Batfam Mob!AU {Welcome to the Family}
chap 1
Welcome to the Family (Batfamily Mob!AU)
He worked quietly, quickly.
His movements were unpracticed yet showed signs of quickly developing.
The only evidence of his work was the occasional clinking of the bolts in his pockets.
Jason felt the gravel stabbing into his knees as he worked on the car’s tires. He felt the steady breeze pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes. He felt the pang of hunger in his stomach reminding him why he was doing this.
Jason hadn’t bothered to check the plate on the car. Whether it was out of disinterest or fear, he wouldn’t admit it. If asked, he’d say that it was because he didn’t care. No matter who the car belonged to, their tires would be his to sell now. Their fault for leaving it there anyway.
Yep.
That was the truth.
Certainly not out of fear that the license plate spelled out the 5-letter name that all Gothamites recognized. Nope. Not at all.
It wasn’t like it mattered now anyway. Jason was almost done, halfway through the third tire. The two that were already removed were propped up against the brick wall. Just two more to go. Two more and Jason could sell the tires for food. For shelter. For the unsteady promise of safety in a cheap hotel. There was no doubt in his mind that the tires were expensive. The whole car looked expensive!
It was sleek and black, windows tinted to where Jason couldn’t see the inside even if he squints. It was polished to perfection and showed no evident signs of damage, a rare sight for a Gotham City car. Surely its owner wouldn’t mind if Jason just took a little something, right? Just enough to last him a month with food and decent shelter. It’s not like it would be a big problem. Anyone that could afford a car like that could surely afford to get its tires replaced.
Jason couldn’t wait to take a hot shower. The grime that coated him could have been weeks old and his curly hair was completely tangled, itching at his scalp. His skin felt sticky through the coat of sweat on his skin. The dream of finally being able to be clean inspired him to work quicker, finishing with the third tire and moving to the fourth.
Each spot where a tire had previously been was replaced with empty space, only having a brick to hold it off the ground. The hubcaps he’d picked off were on the ground next to him, not too far in fear of someone stealing them. He worked even quicker, his movements turning sloppy. It was getting closer to 9:00 PM, the time when most successful citizens got off work to go home.
It wasn’t unlikely that the owner of the car was part of that group and would be soon returning to his tireless vehicle. He was so close, halfway done with the fourth tire and slipping bolts into his pocket.
If he pulled this off, he’d-
“I’ll admit, this isn’t the strangest thing I’ve seen today.”
Practice was the only thing that kept Jason from flinching as he turned to the direction of the voice, stance steadying into a kneel as the tire iron was wielded in a defensive hold. All Jason saw was a tall silhouette at the end of the long alley, barely illuminated by the streetlamp at the back of the alley. The man kept speaking.
“Do you know whose car that is, kid?”
Jason hadn’t dropped his defensive, replying with a snarl.
“It’s my hit! Go get your own!” His tone dripped with a heavy crime alley drawl.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
The superiority the older man carried only succeeded in pissing Jason off, his reply eager to get the man away from him.
“Whatever idiot decided to leave it here! Go get your own grab!”
Why couldn’t he just leave him alone? He found it first!
The man let out a huff of amusement before stepping further into view. While his face was now visible, Jason found no recognition in his features and stood to his feet, raising the tire iron in front of him. The man, noticing the young boy’s defensive position, raised his hands in faux surrender.
“Kid, that’s Bruce Wayne’s car.”
Jason felt his heart drop to his feet along with the tire iron. A step back, followed by another and another before he was able to see the plate on the back of the car.
‘WAYNE’ was written in bold letters, sinking Jason’s fate deeper into his mind. The car now seemed easily recognizable, like he’d seen it a hundred times before back when his father would watch the news and Jason would peek in to see.
Everyone knew Bruce Wayne. The orphan who’d inherited his parent’s business and operation after their untimely passing. The boy who people assumed was no threat compared to his parents. The man who’d proven people wrong when he rose to power and slaughtered his parent’s killer. The man took Gotham’s criminal underworld by storm, ruling with an iron fist and crushing any who dared to cross him.
It took years for the mob territory to settle before it was disrupted once more by the arrivement of a younger boy. An acrobat who had just lost his parents the night Wayne visited the circus.
Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson was adopted by Bruce soon after. He took quickly to his new lifestyle and followed in Bruce’s footsteps, electrocuting Zucco to death.
Grayson, a genius kid raised into his step-father’s line of work. He was almost scarier than Bruce Wayne himself. Almost.
Wayne was many things, defined by rumors. Some say cruel, unforgiving. Others say powerful, cunning. Right now, it didn’t matter what they said.
Because Jason was dead either way.
With a heavy gulp, Jason reached down and grabbed the tire iron, continuing his work. If he was gonna die, he’d rather it be an in-the-moment kind of thing rather than hiding from the mob for a week before being found and killed kind-of-thing. Despite his fear, Jason put on a brave façade.
“Who ‘er you s’posed to be, huh? Gonna call Wayne’s dogs on me or somethin’?”
Another step put the man 10 feet away from Jason, exposing his blue eyes to the light from the shadows.
“Bud, I’m Dick Grayson, and that,” he pointed to the car “is our ride here”
Jason couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t feel anything but fear at that moment. Not when the tire iron fell out of his hand and certainly not when his knees lost their support and dropped him into a sit. His mind ran a mile a minute, dropping thought after thought.
That was Dick Grayson.
Dick Grayson caught him.
He said ‘our’
He wasn’t alone
Someone was with him
As if on queue, another man stepped into place beside Grayson. A taller, bulkier man.
Bruce Wayne, his mind unhelpfully supplied.
“Everything okay, Dick? Did something-“
Wayne paused, eyes darting between the car with the missing tires and the dirty boy on the ground with the tire iron at his feet. He seemed to be at a loss for words before finally settling on a horrifying sentence.
“Did you…? Did you prop up a multi-million dollar car with cracked bricks?”
Multi...
Multi-million dollar car
Jason was gonna die. They were gonna kill him- no. No, they wouldn’t kill him. They’d do something much worse. They’d torture him- no doubt. They- they could do anything. He had to do something.
“Seriously, Bruce? That’s what you decide to say?”
Grayson spoke but Jason couldn’t hear him. Wouldn’t hear him.
He had to fix the grave he’d dug himself.
His mouth felt dry as he searched for something to say.
“I- wait- you don’t understand. It’s not what it looks like.” Seriously? His son just saw you!
As if reaching the same point, Grayson replied, “So, you weren’t just jacking the tires off the car?”
He needed to get out of this situation. He couldn’t run, they were blocking his only exit and Jason doubted he’d been able to duck through them. His breathing was getting quicker as he struggled to get air.
“I had no choice! I’m- I’m sorry. I’ll make- I’ll make things up to you just-“ he cut off with a shudder. “I’ll put them- the tires- back”
Wayne nodded to Grayson, who took gradual steps to where the tires leaned against a wall, before turning back to Jason. “We’d appreciate that” he offered a kind smile, one that surely promised hell if Jason didn’t comply.
Jason nodded and shakily pushed himself to his feet, forcing his legs to support his weight. As he turned to grab the tires, his jaw dropped in shock. Grayson was rolling a tire towards the car.
He was so fucking dead.
Jason got to work and began tightening the bolts to the tires on the car. He really tried to ignore how Wayne was now pushing tires too, trying to focus on the feeling of his sweating palms on the cool hubcaps.
Finishing the second tire, he tried to move on to the third before a hand on his shoulder stopped him from walking to the other side of the car. Jason had to force himself to look at the man.
Grayson stared dead into his eyes, pulling Jason back a few steps with his suffocating grip. Away from the car. Grayson turned Jason to look at him before kneeling down on the gravel, no doubt dirtying his expensive suit.
Grayson took his hand off Jason’s shoulder and turned his palm out, seemingly waiting for Jason to drop something into it.
What?
What could he possibly want? Jason had no money on him, that’s why he was even stealing the tires!
What was he gonna do? Was he really going to die before his 11th birthday? No- He couldn’t-
“The bolts?”
Jason blinked at him, taking a second to understand before hurriedly reaching into his pocket and holding out a handful of bolts to Grayson. The man took it with a smile and handed them to Wayne, who grabbed them and proceeded to put the tires back on himself.
Jason couldn’t tear his eyes from the sight.
Bruce Wayne was fixing Jason’s mess.
The billionaire boss was getting his hands and clothes dirty fixing Jason’s attempted thievery.
He’d be lucky if they allowed him death.
“Kid, look at me”
Fear was the only thing that forced Jason to look at him, meeting his gaze.
“What’s your name?”
His eyes seemed kind yet cold all the same. He wore the notorious Grayson smile that he used when he wanted people to obey his will.
“I'm- um…It’s Jason, sir. Boss. Mr. Grayson.”
The man had the nerve to look amused at his situation.
“Jason. Where are your parents? Is there someone we can talk to?”
There wasn’t. His father was currently serving a sentence in Blackgate and his mother had made the irreversible decision that drugs were more important.
“No, Mr. Grayson. ‘s just me.”
His smile faltered.
Jason didn’t understand. Was that not the right answer? What did he want him to say?
“Your mother? Father?”
Jason shook his head, fighting back the tears threatening to form. The man’s frown deepened as Jason tried to find a way- some way- to lessen his consequences.
“Please- I won’t- I swear, I won’t tell nobody. I’ll- I won’t ever come back- Sir, I’ll- just please don’t- I can’t”
His breaths became shallow and quick, barely making their way into Jason’s lungs before being pushed out. He couldn’t breathe. He swore there was someone talking to him but he couldn’t hear it. Another voice joined in. It sounded so distant and-
“Jason!”
That was what snapped his attention back to the present. He was sitting on the ground now, both his shoulders in different men’s grips.
“Jason, breathe. In for six, hold, out for six. In for six, hold, out for six” his expression showed concern but Jason knew better than to believe the facade. He tried his best to follow Grayson’s directions, hoping to not make him angrier than he undoubtedly was.
His breathing returned to a frightened, normal pace.
“We didn’t mean to scare you, Jason. Are you okay?”
A final, pleading
“Please”
Wayne sighed.
“We’re not going to hurt you, son. We just-” another sigh, a glance back from Grayson.
He seemed to step back, finding a new point.
“Are you hungry?”
…
Jason blinked.
Because what?
Was he gonna drug him or something?
Slip something into his food?
He was gonna try to cover it up, wasn’t he?
“No! I mean- I’m full sir” He just refused food from Wayne. Someone should dig his grave. “Really, I don’t wanna be trouble” Jason gulped while all Wayne did was raise a brow in question.
“It’s no trouble at all. Alfred would be happy to make food for you.”
“Yeah! B just doesn’t want you to stay hungry. He’s a softie like that. Plus, Alfred is making pasta tonight!” Grayson chimed in.
Wayne? A softie? Somebody kill Jason now.
Or maybe they wouldn’t have to since he was sure they’d kill him soon anyway. Whoever ‘Alfred’ was would probably sneak something into his food.
But what more could Jason do? It seemed he already tested their patience enough.
So with a sigh, he gave up, hung his head, and agreed to come with them. He was led to the now fixed car and sat into the back seat, Wayne driving and Grayson riding shotgun.
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