Lost [Jason Todd]

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Robin landed soundlessly on the apartment building's rooftop and tucked his grappling gun away, the heavy black fabric of his cape enshrouding him in further darkness as he headed for the building's other side. It was a dark night already, with the thick clouds blotting out the stars and the new moon providing no light at all even when the sky did break through. It didn't help that the building was entrenched in the shadow of its taller neighbor - though this high up, it wasn't like the roof would've gotten a ton of ambient city light anyway.

Climbing easily over the rampart, Robin dropped down onto one of the ornate gargoyles below, making his way across the stone guardian's back until he was closer to the thin ledge it sat on. Then he secured his line and dropped down to hang in an upside-down crouch in front of the window a good ten feet below. He peered in through the top, careful to keep out of sight of anyone who could be inside.

But it looked like there was no one.

Good, Robin thought, and shifted his grip on his line so he could flip around and drop the final few feet to the window's sill in one smooth, graceful movement. Carter was probably in bed, then. Breaking in was an easy matter - just a slim metal slip to cover the break in the line for the alarm system before he picked the lock and no one was the wiser as he pushed the window up and slipped quietly inside. Robin glanced around again as his feet touched the floor, taking in his surroundings for more information than just lack of people, then turned to shut the window behind himself.

His recent investigation into the disappearance of eight-year-old Annie Tulsten from her parents' home on the Upper West Side had led him here, to the Robbinsville apartment of a Mr. George Carter, and despite it having been three full days since she'd gone missing, Robin was really hoping to find her alive. And preferably here, so he could take her back to her worried parents. Though as he stalked through the silent apartment, that was looking less and less likely an outcome: there really was no one in the apartment at all. From how still and stale the air was, it had been empty for a while. Robin sighed to himself as he finished his sweep of the place.

Alright. If he wasn't going to get any information of the human variety, he'd have to see what he could find in the way of other evidence. There had been a computer set up on the desk in Carter's spare bedroom - he'd start the crack on that, then start searching through the papers in the apartment while it cycled. There had to be something here that would give a hint to where he'd gone, or at least some kind of explanation for why he'd taken a girl he had no real connection to. 

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    Red Hood snuck around through the hallways of the concrete apartment building. He was looking for the house of a man, a man who kidnapped a kid he never even new. Being a vigilante, Red Hood has seen lots of nasty crimes, but when it came to kids, it was a soft spot. If anything happened to a child, Jason couldn't help getting involved. He turned a corner and lowered his gun. Finally. 5C.
   
    Red Hood pressed his gloved fingers against the door, using the mini microphines in the tips to listen and see if he could hear any sign of human activity. None. I'm clear. He reached into his utility belt and pulled out a lock pick. In a matter of seconds Jason was in the apartment. He began sweeping the area, looking for clues. Just to be sure he caught everything Jason turned on the scanners in his helmet, looking for traces of any chemicals, heat signatures, or other substances. He was almost finished sweeping the area, when through a wall he saw a heat signature.

    The signature was about the size of a child. Jason approached the room the heat signature was in. Could it be the little girl? Luckily the door was not fully closed, so Jason could open it soundlessly. Jason walked through the door, gun up, just in case. In front of him stood a dark caped silhouette. Jason pointed his gun, finger on the trigger. Jason's eyes adjusted to the dark, revealing the silhouette to be wearing red and green. Jason shook his head. It's that annoying kid again. He doesn't deserve to be Robin! Red Hood focused his gun on Tim's head, finger putting light pressure on the trigger. He clenched his jaw, about to pull the trigger. He lowered his gun I can't do this... I'd be just another Joker. Red Hood lifted his gun and shot right next to Tim's head "Well if it ain't the Boy Pretender. Woops! Sorry, I mean 'Wonder'." Jason said with a smirk.

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Robin's attention pricked at the subtle change in atmosphere, and he froze for a second before diving to the side just as the retort of a gun broke the apartment's silence. He came up from his roll already throwing a trio of batarangs aimed to disarm - wrist, elbow, shoulder; his aim true and at least one of them sure to hit their mark. He was reaching for another handful of 'rangs the second his first volley left his hand. Robin's stance was defensive, but ready: the second that gun dropped or his guest's attention was redirected, he'd be able to remove the firearm as a threat.

"I don't think you've got any room to call me 'pretender'," Robin retorted, tone mocking and deliberately cheeky, eyes narrowed behind his mask. "After all, you're the one wearing the bucket on your head. You get the idea from Mr. Freeze, Tin Can? Gotta tell ya, you don't pull it off with as much style."

The man was not familiar - not anyone Robin had ever met before, and no one he'd seen in any of Batman's files - and he would definitely have remembered a guy in a bright red, full-faced mask, so this was a new player. Great; like Gotham really needed more crazies. The man was taller than Robin was by more than a foot, even if he discounted the extra height added by the man's boots. Muscular, solid frame, body armor, definitely armed with more than just that gun... If it came down to a fight, Robin was going to have to fight mean and dirty and try to avoid grappling at all costs, but if this guy had any information about Annie, the bruises would be worth it.

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    Upon seeing Tim roll out of the way, Red Hood passed his gun to his other hand. Three batarangs launched out of the young Robin's hand towards Jason. Red Hood moved his hands quickly, catching each batarang between one of his fingers.

    "Nice reflexes, kid. Bruce taught you well. So you're the great pretender Bruce sent to fill the role after another baby bird flew the nest. Don't think you'll be in the role long, kid. Dick left, I left, and you're next. God, I remember when I was Robin, it felt like I was living every kid's dream. But trust me, kid. The dream doesn't last long. Jason began moving the batarangs around in his hand. "Oh, and the whole 'Wearing a bucket" thing, that's big talk coming from a thirteen year old boy in bright green spanx. Barbara has told me alot about you. How when I died, you came to the rescue and 'saved' Batman from the darkness. Oh, I've heard alot about you, 'Timmy'. How you think you're totally awesome and can beat anyone, I've gone through the exact same training, and more. So think out your next move carefully, because anything you can do," Jason threw the batarangs, in-bedding them in the wall behind Tim's head. "I can do better."

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Robin's eyes widened as the man spoke, brow furrowing slightly in confusion - and worry. He knew Tim's identity. All of their identities. How...?

Dick left, I left -

When I was Robin -

I died -

"...Jason Todd," Robin breathed in shock. But Jason Todd was dead. He'd been beaten and blown up by the Joker; he couldn't be standing here talking about when he died, because... Tim's mouth closed and he swallowed thickly, movements a little stiff as he straightened.

"I'm not," he started haltingly, then licked his lips and tried to get his thoughts in order. "You. Batman needs a Robin, and you were - Gone. We thought you were. I didn't... Nightwing refused to do it again."

Robin looked down, and it was easier to talk without having to look the older boy in the face.

"I don't know where you heard that I thought I was amazing, because I'm not. I know I'm not. I'm just the best B could do at the time, and Batman needs a Robin. I need to - I have to find Annie. I have to do my job; stick to the Mission. But afterwards... Robin was yours first. If you want it back."

He'd get a DNA sample, make sure it was really Jason before really giving it up to make sure he wasn't putting Batman and the others in danger with an imposter, but if it turned out positive, then he'd do it. It would hurt, losing Robin and his sort of almost-family in Bruce and Dick and Alfred and everyone - Tim loved this job, loved this city, savored the feeling of not being so alone - but if he served no purpose, he could hardly stay. The Drake house would be even quieter than before, since with Tim at Wayne Manor, the staff had been all but dismissed, and it wasn't like his dad was coming home from the hospital any time soon.

Tim took a breath and offered up a shaky smile as he lifted his cape out of the way. "But I don't wear the old uniform. See? Pants."

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    Jason took off his helmet and set it on a nearby side table. "Lighten up a little, kid. It's a joke. No... Robin is yours. Besides, One: I just turned nineteen, I think I'm a little old for the job, Two: Bruce doesn't take kindly to shooting the bad guys, Three: I think I've outgrown my costume." Jason smiled at the young Robin. "Oh and the pants, they are still a little tight. I don't need to see... everything."

    Jason walked over to Carter's computer and looked at it. He sat down and went into the web browser. Jason pulled up Carter's email, and hacked his way in. He smiled at his results. "You know sometimes it's just a simple as pulling up their e-mail." Jason opened a conversation titled 'The Girl' and began reading it aloud. "I will grab the girl tonight," Jason clenched his jaw at the next part of the sentence. "Hav... Um.. Have some fun tonight, and Tomorrow I will meet you at The east bridge, then we'll move her to Metropolis. That was sent two nights ago. They are probably in Metropolis by now, but luckily we can get there." Jason stood up and put his hand on TIm's shoulder. "Look. As much as I hate doing this, we need eachother for this case, so we are just going to have to tolerate eachother. Deal?"

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Given that Jason had fired on him, Tim didn't think that the whole thing had been quite as joking as Jason claimed. On the other hand, getting to keep Robin for a while longer was an unmitigated relief. He bit his tongue when the older boy sat down at the computer, not sure whether or not he should tell Jason that he'd already tracked Carter's electronic trail and downloaded the relevant bits onto his palmtop.

Um. Maybe not. Though it looked like the back doors he'd built into the system worked fine, with how fast they let Jason through the firewalls.

"I..." Tim looked up at Jason a little uneasily, glancing briefly at the hand on his shoulder. There were a couple things wrong with the older teen's statement, not in the least of which was that Tim would have any trouble tolerating Jason. But it was a truce. And Tim did like working with a partner, for all that he did so less than either of his predecessors ever had. Not to mention he'd have more opportunity to get a DNA sample for testing. "Alright. On the condition that you don't utilize deadly force under any circumstance and agree to minimal gun use overall. I don't like them, either, and they're loud."

Even with a silencer attached, the sound of gunfire still drew attention: it muffled the sound; it didn't make it completely vanish.

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    Jason shook his head and sighed. "Fine. Whatever." He reached into his utility belt and pulled out a new gun clip. "I always keep rubber bullets handy in case I ever had to team with you guys." Jason walked over to the sidetable his helmet was on. He looked at his reflection in the helmet, remembering how long ago it was that he was on of the 'No Guns Bats'. Jason pulled on his helmet and walked over to the window.

    Red Hood turned and looked at Tim. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get to Metropolis before they do whatever they want to with the girl. " Jason said with a slight hint of sarcasm. "I have to pick up a few things from my bunker before we go on our little 'field trip'. My bunker is only a few blocks away. I am going to ride there and get my supplies. Meet me at the East bridge in twenty minutes. That should give us enough time to grab whatever we need." Red Hood unlocked the window and jumped out. He shot a grapnel into the side of the apartment building and made his way to the ground, where he sat on his motorcycle and drove away.

    Red Hood parked his motorcycle in his bunker and began grabbing supplies, food, rubber bullets, birdarangs, anything he thought he might need. It was going to be a long trip.

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Tim stared after Jason in mild horror. Metropolis was in Delaware. It was easily a four hour drive even if the roads were clear, since they had to go all the way around Delaware Bay, and even taking a boat across would only cut that down by an hour. He wasn't going on an impromptu four hour road trip with Jason! He wasn't convinced it was really his predecessor yet, and, more importantly - he had school in the morning. No, nuh-uh, they weren't driving to Metropolis.

Abruptly aware that with the twenty-minute limit that Jason had given him didn't leave him very much time at all, Tim snatched his 'rangs out of the wall and hustled his little bird butt back across town. He could only thank god he was only in Robbinsville - if Carter had lived in Coventry or something, he'd have been completely screwed. 


The canopy on the plane pulled back to let Tim in, and teenager hesitated for a second. The seat in the back was technically his: he was co-pilot when they flew, and not technically authorized to fly the plane solo yet. With auto-pilot, sure, if it was unavoidable (and today it was definitely unavoidable), but...

Augh. He was running late. He was supposed to have been meeting Jason almost ten minutes ago; there wasn't time to agonize about this. Tim hopped down into Batman's seat in front and buckled himself in, finishing up the pre-flight preparations. He'd fly down to the bridge on his own - he did know how; Bruce hadn't given him carte blanche to do so (yet) -  and hopefully Jason wouldn't mind the tardiness once he saw what had caused it. This would cut their travel time to about an hour, after all. After that, Tim would use auto-pilot for the actual trip to Metropolis and technically be obeying the rules. Satisfied, Tim took off.

"Sorry I'm late," Tim called to Jason when he arrived, holding the plane steady above the water and as close to the bridge as he dared. "The pre-flight prep took a few minutes. Think you can hop in from there, or d'you want me to come in to land first?"

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    Jason leaned on his motorcycle which he had parked on the bridge. He looked at his phone, checking the time. Come on, Kid! He paced around before he saw the large shape of a bat fly towards him in the sky. That can't be... Is he really... No way. Red Hood watched as Robin lowered the plane down a bit

    "Sorry I'm late, he pre-flight prep took a few minutes. Think you can hop in from there, or d'you want me to come in to land first?" "Nice ride. Does Bats know you're using this? Oh who am I kidding I pulled the same stunts when I was Robin. I can make it from here." Red Hood pulled out his phone and pressed a button. His motorcycle drove away. Jason ran up a side scaffolding before launching himself at the plane, grabbing onto an edge. He pulled himself up and got into the passenger seat.

    The cockpit sealed, and he and Tim were on their way. They sat in silence for about half an hour in silence until Jason remembered something he meant to ask one of the Bats. "So, Tim. There is something I've been meaning to ask you guys. When I found out you were Robin I was mad because you took the role of Robin, but that wasn't the only reason I was mad. Bruce had just lost me. I never could have imagined that after losing a Robin he would ever get a new one. I came to understand that it was to escape the darkness at first, and then you became a full time thing now. So I get you, but promise me, Bruce hasn't taken in anyone else. I've seen more people swinging around Gotham. This blue electricity lady, a teenage girl about your age in a purple costume. Tell me he hasn't gotten more people to join his crusade. Is he putting more lives at risk? This girl, this electric lady. They aren't one of you guys, are they?"