos for Alfreds scrapbook.

Chapter Text

Chocked up sobs covered the Gotham sky, the glint of her eye peering upwards with the city lights. Her wails could be heard in the city sirens and the people's speech.

Gotham's anger flashed through the sky in bright lights and her mischief played in the shadows, her secrets hidden in city traffic once her craze hides in a needles glint.

Standing towards the city sirens and Gotham's eye is a figure cloaked in her might. Shadows swirled and hung from the figures shoulders, laughing in mass on the cobbled rooftop. The man dressed in dark swirling fear looked across the roof, staring at a man across the way with pressed, white eyes.

The mans head dripped with Gotham's blood, splattering on the floor with a vengeance as his hands seemed to choke the air. He stood in blooming smoke that pulled in Gotham's shadowed lashes from the alleys behind him. His eyes gleamed like the broken bottles littering Gotham's street and his posture made of her grime, dirt and rust.

His words struck like the nails on wooden planks in the feet of a barefoot runner.

"You may be Gotham's knight, but I'm her executioner"

Chapter Text

All of the batlings gather together. The sun is bright and birds are chirping, but the atmosphere of the room is that of a dark cloud.

Barbera, Dick, Tim, Stephanie, Damian, Cassandra and Duke sit in leather wheely chairs. Damian having taking the motto of having a cat to let in a villain chair has taken it a step further and is buried in animals.

The long table is cast over with creeping shadows, like Gotham is out to play in the day.

Tim swivels his chair, resting his elbows, eyes furrowed. "I have called this meating today to discuss one Jason Todd. I'm sure all of you have observed some... odd behaviors". Everyone swivels their chair at the same time, facing time. Some animals are dislodged in the process.

Damian sneers, "get to the point Drake. Todd is only odd behaviors". Dick looks over and steels a cat. A miner scuffle ensues.

--one scuffle later--

Tim takes a deep sigh while Duke wonders why he showed up.
Tim speaks, "I have made several observations, as have all of you, that Jason has shown most possibly magical abilities". Everyone in the room shuffles.

Stephanie and Damian remember the building, Barbera remembers the odd smoke on the rooftops, Dick sees Jason's glowing eyes, Cassandra recalls listening in to Gotham and Duke knows what he felt.

They each share said instances, somehow everyone misunderstood what exactly Cassandra meant by 'listening in', but she doesn't mind.

Stephanie comments first, "Do you think the glowy sword things are how he cooks so fast, he like, uses them as cooking assistance?". Barbera looks so where between exasperated and befuddled by the comment.

"Jokes aside, does anyone have an idea on where he learned magic? We don't know much about Jason whole... thing, but this could be important."

Tim and Duke have an idea.

Dick looks up from his stolan cat.
"What do we need to do?"