no rest for the wicked [jason todd]

two

THE BATMAN

didn't have a calendar for scheduling appointments. He didn't just mark down 'oh yes, Jim Gordon must need me tonight'. No, the GCPD had an absolutely barbaric way of contacting Gotham City's own vigilante. They turned on some high powered light, slipped in a cover with negative space in the shape of a bat and aimed it right at the sky, wishing that somehow their hero would see it and come to their aid.

On the cold rooftop, Tye really started to doubt their methods. This would have all been so, so much easier if Batman had a cell phone they could dial him up on, or maybe a dumb email they could leave a message at. Instead, as they stood in the night sky, rain beginning to fall onto the concrete of the roof like a pattern of out of tune symphonies all playing at once. She wasn't wearing a heavy jacket and was starting to get cold, about to speak up against her superior and turn her back when she heard it.

A woosh of fabric and the Batman stood in front of them, gloved hands on his hips and his lips curled into a tight grimace, one that stayed put despite the nice or terrible weather.

"Batman," Jim said, wiping the rain off his glasses, useless because they were only flooded again moments later, "got a first-hand report from one of my officers about a certain... Whisper that's been becomin' a voice in Gotham's crime circles. Red Hood. You know of him, don't you? Think you can handle doing something about it?"

Batman turned slowly to gaze at Tye. She seemed unscathed, which she was, and the only downside to how she felt was emotionally traumatized by a dead man and sopping wet from the rain. She pushed the hair out of her eyes, regarded him with a careful nod and then let her eyes drift back down.  

"He... Didn't seem to be upset with me," she spoke up finally, "not the law. Some guy managed to get my gun away -- he was a drunk, thought I'd dealt with his type before. Before I could cuff him and read him his rights, there was a bullet straight through his skull. He just seemed to be more upset with the guy trying to force himself on me than any enforcement I was trying to do in the situation,"

Batman nodded. "That does sound like him," he said in that gruff, deep voice, "I appreciate the intel, Gordon. I'll be in touch if any further information pops up that could use your attention."

"Wait--" Jim began, but moments later, the woosh of the cape repeated and the Batman was gone in the same instant he'd been there. He cursed, shaking his head, but drew his eyes up to her. "Melrose," he said, "in my office, eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. I won't accept if you're late. Yaeger will be assigned a temporary partner for the time being while I need your assistance. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Tye managed in a voice that was none too convincing, not even to herself, "not a minute later. 8 o'clock. I'll be there, sir,"

Jim nodded and began to stride to the doorway back down into the rest of the station.

"You better be."

  ⚭⚭⚭ 

8 am rolled around and Tye was rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Despite the fact she'd gotten up, made sure everything about her uniform was prim and pressed and then put it all on, she'd received a call halfway through the morning that Commissioner Gordon requested she come in civilian clothes. Reluctantly, she changed out of her dress blues and settled for the nicest jeans she had and a t-shirt that at least held the graphic at full capacity. 

She knocked, waiting, but felt her stomach tighten when no one answered. Moments later, he showed up, moving past her but looking shocked as he fumbled for his key. "You're... On time," he said, unlocking his office and then opening the door for her to come in.

Tye checked her sleek black smartwatch and then nodded. "I take pride in my punctuality."

"I see."

Jim took out a brown paper file, checking the label on it before he flipped it open. Her throat tightened when she saw that it was her file, but kept calm as he scanned through it. "You were on the streets for a long time," he said, "Stole, took military service instead of prison. Involuntary discharge due to--" His face fell and he skipped the last part of the sentence, shaking his head. He scanned her face for a moment. "You returned to your hometown, joined up with the force,"

"And lived happily ever after," Tye finished sarcastically, taking a seat in front of him. Her eyebrows pulled together and she leaned forward. "What do you want me for?"

Jim pursed his lips. "You're perfect for this job," he told her, "no one else has the street smarts you would."

"What job?" She asked skeptically. 

"I need you to go undercover."

  ⚭⚭⚭ 

shout out to the person who's username drowned in my notifications -- the one who voted on all the chapters. you're the reason i wrote this one. thanks, bro.