A/N: Here it is the moment you've been waiting for! I like to give a shout outs to all my new followers, "How you Doing?" Jake my editor and good friend and Roderick my muse and best buddy! I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Remember to Review ta ta for now! ~Scratimus
Spotlight: Ultimate Red Hood
Eye for an Eye
"I still hear her calling out to me." Batwoman's eyes widen; her mouth gapping, reaching out to Robin. "The sickening sounds reverberate deep within my memory." A sword shoots through her chest covered in crimson with a quick twist it retracts back. "BANG!" Batwoman's chest erupts like a geyser. "I still feel the warm liquid and matter splash my face and chest." Behind Robin a splash of crimson sprays, "I smell the gunpower and feel the burn as the bullet exits my right shoulder blade." the .50 bullet exits leaving a half dollar size hole in its wake. "CLICK!" "He's out of bullets." Robin cries out in agony "CLICK!" The man changes mags but is hit with a batarang causing him to drop his weapon. Time seems to slow down as the now lifeless Batwoman falls to her knees and slumps over. "I cry out to my mentor" HE KILLED HER!" over and over again." The man draws his sword and turns his attentions to Batman.
Batman uses his gauntlets to block the sword "CRACK! SNAP!" he twists and the blade shatters. Before the man can grab another weapon Batman strikes with an open palm across his left collar snapping the bone. Robin looks at the man's fallen weapon longingly but cannot move. Batman then grabs his left arm pulling it out of socket then breaks it at the elbow. The man screams but nails the Dark Knight with a roundhouse to his temple. As Batman turns the man spins hitting him with a back fist making Batman take a knee. The man goes for a low roundhouse but Batman catches the leg twists sending the villan on his torso. Batman hyper extends the leg and then slams it down.
The man manages to rotate and kick off Batman and get to his feet he goes for a front soccer kick but Batman catches it flipping forward send the man back on his ass as his leg violently is pulled to his head and dislocates at the hip. Batman then gets on top of him and proceeds to make his head one with the pavement. Robin continues to call for the man's life to be ended. The man's mask cracks open revealing the battery and brusies Batman has inflected. Batman stops just short of the final blow, as a pool of crimson slowly forms around Robin as Batman cuffs the man, Robin shouts one last time 'KILL HIM!' and starts to slip into unconsciousness. "Last thing I heard was the sounds of sirens then I wake up in the care of Dr. Leslie Thompkins."
"YOU LET HIM LIVE!" Todd shouts as he is lying on his bed its 10 days later. Bruce says nothing. "DEATHSTROKE KILLED HER!" Todd falls back coughing and in pain he refuses any type morphine or painkillers. Dr. Thompkins insists that take them but he refuses due to his father's former addiction.
"I wanted him dead—maybe even more than you." Bruce bows his head.
"You don't get it do you old man?" Todd rises up his arm still in a sling and now bleeding.
"Todd." Bruce moves to help him but Todd bats him away.
"The Joker, Two-face, Black Mask...All murders that like a dog returning to its vomit, they continue to bring death." Todd snarls as tears form in his eyes but not from emotion or pain but from the still lingering gunpowder.
"And if I end them then what Todd?" Bruce stares down his partner who only returns with his own icy gaze. "If I do that..." Todd looks away as tears flow. "If I allow myself to go down into that place...I will never return."
"What about justice? The system is broke Bruce!" Todd looks back at Bruce clenching his fists.
"So we fix it by protecting the victims." Bruce tries to explain but is cut off.
"Well then you failed." Todd states coldly, "Katherine Kane was murdered and you just slapped her killer on the wrist." Bruce's eyes narrow, "You're no better than GCPD." Bruce back hands Todd.
"Todd, listen..." Bruce states as Todd comes back with an empty metal bed pan and slams it into Bruce's temple.
"I would say go to hell but that's too good for you." Todd sneers as Bruce recovers, "I'm done! I quit!" Todd grabs his now severely bleeding arm as Bruce exits and Dr. Thompkins tends to his bleeding. The door slams and Todd gives in to his injury.
Six months go by Todd's injury finally heals and he begins physical therapy. He can barely lift his right arm even 30 degrees. A snap is heard as Todd keels over in unimaginable pain. An ambulance comes and takes him to Gotham General. The doctors tell him that his ligaments are fine but his shoulder blade has to be completely replaced. Todd falls back in pain and defeat he passes out. He awakens to a man in beige sports coat and black slacks. His eyes focus and Todd knows instantly who he is.
"Wakey, wakey little birdie." The man smiles as he pulls up a chair next to him.
"Queen..." Todd says with a grumble.
"The one and only." Oliver picks up Todd's chart and examines it, "Wow I'm no doctor but it seems like you're pretty messed up birdie boy." Todd just grumbles, "And a free agent."
"Oh hell no!" Todd fires off like a curse.
"Oh no-no-no-no" Queen clicks his tongue and waves a finger. "I meant you had a falling out with our mutual friend."
"He's already there." Todd grunts flinching due to the pain.
"Indeed... I would feel the same way; which brings me to why I am here my dear boy." Oliver pats his leg and gets up.
"Why are you here?" Todd turns his head looking Queen directly in the eyes.
"An offer." Queen adjusts his collar and pulls out a flask offers Todd a swig. Todd nods downs some and passes it back to Oliver; Todd shows no reaction impressing the Queen Enterprises' CEO. "I come to offer you an olive branch of friendship. I am willing to take you out of this wonderfully outdated establishment to Star City Central via my private jet, which we both know you are use too and replace your battle scar."
"Catch?" Todd lifts an eyebrow as Oliver returns to his seat.
"If you mean a favor in return no." Queen smiles coyly.
"Guinea pig?" Todd narrows his eyes as Queen cocks his head.
"Yes," Queen tosses him a soft yet hard and flexible replacement part. The object is light and strong. "The procedure will quite possibly give you back your full range of motion- however you will have to be awake during it and run the risk of permanent immobility." Queen's eyes become serious, "I am not going to lie to you Todd it is risky and you will be the first to get this procedure. However- if it fails I will make sure you want for nothing." Oliver pauses for effect, "If you don't want this I will also make sure you get the best scapula replacement surgery here in Gotham, I can also promise you that. But you probably will be limited as most with this type surgery and you can also be sure you will have to hang up your tights."
"Do it." Todd replies.
"Are you sure?" It was Oliver's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"It's worth the risk." Todd states firmly as Oliver gets up and adjusts his coat and nods. Within seconds of Oliver's departure Todd is check out and is on his way to Queen's private jet. Onboard Todd inquires to Oliver's reason for helping him. Oliver tells him that he believed Bruce was wrong on his dealing with Deathstroke.
Three months later, Todd makes a full recovery and the procedure is a success. Oliver provides him with specialized physical therapy to put him back on top. With the help of Queen's Training Facilities and various contacts Jason Todd pushes himself to the limit placing his headphones on he begins.
'Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark. Can't be sure when they've hit their mark, mark! And besides in the mean, mean time, I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart...'
His eyes narrow as he takes on holo-images of his prey...Deathstroke. He engages them full force, pushing, forcing his right shoulder to work and not to get stiff as Fall Out Boy continues pushing out their lyrics,
'I'm in the de-details with the devil, So now the world can never get me on my level. I just got to get you out of the cage- I'm a young lover's rage-Gonna need a spark to ignite'
He strikes the first image his fist hitting the bot's head with a satisfying crunch sending out sparks,
'My songs kn-ow what you did in the daaaa-rk'
He spins around the bot.
'So light 'em up up up! Light 'em up up up! Light 'em up up up' Todd nails it with a three piece, 'I'm on fire!' He knees it in the back and comes down with his elbow disabling it as two more bots grab him and throw him against a wall and pin him.
'So light 'em up up up! Light 'em up up up! Light 'em up up up'
He kicks out both feet shoving the bots off him as he back flips into the wall and bounces off grabbing them by their necks and taking them down. He flips forward, twists and lands in front of them.
'I'm on fire!'
They rise as Todd rotates his right shoulder trying to put away the pain. "He won't take it easy on you Todd." He tells himself and the bots tackle him but he leaps over them landing in a hand stand. He flips up bow in hand; he grips it bow tightly, his eyes narrow as the training Deathstroke bots turn to face him.
'All the writers keep writing what they write, write. Somewhere another pretty vein just died! I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see, see! That you're the antidote to everything except for me, me'
In a fury of spins, Todd nails both of them sending sparks flying. He spins the bow around his neck then uses the momentum to send one end of the bow through the face of a bot.
'A constellation of tears on your lashes! Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes. In the end everything collides-My childhood spat back out the monster that you see!'
The bot shakes as Todd runs up it and spring boards off removing the bow and onto the other bot sending the bow straight through its chest. 'My songs know what you did in the daaaa-rk'
'My songs know what you did in the daaaa-rk'
The song ends as Oliver comes down applauding Todd in his quick recovery. "Well done my boy. Here..." Oliver tosses him a new smartphone and Todd catches it. "You also have a motorcycle waiting for you in the garage." Oliver places his hand on Todd's shoulder, "Whatever you choose to do, let it not be something that I'll have to be forced to take you down over." Oliver gives him a new wallet with a bank card. "Because of your courage Todd you made a huge advancement in medical science with your new implant. People will have the chance now to get back their full range of motion because of it. I opened a bank account for you and started a portfolio for you as well. Don't be consumed by vengeance and make something of yourself. Wayne said you were smart... prove it with the means I have given you." Todd nods shaking Queen's hand who brings him in for a hug. "Now go get the bastard." He whispers in his ear; Todd smirks and releases Oliver to go hit the showers. Todd puts on a helmet bidding Queen farewell as he drives off back to Gotham.
A week later... "Vicki Vale here with the latest in a series of fatal attacks to many of Gotham's supposed underworld associates." The GNC reporter went on to describe the latest on this terrifying trend. "Many believe that the Batman, who was first thought of as a myth is to blame." Bruce looked on at the Bat Computer monitor with narrowed eyes. "Is it Batman? This reporter doesn't believe so or is it a new vigilante? Stay tune to the Gotham News Channel for the latest news updates. I'm Vicki Vale back to you Charlie." Bruce cut the feed and put on his cowl.
Jason raced through the streets on his motorcycle; it was now raining and his former Robin uniform now without the "R" on the corner of his chest, due to the bullet hitting him, was getting soaked. The rage and longing not just for vengeance but justice and resolution burned within him like the bullet that had permanently scarred him. For two years now Batman had trained him to become the new Robin. Grayson had moved on to Blüdhaven becoming Nightwing; it was... was... just Batman, Katherine as Batwoman now deceased, him, Barbara as Batgirl and Father Valley as Azrael. With the loss of Batwoman Todd had lost more than a friend but the mother he'd never had, for his own had abandoned him and his addict father. She had come from the same background as him and understood him more than Bruce or anyone for that matter.
Todd was now a man possessed since returning to Gotham he had gone on his own personal crusade seeking out the man who took everything from him. Gone was the code of a flawed system that kept putting criminals and psychos back on the street. Jason had had enough now he was going to solve the problem his way. If it meant the street ran with the blood of the guilty so be it, change was coming...justice was coming, pure, unbiased, black and white justice. The dogs he put down lead him nowhere near to what he truly wanted. Rumors were all he got... rumors not facts. True be told those dogs feared the Batman more than they did him and he was the one that was executing them.
He had made up his mind finally, he knew how to get what he wanted and find that which he so fervently sought. He popped a wheelie on his bike and crashed it through the wall of an abandoned toy factory. To his surprise, he was not greeted by the villain's gang, his tool, nor his pets. To his astonishment he was just sitting there clapping his hands behind a desk. "My praise to you for such a magnificent entrance my dear boy blunder." He laughed.
"Joker." Todd spits it out like curse.
"In the flesh, I had a feeling it was you that they were talking about on the news." Joker smiles revealing his golden yellow teeth, "So what you come to kill me? Get in line."
"What do you think clown?" Todd says through gritted teeth.
"Lemme see you are armed and you have slaughtered several of my competition." Joker leaned back on his chair and let out a hoot! "Thank you by the way for that." He suddenly sits up straight and looks at Todd directly in the eyes. "Surely you want more than that?"
"Information then I kill you." Todd pops his neck and knuckles.
"How small you think boy. I'll give the information you seek freely but that's not what your heart truly desires is it Robin?" Joker grins evilly Todd opens his mouth but nothing comes out. "I have friends everywhere bird boy, as many as I have ears. I know of the injustice Batman committed against you. How he simply put away the one who sent the Batwoman pushing up daisies." Todd charges Joker and grabs him by the lapels. "Ohhh hhehehe whoo I touched a nerve. Killing me will not even register on his bat radar heheh. He'll just view you as a rabid dog that needs to be put away from the kiddies in Arkham."
"Get to the point CLOWN!" Todd looks him dead in the eyes inches from his face.
"The point is you want more than Deathstroke you want to stick it to The Batman." Joker growls as Todd releases him. Joker brushes himself down adjusting his string tie lifting his nose in the air.
"How?" Todd replies without missing a beat; it was true everything the Joker had just said in some insanely logical way Joker was right.
"By reminding him constantly that he can make mistakes." Joker moves to a back table with something covered on top of it. "By bringing him back to his very first one; the one that created his worst enemy." Joker says with impish glee as he pulls off the sheet revealing a red coned mask. "Where he created me." Joker burst out in maniacal laughter! "I wore this number, or one like it, oh goodness me I tend to forget. Hehehe but it wasn't really me, I didn't find him till I had my lovely dip in the acid." Joker laughs again Todd looks at the cone mask with trepidation and longing. "Try it on Bird Boy! Tell me what you think." Todd hesitated at first but then walked over to it and picked it up. "Do it. Fulfill your darkest desire and become my successor." Todd closes his eyes and puts it on and opens his eyes- all is clear as the revelation of who he truly is comes full circle.
"Robin!" a voice calls out as one last laugh is heard from the Joker. Todd turns to the direction of the voice and back to where the laughter came from the Clown Prince of Crime is gone. The voice calls out to him again, "No."
"Robin is dead… call me Red Hood, old man." Todd replies as lighting flashes on the second flash Todd is gone.
"Jason..." Batman takes a knee and bows his head.
The roof, Joker meets Red Hood, the wind shoots up a gust blowing up their clothing as the storm rages on. Red Hood walks slowly towards Joker who is taping his laughing dragon cane with a thumb drive in his hand. "No one can say The Clown Prince isn't true to his word." Joker tosses him the drive. "All you need is on that." Joker turns his back and jumps off the roof he lands in a vehicle and drives into the night.
Red Hood watches as it disappears from view, he places the drive in a box which clears it of viruses and bugs he ejects the drive and crushes the box then tosses it. The box ignites in a fireball and is no more, no traces. Red Hood turns then runs off the roof and on to his bike. He places the drive on the bike's on board computer. "Thank you Queen Enterprises." The GPS kicks on as Red Hood hits the throttle. "It ends tonight." The bike jumps a hill and onto a highway Red Hood pops a wheelie. He race towards an old abandoned bunker left from the civil war near Blüdhaven.
Without the aid of Wayne-tech gadgetry Red Hood had to approach the old bunker the old fashion way. Slade was no fool and no doubt rigged the place with countless traps. "Screw this!" Red Hood stood his full length and called out "SLADE!" his voice activated several turrents and several multicolored dots appeared all over his body. Red Hood stood there bold and unafraid; Slade had already took everything he ever loved so what if he took his life as well. "SLADE YOU COWARD!" Red Hood yelled out again, "FACE ME YOU SICK BASTARD!" He stripped off his cape for it would only hinder him and give his prey something to grab a hold of. "SLADE!"
From inside his bunker Slade watched the lunatic in the coned red mask rant and rave. He rotated his right shoulder and popped his neck. Batman had done a number on his shoulder and collar. After he was taken into custody he had to remain in a body cast for much of his sentence. After he recovered he promptly escaped back to his lair. "Who is this fool at my bunker door?" His voice seemed familiar but did not register with him. He had obviously done something to him to require such stupidity or bravery, whichever it was it was insanity.
Outside Red Hood boldly walked forward drawing closer to the bunker his feet attuned to his surroundings. He was becoming louder with his challenge taunting Slade to act. "I don't know who you are nor do I care. I offer this only once. Leave and I will forget about this incursion." Slade warned over the PA system.
"YOU KILLED HER YOU SICK…" Red hood is cut off.
"Language fool, I know not who you said I killed. I have killed many in my profession. Do yourself a favor save your life and leave." Slade pours himself a Johnnie Walker Black.
"You took everything from me!" Red Hood snarls.
"If you don't leave I will take what you have left go!" Slade pops his neck and downs a Johnnie Walker Black.
"GO TO HELL!" Red Hood shouts at the camera.
"As you wish." Slade activated the door turrent as Red Hood bounced around and off poles firing familiar shaped shurikens hitting the turrents they explode disabling them.
Inside Slade readies his weapons the intruder's skills register as he disables his traps and arsenal. Outside systems go offline as Red Hood kicks the door in, Slade fires and Red Hood slides to his knees and all the way to his back as bullets whizz by his head. He rotates to his side and leg sweeps Slade. This was it, live or die, him or Slade, one of them was not going to leave this bunker intact.
Slade falls on his back and pops back up to the waiting fist of Red Hood who plants him back on his ass again. Slade interlocks his legs with Red Hood's and drives him to the floor. Slade moves to put him in a leg lock but Hood kicks back then does a windmill maneuver to a push up ready position. Before Slade can pull out his next weapon Red Hood charges him does a front flip and slams both feet into Slade's chest. Hood rides him to the ground and soccer kicks him in the face sending his mask flying. "There you are that's the face behind the mask."
"Better a mask than wearing a used tampon." Slade snarls back as he draws a hidden blade from his gauntlet Hood notices it too late as it stabs his side and out his back. It retracts missing vitals. Red Hood palms a shuriken and slams his fist into Slade's side ripping out armor and flesh with each blow. Slade goes for the hidden blade again but is blocked and head butted. The Terminator kicks his assailant off of him and spins to his feet drawing his side arm.
Red Hood launches his shuriken hitting Slade's hand disarming him. Enraged with his opponent he charges drawing his sword, Red Hood meets him head on. Slade comes down with his sword but Red Hood catches him by his wrists with a swift motion Red Hood pushes off with his left leg back flipping sending his right foot into Slade's jaw sending teeth and blood splattering on the wall. The sword is tossed and embeds itself into the ceiling.
Landing on his feet he leaps forward to Slade who has recovered and spits out blood. With quick thinking Slade dodges and nails Hood with two punches to the kidneys. He moves and grabs Red Hood in a half nelson. Red Hood tosses his head back and kicks out Slade's knee with his heel and is released. "MURDER!" Red Hood nails Slade with a right hook. "YOU KILLED HER!" he spins nailing Slade with a roundhouse sending him to his knees.
"I have been called worse and killed many." Slade looks up his face battered and bruised his right eye his swollen shut. "You are going to have to be more specif..." Red Hood hits him with a left jab follow with an elbow.
"Katherine Kane slug." Red Hood pulls him to his feet as Slade hits him twice in the torso and throws him into and through a wall.
"Who?" Slade follows him to the next room.
"Batwoman." Red Hood recovers and removes his helmet revealing a forest green eye mask. Slade laughs.
"I had forgotten her name but I remembered you boy wonder." Slade smirks, "One doesn't forget a face wither affixed with a mask or not with that type of look."
"You forgot her name!" Todd clenches his fists.
"So the boy is out for revenge, so be it." Slade goes into a fighting stance.
"Monster." Todd seeths.
"So said the pot calling the kettle black." Slade muses.
"Her name was..." Todd is cut off.
"Doesn't matter boy it was business and a Tuesday." Slade silences Todd as a loud clang is heard...the sword dislodged itself. The both race to it each one trying to get to the prize first. Slade grabs it first but catches a serpent kick to side as four of his ribs give and break. Todd grabs it as Slade picks up a fallen shuriken and launches it embedding itself into Todd's replacement shoulder blade. It hurts but doesn't faze him for the nerves were cleverly attached underneath the replacement.
Todd charges Slade and comes down for a killing blow but is caught by Slade's survival bowie knife's serrated side. With a twist its déjà vu as the sword shatters, time seems to freeze as Todd spins dodging the knife and catching a long part of the broken sword. Blood seeps through his grip as his hand is cut and he stabs the blade into the right shoulder blade of Slade it cracks the bone. Todd removes the blade and spins again to Slade's front then stabs it into and out Slade's back shattering his shoulder blade. "Shoulder for shoulder" Todd states as he grabs Slade's bowie as he drops it. Slade screams as the lights go out.
Gotham- Blüdhaven Bridge, Slade hangs by his feet as blood, sweat, and dirt drip from his body. He is unconscious as police officers from their respective cities retrieve him from the support beam which he was hanging from. EMTs remove his face mask and vomit off to the side, his face is mutilated and missing an...
"And an eye for an eye." Todd removes his forest green eye mask revealing that his right eye is robotic. Todd muses as he inventories his new wares in his new headquarters donated to him by its former resident.
Over a year ago, "I am sorry Jason but the fragment and gunpowder has permanently damaged your eye we have to remove it." Dr. Thompkins states and exits the room.
Six months after that, "Don't worry bird boy we'll fix that too along with your shoulder blade." Oliver Queen pats him on the shoulder and exits.
Present, Todd finds a black and gold helmet that covers the entire head, "Well this will look good in red."
END for now but there is a whole new war that needs to be fought. An ally to be made and an old enemy to take down in Ultimate All Star Punisher/Red Hood! Coming Spring 2014!