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Spring has always been Jason's favorite season within Gotham. And since his mother's passing that had become even more true. It was the one time of the year where he could wear a thick jacket without getting suspicious looks while also being able to go without one without the very real risk of freezing to death. It made stealing what he, and his Growlithe Lizzie, needed to survive while homeless in Crime Alley significantly easier.
It was also Gotham's admittedly short tourist season which allowed them greater access to ‘easy’ marks and all that. Not that they wanted to steal or anything but beggars can’t be choosers or whatever.
He hadn’t seen his little buddy Timmy since he’d given him a handful of pokéballs several months ago yet though. He hoped the boy had managed to catch a Pokémon or two before his awful parents returned to Gotham. He also hoped the boy knew how truly grateful he and Lizzie were for the money he’d given them.
Part of him loathed that he’d have to resort to ‘handouts’ from a literal kid. However that ‘handout’ had kept him and Lizzie from having to resort to more drastic measures, like selling themselves, to survive the harsh Gotham winter so he ignored his own self loathing. He was indebted to his little buddy Timmy and the next time they saw each other he intended on telling him exactly that.
Unfortunately six hundred dollars could only last him so long. And while he’d managed to stretch it to last them the winter months it was all but gone now. He’d need to do something, soon, if he didn’t want Lizzie to go without food. He could handle starving but he refused to force his beloved Pokémon through such circumstances.
He just needed a game plan first.
As he paced the abandoned, and condemned, theatre he and Lizzie had been squatting in, actively working to think up a plan of action, the answer to his very prayers roared on by. Parked just outside was the Batmobile with Batman himself grappling away towards the a fire that had broken out several streets away.
Now, as mentioned before, Jason didn’t enjoy stealing, he really didn’t, but what other choice did he have? He was a homeless preteen with a still growing Pokémon to care for. And besides Batman was either loaded or backed by someone who was loaded like Brucie Wayne or some shit. So, for the survival of him and Lizzie, he would do what he needed to do. And, depending on how it went, he’d maybe send Firefly a fruit basket or card or something as a thanks for the distraction. He wasn’t particularly fond of the pyromaniac but if their attack allowed him to keep Lizzie fed they might as well be his favorite.
Grabbing the tire iron he kept to keep him and Lizzie safe while living in Crime Alley, and Gotham in general, the duo made their way, unnoticed, towards the presently abandoned Batmobile. The tires would likely sell for at least a grand each purely because of the bat-symbol embossed onto each of them. Though getting them off was supposed to be impossible. Well impossible for anyone that didn’t know how to do it anyway.
Luckily he knew the secret to removing the tires.
Ya see, once, shortly after they’d first met, Timmy showed him some pictures of Batman changing the tire to the Batmobile after Poison Ivy had managed to pop one. Incredibly high-quality pictures that showed the change from start to finish, including the secret trick required to pop off the hub cap ensuring someone other than Batman couldn’t do it.
It took nearly half an hour but he’d managed to get 3 of the 4 tires off and hidden in away in his and Lizzie's 'home’. He didn’t particularly need the 4th tire but he decided to risk going for it as he reasoned he’d be able to sell them for a nice premium if he sold them as a full set. Unfortunately for him he, and Lizzie, failed to realize that Batman had finished dealing with Firefly. They failed to notice the man, and his Noivern, watching them from the shadows as they made for the last tire.
“Decided to come back and finish the job” the Dark Night asked as he stepped out of the shadows, as if he was part shadow himself, when Jason crouched down to access the fourth tire.
The young pre-teen looked up in genuine shock before regaining some of his composure.
“Who said we had anythin to do with what happened to ya car” he asked indignantly like he wasn’t actively holding a tire iron and crouching before the Batmobile’s sole remaining tire.
Batman arched a brow at the retort very much aware that the young boy couldn’t see the action. His Noivern circled around the boy and his Growlithe doing his best to not spook them. They weren’t particularly upset, more impressed than anything honestly, but they likely didn’t know that.
And this was still Crime Alley, it was better to be safe than sorry.
“What’s the tire iron for then” he asked hoping his gravely Batman voice showed that he was teasing. Dick was always much better at making jokes and dealing with children than he was.
He missed his son. Maybe he should call him after patrol.
“For this” Jason snarled using Batman’s momentary distraction to hit him square in the stomach as hard as he could with the tire iron while Lizzie hit the startled Noivern with a well placed Iron Tail.
“Later ya boob” he called as he, and Lizzie, made their escape choosing to leave the fourth tire behind.
~*~
Bruce and his Noivern, Vengeance, spent probably 5 to 10 minutes regaining their breath after the surprise attack. Nothing was broken and they were mostly fine but both the hit from the kid’s tire iron and the Growlithe’s iron tail had been really good shots. They had been placed intentionally to stun them for as long as possible in order to buy the duo a chance to escape.
Impressive.
Unfortunately for the duo, and Bruce’s pride, Alfred had watched the whole ordeal, including the stealing of the tires, from the Batmobile’s dash cam. A fact that allowed them to confirm that the duo had escaped into the abandoned theatre across the street.
The very theatre where Bruce had lost his parents all those years ago.
Taking a deep breath Bruce forced himself to enter the theater that held his deepest trauma. He’d never intended on returning to it but there was nothing he could do about it now. Not when there was a boy, and his Pokémon, possibly in danger.
“Do you live here” he asked softly as he and Vengeance entered what appeared to be something akin to a bedroom.
If he wasn’t mistaken it’d been a special room for VIP’s at one point or another. The chairs had been broken apart and converted into a makeshift bed using fabric from what appeared to be abandoned stage curtains as blankets. Something that he assumed had once been a snack cart had been converted into a makeshift dresser/bookshelf duo. Beneath it sat a small box of non-perishable foods. A camping lantern functioned as the ‘rooms’ light source.
And the sight of it all damn near broke Bruce’s heart.
He distantly remembered sitting in this very room years ago with his parents. Remembered his mom sneaking him candy she’d purchased from that very snack cart whenever his father wasn’t looking. He remembered how magical he’d found the show and how wonderful of a day it’d been.
And he remembered how it all ended with two gunshots.
“What’s it to ya” the boy snapped eyes blazing as he positioned himself between them and his Growlithe his trusty tire iron being held so tight he half worried the boy would manage to dent the object within his grasp “It’s none of ya business”
Bruce nodded slowly before turning to locate where his tires had been half hidden forcing himself out of his memories and back into the present. Focusing on something else to avoid the ever growing ache in his chest. Like how a starving, homeless, child and his singular Pokémon had managed to swipe 3 of the Batmobile’s 4 tires and smuggle them to this ‘room’ in the time it took him to fight Firefly. How that starving, homeless, child and his singular Pokémon then, when faced with the Batman, got the jump on them before making a hasty escape.
Honestly it was all rather impressive.
“How much do you think they’ll go for” he asked absently “couple hundred”
The boy snorted derisively at that.
“Couple grand at least” he states as a matter of fact the venom in his tone palpable “will probably keep me and Lizzie fed for a year or two if we play it smart”
Bruce nodded noting, silently, that the Growlithe, who appeared to be the Lizzie the boy had mentioned mentioned, appeared to be well taken care of despite everything. The boy put the health and safety of his Pokémon before himself he realized his heart flooding with affection at that realization. Though, noting a well loved copy of Pride and Prejudice on the boy’s bookshelf/dresser, he wondered where the name was from.
“Lizzie” he questioned softly as the places clicked “as in Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice”
The boy perked up at that singling that he was right in his observation. The boy before him had indeed named his Growlithe after a character he liked from his favorite book. It reminded him of how Alfred had named his trusted Sneasler Watson for that very same reason.
“What’s so funny” the boy demanded informing Bruce that he’d actually been laughing. He hadn’t even realized, he hadn’t laughed genuinely since Dick left for Bludhaven.
“Sorry” he apologized the mask of Batman slipping slightly “someone very dear to me named his first Pokémon for a similar reason”
“What’d they name it” the boy asked immediately “their first Pokémon I mean”
“Watson”
“Like from Sherlock Holmes?”
Bruce nodded earning a soft smile from the boy. He wagered the boy and Alfred would get along wonderfully. He also wagered the boy would love the multiple libraries kept within Wayne Manor, especially the one specifically dedicated to classic literature.
“Why don’t you help me reattach my tires” he started hopeful that their breakthrough would help with what he was about to suggest “and then I’ll take you and your Lizzie someplace safe”
The boy arched an eyebrow in skepticism but, thankfully, his Pokémon seemed to trust his sincerity with a soft bark in agreement.
An hour or so later and they were headed back towards Wayne Manor. It would’ve been only half an hour but the boy’s stomach growled and Bruce knew Alfred would skin him alive if he didn’t at least offer to get him something to eat so they’d stopped for some Batburger on the way.
Batburger was a recently opened restaurant that focused their marketing around Batman, Robin, and the Rogues of Gotham. Despite only presently having one location they were sinfully delicious and Bruce was legitimately considering investing in the establishment. Really their food was so good even Alfred was ok with the occasional ‘cheat day’ if it meant he got a Harley Shake.
~*~
“Are you sure about this” Alfred asked having rejoined Bruce in the cave once the boy, Jason, had finally relaxed enough to fall asleep in his new room “the traumas he and his Pokémon have experienced are far different than what Master Richard and his went through”
Bruce nodded. He knew that, really he did. And he knew that logically his track record as a dad wasn’t all that great considering how things ended with Dick.
But he couldn’t not help.
“He’d been living in that Theater Alfred” he explained in a voice so terribly soft it wasn’t almost inaudible “the very room we’d watched the show in on the night we lost them”
Alfred froze at that for but the barest moment before regaining his composure. He knew how painful Bruce found thinking of his late parents and that night in particular. And yet, for the first time in possibly ever, his tone while discussing his late parents wasn’t one laced with pain. Almost as if the encounter only brought back positive memories and not negative ones.
“I will not oppose you on this Master Bruce” Alfred relented after a moment “however, you shall inform Master Richard before the press does”
Bruce nodded almost embarrassingly. The mere thought of Dick finding out that he’d ‘picked up’ another son less than a year after Dick left through the press made him want to throw up the Dark Knight Burger and Venom Fries he'd eaten at Batburger. His and Dick’s relationship might not be great at the moment, but he’d never willingly hurt his eldest son like that.
“I’ll call him first thing after breakfast” he assured the older gentleman “I’ll try to invite him to dinner as well”
Alfred nodded, proud of his almost son, before heading back up to the Manor.
~A Few Weeks Later~
Dick Grayson approached Wayne Manor cautiously. He’d been informed of his new ‘brother’ a few weeks ago but, due to an already planned Titans mission, he had yet to make it back to Gotham to actually meet the kid. He’d made it back to Bludhaven just the other day and, at Alfred’s insistence, headed over shortly after he woke up from a very much needed 12 hours of sleep.
What? He’d gotten, at most, a two hour nap while on mission. He needed his beauty rest if he wanted to keep his spot as Gotham’s, and Bludhaven’s, hottest eligible bachelor.
Also he really didn’t want to come.
He had nothing against the new kid Bruce had chosen to adopt, it just stung. Bruce had practically thrown him out less than a year ago, without ever bothering to legally adopt him, and now he was already planning on actually adopting this new kid. It hurt to know that Bruce hadn’t cared enough about him to cement his place in the Wayne family. Especially when this new kid made the cut in like a month and a half or so.
But, again, that had nothing to do with this Jason kid. A fact that, with the help of questionable therapy given to him by his friends and teammates, he’d mostly accepted. He just really hoped he wouldn’t end up in yet another screaming match with his, in every way but legally, father.
According to Alfred this Jason kid had a rough go at things. Apparently he had been living on the street, well in an abandoned Theatre, and forced to resort to thievery to survive. His mother had died at least a year ago to a drug overdose and then his possibly abusive father ended up murdered in prison. And, he wasn’t quite sure he believed this part, Bruce had met him after the kid successfully stole 3 of the Batmobile’s tires.
If true the kid got props to that but he couldn’t imagine some untrained street kid managed to actually get any of the Batmobile’s tires off. He didn’t even know how to remove one of those tires and he's driven the Batmobile for goodness sake.
Oh well he though before swallowing his pride and knocking on the Manor’s front door. He did technically have a key still but he refused to use it right now and had intentionally left it back home in Bludhaven. There was no reason to use it when he could use this as a chance to drive home the fact that Bruce had never cared enough about him to adopt him legally.
“I got it” a young voice yelled from within the depths of the Manor.
A few moments later the door unlocked to reveal a young dark haired boy positioning his body so an overly excited Growlithe couldn’t slip past him. The boy was very clearly half distracted by this Growlithe but that worked for Dick. While he focused on his Pokémon Dick focused on swallowing his jealousy down.
The kid looked similar to how he looked all those years ago, only paler and with freckles. The same dark, near black, hair and blue eyes. The only real difference between them being this kid had curls while Dick’s hair had a more wavy texture and Jason’s blue eyes were more teal than Dick’s vibrant deep blue. Honestly they looked similar enough that they could probably convince people not in the know that they were half brothers biologically related to Bruce.
And that honestly made the whole thing worse.
“Are ya gonna come in or what Dickhead” the boy snapped after a minute his patience warring thin by the ever persistent Growlithe who, based on Alfred’s distant mutterings, wanted to destroy his rosebushes again.
Fighting a small smile Dick slipped inside allowing the smaller boy to close the door behind him. The Growlithe whined, likely upset that they’d been blocked from Alfred’s rosebushes, before turning to investigate the ‘intruder’ that was Dick Grayson.
“Sorry about her” the boy, Jason, apologized as the Growlithe sniffed Dick’s offered hand “Lizzie has decided that Alfie’s roses are her enemy and has taken to uprooting them whenever she can. So she’s not allowed outside right now”
Dick nodded in understanding. His Phanpy, Zitka, had also hated Alfred’s rosebushes for the longest time. They never figured out why either but said animosity eventually went away. Now days the elephant Pokémon actually really liked the rosebushes.
“Why didn’t you just use your key” Jason asked informing Dick that he’d zoned out and missed several minutes of conversation.
“I didn’t want to intrude” he lied lamely before continuing with more venom than he’d intended “I’m not Bruce’s kid like you are”
The boy arched a brow at that. Did he not know that Bruce hadn’t adopted him? Did he not know that Dick wasn’t legally a Wayne? Time to fix that.
“B never adopted me” he explained silently hating how bitter he sounded about it “I’m not a Wayne, just Bruce's Ward"
The boy blinked before muttering something, in what sounded like Spanish, to his Growlithe. The dog Pokémon barked in acknowledgment before running off. The boy stood there, arms crossed and radiating anger, silently while sounds of crashing could be heard in the distance.
Followed by the heavy footfalls of Bruce chasing the dog Pokémon.
“Jay” Bruce called as he caught up in the entryway of the Manor “she destroyed my work computer”
“I should hope so, I told her to” Jason snapped back eyes blazing “why haven’t you adopted Dick”
Bruce faltered at the question his eyes flickering from Jason to Dick. He was flustered? Weird.
“I didn’t want to overstep” Bruce admitted after a moment his tone laced with genuine embarrassment “I didn’t want to imply that I was trying to replace John and Mary”
Dick blinked his whole world coming to a halt at Bruce’s words. Did that mean he wanted to adopt him? Did that mean that if he asked Bruce would fix things? Surely not. Surely if that was the case Bruce would’ve said something before now. Right?
“Don’t lie” Dick snapped hiding his fear behind a veil of anger “you just didn’t care enough about me to want me as your actual son”
Bruce flinched, hard, at Dick’s remark his deep blue eyes, so similar to Dick’s own, suddenly very wet with unspent tears. Almost as if Dick’s remark had cut far deeper than Dick ever thought possible.
“Dick you know that’s not true” he retorted lamely his voice cracking in a way that startled both Dick and Jason “you are my son”
“I was just afraid that, with everything going on between us, you’d think I was trying to replace your parents”
Dick blinked as he realized Bruce was openly crying right now. It was honestly horrific as, in all the years they’ve known one another, he’d never actually seen Bruce cry. He was sure the older man did cry but he’d never done so in front of him before.
“Say something Dickhead” Jason ordered softly as he elbowed him back to reality. The younger boy’s Growlithe looked visibly distressed at the situation and he was clearly also upset by it.
As wad Dick if he was being honest with himself. So he’d try.
“You could never replace them” he started lamely as he approached Bruce slowly “but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you as my dad too”
Strong arms engulfed Dick in a hug before he could react as, for the first time in a long time, Bruce pulled him into a tight embrace. It felt safe in the way Bruce had felt safe in their early years together, before the fighting, and he found himself leaning into it on instinct. He’d missed being hugged like this by his father.
“I have the papers still” Bruce whispered almost hysterical while still actively crying “I’ve had them since a week into you coming into my life”
Now that, that was surprising. And more importantly, that’s what made the damns keeping Dick’s tears at bay to break. Hot tears slipped down his face at the realization that Bruce wasn’t just blowing smoke up his ass or something. He’d genuinely wanted to adopt him and just hadn’t known how to approach the subject.
He wasn’t being replaced by some younger model.
His dad still wanted him. And he wanted him to be his son, legally.
“So” Jason started clearly uncomfortable by all the emotions “can we go eat lunch now”
Dick barked a laugh as he pulled his new brother into the hug. They’d known each other for all of half an hour and the twerp had already managed to fix his and Bruce’s relationship through awkwardness and force of will. Very on brand for a Wayne, and a Bat.
“Yeah Little Wing” he smiled as he allowed Zitka out of her pokéball knowing she’d be upset with him if he didn’t let her out so she could enjoy some of Alfred’s food “let’s go get some lunch”
~About a Year Later~
Jason was less than thrilled to be attending yet another Gala. He despised them and loathed the pretentious asshats he had to deal with while doing so. The suits he was required to wear were awful and the food almost always sucked complete ass.
The fact that this Gala was being thrown specifically to celebrate him, and his adoption into the Wayne family didn’t help. It just meant that all eyes would be on him and he REALLY didn’t like that.
Lizzie however was beyond thrilled. She’d taken to high society like a Goldeen to water. She’d taken to Alfred’s etiquette training and, after her feud with his rose bushes ended, was a proper little lady. She’d even taken to Vigilante training though, after careful consideration, it was decided that she wouldn’t be Robin’s partner Pokémon.
He forgot to mention that part. His dad, and brother, were vigilantes. Bruce was Batman and Dick had once been the original Robin though he went by Nightwing these days. There was a Barbara Gordon who worked as Batgirl though she’d recently been benched for some reason. Even Alfred was in on the ‘family business’ operating as an Agent A.
On his first patrol as Robin he’d encountered, and caught, a Clefa he has since named Jekyll. The Pokémon was still young and in training but he’d already evolved into a Clefairy and was preparing to join him as Robin’s partner Pokemon. And Bruce’s on again off again girlfriend Selina Kyle, the fricken Catwoman, had promised him a Litten kitten for his 16th birthday. He was really excited to one day have an Incineroar and a Clefable as his Partner Pokémon.
But that wasn’t super relevant right now. Right now what mattered was that he needed to finish getting ready for this awful Gala.
He just hoped he’d meet someone that wasn’t truly awful. Any one person that wouldn’t treat him like dirt beneath their shoes.
Gods he just wished he could meet his friend Timmy again.