Spreading Forgotten Wings - A Jason Todd Fanfiction

Ch. 1: Redemption

Patience. "It is difficult to be patient but to waste the rewards of patience is worse" said some poet. So I wait. For 30 years I wait. What do I wait for?

A computer monitor flashes in bright red letters 'Location found'.

I wait for opportunity.

Jason rises from his chair and walks to a glass display case holding a helmet. He smashes the glass with his elbow and carefully removes the helmet from its post. One last mission.
Almost out the door someone grabs his hand. "Don't do this Jay."

"You know I have to Cass. So I can finally be at peace."

"We are retired. You promised no more missions, no more targets, no more killing."

Jason turns to face Cassandra. "You can't stop me."

"You know I can." she leans forward towards Jason's face and presses her lips on his. For one minute he forgets about all the hate and anger he has inside.

Jason pulls out and settles his head into the old red helmet. "I'll make this quick." he brushes a strand of hair back from her face. "Promise."

She looks at him with her deep dark brown eyes. "Make sure the Joker dies this time."

...

A maniacal deranged laugh fills the abandoned warehouse. A laugh Jason knew too well. A laugh that needed to be silenced.

"Well, sir, you've certainly got my attention! I mean, first you set fire to one of my joints, then you execute half my squad, then you leave a letter saying 'come to this spooky warehouse or else!'. You did all this just to have a conversation with little ol' me? I am honored Mr. Shadowy figure!"

Jason steps into the single only light in the whole warehouse. Of course this is not the infamous clown prince of crime Todd knew but his offspring, Lucy Quinn. The one to take the psychotic Joker mantle on for another generation.

"I knew your father. He's the one who screwed up my life. For all the pain and suffering he has inflicted, I wanted to personally put him in a grave. But someone beat me to it. You."

"Aw shucks it was nothing. He asked for it! Seriously he did! It feels good to be appreciated. Wait. Ooh goody goody! You're Jason Todd aren't you? My old man talked about you all the time. And now I get to meet the heartthrob himself? Mind blown!"

"Funny you should say that." Jason takes out a small blowgun and fires a dart at Joker's pale neck. She stumbles and falls straight onto her back.

"Heeheehee... What was that Mr Red Hood?"

Red hood removes his red helmet and flings it to the side. "A paralyzing dart. Made from the plant toxin of Curare. Extra concentrated, lasts for 5 hours. Not that your gonna live till then," Jason takes out a detonator from his pocket. "Cause your going down with your father. Time for the Joker to die for good."

"Oh no, the Joker legacy will always live on. With death comes rebirth. And as long as there is sanity you know INSANITY is around the corner!"

And there it is.

The laugh.

The same obnoxious laugh that echoes through his mind every day.

Jason closes his eyes and prepares to activate the four explosives he has surrounding the warehouse. Just as he starts applying pressure to the red button, the remote shatters in his hands. As the bits and chunks of the detonator fall to the ground he notices the batarang. He had a feeling he would show up.

"You know I couldn't let you do this." says a voice Jason surprisingly doesn't recognize.

"You're with Batman aren't you. Another Robin, or Nightwing."

"No, Jason." The man steps into the dim light. "I am Batman."

Jason swings around to face the voice and sees a man dressed in a full black suit with a red bat logo on his chest.

"Who are you? Where is Bruce?!" Jason asks confused, gun pointed at the intruder.

"A lot has changed since you've gone missing." Batman explains. "Dick Grayson retired with his wife and has a young kid with potential. He passed on the Nightwing title to Bruce's son, Damian." He pulls his cowl back revealing a young man's face. "My name is Terry McGinnis."

"Bruce was supposed to show up! Not his cheap knock off!"

"Look I know this is confusing. But I need you to come with me. I can take you to Bruce. To your family." Terry extends his hand out to Jason.

"Oh this is just grand! The ultimate apprentice reunion! The second Batman, the second Robin, and Joker's insane daughter! Screw this generation, now we can all die together!" the Joker cackles.

"Shut up!" Jason yells to her. He looks back to Batman. "Tell Bruce, I said goodbye." I'm sorry, Cass Jason thinks to himself.

"Jason, no!" shouts Terry as Jason fires a bullet at a corner of the warehouse, the location of an explosive. The bomb erupts, signaling the other bombs to detonate as well.

Flames engulf the building, blowing out windows and tumbling down walls. The ceiling caves in, making the whole warehouse collapse...or that would have happened if I did not intervene.

...

"Jason, no!" shouts Terry as Jason fires a bullet at a corner of the warehouse, the location of an explosive. Before the fire wall destroys the building, I bend time to my will. I steal seconds and minutes, pausing time for the moment around Mr. Todd and I. Jason looks around dumbfounded.

"Calm yourself, Jason Todd. You are not in danger at the moment." He turns to look at me.

"Who the hell are you?" he asks in an irritated tone.

"I am Metron. I am the observer of this universe. I have come to give you a second chance."

"What are you talking about? I'm doing what I need to do. This is my fate."

"I am offering you a chance to change your fate Jason Todd. The question is, do you accept?"

Jason turns away in thought. He looks at his surrounds, frozen in time at the moment. "I... accept."

"It is settled then. Your fate is in your hands once again Jason Todd. Choose wisely."

I carry Jason to a simpler time. A time of which he is familiar. One where he can alter his dreaded future.

.
.
.

"Jason, are you ready? Jason?"

He looks around and finds himself in a place he hasn't visited in ages. The Bat cave. Jason is no longer a man, but a young boy who is the apprentice of Batman. Robin.

"Yeah... I'm ready."