Chapter Text
Stephen was alone in the sanctum sanctorum when there was a disturbance that caused a few alarms to blare as he was working
The Lazarus pits were being disturbed.
In an instant Strange opened a portal to view what was going on, as he saw a young boy, seeming to have severe burns and almost charred skin. He waited, the doctor waited until he saw the boys eyes open, he waited until he saw the boy breathe in a chunk of the water, waited until he was healed.
Then once he was absolutely sure no one was around the pit he swiftly grabbed the boy and brought him through the portal. With the boy securely rescued from the pit and firmly asleep once again but alive sporting a new hairstyle of a white streak at the first sprout of hair from his hairline and a seemingly scarry face with what seemed to be a j on his cheek and many that looked to be explosions maybe.
Once Stephen was completely sure that this boy would fare well on his own he took the boy through another portal to what seemed to be a back alley in Queens, where Strange was faithful he would be all ok and left him with some money for food.
Once the portal closed behind the man Jason fully opened his eyes and wondered who that was, where he was and why he wasn't currently dead. He did vaguely remember waking briefly to the smell of sulfur and the colour green that quickly engulfed his view he tried to scream but his mouth and lungs were hurridly filled with the green liquid, he quickly began thrashing around trying to not die, even if he had failed to the first time he wasn't so sure he'd survive again. So when he saw the small black spots that began to infiltrate his view he began fighting and punching and kicking and doing everything and anything in his power to not fall asleep his subconscious screaming
Don't fall asleep. If you fall asleep Jason, Dick AND Bruce will probably kill you again. Don't. Fall. Asleep
And then suddenly he was on a cold, gray, smooth, stone alter? Table? He wasn't sure, all he knew was that he was somewhere he didn't recognize with someone he didn't know and that he was completely drenched. Bruce was gonna kill him.
And now here he was, cold, damp, alone and on the streets once again, at least this time he had SOME money rather than last time when he had none.
Jason slowly rose to his feet, hair becoming almost pin straight because of the brief dip in a green, sulfury pool, as apposed to the usual curly black hair he sported. But as he reached up to move his wet hair from his forehead he found that it wasn't wet, or slimy or even damp! It was grimey and when Jason brought his hand down from his head it was covered in green, as in BRIGHT green, algae? Moss? Some water form of plantation, he was honestly surprised but also wanted a shower desperately.
Once Jason left the alley and began wandering the streets he was amazed at the lack of gangs, graffiti and general crime, as he walked he noticed that the streets were also a lot brighter than his home city of Gotham. He also noticed an abundance of what seemed to be families on the streets. As Jason wandered he slowly felt like he was definitely not in Gotham, or in New Jersey for that matter, he had a sinking feeling that he was somewhere else entirely and that that where was New York he quietly groaned when he realized once he reached a tall building labelled
'Queens City Centre Library'
"So I'm in flipping Queens" Jason muttered quietly as he walked into the library, may as well do some research on street culture and the local gangs, see how dangerous everything was y'know?
It was only when Jason scrolled onto an article about a hero called 'Spider-Man' that he became confused, there wasn't any heroes that were spider themed, at least that's what Jason thought, at this Jason decided to look up New York's heroes and also Gotham just in case his small suspicions of his 'alternate universe' theory was true he wanted to cement his theory or shatter it completely, his reasoning for this hypothesis was when he had opened the library computer it said the year was 2016 in mid September, Jason had died in 1988 he was so sure it had been a few years since he died but not 28 years!
When Jason has searched 'Gotham' into the machine that he thought might have been a computer but quite flatter, skinnier, something akin to the width of the bat-computer, he found images of a UK hotel chain and goth radio stations under 'Goth AM' This pointed Jason back at his original hypothesis of 'alternate universe' and the fact it was true
"Sugar..." Jason whispered under his breath
"What ya doin' ?" A new voice said, seemingly the same age as Jason
"...Researching? What's it to you?"
"Just wondering. You ok? You look a bit scarred up there?" The boy asked, his brown hair drifting towards his eyes slightly as they curled, he looked a little like Jason in that way, if Jason's hair was clean
"Hellooo?" The boy waved his hand in front of Jason's face trying to gain his attention yet again
"Hmm? Oh! Sorry zoned out for a second there, yeah I'm fine!" Jason said quickly trying to end the conversation, but to his displeasure the boy pulled up a chair and sat with him in stead.
"Ya got an accent there buddy, where you from?"
Shit, Jason couldn't say Gotham since it didn't exist in this universe, think Todd think! What would Bruce do? LIE! C'mon Jason lie your ass off you can do it!
"Jersey. Is it that obvious?' Great, you told a half lie Todd that'll definitely work, the kid definitely won't figure out now!
"Haha! Yeah it's really obvious sorry man, I thought you were but was expecting maybe a little more specifics? YOU DON'T HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY BIT YOU KNOW!...Hah..." The boy became flustered towards the end of this remark it make Jason laugh a little but he quickly covered it with a cough or two
"Ugh don't laugh!! I'm Peter anyway, what about you" Peter stuck his hand out for Jason to shake it which he did
"Jason"