Chapter Text
This day would be one that Jason Todd would remember for the rest of his life.
Being Robin had always felt exciting, always filled his heart with adrenaline and energy, the sheer joy doubled with the pressure of being Robin couldn't be put into words, yet Jason loved it.
Working with Batman? He still wondered if he was dreaming, it had nearly been a year since the fateful night when he got caught stealing Batman's tires. But today was special!
Today he hadn't captured a criminal with Batman! No, Today it was with someone else! Kid Devil! His name was Edward ‘Eddie’ Alan Bloomberg, of course Jason did a background check, he didn't get trained by Batman for nothing.
Red Eye had managed to avoid both Robin and Kid Devil on separate occasions. Kid Devil and Robin wrote to one another about it, and once they realised they were after the same guy, they jumped him.
Robin had travelled all the way to Hollywood!
Here was the thing however.
Robin hadn't exactly told anyone that he was leaving.
But that slipped his mind as he soared across the air, clutching Kid Devil's tail as they flew back to the city with the help of his trident.
“CAN THIS THING GO ANYFASTER?”
Robin yelled excitedly, a wide grin on his face as his hair was blown backwards by the wind, air rushing through his ears.
“YES! HOLD ON TIGHT ROBIN!”
Kid Devil yelled back, he dialled the speed up to the maximum and the two preteens whooped and cheered as they zoomed through the sky.
“YOU CAN NEVER DO THIS IN GOTHAM! I SWEAR THERE ARE TOO MANY TALL BUILDINGS!
Jason yelled as they neared the city.
“YOU SHOULD VISIT MORE OFTEN!”
Eddie yelled back.
“CAN'T! BATMAN WON'T LET ME! I HAD TO SNEAK OUT!”
Jason yelled, coughing as he did.
“WON'T HE BE MAD?”
Eddie asked, looking back at his friends.
“NOT IF I GET BACK FAST ENOUGH-”
Just then a net was dropped on the two, and the two sidekicks were snatched into a plane.
The Batplane.
“WHA-WHAT'S HAPPENING!? ROBIN!! WHAT'S GOING ON!!”
Kid Devil yelled, thrashing around in their small net, trying to free himself, Robin grunted as Eddie struggled beside him, his limbs digging into Robin's guts and pushing down on his ribs.
“Devil calm down!” Robin said pushing back, he pulled out a Batarang from his belt and sliced the net, Eddie haphazardly crawled away, still shaking.
“Wh-Where are we?”
Robin looked around and slowly his face fell, Eddie took notice, his own fear growing.
“Ro-Robin? Where-”
Then they heard a heavy cough. The two tweens looked up to see Blu Batman glaring down at them. His hands on his hips. They did not look pleased. “Robin” Batman growled, in his garbly voice that sounded like it belonged to a throat cancer patient.
Robin gulped and Kid Devil eeped and jumped behind Robin, hugging his cape tightly. Robin elbowed him in the chest.
“Batman! Hey! Listen I'm sorry for leaving without telling ya Devil and I ju-” Batman held his hand up. “What you two were doing just now was dangerous. One wrong move could have seriously injured either of you or killed you. Kid Devil I've already called Blue Devil.”
Kid Devil nodded timidly but Robin protested “But Batman! Kid Devil knows how to use his trident! We would get been fine! We were just having fun!”
Kid Devil tugged on Robin's cape and whispered “ Robin shut up oh my god don't tick him off more!”
They could hear Batman's teeth grinding against each other. “Robin. You're benched. I don't want to hear anything from you.”
Robin gasped Indignantly. “That's not fair! Di-Nightwing was allowed to visit friends and start a team at my age! Why am I not allowed to do that!?” Robin said angrily, standing up as Kid Devil scurried off into a corner with his staff.
He could see just how angry Batman was, he didn't know how hurt he was by Robin's words. Robin himself didn't know the full extent of it. Batman missed Nightwing, he didn't want Robin to prematurely leave him as well… But the kids didn't know that. The kids wouldn't understand. Batman signed.
“Enough Robin. We'll talk later.” Batman said shortly. Walking back to the piloting seat. Soon they landed on a rooftop, where Blue Devil was waiting. Batman opened the door and Kid Devil stumbled outside, “Bye Robin…” He said to Jason in a small voice, “Bye…” Robin replied, Batman stepped outside with Kid Devil and exchanged a few words with Blue Devil before turning to Kid Devil.
“I am not angry at you, Robin's the one who left to help you without telling me, but I do advise you to leave this life while you still can son. What you two did today was dangerous….. I don't think Robin's going to leave anytime soon but there's still time for you. Okay?”
Batman patted his shoulder and stepped into the plane again. Robin was quiet. Completely quiet.
A few hours later, when the two landed back in the cave and got out of the cave, Robin rounded up on Batman. Taking his domino off.
“Do you regret making me Robin? Training me? I've been doing this for a year but now you say that I shouldn't be in this business?”
Jason said, his voice rising with every syllable. Bruce signed, taking his own cowl off. He was trying to keep his tears in. He knew it, he wasn't as good as Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson had made Robin into an inspiration and Jason would never step up to it-
“No chum, that's not what I mean. Your friend isn't as well trained as you. He's weaker than you, more innocent, I admit I should've never had made you and Dick Robin, but it was what you two needed… you two were different, Bloomberg's not, he's a regular kid with a big dream that he doesn't realise is dangerous.”
Jason closed his eyes and sighed, he nodded slightly and then looked back at Batman, his fists unclenching. “Right. Okay. Yeah, sorry about that. And sorry for not informing you that I was going to Hollywood.” Jason unclipped his cape and began to walk towards the lockers. When he heard Bruce call out to him.
“Jay! Wait!” He turned around, confused, what did Bruce want now?
“We can visit him, if you'd like, Hollywood's a nice place you know, I'm sure you and young Bloomberg would like to see you as well.”
Jason couldn't believe his ears, oh his eardrums must've been ruptured when he and Eddie were flying back to the city, Bruce was agreeing to let Jason visit Eddie?
“Only after your punishment is over, you're grounded for a month and benched for two weeks.”
And there it was.
Jason groaned. “Okay fine…”
Atleast he'd see Eddie soon!