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Tim wasn't paying attention to the lights. He really should've been, but he was trying to figure out this case, so was it really his fault if he didn't notice the emergency lights turn on right away. No, the heavy thud of boots in the hallway was what snapped him back to reality.
Shit. Yep, somehow he'd missed the Tower going into lockdown and now there was an intruder in the hallway outside Tim's room. Tim jumped out of his chair and grabbed his bo staff from beside his desk before approaching his door.
"Come out, Replacement," a mechanized voice called. Tim knew that modulated voice. The Red Hood was in the tower and he was after Tim.
He pressed himself flat beside the door, bo staff at the ready. He cursed himself for forgetting to lock his door, not that it would stop Hood very well anyways.
"Okay Replacement, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice."
Tim sucked in a deep breath as he realized he was in civvies. Thankfully he had a domino on, but all that could protect was his identity.
"I guess we're doing this the hard way then," Hood said.
Tim's grip tightened on his bo staff as the door was shoved open. He swung his staff at Hood, who caught it easily, wringing it out of his hands. "That all you got, Replacement?" He could hear the way he smiled under that stupid red helmet.
Tim lunged towards the door. Hood yanked him back by the collar of his t-shirt. Tim kicked and punched at the crime lord nearly twice his size. "What do you want!" Hood didn't answer, just threw him into the hallway like a ragdoll.
Tim scrambled to get up, to find anything to fight back with, but Hood was already pushing him back down, pinning his arms to his sides with his legs. Hood dug his hand painfully into Tim's hair and turning his head to the side. Tim's eyes widened as he pulled out a syringe. His blood ran cold. What the hell was that! He squirmed in Hood's grasp to no avail. Hood's grip in his hair tightened as the syringe came closer. The cold needle pricked Tim's neck, pinching as whatever it was got pushed into his body.
His eyelids felt heavy now. He tried to fight whatever drug it was. He couldn't fall asleep with a threat on top of him. Tim drifted into oblivion all the same.
Jason felt the Replacement go limp in his grip. Green fuelled him as he flipped Robin over to secure his hands behind his back with zip-ties before doing the same to his ankles. He secured the blindfold, just in case the sedative wore off before they got to the safehouse.
Once he was sure the Replacement was secure Jason threw him over his shoulder and walked down the stairs to the zeta tubes. He punched in his old codes—because someone was stupid enough to leave them in the system—and went back to Gotham.
He'd parked a car around the corner from Gotham's zeta tube. Jason unlocked it and tossed the unconscious Robin in the trunk. It started raining as he drove to the safehouse outside Gotham he'd prepared just for this.
Tim's brain felt fuzzy as he came to it. He tried to open his eyes to see where he was, but a thick, scratchy piece of fabric was tied over his eyes. Zip-ties dug painfully into his wrists and ankles, severely limiting his movement. He heard the car engine driving down a road. Who's car was he in again? and Why were there zip-ties? Then he remembered the Red Hood looming over him at the Tower. Shit. Shit!
Tim jolted forwards when the car came to a sudden stop. He swallowed. He heard footsteps and the trunk opened and Hood grabbed him and Tim yelped.
"Well, well, well, looks like the little birdie's awake. I guess we can start the fun right away," Hood's modulated voice said as Tim was flung over his shoulder and into the pouring rain. Tim gulped. He knew the threats Hood made towards Robin, it was why Bruce sent him to the tower in the first place, but Hood got him anyway.
Somewhere along the way Tim started hyperventilating. He was going to die. He was going to die and Bruce didn't even know he was in trouble. He was going to die and the Red—
His body collided with concrete with a thud. Hood leaned down and pulled off his blindfold. "You can scream as loud as you want, Timmy. No one will hear you."
Tim froze. How did he know his name? Hood's knee dug into his chest and he bit back a scream. He wasn't gonna give Hood what he wanted as long as he could help it.
Hood pulled out a knife and cut the ties around Tim's ankles. He kicked Hood, startling the crime lord as Tim sprung to his feet. The room was empty of anything. Just concrete floor and walls. Tim jumped over his bound wrists so there were in front of him. Hood was in front of him again. He dodged the crime lord's hand. Hood swept Tim's legs out. He bit his lip on impact.
Hood yanked him up by his wrists, dangling him in the air. Tim tried to kick out of the hand, but the wind was knocked out of him as Tim was shoved against the wall, feet still off the floor. This was just some sort of sick game to him.
Hood had his hands pinned against the wall above him. He pressed his other arm over Tim's neck. Tim was choking. His hands weren't against the wall anymore.
"Are you done running, Replacement?" Hood sneered.
Tim nodded. Or he tried. Hood released him. Tim fell onto his knees, gasping for breath.
"What do you want, Hood?" Tim pleaded. "What did I do to you?"
Latches clicked a release and Hood set the helmet down. He seized Tim's hair again, forcing him to look at him. Tim was met with Jason Todd and flaming acid green eyes. "You put that costume on, and now you're gonna learn what happens to little birds who stray from the nest."
Jason let go of the Replacement's hair and watched his head fall back down. Pathetic. The green edged him on. It needed more. It needed screams.
He grabbed Replacement's wrists again. "Up," he ordered. Replacement stayed put. "Get up," he tried again. Still nothing. "I told you to get up, Replacement."
"No."
The green flared. He pressed a boot over Robin's ankle until he heard a crack. The Replacement screamed. He tried to pull away from Jason, but Jason was stronger. The Replacement was weak.
He reached down and ripped off the domino and dropped it on the floor. "Now, get up!"
Robin still didn't move. Fine. Jason adjusted his grip on Robin's wrists and dragged him behind. He whimpered as Jason walked through the safehouse, pulling him along. He dragged Robin into another room fitted with shackles, chains, and a giant, hanging bird cage.
Jason cut the ties on the Replacement's wrists, only to fit each wrist with a metal cuff and short chain. Replacement looked at him with wide, wet blue eyes. Jason yanked on the chain of each cuff, causing yelps from Robin. Jason just dragged him back across the room.
He lowered the cage, opened the door, shoved Robin inside and secured the chains to the base, and locked the door. Jason shook the cage, jostling the bird around a bit before winching it back to the high ceiling. He smiled. He'd be back for more soon.
Replacement looked down at him as he left and locked the door.
Tim was at least 20 feet in the air in a giant bird cage. His ankle was bent at such an awkward angle he hated looking at it. He pulled it inside the cage to at least set the angle back to sort of normal. He hated how loud his scream was when he did.
Tim finally started to doze off when the door swung open and Jason—Jason who was alive, and The Red Hood, and torturing Tim—entered, food and water in hand.
The cage dropped. It didn't hit the floor though. No, Jason kept it about waist height for his own entertainment. Tim banged against the bars as Jason shook the cage. When the cage stilled he set a pile of apple slices in the cage. Tim's stomach growled at the sight.
"Better eat up, birdie," Jason jeered.
Tim did. His stomach still growled at him after.
Jason unlocked the cage and grabbed Tim's arms, released the restraints, and hauling Tim out. Tim whimpered when his broken ankle got weight put on it. Jason shoved him forward and Tim leaned into the momentum and ran towards the door, wincing and whining every time he stepped on his broken ankle. He made it through the door when Jason grabbed his arm and twisted it. He let go as Tim screamed and fell. Tim screamed as Jason grabbed his injured ankle and dragged him back with it. Tears poured down his cheeks. Jason pulled one of his pistols. Was Jason gonna shoot him? Sharp pain carved across his palms and he screamed louder.
The screams were music to Jason's ears. He smiled as crimson blood bloomed as he dragged his knife across Replacement's palms. He pistol-whipped the side of his head before shoving him back in the cage. Jason squeezed Replacement's hands enough to make him scream as he put the cuffs back on his wrists and locked him back in the cage, giving in a good shake before winching it back to the roof and leaving again.
He came back after another few hours when he knew the little bird was fast asleep. He was quiet, brought the cage down gently and quietly removed him from the cage. Robin was still asleep when Jason made it to the wall shackles with him. He got Robin against the wall and pushed one arm into place, closing the shackle around his wrist.
Replacement started moving. Jason grabbed his leg and he cried out as his broken ankle was jostled. Jason pushed it against the wall as Replacement tried to push him away. He moved on to the other ankle as Replacement started fighting back. Jason shoved it in place and locked it. He grabbed Robin's flailing arm.
"Please, please Jason," he begged. "P-please just s-stop. I'll d-do anyt-thing."
Jason pinned the arm against the wall and closed the shackle around his other wrist. He pushed Replacement's body against the wall and closed the final restraint over his neck.
He unsheathed his knife. The blade gleamed in the light. He looked back at the Replacement against the wall. Jason plunged the knife into Robin's shoulder. He screamed. Jason twisted the knife and he screamed louder. Tears poured down Replacement's face again.
"P-please! Please s-stop!" Robin begged. The green liked the begging. The kid screamed and begged. The kid. Robin was a kid. Kid. Kid! The green faded and Jason dropped the knife.
He'd tortured a child.
Jason immediately undid Tim's shackles, catching him when he fell forward. Jason gently brought Tim to the corner and set him down. "I… I'll be right back baby bird." He didn't know if the kid heard him, he was still crying.