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There were sightings of the little bird around the warehouse district, blood leading a trail for the thugs chasing him. Jason wouldn’t go all this way to clip the birdies wings so he couldn’t die just for a couple thugs to kill him.
His helmet let him see in the dark, prowling in each shadow, trailing the sound of sickening laughter.
‘There was laughter in the warehouse where the last bird died too’ No. Jason wouldn’t think of that.
Jason got closer, slipping into an open warehouse, following the twists and turns of storage units.
There was a familiar crack that ran through the warehouse, and Jason took the last corner, freezing at the scene.
Three grown men, grinning and laughing over a curled up figure. They looked like Black Masks men, but the green pit rage didn’t care, green coating his vision.
The kid on the floor had the colours on, but he was small, smaller than the other Robin. There was no way this was the same kid, but when one of the men landed a well placed kick, he erupted in a scream.
That was his scream. Jason, in that warehouse with the Joker.
Jason surged forward, static filling his ears, and he didn’t even realise he had pulled out his gun until brain matter splattered over the concrete floor.
The smell of blood only encouraged Jason more, the pit curling in delight. Jason made quick work of the idiots that dared hurt a child in his territory.
The man that had kicked the kid was under his boot, Jason pressing his steel toed boot into his throat.
“What was my main rule?” Jason growled, the pit pulsing in his veins, making his finger twitch on the trigger of the gun.
He gurgled, blood coming out of his mouth, and Jason let his head tip, blood spilling onto the floor.
No response.
It doesn’t matter, it never did ever since Jason laid eyes on the curled up bird. Jason didn’t look back when the new hole in the man’s forehead made a bloody scene even worse.
When he turned, Jason found himself looking down at the kid, eyes blue and wide, the domino mask gone.
Apparently Jason’s assessment was correct the first time, that was Tim but he was so much smaller.
Jason feels a bit sick looking at the child clutching his side. Jason was going to hurt him, he had hurt him!
He only realised what was different when he felt the pit curl in his gut, but this time it was the same protective force that Jason felt when he thought of Damian.
Green was completely gone from his vision for the first time since he was dipped in that damned green kool-aid.
But with this clear look, Jason still felt like something was off. The kid wasn’t this small before, right? He hadn’t been hurting a what, eleven year old?
Jason realised he was staring when Tim sprung up, probably broken rib and all, and booked it for the exit.
Tim yelped when Jason grabbed the back of his very loose suit, no he was definitely a lot smaller than before.
Jason knelt down, hands on Tim’s shoulders, firmly keeping him in place. “Kid, don’t run, you’re hurt.” He winced at the mechanical tinge of his voice. The intimidating red helmet probably wasn’t helping his case.
“Let go.” Tim whispered, looking down in a crude attempt to preserve his secret identity.
Jason felt bile crawl up his throat at the sight of the kid, because he couldn’t be more than nine. “How old are you kiddo? Cause last time I checked you were fourteen.”
Tim snapped his head up, eyes wide. Jason winced again, seeing lines of stress form on his face. “How… how do you know my age?”
Okay, screw it. There was no salvaging the already messed up situation.
“You’re Tim Drake, fourteen and you have been Robin for just under a year.” With every word, the kid's eyes grew, and to Jason’s horror, tears pooled in his eyes. “Hey hey, remember, I’m not gonna hurt you.”
Tim promptly burst into tears.
Jason fumbled to rub soothing circles into the kids back, hushing him. “Timbo? Can you tell me why you’re so… minuscule?”
Tim gave him the most incredulous look you can give someone while bawling, but his hiccups slowed down nonetheless.
“It- it was a magician. These guys found me on my way back.” The kid sniffled, looking at his black boots that are comically large on him.
They both pointedly didn’t look at the scattered remains of said men.
Jason sighed, running a hand down the face of his helmet. There was already a plan devised in his head, but it would put a block in his whole revenge plot. Although, there was no way he would be continuing on with his old plan with little Mr Adoption bait over here.
“Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen.” Tim snapped to attention. “You’re gonna press that good old panic button that goes straight to B. When Golden Boy and the furry himself arrive, you’re gonna tell them that you were mistaken as a normal kid by the Red Hood and I saved ya, okay?”
Tim nods slowly, a serious look on his face.
“You’re gonna tell him about this, aren’t you?” Jason deadpans.
The blue eyed wonder boy nodded again with the exact same expression.
There was something else in his gaze which immediately made Jason freeze.
“They’re in the rafters, aren’t they?”
Tim’s face split into a sheepish smile.