Chapter Text
Jackson’s Apartment, Gotham City
August 18, 2001
8:32 PM
They’d been living in Gotham for around 2 years; Gabe (unfortunately), Sally, and Percy had all been forced to move after being unable to afford the rent. Before the eviction notice, he’d seen piles of unpaid and overdue bills littering the dining room table, likely Gabe’s. He had a gambling addiction like no other, and was even more addicted to drinking every cheap alcohol he could find.His mom tried to keep him away from his step dad as much as possible, but Sally couldn’t be there 24/7, and Gabe had a habit of teaching Percy some ‘manners’ while she was gone. Of course, any mention of this to his mom would result in bad news, possibly for the both of them, and Percy would do anything to keep his mom safe.
Despite the obese, grease stain of a man living in their home, his mom still found the time for the two of them to celebrate his birthday that day. She took him to the aquarium (where he stayed for nearly 4 hours) and let him stock up on his favorite blue foods at the small candy shop she’d gotten a part-time job at. When they’d gotten home, they both began the ritual of baking her infamous blue chocolate chip cookies, but not without the constant sounds of sirens and honking horns outside their window.
“Look how big you are! Oh, my sweet, angelic, handsome, lov-”
“MOM.” he interrupted, blushing like an extremely red tomato.
“I’m just saying!”
“Are the cookies almost done? I think my stomach is counting down the milliseconds at this point.”
“They’ve got 5 minutes left, think your stomach can wait?”
“I highly doubt it.”
Okay, sure he had an obsession with his mom’s cookies,sue him! Once you eat one, you have to eat at least 4 more. Once they were out of the oven, not a second passed before half a cookie was down his throat. He can vividly remember the laugh his mom let out as he wolfed down the (very hot, but Percy was used to it) cookie in his hand. He’d smeared chocolate and crumbs all over his face, and his mom had dubbed him her little cookie monster right then and there. Still, all good things come to an end at some point, and only one person could ruin their bubble of happiness.
“Sally, I need 50 bucks. Me and the boys need it for another round of poker.”, Gabe slurred out. He reeked of beer and onions, hence the nickname ‘Smelly Gabe’.
“Gabe, you know my paycheck doesn’t come in ‘til Thursday. I can get you the 50 then.”
“What *hic* part of what I just told you mentioned later? You’re hiding it from me, aren’t you? To spoil that *hic* brat.”
“Gabe, I promise, I’m not-”
“LIAR”
This was only one of the many fights they’d have over the years, but after this, things would never be the same. Out of nowhere, he picked up one of the many beer bottles lying around their apartment and swung it at Sally. Despite shielding her face, the bottle landed flush against her temple. Shattering against her face, she fell back, and a sickening thud filled the kitchen.
“...Mom? Mom! MOM!”
Percy shook her, trying to see if she was okay, but her eyes remained shut, and the blood pooling from her head spilled into a small puddle.
“What the…” Gabe, slowly sobering, took in the situation playing out in front of him, and his drunken state morphed into panic.”You-you didn’t see anything, alright! Nothing happened! Say it! SAY YOU SAW NOTHING!”
“I SAW EVERYTHING! YOU KILLED MY MOTHER, YOU SICK SON OF A BIT-”
“RAHHH!”
Gabe, in his drunken stupor, lunged at him, now-broken bottle still in hand, and tried to swing at Percy as well. Percy, however, was much faster, and bolted past him to the front door, swinging it open and bolting out into the night. He never looked back, yet that day would never stop tormenting his mind.
Gotham was always dangerous, but at night? Even police steered clear of the streets, leaving criminals and all sorts of walking bad news to roam the shadows. Percy (still covered in his mother’s blood) was among the unlucky few forced onto the streets. He passed multiple gang members, drug dealers, wack jobs, and a whole assortment of people who would’ve loved nothing more than to do the worst possible things to him, but he wouldn’t let them hurt him. Not like Gabe. Not anymore.
He found a back alley that was empty and pressed himself into the back corner.
Mom, why did you EVER get with that stupid, ugly, worthless, HIDEOUS-
It doesn’t matter anymore, does it? Sally’s gone. She’s dead, because of YOU.
“Stop it”, he sobbed.
You always mess things up. You’re worthless. You call him the monster? You couldn’t even protect your own mother. YOU RAN, RAN WHILE YOUR STEP DAD GOT AWAY WITH MURDER, WHILE HE RUINED EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR MOTHER TRIED TO BUILD, WHILE SHE BLED OUT IN FRONT OF YOU! YOU CALL HIM THE MONSTER? YOU DID NOTHING.
“STOP. TALKING”
He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. His mind kept replaying that moment, the thud of his mother’s unconscious body, of his step dad’s alcoholic stench. Deep down, he knew the voice was right, knew that he did nothing to help his mother or stand up to Gabe. He should’ve thought ahead, should’ve defended her, should’ve DONE SOMETHING-
Before he could fully descend into a full-blown panic attack, a shadow in the alley suddenly morphed into…a man? Percy could’ve sworn the alley was empty, but the Dark Knight was known for being infamously hard to find. With only a small swish of his cape, he slowly approached him.
Further up the alley, Percy noticed a small water pipe had burst, and water began to flow down a nearby gutter.
“Are you alright? I don’t see any wounds or head traumas-”
“I-I’m fine. What do you want?”
“...to make sure you’re okay. Do you have a place to stay? Somewhere safe?”, the man asked.
“Not anymore, thanks to my step dad.”
The man in the cowl was quiet for a bit, seemingly glancing at Percy, then at the ground, then at the entrance of the alley, where a sleek, expensive-looking car was parked.
“I have two options for you; one, you come with me, and I take you in myself. Two, you still come with me, but I drop you off at the nearest shelter, and hopefully you’re taken in by someone who isn’t like your step father. The choice is yours, and either way, you end up somewhere safer than here.”
Percy was more than surprised. He’d heard of Batman before, but never had he met him in real life. He couldn’t believe he was talking to Percy of all people, and offering to help him. Still, no one really knew who he was. Sometimes, it seemed like he was more a villain than a hero; Percy had seen what the vigilante had recently done in their city, especially to monsters like the Joker, Scarecrow, Bane, and a lot more. What if, when he found out about how Percy’d done nothing, he did the same thing to him? Sent him away, like the worthless son he was. How could someone like Batman ever want to have a mistake like Percy around them?
Yet, he knew that the whole foster care system was a nightmare. Who knew where he’d end up? An orphanage? With another Gabe? He couldn’t go through that. Not again.
“I want to go with you.”, he said, looking the vigilante in the eyes.
“...Alright. Come with me.”