"You want to work for me?" Amanda Waller massaged her temples, not really paying Jason any attention.

"You heard me, lady." The sickening trembling hadn't left his body yet and only the hysteric need to puke kept him from bolting out of the room, out of the country, and off the continent.

He knew none of that would be enough. The only other way to escape was joining the Lanterns in space.

He felt her piercing eyes settle on his face, like those of a sniper waiting for a clear shot. She was a predator and, right now, Jason was presenting himself as very willing prey.

"Why?"

What he liked about Waller, if he was forced to choose something, it was her innate ability to bargain and accept which could be a promising deal.

"You are the only one able to keep him away." He had to focus, make the fog plaguing his mind disperse so he would be able to negotiate.

"The Joker?" Amanda crossed her arms, leaning back against her armchair.

Their eyes met and Jason saw realization flare in them like lightning in the middle of a storm, thoughts raging behind them and building new outcomes to the unexpected.

"So the red sheep of the family has completely fallen from grace." Her head cocked to the side much like the way birds do it. It was unnatural and creepy. "What happened, Red Hood?"

"It doesn't matter, really. I'm offering you a great deal. You get a trained Bat and assassin with connections in the underworld as well as in the Leagues and all I ask is a decent salary and the agreement that you won't let any Bat come near me." The lump in his throat eased a little, like a snake letting the captured prey breathe so she will have more time to play with it.

"It matters when I'm agreeing to shelter you from the most dangerous vigilantes amongst the superhero community." Her eyebrow arched disapprovingly when he huffed.

"One would think the danger you should be afraid of would be meta-human or alien powers beyond your resources." His tensed back hit the chair, the sound echoing in the frigid atmosphere in the office.

"See, that is what makes you Bats so dangerous." She leaned over her desk in a cobra-like movement, stalking her victim "Give me a meta and I'll find a liability, a weakness, a vice. Give me Superman and I'll shove that green rock up his ass. But you…" she pointed accusingly and grimaced "your family has morals and a strong leader; you rule your lives by laws so unavoidable…"

Jason knew he had fucked up when her scrutiny sharpened. He was so unsettled he had given vital information away to his opponent.

"So that's it, isn't it?" her razor-sharp smirk couldn't bother him now, he knew the consequences waiting for him if his family found him. This was not the time to put pride before survival "Little Red Riding Hood chose wrong and the woodcutter hasn't come to aid but to punish" Jason would never see her as plethoric as in that moment, he was sure. He had to bare his neck if he aspired to get something.

"And you can't even begin to imagine how sharp the edge of his axe is." The only thing Jason learned and other Bats didn't was that the emotions could be used as a powerful weapon, sometimes cut deeper than a blade and were connected to the core of the human species.

So he bared his soul for a moment. He stopped trying to control his trembling hands or the tears welling at the edges of his eyes. He made sure Waller saw the utter terror he felt thinking about his family right now, thinking about Batman and what he would do to him this time. The anxiety and fear that had been piling up with every day, every year, every punishment.

He remembered the cold indifference when he stumbled when he was Robin, how he got benched, how unimportant he was periodically reminded he was. How unreasonable. How uncontrollable and dangerous.

Unwanted.

He remembered being replaced by a younger, richer and less controversial version of himself. He remembered the feeling cutting through his heart like blunt knives tearing and ripping his world apart. He remembered the hope that maybe he meant something to his father, even after being turned into a horror tale to following Robins, his legacy twisted into a compilation of what must not be done.

He remembered the feeling of a batarang slitting his throat, the warm blood racing down his neck as he saw his father carrying his murderer to safety. He remembered the pit taking over his mind and making him walk and stitch himself when all he wanted was to die in that gutter.

He remembered pain burning holes in his soul when he found out Batman had died, the helpless rage at the final message left for him as a last fuck you; more proof of unreturned love. He remembered his vocal chords bleeding with his screams at being held captive five cells down from his murderer in Arkham, knowing his brother had thrown him there and never looked back.

He felt the phantom of the feeling that attacked him with every word of hatred, mistrust and disdain. Damian's words putting him on his place.

The absence of calls or invitations to the family portrait sitting and those movie nights he had discovered the one time he had thought of visiting Alfred. The sight was worse form the window.

Amanda Waller, commonly known as everyone's worse nightmare, was the only living person capable of shielding Jason from the Bats. Jason knew he never stood a chance. Any kind word or helping hand had been a tribute to that fallen kid, the idealized version of his murdered younger self.

To them, he was merely a murderer wearing the face of a memory. They would not have mercy.

Waller's creased brow told him she understood and now she knew why everyone should be afraid of his family.

"He really fucked you up, kid." Both knew that was good news for her.

"There's an ever-growing club. Hope you never have to sign up."

The sweat-soaked sheets tied him to the unknown bed, circling his limbs like poisonous vines; the vision in front of him was the same as in his nightmare. Every night for the past four months he had been working for the United States of America under the unwavering puppeteer hands of Amanda Waller.

Each night he would see his blood-stained gloved hands not really knowing how he had come to that position.

That night in Gotham had been calm and eerie, a light breeze sending chills down Jason's spine while he waited for something to happen. Calm meant trouble in their city; it meant the monsters were hidden plotting their next massacre. He was just about to reach to the inside pocket of his leather jacket to grab his vaping device instead of cigarettes when the screams filled the air.

They weren't angry like those of a robbery victim but deeply afraid. A violent crime.

The girl wasn't even twelve. The sight of that scumbag above her, fumbling with his belt while he kept her pinned to the ground was worse than the crowbar beating him to death. It triggered something inside him, reminding him of that episode he never talked about, that time one of mommy's friends wouldn't go. How that man had put him down, just like the little girl in front of him, and kept whispering and covering his mouth and ignoring the tears and bites. Mommy had been too drugged to notice.

The next thing he knew he had him pinned down and the butt of his gun kept smashing down against the flesh, blood and bone that had been that dude's face. He didn't know how long he had been doing that, he didn't know why he hadn't shot his gun or why he couldn't stop the repetitive aggressive motions until he saw brain tissue splattering against the dirty concrete. He realized tears had been running down his cheeks and that an alert sign stood accusingly in electronic screen inside his helmet. He was sure that Oracle had him hacked. She probably had seen it all and would have called the others by now. He had no escape. He didn't need a trial to know he had already been sentenced. The knowledge weighed on his shoulders like the world on Atlas'.

He was hyperventilating too and he had to try four times until he was able to remove the helmet from his head, followed by his leather gloves. He slicked his hair back trying to remember how to breathe. His hands came out black because of the temporary dye for his white streak. He could have stared down at his fingers for hours if a pair of arms hadn't circled his neck, a thin body clashing against his and knocking the air out of him.

The sobbing girl refused to let him go, mumbling nonsense against the fabric covering the Kevlar, attaching herself to Jason like a koala with a bruising grip. He knew what he had to do. He put his arms around her in a comforting way and got up, walking fast but paying attention to not lose balance and let the girl fall. He finally spoke when they were two blocks away from Leslie's.

"What's your name?" He made sure his voice came out strong and not like the crying little boy who was plaguing his mind.

"Tara." Those teary eyes watched him from under a blonde mass of tangled hair.

"Okay. Do you know what's happened, Tara?" He kept rubbing soothing circles on her back. She nodded.

"Mom's friend is a working girl." She sniffled "Candy."

"I know Candy." He nodded in encouragement. Candy helped him giving away information about some johns. "Was she supposed to watch over you?"

"She got a client. She can't say no because she needs the money. I don't like waiting there so I walked around the block and I got lost." She sobbed.

Fucking Crime Alley.

"That man is never gonna do that again, okay? I stopped him in time." He hugged her closer when she started wailing again "I'm sorry you had to see that. I wish you could forgive me."

"F-f-forgi-v-ve y-you? You s-saved me." She bit her lip when he lowered her to the ground, in front of Leslie's clinic "Mom said you were the only Bat who watched over us." Tara smiled a little and grabbed his hand while entering the clinic.

Leslie stopped whatever she was saying to her assistant and eyed them. He knew what she saw, the Red Hood covered in blood and a little girl holding his hand, equally blood-stained and clearly traumatized. Leslie closed her eyes for three long seconds and sighed. She gestured for them to follow her into one of the examination rooms.

"Attempted sexual assault." He whispered to her when Tara had sat down. Leslie turned to him, looked him from head to toe, then to the girl. She nodded at him "I'm being chased. I need you to lie to them."

"Back exit. I'll tell them I saw you run south to your turf once you dropped the girl." That was as much as he could ask from her.

"Thanks." He was about to leave when he looked over his shoulder "You've been one of the best people I've ever known"

He left the clinic and went down into the sewer. The only way to escape flying rodents was doing it underground.

He just had to avoid being captured until he contacted Waller.

The nightmares had followed him during those months in the government facilities. Sometimes they were about him. Sometimes they were about Tara. Sometimes he couldn't do anything, watching how the two children in front of him were raped. He couldn't even close his eyes.

Jason shuddered and looked at the flame dagger in his hand, the weapon he always hid under the pillow for safety, as well as his .9 mm. He needed to focus on every little action on his daily routine so he would not think about it. He would behave like he was expected. He would survive another day.

Jason got up and showered, brushed his teeth and touched his white streak with a sad little smile. He put on training clothes showing every scar like a war trophy and slipped on his favorite combat boots, metal toecap for the idiots who would dare spar with him today.

Every little soldier within the building was both his babysitter and his apprentice. Waller wanted to see everything he was capable of before letting him go on solo missions. Meanwhile, she used him as a tool to sharpen her men's capacities with both his training as a Bat and a member of the League of Assassins.

The day he was sent to that secret facility he had felt thousands of eyes set on him, watching him, commenting on his origins and reputation. He heard one of them say he belonged to the Suicide Squad with the other psychos. Jason had enjoyed throwing one of his numerous daggers at him, the blade sinking and cutting the flesh on his chest and just millimeters away from puncturing the lung.

"Bats have enhanced hearing" he hissed in the guy's ear as he proceeded to stitch him up with his own portable first-aid kit in the middle of the building entrance.

He had enjoyed not applying any anesthetic.

Jason sparred every day with at least ten of them. He supposed Waller wanted to see how far Jason could go because she kept sending her best assets. He remained undefeated though he gave them credit for the few bruises he had to patch in the intimacy of his room. He was sure Waller had him wired, or even had placed CCTV in his room, like some psycho pseudo Big Brother.

He reached the training mats and started stretching, his playlist on the training room's speakers. Heavydirtysoul playing at high volume.

Gangsters don't cry

Therefore, therefore I'm

Mr. Misty-eyed, therefore I'm

Can you save, can you save my-

Can you save my heayvdirtysoul?

"A good psychiatrist would've volumes ta say about ya music choices, hoodie boy." a sweet serial killer voice spoke.

"So Waller finally sent the big shots my way." Jason straightened and observed the Suicide Squad members. Just three, hmm.

Harley? Lethal in one-to-one combat and his murderer's ex. Killer Croc? Meta. Enchantress? Magic user.

Two of the bats' weaknesses: magic and no preparation time. Waller was a smart bitch.

He could see how Croc leaned towards the witch in a protective way and that was good because the advantage was that Jason was a better strategist than he and Croc had a liability. Of course, Jason would have wished it hadn't been an ancient witch but, hey, who was he to complain?

"Music volume up" he ordered to the system, he had programmed it himself. Not as good as something Barbara or Tim could have done, but decent. He had always been way better at creating chaos "Execute shutdown" he told to the system.

And so chaos ensued. He had memorized every centimeter and object filling that room. He drew the gun on his right thigh holster and dove towards Croc. His shoulder screamed in protest at being smashed against the hard scales but Jason smiled when he heard Harley protesting at being crushed under Croc's bulk. Jason took his opportunity and shot three times in Harley's direction, high enough for a headshot. The first shot's flash let him know where he had to aim, the second landed right in the middle of her forehead and the third was just to make a point, landing in the exact same spot than the previous one. It was a terrible shame they were rubber bullets. But if he was honest with himself he actually liked Harley for freeing herself from that pasty-white fucker.

Commotion didn't last once Enchantress cast a spell to light her way to him not even sparing a glance for her teammate, placing herself between Croc and him. So mutual love it was. Hmm. Jason could work with that. He let her come, the smirk on her face triumphant. Just when the burning tingling in his hands started to be unbearable, he released the All-Blades.

The powerful flames caressed his skin, recognizing him as their master and last heir to the Order of the All-Caste. The blades Ducra left him fed on his very soul like an insatiable entity. They could fight any magical evil and/or Amazon, so he didn't complain. He was living on borrowed time anyway, and he didn't care about his soul or the time he had left because the Pit blurred the lines of morality and mortality.

He wrote poetry on the air with every blazing trace of his weapons, keeping the witch at bay. He was an impeccable swordsman, or had been, back when he cared about practicing with the blades Talia gave him as presents. He was doing fine but Croc would soon discover how to get back up. Jason had acted too quickly for them to be anything but confused. He was also sure Waller would be recording every second. He attacked in an arc. Enchantress was shocked by Jason's hidden capabilities and avoided the edge of the fiery blade like the plague. Jason used those precious seconds to somersault not-so-elegantly, landing behind her and bringing the blade to her throat, holding her in place.

He saw Croc baring his teeth at him above Enchantress' head. Jason drew his other gun and pointed it at Croc, the motion making the woman in his hands hiss when the flames got too close to her, black smoke dancing up from her clothes and skin creating an unpleasant smell.

"You have two options" Jason started "One, you try to attack and I shoot you several times on your way here, which would probably lead to the accidental beheading of your girlfriend. I have nothing against her" he cocked his head, paying attention at Croc's reptile pupils stretching and widening "Two, you both surrender and I win. No one gets murdered"

Four tense seconds passed until Enchantress nodded at Croc and he held his hands up in surrender.

"Let me go" Jason wouldn't comment on her harshness just because he knew she was desperate to get away from him and the sacred fire.

"Ugh" Harley groaned from the floor finally regaining consciousness, watching how Enchantress walked hurriedly to Croc's side.

"Move and I'll shoot you again" Jason threatened. He saw the giant bruise forming on her forehead. There was even a thin blood trail running down her nose and lip. Jason grimaced. That had to hurt. But Harley didn't seem bothered by that, instead, she groped her left breast with a pout directed at him.

"You shot my boob!" Jason fidgeted uncomfortably under her accusing eyes.

So that was where the first shot landed…

After the Suicide Squad fiasco, Waller finally let him go on a mission, but not before having a two-hour interrogation about his meta abilities and the All-Caste. She also told him he had a babysitter. Yay.

The mission was simple: reach the subject, negotiate, threaten if necessary. Weaknesses: a daughter. Abilities: meta, marksman, hitman. Affiliations: League of Assassins, otherwise neutral.

Alias: Deathstroke.

That was the reason why Jason wore a mask to the encounter. Not that he and Deathstroke had bad blood or anything but it was always for the better, having the fact that he had slept with his daughter. Being a Bat and all that. Unnecessarily dangerous possible outcomes, if you asked him. Better to have the upper hand and element of surprise.

Agent Seul was the one talking; Jason had to observe the procedures and ways of Waller's men and stay in the shadows, leaning against the wall. He could intervene just in case of threat or unavoidable fight.

His black helmet didn't have the fancy designs of his Red Hood helmets, just a voice modulator, and a night vision mode. His comm chirped in his right ear, some nameless agent barking the message.

"Agent Seul, we need to retreat. There are complications." Jason said, uninterested but still focused on Deathstroke's katanas. He was prepared for a fight, in the falsely relaxed position every Robin learned to be in around Batman and his rogues, just in case the villain would attack the little birds.

Deathstroke fixed his eye on him, suddenly interested in the previously unimportant newbie who needed to learn from his superiors' procedures. Jason tensed and his fingers itched and clenched for guns that weren't there, for thigh holsters that had to be left behind in the base. He even wished for some stupid escrima sticks. Or shurikens.

Waller had insisted this mission was not to turn violent. Ha.

That single eye seemed to pierce his soul. There was sudden movement and Agent Seul was on the ground unconscious. At least Jason hoped the guy was unconscious.

"And who are you supposed to be, helmet boy?" He was being sized up "You seem familiar."

"Doubt it." Jason shrugged his shoulder "Haven't been around that long."

Deathstroke lunged at him with a katana, not even at high speed. Jason jumped and somersaulted his way above him, using the wall to push off from. He grabbed the handle of the other katana at Deathstroke's back and pushed himself further into the room kicking at the assassin's shoulders.

His opponent growled and barked a laugh.

"I knew there was something about you" Deathstroke cocked his head to the side "How did the League even let you out?"

"Look, dude, we're here just to offer you a job." Jason relaxed his stance a little. "I would take the offer because Waller is a bitch. She won't hesitate to threaten Rose."

He expected a blow, but not a flying katana aimed at his throat. He ducked and jumped in Deathstroke's direction just to have a hand clenching at his throat, keeping him a foot above the ground. He wrapped his hands around the assassin's wrist and kicked his legs at Deathstroke's head, trapping it between his thighs bringing them both to the ground.

The assassin huffed between his thighs, amused for a second and then all Hell broke loose. There was an explosion through the opposite wall and rubble flying towards them, a giant piece of it hitting Jason in the head, shattering the side of his helmet and sending shards biting into his skin painfully.

Deathstroke tried to get from under him, unbalancing Jason and sending him flying through the room. Jason grunted when he hit his back, the blood on his face blinding the only eye that hadn't got the helmet in its way. He fought with the latch on his helmet and the pain to get it out, almost missing what the shouting voice was saying.

"Stop it, Deathstroke. We are the Teen Titans and you are under arrest."

The worst thing? Demon Spawn's tone was too recognizable to be mistaken. He tried to sink and hide under some rubble while Starfire blasted Deathstroke with her starbursts and Raven cast a spell on him that made him look like he was asleep. Jason was praying to every god he knew for the whiny titans to get going and forget about him. He would chew Waller for this, none of the Bats were supposed to get near him. Ever. That was the deal.

When Starfire's eyes set on him Jason knew he was fucked. He sighed and gestured her to keep quiet and leave. He even made the pleading face. Her eyes lit and she smiled flying towards him.

"No, no. Kori, shoo." He waved his hand and whispered. She lifted him up like a cat and enveloped him in a hug a few feet above ground, her skin gleaming with content.

"Jason!" She smiled and looked him over, holding him a little further from her body, still levitating. Jason waved his legs in the air hoping she would just drop him. "You look unwell, Jason Todd."

"You exploded a wall in my face, Kori. How am I supposed to look?" He rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Apologies, my friend. We didn't know there was anyone else. We received a call telling us where the Assassin would be." She hugged him again.

"Starfire! You cannot share vital information with…" Robin fell silent and Jason avoided eye contact. "You."

Jason would break several teeth if he kept clenching his jaw. He saw Damian raising his hand to his comm.

"Don't you dare, Damian." He bared his teeth and hissed. The kid gave him an irritated look.

"No names in the field, Hood." He scrunched up his nose.

"I'm not in the fucking field anymore, you twerp." He thrasted in Kori's hold, attempting to antagonize the kid a bit more. She secured her hold around him.

"Jason, there are children present, I've been told it's not good to swear in front of them" she furrowed her brow, eyeing them both "You should speak more nicely to each other. It's what brothers would do."

"He's not my brother," Damian said at the same time the green kid said 'Dude, they're brothers?'

"He's a burden and a failure. He abandoned his part of the city and fled like a scared infant. He doesn't deserve the honor to be part of my family." Damian spat.

"I've never been part of that fucked up family" and okay, those words had hurt Jason.

"You will always be that street rat, running away from everyone. Father has been fixated on finding you and he has called everyone to the city because Crime Alley is out of control." Robin clenched his jaw "People there do not trust us because you've convinced them we are the enemy." He pointed a finger in Jason's direction.

"They think you are the enemy because your dear Daddy didn't give a fuck about them. I was the only one who set foot there and started cleaning the area. Batman just visited once a year to cry like a baby in that alley." Jason clenched his fists "No one has ever given a fuck about Crime Alley."

"Not even you, apparently." Robin smirked when Jason gave him his deadliest stare. Even some of the kids behind him backed a few steps "You have left your people alone. You are weak. So weak that you embarrass me."

"You know what?" A tear fell down Jason's cheek, leaving a burning trail when it came in contact with the cuts on his face "I gave my life for a city that's never given me anything good. I died a hero, trying to protect a mother who had sold me out to Joker. I died and my last thought was how I wanted my Dad to hug me one last time."

I still wish he would. Jason heaved, holding onto Koriand'r like a lifeline. His eyes met Robin's cold white lenses

"I risked my life so many times after that, trying to set the record straight for the Pit madness and I… I can't. What happened that night- I know I broke the deal. I left. What do you want from me now, Damian?" He was still crying and it felt like he couldn't ever stop "I've erased myself from your lives, from my city. I will leave the country if I need to but I can't- I won't go back to Arkham. I won't suffer that just because Batman feels it's a fair punishment. I was five cells away from my murderer the last time Dick threw me in that gutter. Not even the Pit could fuck me up as that did."

"Jason," Koriand'r touched his cheek, looking concerned, Jason didn't want that, he wanted to finish this.

"So yeah," he looked at Damian again. The kid looked tense, all the other 'teens' around looking at him with astonished faces "I have the right to be weak. I've earned it" he placed his hand on his chest and finally convinced Starfire to let him on the ground "You don't need to worry, you'll never see me again. Give the memo to the fam."

In that moment the ruined door was open, not without difficulty, and one of Amanda's men came through it, eyeing Jason and ignoring the rest. A second one came too and went to the still unconscious Agent Seul to pick him up and leave.

"Agent Todd," the first one spoke pointedly "Waller's waiting for us back in the base." He nodded his head towards the door.

Jason ignored the shocked face of his so-called little brother and proceeded to leave. He hesitated as he was about to cross the threshold, looking back for a moment.

"Tell Alfred I miss him" Jason set his shoulders straight and left.

"Todd-" that was the last thing he heard before closing the door rather dramatically in Robin's face.