Archive of Our Own ^beta

JJ grinned at the roaring flames above him from where he was burrowed into Bernard’s side. The flames crawled up the gas station, fully engulfing the long since evacuated building in no time at all. The fire danced and licked at Gotham’s smog-heavy sky. The ever present gray of the city forcefully chased away as the fire grew larger and more out of control. JJ had no desire to stop the delighted laugh that spilled from his lips. He looked up at Bernard with excitement and Bernard looked back with just as much unhinged joy in the face of the chaos around them.

JJ bounced up onto his toes and caught Bernard’s lips into a heated-ha-kiss. Bernard smiled into the kiss and JJ felt his heart speed up in his chest. Soon they had to break away for air but they didn’t move far from each other.

“We should leave soon. There are most likely firefighters on the way and we wouldn’t wanna get caught at the scene of our crime now would we?” said Bernard, quiet but teasing.

JJ groaned. “Arson isn’t even a real crime! Everyone’s so dramatic all the time when a fire breaks out! Like-’oh god help me please i'm burning alive!’ and ‘my baby is in there, have mercy!’-like why can’t you just appreciate the light show? Everyone’s a critic, Bear!” JJ stomped his foot after his ramble, his hands gesturing wildly during his rant. He went along easily as Bernard gently pulled him away from their original spot.

“Unfortunately, most people don’t have any understanding of the inherent beauty in chaos.” Bernard’s voice hummed with the otherworldly energy that JJ had fallen in love with. His normally brown eyes twisted into shades of purple and were sharp enough to cut through time and space if he so chose.

“Bear,” JJ whined. “You can’t pay attention to me if your mind is in another dimension again. Come back.”

Bear blinked before shaking his head and sending a fond look towards JJ. JJ preened at his boyfriend’s attention.

“Much better!” JJ grinned.

Bernard rolled his eyes playfully before analyzing their current surroundings. They had wandered deep into Crime Alley. Neither he nor JJ were worried. Most knew to stay away from them unless they were looking for trouble. JJ swung his and Bernard's conjoined hands. Humming a song only he could hear.

It was only moments later that a breeze ran through them and the sound of heavy boots hitting concrete reached JJ and Bernard’s ears.

JJ perked up. “Oo do we have company?”

Bernard’s head cocked to the side. “Seems like it.”

The duo pivoted onto another more deserted street and waited for their stalker to approach them. They didn’t have to wait long before a muscular figure dropped in front of them. JJ lit up with excitement at the sight of the new player. His expression was bright, and intense, similarly to the fire they had set earlier in the night.

“Well hello there stranger!” JJ chirpped, uncaring of the mysterious figure who was currently burning holes into his disturbingly pale face with his gaze.

“Red Hood, was it?” Bernard squinted.

The man rolled his shoulders and stood taller. “Yes. We have some things we need to discuss.” Despite what his sentence suggested he soon went quiet again. He seemed to be simply observing the two. Trying to see how they’d react to such a demand. The silence hung heavy between the three of them.

“WOW! For someone who wants to ‘discuss’ you are NOT much of a talker, are ya! Aw well that’s alright hoodie! I can talk enough for both of us! Y’know I'm known for my fantastic conversational skills!” JJ’s glee filled voice punched through the silence. There was a restless energy that vibrated underneath his skin. Bernard supposed he had found a new puzzle to break open and solve within this new person. Bernard swayed closer to him, unable to stray too far away from the boy he loved so dearly. Especially when he looked so beautifully wild.

Red Hood shifted on his feet, defensively. Bernard couldn't help but respect this just slightly. Even built like he was, even when Bernard could see how he was armed to the nines, Red Hood still seemed to be able to identify when a threat was standing in front of him. Good. Although Bernard and JJ had fun using others underestimating their abilities to their advantage, there was a certain thrill in being recognized as a duo to be weary of near immediately.

“I don't think we introduced ourselves!” JJ tutted. “How rude! If I was at all remorseful I'd put one of those fancy guns you got there on your hip down my throat and pull the trigger for my negligence!”

Bernard could practically smell the uneasiness coming off Red hood in waves. JJ had that effect on people. Bernard may have been worried if he didn’t know his boyfriend as well as he did. He knew JJ made statements like those consciously more often than not. He liked getting a rise out of people. Liked to see in real time as their stomach turned and their skin crawled with disgust at the gruesome image JJ painted for them as easily as he breathed.

“That won’t be necessary.” Red hood said gruffly. Shoving calloused hands into the pockets of what could be identified to be a leather jacket through the darkness of Gotham night.

JJ cackled. “No.” He trailed off into giggles. “I suppose not.”

Bernard gently nudged his shoulder. “Introductions?”

JJ nodded aggressively. “Oh yeah! Im JJ! Sometimes Junior! Don't use the full name though, you aren’t my papa.” JJ’s face screwed up momentarily but the smile reappeared quickly.

Bernard nodded. “My name is Bernard. JJ calls me Bear.” Bernard pressed closer to JJ. “Only JJ calls me Bear.”

Red Hood nodded absent-mindedly, Bernard didn’t mind being brushed off so blatantly. He had a feeling he wasn’t the one who Hood really wanted to speak with.

“What would that full name be, JJ?” Red hood’s voice was tense.

JJ cocked his head to the side, a bit too far to be considered comfortable. He stared. Deliberately making the moment drag on uncomfortably. He continued to stare until he finally hummed at whatever he saw. JJ was aware of how he was perceived. He encouraged it. He knew people thought his brain was completely fried. They thought of him as a gutted version of a sweet boy gone too soon. He knew they looked at him like that of a rabid dog. He knew they thought he didn’t have any real thoughts knocking around in his head. But truly, JJ was insane. Not stupid.

“Joker Junior. Papa J snatched me up as a little birdy and made me in his image.” JJ spread his arms wide and smiled with far to many teeth. It seemed like he was no longer looking at Hood anymore. Rather, it was as if he was seeing through him and into the past. A past full of pain.

But there was something else–because JJ was nothing if not conflicting in his complexity– There seemed to be a strange new kind of clarity while he spoke. He had moments like these, where someone who may have known him long long ago could see a flicker of who he had been before everything went to shit.

Even then, JJ was a performer. He was the star of his own series of endless horror. His smile never dropped, his eyes never watered, JJ couldn’t ever seem to let his face settle into a frown most days anyway, and his tears had run dry after the second week with Papa J.

JJ blinked and the clarity was gone. Red hood’s fists looked clenched tight in his jacket. If his helmet hadn’t obscured his face from the two of them, they would’ve seen the way his face drained of color.

“But you knew that.” Bernard spoke up, Red hood’s head whipping around to face him again.

“Most people keep a wide distance between us and them. They know of us, but they do not look beneath the surface. We are cryptids amongst humans to most.” Bernard paused.

“But you approached us. You have continued to stand there and endure every bit of agonizing and uncomfortable dialogue. You continue to inch closer throughout this conversation. As if the closer you get the clearer our secrets may be. You are looking for answers to questions that have been left unanswered. But you have more answers than the average person. You are a wanderer rather than a traveler. A traveler rather than a visitor. A visitor rather than a stranger .” Bernard’s voice echoed between them. His next question pressed against Hood’s jugular like a knife prepared to kill. “Who are you visiting, I wonder?”

Red Hood was frozen in place. His feet anchored to the cracked pavement beneath him. When he speaks next it's with a hoarse voice.

“You always speak in riddles? Or am I just special?”

JJ shakes his head, looking up at Bernard dreamily. “No, no, no. Not special. Bear just has a magical way with words when he’s dissecting those who stand against us.”

Bernard shook his head. “He is no obstacle to us, JJ.” Bernard said, staring without blinking. A million images passing between him and Red Hood. A million overlapping sounds, some being voices, screaming and begging. Laughing and celebrating. Some just plain grating noise. Like nails on a chalk board. Like a crowbar scraping against the floor of an abandoned warehouse too far away from home. “Just…lost.”

It was then Red hood ripped off his helmet and stumbled to the side. He has no control of the way bile climbs up his throat and leaves a mess of sick between the ripped trash bags and used needles.

JJ coos. “Bear, he's sick.” Despite his pitying words he stays grinning.

“He’ll be alright, darling.” Bernard smiles back.

Red hood is breathing heavily when he looks up from the ground. “You guys are fucked up.”

“Is that something you just noticed?” JJ said looking deceptively innocent in his confusion.

Red Hood hesitated before straightening again. “I came here looking for Timothy Drake.” JJ stiffens.

“But-” Red Hood raked a hand over his suddenly exhausted face, JJ felt a scream bubbling up in his throat. “But I realize now that that boy isn’t here anymore.”

JJ blinked rapidly at the easy acceptance. He wasn’t one to care about validation from people outside of his chosen few. The Bats were a prime example of this. They were persistent in their guilt driven pursuit to make him Tim again. But this man in front of him, who went by his papa’s old name and who seemed heavy with emotional turmoil and confusion. He just accepted JJ as he was now.

He felt familiar, JJ realized. The observation caught on a sharp edge of his broken brain and when ripped open, it revealed more than JJ could’ve ever been prepared for.

“Jason.” JJ said slowly, Red Hood flinched. “Jason Todd back from the dead.” JJ sang delightedly.

Red Hood’s expression tightened but he nodded nonetheless.

JJ clapped his hands together, that restless energy begging for a new puzzle returning ten fold. JJ whipped around to Bernard.

“You think mama would mind if I brought him home with me?” Jason choked at JJ’s words.

“Hold up, kid-” JJ shushed him.

Bernard shrugged. “I don’t know. Are you sure you want him?”

JJ bounced on his toes. “You said it yourself! He’s lonely!” JJ skipped up to Jason snatching his hand and tugging on him. “Please? Mama makes really good lasagna and sings really pretty songs!”

Jason looked constipated, and with gentle firmness pried JJ’s fingers off him. “Listen, Junior. I don't know your thought process right now, but let me tell ya’, whatever found family situation you’re trying to make happen won’t ever work out.”

“Jason c’mon!” JJ stomps his foot. “You don't have to be alone! You can come home to people who understand! Mama says a support system is super duper important! With no support system you’ll crumble into a million pieces! You’ll die alone and sad and become another meat sack for worms to gnaw on in an unmarked grave! I just got you back!” JJ was screeching, before Bernard put a firm hand on his arm.

“How about we give him some time to think it over?” Bernard suggested softly.

JJ groans dramatically, digging his fingernails into the meat of his cheeks and scratching downwards. Jason jerks forward like he wants to restrain him but Bernard shoots him a warning look.

“FINE! Fine.” JJ crosses his arms tight over his chest.

JJ suddenly spun on his heel and stormed away kicking pebbles along his way. Abruptly deciding he was done with the conversation. He made no attempt to quiet his frustration as he stomped away. Bernard easily saddles up next to him and listens intently. All Jason could do was stand there in utter disbelief.

“We could've had bunk beds.” JJ threw his hands up dramatically.

“Im pretty sure hes too big for bunk beds. Dunno if you noticed but he’s built like a brick shithouse…”

And that was the last Jason heard before they turned the corner and disappeared into the night. Off to return to what Jason could reasonably assume to be Harley Quinn’s home.

Jason stared at the empty space the two had occupied just minutes earlier, face blank. With no idea how to begin processing that trainwreck, he snatched his helmet up from where he had discarded it, shoved it onto his head and got the hell out of dodge.

It was meant to be a brief meeting. A simple discussion where he’d gather information on his former replacement and his replacement’s ever elusive partner. He planned out the meeting to a T, with the scarce information he had.

But the duo had not stuck to the script Jason had laid out mentally and things had spiraled out of control before he could wrap his head around where the conversation was being steered.

That was partially his fault, Jason muses. He should have known that not one thing in Gotham could ever go as planned.