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There was someone in the tower. There was someone in the tower and Jason was alone and scared.
The lights around the Titans Tower had shut down, shrouding the corridors and rooms in darkness, Jason stumbling around, trying to find the backup generators.
But just as Jason entered the control room, he froze, because there was a figure clad in red at the desk.
It was a taller man, early twenties at most, black straight hair coming down his neck from where Jason could see with him turned.
Jason took a step back, but before he could slip out of the room, behind him, almost clipping his heels, the doors shut with a ruthless click.
The man turned around, bo staff held casually in one hand. Jason didn’t want to know what this man was capable of, not when he had so obviously overridden all the security measures and was able to enter undetected, even by Bruce.
“So this is the new bird, dammit, you’re younger than the last.” Jason made eye contact with him, well at last as best he could with the domino mask covering both faces. “B really loves to put kids in the frontline, huh?”
Jason bristled, getting into a fighting stance. “Who are you?” He tries his best to snarl, but it would never live up to Damian’s, so he goes back to his roots. “I’ll beat your ass!”
The prick had the audacity to snicker, now leaning against his staff. “At least you have the attitude of a Robin. Don’t waste your time kid.”
“You didn’t answer my question!”
“Call me Red Hood.” The man grinned sharply, taking a small step forward. His posture held a cocky confidence.
The whites of Jason’s domino widened and his jaw slackened, cold crawling up his spine. He cursed himself inside the safety of his own mind. He knew there was a military grade steel door behind him, but he still shuffled back as far as he could.
Sensing Jason’s sudden spike in heart rate, Red Hood inspected his bo staff with faux disinterest. “You know what happened to the last kid that wore that suit?”
Jason gulped, definitely not liking where this was going, but Red Hood kept talking anyway.
“He flew too far from the nest and copped the consequences.” Jason felt a shiver run down his spine at how Red Hood was eyeing him, all cold calculation. “Now another birdy far from home? He’ll never learn, will he?”
Jason bolted away from the door just to get away from Red Hood. As he tried to bolt to the other side of the room, he quickly felt fingers jab into different places on his body.
Suddenly his body locked up, panic settling into every bone in his body. He hit the floor, unable to break his fall. Luckily he landed on his cheek and not his nose, but with his head turned to the side and unable to move, that was barely a mercy.
Jason could feel terrified tears prick in his eyes. Bruce had sent Jason to the tower to protect him and Jason was still going to die at the hands of a psychotic killer. Jason was going to die and it was going to break Bruce and Damian all over again.
If he had control over his body, he would have flinched when hands grabbed him, pulling him into a princess carry. His head hung, swaying side to side as Red Hood carried him, only stopping at the door.
Red Hood huffed, adjusting his hold on Jason to bash the control panel, letting the door open without any fancy hacking like Jason was sort of expecting.
“Why are you so light?” Red Hood grumbled. “What, B not feeding you? Surly Nightwing would.”
Jason found his mouth was just as limp as he was, the only noise leaving him being a quiet groan. He could feel tears drip onto his temples, face upside down.
Red Hood shushed him, walking into the community room in the tower. He placed Jason down, sitting him upright so the teen could face him. Jason desperately wanted to move, to punch and kick, but all that was rewarded for his efforts was more tears, this time frustrated.
The older boy kneeled in front of him, using one hand to gingerly wipe a tear that escaped out of his domino mask.
“I know this is all so confusing and scary, but I won’t hurt you. Dami will have my head if another one of his birdies gets hurt.”
Jason’s breathing hitched, and the man in front of him gave a resigned smile of sorts.
“The paralysis will wear off in half an hour. Dami and B will be back by then.”
He knew, he knew. That means he probably knew who Jason was and he was so screwed.
B was gonna take Robin away and Damian would see him as a failure because he couldn’t stop him and- and-
“-for five and out for seven. Come on baby bird, breathe with me.”
Jason blinked his eyes open to face bright green eyes. It was mesmerising. In the back of his mind he realised he was hyperventilating.
He found himself breathing in turn with him, but that wasn’t his focus. That face was hauntingly familiar.
He had seen it on the news, seen it flying through the skies and in the manor.
Tim Drake was in front of him.
“Good baby bird, you’re doing so good.” He cooed and Jason numbly realized there was a hand in his hair scratching lightly at his scalp.
He was so tired, and it felt so nice to have hands playing with his hair. His eyes flickered shut with the last few tears escaping.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Okay, so this wasn’t going according to plan.
First, Tim was supposed to be in and out without the baby bird getting caught up in the midst of it all. Second, the kid was clearly far too innocent to be doing this.
Sure, he seemed trained enough for the mantle, but Tim was the best of the best out of the robins, and he still died at the hands of a laughing bastard. What if it hadn’t been him in the tower? What if it had been Bane, or Clayface, or forbid the clown himself.
A familiar tightness in his chest formed. Phantom pain of cracked ribs and dirt in his mouth stilled every inch of his body.
No, the clown is dead. I made sure of that when I put a bullet through his head.
Tim took a needed deep breath, focusing on the problem at hand, or more accurately in his hands.
The small, slightly too thin boy was light. His face was pressed into the armour of Tim’s suit, face smushed up.
He had worn himself out crying, passing out after a minor panic attack. Tim felt bad for the kid, he knew it wasn’t his fault Bruce wasn’t competent enough to take care of his kids.
Speaking of which, where were they? Tim had sent the alert out ten minutes ago, far beyond the time it took to use the Zeta Tube to get here.
Tim looked back down at Jason, his domino pressed against his face in a way that would be uncomfortable when he woke up. He hesitated a moment before sliding a finger under the material easily. His tears must have loosened the face glue, because Tim got it off in a matter of moments, rubbing the aggravated red spots gently.
Then again, if Bruce and Damian weren’t coming, what would stop him from taking the kid for a bit? He already knew who Tim was and well, what’s wrong with a little brotherly bonding.
Tim smirked as he slowly stood up, scooping the boy along with him.
Serves Bruce right, if he can’t keep his kids, he can fret a little when they go missing.