Overprotective (Jason Todd Fanfic) ((Part Two))

Overprotective (Jason Todd Fanfic) ((Part Two))

   This is when Ruby is a teenager. I know it is quite a time skip, but there will be more of when Ruby is younger, for now, I am just posting out of order. After I make a masterlist, all the parts will be in order.

Part One

She was giving him grey hairs. He was thirty-seven, why was he getting grey hairs? Because she never listened to him. Ruby pleaded at first, begged to be sent on a mission, hoping at least to be able to go on one with one of her uncles. Technically, it was what she was trained for, Jason taught her to fight, Dick helped her learn gymnastics, Tim taught her how to hack a system, and she practiced a sword with Damian. She was completely capable of taking out a bad guy. It was Jason who was incapable of letting his daughter go. Sixteen was far too young to be fighting the criminals of Gotham, and Jason had very good evidence to back his argument up. She was only a year older than him when he died. He was paranoid.

“I’ll be fine,” she reasoned with him as they stood in the cave, she grabbed the grappling hook off the table. “You trained me, remember?”

“I remember.”

   Ruby had been training with Dick the longest, mastering the art of flexibility and balance before anything else. Then she trained with Damian, finally asking him to teach her after years of watching him use his sword. Then Tim thought it would be a good idea if she knew how to operate and override systems, using the big computer in the cave. Finally, Jason tiredly agreed to teach her combat skills, figuring her knowing hand to hand combat would be useful. She was as much of a Bat as the rest of the family. As Jason watched her practice he took note that there was no mistaking it- Ruby fought like a Robin. Almost the exact style that each predecessor had.

   It was a small mission, nothing overly extravagant, her and Damian would be back in no time. Jason leaned against the cold wall of the cave, crossing his arms over his chest. He felt a sense of bitterness nagging at his heart, adding to the dread he also felt.

“We’re just clearing out a warehouse of thugs, I’ll be fine,” Ruby shrugged her shoulders, finishing knotting the laces of her boots, she had a prideful smile on her face, “It’s my first time punching a bad guy, not my first time punching at all.”

“I also remember that,” Jason sighed, watching as his daughter timidly approached him.

“Dad, stop worrying,” she spoke quietly, “I’ll be okay.” Jason felt as his chest got heavier, his breathing involuntarily becoming uneven, and he realized just the extent of how much he didn’t want to let Ruby go, how scared he was. Ruby seemed to take notice of his change in emotion, automatically flinging herself into her father's arms. She held tightly to him, gripping the sweatshirt he wore. This only made Jason feel more lost, and uncomfortable with sending her on the mission, but he knew, that above most things in her life, this is what Ruby wanted most. She was almost an adult, he couldn’t stop her.

   Jason wasn’t sure how long he had been holding onto Ruby, but the sound of someone clearing their throat caused the two to separate.

“We should be leaving now,” Damian said, in full Batman suit. Jason felt the real urge to tell his younger brother to screw off, but he knew Ruby and Damian wouldn’t appreciate the sentiment. Ruby nodded at her uncle, though tightened the hug to her father, and Jason did the same. After another moment, Jason nudged her forward, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Be careful, baby,” he told her, she smiled up at him and nodded before pushing away from him to follow Damian. The two departed rather swiftly, leaving Jason standing alone in the cave, or so he thought.

“That part never becomes easy to do,” Bruce spoke, he sat in one of the chairs at the rectangular table. Jason wasn’t sure when he got there. “No matter how old they are, or how strong.”

“You seemed to get over it,” Jason huffed, still bitter. Bruce paid no mind.

“No, Jason, I didn’t, I still get paranoid when one of you leaves. Especially now that I’m not on the field to pick you up if you fall.”

“You are being very comforting, old man.” Jason deadpanned, tossing a sideways glance at his father.

“You trained her, you see how she holds herself, you know that Ruby can protect herself and others, even in rough circumstances. That’s what comforts you when you send your child away to fight the same crime you do.”

   Bruce, of course, was right. Jason knew full well that he had trained his daughter to kick ass. So did his brothers. Ruby was highly trained, arguably.

“I know that,” Jason slumped into a chair opposite Bruce, leaning his cheek against his fist, “It’s just, I know what can,” he paused, “happen…out there in the city. I’m not particularly fond of the idea of sending my young child into it.”

“She is sixteen, Jason, and very smart. She knows when to fight and when to leave,” Bruce said, attempting to reason with his son.

“Well, she’s my kid- half of me, and I sure as hell didn’t know when to back down. Maybe unwillingness to run is genetic, and you are wrong-”

“Children learn from their parent's mistakes, you know that.” Bruce cut Jason off, his head tilted to the side with an eyebrow raised, conveying the, ‘You know I’m right’ thought through nonverbal communication. Jason let out a scoff, one that he made whenever he knew he was wrong.

   Jason was right. He knew he was going to be right, and still, he let Ruby go. His first instinct was to throw blame at people, which at first was Damian. He was the adult in the situation, he was Batman, he should have prevented it from happening. But what was Damian supposed to do? He did all that he could, and Jason knew that.

   It wasn’t what they were expecting, of course. That’s how something like what happened happens. No one knows what’s coming, and then gets hit hard, blindsided.

    Dick had been waiting as the backup, in case Damian decided they needed him. Nightwing was quick to swoop in and assist in taking out the bad guys. What they weren’t expecting was an angry Talia Al Ghul to be waiting inside, bitter that her son had refused to see her, or acknowledge her in several years. Anyone that needed to be out of the situation was removed by assassins, meaning Dick and Ruby. Damian stayed to appease his mother, reassuring the others that he would soon return home.

“What the hell happened?” Jason barked as the two returned home, automatically the two vigilantes were bombarded with people trying to see their wounds or gain more information on the events of the night.

   Ruby wasn’t walking, Dick carried her. Blood dripped down her forehead, and she cradled her arm against her chest as she leaned into her uncle's shoulder. Dick was in somewhat of a similar state, though able to carry himself and Ruby, which was a good sign according to most of the Batfamily's standards. Jason wasted no time in assessing his daughter's injuries, his eyebrows scrunched together in concentration and concern.

“Talia,” Dick sighed out, clearly in need of rest. Jason took Ruby from him, holding tightly to the still unconscious girl. “Go take care of her, I’ll check on Damian.” That was all Jason needed to hear before he was off to fix the damage that had been done to his daughter.

   Ruby woke up in one of the spare rooms in the Manor, the sun shining brightly on the hardwood floors. The faint sound of the television across the room grabbed her attention, a nature documentary played, showing the life of wolves in North America. The window was open letting in the breeze that brushed aside the pale green curtains.

   Shifting carefully, ignoring the sore pain she felt in most of her body, Ruby swung her legs over the bed, noticing she had a cast on her left foot and a sock on the other. Half her arm was also cast, the bulky white material felt odd and foreign, she supposed she would have to get used to it.

   Slowly, she rose from the bed, stretching her aching muscles as she did so. Shooting pains erupted in her chest and back making her yelp. Tugging up her shirt she realized her chest was wrapped, she assumed it was the result of bruised or broken ribs. Ruby wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, but it felt like a long time. Moving to stand in front of the long mirror attached to the door, she sighed. A plain black sweater, gray sweatpants, and one sock didn’t seem like such a great look compared to her usual standards, and level of maintenance. Her hair sat in many directions, long, brown locks tangled and knotted, a task that would be grueling to undo later. Bruises layed out everywhere on her skin, from her face, down to where she pulled up the hem of her shirt and peaked at her waist where the muscles and flesh ached.

   Flinging the door open she began her trek down the long corridors of the mansion. She descended the staircase and made her way into the kitchen. The brightness of the room was blinding, she squinted her eyes in the direction of the sun.

“Whoa, hey, you’re awake,” Ruby recognized the voice of her uncle, Tim. Her vision came to focus on the silhouette of her uncle haunched over the high chair his daughter sat in, a spoon held in his hand. “When did you wake up?” He asked, setting the spoon down when the young girl pushed his hand away with a whine. Tim took a few steps toward Ruby, looking as if he was ready to catch if she fell.

“I just woke up,” Ruby rasped out, moving to pull out a seat at the counter. “What happened?” Tim seemed to be looking her over, assessing if she should be up and walking around with no assistance.

"It's a long story," he said, shaking his head, "Your father should explain it to you." Ruby perked up a bit at the mention of her father, remembering that he existed. She felt guilty for not going to him first, or not thinking of him sooner, seeing as how he hadn't liked the idea of her going on the mission, and what had happened during the mission.

"Where is he?" She asked, her voice soft. Tim smiled a bit.

"Library. Should I walk with you?"

"I got it, don't worry Uncle Timmy," She patted his shoulder as she passed him, attempting to give him a reassuring smile.

   There had not been a library in the Manor until Jason demanded one in his Robin days. It was one of the few things he asked for, so of course, Bruce complied. The library was finished and stocked full of the books Jason expressed a liking for, though Jason never got to see the finished product.

   Ruby limped down the hall, dragging her casted foot behind her. She noted that she probably would find crutches useful later. The library, luckily, was on the first floor, though on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen. As she reached the library, she pushed the door open, sneaking in through a crack.

   The fireplace was lit, logs stacked high in the flames. The windows were tinted, making the lighting more comfortable to Ruby's eyes. The library had a built-in cozy feeling, designed to be warm and safe on purpose. The feeling of nostalgia was something that Ruby mustered up herself. The memories of her father reading to her when she couldn't fall asleep a night always flooded her head when she was in the room, surrounded by the books she had become so familiar with.    

   Her father sat in the chair he always did. One across from the largest window in the room, adjacent to the fireplace. Jason had his feet propped up on the footrest, holding a book close to his face. The book he read was fat but split open in half. Ruby could tell from the worn pages what book he was reading. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. He had read the book to her when she was in middle school. Reading was one of the few times when Jason's life was calm. No fighting, no dealing with the crimelords of Gotham, and no bickering with his brothers. As a result, he almost always disappeared into the library if he had a chance.

   He looked tired, the collar of his turtleneck sweater was pulled higher than it was supposed to be, as he sat hunched over, the fabric covering most of his lower face. This brought attention to his eyes and the dark circles that were under them. His hair was a mess, which was unusual for him. The only time he allowed his hair to be messy was when he took his Red Hood helmet off. The glasses he wore sat low on the bridge of his nose. As he aged, Jason came to the frustrating realization that he did, in fact, need glasses. He had needed them his most of his life, actually, but insisted that he didn't need them. Now nearing forty years of age, he couldn't ignore that his seeing wasn't the best. Especially considering he used a gun at work.

"You look like an old man," Ruby sighed out. Though it was in a quiet tone, it was loud enough to scare Jason, the Red Hood successfully caught off guard. His eyes were wide in surprise at first, but the look quickly melted into one that was filled with unadulterated relief. Pushing himself up from the chair, Jason was up and over to his daughter, pulling her into a tight hug. Ruby wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest with a smile on her face. Jason went without the smile, though still felt just as happy. At the same time, Jason felt content, and relieved to have to daughter awake, and moving, and hugging him, but at the same time, when she was in bed, he knew she was out of harm's way. He could make sure that she wasn't getting hurt. Of course, Jason knew that the events of the previous mission would do nothing to deter Ruby. She would want to be back fighting alongside Batman in no time.

"You shouldn't be walking by yourself," Jason said quietly, placing a kiss on Ruby's forehead. "You don't even have crutches." Ruby let out a small laugh, burying herself further into her father's chest.

"I don't need them," She said, "I just want you to tell me what happened."

"You don't remember anything?"

"No, not really. I remember Uncle Dick had to come and help, but it's hard to remember anything after that." Jason sighed as Ruby spoke- there was a lot to be discussed. Carefully, he assisted her towards the couch, helping her put her casted foot up. Ruby, under all the casts, and bandages, and bruises, still looked optimistic, hopeful, even, and quite frankly, it scared Jason and broke his heart at the same time. She was always going to get hurt doing this job, and there was nothing he could do.

"Talia showed up, with her assassins," Jason began, sitting on the couch opposite Ruby. "Since none of you were expecting it, none of you were prepared. Damian had to stay behind with Talia, he's back now though. Dick got hit pretty hard, but he was back up in a couple of days."

"'A couple of days'? How long have I been out?" Ruby questioned, her eyes searching her fathers. Jason hesitated for a moment.

"A week, about." He said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Ruby seemed to take what he said into consideration, before cracking a smile.

"Well, I thought you were gonna say, like, three months, so this is definitely better then what I was expecting." She giggled, nudging her father's side playfully. Jason didn't smile, and Ruby's grin turned downward into a frown. "I'm allowed to joke about that. I was the one that was out." She deadpanned. Jason's eyes cut to her, anger now present on his features.

"And I was your father who had to deal with you being out for that long," He snapped.

"I was kidding, Dad. Chill." She regretted saying that as soon as the words left her lips. Automatically she cringed into her sweater, hiding her face partially.

"I never should have let you go on that damn mission!" Jason yelled, standing from the couch. "I knew you weren't ready. I know what can happen out there, and still, I let you go. I suppose, though, that was my mistake, not yours."

The first time Jason had ever lost his temper on Ruby was when she was seven and had decided to go outside and play in the yard of the Wayne Manor without telling him. Even though he was just inside, and she was out, he panicked, unable to find her for about twenty minutes before Duke found her up in one of the many Oak trees near the woods, just out of earshot from the mansion. Jason yelled at her, scolding her for scaring him, for not telling him where she was going, for climbing a tree alone with no supervision- what most parents would say. Though, he was loud, and admittedly scary looking, and had never yelled at her before. Her blue eyes were quick to fill up with tears, her lip quivering sadly as she listened to the most important person in her life yell at her. Jason was quick to notice, and even quicker to feel guilty. He scooped her up and held her tightly, whispering an apology to her,  repeating, softly, to not scare him like that again.

It seemed to be a repeat of that situation. Ruby being scolded for something, him yelling, getting angrier then he should, and Ruby attempting and failing to hide tears. She was not a crybaby, she actually took pride in being very emotionally stable, however, she never held up well when it came to her father losing his temper with her. Hot tears welled up in her eyes, which soon spilled down against her cheeks and chin, her breathing becoming uneven. Jason didn't even notice at first, rambling on about how she wasn't ready to go on missions yet.

"This isn't my fault," she spoke shakily, "Yea, maybe I wasn't ready for this mission- it's my first and I had to fight the League of Assassins. I mean, I could have died, and you're yelling at me." It was rare that Ruby ever spoke up when her father was ranting about something, but Jason always let her say what she wanted. He took her words seriously. Slowly, Jason knelt down in front of Ruby, his hand moving to brush the tears away from her red cheeks.

"I know, Sweetheart, I know this isn't your fault," Ruby leaned forward to wrap her arms around her father's shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck, soft cries still leaving her lungs. "I am proud of you, you kicked their asses. I'm just paranoid, worried. I'm not overly fond of seeing you hurt."

"I'll try not to get hurt," Ruby said, Jason couldn't tell if she was crying or laughing.

"I would appreciate that, Rue.”

What kind of requests are you taking?

YOU KNOW IDK when tf I got this ask i am so sorry jesus christ 😅 anyway, anything except incest and smut :)

Jason Todd x Mom!Reader- Babybird Part One

More Jason Todd cause he is my son. This is pretty long, and there will be more parts. 

Warning: Graphic mentions of violence, mentions of nightmares

  You were woken up by a string of screams coming from the room opposite yours. In a matter of seconds, the duvet was thrown to the floor, and you had dashed across the hall to the room where Jason resided. The young boy was sitting up in the bed, the screaming had ceased, but his chest heaved up and down, and his shaggy black hair skewed the view of his usually youthful face. Carefully, you made your way towards the bed, speaking in such a soft tone Jason could barely hear you, but yet, in a voice that always managed to ground Jason after being rocked by a nightmare.    "Honey, it's okay," you hushed him as you gently lowered yourself to sit on the bed. Twelve-year-olds shouldn't be having dreams that bad, you thought. Jason seemed so tiny, and fragile, compared to such a large bed, as he curled in on himself, watching as you sat next to him.      This wasn't a rare occurrence, Jason had nightmares often. You supposed that was what happened when a child was thrown into an adults battle. Jason had heard and seen so much back with his biological parents. and when he took up the Robin mantle, that only seemed to make things worse. But Jason was like Dick and seemed to desperately seek Bruce's approval. Willing to fight alongside the Batman in order to spend time with him, to make Bruce proud. Bruce was your best friend, but if there was one thing you hated about him, it was his need to take in kids and allow them to fight beside him, to become sidekicks. Allow them to fight the heinous criminals of Gotham at such a young age.

     You watched sadly as Jason trembled, his breathing uneven, swaying slightly in place. You had dealt with situations like this before with him and knew by heart what to do. Carefully, you reached a hand out to brush the black mess of hair away from Jason's eyes, revealing tear coated and reddened cheeks, as well as bloodshot eyes. He was exhausted. It was rare, though, for dreams to be so severe that he had to rock back and forth, as well as not attempt to hide the flowing tears. Usually, you came in, checked if he was alright, he would force out a reply, and you stayed with him until he fell back asleep, but tonight was clearly not going to be like that. The dream had been too real. So much so that Jason clearly didn't want to deal with the aftermath alone.      As you brushed his tears away from his cheeks with timid fingertips, Jason would swear that it was the softest thing he had ever felt. No one was so gentle, and caring for him as you were. He wouldn't admit to how happy that made him. Even with your velvet touch to his cheeks, it wasn't enough to soothe away the pain that had been brought on by the dream. More fat tears rolled down Jason's cheeks. They were silent tears until you spoke.    "You're okay, Jason, it was a dream." A wretched sob escaped past Jason's lips, urging you to pull him close to you. Nuzzling into the crook of your neck, Jason continued to cry, some sobs quiet, while others were loud. No, this was more than a nightmare, it was a memory, you remembered from past experiences. Jason only cried so hard when it was something he was forced to relive. "Oh, Babybird," you cooed, raking your hands against his scalp. Pulling back from his hold slightly, which he whimpered at, you placed a kiss on his forehead. Then on his cheek, and the other, then back to his forehead. It hurt to see a child so vulnerable, in so much pain. Every instinct in you was telling you to hide him away, to tell Bruce he could no longer be his Robin. To keep him safe. Unharmed.    "Stay?" Of course, he wouldn't want you to leave, as evidenced by his tight hold around your waist. No child would want to be left alone after something like that. You nodded without speaking, continuing to hold him as he finished crying. It was a solid hour before he fell asleep in your arms, his breathing finally going back to being even. Peaceful.      You stayed with him for the rest of the night, occasionally fallings asleep, only to be jerked awake when he moved slightly in his sleep. The protective mode that had been activated when you first entered the room had yet to subside. All you wanted to do was keep him safe. Make sure that he was never put through something like what he has seen before again. That's what parents want for their children, and surely you were Jason's mother, as he was your son.

     Over the years you had spent with him, the bond had only grown stronger, and by the time he was fifteen, you had completely taken up the role of his mother. Which is why when he got on that plane to Ethiopia and never returned, you left. You put the blame so heavily on Bruce that you couldn't bear to be around him anymore. He should have never let Jason be Robin!      But Jason had been Robin, and the Joker had killed him. And when Bruce said he wouldn't get rid of the Joker for good, you left Gotham in general. For months you had disappeared, you knew full well that Bruce, Dick, and Barbara had been looking for you, needing to know that you were alive still. You were very much alive, though you knew they would never find you where you were.      Many months, almost a year and a half, after Jason's death, and your disappearance, Talia Al Ghul was the one to find you. You had met her back when you and Bruce were teenagers, and though she occasionally assisted her father in committing atrocities, you were still her friend. By your account, she had done many things to prove that she could be trusted. And so, you went with her, back to her home on the other side of the planet. So far away from Bruce, and Gotham, and away from everything that reminded you that you were a mother who had lost her son to a villain that should have been killed years before Jason was even born.      The League of Assassins were a group of people you were familiar with and often found yourself hating. They were trained to brutally kill the innocent, and you were trained to do the opposite. You were to save those who couldn't keep themselves safe. But the conflict you felt, and the pain that gripped your heart kept you there.      Everything had changed so suddenly. For years you were convinced that killing was wrong, even when it came to criminals. But as you sat beside Talia, you thought deeply, eyes trained on the two people that dueled each other in front of you. Was killing the evil people of the world so wrong?    "My new protege," Talia hummed, pointing to one of the people who battled the other. "He shows great promise." You watched in horror as her protege kicked their opponent's knees in, forcing them to the ground with a yelp. With the sword, he held in his hands, in one quick motion, the head of the opponent was detached, left to be taken away by a servant. Blood covered the ground, and sword, the smell was horrific, and you were forced to hold back a gag. Why were you here?    "I thought you had a son to take care of Talia," you remarked bitterly. A young son, in fact, a baby. You never could understand how she bared to be away from him, knowing what the people here could do. "How do you have time for a protege?" You stared at the boy she had been training as he let his sword fall to the ground, his shoulders slumped. His body language read loud and clear- he didn't want to do that. He didn't want to kill that person. You knew that look.    "My son is a baby, he knows not if I am present or otherwise. This boy needs my attention now," She said calmly, running a hand through her thick black hair. "I want to help him."    "By teaching him to murder?" You questioned, Talia rolled her eyes.    "By teaching him to do what is necessary," She corrected. You bit the inside of your cheek hard. Maybe she thought she was doing the right thing. "He has unused potential, I will show him how to use it."      You didn't belong with the League. Well- you weren't there for them. You didn't like them. You were there for Talia, your friend. But she was one of them, and it was her job to make more of them like her. Assassins. Killers. Half of yourself wanted to leave, but the other half told you that this was the only place for you.      You stood from where you sat next to Talia, smoothing out the wrinkles in your skirt. The body of the murdered man was being taken away, the sun shining against to puddles of blood.    "It is too hot here, I am going inside," You says, pulling at the headscarf you wore, feeling dizzy and sick. The protege, you noticed, had moved to sit on the ground, probably feeling as miserable as you, as he wore all black, not an inch of skin visible. You couldn't imagine how he was feeling, nor did you want to. Not a thing in the world could make you want to do what the Assassins were trained to do. Murder, train in harsh conditions and live under Ra's Al Ghul.      The heat of the desert was brutal, the sun beat down relentlessly, the air was still, and humid. Entirely different from Gotham, which rained almost at a constant, and was often cold and had a bitter wind. You found yourself longing for that familiar weather. Your home had always been the city, after all, and being away from it for so long was beginning to take a toll. Being away from your family did nothing to help.      Talia stood up as well, motioning for her apprentice to follow her. You dipped your head down, trying to avoid the sunlight. The headscarf you wore was lightly colored and did help a small amount in protecting your head and face from the harsh rays of the desert sun.    "My friend," she spoke kindly, you glanced up at her in acknowledgment. "If you wish to return home, I will understand." It was as if now she was reading your thoughts. You nodded slowly at this. "I can see your discomfort in being here, you are not happy."    "I won't be happy there either," You sighed.    "Happier then here, I believe." She was right. You didn't belong here. These weren't your people, and the desert was not your home. Gotham was your home. Dick, Barbara, and Bruce were your family, whether you hated Bruce or not. You would go back to Gotham. You were beginning to feel as if you had to return.      But the Joker was going to die when you arrived. No matter what Bruce said or did.

Preface

Hi, it's jasxontxdd! This is gonna be the blog where I post all my writing, my masterlist will be here as well. You can contact me on either blog, it doesn't matter.

And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.

I hath changed my name. Feels good.