Flaming wings don't fly(Jason Todd x OC)

Chapter 51: Quitting time

Jason arrived at the penthouse that night before midnight even struck. It was the night before thanksgiving he realized. Aubrey had been excited for weeks, despite the chaos they had been going through, and they had been shopping for food the day before he got nabbed. Maybe that was why she rushed out afterwards, wanting to get a head start on cooking for the next day. Or maybe she was just rattled by what happened. Either way, Jason was going to be there for her.

He blinked in the dim light of the bedroom as he approached, his eyes adjusting as he saw Aubrey across the room, pulling clothes from the closet and packing them into a duffel bag.

For a moment, he watched her in silence, confusion settling into his bones. She was moving with a quiet, determined urgency, her face pale and drawn.

Stepping through the doorway, Jason rubbed his eyes before calling out to her, his voice wavering slightly. "Aubrey... what are you doing?"

She froze, her hands stilling on the edge of the bag. For a split second, Jason saw something in her eyes—hesitation, maybe even guilt. But then she steeled herself, straightening as she turned to face him.

"I'm leaving, Jason," she said quietly, the weight of the words hitting him like a punch to the gut.

Jason felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. He took another step forward, disbelief and frustration building inside him. "What do you mean, leaving? We just took down your mother—why now?"

Aubrey's hands trembled as she zipped up the bag, but her voice remained steady. "My homeland, Jason. My mother's warning—she wasn't bluffing. They'll come for me."

Jason took a deep breath, his chest tightening. "So what? You think leaving is going to fix that? You think running away is going to stop them?"

Her gaze flicked up to meet his, and the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. "It's not about stopping them," she said softly. "It's about keeping you and the others safe. As long as I'm here, I'm a target. And that puts you in danger."

Jason's frustration boiled over, his fists clenching at his sides. "Aubrey, we can handle this. You don't have to do this alone. We've been fighting together since the start—why are you pushing me away now? How is this any different than the League of Assassins? Wasn't that something you 'had to leave' over too? But you were gonna stay."

Aubrey shook her head, her voice cracking slightly. "You don't understand, Jason. They won't just come after me. They'll come after everyone I care about. That means you, Addi, Dick, Tim, Damian... I can't let that happen. I made another deal with Talia, recently. When I decided to stay, I made a bargain with her. I told her if she cleared my name from the league's records I would give her something she wanted. THAT is why I could stay, because I made another bargain. One that kept us safe from them. But I can't bargain my way out of this. I have to go before they find me and use me to hurt you all. To hurt you."

Jason's heart pounded in his chest as the reality of what she was saying hit him. She had no doubt given away something valuable to her to stay with him, otherwise she would have made that bargain with Talia years ago. She did all that, and still this was happening. She was leaving—she was trying to protect him, but all it felt like was her tearing herself away from him. He stepped closer, his voice rising in frustration. "I'm not letting you go."

Her face twisted in pain as she looked at him, tears brimming in her eyes. "I don't have a choice, Jason. I can't stay here and put you in danger."

He felt his anger flare, his voice sharp. "That's bullshit! We make choices every day in this life. Don't act like you don't have a choice—you're choosing to leave. You're choosing to walk away."

Aubrey's breath hitched as she met his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "And you have to choose to let me."

For a moment, the silence between them was suffocating. Jason's chest tightened, a mix of anger and hurt swirling inside him. He wanted to yell, to force her to stay, but deep down, he knew she believed this was the only way. And it tore him apart.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply as he stepped back, his jaw clenched. "Fine. If that's what you want."

With that, Jason stormed out of the penthouse, slamming the door behind him. Aubrey stood there, frozen in place, her breath catching in her throat as the sound of the door echoed through the empty room. Tears spilled over, and she sank to the floor, her hands shaking as she pressed them to her face. She hadn't broken down like this in years, yet here she was.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to leave him. But there was no other way. The last time she stuck around with an active threat people died. People she cared about.  

She had to keep him safe.

Time passed slowly, the hours dragging on as Aubrey packed the rest of her things. She moved through the penthouse in a daze, her heart breaking with every piece of herself she tucked away into her bag. Gypsy and Outlaw followed her closely, their wide eyes watching her every move as if they knew something was wrong.

By the time the sun rose, she had made up her mind. There was no turning back now.

With one final look around the apartment, Aubrey left a note for Jason on the kitchen counter, next to Gypsy and Outlaw's food bowls. She pressed a kiss to Gypsy's head and scratched Outlaw behind the ears, her chest tight with guilt and sorrow.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to them, her voice breaking. "Take care of him for me. Outlaw I'm sorry you will never get to see your home with me, but he needs you more than I do. Maybe one day I'll take you back to the plains. I thought they were prettier than Antraxia anyway."

And with that, she slipped out of the penthouse, disappearing into the night.

When Jason returned later that evening, his anger had burned out, leaving only a hollow ache in its place. He had walked the streets of Gotham, trying to clear his head, but nothing had worked. All he could think about was Aubrey—her words, her pain, and the way she had looked at him when she said she had to leave.

He pushed open the door to the penthouse, expecting to find her there, maybe still angry, maybe still packing, but ready to talk. But instead, he was met with silence.

The apartment was empty.

Gypsy and Outlaw were sitting by the door, watching him with wide eyes. Jason's heart dropped as he noticed the note on the counter. His hands shook as he picked it up, unfolding it slowly.

Jason,

I'm sorry. I never wanted it to end like this. But I can't stay. They will come, and I won't let you get hurt because of me. I hope one day you'll understand why I had to do this. I love you. I always will. Take care of the cats for me.

– Aubrey

Jason stood there for what felt like an eternity, his eyes fixed on the words. She was gone.

The hollow ache in his chest expanded, filling him with a cold, crushing emptiness. His hand clenched around the note as he sank down to the floor, his back against the door.

She was gone.

Gypsy meowed softly, nuzzling against his leg, but Jason barely registered it. The world around him felt distant, like it wasn't real anymore.

He had lost her.

And now, all that was left was the quiet, unbearable silence of an empty apartment.

Authors Note: In case you guys missed it, Outlaw is now confirmed to be from Aubrey and Addi's homeland. We learn more about him later on in the story. For reference he is about 2 foot tall now at the top of his ears. If you remember Jason noted he had grown larger after he and Aubrey had their first fight. He is still in his adolescence, so our sweet boy will be getting bigger. Gypsy is just a normal cat.