Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1-

Drip Drip Drip

The sound of the drops echoed all around him, but where was he? How did he get there? The last thing he remembered was going into a building… Then an explosion. He remembered that he was chasing -

“For fuck's sake someone fix that damn pipe!”  

Joker. It was him. His high distinct high pitched voice sounded loudly through the chamber. That's who he was after. Although now, it was Joker who had captured Robin, instead of the other way around. 

But it should be fine… right? Batman would save him. He always did. 

Robin felt pain around his chest, his arms…And his back, what… Was that? Should he open his eyes just a bit to see what it was? Or should he wait for the Joker to step away. 

He knew Joker was near him just a few feet away. He could feel the clown near him. Jittering with excitement….. 

Suddenly he heard two pairs of footsteps heading towards him, more goons perhaps? He was taken by surprise when cold water was dumped on his head. He managed to keep his eyes shut, thankfully. Batman had instilled this in him in training. 

“Dammit!! He's still out like a light? Does Bats not let this kid sleep during the day or WHAT?” Joker whined

The frustration was clear in his voice. Jason kept still, breathing-even slightly, hurt. His chest was bursting with pain, he couldn't even feel his legs entirely, he wasn't sure what it was but it was digging into his arms and chest. From all directions. Forcing him to stay leaned over, if he moved, they'd dig right into his back. 

That all didn't matter though as the next thing he felt was a powerful kick right on his chest. The spikes went deeper into his skin and Jason couldn't stop the cry that escaped his lips. He was sent crashing onto the floor, his head banged on the floor as the leg of the wooden chair he was tied to broke. The spikes dug ever so deeper into his back. 

“Aha! Now you're awake!” Joker said cheerfully, grinning down at the injured teen. 

Robin finally opened his eyes and looked around. 

He was on a stone floor. Probably in a cave, Joker was standing there, in the dark, his eyes fixed right into Jason's when he saw them, his grin widened. 

The cave they were in was massive Jason couldn't see the top at least. Jason didn't have the chance to look at anything else however, Joker grabbed his collar and pulled him up. Keeping the chair from falling.

“It was very helpful of you to pass out like that! It made transporting you here easier!” Joker said, still in that sick high pitched voice, grinning like the madman he was. 

Jason spat blood on the floor, his mouth tasting like copper. “You won't get away with this you clown! Batman will find me!” Jason said, glaring up at him. Joker looked at him. Then chuckled. And then burst out into laughter. Tears coming out of his eyes. “O-Oh! You stupid boy! Bat-HAHAHAH-Batman won't come for you! You're mine now!” 

And Jason lost all consciousness as his head was slammed on the stone floor. Joker hummed an old song to himself as he grabbed something else. Grinning sinisterly. Hopefully Batman came soon… . . 

Chapter Text

Jason crept through the underground tavern. He wasn't sure where he was, he had been completely out of it whenever any goons were chatting nearby. 

Joker made sure of it. 

His head was bursting with pain, dry blood caked his uniform, and swollen skin, it was probably infected with sepsis. At Least that's what Jason thought with how dizzy he felt. 

He didn't know how long he had been down here, whenever Joker came down for one of his visits, they were usually filled with Jason's screams and his laughter. 

Sometimes he would let the goons take their turns in beating him…And go forward with just more than the beating. 

Jason shook his head and continued to trudge forward towards the stairs. 

Joker must've been doing something really big today to leave him without any guards…… At Least he hoped it was that. 

He didn't know why Batman didn't show up to save him. Did he believe Jason had killed Garzonas? And if so, did that deem Jason guilty enough to suffer? Like this? When someone like Garzonas would've just spent the rest of his life in Spain terrorizing women? 

Jason started to climb the stone stairs… he could hear voices from above, the opening and shutting of doors…… the pattern of footsteps, and screaming. Where the hell was he? 

Then the worst thing he could've imagined happened. 

The door creaked open. Amid his panic and weakened state, Jason fell backward. 

The pain in his body spiked. Weeks old broken bones were re-shifted and broken again with each sickening crack as the teen fell down the rough stone stairs. “UGH- '' Jason grunted as he landed on the floor, his broken ribs digging into his lung…… 

“Well well well, seems like Birdboy couldn't wait for his beating today! He decided to hurt himself! AHAHAAHAHAA! AMAZING!!!”

Jason involuntarily shivered at the sick man's voice as he walked towards him. He yelped when Joker stepped on his back. 

“But that doesn't mean you'll escape our daily session today Birdy~ in fact, this little stunt just earned you a visit from a new guest!”

Jason stayed silent. New guest? Would it be another person who'd brutalize Jason? Force themselves onto him as he screamed and begged for mercy? 

If it was, Jason hoped he'd pass out before they arrived.

But when was Jason Todd ever lucky?

Joker made sure that Jason stayed awake. First, he was bound to that damned chair again, Barbed Wire secured tightly around his frame, drawing fresh blood and rupturing the clots, second, he threw a rag over his face, and Jason realized just a second too late what was going on.

“N-NO!” Came Jason’s muffled cry before cold water was poured right on the rag above his face, The captor writhed in pain, trying to get his face away from the water flow

“Ah ah ah! Not so fast, birdy! You’re so dirty! When was the last time you showered?? Can’t leave you all dirty for our guest now can we?”

More water was sprayed onto him, Ice Cold. From All sides, seeping into every inch of him, if humans could drown above ground, Jason hoped he’d drown right now. How could his guest be possibly any worse than Joker and his cronies???

He shouldn’t have jinxed it, for when the stench of the sewers hit his nostrils, he knew he was in for double the torment he had endured the past months.

“Ah, Waylon! There you are! Knew ol’ Bolesy would let you in! Now! Here’s the Boy Blunder! All Nice and clean!” Joker kicked the back of his chair, causing Jason to fall face first on the ground, the spikes only digging deeper. He grunted, and shivered, from the pain and the terror of what Killer Croc was going to do to him.

“Don’t ruin him completely though! We still need our little toy~” Joker stepped on his prisoner’s foot as he walked to Waylon, Jason dared to sneak a peek Croc was drooling.
Fucking Drooling.

Joker leaned on tiptoes to whisper something to him…what? What was he telling him!?

“Please,,Please don’t….” Jason’s voice was barely audible, he didn’t know why he bothered to beg, he knew that they had no intentions of being merciful. They had just proven it again and again throughout his imprisonment in this dungeon.
“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AW POOR BIRD BOY FINALLY SPEAKS! HE’S YOURS CROC GO WILD! Oh! And remember what I said~” With that, Joker left. Jason tried moving, tried to slither back, but Crock punched him.
In an instant Jason felt his teeth sink into his boot and pants, tearing through them, digging right into his flesh..and bone.

His screams echoed through the dungeon as his leg was ripped off. Slowly. Joker’s orders, of course, Croc just had to make it hurt! How would he learn his lesson otherwise?

Jason Todd was no longer Batman’s Robin, He belonged to Joker.

Chapter Text

“Helloooo”

Jason didn't move an inch

“Somebody thereeeee?*

Still nothing. 

“THERE YOU ARE!”

WHAM

Jason grunted as the crowbar slammed against his skull, it seemed like Joker had gotten tired of the chair…Now Jason was hung to the ceiling, by his hands, still with barbed wire, because why would Jason ever be tied up in Normal ropes? 

Jason's wrists were heavily bandaged, filled with dried up blood and rusty barbed wire… his breaths were short as his ribs had to heal themselves. 

His eyes were dropping. What day was it?he didn't know. It could've been months, years, weeks, and he wouldn't know how long he had been down here. His arms ached… his stump was bruised beyond relief…Sometimes Joker would let his girlfriend (He had a girlfriend! How in the world did anyone agree to date this monster?) Set her hyenas loose on him, and they enjoyed chowing down on his stump. 

But Joker's girlfriend… . Harley… yes… that was her name… was also Jason's private medic. 

Or Joker liked to call her so. 

The only medical attention Jason received was from Arkham Doctors on Joker's payroll making sure he didn't die. 

He hated it.

He wished they'd take the syringes they used on him and stick them in their eyeballs. 

Harley would drug him with God knows what, again and again. Sometimes he'd be completely awake, absolutely for any other Inmates that may want to spend some time with the captured bird. 

Two Face, Croc, Scarecrow, Black Mask, all the burns on Jason's body were because of him. Some giant man called Bane… Jason wasn't even sure he knew someone called Bane when he still was Batman's sidekick. 

No. 

He was Robin! 

Batman would find him! 

He had to! 

“Whatcha thinking there Birdie?”

Joker said cooly, now standing right in front of Jason with his eerie grin. God how Jason longer to punch those nasty yellow teeth in. 

“Mmm not in the mood to talk I see. Well I know I'll get a cry when I show you THIS!” 

Jason's breathing completely stopped. His droopy eyes  widened to their full extent and his pupils shrank. 

Joker was holding up…. Photos…several photos…of Batman….. And

“No…”

Jason wanted to scream , wanted to tell, thrash around, scream that this wasn't real. That Joker was lying with him, that it was another one of his tricks. But it all made sense. Batman hadn't come for him…And he… he had… 

“A new Boy wonder! Don't they look cute together? Batsy and his little birdie! This one even has a black cape!”

Joker said in his high sick voice of his. 

“No… no… he can't… he wouldn't do this to me…”

Jason said, whimpering as tears flooded his eyes, his lower lip wobbling. Joker's grin widened as he saw Jason break. 

“Aww… there-there birdie…”

Joker cupped- actually CUPPED Jason's cheek… What was happening? Joker was…… cooking at him? 

What? 

“I've known for weeks Batsy doesn't want you….. It's been a year! HA! A YEAR! since you've been with me! And we've had a blast haven't we?”

Joker jumped behind Jason and put a hand around Jason's waist, and started moving in a circle. Slowly. Causing the wire holding up Jason to twist among itself. 

“We've had such a great time! Right here! Under Arkham! Batsy has been here soooo many times and he still hasn't come! You know what that means right!?”

Joker said excitedly, while Jason was still comprehending the fact that it had been a year…A whole year of him under Arkham…and Bruce replaced him… 

“YOU'RE MINE NOW! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !”

Joker released Jason's waist, and laughed as he spun as the wire around his wrists untangled itself. Jason heaved when I finally stopped… if he had eaten anything he would've wretched all over Joker. God he wished he could do that…just to wipe that sickening smile off his nasty face… . 

Then he was dropped, “Ugh-” Jason grunted as he was dropped without warning on the stone cold floor. He cracked his eyelids open to see what just happened, but… Joker was in front of him, sideways…And…on his knees? There was something in his hand, a long metal stick…With something yellow at the top, glowing… No. Burning. 

“Can I have him daddy? Please PleasePleasePleasePleasePlease? 

I'll take really good care of him!!!”

Jason's eyes widened again. No. No no no no no… . This wasn't- NO! Then Joker jumped forward and stood up, crossing his arms, a playful smile on his face. 

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I suppose… . If we don't take him… Someone else will, or worse… Leave him here! Alone… freezing…”

He jumped back to his previous position. 

“Thank you daddy! He'll be happy with me!!!”

Then, Joker's head snapped in Jason's direction. 

“No… - No! Please- please no! Don't!” Jason whispered, his voice weak, he tried to crawl back, his injured hands working desperately to push him away, his singular foot propelling him away from Joker, as best it could. This was entertaining for Joker ofcourse, his laughs only Increased as he slowly stopped forward. Then, he dove forward and pressed the burning hot iron, welded into a shape of a ‘J’ onto his neck. 

The scream that tore from the teen's throat rang around the cave. Vibrating around the walls, Joker kept it pressed there. Until finally he pulled it away, along with bits and pieces of his skin. 

“There we go! Oh! Wait!”

He ignored Jason's broken pleas, as He sobbed, batting away Jason's weak attempts at pushing him off. 

“Why the long face Little J? You should be smiling!” 

In a flash, a knife was in his hand, then the same knife was slicing the edge of Jason's lip all the way to his ear. Leaving only a little distance. 

Jason's mouth was wide open as he screamed, it made Joker's job so, so much easier! Jason's left cheek followed suit. 

“Ohohoho! There we go! You look lovely! Aw my handsome boy! Your little friends above won't be able to keep their hands off of you! But first! You need a bath!”

“Please-please-please-no-no more! Please!” Jason begged, his lips bleeding, his throat was sore and his neck was burning. He just wanted it to end, he didn't want anymore! Bruce replaced him-Joker said he was his- NO! 

Joker grabbed a fistfull of Jason's grimy hair and started to drag him away from his bloody spot. Jason's weak fists did nothing to break the clown's grip. 

Over Joker's laughs, and his own screaming, Jason could hear Harley, shouting at some people, and a drag of something metallic coming down the stairs. What were they going to do to him? 

Chapter Text

Jason’s entire body burned with pain, from his broken bones begging to not be dragged against the rocky cavern floor, to his stump bleeding once again, Jason himself didn’t want to believe he was alive, no, this had to be Hell.
There was no way, No way that Bruce had replaced him with someone else!
He wouldn’t!
That was his dad! Dad would never do that to him!

Jason scream came out hoarse as Joker threw him on the floor, the pain in his newly burned neck flaring up as it hit the rocky floor. “No- No! Please!”
Jason didn’t know why he was begging, what would he do if they stopped?
He couldn’t run. He couldn’t fight. All he could do was beg. 

Some Robin he was.

“Oh don’t worry Kid!” Joker said as he stepped on Jason’s back. “It’ll be completed soon enough. Have some patience boy!” Jason grunted as a kick was delivered to the back of his head, his nose slammed forward and with a sickening crack Jason felt blood flowing down his nostrils. “AHHAHAHAHAH! WHOOPS!” Joker wheezed as he realised Jason’s nose had broken upon impact.

Then the clunking of a metallic object being dragged down the stairs stopped. Jason slowly raised his head up, his neck still burning, the sweat making the pain worse than it was. “See this boy, Now that the Bat has washed his paws off you, you’re all for the taking! I mean, you were already mine but now It’s official!” 

And Jason? All he wished for was what he had been wishing for six months. The sweet release of death. For what he saw was certainly worse than death. 

It was a tank, inside it was green liquid, it was swirling…but glowing and bubbling. He knew what it was, how couldn't he? Bruce had shown him the footage, of Red Hood falling into the acid, how Joker came to be. 

He screamed, and thrashed, actually managing to shake Joker a bit. He had his goons lift him up by the arms, his screams got louder, je begged, cried, cursed, but it fell on deaf ears. They lifted him up. 

But they didn't throw him. 

No…

“Harley dear? The drug.”

Joker said, holding a hand up. Harley giggled. “Of course Mr J! We can't forget about that!”

She picked up a syringe from a nearby tray and filled it up with a bottle near it. Then she turned around and walked to Jason, her grin identical with her boyfriend’s. 

“This should do just the trick!”

Jason flinched as she rammed the needle into his neck. He gasped as she pulled it out…he didn't know what that drug did, but then he started to sweat, a lot. “Ngh- what-” He grunted. 

He felt his eyes grow more sensitive to the lights installed in the cave, and then he screamed as the pain reached new heights. The burned mark on his neck flared up again, so did the pain in his bones and wrists along with his bruised stump. 

Harley whooped. “There ya go Mr J! Maximum pain for his initiation! He'll never forget it!” She said cheerfully, Joker hollered with laughter. “THROW HIM IN FELLAS!”

Suddenly everything felt like it slowed down for Jason, as he was lifted up by his weakened joints of his armpits, above the green liquid, and then thrown in, it felt as if it were a different state of reality, maybe Jason had gone insane, just like every other person in Arkham. Maybe this was a dream, and he'd wake up in his chair, maybe he had died when the building collapsed on him and this was his own personal hell. 

And now he was burning. The acid was just like fire as it burned every inch of his skin. Not leaving a single place like it was before. It got into his wounds, into his burn. Into his ears. Every time he tried to get out of the tank he would be pushed back down. Once when he tried to grab on, someone cut his pinky finger off his left hand. Giving him a new open wound and just another area for the acid to burn beyond recognition. 

Finally he was pulled out, he ended up passing out as soon as his burned, bruised, broken and battered body hit the cave floor. 

Chapter Text

Someone was talking. Maybe it was Joker. Maybe just a wannabe goon….. Jason didn't like it. The high pitched noise was grating. He wanted it to stop. He wanted it to just leave him alone, why couldn't he get any peace and quiet in this damn cave? 

He let out noise of displeasure, as he sat in his chair, his skin was as white as bone, littered with scars, from gashes made into the skin, from cuts, bruises, broken bones that had protruded the skin. Everything. He only had a baggy pair of pants on, Joker had stripped his Robin uniform away. 

Good. He wasn't Robin anymore. Batman had made sure of that. 

Jason didn't know how long it had been since Harley had visited, those injections she gave him to keep his mind in a haze, to keep him from screaming,leave him silent and in pain, depending on torture method Joker wanted to use on the day, they weren't having the desired effects anymore. 

But Jason didn't show it. Right now this wanna be was trailing a knife down Jason's neck, thinking it would scare him. 

Probably just a new inmate in the asylum who didn't know any better. 

“Hey! I'm talking to you freak!”

The man yelled, slapping Jason on the face, Jason's long black hair fell over his eyes, then, he slowly turned his head back towards the man. The hair fell back into place as he glared up at the man. 

It was a terrifying sight. A teenager with unnaturally white skin, a smile permanently carved onto his face, a j burn mark on his neck. Upper body was littered with scars…

“Finally. Jeez. Anyone would think you're a vegetable.”

The man raises his knife to plunge it into Jason's arm. Jason didn't flinch. The knife tore through the flesh and bone, digging deep into Jason's left arm. 

He didn't react. His expression didn't change either. 

The man was laughing at the sight, then he fell to his knees clutching his groin. 

The maniac had failed to take into account that Jason's legs were not tied. His arms were not tied. 

Joker had specifically invited him here after he had pissed Joker off. Joker had said that he could meet his ‘son’

The man had failed to take into account that he was not the one incharge here. 

It was Jack Of Spades. 

Jason slowly got up, he pulled the knife out of his arm, not even flinching. Over the past few months, he had gotten some fat on his body back, the drugs they were putting in him day and night seemed to have some results. No one cared how it left Jason feeling, why would they. 

“Wh- WHAT THE HELL?”

The sadist screamed as Jason advanced on him. In one swift motion, Jason sliced his mouth, giving him a similar smile to his own. 

Jason's smile widened, and he grinned, yellow teeth full on display, a few of them missing. 

He kept advancing on the criminal, as he tried to back away. Jason then pounced on him, and started to stab him in the chest.

He had stabbed him 20 times before a hand grabbed his shoulder. 

“That's enough kiddo”

Jason dropped the knife and got up, turning around to see Joker standing there, a delighted grin on his face. 

“You did well, good boy.”

Joker said, cupping Jason's face. 

Jason wanted to break his hands. 

But he couldn't. Not yet. It had been maybe 2 months since his skin had been bleached. Joker had just started to trust him. To think that Jason saw himself as Joker's son. 

Joker didn't consider that after he showed Jason the picture of Batman with his shiny new Robin, Jason wouldn't want a new father. Especially Joker. But he played along. Letting Joker fall into his trap. 

“Thank you… papa…”

Jason spoke hoarsely. He knew his vocal cords would never recover, not after all the screaming. But it was okay, no one was interested in what Jason had to say before. No one would care. 

Joker howled with laughter as Jason spoke and thumped his back, his gaze travelled down to Jason's legs, where he now had a prosthetic foot. After Joker had cut off his foot months ago. 

“You're getting better at using that new leg of yours! Soon… . Soon you'll be able to come with me on our missions, and soon we'll be unstoppable! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !”

Jason tried to laugh too, but with his damaged vocal chords it sounded nothing like a laugh, Joker scrunched his nose. 

“ Eurgh . Well, we'll work on that later. Go sit down Jackie, Papa's got some calls to make~”
With that he skipped away, and Jason was left alone in the cave. 

Chapter Text

The word around Arkham Asylum had spread. Batman’s little bird was no longer his. Now it belonged to the Joker. Fully belonged to him. And ever since Joker had started letting him loose on the inmates, a lot less people started to pay him ‘visits’ but Jason waited. He loosely remembered the faces of the men and women who’d do the most gruelling and unbearable things to him…and then live peacefully in that asylum. Funded by Bruce Wayne…he’d never forget. Joker started to hire him teachers a month after his first kill. Three years after he had been officially captured and was declared dead to the public.

These teachers included some of the more ‘dangerous’ inmates. Mercs, assassins, hitmen, and the sort who were imprisoned in the asylum. Jason- no. Jack- because that’s what Joker (And Harley) called him. Jack.

Jack didn’t know their stories, nor did he care, he endured whatever torture- whatever pain they they inflicted, he took it, he held it in him, and he’s strike back twice as hard. IT wasn’t easy, with a prosthetic foot. It took him 4 months to learn how to walk, run, and fight on it, all the while trying to build muscle, he supposed that all the drugs Joker and Harley were pumping him with must’ve helped speed up the process….

But those drugs didn't help with his looks. He looked horrid. He didn’t like looking in the mirror when he would brush his teeth. A Gaunt Skull-white face, wild curly black hair, sunken blue eyes that looked fit for a corpse rather than a human, scars littered all over his body and limbs, the J burned onto his neck…
No one would like looking in the mirror if they looked like him, but Papa always said he looked amazing…of course he did. And maybe Jas- Jack was finally starting to believe it.

Some would say Jack was Joker’s favourite person in the asylum, of course that wasn’t a good thing for Jack. Papa loved him so much, infact, he'd talk to Jack for hours, Jack only spoke when Joker asked him to though. Didn't want to anger him. Usually Joker would speak to him about his future plans, what he was going to do,how he’d drown the world in chaos, how they could break the bat and his birds together, stuff like that. But today it was something else entirely.

“Well junior I gotta say, you’ve made good progress!” He said as he stood behind Jack, who was sitting in the same chair as always, in the middle of the cave, to a sane it person it would sound morbid, but Jason had grown attached to this chair of his, sure it was uncomfortable and covered with his own dried up blood and god knows what else, but it was his, the only consistent thing in his life… It was his. His mind snapped back once Joker smacked his head.

“Hey quit daydreaming on me you little brat! Gosh, Kids these days…” Joker rolled his eyes, his other hand’s grip tightening on Jack’s shoulder, Jack sat up straighter, the injury flaring up in his shoulder. Joker hummed. “As I was saying- I have managed to secure a beautiful contract with a very special guy~ he’s agreed to train you! But it was sooo expensive! So you better be good! Pay attention to your lessons!”
He planted a kiss on top of Jack’s head, the old smaller part of Jason wanted to throw up in disgust, but a larger part of him…he glowed. Affection was a rarity down here, especially from Joker, at first he had hated himself for finding comfort in affection from his tormentor…but slowly, that guilt had died.

Joker hummed a song to himself as he skipped out of the cave, Then, Jack heard something move along above in the cave, someone was up there, he stood up, making sure to use his normal leg and prosthetic leg carefully, he pulled a knife out of hi pocket, looking up in the dark cave. Then BAM searing pain erupted in his left shoulder, blood staining his black blazer, he grunted in pain, he had high pain tolerance but it didn’t help. He dropped the knife, clutching his shoulder, then he was hit in the back of his head, hard, he was sent crashing down onto the stone floor, where a sickening crack and a warm flow of fresh blood on his face told him that his nose had been broken.

“Tch, this is more pathetic then I could’ve imagined.” A mechanical voice said from behind him, Jack snarled in anger, getting on his knees, looking behind him only to be met with a boot to his face. Jason yelped, feeling his teeth break. He had caught a glimpse of his new ‘Teacher’ though, blue and orange armour. He had seen this peculiar costume once before…

“Why Joker is bothering with even training you is beyond me, but at least it is paying well.” Jack could feel another hit coming, he used his good hand to grab his gun, turned around and shot through his assaulter’s raised foot.

“RAH!” The teacher screamed as the bullet went through his foot, Jack giggled, fully turning around, using his elbow to lift himself up the floor to get a good view of his new trainer, and as he had guessed it- It was Deathstroke, Deathstroke looked up, he could feel his anger radiating off him, Jack raised his gun again, only for Deathstroke to throw a knife into Jack’s wrist again. “OW!”Jack fell on his back, now with his wrist and shoulder both bleeding. Deathstroke limped over to him.

“Maybe you do have something in you.” Then with another stomp, Jack was knocked out.

Chapter Text

Jack felt light, almost as if he was floating, he felt cool wind on his face and bare torso…almost as if he was in a park on a bright sunny day with his mama and papa, they’d treat him to a show in the theatre or a day out in the park whenever they could, his mother hadn’t fallen to her addiction, when his father still had a stable job, papa would ruffle his hair whenever he got an A, take him to the garage he worked at, say that Jason would achieve great things, that he’d get out of Gotham and live a good life…..
Part of him was glad his parents weren’t here to see him anymore.

They had tried everything for him, till their last breath…and yet here he was. Lying on an old hospital bed from the asylum above them in a different section of the cave, Harley Quinn pumping god knows what into his system….He was pathetic. Joker even told him so. And he hated it, he hated it because it was true, hated it because it hurt , he would never forgive himself for seeing Joker as a father. Everyday he was torn on it, the only father he had was Willis. That is it. Bruce wasn't his father, no Bruce saw him as a soldier. Joker wasn’t his father, he was his master and Jason was a toy, a worthless, broken toy…

Yet those small moments of affection, those small praises, the small jokes they cracked at the inmates Jason would kill, they were like a drug of their own. Joker had him given him a name….he was doing so much so Jack could succeed and join him on his antics, he wasn’t replacing anyone with him! Not like Bruce replaced him with Dick. No…he didn’t have to fill anyone’s shoes, he had to do just as asked. And right now Papa wanted him to be strong!

It had been two months since Deathstroke had started training him…well calling it ‘training’ would be a stretch, Jack was his new punching bag in all honesty. You could say there was ‘progress’ with his training… it wasn’t enough, Joker of course realised that crippling Jack like that was stupid but it was too late for that. His new leg had been ingrained into his flesh and bone. It was hard to walk on it at first, but he had no other choice, he had to learn, to adapt. 

Starving someone for months in a cave and leaving them with open wounds when rats inhabited the same cave also wasn't a smart decision, so of course Harley had the bright idea of pumping Jack with even more drugs… they were probably the only thing keeping him going by this point. Before them he’d be sick constantly, he had to defecate in his pants while tied to the chair for hours so of course that made him even more sick, but these drugs…he didn’t know what Harley had developed working with the other doctors at Arkham who were just as twisted as their patient, but they worked. The more he took them, the less pain he felt. From Deathstroke’s blows, from his own wounds.

Today, Joker came down to check on Jack’s progress. He was pleased, Jack didn’t crumble in the first 10 minutes, no, he struck back and withstood the hits. “There we go Jackie! I told ya Mama Harley’s food would cause you to grow biiiiiiiig and strong!” He slapped Jack’s back, an old wound was there, but it felt numb. Jack, for the first time noticed, that yes, He had grown ‘big’, when he was captured at 15, he was a malnourished Teen who had no chances of crossing 5’3..but he was at least 5’7 now ... .just what were they giving him??

He didn’t know. A bigger part of him didn’t want to know. Ignorance was bliss after all, it worked when he was trying to go to sleep in his cardboard box while a gang war was raging a block away from him, it was when he pretended to not listen in to Bruce telling Dick that the only reason he took Jason in was because he missed him, and Batman was certainly living in bliss now, with his new bird.
“AND KID!” Joker skipped excitedly. “It’s almost been a year and a half since  I got you” He slung an arm around Jack’s neck. “Hell it’s in a week! So, I need you to keep training with Uncle Slade mmkay? Because after that, there’s going to be a test! A test where we’ll see if you’re finally ready to be with your old man J!” Jack’s eyes widened, he…he could leave …? The training it was over?

“Ahhh I see you’re excited!” Joker snorted, he patted Jack’s cheek. “Don’t get too over your head kiddo!” He traced the ‘J’ mark on his neck. “I won’t make it easy! I never do!”

Oh that Jack was sure about. But The mere idea of getting out of here felt unreal, maybe a year and a half hadn’t passed, maybe he was still on his chair, dazed out of his mind after Killer Croc had chewed his leg off…no. No. He looked like Joker. His cheeks were carved into a permanent smile, his skin bleached white beyond repair, J mark on his neck. He was his. Joker’s. Joker’s will was the only thing that could get him out. Part of him glowed under his praise, but the other, more sinister part, maybe his leftover self from his past craved revenge.

On whom though, exactly? After Joker, Harley, The rogues, who else was there? He didn’t know the names of the guards who allowed this, didn’t know what medics and other psychologists in the asylum were helping them….He had to know. All of them would have to suffer like he did. And he couldn’t just go on a rampage, that would end with him back on the chair, reliving everything. No no, he had to take one, one legged step at a time.

But first he had to get past this…’test’

‘But- Papa’s started to trust us’ a part of his mind whispered, he called that part Jason.Joker’s puppy. Just a kid yearning for parental approval like a naive idiot.

“Joker doesn’t trust anyone. He sees me as a pawn. Just like Bruce did. Look at what he does to Harley when he thinks I’m sleeping or unconscious, he doesn’t care about us.” He snapped back

Joker snapped his fingers in front of Jack’s eyes. “Kid! I’m talking to you! You haven’t seen the light of day for more than a year yet you still have the audacity to daydream in front of me?” He scoffed. “Kids these days. Well I guess Slade hit your head pretty hard, go rest. He’ll be back in five hours.”

Joker walked away, leaving the teen standing there, lost to his own thoughts.

Chapter Text

For all the months Jack had been imprisoned in the cave, he had never expected he’d see a professional video camera, giant screens and studio lights down here, but he supposed that he should’ve grown used to the bizarre ideas Joker had, he was now his student after all. For the past few weeks, Joker’s praises for him had increased, not a day went by when he wasn’t bragging about him to the other inmates in the asylum, he was always going on and on about how proud he was of his little “Jackie”, sure he never cared when Jack was concussed after receiving a beatdown from Deathstroke but Jack chased after the praise anyways.

Now here he was, in a black suit and tux, sitting on his chair, facing the camera, a crazed look in his eye. His grin as wide as ever thanks to the permanent smile carved into his cheeks.

“Now now J junior, tell me, what is your name?”
Joker asked in his usual tone, giggling obnoxiously as he aimed the camera at him. The younger man grinned and said
“Jack. Jack Of Spades.”

Joker nodded and then continued
“And who do you hate…?”

A small part of him wanted to scream “YOU”,it wanted to jump up from the chair and strangle Joker, watch the smile disappear off his gratingly pasty face.
But like usual,he buried that part deep inside of him. And said instead-

“Batman”
He spoke excitedly

“And what is his nammmmeee? Hmm?”
Joker prompted, matching his excitement, but just before the younger clown could even utter a word, a gunshot rang out,he looked down at his chest,blood gushed out,staining his white shirt he looked up at Joker, he laughed and jeered behind the camera,mocking Batman, and then Jack laughed too.

Because it was just a sick twisted joke and he was the punchline.Everytime. Joker didn't want him, he only ever used him to get to Batman. Embracing his life down here, laughing at the madman’s jokes, getting beaten up by the mercenary he hired to ‘train him’

It was probably for his own entertainment, he probably got tired of torturing him in that rotten old chair so he had him be beaten under the guise of training,but when he started to fight back even with the pain,it got boring…and now,he was discarding him, like an old broken toy.

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he slumped to the floor,looking up at the rocky ceiling,then he was carried away,would they throw him in the Asylum’s morgue above like nothing happened?Or would Killer Croc eat him?He didn't know, and frankly he didn't care anymore.

***

He didn’t expect to wake up, but no, he was awake,in the same bed where Harley put all sorts of drugs in him, sometimes assisted by Scarecrow,they treated him like he was their science project.

But today,he was just patched up and linked up to a ventilator. So Joker didn't want to get rid of him…?or was he planning to keep him alive to just torture him further???

God, why couldn't he just let him bleed out on the Rocky floor.
Batman clearly did not give a damn about him he was probably swinging above them every night with his new boy wonder. Joker barely gave a damn about Harley so why did Jason think he'd care about him?

God he was so stupid. Trusting Batman,then for months trusting Joker…. Maybe he deserved to be tortured, just for his sheer stupidity. Why, why couldn't he just stay away from Batman and Joker's stupid fight that night,why did he intervene to save Batman….

Then, Joker walked in, hands behind his back, he skipped up to Jason's bedside.

“Hi Jackie! I see you loved my little joke back there!”
*He chuckled,ruffling Jason's hair,
He hated how he wanted to lean into it.

“That must've given Batsy a real shock! Hehe, just wait until you recover, you'd be the seconded greatest showman out there!Second to only me of course”

He snorted

“Rest up now kiddo, because as soon as you're back on your one natural and one metallic foot! We're going out!”

Jack smiled weekly, good. He had wanted to leave this cave as soon as he'd woken up in here. Of course when he did try to leave a year ago,Killer Croc ate his fucking foot. He'd get back to him for that. He'd get back to ALL of them.

As soon as he recovered,Joker would regret not letting him bleed out. Jack wouldn't be his pawn anymore, no more being the discarded Robin, the sidekick who switched hands in Batman's and Joker's sick game. Once he was done with his tormentors in Arkham, he was going after the Bat and his new bird.

Chapter Text

Jack, or Jason, was no stranger to extravagant costumes or new names or aliases, even in elementary school he’d participate in stage plays, didn’t matter if he was in the background dressed up as a tree or in front and center as the main hero, he embraced the roles he played, when he lost his parents he went by several names on the streets, avoiding cops, nosy adults and social workers, and then ofcourse, he became Robin. It was a new role, a new name, and he put his heart and soul into playing it, to live up to the previous Robin, but even when he wasn’t Robin, he was trying to live up Dick Grayson’s reputation, his achievments.

All for nothing. Batman had left him in this hell, he had found a new actor, someone who could play that role better than him. Now, he stood in front of a mirror, a full floor-length mirror, observing his appearance from head to toe. he shouldn’t look like this, no, he was starved nearly to death, Bruce and Leslie Thompson had said that because of his childhood malnourishment he’d never grow past 5’5, an after being starved and tortures for a year..he should’nt be.

He didn’t know what Harley and her old colleagues had pumped him with, they’d bring over other doctors, too, those who weren’t from Arkham. Jason knew they paid good money for them. He was routinely injected with all sorts of stimulants; he suspected they were steroids or Bane’s venom, just in a lesser quantity. Whatever they were, they kept him alive. And ofcourse, they made him tall and muscular, it was strange, if he wasn’t bleached white and didn’t have his face carved into a permanent smile, he would’ve looked like his father, he still had his nose, his eyes, the same jaw, but he was still unrecognizable, the mop of black hair on his head was messy and unruly.
Turns out getting thrown in acid really doesn’t do hair any favours, he was surprised that it was still black.

Jason ran his hands over his bleached and scarred body, and not a single inch of his skin was left unscarred. The ‘J’ Ensignia was still burned onto the skin of his neck, his metallic foot didn’t feel foreign, but he could still feel Killer Croc’s teeth ripping off his leg sometimes though….

He looked at the clothes that had been left on a chair for him, he picked up the black pants, and slid them on, hiding away his scarred legs, then a white shirt, a black vest with white stripes, and then a sleek black trench coat, on there were white outlines around the pockets, and on the collar a white spade. The shirt didn’t hide his neck, where the ‘J’ mark was. Then he picked up the domino mask and put it on; it brought back bad memories of his Robin mask, the one that was stuck to his grimy, sweaty, and bloody face for months upon months until it finally broke completely. But there was something else, too. A helmet. Completely white, except for the expression painted on it. A classic mime’s face, with the elongated smile, matching the one Jack had permanently carved into his skin.. He stared into its blank eyes for a few moments; they quite resembled his own. With a shrug, he put it on.

Not a moment later, Joker waltzed into Jason’s quarters and squealed when he saw Jason in his new costume.

“OOOOOO My BOY!!! You look absolutely dashing in your new suit!!! Ahh~ Black and White! Just like you, dear”
He said, booping Jack’s helmet, then he patted Jack’s muscular physique, which shouldn’t have existed in the first place, with how stared he was for months on end, but alas, enhanced steroids worked quite well in their world. Jack suspected that they had given him a lower level of the venom…

But he didn’t care anymore. He was just biding his time. He didn’t even remember what his age was anymore. All he remembered were the faces and names of those who had taken everything away from him, his life, his face, his name, his LEG.
And as soon as Joker took him out of this prison? He was taking Joker out. He considered how he’d do it. Maybe he’d kill him himself…but Joker would probably be pleased with him turning out like him. Maybe he should stage his death as an accident…Then, as he saw Joker rambling about them taking on the Bats and the Birds together…he knew.

He’d make Batman kill him. Or at least make him think he did.
Because Batman couldn’t fathom the thought of killing the Joker, for him at least, when he had brainwashed Catwoman, he had been more than ready to do it, and JASON had to pull him off. But it was fine. His time in the chair had taught him to stop thinking that he mattered to someone. The only people he mattered to were his parents. But his father was killed by Two-Face, the very same man who had taken great delight in tormenting him down here, and his mother…? Maybe she didn’t care about him that much after all. In the end, she chose her precious drugs over him. Just like Bruce chose another Robin.

But they’d pay. They’d ALL pay.

But right now, he joined in on Joker’s manical laughter, after not even listening to his monologue.