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Third Time's a Charm: A (Sort Of) Jason Todd Story



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Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:09 am
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Mageheart says...



Third Time's a Charm

A (Sort of) Jason Todd Story

-x-

The first time he died, it was a metaphorical death: the end of one existence and the start of another.

The second time he died, it was with a crowbar to the gut and an explosion that rang in the man he had come to see as a father's ears for countless months afterwards.

And the third time he died, it was because of Damian Wayne.

-x-

This fanfiction is a combination of multiple stories set in the fictional city of Gotham, but especially Jason Todd's - the second Robin that becomes the anti-hero/occasional villain Red Hood following his death. But this version of Red Hood's story has a little twist: Jason Todd was replaced with an original character moments before appearing in the Batman canon. As with other fanfictions following the "original character replaces a canon character" trope, OC!Jason's goal isn't to find a way back home. It's to fulfill his role in the story.

But things don't always go according to plan, especially when there's so many different "canons" to choose from when shaping his story.

This specific version of Jason Todd is mainly based on the Batman: Under the Red Hood movie, but with a few tweaks - namely, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd aren't the only two Robins who run around in Gotham. I'm currently just focusing on Tim Drake and Damian Wayne, but I definitely plan on adding more of the Batfam in the future. I'm also taking some inspiration from Young Justice, various DC wikis and, of course, Tumblr.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.
  





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Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:35 am
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Mageheart says...



The Cast


Jason Todd

The protagonist of this story. Though the fic starts with Jason dying at the hands of the Joker, Jason's story really begins when he dies back on our Earth. After dying as a college student here, he finds himself as a kid again in a dark, mysterious alleyway - and in the process of stealing the wheels from the Batmobile. He quickly figures out that he's been (somewhat) reborn as Jason Todd, and decides that it's his duty to the future members of the Batfam to play along with canon and become the second Robin. He does a great job with his plan right up until Talia and Ra's al Ghul bring him back to life in the Lazarus Pit. During an escape attempt, he stumbles upon Damian Wayne - and decides to bring Damian with him after the much younger boy begs him to.

...Even though Damian and Jason aren't supposed to meet for several more years.

Jason's external conflict obviously comes from fighting baddies, but his internal conflict comes from wanting to keep with the canon story but also not wanting to betray his own heart.

Damian Wayne

The genetically engineered son of Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. Jason knows only a little of his role in the canon story line: Talia swings by wherever Bruce is one day and announces that Damian is his son, that Bruce takes him under his metaphorical wing, and that Damian eventually becomes the fifth Robin. He also knows that he's supposed to hate him on principle - canon!Jason hates being replaced - but all attempts to stay in character are forgotten when Damian asks to leave with him. He's like a little brother to Jason at this point, and Jason is his only caretaker.

Jason's also never had experience taking care of kids before, so most of what he does with Damian is trial and error - though he does make an effort to learn how to properly raise a kid. As of right now, his stay with Jason is just supposed to be temporary while Jason figures out a way of salvaging the canon and making sure Damian is being raised by his villainous mother.

Richard "Dick" Grayson

The first Robin, and the guy that Jason's come to see as his big brother. By the time that Jason comes into the picture as Robin, Dick has already moved onto his own superhero identity: Nightwing. When Bruce was off doing Batman stuff with the Justice League, it was Nightwing who would take Jason out on patrol. And, when Bruce was too busy doing Wayne Enterprises stuff, it was Dick who made sure Jason didn't get bored. Now that Jason is legally dead, he's shifted focus to Tim Drake - the newest Robin.

Out of all of the character he knew before his second death, Dick's one of the ones he misses the most. Jason was an only child in his first life; Dick gave him an opportunity he never thought he'd have.

In this universe, Dick is credited with being a founding member of Young Justice. As the friend who got me into this fandom says, you can always trust Nightwing no matter what reality you're in.

Timothy "Tim" Jackson Drake

The third Robin. Jason (unlike his canon counterpart) knows that Tim figured out who Batman and both Robins before him were and that he forced Bruce to make him the newest Robin after Jason's death, but he still struggles at the thought of being replaced by Tim. Tim is characterized by his love for coffee, being very much a detective in his own right, and also by not being a major player in Jason's life at the moment. He knows he exists and has seen him several times since his return to Gotham, but they've never really interaction. Jason doesn't really see him as a physical threat; he just wishes that Dick had moved onto mentoring someone else so quickly.

Bruce Wayne

Batman. Known for adopting way too many kids, whether it's official or not. Jason's come to see him as more of a dad than his previous dad was, and honestly wishes he was still part of the family. Canon!Jason blames Bruce for not killing Joker as retribution after his death, but Jason doesn't hate him in the slightest. He just wishes that he could return to a time where he was his Robin again - especially knowing that his eventual emergence as the anti-hero Red Hood is going to create a rift between them that they can never fully heal.

Alfred Pennyworth

Bruce's butler. Known for his sass and dry sense of humor. When Bruce was away and Dick was busy, it was Alfred who made sure Jason didn't get into too much trouble. Jason came to see him like the grandfather he never really had. He also likes to think that Alfred would be proud of him if he could see how responsible he is when it comes to taking care of Damian, but Jason knows he'll never be able to talk with Alfred like he used to now that everyone thinks he's dead.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.
  





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Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:39 am
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Mageheart says...



The Chapters



Jason Todd decides that he really hates his life sometimes, especially when said life involves getting murdered by the Joker.

Chapter 2

To Be Added

Chapter 3

To Be Added

Chapter 4

To Be Added

Chapter 5

To Be Added
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.
  





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590 Reviews

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Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:45 am
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Mageheart says...



Things


Wayne Manor

The home of Bruce Wayne and Alfred. It was Jason's childhood home in his second life - he spent countless hours roaming its endless halls. Dick also lived there at one point, and frequently comes to visit. But now Tim visits it more frequently, as the Wayne Manor has a secret: it's where the Batcave is hidden. Due to being considered dead by the manor's inhabitants, Jason hasn't set foot in it since he came back to life. But he knows that he can't stay away from the Wayne Manor forever.

Gotham Academy

A prestigious K-12 private school that doubles as both a boarding school and a regular day school. As a rule, the Wayne family goes through there at some point in their lives - even Tim, who hasn't legally been adopted by Bruce (yet) goes there thanks to his own rich family. Jason went there right up until he died, and, when considering a school for Damian to go to while they lived together, he couldn't imagine any other place.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.
  








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I just write poetry to throw my mean callous heartless exterior into sharp relief. I’m going to throw you off the ship anyway.
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