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Chapter Text

Jason's back had been terribly aching for a few days now. He could barely touch it and it was starting to look swollen. He didn't know what to do or who to ask for help. His father had been killed in prison last month and his mother started taking more and more drugs since. He tried to go to her but she didn’t seem to understand what he was trying to tell her. Even if she did understand there probably wouldn’t have been anything she could have done anyway. So Jason endured the pain, hoping that it would go away soon.

3 days after the pain started, he woke up to the feeling of something tearing through his back. What was happening? It hurts so much. He doesn’t know what to do. He wasn't sure whether he screamed or not but what he did know was that he quickly passed out because of the pain.

When he woke up again a few hours later the pain had subsided. However he felt very weak and it took far more effort than it should for him to push himself out of bed. He couldn't shake away the feeling that something was wrong, very wrong, but he wasn't awake enough to comprehend what. He stood there for a minute trying to find his balance and then he saw it. He caught his reflection on the window and that's when he understood where the feeling of wrongness came from.

There were wings on his back. He turned his head to look at them directly and they were indeed sprouting from his back. His brain was struggling to catch up. Did this mean that he is a meta? It had to. Jason didn't want to be a meta. He knew what happened to them, especially in Crime Alley, they disappeared. It was a well known fact that meta traffickers were everywhere in Gotham. He didn't want to be taken and sold to people that wouldn’t even think of him as a human being. He wasn't strong enough to protect himself.

Jason lets himself fall to the ground as he starts crying. He isn’t sure how long he stayed there, trying to process what was happening. This couldn’t be real. He doesn’t want it to be real.
The wings draped over his shoulders as he was sobbing. Their weight, strangely enough, felt comforting to him, like a blanket protecting him from the world. As foreign as they were to him they felt right and that might be what scared him the most.
That is what snapped him out of it. He couldn’t let himself grow used to them. He dragged himself up and stumbled out of his room. He knew what had to do.

Jason was scared. He tried to look around the apartment hoping to find his mom but she wasn’t there. At least she wouldn’t try to stop him. He knew that it probably wasn’t the best idea but he couldn’t think of anything better. He didn’t have time. He needed to get rid of those wings now. Before he got attached to them and used to their presence.
He had to do it.
He walked to the kitchen.

Could he really do this? There had to be another way. He was so scared. He didn't know what to do. There wasn't anything else he could do. He made his choice. His legs were ready to give out but he had no time. He grabbed the sharpest knife and headed toward the bathroom.
He didn’t have a choice.
He wanted to live.

He didn't want to do this but he had no other option. He wanted to live. He grabbed one of the wings. The feeling foreign yet he knew that it was part of himself. He could let himself think too much about this, couldn't get attached, it would only make things hard. He steeled his resolve and brought the knife to the base of the wing. He took in a shaky breath and started cutting.

He was going to live.

—

It had been hard. So hard. But he did it. Jason doesn't know how he managed not to faint a second time. Neither does he know how he found the strength to get up and start cleaning the bathroom but he somehow did. He picked up every single bloody feather littering the ground, careful not to miss one. Gathering every piece of flesh, every bone he had to rip off. He felt sick. He really did it. He started to regret it so he reminded himself that his only other option was living in fear of getting caught by the traffickers. And he would have been caught fast. There was no way he could have kept such an obvious change hidden.

Once all of the remains of the wings were put away, he felt as if his legs were ready to give out but he still had to clean all of the blood before his mother came home. The two bloody gashes on his back would surely leave pretty big scars. It wouldn't be so strange for a Crime Alley kid to have scars. Definitely less strange than wings. He'd have to cover his back around his mother but he doubted she'd notice. She rarely paid attention to him these days.

Once all of his cleaning was done and every evidence hidden carefully, he went back to his room and collapsed on his bed. All of the emotions and all of the pain he went through had drained him of all energy. Without the adrenaline to keep him going he finally passed out from exhaustion.

—

After a few weeks the wounds on his back almost didn't hurt anymore. His mother hadn't noticed anything. Deep down Jason had hoped that she'd notice. Find some blood in the bathroom or see his back. Maybe then he'd have someone to comfort him. Someone who'd hold him while he cried and tell him that everything would be okay. But his mother seemed to be less and less aware of her surroundings. She was getting weaker. He could see the signs. He knew that she most likely wouldn't stay by his side much longer. He'd soon be left to fend for himself. Alone. He wasn't ready but what could he do?

He tried his best to be there for her, to support her, to make it easier for her. but he couldn’t save her.

He wasn't sure if she heard or understood what he was saying anymore but talking to her helped. Jason spent so long lying down next to her, talking about anything and everything that came to him. He asked her for advice knowing that she couldn't reply. He asked if everything would be okay. She didn't answer. He told her about how much it hurts and about how scared he was. She stayed silent. Jason knew she probably didn't have a lot of time left. “I love you mom” he tells her. He grabs her hand and hopes for a reply that he knows will never come.

—

He was right. He didn't want to be but he was. His mother had passed away and he was left alone.
Jason stayed in the apartment for a few hours to mourn her but he also knew that he couldn’t stay here because if she was found before he left CPS would take him.
He grabbed his school backpack and dumped its content on the ground before gathering what he knew he'd need to try to survive Gotham's streets. Once everything was ready he called 911 only informing them of the situation and address before hanging up. He didn’t know if he'd have been able to leave if he knew that his mother’s corpse had been left to rot in their apartment until someone noticed the smell. Calling brought him some comfort but it also meant that people would be here soon. So he ran unsure of where to go. All he knew was that he had to get away.

The first few weeks were tough but he slowly got used to it.

Being a homeless kid wasn't easy especially in Crime Alley but he managed. Sometimes he thought back to the wings that were his for a few hours and he was glad that he made the choice to cut them off. If people could identify him as a meta he wouldn't have lasted a week on the streets.

Even though he knew this, there were some days where he missed the wings. He couldn't help but think that if he still had them it would be easier to find shelter since he could reach places no other people could, that if he still had them he'd be able to fly off to escape his assailants. But he didn't have them anymore and it was better that way.

Jason had managed to survive on the streets for a pretty long time. He knew what to do, which parts to avoid and who paid the best for the car parts he managed to steal from richer neighborhoods. He was used to it now. But then he saw an opportunity he couldn't resist. The batmobile was parked there. In the middle of Crime Alley. Without anyone around.

—

Jason had managed to snag 3 of the tires and get them to his place but he still went back to Batman’s car to try and get the 4th one. He knew that 3 of them was already a lot and that going back meant he could get caught but he just had to. Taking only 3 and leaving the 4th one behind would be very disappointing since he always got much more money when selling the full set.

—

Strangely enough and as surprising as it might seem, Batman didn't catch him. Jason wasn't sure why but maybe it was out of pity or he thought that a scrawny kid wasn't worth his time and energy.
Jason slowed down before looking around to make sure he hadn't followed him before deciding to get to his hideout for the night. Jason was about to close the door when something blocked it.

Batman was there looking around the room and holding the door open. “So that's where you're living? Are your parents there?”

Jason glanced at the picture in a corner of the room before looking back at Batman. “You can talk to my mom if you want,” he says, gesturing to the picture. “I'm sure she'd listen to any complaints you have about what I do at night. Just warning you though, she doesn't speak much” Jason couldn’t help but smirk

Batman's frown seemed to deepen and he made a sound that Jason could only describe as a grunt before asking. “So you live alone? There isn't anyone looking after you?”

“If you don't want to talk to the picture I could take you to her grave instead” he adds, ignoring the questions. Maybe antagonizing the Batman wasn’t the best idea but he couldn’t do much worse than stealing his tires and then hitting him with a tire iron.

—

Jason wasn’t sure how his conversation with Batman as he was putting the tires back led to the hero offering him a safer place for him to stay at. Or even why Jason decided to accept said offer but there he was, seated in his car, trying to process what was happening.

After a few minutes the vigilante started pressing some of the car's many buttons. There was a clicking sound and a voice came from the car’s speakers “Hi B, what do you want?”

Batman answered in the softest voice Jason had ever heard him use “Hey Chum. How would you feel about getting a younger brother?” After a few seconds of silence, he kept going “I'm bringing a kid home. I don't know for how long but I don't want it to be a surprise if you decide to visit-” and before he could add anything he was interrupted by a beeping seemingly announcing the end of the call.

The other person must have hung up. But wait, did Jason really just hear what he thinks he heard? Batman was bringing a kid home? Batman was bringing HIM home?
If Jason wasn't freaking out yet then he sure was now.

Chapter Text

Dick hadn't been back at the manor since Bruce called him to tell him that he got a new kid. He went to the cave as Nightwing but nothing more than that. He didn't know how to feel about the new kid and he didn't want to meet him yet. 

He knew that he was only delaying the inevitable but also wanted more time to sort through his thoughts. He would meet the kid once he was ready. 

Except he did not get to choose when their first meeting happened. Dick saw him first. He was small and looked so frail as he was standing in the middle of the cave in some gym clothes. Bruce must have started training him. 

A part of him wanted to ignore the boy, to act as if he wasn't there. It was as Dick considered turning back to leave that the kid finally spotted him and Dick saw whole face light up. The boy started walking towards him with a smile and stars in his eyes and Dick froze. 

“Hi! You're Bruce's son right? Richard? I'm so happy to finally meet you!”

He was so small. He looked so happy to see him. How could Dick resent him? If he had to be mad at someone it would be Bruce. That little angel didn't deserve it. 

“Hi. Yeah it's me. I don't think Bruce told me your name.”

“I'm Jason!” He replied with a grin

“And what were you doing down here Jason?”

“I'm training to become the next Robin. I was practicing the acrobatics” 

Hearing that, Dick felt the anger come back. That name was his. No one had any right to take it from him even if he wasn’t using it anymore. Did Bruce really just pass it down to the next kid he picked up? He had no right to do that. But then again, the kid couldn't know. He could still go yell at Bruce later. 

For now, he had to teach that kid what it meant to be Robin.

“Did Bruce ask you to do that? Was he the one who wanted you to become a new Robin”

“No… I want to help people. I want to keep everyone safe. I was the one who had to convince Bruce to let me help. He only agreed to train me when I told him I'd sneak out to help people even without training.”

Dick hummed in understanding. That kid seemed to have good intentions and wasn't forced into vigilantism. If he was going to take his name and colors then he wanted to get to know the kid. 

“You said you were practicing acrobatics? I can probably help you with that. Show me what you can do.”

—

Jason’s training was going well. Dick often dropped by to help him now. Bruce also trained with him frequently, helping him develop his fighting style and training his detective skills. 

Strangely enough, Bruce always seemed to be leaving the cave shortly before Dick arrived. They probably had a schedule or a way to warn the other that they were coming. Jason suspected that it was because they didn't want him to see them fight. 

Things were still very tense between them but at least there weren't as many screaming matches as when Dick first started to train him. 

Jason was really excited for today's training session. Dick would be teaching him how to use the grappling gun to swing through the city. Today they would only practice in the cave but it was still a big step. 

Dick entered the cave and ruffled his hair when he walked past him “Hi there Jay! Ready to learn how to fly? You should be able to leave the nest pretty soon if this goes well”

Hearing those words, Jason froze. Was grappling really like flying? Would he get to know what flying felt like? It couldn’t be anything like the real thing but it was still a painful reminder of what he could have had, of what he lost.

—

Jason quickly picked up that new way to move around. It was as if grappling was second nature to him. He was comfortable being high up, he felt safe so far away from the ground. That weightless feeling before shooting the next grapple was incredible. In those moments, he almost felt like he really was flying, his instincts telling him to extend limbs that weren’t there anymore.

Those moments were just as painful as they were enjoyable. On the days where he was feeling the worse, grappling was nothing more than a sharp reminder of what he had lost and would never get back. Even though the reminder hurts, on good days the grapple felt like an extension of himself, like he hadn’t lost anything, like this was always how he had been meant to fly.

—

Seeing how comfortable Jay was with the grapple, Dick couldn’t help but offer to teach him how to use the trapeze. It was only when he saw him soaring through the air with ease that Dick truly came to terms with the fact that Jason would be Robin too. He would be called by his name and wear his family’s color. That boy would be his successor, his legacy. He would do everything he could to support him and he wanted him to understand what Robin meant to him.

Jay accepted to learn with him and so they spent the afternoon together on the trapeze that Bruce had installed in the cave for Dick when he started living with him. Dick has many fond memories of this place and he was sure that he would cherish the memory of this afternoon spent with his brother as well. 

This was how he came to see Jay, like his brother. He isn’t sure when it started but it didn’t bother him. Realizing that is what made passing down Robin to him easier. After all, it made sense for him to wear those colors if he was family.

After their afternoon training together, Dick decided that he had to talk to Jay about Robin. He was ready to pass down the mantle but he needed his little brother to know that this was a lot more than just a costume.

And so he does. He tells Jason about the circus, about his parents, about Robin.

He tells him everything that Robin means to him, Robin is light, Robin is hope, Robin is family.

He tells Jason that he is family as well. That if he wants them, then the name and costume can be his from now on as long as he remembers where they come from and what they mean.

Dick promises that he will always be there for him because they are family. 

Dick doesn’t know when he started crying or when Jay started hugging him but they stayed there together. Dick promised himself that he would do everything he could to protect his Little Wing.

—

A few days later, Bruce finally cleared Jason to start patrolling with him. Jason loved patrolling. He loved helping. He felt like was making a difference, like he was making the city safer for everyone. 

Being Robin was awesome. Some days, being Robin even felt like it gave him magic and it made him invincible. 

Robin felt like a promise that everything would be okay and that things were going to get better. 

—

Despite all of this, some patrols were hard for Jason, some cases hitting a little too close for his comfort.  The previous night had been one of those. 

Batman and Robin were investigating the disappearance of multiple children throughout the city. They figured out that they had all been taken by the same group and they had finally managed to track down where the kids were being kept. 

Robin was responsible for freeing them while Batman took care of their captors. It seemed easy enough and it felt like they had done it hundreds of times but Jason always felt some apprehension when dealing with kidnapped kids. 

He feared what he'd find. Sometimes they really were kept in awful conditions. 

However the way the kids were kept isn't what bothered Jason the most. The fact that some of them seemed to be street kids isn’t what disturbed him either. No. What made this case feel a little too personal is the fact that all of them seemed to be metahumans. 

One of the girls looked like she was glowing in the dimly lit room. She was the first that he noticed but after looking at each of them he noticed that they all had a visible mutation. 

Jason couldn't help but think that it could have been him. He thought back to the wings that appeared when he was 10. 

Even as he worked on freeing them and getting them out of the building, his mind was imagining that younger version of himself, locked in that room with those other kids, not able to do anything to escape. 

He was sure that this image would haunt his nightmares for the following nights. 

That was why he avoided thinking about the wings. 

That's when Batman chose to land next to Robin and his group of escaped kids, interrupting his thoughts. Robin gave him a quick report out of habit. They weren't noticed as they escaped, everyone who's been taken is here, none of them seems hurt too badly. The usual. 

As soon as he was done, Batman grunted and turned towards the group of children. Jason isn't sure what he expected but definitely not for him to start lecturing and questioning them. 

He asked them why they were in Gotham, told them that they should leave the city and told them that they aren't welcome here. 

Jason knew from his time with Bruce that he was bad with children but this was pushing it. 

He tried to cut him off to tell him that they obviously grew up in Gotham and that they shouldn't have to leave, that this was unfair. Before he could get a word out Bruce glared at him, warning him to stop, and he kept ranting at the kids. 

Yeah. This was going to be a long night. 

—

As soon as they were back in the cave Jason blew up. Arguing on the fields wasn't allowed but he didn't have to hold back here. So he started shouting. 

“What was that out there! You know those kids are Gotham natives! Even if they had chosen to come here, what you did was still awful! They just escaped being kidnapped by people who probably didn't even treat them like human beings. Do you think that this was what they needed?! The kidnapping was probably already enough for them to understand that Gotham wasn't safe for them.” 

Jason stormed off without listening to Bruce’s answer. He didn't want to hear it. This felt too personal. He feared that if he kept going he'd let something slip. 

Bruce could know about Jason being a meta (did he even still qualify as a meta?) especially after seeing how he treated the kids. 

Would Bruce even still want him as Robin if he knew? Would he still let him stay with him at the manor or would he send him away, far from Gotham. 

Bruce wouldn't want a meta to be his son. Jason was sure of that. 

—

Things had been tense between Jason and Bruce after that night. Jason couldn't even talk about it with Dick. He probably would have had some good advice to help him. Or he at least would have listened to him and told him that everything would be okay. 

Jason could have used that but unfortunately Dick had been sent on a space mission a month ago and he still hasn't come back. No one knew when he'd be back. 

He tried to call him and of course it went to voicemail but Jason still told him everything that had happened and how mad he was at Bruce right now. 

It wasn't the same as really talking to him but it still helped him feel better. 

Dick would probably ask him questions about the message he left once he came back but that was fine. 

He missed his brother. 

—

Jason received an email from a woman that claimed that Catherine wasn't his biological mother. She told him that she was his mother and that she wanted to meet him. 

Of course Jason verified those information before believing them but after some digging using the Batcomputer, it turned out that she was telling the truth. 

The woman, Sheila Haywood, was his mother. 

He couldn't help the hope that sparked in him. Maybe she was a meta too. Maybe she could understand. Maybe she could love him. 

The manor’s atmosphere was weighing on Jason. Things weren't getting better between him and Bruce. 

Alfred refused to side with anyone and therefore distanced himself from both of them not to be involved. 

Dick still hadn't come back from space. 

Jason felt so isolated and alone. He was lost. He knew that going to meet a stranger on his own wasn't a smart thing to do but who could he even ask for help?

He called Dick again. He left another voicemail in which he explained the situation and told him how he wanted to meet his mother and get to know her. He also explained that he knew that he shouldn't go alone but he didn't have anyone to take with him. He asked the phone what he should do but the phone didn't answer. 

Jason started crying right before hanging up the call. 

He wished Dick was here. He'd know what to do. 

—

Jason ended up taking a plane to Ethiopia to go meet his mother. He felt bad for not telling anyone that he had left but he didn't want them to stop him. 

He'd only be gone for a day. He would meet with her and then take the next plane back to the US. 

If he was lucky they might not even notice that he was gone. 

He had told Bruce that he would spend the night at a friend's house so they could work on a school project. He wouldn't find out that he went to another country. 

Jason was getting worried about the meeting so he called Dick. Voicemail again but he didn't expect anything else. 

He spoke about everything that scared him. What if she didn't like him? What if she never wanted to see him again after today? What if she wasn't like he imagined her? So many ‘what if’s spinning in his head. 

It felt good to get it all out. He apologized to Dick for leaving so many messages and he was about to hang up when he decided to add a few words. If he had listened to all of his rambling then he deserved to hear him say it. 

“I miss you big brother. Please come back soon.”

—

When Jason arrived at the address that Sheila gave him he was convinced that something was wrong but that was probably only because he was stressed to meet her. He knocked on the door and it was Sheila who opened but she looked scared. When she saw him, she teared up and started apologizing. 

He was about to ask why, to ask what was wrong but he was interrupted by something hitting the back of his head. Hard.

It all faded to black.

—

When he woke up he was tied up to a chair and gagged. Everything around him was blurry but it seemed like he was in a warehouse. Why did it always have to be a warehouse? When started trying to free himself, a familiar voice came from behind him. “oh! Our little birdy is finally awake!” The Joker moved to position himself in front of him. “Tell me boy how was that reunion with that mother of yours?” seeing as Jason didn’t react and only seemed confused, he continued “No no that won’t do. There’s no fun if you don’t understand what’s happening. You wouldn’t even understand my jokes and that would be unacceptable!” 

“So you see I was looking for a way to get back at good old Batsy for throwing me back in Arkham without even playing my game first last month .That was so rude of him! I had a whole thing planned with hostages and bombs you know? But he didn't give me enough time to put it in place! Anyway, that’s when I remembered that pretty little thing.” he gestured towards Sheila who was standing in a corner. She didn’t look happy to be there. 

“That’s right! The little bird’s mother! It’s not everyday you find such a fun toy and with a little convincing she agreed to lure you away from daddy bats so I can have some fun!”

That’s when Sheila chose to interrupt him “Convincing? You threatened to kill me!” The Joker looked pissed and before she could keep going, he fired his gun in her direction not even looking at her “Shut up this isn’t about you.” 

The bullet went through her head and her body fell to the ground. He looked straight into Jason’s eyes and grinned “Oops.” “It doesn’t matter she wasn’t useful anymore and it's not like you ever talked to her before anyway. You didn’t even know she existed last week! You’ll forget about her in no time.”

Jason was horrified. Coming here alone really was the worst choice he could have made. This was all his fault.

“Oh come on Birdy! Don’t start moping now. It’s when the fun begins! If that was already too much for you then you better prepare yourself for what’s coming.” He picked up the crowbar that was lying on the ground next to him and started laughing.

—

The clown finally left. Everything hurts. The Joker had removed the gag during one of his ‘games’ apparently wanting to listen to him scream. Jason couldn’t even begin to count how many of his bones were broken. It seemed like anywhere he looked around him there was blood. 

He had to keep out. He needed to find a way to escape before he came back.

If only he could get outside then he’d be able to call for help. He just had to find how.

And then he saw it. A bomb. The Joker left a bomb next to the chair he was tied to.

00 : 29

Even if Batman came he probably wouldn't have time to get him out.

He was going to die today wasn’t he?

These past 3 years were probably the best in Jason's life. It wasn't always perfect but he loves being Robin, he loves hanging out with Dick, cooking with Alfred and even training with Bruce. He had found a family but he only truly realized this now that he probably wouldn't see them again. 

Even if being Robin was what would get him killed, he wouldn't have stopped if he knew. Being Robin gave him a way to help others that isn’t something he regrets.

He didn't have many regrets if he was to die today but he wished he had had time to make up with Bruce. He didn't want their last memory of him to be that fight. 

00 : 07

Did this mean that he'd finally finally get his wings back? Angels have wings right? Jason hoped that meant he'd finally be able to know what really flying really felt like.

00 : 03

This was the end. He'd never see his family again. Jason knew it was over. That he couldn't be saved anymore. And yet he couldn't help but scream for help one last time 

00 : 01

“DAD!”

Chapter Text

Where is he?
What is happening?
It's completely dark and he can't see anything but he can feel wood all around him. It's like he's been trapped in a small box.
He's panicking. How did he get here?
He needs to get out. It's getting hard to breathe.
He tries to push against the walls but they do not budge. He screams for his dad to help him but Bruce doesn't come. He tries to kick and punch but the wood does not break. He attempts to claw at it with his hands but all that does is shatter his nails.
His fingers are now a bloody mess and everything hurts so much. It's getting harder and harder to breathe.

He doesn't know how to get out.
What would Bruce do ? How would he get out?
That's when he feels it, his belt buckle. A glimmer of hope flashes through his mind.
Using that he's finally able to break through the wood but instead of the warm light he was hoping for, he's confronted with more darkness and what feels like. No. That can't be happening. He thought he'd managed to escape.
But he has to keep going. He keeps hitting the wood until the opening is big enough for him to fit through and he starts digging his way through the dirt, aiming for what he thinks is ‘up’.

His lungs are burning from the lack of air, everything hurts so much, he wonders if he'll pass out before he can escape. When he finally reaches the surface, he's barely even conscious anymore.

Everything after that was a blur. He remembers pain. So much pain. He remembers a brightly lit room and some people talking to him. He wasn’t able to answer them or move. Even keeping his eyes open was so difficult.

—

Talia found her beloved's son, who she believed to be dead, in some Gotham hospital. She didn’t believe it when one of the shadows she assigned with watching over the city told her they found an unidentified patient matching his description.
They had been tasked to report anything unusual that had to do with the Waynes but a report of the second Robin being alive and in a catatonic state wasn’t quite what she expected.
She went to check it out herself and a quick DNA test confirmed that the small malnourished boy was indeed Jason Todd. He was covered in scars, a lot of them looked like they were from burns, most likely from the explosion, but he was undeniably alive.

She went to check his grave and it was as expected empty but more than that, the coffin had been broken, the marks clearly indicating it had been done from the inside. She now had a better idea of what had happened to him.
She at first thought that the collision with a car that was described in his medical file was to blame for the state he was in but she wasn’t convinced anymore. If the boy really managed to break out of the coffin and get to the surface on his own then the prolonged lack of oxygen could have been responsible for damaging his brain.

There was one thing she was sure of however, she was going to help him get better. She had no idea what brought him back but she wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste.
And so she stole him away from the hospital and brought him to the league’s main compound.

—

She had tried everything to help him but nothing had seemed to work. Only one option remained, the one she had tried to avoid. She had put it off for months but she now had to admit she’d have to use it if she wanted to bring him back.
She had already gotten her father’s approval but she wanted to make sure that there wasn’t any other way before resorting to such a drastic method.
Having been in the pit herself, she knew how painful it was and didn’t want Jason to go through that but she was out of options. If even the Lazarus waters failed to help him then she’d be forced to recognize that nothing could save him.

As soon as he was lowered into the water, he started screaming and thrashing. That was the most she had seen him react in the months he had stayed with them but it was too painful for her to count it as a victory.
After a few minutes without any signs of life coming from the waters, she was getting worried but he finally came tumbling out of the water. He looked a lot healthier. All signs of the childhood malnourishment were gone and he finally looked his age. On top of that, all of his scars were gone, not a single one remained.
But that wasn’t what Talia cared about, those were pretty common things to be expected from the Lazarus pits. What amazed her was that he was walking. He was walking on his own without any support. He looked at her and his eyes focussed on her. He saw her. He was there. His mind had been fixed or at least it’s better than it was a few minutes ago. That was incredible.

But then he started screaming again. He fell to his knees and started clutching his shoulders. He looked like he was in pain. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
As she was coming closer to find out what the problem was, she noticed blood on the ground behind him.
There were two large wounds on his upper back around where the scapulas would be.
Something was wrong. He kept screaming as the wounds seemed to get larger.

Should she put him back in the water ? Maybe he hadn’t spent enough time inside? Or was it due to the unknown method that was used to resurrect him, did it make his body incompatible with the Lazarus waters?

And suddenly two fleshy protrusions came out of the wounds, covered in blood as well. Wait- Were those feathers under the blood? Is it wings that just came out of his back? Jason just grew wings. What does this mean? Talia doesn’t know what to do.
She had never seen someone react to the pit in such a way. The pit couldn't have done this right? There was no recorded occurrence of it modifying someone's appearance so drastically. Nothing beyond erasing disfiguring scars or restoring severed limbs.
Did the experience of the pit perhaps awaken a metagene in the boy? The pain it induces would probably be traumatic enough to activate the gene after all.

Jason finally stopped screaming in pain so she was about to start questioning him but he passed out before she could get a word out. Her questions would have to wait. For now the best she could do was analyze his DNA to see if he did bear the gene.

—

Jason was feeling strange. Nothing hurts. He couldn’t remember the last time nothing had hurt. He felt like his mind had finally been pulled out of the fog that surrounded it.
He stayed in the bed, lying on his side and stared at the bare wall, trying to piece his mind back together.
His memories were hazy but he remembers a woman taking care of him. It felt like she’d taken care of him for a long time. Before that he remembered white rooms and people in white uniforms. A hospital? And before that…
That’s right, the bomb.
So he did survive it. That explained the hospital but why wasn’t he with Bruce?

And why was he better now? His body didn’t hurt anymore but something still was wrong.
He tried to sit up but his balance was totally off. In his movement, he caught sight of dark red feathers coming from behind him.
He turned his head and there they were. Wings. Why were they back? Why now? How?

They looked so different from the ones that came out when he was 10. They used to be light grey, almost white but the ones he now had were red. They were also so much bigger than the ones he remembered.
Was that what they would have looked like if he had kept them and allowed them to develop?

He tried to sit up again, now mindful of the new weight on his back, and succeeded this time.
He finally looked to try and see if the rest of his body was okay or if he had to worry about other changes and there was indeed a lot to worry about.
That wasn't his body. Or at least not the one he remembered. He had more muscle than he remembered. And was he taller?
How long had he been, well not unconscious but… unaware(?), for? He remembers barely having been able to move. Shouldn't that have made him a lot weaker?

This made no sense. He was so overwhelmed. It felt like his brain wasn't able to process everything that was happening. He needed a mirror.

As he was trying to stand up the door opened and a woman, the one he remembers taking care of him, stepped inside.
She smiled when she saw him. “Hello Jason. It is good to see that you are awake. How are you feeling?”
He frowned ”Who are you?” He was pretty sure that she wasn't an enemy but the familiarity still felt weird. His memories of her feel so far away
Her smile faltered a little but she quickly hid it. “Right. I'm Talia al Ghul. How much of the past year do you remember?”

He knew that name. Bruce had told him about her. She was with the league of shadows. Despite knowing that, Jason still found himself comfortable with her presence. He felt like he could trust her.
Wait. She said year. It had been that long? He hoped she could explain what happened. “I remember that I was taken by the Joker. There was a bomb right next to me. I'm guessing it went off since the next thing I remember is, I think, a hospital. I was hurt and could barely do anything and then I wasn't in the hospital anymore. You took care of me after that right? But it doesn't feel like a whole year. My memories are really foggy but it feels much shorter than that.”

“I can tell you what I know. Even if what I tell you seems impossible, please listen to me and try to remain calm.” Jason nodded and Talia continued “You died in Ethiopia. The bomb’s explosion killed you.” Jason frowned but did not interrupt her. “I found you 8 months later in one of Gotham’s hospitals. You were in a catatonic state and covered in injuries. From what I could tell, you had recently dug yourself out of your own grave. They couldn't do anything to help you, they didn't even seem to try, so I took you with me. I've been trying to cure you ever since. It's been about 5 months.”

Jason couldn't believe it. “So what? I'm a zombie or something? How would you even bring me back from that? If I was dead, why would I suddenly rise from my grave months later and if I was that injured why don't I have a single scar from it?”

Talia remained calm “We don’t know what caused your resurrection. I have used many different methods to try to heal you but in the end nothing worked so I had to use the Lazarus pits on you. That explains the lack of scars. It restored your body to its peak condition, the best it could be, which also explains the growth and muscles. Now boy, could you answer a few questions for me? You most likely noticed the wings on your back but you do not seem alarmed by their presence. Why is that?”

He stared at her for a second before answering “Well there’s kinda a lot for me to process right now. I’ll most likely freak out about getting them back later but for now there’s just too much so I guess I just worried about the whole ‘dying and coming back to life’ thing first”

Talia raised an eyebrow at that “Getting them back you say? So you do know about them. I never heard anything about Robin having wings. Did you perhaps have a way to hide them?”

Jason seemed to close up when he heard that. “No, I couldn’t hide them. It’s not a secret I shared with anyone but I was planning on telling Dick. You will be the first to know. It’s weird because I don’t really know you but it feels like I can trust you.” He paused to take a deep breath before he kept going “I'm a meta. The wing came out when I was 10. I didn’t have any way to hide them. You probably heard what happens to metas who can’t protect themselves in Gotham. I was scared and I couldn’t think of anything else at the time so I… I removed them.”

By the time he was done, the boy was sobbing. Talia hugged him, careful not to touch his back or any of his feathers, not wanting to overwhelm him with feelings he wasn’t used to.
He had been through so much already at such a young age.
He is strong. So strong. But right now she wanted nothing more than to protect him.
He already suffered enough. She was going to make sure he was happy from now on.

It surprises her how much she came to care about Jason in the past few months. She really grew attached to the kid after caring for him for so long.
It felt good to finally be able to talk with him.

Chapter Text

Having Wings was weird. It was different and confusing but Jason didn’t regret getting them back. They’d probably make his life harder but he’d rather face a few difficulties than feel like he’s missing a part of himself again.

At least he had support going through it. The league had been really accommodating, especially Talia. It really seemed like they did their best to help him. He kinda wished his family was here but he wasn’t ready to face them. He wasn’t ready to face Bruce. His last memory of him was another argument about metas. He wasn’t ready for him to see him like that. He knew that Bruce wouldn’t accept him and that it would hurt. Bruce would never want a meta to be his son.

He was sure of what Bruce’s reaction would be but he was scared that the others would feel the same. What if Dick rejected him as well? He wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

When he finally calmed down and stopped panicking, Jason took the time to truly look at himself and he realized that the pit had caused far more changes than just the wings. 

The first thing he noticed was his build. His body felt a lot more healthy than it used to. He was taller and more muscular now. (Did that mean he’d be taller than Dick? That would be weird if they saw each other again.) He would have to get used to it but it was nothing compared to growing new limbs.

When he first saw himself in a mirror, he was relieved to see that his face had stayed mostly the same. It looked slightly older maybe but that wasn’t  unexpected. He was still able to recognize himself. He changed but that was still his body after all. The only thing that bothered him were his eyes. They almost looked closer to green than the blue he remembered. Why? The color reminded him of the swirling waters of the pit. It was probably to blame for the change. He didn’t know how to feel about that.

He also noticed a small patch of white in the front of his hair. Weird. He never thought he'd start going grey before hitting 20 but with everything he had been through was it really that surprising. Was that also due to the pit like everything else? Or vitiligo maybe? He'd have to ask Talia about that as well. He didn’t care about it that much.

What he did care about was his scars or rather his lack of scars. He didn’t have a single one anymore. All of them had been erased leaving his skin smooth in a way that it shouldn’t be. Everything was gone and that had been a shock when he first noticed it.

He was trying to tell himself that this was a fresh start, that it would be a way to free himself from his past. This wasn’t what he wanted. No matter what he told himself, they were a part of him that he had lost, a part of his identity, of who he was. He should be used to it by now, used to living without a part of himself. But he wasn’t and he didn’t think that anyone could ever get used to that.

That made him sad but he had to admit that it was a small price to pay to come back from the dead. It didn’t seem right to complain about something so small when he could have lost so much more but he couldn’t help but be a little upset.

It didn’t help with how foreign his body was feeling. He sometimes wondered if it was even his own body anymore. He tried not to think about it too much. He should focus on what he was able to get back. He should be grateful that he’s alive.

—

Moving around was a real challenge the first few days. He kept losing his balance and tripping on everything. He had also hit his head on doorways and bumped into furniture more than he wanted to admit. He had knocked over so many things when he tried to turn around because of the huge wings now attached to his back.

He also wasn’t used to being this tall and large and the additional limbs really didn’t help with his balance.

Only when he was comfortable moving on the ground did he start experimenting with his wings. 

Another annoying thing about them was how hard they made it for him to hide the way he feels. He didn’t even notice it at first but they were always doing something, the feathers fluffing up when he’s happy or comfortable, twitching when he was stressed or flapping around when he got mad. That could have been fine but the issue was that he had no control over it !

Every time he tried to complain about it to Talia she’d laugh at him and tell him that he’d get it eventually and that he just had to get used to them.

As annoying as it was, he had to admit that it felt liberating to be able to express himself that way. It soothed instincts that he didn’t even know he had before. It felt right.

—

Once Jason started to get used to the new additions to his body he wanted to test their limit. 

He would also have to test his strength and agility but for now he wanted to focus on the wings. 

He quickly figured out how to move them around as it came to him quite easily, almost without having to think about it. As he was slowly folding and unfolding them, he took some time to truly look at them in detail. It still felt surreal that they were a part of his body. 

The wings were beautiful, broad and covered in red feathers that started a pretty light red close to his back but got darker the closer they were to the tip of his wings. The darkest ones looked almost blood red.

The different shades of red seemed to blend together to form a pattern on the wings that reminded him of fire.

He placed his hand over where they were attached to his back, seemingly an extension of his shoulder blades, before spreading them open slowly once again, feeling the way every muscles were moving. They felt strong and powerful. Maybe they would be able to carry his weight. He hoped so.

Talia had allowed him to move around Nanda Parbat freely and everyone in the league had been warned not to bother him. It wasn’t hard for him to find an empty training field that he could use for his tests.

He positioned himself in the middle of the open space allowing his wings to spread open. He tried flapping the wings, not putting any strength in the movement at first but testing their mobility. 

It all felt so natural to him and he knew what he had to do next. 

He started going slower, trying to trap the wind under his wings as he pulled them down but also trying to allow air to flow past his feathers freely as he brought them up. 

And soon, he felt his feet leave the ground. 

He was flying! He could fly!

Except in his excitement his movements became uncoordinated and he fell back to the ground before he could go much higher. And of course he hadn’t been able to land on his feet, falling face first into the dirt instead. 

He was sure the nearby league members saw everything and would be judging his failed attempt but Jason couldn’t bring himself to care about that right now. 

He had been able to leave the ground! His wings were actually strong enough to carry him into the air! With more practice he’d be able to fly for real! 

One more time. He had to try again so he got up and went back to the same position he was in before.

More people started to gather near the training field, curious to see his next attempt. Jason was too focussed to notice the attention that was now on him. 

He closed his eyes. Focussing on every muscle that stretched from his back. 

And he started bringing the wings down again with the intent to trap as much air under them as possible before quickly pulling them back up. 

He repeated the movement until he started to feel his feet detach from the ground once again except this time he was ready for it. He didn't panic and kept his movements steady. 

After a few seconds he opened his eyes and found himself about 20 feet in the air. He was stunned. 

He was flying. He really was flying. He finally did it! He was flying after all these years. 

It felt like he was finally reunited with a part of himself he had been missing.

He couldn’t help it, he started crying. Tears blurred his vision as he looked over Nanda Parbat. He could fly.

That feeling of weightlessness was incredible. It felt like the wind was carrying away all of his worries. This must be what freedom feels like. How did he live without knowing that feeling until now? In that moment, everything he went through to get here didn’t matter. He was happy.

He's been wanting to take flight for so long. He's been yearning for it even though he was convinced he could never have it. He never believed he could have his wings back. He died wondering what his life could have been with them. He woke up and they were here again. He had been given a second chance. Something he never thought was possible.

He was finally flying with his own wings.

—

When Talia saw how much progress he had made and how comfortable he now seemed to be when he was moving around, she offered to help train him. 

Jason was confused at first but she then explained that with his new body and added limbs he’d have to find a new fighting style that would suit him and most likely relearn everything.

With how hard it had been to even walk around at first, Jason knew that he needed all the help he could get. He happily accepted her offer.

Not only did they research ways to use his wings during a fight together but she also taught him how to use different weapons and many of the moves he’d seen the shadows use in the past and so much more. Everyday she had something new for him to practice so they started training together more and more often.

—

Jason was standing in front of the door. He almost turned around and left. He didn't want to bother her but she did tell Jason to come find her if he needed anything so he knocked. 

Talia’s voice came from the other side telling him to come in so he did. 

She smiled when she saw him “Come take a seat. Do you want some tea?” 

He sat down and shook his head and then finally spoke. 

“I need your help with something. It's nothing important but my wings have been bothering me a little. Some areas are very… uncomfortable. It's like an itch I can't reach. I tried ignoring it to see if it'd go away but it didn't. Could you take a look and tell me if you see anything wrong with them?”

“Of course.” She moved to stand behind him “Show me where they bother you.” she asked. And he described the first spot to her. She immediately saw what could be the issue and was about to reach for it but suddenly froze in the movement “Is it okay for me to touch you? I might be able to help.” When he nodded she started combing her fingers through the feathers. 

Jason didn't understand why but he immediately started to feel better. “It worked! You found the problem? What was wrong ?”

“It was easy to fix. Some of the feathers weren't aligned with the other ones or sticking out. It must have been what was bothering you.” She paused, looking his wings over “I see some other spots that must be bothering you as well. Let me take care of them.”

They stayed there together for a while, Talia preening his feathers and Jason feeling so relaxed that he could fall asleep right there. As he was dozing off, he muttered “Thanks mom” feeling grateful for her help.

—

Somewhere in Nanda Parbat, a shadow approached the Demon’s Head to report his daily observations of the child his daughter had picked up. Hearring about how close they now seemed to be he knew he’d have to do something.

How had he allowed this to go on for so long before interfering?  It seemed that he would have to take care of this himself. Ra's started planing his first meeting with the boy. 

Paying the kid a visit has been long overdue.

Chapter Text

Slowly, Jason started to fall into habits. Most of his days would be spent either flying around and exploring the mountains around Nanda Parbat or training with Talia or some other League member. It wasn’t too bad.
He could feel himself become stronger. His wings were now able to carry him for much longer and he was able to move them almost as naturally as any other part of his body. He was also learning a lot from his training and had gotten used to the way his body had changed. Jason was happy with his progress.

But things had been too good. Of course something had to go wrong. Why couldn’t Jason just be happy for once? When Jason woke up this morning he noticed many feathers on his mattress and next to his bed. Feathers that weren’t attached to his wings. He tried not to panic at first, it wasn’t the first time he had lost a few feathers after all but it had never been that many at once.

Seeing so many red feathers on the ground brought back some unwanted memories that didn’t help him calm down. The last time he had to clean up so many of them was years ago when he was just a child scared to be found out. White feathers everywhere, turning red when they fell in puddles of blood– He tried to push the memory away. He had things to do today. He couldn’t let this get to him.

When he finally decided to head out he had managed to mostly compose himself even if he was still tense. He must have slept in a weird position or maybe he’d torn out a few feathers during a nightmare. He would be fine.

As he was about to reach the training grounds, a shadow he remembers training with before approached him. She looked concerned and immediately asked him if he was hurt or if something was wrong. What was she talking about? He must have looked confused because she pointed behind him.
He turned around and found a trail of red feathers on the ground. He had kept losing more. Something was very wrong. Now he was panicking. He couldn’t lose his wings again.
Red feathers everywhere on the ground. White feathers flying around him. For a second he was back in that bathroom with the knife in his hands.
He turned around and started running toward the training grounds. He needed help. He didn’t want to go through that alone again.

—

It wasn’t like Jason to be late but Talia had been waiting for him for nearly 30 minutes now. Had he forgotten their sword fighting lesson this morning? Maybe she should go check the boy’s room. When she was about to leave, she saw him rushing towards her. He looked worried. Something was wrong.

He didn’t slow down as he approached and instead crashed into her arms and started to hug her.
She asked him what the problem was but he didn’t seem to hear her as he started sobbing. She tried to identify what caused his distress but she couldn’t find anything.

Jason didn’t seem like he’d be able to explain for now. He didn’t seem to be injured so she decided to bring him back to her residence so he’d have time to compose himself away from everyone’s curious gaze.
Only once they were both sitting on her couch did he seem to start to calm down. She tried to ask him for an explanation once more. She couldn’t help if she didn’t know what the problem was. This time her boy did answer her.

“My wings… something's happening.” He paused, wiping the tears that kept flowing out of his eyes. “I don't know what or why but it's like they're falling apart… All the feathers are falling off and I don't know what I did wrong…” Talia looked around and as he said, many feathers were on the floor around them. How had she not noticed? “I'll never fly again. I ruined my second chance too and I don't even know how I did it this time… I don't want to lose them again. Please. Help.”

He looked at her with big pleading eyes that were still full of tears. How could she tell him no? So she took him in her arms as she whispered to him “Everything will be okay. We’ll find a solution. I’m here to help you. I promise you that I will try everything I can.”

Talia called all of the League’s doctors to her room to try and figure out what the issue was. None of them were able to help and she noticed that Jason was getting more and more distressed as they all gave up one by one. As one of them was leaving the room she heard him grumble “What did she expect? We’re not here to take care of animals. She should have called a vet to take care of her pet, not us. I don’t get why people insist on treating metas like humans.”
She wanted to kill him right now for talking about Jason in such a way but that would have to wait. She had to be there to support Jason but she wouldn’t forget who said that. She definitely would pay him a visit later.

She didn’t agree with the man’s opinions but maybe talking to someone who was more used to dealing with wings could help. She asked Jason if he would be fine with her calling for the League’s falconers as they had more experience with wings. Jason quickly agreed, desperate for any kind of explanation or help, so she asked them to come.

Most of them looked confused as they arrived, probably wondering why they had been called to her personal residence. Talia started explaining and a look of understanding seemed to pass over some of them when she told them it was about Jason. As she described what he was going through, she saw them trade glances.

Soon after she was done, one of them spoke up. “That sounds like a normal molt. Probably nothing to worry about.” She saw a few of them nod in agreement. She frowned “What do you mean?”
“It’s something common for birds to lose feathers all year long but once or twice a year they’ll lose a lot more of them. If this is what’s happening then I don’t think it’s worrying but we can still take a look if you want.” They looked hopeful saying that last part. Most of them seemed excited by the idea of being able to meet him even if they tried not to show it.

She gestured for them to come inside. Jason would probably need to hear it from them to calm down and they didn’t seem like they would disrespect Jason for being different. They followed her inside and when they reached Jason his back was facing them and his wings were clearly visible. She heard one of them mutter “They’re beautiful” and saw a few others nod in agreement.

When Jason heard them come in he turned around and looked at them with hope in his eyes. He was obviously trying hard not to panic again.
One of the falconers asked Jason if it would be okay for them to take a look at his wings. The boy nodded and started extending them so they could see better. As he did so, more feathers fell to the ground. He winced when saw them and held back a sob.
Talia wanted to go up to him to comfort him but now wasn’t the time. Hopefully they would soon know what the problem was.

The group exchanged a few words, seemingly in agreement with one another, they spoke up “This is almost certainly a molt. Nothing to worry about. All of the fallen feathers should grow back soon without any issue.” another one continued “You should keep shedding more feathers for a few days or weeks but that would only be a problem if they don’t start growing back by the end of the week. In the meantime try not to overexert your wings and make sure to rest a lot.”

As he heard that, relief crashed over Jason and he began shaking as tears rolled down his cheeks. This time, Talia did not stop herself and she went to stand next to her boy to comfort him. She did not care what the surrounding crowd would think as she felt Jason latch onto her as soon as she was close enough.
Some looked taken aback by the open display of affection and care but they did not comment on it. Talia thanked them for their help before telling them that they could leave now.
As they were exiting the room, they heard Jason choke out “Thank you. Thank you so much” in a soft voice.

—

Jason doesn’t know how long he stayed there next to Talia but he was grateful that she allowed him to. He was feeling a little better now that he knew that he would be okay, that this was temporary, that his wings would be fine and that he would fly again but he still didn’t want to be alone right now.

He hadn’t done anything that caused his feathers to fall. This was something natural that his wings needed to stay healthy. He shouldn’t be freaking out anymore but seeing all of those red feathers on the ground– let’s just say that he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep much the next few nights with all the nightmares those would bring back.

He didn’t want to but he should probably leave. He knew that Talia had important things to do and he already took up a lot of her time. He started shifting away from her and was about to start making up an excuse to leave but she spoke before him.

“You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. You could stay here with me.” she seemed to mean it. He did not want to leave. He gave her a nod and settled back by her side. As he did so, she mentioned “Actually if you’re staying there’s someone who might want to meet you if you are feeling up to it.” Before he could ask who she was talking about, Talia continued “He has been asking to meet you ever since I told him about you. Really it’s a wonder you haven’t stumbled upon each other yet with how much time you have been spending with me.”

Who could Talia be talking about? Did she have a partner he hadn’t heard of? Did he ever ask her if she was seeing someone? He didn’t think so. That must be who she’s talking about since they seem close. Right now he was too exhausted to come up with any other explanation.
Him meeting that mysterious guy seemed important to Talia for her to ask him in such a way so he agreed to it. He expected to have some time to prepare before that meeting but then Talia turned toward the door and raised her voice “ You can come in Damian! I have a surprise for you!”

He was already there? He had been waiting behind the door to come inside? Did they plan this? His confusion must have been clearly visible because when Talia turned around she chuckled and whispered “He noticed that I wasn’t alone in here so he was waiting for me to signal whether he was allowed to come in or not. Don’t worry he hasn’t been waiting for long”

He was about to ask more questions but a child walked into the room before he could. A small child. Not a grown man like he was expecting but a boy who looked no older than 9. There was a frown on his face but excitement and joy in his eyes. Jason had even more questions than previously but was given no time to ask them.

With a smile, Talia gestured toward the child “Jason, this is my son Damian.” son? Talia has a son? “Damian, this is your older brother Jason. The one I told you about before.” Since when does Talia have a son? Why didn’t she tell him… Wait– “brother? What do you mean?”

Talia tilted her head to the side, seemingly amused by the situation, a small smirk on her lips. “Weren’t you the one who called me mother before, Jason?” He felt himself blush a little at the memory. He hadn’t meant for that to come out.

Talia kept going “You obviously see me as a mother figure and I did actually start considering you my son after taking care of you for so long. Doesn’t that make it easy? You see me as a mother so I am your mother. I see you as a son so you are my son. That also means that Damian is your brother since he is my son too.” then she added “Unless I am mistaken?” Was it hesitation he heard in her voice?

Could it really be that simple? Can she accept him so easily? Did he even deserve to have a family again? Talia did make it sound easy. He wants to believe her. She sounded sincere and he had to admit that she was right. This time it would be different. Talia had been nothing but kind and acceptant even though she knew that he was a meta. Maybe he could trust her to be there for him when it matters.

“You’re right” he told Talia “ I’m happy that we both feel the same way.” He then addressed the boy who looked at him with hope and some anxiousness “It’s good to meet you Damian! I Can’t wait to get to know you.”

—

Damian was the son of Talia al-Ghul and the Bat, he was the grandson of the Demon head. Few people were worthy of his time and attention and even less people could be considered his equals. It was rare for him to meet someone as important as he was.

Mother had told him about someone who was the same as him. She introduced him as ‘another son of the Bat’ and also told him that she wanted to make him hers as well.

He wasn’t opposed to the idea. After all, if he had been deemed worthy by his Father then this was enough for him. He hadn’t met the Bat yet but he knew his judgment could be trusted if he had been chosen as a suitable partner by Mother. Most of all he trusted Mother to assess his worthiness.

Today he would be able to meet his true equal. The one who was both the son of his mother and of his father. His brother.

Jason hadn’t been what he expected at all. He lacked all of the refinement befitting of this family but he was still… Adequate. His fighting skills and resourcefulness made up for his lack of etiquette. But more than anything, he had wings, real wings. They had been one of the first things Damian had asked his brother about. He, of course, wasn’t the first meta he got to meet. The League was very accepting of them, their abilities were very useful after all. He however rarely got to meet ones with animal qualities.
Damian had always been fond of animals. He liked how easy it was to understand them compared to people.
Getting to know his brother, he realized that this applied to him as well. Looking at his wings always made his emotions rather obvious. He appreciated that.

When he learnt his brother was going through his first molt, it decided that it was his duty to help him through that experience. He was very vocal about how uncomfortable the process was. Damian tried his best to distract his brother from the ordeal. The best method he had found to help was simply to keep him company.

Today, he decided to take him to one of his favorite places in Nanda Parbat, the aviary. They spent a lot of time there, watching them fly around. Damian told Jason everything he knew about them, their species, wing types, abilities, how they had been trained, anything he could think of.
In return, Jason told him what flying felt like, how he moved the wings around, how his first attempt at flight went.

They kept coming back to the aviary together every few days. They sat down, watched the bird and talked. As they got more comfortable with one another the subjects changed and became more personal. Jason had opened up about his time in Gotham, about his family.

The more Jason talked about them, the more it became obvious that he missed them and that being apart from them was hurting him, especially when he was talking about someone he called ‘Dick’. He appeared to be Father’s first son.

One day, as his brother was rambling about a place called Crime Alley, Damian finally asked.
“Why don’t you visit them? You obviously miss them.”

Jason immediately tensed up “No I don’t.”

“Why would you talk about them like that if they weren’t important to you? Don’t you want to see your family?” Damian was genuinely confused by his reaction.

“They’re not my family. Not anymore. You’re my family now, brat. You and Talia. I don’t care about them.” He didn’t look entirely convinced by his own words. His wings were twitching in a way that indicated he was getting irritated.

Damian didn’t want to make his mood worse but it was about time they talked about it. “If not them then is it the city that you miss? Something is clearly bothering you even if you refuse to admit it. You seemed particularly attached to that place with the asinine name. I still don’t understand why you insist on calling it ‘Crime Alley’ instead of a proper name.”

Jason stayed silent for a while. At least this time he actually thought about it before answering. “I worry about the people I left there. It’s the part of the city with the most crime and yet Batman tends to avoid it so it makes it even more dangerous for the people who live there. According to my research, B has rarely been seen there since the second Robin- since I died.”
He was getting angry but more than that, he looked sad. “As soon as I wasn’t there anymore he decided to give up on the place where I grew up, give up on everyone who lives there. They deserve to have someone who will protect them. They need it more than anyone else in that city. They deserve someone who cares about them.”

Damian understood why his brother was upset now. “And you want to be that ‘someone’ for them. You want to help them and protect them. You’re going to leave right?”

Jason turned toward him, An apologetic smile on his face, “I’m sorry Dami. I would like to spend more time with you but they need me and I have to help them. I can’t stay here forever but I’ll make sure to come visit you. And still have a lot to prepare so I won’t be leaving anytime soon. You’ll have to deal with me for at least a few more weeks brat.” And before Damian could do anything, Jason ruffled his hair.

Damian definitely did not pout. That would be undignified of him.
It was hard for him to admit it but he really enjoyed the time he spent with his brother.

Chapter Text

After his talk with Damian, Jason went to find Talia to tell her about his decision to leave the League. He was a little worried about how she’d take the news.Talia didn’t want him to go back to Gotham at first. She told him that after all that city had done to him, everything he had suffered there, it didn’t deserve to get him back. She tried to compromise with him and offered to send him wherever else he wanted to go. Convinced that Gotham would only hurt him more.

It took some time to convince her. Jason had to explain how much he cared about the city and its people, how important the place was to him. In the end, Talia ended up conceding and allowed him to leave under a few conditions. He’d have to wait at least a month to leave the League and he had to promise that once he did he’d call her at least once a month. That wasn’t too bad.

When Talia brought up his decision to leave again 3 days later, he was scared that she had changed her mind and decided that he wasn’t allowed to leave anymore. Instead she updated him on what she had been doing to prepare for his departure. And she had done a lot.

Talia had killed the Joker.
At first he didn't really know how to feel about that. He had everything planned out. He'd have taken one of the Joker's old moniker to piss him off and would have asked Bruce to kill the Joker for him.
He wanted his dad to do it. He wanted Bruce to prove that he still loves him.
Instead the woman he came to see as a mother did it for him. He didn't even have to ask, she simply did it so he could feel safe. And wasn't that what he wanted?
Bruce wasn't the one to do it but someone else he saw as a parental figure did it for him.

Killing the Joker had been something so important to him ever since he got out of the pit. He felt his whole world view shift at that news. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. It took some time to process this information but once he did there was only one thing he could do.
He hugged Talia and thanked her. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulder. Once he truly understood what had happened all he felt was relief.

“Thank you” he whispered into her shoulder again and again.
He brought his wings around the two of them in a way that made him feel safe and protected, like this space was only for the two of them.
He felt loved. He knew Talia cared about him and that was all he needed.

Talia felt comfortable in that all encompassing embrace. She was now sure that killing that clown had been the right decision. It was the least she could have done for her son. He deserved to feel safe in his city. He deserved to be protected too.

—

A few days later, when he was almost ready to leave, one of the assassins closest to Ra's came to find him and told him that the Demon’s Head wanted to talk to him.
Jason didn't know what to expect. He hadn't seen Ra's often during his stay with the league and he had never spoken to him directly so he didn't understand what he could want from him. Jason was guided to him immediately, leaving him no time to prepare for this meeting.

When he entered the room in which Ra's was waiting for him, all the surrounding assassins left and only their leader remained. Jason was getting worried. This had to be important if no one else was allowed in the room.

Before Jason even had time to ask a question Ra's spoke up
“I have been told that you want to leave. Why is that? Was your stay with us not enjoyable? Was the training we provided you inadequate?”

Was this a trick question? Would Ra’s punish him for his answers if he didn’t like them? Jason should have asked Talia for more information on the man but now was too late to regret it. The best he could do for now was to answer truthfully and hope for the best.
“No. I am very grateful that you allowed me to stay with the league and for all of the training and resources you have given me access to. I would have liked to stay but I have to go back to Gotham. There is still too much unfinished business there that I need to take care of.” Jason hoped that the leader wouldn’t be offended by his answer.

Ra's stared at him for a few seconds analysing his words and behavior. He seemed to be reading him like an open book. And then Ra's hummed before adding “Very well. I have been told by my daughter that she came to see you as a son and when my grandson speaks of you, he calls you brother. What do you have to say about that?”

Jason hesitated briefly before answering, taken aback by the question. It might not be the smartest thing to do but he decided to keep being honest. He was ready to face punishment but he wouldn't deny their bond. “Yes. Talia is like a mother to me and Damian is my younger brother in everything but blood.”

Jason felt dread settle in his guts as Ra's spent the next few seconds staring at him. “Then I shall declare you to be my grandson. You have proved yourself to be worthy of the Al ghul name during your stay with us. You may call me Grandfather, child.”

Wait, did Jason really just hear that? He must have heard him wrong, right? That couldn’t be real. Ra's was staring at Jason, waiting for a response and he didn’t know what to say. He would keep it simple, just in case he just hallucinated the previous exchange. “Thank you” Ra’s frowned, apparently waiting for something else, something more. “Thank you, …Grandfather” he added after a second and the man seemed pleased with that. It felt weird but not actually that bad.

“I accept your request to leave the league and I will welcome you back whenever you may wish to return but before you go I have something to give you.”
As he said that, he picked a small box that was resting on the table next to him. He then stepped forward and offered it to Jason.

He opened the box and inside was a pair of small earrings. They were simple stud earrings each decorated with a single gemstone. The gem was a deep green, the same green as the eyes of people who had been exposed to the Lazarus pits. The same green he saw in Talia’s and Damian’s eyes everyday. The same green he now saw when he looked in a mirror. This had to have been on purpose the Al ghuls weren’t ones to not notice this kind of details.
Why would Ra’s give him this? His ears weren’t even pierced anymore since he went into the pit. Did Ra’s expect him to wear them? He didn’t understand but now wasn’t the time to be confused.

When Ra’s saw him look up from the box he explained “I selected them from my personal collection and had them imbued with magic. The enchantment that they hold should be useful to you. Make sure you try them on before leaving. I however see that your ears aren't pierced. Ask your mother, she should be able to help you with that.” For a moment, Jason swore he could see fondness in the man’s gaze. He couldn’t believe what was happening. This had to be a dream or something. Was the room filled with some sort of hallucination-inducing gas?

Just in case this was actually real, Jason made sure to thank Ra’s properly. Seemingly done with their conversation, the man nodded to him once before turning around and leaving the room.
Now left alone, Jason still couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. His only confirmation that their exchange had—at least partially—been real was the small box he still held.
Jason didn’t realize that he hadn’t been told what the earrings actually did until much later.

—

Once Jason got over the shock of his previous exchange, he started heading toward Talia’s quarters, deciding to listen to Ra’s advice. If he wanted to know what his newly acquired artefact did then he’d have to try it on to figure it out.
If he wanted to do that then he’d need to get a hole punched through his earlobes again.

He was a little annoyed that the pit had decided that this was an ‘injury’ worth ‘healing’ but having them pierced wasn’t that bad the first time around so having to go through it again wasn’t what actually bothered him.
His problem was the reminder of all the little things the pit had taken from him. It had given him back the wings that he had lost but it had also taken away all of the scars and marks that once littered his skin.

He was rather attached to the memories that came with some of them. His ears, for example, had been pierced by Dick on an evening when Bruce had left the two of them alone in the cave. They were supposed to train together but, one thing leading to the other, they ended up in the medbay instead.

Jason didn’t even remember how they got to this point but he remembered Dick laughing about how Bruce would freak out when he’d see them while holding a needle that was supposed to be used for stitches. They ended up giving themselves matching piercings that night. Now the memory feels so far away.

—

Talia hadn’t been aware of her father’s plans and she was just as puzzled by his gift as Jason had been. She had no idea what they might do but she advised him to put on the earrings to see what effect they would have. After all, if Ra's had wanted to injure or kill him, he’d have many other ways to do it and doing it by giving him some type of cursed artefact would be unnecessarily complex.

When Talia finally pushes the jewelry into his ear, he braces himself not knowing what to expect. Except even once both earrings are settled into his earlobes nothing happens. He waits but nothing happens.

Jason sighs before asking Talia “Are those things broken?” He lifts up his hand and taps one of them to see if it would react “They didn’t do anyth-” He cuts off as he can feel a weight lift from his shoulders. He felt himself tip forward, his body far too used to compensate for the weight constantly dragging his shoulders back.

He hears Talia gasp next to him. He looks at her and sees that her gaze is fixed on his back. He is scared that he understands why. He brings a hand up to his back and doesn’t find anything there. Nothing but smooth unblemished skin. There isn’t anything on his back, not even the jagged scars that once covered it. His wings aren’t there anymore. He couldn’t feel them. Couldn’t move them. Couldn’t see them.

In a panic, he tears one of the studs out of his ear and- Oh. They came back. As soon as the piece of metal was out of his ear, the wings were on his back again. Relief washed over him as he felt their comforting weight come back. This was only temporary. He hadn't lost them again.

Talia lets out a sigh of relief “I guess we know what they do now. My father was right, that does seem rather useful. It really would help with having a civilian identity if you were able to hide them.”

Jason hadn’t even thought about that. It was true that going back to Gotham with such a visible mutation was asking for trouble. He wasn’t the same frightened boy he once was. He would have been able to defend himself. It however would have been difficult for him to separate himself from the winged protector roaming the streets at night. Wings weren’t exactly a common trait after all and it would have been impossible for him to hide them with normal means. There would have been no way for him to have a secret identity.

He put the earrings back on, wanting to test them further. This time he was prepared for his wings to disappear except… he waited and waited but nothing happened. He threw a confused look at Talia. “It’s not doing anything. Why isn’t it doing anything?”

She didn’t really know either “Did you do something to activate them last time? They couldn’t have been single-use. Father would surely have warned you if they had been.”

“I’m not sure. All I remember is asking if they were broken and-” He pauses and brings a hand up to his ear and taps the earring like he did before. “And that.” The wings were gone once again but this time he was prepared for it. “Oh. Guess we figured it out.” He says with a small smile.

The wings’ absence felt so wrong. He had grown far too used to them those past few months. He took a few steps around the room, carefully readjusting his balance and posture.
And then he had an idea. He tapped the earrings once again… And his wings were back! Oh this would be useful. He could wear the jewelry at all times and choose to hide his mutation whenever he needed it.

He would have to thank Ra’s properly the next time he saw him.

Chapter Text

Today was the day. He was going to leave the League. He was going back to Gotham
He had already said goodbye to every friend he had made here and thanked everyone who had helped with his training during the year he spent with the League. Now all he had to do was to go find his family.

He knew that Talia and Damian would be waiting for him. He however did not expect Ra’s to be standing next to them. Had he been waiting for him as well? It looked like he was.

Jason had gotten so used to living with the al Ghuls. He was going to miss seeing them everyday. Damian did mention wanting to follow him to Gotham but Jason had (hopefully) managed to convince him to wait until he was at least 10 years old. It wouldn’t buy him that much time but it was better than nothing at least.

He approached the 3 al Ghuls, his family, not quite ready but it was time to say farewell to them.
He addressed Ra’s first, “Thank you for allowing me to stay with the League for so long and providing me with so much support grandfather. I will make sure to put everything I learned here to good use.”

Jason could have sworn he saw the man smile for a second “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. I knew from the moment we found you that you would be destined to greatness. Not only were you able to return to life on your own, but the Lazarus waters even bestowed the gift of wings upon you. The League of Shadows will always welcome you back if you ever wish to return to us. Until then, go and fulfill your destiny, my grandson.” And with that, it seems that Ra’s was done. He turned away and left without another word. Jason would never understand the man.

He then turned to Talia “Thank you for rescuing me. I don’t know where I’d be today if you hadn’t taken me in when I was at my lowest. You took care of me for so long but now I must fly on my own. Thank you for everything you’ve done to support me, mom”

Her eyes were gleaming with warmth as she looked at him. “Go do what you need to. You will always have a home to come back to here. Everything you have requested is ready and will be waiting for you in Gotham once you get there. We all believe in you, son, but don’t hesitate to ask for help if you ever need it alright? And don’t forget to call once in a while.” All he could do was nod.

He was almost ready to leave but first, Damian. He crouched before him. This wouldn’t be easy. “You’re the best little brother I could have hoped for, kid. We won’t get to see each other as often but you’ll be able to call me and talk to me whenever you want.”
Jason made sure to look Damian in the eyes for this next part, he wanted to be sure he understood. “I need you to promise me one thing before I go. No matter how important your training is and how mature you think you are, don’t forget to enjoy your childhood Dami. You’re only 9. You’re allowed to act like a kid once in a while. That won’t make you any less strong and competent, okay? Can you do that for me?”

Damian seemed to think about it for a moment before he answered “I will. I promise. In exchange you need to promise to always answer when I call you. That would only be fair”

Jason couldn’t help but think about Dick for a second when he heard that but he quickly pushed the memory away. He promised himself that he would always be there when his little brother needed him. He tried his best not to let his emotions show in his voice as he answered “Of course I will. Always, Dami.” And they hugged for what felt like forever but also felt like it ended far too soon.

It would be alright. Jason was ready to go back to Gotham now.

—

And there he was. After over a year away from his city, Jason finally came back to it.

He had made sure to hide his wings before leaving the League. He didn't want to draw any attention to him, not any more than necessary. He had grown so used to their heavy weight resting upon his back. It always made him feel anxious to put them away, to not be able to feel them anymore.
When they were gone, he couldn't help but think about his childhood and about the scars that once spanned his back.
He tried his best to push the memories away by reminding himself that it was only temporary this time.

Jason did find something that helped compensate for the missing wings. It was Talia who had suggested trying to replace their weight with something else after he had explained his problem to her.
Now, whenever the wings were gone, he had gotten into the habit to always wear a heavy leather jacket. It wasn't a part of him the same way his wings are but it was enough to help him ignore their absence

Gotham was just as much doom and gloom as he remembered. Things didn't seem to be any better than he remembered but he was glad to be back anyway. No matter what anyone might say about his city, it was home.

When he reached the Alley, he started noticing some differences. The buildings looked even more about to collapse than he remembered, the children on the streets looked even thinner and most people looked like they had given up all hope.
What had happened to them? Why had the Alley gotten worse than it once was? Did something happen while he was gone?

It didn't take Jason long to find what was wrong once he started to look for the reason.
It was him. He was the reason the Alley had changed. The second Robin, who cared so warmly about everyone in this part of the city, disappeared and ever since things have been getting worse for everyone.

Not only did they lose their light and hope, their Robin, but soon after he was gone, the Bat grew more and more violent and then started avoiding Park Row more and more.
Now, the only times that Batman could be seen in Crime Alley was if a major Rogue attacked it.
They didn't even have a hero to protect them anymore. If even Batman gave up on this place, how could the people living here keep hoping that things would get better?

Jason was furious at what he found. Did Bruce really care about him so little?
As soon as he had died Bruce stopped caring about the place he grew up, stopped helping the people who lived there. He couldn't even take care of his home for him after he had died. Did he really mean so little to Bruce?

He had been right to come back. He did not think things had gotten this bad. The Alley really did need him. He would need to get ready to go out and help people. But first he had to make sure that everything was ready. He couldn’t afford to mess up. This was too important.

Talia had prepared everything he would need in advance. She had bought him what was probably the nicest apartment in Crime Alley. Which wasn’t actually that good since it was the Alley but Jason had been very clear about not wanting to live anywhere else.

In that apartment, he found all the gear he would need for his patrols. It had been packed with weapons, tools and devices of every kind. Most importantly, he found his new uniform. It was perfect, exactly what he had hoped for. He would need to make sure to thank Talia properly.

—

After a week of being back in the city, he finally felt ready to go out. Tonight would be the night.
He had done extensive research on all of the gangs operating in Crime Alley and their leaders. He made sure to familiarize himself with all of his gear.
He even went for a test fly around the city in his new uniform the night before. He made sure to fly high enough to hopefully not be spotted by anyone.

During his week of preparations, however, he had found one thing that bothered him. One of the things he had been investigating, of course, was the vigilantes he was likely to encounter in Gotham. Batman and Nightwing weren't a surprise. Of course they would be there.
When he found a few articles talking about Robin, he had hoped that those were outdated ones from before his death but no. Of course not.

So he decided to turn another kid into a perfect little soldier. He got himself a new colorful distraction to help him blend into the shadows.
Losing him hadn't been enough to make Bruce understand that crime fighting wasn't a good hobby for a child?

Did his death really mean that little to Bruce? Had he really picked up a new kid to put in the costume he had died in? Replaced him that easily?
Jason couldn't believe it. He couldn’t allow it. Not after what had happened to him.

He promised himself that he’d find a way to deal with this later. For now he had an Alley to take care of. Before anything else, he had to make sure his influence was firmly established here. He couldn’t go up against the Bat just yet. First he needed to get used to crime fighting again first.

He spent the day meticulously checking all of his gear, making sure everything was ready for his first night out. The league really went all out on those. Even the suit he had asked them for was perfect.

He would be going out tonight.

He got into his suit. Mostly black, like he had asked to help with stealth, with red accents that matched the color of his wings. He had thought about adding the bat’s emblem somewhere, just to piss off Bruce, but he decided against it. This was his suit and it would remain his alone.
Instead he chose to add a flame like pattern across the suit. It looked like the one on his wings. It was his and not anyone else’s.

The back of the suit had been made to accommodate his wings. It was open enough to allow any movement and not stop him from flying while still protecting him as much as possible. It hadn’t been easy to find the right balance between the two but he was finally satisfied with this version of his outfit.

He wasn’t too worried by the lack of protection around his wings. He had the artefact that Ra’s had given him. Soon after getting it, he found out that not only did it allow him to make them disappear whenever he wanted but it also strengthened them while they were out and protected them from damage. How much effort had Ra’s put into it? Did he really care about him that much?
Now wasn’t the time to think about that.

He gathered his weapons and gadgets and hid each of them in one of his suit’s compartments. He put his guns in their holsters after making sure they were loaded. He made sure that he had a grappling gun that was easy to reach.
He was much better at flying than when he first started but one could never be too careful. Why did Bruce’s paranoia have to be contagious?

Finally, he grabbed his red mask, covering most of his face with it and drew up his hood, to hide his hair with it.

Tonight would be Phoenix’s first night of patrol.

Chapter Text

Tim’s been Robin for over a year now. This wasn’t what he had originally planned but it seems to have worked.

Batman is doing better now. He isn’t as self destructive as he used to be. Having a Robin helped him.

Tim hadn’t planned to become Robin but he liked it. Getting to fight crime and stop the different Rogues alongside Batman was fun. It felt good to be helping people.

He wasn’t the little kid that used to follow the vigilantes around to watch them and take pictures. He was a hero too now.

Being Robin wasn’t easy. Not physically or mentally. He got injured often, he had to spend a lot of time training so he could keep up and all of the death and injuries he had to witness, all of the people he couldn’t save, those were hard on his mind. He tried not to blame himself too much. He was doing everything he could.

Even if it was difficult, being Robin was good. He was useful.

And being Robin allowed him to meet Steph. Steph was nice. He liked her. She was probably even his best friend. 

Tim liked being Robin.

—

Today, Tim was researching the new vigilante that recently showed up in Gotham. Bruce didn’t want him to. He had told Tim that he would be the one taking care of the unknown individual. That Tim wasn’t supposed to approach them until their background check had been completed.

But Bruce wasn’t his boss. Batman and Robin are supposed to be partners. Equals. Robin wasn’t Batman’s sidekick. Tim didn’t have to listen to him. And also he didn’t want to.

So Tim was doing research.

According to the people who met the new vigilante he seemed to be a man, about 30, who called himself Phoenix. He was apparently dressed in black and red and mostly used guns. 

But that wasn’t what made him recognizable. When asked about him, the first thing that people would tell him about were his wings. Big, blood red wings with a flame-like pattern on them.

The vigilante had wings. Phoenix was a meta. Or he had gotten wings in some other way but meta was the most likely option.

Tim tried to go to the places where Phoenix had been seen. He was hoping that the guy would have left some DNA around. Hair, blood, anything that could help him identify him and look for a metagene. 

But Tim was forced to admit that Phoenix was good. He hadn’t left anything behind. Not a single clue.

Tim would never make any progress that way.

At least Phoenix didn’t seem too dangerous. His goal seemed to be to protect people. He didn’t go out of Crime Alley much. He seemed to only go in parts of the city where Batman was rarely ever seen. Was he scared of Bruce? Trying to hide something from him?

That could be a problem. If he’s hiding, he’s probably plotting something. Tim had to investigate. And he loved having a good mystery to solve.

Tonight would be a solo patrol for Robin.

—

It hadn’t taken much convincing for Bruce to let him patrol on his own. 

And so, Robin found himself in Crime Alley

He usually would have jumped from rooftops to rooftops while looking for his suspect but if Phoenix really had wings and was able to fly then he’d be able to see Tim easily.

So instead he moved between buildings, sticking close to walls. He kept a close eye on the sky. If Phoenix really could fly then this would be where he would most likely be seen.

Tim did not find Phoenix the first night. How could he be stealthy with the bright red wings that people described. It was a mystery how the new vigilante had managed to escape him. 

But Tim didn’t give up and went back the following night. That time, he was more lucky. 

He was starting to wonder if the Phoenix really existed or if he was the result of an hallucination caused by one of Scarecrow’s gasses when a red blur swept across the sky above him.

It could only be Phoenix. Tim couldn’t allow him to get away. 

He grappled to the roof of the nearest building, trying to get a better view of what he hoped was the vigilante he was looking for. 

Once he got onto the rooftop, he immediately started looking at the sky, hoping to find him but there wasn’t anything. Was it too late? Was he gone already?

It was only a few seconds later that he noticed a stranger, standing on another rooftop across the street, looking directly at him.

Well- their face was covered by a mask but what else could they be looking at in this direction?

It was as if the vigilante was expecting him. Did Phoenix know Tim was following him ? 

Because it could only be Phoenix. No one else in Gotham had bright red wings like his. Or wings in general for that matter.

Phoenix had to know he was being followed. Why else would he have stopped to wait for him? Would he talk to him? Tim had questions and he needed answers. 

He did his best to appear as non threatening as possible and started getting closer to the other vigilante. 

But Phoenix probably wasn’t in the mood to talk because as soon as he saw that Robin was trying to come near him, he took off from the rooftop and started to fly away. But this couldn’t be for nothing. Tim had to try something. He couldn’t spend more nights looking for Phoenix just for him to escape.

Before he really thought about it, Tim started shouting “Mr Phoenix! Can we talk please? I have questions for you!”

The vigilante actually slowed down and even threw him a look but he didn’t turn around. He didn’t come back. And he was too fast for Tim to follow.

Another wasted night. All he did was confirm that the guy actually existed. He didn’t learn anything new except maybe that Phoenix wasn’t talkative, which wasn’t useful.

Good job Robin. You could have spent that time helping people instead.

He decided to do at least one useful thing with his night before reporting back to the cave. Maybe this would help him feel better. Maybe then the night wouldn’t be a complete failure.

After about 2 more hours of patrol, his com came alive, interrupting the silence of the night. He was expecting it to be Bruce telling him to come back for his report of the night but the voice he heard wasn’t Batman’s. It wasn’t Alfred’s or Oracle’s either. It wasn’t a voice he knew.

The stranger told him “You have questions? Fine. We can meet. But I'm allowed not to answer them. 

Same rooftop tomorrow. Don't tell the Bat and make sure he doesn't follow you. Then maybe I'll show up.”

And then nothing.

The call disconnected before he even had a chance to answer.

It was supposed to be a Bats only communication channel. No one else should be able to access it. And what the stranger said… Could it be Phoenix?

It must be! They saw each other on a rooftop and he wanted to ask question to him. 

If it really was Phoenix how could he have known that he could talk to him that way or found the codes that allowed him to do it.

This could be dangerous. Maybe he underestimated him. He should tell Bruce about it. It could be dangerous.

But Tim was curious. He wanted to know, wanted answers.

Phoenix clearly told him he couldn’t tell Batman about this.

Was it safe to go? He didn't know what to do and he couldn't tell Bruce. Wait. It was only Bruce he couldn't talk to about this! It would be okay as long as it didn’t reach him. 

Tim knew just who to ask for help. 

Who else would be ready to defy the Batman to go meet with a mysterious and probably dangerous stranger? He knew exactly who. Steph would love his plan!

—

And of course, Steph was in. It didn’t take much for her to agree. Which is how Tim found himself on the same rooftop he had met Phoenix on the first night except this time he wasn’t alone. He had his best friend by his side. 

He knew he could rely on her and she knew she could count on him. They would keep each other safe. It would be okay.

Phoenix only beats up criminals anyway. They would probably be safe. 

Well… Vigilantism is a crime but Phoenix was just as much of a criminal as them then.

As they waited, Tim gathered his thoughts. Phoenix was a real enigma. Why did he come to Gotham? How had he been able to contact Tim? Why was he never seen away from Crime Alley? Was he trying to avoid Batman? Why did he even start vigilantism in the first place? 

So many questions. 

Tim really liked puzzles and mysteries, the harder it is to find the solution the better, but he also tends to go crazy when he can't figure something out. He would get at least one of his questions answered tonight. He had to.

They heard him before they saw him, the flapping of wings getting closer. They turned around just in time to see him land on the rooftop, not too far from them.

He really came.

Phoenix seemed to hesitate for a second when he saw Spoiler but he soon started talking. “At least it’s not Batman. My only rule was to not tell him so I guess you were allowed a plus one.” He shrugged. “Smart move kid but do you really think she’ll be enough to stop me if I decide to hurt you?”

He paused for a second before adding “Don’t bother answering. We both know she isn’t.”

 “And who's that purple eyesore next to you anyway?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. “ I don’t think I ever heard of her. What’s her name? Eggplantgirl?”

Oh. He finally gave them some time to answer. He had to be friendly if he wanted his answers. Even if Phoenix wasn’t really nice. So he answered  “Oh, that's Spoiler! She hit me in the face with a brick the first time we met and she hasn't left since. When I told her I was meeting with you, the new vigilante everyone has been talking about, she insisted on tagging along. I think it's to make sure you aren't planning to murder me or something. I’m not sure either.”

At the same time, Steph seemed to be getting offended. As soon as Tim finished talking she added “Hey I'm right here you know! I can hear you and I could have introduced myself if I wanted to” she turned to Phoenix “and what do you mean eyesore!? Do you have a problem with me? And Eggplantgirl? How dare you!”

That wasn’t good. He told her they would have to be nice to him. Tim needed his answers. They couldn’t start provoking him.

Phoenix scoffed “I'm stopping you right there, limpet. It's not you I have a problem with it's your costume. What's with child soldiers dressing in the brightest color they can find? Your traffic light colored friend isn’t any better. Aren't you supposed to hide in the shadows and all that?” They couldn’t see his face but they could hear the smirk in his voice

At the same time as Spoiler answered “We're not child soldiers!”, Tim replied “It's not like you're much better with all that red you're wearing…”

Phoenix started to unfurl his wings. He suddenly looked a lot bigger, far more threatening. “I'll have you know that I'm not trying to be stealthy. I'm not the one who hides, I'm the one you should be trying to hide from. I’m not a coward like Batman who only knows how to fight by taking their opponent by surprise.”

Right after he said that he turned around. He waved over his shoulder and added “Well. Good talk kiddos. I’ll be going now. Bye bye Purple girl! Say hi to Bruce for me, Timmy!” The cheeriness in his voice was obviously faked. He started flying away once again

Tim’s first reaction was to shout “But I didn’t even get to ask any questions!” in protest. But then he actually processed what the vigilante had said. He knew their names. Their real names.

How could he know their names? No one knew their names! Just who was this guy?

Tim was left with far more questions than he had before they talked to Phoenix. This guy was going to drive him crazy.

He had to figure him out. There must be a way to get info on him. Something. Anything.

Chapter Text

Patrolling as Phoenix wasn’t the same as being Robin. He was free. He was independent. 

People were scared of him. He was respected. But the people of Crime Alley? They knew. They knew he was there for them, that he wouldn’t give up on them like Batman did. He could bring them hope once again. He was going to make things better.

He wouldn’t let the Bats stop him. This was his fight. He wouldn’t give up.

Things were going well but then he noticed little Robin 3.0 hanging around his Alley, obviously looking for something. Did something happen that he wasn’t aware of? No. The Bats probably started looking for him.

Jason took some time to observe first. Just because he didn’t choose to be most of the time didn’t mean he didn’t know how to be stealthy! Batman trained him! He could do stealth!

So he followed the boy around, curious about what he wanted. Hoping that he’d leave if he couldn’t find what he wanted. He did leave after a few hours! Jason thought he’d won but that little nuisance came back the next day as soon as it got dark.

This wouldn’t do. If the kid was at least half as stubborn as a Robin should be then he wouldn’t leave this alone. Jason would have to do something about it. 

Maybe seeing him would be enough. Maybe Bruce only sent him to confirm that he really existed? (Of course not, but he could hope)

And that’s how he ended up in a staring contest across rooftops with his successor. They were both wearing masks and they were quite far away from each but they both knew the other was looking at them. 

And then the pretender broke the standstill and started to get closer so Jason, of course, turned around to leave. He wasn’t ready to interact with the kid. All he wanted was to get him out of his part of the city.

As he started to fly away, he heard the boy scream, a hint of desperation in his voice “Mr Phoenix! Can we talk please? I have questions for you!”

Yeah. Like that would happen. The kid could dream.

Actually. Now that he thought about it, it could be a way to get him to stop following him. He just had to keep him busy.

—

And this is how Jason found himself hacking into the Batcoms. The security system had been updated since he last used it. It had been nearly 2 years after all so it made sense but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t break through with some effort.

And so he sent his message, planning to let the little bird wait for him all night. Maybe that would be enough to discourage him. 

Who was he kidding? If the boy really was a Robin then there was no way this would work. He’d have to do something better. Something that would definitely scare him away. 

That’s how Jason came to see his replacement the next night, determined to intimidate him out of his Alley. He didn’t feel bad about making the kid wait for him all night without showing up. This wasn’t why he decided to go. He only went to scare him off. That’s it.

—

That meeting had been a disaster. The kid wasn’t alone. Of course something had to go wrong. He hadn’t planned for the impostor to show up with a date. Jason didn’t even know that one, dressed fully in some obnoxious purple. Just how many kids had Bruce added to his child army while he was gone?

He should have turned around right when he saw her but for some reason he thought he could still stick to his plan. Which of course didn’t go well.

At least he had managed to dodge any question. That was good. But Jason was also pretty sure his intimidation had failed miserably. This wasn’t his fault. How could he have known there would be another kid in a too bright uniform there?

Those kids were insufferable and they didn’t seem to have any basic self preservation instincts. To be fair, they wouldn’t have picked up vigilantism if they did, but it also meant that it was pretty much impossible to intimidate them. 

They spent the whole time talking back and provoking him. Why weren’t they scared? Even some of the worst criminals were scared of him but somehow those kids weren’t even intimidated. He couldn’t believe it.

He had gotten too soft with kids. He was blaming Damian for this. It wasn’t his fault.

And of course he just had to taunt them as he was leaving. He could have stayed mysterious, could have gone without another word, but he just had to drop that he knew Tim and Bruce’s identities didn’t he? 

Why would he do that? If the boy really was a Robin like he pretended to be then he would definitely take it as a challenge. There was no way he was going to leave alone now. Good job Jason. Best plan you ever made.

—

Tim was frustrated by his meeting with Phoenix. He barely learned anything other than that the guy was a jerk and that he didn’t seem to be aggressive and then, right as he was leaving, he had to drop the most important piece of information! He even left before Tim could process his words. This wasn’t fair. 

How could he throw out something as big as Batman’s identity and then leave like nothing happened. How long had he even known about it for? He seemed so sure of himself as he said it. Not a single hint of doubt in his voice. This was impossible.

Tim needed to at least return the favor. He had to find Phoenix’s identity. But where could he even start? His attachment to Crime Alley? The fact he was probably a meta who grew up there? 

This wasn’t much to go with. Especially with the possibility of Phoenix’s metagene having been recently activated since he had never heard of a winged person in Gotham.

He had to be missing something. But for now, he didn’t have anything else, so he started looking through the list of every single child born in Crime Alley 40 years ago or later. Assuming that Phoenix wasn’t over 40. And actually born in Crime Alley. It wasn’t much but what else could he do?

—

He went through the database again and again and again, each time looking at more people than the last. Not only did they lack information on most Crime Alley residents but even the ones they did have a profile for didn’t match Phoenix, not in a way that made sense. 

Tim was about ready to give up, getting convinced that Phoenix either wasn’t from Crime Alley, somehow wasn’t in their database or was very good at keeping a secret identity. 

Tim decided to go through it one last time, this time including dead and missing people too. A Bat was never too careful.

Doing this, he quickly found a file much bigger than any other one and he quickly understood why. Jason. This was Jason’s file. He probably shouldn’t have opened it but Bruce never talks about his predecessor. The only time Tim tried to mention him, Bruce ignored the question and was distant for the rest of the day. Tim was curious. He could allow himself a break from looking for Phoenix. Bruce wouldn’t know he looked at that file, right?

It included most of the basic info he would have expected. His background and family, his training and skills, notable injuries received on the field and other things like that. Pretty much what he was expecting, classic Robin training and classic Robin injuries. 

But this file was different from any other one, and not just because of its size, but because Bruce added his personal notes to it. There was a small section with his observations, probably from when Jason first arrived at the manor. Tim shouldn’t have read it, it was personal, meant only for Bruce, but Tim was curious

In there, Bruce wrote down everything he noticed about the boy, things like him enjoying sweet and spicy foods, his love of classical literature and many other little notes like those ones. 

He cared about Jason so much. He really loved him.

Tim wondered if his own file would have notes like this too. He knew it probably wouldn’t. He decided not to check, it was better, he didn’t want to see his own empty file devoid of any affection. It would hurt too much, especially right after reading the loving way in which Jason’s had been written.

He decided to keep reading the other sections of Jason’s file instead. The next section contained a more detailed medical report, notes about heavy scarring on his back, a full sequencing of his DNA and after that, a note.

Presence of metagene confirmed

No enhancement observed

Gene currently inactive

Monitor for signs of activation

Jason could have been a Meta. He was from Crime Alley. He was trained and skilled. 

Could he be Phoenix?

Tim scrolled to the next section, this one only had one image and nothing else. A picture of his death certificate. Right. Jason couldn’t be Phoenix. Jason was dead.

Tim quickly closed the file. He needed a break. A real one.

—

Tim needed to know more about Phoenix. He clearly wouldn’t learn anything else from talking to him. He would need something different this time. He needed to see him in action, to find him during an actual fight. The only problem is that the new vigilante was especially good at avoiding him. 

If he couldn’t go to Phoenix, he would have to let Phoenix come to him. 

And so, Robin found himself in Park Row once again but this time, he had a plan.

He wasn’t looking for Phoenix, not this time. Instead he looked for suspicious individuals, which he found easily, there were plenty of them roaming Crime Alley at night, it didn’t take long. 

Tim followed back to a warehouse and found just what he was hoping for, weapon traffickers, there were a lot of them and they definitely weren’t subtle about it. Perfect. Exactly what he was hoping for.

Tim quickly snuck inside and hid up in the rafters, making sure he was properly hidden. Now all he had to do was wait. With how good those guys were being at their jobs, Phoenix would surely show up soon. It had been so easy for Tim to find them. 

Tim only had to wait for about an hour before Phoenix came in bursting through the skylight in true vigilante fashion. What was with vigilantes and breaking windows? 

As soon as he landed in the middle of the group, he punched the closed one in the face. Phoenix didn’t seem to have noticed Tim. Good, that meant he’d be able to watch the fight. 

It was fascinating to watch Phoenix fight. He hadn’t fought that many winged foes, sure, but none of them used their wings like Phoenix did. It all looked so natural, like he was totally used to fighting with them. 

He would use them to block his opponent’s view and to confuse them but he could also use them to get away quickly when in a bad spot.

Tim also noticed that Phoenix didn’t block a single hit with his wings like he had seen other winged people do, only his arms. Were his wings fragile? Was he scared to damage them? A made a note of it and moved on to analyzing the rest of his fighting style.

There was something unusual about the way Phoenix fought, something far more special than his wings, but he couldn’t quite place what.

The more Tim watched, the more familiar his moves felt. Each kick, each punch, each jump, there was a familiarity in all of it. 

At first Tim recognized some of the techniques from the League of Assassins, it wasn’t something that many people knew about and it was surprising that Phoenix was associated with them but no. The familiarity was something far deeper than that.

As he was watching Phoenix, still hidden up in the rafters of the warehouse, Tim got reminded of the time when, as a kid, he would sneak out of his parent’s mansion to observe his favorite heroes.

He remembered hiding in the street to watch the vigilantes grapple above him. 

He remembered hiding on rooftops to watch Batman and Robin fight below.

This was who Phoenix reminded him of. Phoenix fought like a Robin. 

Phoenix who defended Crime Alley so fiercely. Phoenix who knew who Batman was. Phoenix who was able to hack into their tech to leave him a message. Phoenix who was a meta.

Could he really be Jason? Is the second Robin still alive? How could it be possible?