Archive of Our Own ^beta

Gotham's skies were cloudy, as usual. Dark, rolling thunderclouds hung heavy in the atmosphere; though they spilled nary a drop of rain onto the gloomy city below. The bright yellow light of the Bat Symbol glowed vibrantly on the dark backdrop, the shape slightly warping as the clouds stirred and moved like a stomach digesting a particularly delicious meal.

Jason watched Batman loom above Commissioner Gordon, the two older men fussing over a thick manila folder. Their tones were low, obviously to keep Jason from listening in on their conversation as much as they could. Jason didn't care, he was content to plop himself down on the edge of the roof of the precinct and stare at the Gothamite's below.

Car horns beeped, gunshots rang out and echoed through the east end, and all above it the smell of Gotham's smog made up the distinct smell of their city. It smelled horrible, blood, gunpowder, and death. But it smelled like home. People moved below Jason, the usual women and girls of the night lingering on street corners. Cops, crooked or otherwise, lazily leaned against their squad cars and smoked foul-smelling cigarettes as their radios droned on about the latest murder of the night.

The police had gotten lazy ever since Batman and Robin had taken to the skies once more. Not every murder got them in their cars, not every robbery had them squashing out their lights and un-holstering their guns. Jason sneered at them, and pulled away from the ledge as Batman snapped the manila folder closed and thanked Gordon for his time.

"Another robbery," Batman said, meeting Jason halfway between the edge of the building and where he and Gordon had been standing. His face was pinched, more than usual, Jason noticed. Like instead of eating a lemon, he had held a whole spoonful of citric acid in his mouth. His posture was stiff, shoulders held at a tight hunch as he glowered out at the city below. The police scanner on Batman's hip buzzed to life, and Jason was able to catch the tail end of it.

"-something tripped the silent alarm at the museum. We're not getting any sound from security inside-"

"Something's bothering you," Jason said, not bothering to follow Batman's gaze as he knew the man wasn't looking at anything that Jason would be able to see. "It's not the usual 'down on their luck' thugs this time?" He asked, swiping the folder from Batman's grasp. He flipped it open, his eyes already glazing as he skimmed over the page.

"It's Catwoman." Batman stepped up onto the ledge and with a quiet grunt, threw himself out into the night. Jason sighed and closed the folder before storing it in a large pocket attached to the inner part of his cape. Armed with his grappling gun, he lept down and followed Batman's sour scent into the night.

That was what felt different this time. Something about this case had Batman rattled. He was acting like he was going to a funeral.

The Gotham Museum of Fine Art and Jewelry looked very different at night. The building was made entirely of pure white marble, lined with brass bars bent into sharp angles and sloping curls that herald the era of art deco. The building had been constructed well before Jason's time, even before the Wayne's had rose to power.

The main entrance was locked up tight, and from the outside everything looked normal. The flood lights angled at the front door cast an eerie orange light down onto the locked doors. A banner hung above the front doors, flapping softly in the wind.

Part of the banner had been ripped, and the jagged rags of the thick fabric loomed down like a giant claw-tipped hand. the would be claw tips tapped softly against the main window. Come in, it seemed to say, see what's inside.

Batman lingered in the dark with Jason a few steps away from the light, fully shielding them from the shiny glare of the floodlights. Batman's scent was soured further as the two took in the silent museum. Jason had to hold his breath as the wind changed, blowing his scent further towards Jason. He was upset. Seriously, as well. Jason swallowed and tamped down the urge to flinch as Batman began to stride forward with a dramatic swipe of his cape.

"We can get in through the parking garage. Catwoman and Stray will have gone through somewhere on the roof. There's a good chance they won't expect us to go through the bottom entrance," Batman said as they walked, sticking to the shadows and skirting around the side of the building. Jason followed close behind, a lump forming in his throat from holding back all of his questions. He had a sinking feeling that whatever was making Batman go all sour wasn't something he was entitled to know. At least, not at first.

The parking garage was empty, and smelled of diesel and mold. The lights ahead flickered fitfully, each sputter of their light on and off mirrored their advance further into the parking garage. Their steps were silent, only broken by the quiet drip drip drip of water from a faulty pipe. The puddle that formed underneath the pipe was slowly slipping down the cracked concrete floor towards a door labeled as Employees Only.

"Go in through there," Batman said, stopping just before the door. "There will be a staircase that will lead you up to the main floor. If you see Catwoman-"

"What about Stray?"

Jason snapped his jaw closed as Batman's hard gaze turned on him. He shrunk back at the rumble that started deep in Batman's chest, tilting his head to the side to expose his neck in submission.

"Leave him to me," Batman growled darkly. "Apprehend Catwoman, and leave her for the police. If you see Stray," he turned fully towards Jason, drawing up to his full height to tower over Jason, "do not engage. He is mine."

Jason nodded quickly and slipped through the door. His heart was in his throat, thudding loudly against his chest. He picked his way quickly through the employees only room, around a small table that still had a few soda cans from the last shift left out. the only light illuminating the room came from a vending machine. The glass was fully intact, save for a small circle cut out from the glass. Jason paused to stare at it, his gaze moving from the perfectly cut circle to where the circle of glass was set on the ground next to an opened case of powdered doughnuts.

Two of the doughnuts were missing.

Jason knelt down next to the box, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"What would Catwoman want with doughnuts?" He muttered.

"She doesn't like doughnuts. At least, no the vanilla ones."

Jason sprung up, baton already drawn and spun around to look at his would-be accomplice. In the dark stood a slim figure, leaning against the wall opposite Jason. He was dressed all in black, with a cowl tipped with sharp black cat ears that…Flicked?

The boy before him grinned, and popped one of the white powdered doughnuts into his mouth. A tail flicked lazily from side to side just behind his legs. It was all black, tipped with white. He licked the powder from his claw-tipped glove hands, and Jason got a glimpse of a sharp fang.

"You," Jason said, clearing his throat, "you're him! You're Stray."

Stray's grin grew, and he snickered at Jason's bewildered expression, "I am! It's not everyday I meet a fan," he pulled away from the wall, tail swishing playfully, "though, Catwoman was kind enough to inform me of just who you are," he was in front of Jason within a few steps, and tapped the tip of his claw against Jason's mask, "little Robin."

Jason surged forward with a wild swing of his baton. Stray dodged backwards and sharply kicked at Jason's hand. The baton clattered noisily where it hit the ground. Jason quickly abandoned it, and took after Stray as the younger villain back flipped away and took off for the fire stairs.

Jason scrambled to follow him, a snarl in his throat. Stray was fast and climbed the stairs without trouble while Jason stumbled behind him internally cursing. Jason growled, swiping at the air to catch something to slow down the wild intruder.

Stray burst through the door to the first floor, Jason tumbling clumsily after him. His hand lashed out and caught the middle of Stray's tail. He clamped down, and yanked back as hard as he could.

Stray howled, and whirled around to punch Jason as hard as he could in the face. Jason had no time to dodge, and instead grabbed Stray's arm and forced them to roll with Stray's punch.

The pair rolled together while trading blows, snarling at each other like desperate animals as they fought. Practically foaming at the mouth, Jason surged forward and sunk his teeth into Stray's arm. Stray's uniform was tough, but it tore easily with Jason's long fangs.

Blood filled his mouth, and he gagged at the smell of something sickly sweet filled his mouth and nose. He let go, and grunted as Stray's hand wrapped around his neck. He stared up at Stray. Stray was frozen, staring back at him.

In their tussle, his cowl had slipped back onto his head. Stray's hair was long, wavy, and dark and framed his face like a waterfall. His skin was tanned and speckled with moles next to his lower lip and just above his right eyebrow.

His eyes were wide, and a vibrant blue. Framed by short lashes and lined with messy eyeliner. His pupils were vertical slits, which blew wide as his scent leaked from the bite wound. He panted, cat ears pinned back against his head. Fury filled his eyes, and he bared his fangs.

"You little brat," he seethed, "what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Jason wasn't listening though. Stray's scent was unfamiliar, not only because Jason wasn't familiar with Stray in the first place, but because something in his scent was starting to make his head spin. And, embarrassingly, his cock begin to harden in his pants.

He was salivating, and sweating, and starting to pant. What was going on with him? Did Stray have something in his blood like Ivy's toxin? He groaned, and Stray's glare shifted to confusion.

"Birdy?" Stray's hold on Jason's neck began to loosen, concern flooding his eyes, "oh shit, are you going into rut?"

Something in between lust and anger boiled up in Jason's chest. His cock was painfully hard now, straining against his pants and from where Stray was positioned above him there was no doubt in Jason's mind that Stray could feel the already weeping head pressed hard against his stomach.

Stray's eyes widened, and he began to hastily retreat. His hand came to cover his mouth, which is when Jason struck. He rolled forward onto his feet and lunged at Stray, knocking him to the ground.

Stray cried out as Jason pinned him to the ground, his teeth tearing into the thin fabric of his cowl. He wrenched his head back, taking a large portion of fabric with him. His hands were roughly curled around Stray's wrists and kept them pinned to the ground.

He shoved his nose into his neck and moaned at the smell. It wasn't like anything Jason had ever smelled before. Musky and floral all the same time, with the smell of Stray's sweat and fear swirling with it. He lapped messily at Stray's neck, suckling at the throbbing pulse point beneath his tongue.

Stray smelled amazing. Sweet and slick and warm, like spiced tea and flowers. Jason's cock jumped as he began to messily rut against Stray's crotch. He needed to do something, to get his cock into Stray somehow. To breed-

"Get off!" Stray spat, "you fffffucking pervahh," his voice trailed off into a moan with every bite and nip from Jason's mouth. He sucked in a sharp breath as Jason's teeth worried against the spongy scent gland.

"God, you're just a pup," Stray whimpered, his head falling to the side as Jason sucked at his chin, "stop, you can't do this. It's not right for us to-" he cut off with a grunt as Jason nipped his chin and then captured his lips in a messy kiss.

Stray tasted just as good as he smelled. He could taste the sugar from the powdered doughnuts, and a sort of minty toothpaste that Stray must have used. The kiss was sloppy on his end, broken as the two desperately gasped for air. Jason's cock swelled, the heat rising inside making his head spin.

His release was close, he was so close and yet so far. He needed to get Stray's clothes off, he needed to bite him. He pulled back from the kiss and attacked Stray's neck once more. His mouth latched over Stray's scent gland, clenched in his teeth. He began to bite down, instincts thrilling as he felt the barest give of Stray's skin.

A hand grabbed the collar of Jason's cape and he was wrenched backwards. He went howling and cursing, clawing at the air and the hand that kept him pinned. Blinded by his lust and anger that his catch was gone, being slammed against the ground and having all the air knocked out of him was an unwelcome surprise.

When his vision finally cleared, Batman's glower was the first thing he saw. Jason froze, sucking in a tight breath. He could just see behind Bruce where Catwoman was helping Stray to his feet, her lips touching his ear as she whispered. Stray's bright eyes were fixed on him.

"What did I tell you?!" Batman snarled, "you had one job, Robin!"

Jason opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Stray's blood stained his teeth and filled his mouth, and he could already feel the shadowy threads of a bond forming between him and the Omega. He shook his head, whimpering as Batman pressed him harder into the wall.

Batman's eyes looked towards Jason's blood stained teeth, and they widened. "You didn't," he growled.

"He did," Catwoman's soft voice behind them had Batman turning. The slim Alpha had Stray in her arms, legs shaking and half-limp. The smell of slick and heat clogged the room, a silent call by an Omega going into heat. "We'll talk later, Bats," she said evenly, "I suggest you speak to your birdy about this, and what this means for the two of them."

Batman sighed, and dropped Jason, "Selina-"

"Don't." Catwoman shook her head, already leading a whimpering Stray away, "I've got damage control to do. Don't make this worse."

They melted into the shadows. Gone.