Soundtrack: This Is What It Feels Like by Armin van Buuren

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Jason's fist collided with the thug's face. The force of the impact knocked the criminal down, and he clutched his nose as blood began to spurt out.

The Red Hood was currently in the middle of stopping a mugging, which more than likely would've turned into something much worse had he not intervened. He drew his gun and fired at a second attacker, hitting him center mass.

A third thug flanked him and attempted to hit him with a pipe. Jason ducked under the swing and came back up, tossing up his gun and catching it by the barrel. He slammed the butt of the gun into the side of the attacker's head, knocking him unconscious. He tossed the gun up once more, this time catching it by the handle and shooting first the mugger in the kneecap for good measure.

He was using rubber bullets, of course. Because tonight he was patrolling with the bats and they were big on that whole 'non-lethal, no killing,' blah blah blah.

Jason holstered his weapon and tuned to the woman cowering in the corner of the alley.

"Hey, you alright? Are you injured?" He asked, his tone softer than it had been when he first confronted the now would-be muggers.

Jason walked over and crouched down in front of the woman.

"I'm fine. I...I'm not hurt." She answered, her voice shaky.

Jason reached over and handed her back her purse that had been discarded by the muggers when he had showed up. She took it and he offered her his hand, helping her to her feet.

Jason quickly zipped tied the incapacitated thugs wrists, and gave the police an 'anonymous tip.'

"Do you want me to stick around until you make it home?" Jason offered, after he hung up the phone.

"No." She shook her head, her voice still unsteady. "My apartments just across the street." She added.

The woman collected her composure and began to walk away.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly, turning back.

"Don't mention it." He replied simply.

"Hey lady," The Red Hood spoke up after a moment.

Jason began digging through his pocket, a second later he found what he was looking for. It was a piece of paper and a pen. He quickly scribbled down a number and passed it to her.

"This is a bad neighborhood. If you ever need help again, give me a call. I know it's odd, but around these parts it never hurts." He stated.

The woman nodded.

It was something Jason hadn't done in a long time, but given the recent crime wave he figured it would be alright. It wasn't his real number of course, it was burner. It was something he had done in the past for some of the residents of Crime Alley. Because believe it or not, you can't always count on the GCPD. There were plenty of corrupt cops, especially ones that dealt with the Alley. Some who would rather make a deal with criminals than actually do their job.

The woman thanked the Red Hood again before heading towards her apartment. Jason silently followed from the shadows, until she made it to her front door and went inside. Red Hood fired his grappling gun as he began to hear police sirens approach. He leaped off the building he was currently standing on and swung a good block before landing on another rooftop.

"All clear here." Red Hood said into his com.

"Great." Nightwing answered, "What about you Red Robin?" He added.

Jason seized the moment to sing "Yum" into the com link.

"All clear here too." Red Robin replied, and Jason could all but see the eye roll he was sure he had earned.

"Things seemed to have quieted down tonight." Nightwing observed.

"For now." Jason added skeptically. Things like that usually didn't last.

"Yeah, For now." He echoed.

"Everybody meet on top of the big building on 25th street, Batgirl is bringing some take out." He announced.

He heard a round of applause from a few of the other people on the shared com channel. Jason contemplated whether or not he should go. He supposed it didn't matter now, he was already patrolling with them. He had actually already helped Cassandra stop a bank robbery earlier that night. Plus, he was never one to deny food. It was a trait he had never grown out of even after he was no longer living on the streets.

Less than twenty minutes later he was sitting on a rooftop with, Red Robin, Nightwing, Robin, and Black Bat.

Tim was on his phone, while Dick and Damian where practicing hand-stands, Damian occasionally trying to knock Dick over. Jason was sitting crossed legged with his helmet off and was attempting to teach Cassandra how to pronounce a few different words she had a hard time with. She still seemed a little wary of him, but she was warming up.

A few moments later Stephanie landed on the rooftop, sporting her Batgirl persona.

"I'm come bearing gifts." She announced, holding up a couple fast food bags.

"Did you go through the drive though in your uniform again?" Tim asked wryly, looking up from his phone.

"Maybe. Why?" She replied.

"Because there's bunch of internet chatter about 'Batgirl taking a selfie with drive through worker.'" Tim replied.

"Batman is going to lose it when he finds out." Tim added dryly.

"He's not even on the planet right now." Steph muttered and started handing out food.

After she emptied the larger bag she gave Cass a chocolate milkshake. The Black Bat's usually solemn features, lit up with a smile.

"Here, got you a salad, Gremlin." She slid the plastic container over to Damian.

"Tt." Damian scoffed, but opened up the container nonetheless.

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After they finished eating they nominated Dick to be the one that would dispose of the trash in a nearby dumpster. Which he had done is the flashiest and most gravity defying way possibly. Jason shook his head as Dick landed back on the roof, doing an elaborate somersault in the process.

"Alright kiddies." Steph stood up.

"Wanna play a game?" She said in a deep horror movie voice.

"We are not children fat-girl, at least I am not, and we have no interest in playing your silly games." Damian retorted.

"What type of game?" Dick inquired, causing Damian to shoot him a glower.

"Rooftop tag." Steph grinned.

"The rules are simple, we break off in groups of two and whichever 'it' catches their other group member and gets back here first, wins. But you have to stay on the rooftops." She explained.

"Seems simple enough." Jason reasoned.

"You're it." Steph yelled and tapped Cassandra before taking off running and jumping onto the nearest building.

"Haha sucka." Steph called behind her and Cass actually laughed as she began to chase after her. The two girls quickly disappeared from view.

"Are we really doing this?" Tim muttered.

"You're it" Dick touched Tim's shoulder and sprinted away, doing flips and acrobatics as he did.

Tim sighed, smiling slightly and ran after him.

"Try and catch me, Captain Midnight." Dick taunted.

"Oh, come on!" Tim whined, eliciting laughter from Dick.

Jason and Damian now stood alone on the roof, Jason shifted on his feet awkwardly.

"I will not be chased by you of all people if that's what you're waiting for." Damian crossed his arms.

"Who peed in your oatmeal?" Jason commented, "You need to loosen up, kid."

"I do not play childish games, Todd." Damian snapped.

"I'll tell you what, how about I let you chase me." Jason spoke, seeming to peak Damian's interest.

"Very well, but I'll will not be holding back." Damian answered with determination.

"Likewise." Jason smirked.

Jason covertly took a smoke bomb out of his utility belt and threw it at their feet. The thick gas filled the air. By the time Damian emerged from it at a full run, Jason was two rooftops away. Damian growled and doubled his pace, Jason knocked over a small pile of lumber as he ran by it, which Damian jumped over with ease. The Robin took a cue from Dick, while doing a flip in the process.

Damian then threw a handful of baterangs at him, Jason wasn't shocked.

Instead, in one smooth motion, Jason tucked and rolled below them as they sailed over his head. He came back up, flipping off the edge of the building and onto the next. Jason hit the ground running. The demon brat wasn't the only one who could pull a Flying Grayson.

The chase continued for several more minutes. It was certainly an interesting game, considering they were both trained like assassins. Then Jason looked back and realized Damian was no longer there.

Dammit. He cursed inwardly.

Jason stopped in his tracks halfway across an older building. If he lost the hell spawn, he would never hear the end of it from Dick. His eyes darted around in search of the smaller figure.

Then out of nowhere Damian burst from the shadows to Jason's right and threw his full weight against him. Which wasn't a lot since he was ten, but he kicked Jason in the knee throwing off his balance. Jason tumbled over, except he didn't stop when he hit the roof. The old boards beneath him gave out and Jason crashed through, taking Damian with him. He fell a short distance before he smashed onto the floor of what looked be an abandoned apartment building. Damian landed on top of him.

Jason laid there for a moment, then coughed, throwing more dust into the air. As far as he could tell, nothing was hurt, except his pride. The armor he wore helped a lot.

"Ha, I am victorious." Damian jumped off of Jason and to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I let you win." Jason grumbled, moving to a sitting position and shoving a board off of himself.

"Did not." Damian argued, actually sounding like a ten-year-old for once.

"Besides, its tag, you're supposed to run not use stealth tactics." Jason pointed out.

"Tt, I am still the champion." Damian took a seat next to Jason on the floor.

"You have been less insufferable then usual Todd." Damian spoke.

"Yeah, I had fun too." Jason replied, with a slight smile.

They sat quietly for a moment or two.

"Todd..." Damian broke the silence.

"You are still honor-less, but...it is nice to have someone around who knows...what it is like to die." Damian added quietly.

"You know," Jason glanced at him, "if you ever wanna talk about it you know where to find me." He offered.

A part of Jason might always feel a pang of jealousy for how much more Bruce cared about Damian, but whether he accepted it or not, Damian was just a kid. Dying sucked, and Jason knew what it was like. That was probably the only thing they would ever agree on. He was only ten and he shouldn't have had to go through that.

Damian gave a slight nod.

"There is one thing I must ask. You were once a Robin, why have you strayed so far?" Damain asked bluntly.

And the moment was over.

"You wouldn't understand, kid." Jason replied shortly.

"Do not insult my intelligence, I asked a question, if you feel I do not understand then explain." Damian shot back.

"There's nothing to explain, drop it." Jason snapped, standing up.

"I do not know what you were to my father, or what my father was to you, but nevertheless you once held the mantle of Robin. Your logic does not make sense to me. Why did you not return after you came back?" Damian questioned, now standing as well.

Maybe they both knew what it was like to die, but they're resurrections were dramatically different.

"You wanna know why?!" Jason yelled.

"Because I clawed my way out of my own damn grave and Bruce never even knew it. I was in coma and then I spent a year as a brain dead zombie on the streets that he patrols every night," Jason's voice betrayed him.

"And then when Talia finally kicked me into a Lazarus Pit, I came back to find that I had already been long replaced and the bastard that murdered me was still out there killing people. I didn't have a place there anymore, I didn't have Robin. My empty slot in the 'family' had already been filled." Jason spat, his chest beginning to feel tight.

"So I became Red Hood."

"And even now nothing has changed, to Bruce, Jason Todd is dead. Why do you think he still keeps the memorial case up?" Jason continued, his voice raised.

"Damian, he views me as his biggest failure. Because I'll never be talented like Dick, or smart like Tim, or his actual son like you. All I was to anyone was a street rat pretending to be a hero."

Damian was staying oddly quiet.

"I'm the one the other Robins are told not to be like. I was a soldier that was too messed up to follow orders and got himself killed." He shouted, "But no one ever cared to ask about that little tidbit where my own mother was the one betrayed me and handed me over to the Joker." Jason continued, loudly.

"That's why I couldn't go home then, and why I certainly can't now. Because all I was to Bruce was a defective Robin." Jason finished, and he hated that tears had begun to brim in his eyes.

Damian almost seemed stunned for a moment. Jason sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, he was never gonna hear the end of this, Damian would probably still he screaming at him when they got back. He wondered if he would bring any new arguments to the table or if he'd just repeat everything Bruce drilled into all the Robin's head.

"Come on, we better get back." Jason spoke quietly.

Then to his shock, Damian quickly moved forward and hugged him.

"You are more than you think you are." Damian simply stated.

Now it was Jason's turn to be stunned, he slowly brought his arms down around the boy and returned the hug. Jason dropped to knee level and held him tighter. He certainly hadn't expected that, or expected the odd feeling in his chest he felt.

This night just kept getting weirder and weirder.

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Jason walked back towards the main rooftop with Damian beside him. From where he was he could see everyone. Tim was smiling, proud of himself. Dick was resting his hands in his knees, out of breath. Steph was taunting them about being the losers and Cass still wore a small meek smile.

Neither Jason nor Damian had talked much on the way back, but the atmosphere around them had softened. It was less hostile and gave way to a calmer dynamic. Maybe they weren't friends yet, but they had reached some level of understanding of one and other.

"What happened to you guys, we were starting to wonder if you'd killed each other." Tim spoke.

"He's a slippery little imp, he threw a friggin knife at me." Jason quipped.

A part of Jason knew that Damian was probably thankful for his excuse. Neither of them where the emotional type and neither would want to admit to any of what had just transpired.

Chatter from their small group filled the rooftop as they settled into small conversation. They were discussing patrols routes and how long Bruce would probably be gone for. Jason glanced up at the sky, the early morning light was just barely beginning to illuminate the horizon. After everything, Jason was feeling drained.

"I think I'm gonna turn in for the night." Jason announced, putting on his helmet.

"Okay, night." Dick waved.

"You alright?" Tim asked quietly, stepping closer.

"I'm fine. Just worn out." Jason answered. "Scouts honor."

"You weren't in the scouts." Tim raised an eyebrow.

"And you don't have a spleen." Jason countered.

"Touché."

"Goodnight." Tim gave him a slight pat on the shoulder.

Jason stepped towards the edge the building and prepared to make an exit. The rest of the group began to scatter to resume patrolling. Though judging by how late it was, they would probably all be going home soon too.

"See you around, Todd." Damian called over his shoulder as he followed Dick.

"You too, kid." Jason spoke quietly, before leaping off the edge and disappearing into the shadows.

Jason moved silently and swiftly through the streets and back alleys. He would never admit to the slight loneliness that tugged at him as he walked away. All and all, it had actually been a mostly enjoyable evening.

Jason wasn't sure how he felt about what had happened with Damian. On one hand, he felt stupid for going off like that and letting Damian know so much about his past. The last person he had expected to ever share his traumas with was the demon spawn. But on the other hand, it was nice to get it off his chest.

Only time would tell what effects they're little talk would have.