Jason Peter Todd. That name was known to many, the problem was where you knew him from. Well there wasn't a lot of places, you where either a kid from Gotham that ran around the dirtiest parts of the city, or you where a billionaire and his butler.

Jason's life, despite what most people would think. Did not start when he became part of the dynamic duo known as Batman and Robin.

Dynamic his ass.

It started when he was back to being a little futile boy around Crime Alley. No. Not the alley itself. But since it was so well known, people had taken to call the whole 2 blocks next to it 'Crime Alley'. The name was pretty accurate. There was drugs, alcohol, he was pretty sure that half of the women sleeping with the men weren't exactly into it and where more forced onto the whole thing.

But Jason was fine with all of that. It was Gotham after all. The city was known for being tainted by all of this. Although he was pretty sure even without the people the city would still be all grimy. After all the Joker was still around.

What Jason couldn't stand. Was the abuse. He'd seen his fair amount of boys and girls with bruises down his street, or clothes too old and baggy for a 5 year old. And some looked like they hadn't eaten in days. He himself found himself as one of those boys.

But he wasn't worried about himself. It was his mother who he worried for. He was beat, burned, cut, slapped, and thrown around like a ragdoll. Hell, he'd take that every day if it meant he kept his slimy hands off her.

...

Shit. Where am I?

It's dark. It's too dark, even for me and I work nights.

It's ok....just breathe.

Breathe.

Shit I can't breathe.

...

"Jason, please come here." The voice came from the kitchen. It was Catherine Todd's voice.

Back when she wasn't smoking as much as she was nowadays, Jason imagined her voice was sweet. Sweet as sugar. It was pretty gentle now even with the little hoarseness in it with all she had put her throat through with her drugs.

Although he might be biased considering that her voice was the only source of comfort he knew.

Catherine wasn't perfect. Her drinking problem and drug addiction took a lot of her. But still she was better than Willis by far. Sometimes it hurt Jason to know she wouldn't leave because of himself.

While his mind was reeling with his thoughts. He made his way down stairs, his feet making the 'crappy old floorboards', (That's what Willis called them.) creak. He'd heard Willis screaming at Catherine to get them fixed more times than he could count.

"Hey mom, what's up?" He came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, carefully avoiding the bump at the carpet that was near his foot. He didn't like that carpet. It was too bland with its colors.

Made the whole place gloomier than it should be. At it was already gloomy enough.

Looking up told him all he needed.

She was drunk. Jason might've only been 11 at the time but he recognized the signs of someone being under the influence of something. Whether it was drugs or some sort of alcoholic beverage.

So Jason got ready for it. He knew exactly what to do. Technically speaking a child his age shouldn't know what to do. Maybe kids like Dick Grayson who got to be picked up by a freaking billionaire.

But Jason? Jason didn't get that.

...

Bruce.

Where's Bruce?

Bruce would help.

But Bruce isn't here. And I need a way out.

Hands. Nails. Dig.

Dig.

Dig.

Dig.

Dig Jason.

...

"Mom, please stop." Jason's voice came from what was called the living room. Despite the conditions not deserving the name.

"Jason. Pack your bags. We're leaving." It was always like this. Catherine had a drinking and drug addiction. So it wasn't unexpected for her to say things like this.

She leaned down so she could look at the boy straight in the face, with a weak smile on her face, her eyes weren't exactly there with them. She was looking somewhere else. "We can leave him Jay."

There it was.

It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but it still got to Jason how hard it was to hear it. Well...not exactly hear it. More like see it. The way her face lit up even in her dosed off state whenever she spoke about running away and leaving Willis behind.

The way he knew he was the one holding her back. Despite her hope of a better life, how she straightened her back and the hair on her face didn't look that misplaced anymore. All that, but what most managed to hurt him was the fact that he knew it was a lie.

The front door opened and the sound of jangling keys, and heavy stomps let Jason know exactly who had arrived to the apartment.

He always hated his entrance to the house. Or his presence in general. Jason read a lot of books and despite not having a good learning environment, he was pretty advanced with his reading level for his age.

So everything in his life had a roll to play in a book. There was always the princess who needed help. That was Catherine. She needed rescuing, from the big monster who's footsteps weren't footsteps but hard stomps on the floor, who's voice was always deep and scary, and so so tall that he could reach the tower in which the princess hid.

Then there was him. He was the white knight. He'd do anything to protect the princess from the monster's harm. But he was just a boy. An 11 year old as a matter of fact. Willis was an adult.

Sometimes the hero didn't always win.

...

Oh God .

I'm out.

Bruce. I need Bruce. There's the Joker. I need to tell him about the Joker.

Wear house.

I'm in a-

Cementery?

...

"Catherine. Where's dinner?" Came in the booming voice of Willis Todd into the living room.

Catherine's back straightened and she grabbed Jason's arm and hid the boy behind her. Even in her drunken state. She loved her son. He'd been through enough.

"I forgot to make dinner, I'll go make it right no-" Her voice came to a stop and her sentence was left in the air.

The man had made his way right infront of her and slapped her. Slapped her so hard that you could hear the sound of it all across the house and see her cheek gaining color.

A minute of silence passed. That's when Willis's eyes landed on Jason. The boy had started hitting his leg after he layed his hand on Catherine.

Sometimes the hero didn't win.

Willis was drunk. Jason was an 11 year old.

What happened next he won't clearly remember for the rest of his life. Not that he's exactly sure he wants to remember whatever happened next.

There was screaming, someone got hit.

Threats. Running. Kitchen. Knife.

Loud. Screaming.

Crying. Begging.

Dragging. Packing.

Leaving.

Wait-

"Willis please. WILLIS DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE. DON'T LEAVE US. WE'RE SORRY. IM SORRY." Catherine was standing in the hallway. She was begging him to come back.

Come back? He left?

...

"Mom come inside, it's been an hour. He's probably gambling he'll come back." Jason had stepped out into the hallway with a cup of water and a blanket wrapped around his body. It was 3 in the morning. He hadn't come back yet.

Catherine slowly looked up at Jason, he hated to admit it. But he would take her drugged bliss happiness over the emptiness in her face. Over Willis. Over that monster. Why?

"Will he? Jason we...we need him." Her voice was broken. But then again so was all of her at the moment.

Jason walked forward and took off his blanket to wrap it around his mother. After he gently lifted her up and helped her inside.

He made Catherine drink the water and made sure to help her shower. The water was cold, it was always cold. Helped her get dressed and guided her to bed.

This routine continued for 3 days. Waiting in the hallway until late and helping her inside.

By the fourth day it's time for Jason to break the routine. It's not the best option but Willis isn't back. And he can't just stand by. So he needs to find a job.

"Mom...I'm going out, can you stay here?" Jason was putting on his shoes. They had a couple holes but they still did the job. He couldn't manage to find his socks so he skipped out on that.

Catherine looked up from her seat by the window, Jason never understood why she even sat there. Nothing to see except the broken AC, bird shit and dirt. But as the days passed Catherine looked to fit more into the place. She was thinner than before, Jason wished he could blame it on the fact that they barely had any food to get by and the food that they did have she never ate.

But that wasn't the case. He knew what it was. The whole street knew what it was. Hell, he was pretty sure the entirety of Gotham knew.

After catching a glimpse of her eye when they made contact, which for him was approval. He left. It was cold outside, one of those days. And his over shirt wasn't doing much for him. But he needed money. If not for him then for his mom.

Jason spent a couple of days going put searching for jobs. He'd gotten a few offers. But he wasn't interested in selling drugs. He knew what they did. Even if he lived with Catherine under her situation, it didn't mean he standed them.

Yet after a couple of tries he found a job. It wasn't easy and it didn't pay good. But it was a start. He got hired as a lookout, all good for him as long as he didn't deal with the merchandise exchanged.

It was quite simple, he just needed ti stand outside some places and see who entered and who left. Most times he was lucky, people didn't want to hit a kid on the street. But some where desperate enough to enter the room to beat their way in.

Jason wished he was older as he made his way back home. He'd made 100 bucks, enough for some food. If he was older, he could've applied for a better job. Maybe even get his mom-

Wait.

I didn't leave that door open.

...

"Here. Have some food." The woman's voice came from somewhere behind him.

Jason didn't know how he ended up there, he was in a cementary in Gotham and he was looking for-

"B...Bruc..e" His voice came out broken and he hated the fact that he was aware of it. But there was nothing he could do to stop it.

A door closed and the footsteps came closer, and into view came Talia Al Ghul, daughter of the head of the league of assasins Rhas Al Ghul.

The league.

The league had him.

"N..No. B..Br..Bru...B..ruce." If the league got him. Then they would've gone after Bruce too. He needed help. He needed Robin.

He was in a bed. But he couldn't exactly remember where he was before. He wasn't here for sure. He tried to get up but nothing happened.

"He's not coming. I'll take care of you for now, until you're better." Talia sat down near him and got ready with a spoon.

Jason's alarms where going off in his mind but he was hungry, he wanted to say he could do it himself. But he wasn't stupid. He knew that he couldn't.

...

"Oh, hey kid."

Jason didn't know the strange man in the room and he was sure he didn't like him. He was tall and a little slim but he had some muscle, he stood with his back straight and if Jason didn't know any better he'd say he must have some money, if it wasn't for the fact that he saw all the patches on his clothes and the cheaply polished shoes. Well, in this area. That was considered money.

"Who are you?" Jason hid his money behind his back and took a defensive stance. He looked around, Catherine was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm just a friend of your mom kid. Don't worry, I came here because she wanted to do me a favor. She was quite good at it, when she wakes up, tell her to call me yeah?" He smiled while he said his words but it didn't reach his eyes, something told Jason that this man was no good news.

"Yeah. Sure, can you leave now?" He wasn't up for this. He needed to find his mom. And this stranger said she was asleep? With him? Alone? Did he do anything? Jason was still relatively young but he knew what it implied.

The man left the room and ruffled his hair as he walked bye. Jason would've bit his hand if he wasn't so worried for Catherine.

He made his way inside and stashed the bills in his back pocket, it wasn't a good idea to leave money on the counter in Crime Alley, even if the door was locked. He was sure even 4 year olds around here knew how to pick a lock. He went up the stairs and after almost stumbling with the carpet and went for Catherine's room, the door was slightly ajar.

He went in and she was asleep, a smile on her face, in her underwear. Jason had assumed when he saw the man but he didn't think she would actually do it. Seeing the needle next to her gave him all the answers he needed. He placed a blanket over her and left. He'd tell her tomorrow. He needed to ice the bruise on his left eye.

The next morning was quiet. But that didn't last long.

"Mom you can't just sell yourself! There's other ways to get the money!" Jason came into the kitchen, still nursing his black eye.

His mother who was avoiding this exact conversation moved to stand by the table, also slightly raising her voice.

"Jay, you're just a boy. Look at you!" She pointed at her son's black eye.

"I don't want this.." She grabbed the bills on the table.

"..This money. You shouldn't be working for it. That's my responsibility. I should be the one that takes care of you." As she said that she slumped down in the kitchen chair.

She was tired and seeing Jason with a black eye and seeing her little boy work so hard didn't make it easier for her. She was his mother, and she couldn't even do that right.

"You're doing your best...and I love you for that, but you don't need to."

With the look on her face, Jason didn't have the courage to continue. Instead he went to hug Catherine and stayed there until he felt better.

...

As the months had gone by Catherine found a way to afford or so to say, their stay at the apartment. But unfortunately she didn't find a new "job". She just figured prostitution was good enough. With enough time Jason learned to ignore it.

It wasn't until he went home to a man leaving with a scowl on his face that he worried.

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Little A/N: I'm definitely going to divide Jason's chapter into two parts, because his story is pretty long and there is as you can see, a lot I wish to discuss, even with time skips. I first started this fic only for Nightwing but I decided to do some of this with every character. And some of their stories. I also have a new fic about Jason helping a girl with her current situation at home, and it leaves space for an insert in case you wish to read it that way. So you can head over and check that one up too.

...

Hello. This chapter touched up on a lot of things. Especially on what is substance abuse and abuse.

My comments are always open in the case you wish for help. And believe me. You are not alone.

Here is some information for you in case you're being affected by either of the above:

If you fear immediate physical violence, get to a safe place if you can. You can also call 911 or your local emergency services for help. If you aren't in immediate danger and you need to talk or find some place to go, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.