The Story of Us - Jason Todd

Chapter 2

"What does meeting Batman and Robin have to do with anything? Don't see how this relates to me." Gracie sighed as she took a bite of her burger.

"This is only the beginning; I'm gonna get there. I haven't even gotten to the good parts yet." God, why don't people have any patience? I took a bite of my onion rings and saw Gracie roll her eyes.

"Whatever. But there better be more of Peppers. I've never met that cat, but I already love him." I gasped and put a hand on my heart.

"That's just hurtful; that cat tortured me for years." Gracie shrugs and continues eating. I smile and look out the window. I remember that year like it was yesterday.

....

Four months. That's how long it's been since the incident at Pauli's, and let me tell you, I haven't left Batman and Robin alone. Every night I run around Old Gotham to find them, a couple of times I've gone to Somerset, cause you know they protect all of Gotham, and that's too much ground for little old me to cover. Gotta work with what I have. I've run into them - well, more like them sneaking up on me to yell at me- about 12 times since then. Impressive right. I've also been working on their secret identities, not to blackmail them or anything. Ok, that's a lie, I know this sounds crazy, but I want to work with them. Be the new Batgirl or something. I need to wait for the right moment, and it'll come soon. I know it will.

The last day before Thanksgiving break. So glad it's over. I get to go home, sit on my roof looking for Batman and Robin, eat at Pauli's, and fight Peppers. I walk out of school and start walking to Pauli's.

"Miss. Montgomery." I turned around to see a tall old guy looking at me. I look around me to see if he's talking to someone else. When he keeps staring at me with the car door open, I point to myself. " Yes, you. Mr.Wayne would like to meet you." It's here, the right moment has arrived, and I'm gonna seize it. I smile and get into the backseat. The man closes the door and sits In the driver's seat.

"What's your name? Why does Mr.Wayne want to meet me? How does he know me?" I rushed out. He sighs.

"Alfred Pennyworth." That's it, that's all he says. I can't really complain, and I did get his name. I lean back into the leather seats. I look around and start messing with a button on the door handle. A dark window in between Mr.Pennyworth and me starts to go up. I click the button again, and it goes down. I click the button multiple times, watching the window go up and down. "Miss Montgomery, please leave the window alone," I mumbled a sorry and left it alone. I crossed my arms and slumped into the seats. It was silent the rest of the car ride. When we finally pulled up to Wayne Manor, I practically smashed my face into the window to see it. It's the biggest house I've ever seen, and it's probably the definition of a mansion. I threw the door open and ran towards the mansion. Mr.Pennyworth walks past me and up the steps to the front door as we walk into the giant house. I can't help but spin to take everything in. I follow Mr.Pennyworth down several hallways till we get to a big wooden door.

"Master Bruce, Miss. Montgomery is here." I hear a muffled grunt, and Mr.Pennyworth opens the door.

"Thank you, Mr.Pennyworth." I smile and nod my head.

"Please call me Alfred, Miss. Montgomery."

"Ok, then call me Hazel." Alfred smiles at me. I walk into the room, and Alfred shuts the door behind me. Oh my god, is this a library? I would kill to have my own library.

"Sit." Mr.Wayne said with so much authority in his voice. I sit down on the couch across from him. I tuck some of my brown hair behind my ears and look at him. Mr. Wayne sat there with his arms crossed across his chest, practically glaring at me. The only time I've seen this look is on Batman.

"So, um, you wanted to talk to me. Why though? I mean, we've never met, so there shouldn't be a reason for you-"

"Save it. How much do you know." Getting straight to the point, I see.

"So you're not gonna deny it then, Mr.Wayne?" I feel like this is too easy. But I'm gonna roll with it. "I mean, I thought secret identities, we're supposed to be secret. But you're not gonna deny how I think that you're Batman and that Jason is Robin. I mean, it's only a working theory. I'm not a hundred percent sure yet. But I feel like, in the next couple of minutes, I will be. What do you think, Mr.Wayne?" Mr.Wayne just narrowed his eyes at me and stood up.

"I expect you to be here every day after school for training."

"Oh, ok, cool, training. Wait for training? Training for what? I'm also on Thanksgiving break right now. This seems too easy." Way too easy. Mr.Wayne didn't answer me and just left. As he left, I looked and realized. I'm gonna be working with Batman and Robin. I expected Mr.Wayne to put up more of a fight, though. Or completely ignore me. Maybe he sees something in me. No, definitely not.

Alfred dropped me off at home after I begged him to stop for some ice cream. I can't believe it, and I'm gonna be Batgirl, well maybe. At least, I hope so. I would love that. I lay on my bed with the biggest smile on my face, and I was so happy that my parents' arguing didn't even bother me.

The next day I stood in the bat cave waiting for Mr.Wayne. I stood in front of the cases holding all the suits. There are so many Batman suits.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I heard a voice yell. I turned around to see Robin, Boy Wonder, aka Jason Todd. I'll admit he is cute under that mask. "How'd you get in here? You shouldn't be here." He's so worried about me, and he forgot that he's not in his Robin costume.

"Mr.Wayne told me to be here." I shrugged.

"Bruce? Bruce told you to be down here. Why?"

"And that is the million-dollar question, my friend. He told me to be here for training. I'm as confused as you are. I mean, you'd think the man would have just ignored me and denied being Batman. Like, why basically confirm a 13-year-old's stupid idea and offer to train her? Doesn't sound very Batman to me? Or does it?" I get up in Jason's face and cross my arms. He leans his face back a bit and stares wide-eyed at me.

"I'm training you cause I see something in you." Mr.Wayne says, walking towards us.

"Whatever, I'm not gonna argue. It still doesn't make sense, though." It really doesn't. But I'm not about to pass up the opportunity to be trained by Batman. I watched Jason roll his eyes and walk away. I get the feeling this isn't gonna be as much fun as I'm hoping.