Silhouettes
Chapter 6

"You alright?"

Jason glance up and quietly accepted the coffee from the blonde. "Thanks. I haven't been sleeping well."

The frown was evident on the blonde's face and she took a seat across from him. "Is it… like a serious condition?"

"No." Jason chuckled as he finally took a sip of his coffee. "It started when I slept over a week ago. Anyways, I'm thinking of visiting Roy and Kori later today." He immediately changed the topic of his sleep insomnia. It wasn't something he liked talking—No. He trusts Stephanie, but he didn't feel too comfortable to talk about his nightmares.

Stephanie jolted from her seat as if something clicked in her mind. She leaned in closer to his face and whispered, "When you are you going to tell Dick about them? Since y'know… they were old teammates."

He shrugged in response. "It's up to them. I don't think they're too keen to meeting an old teammate right now."

Stephanie pouted a bit. "Aww that's too bad." She checked her phone again and cursed silently. She stood up announcing her class is just in a few minutes. "So I'll meet you up later?"

Jason nodded. "Just come over to the hotel."

.

Roy expected to spend his day with his lovely girlfriend on the couch and watch T.V. all day long. After all, they had nothing else to do since their other missing piece to their awesome team is missing in action. Of course, the red head couldn't do anything about his missing friend reuniting with his sibling.

Jason nonetheless deserves the long awaited reunion. God knows what the kid went through with his day with Talia. It was pure luck that the archer even met him before he went on his way to his suicide mission.

It was during the afternoon, the heat was in rising temperatures and the red head wanted nothing to find a shade in this god-forsaken place. He was in a certain mission in Qurac and unfortunately, he was solo-ing. Roy just hoped that he didn't get captured and put into a prison or some sort. Prison here in the Middle East is something to avoid, even for an American and a hero, he guessed.

And just as he was about to go his way, his chartreuse eyes caught something familiar, an out of the ordinary person, a dead person. Roy rubbed his eyes, convinced the heat finally got to him and he was somewhere in a bad part of heaven, the really frustrating heat of heaven. The suicide mission was instantly gone from his mind and unconsciously sauntered to this supposed-dead-person.

Automatically his voice called out without him realizing. "Jason?" The red head watched the raven haired glance at him with such unfamiliarity. He was pretty sure he made an impression on the young Robin when he first met him. But it certainly irked him with 'Jason's unfamiliar expression.

This was humiliating. Coming up to some random man in the desert asking if he's Jason, which was certainly impossible. Last time he checked, the young Robin was dead. Dead like buried under the six feet of soil.

Roy apologizes quietly, saying he got the wrong person. He never got the chance to walk away when a sudden tight grip on his shoulder held him on spot.

"Roy Harper."

The red head's chartreuse orbs broadened at the last person he thought he was going to see. "Talia al Ghul," And his mind quickly pieced the puzzle and it dawned to him. "Lazarus Pit,"

Talia impressed by the quick assessment. "Yes. The Lazarus Pit. Roy Harper, I have to ask you to watch over my— Jason."

"How was this possible? Do they even know?"

"He doesn't want them to know." She clarified before gesturing at the raven haired behind her. "Watch him for a couple of hours. I have certain duties to attend here." And with that, the daughter of the demon sauntered away, leaving him and the lost bird alone.

From that moment, Roy chose to stay by his side for many reasons. First: Talia. Second: Talia al Ghul. Third: The supposed dead Robin, Jason Todd was alive. Fourth: Interestingly enough, he found an amnesia bird. Or maybe his memories are permanently lost? He never got the chance to get the verdict, even now.

And from that moment when Roy chose to stay, a little form of duo team between the Red Hood and Arsenal were born (later added a threesome when they met Starfire).

His ears perked when he heard the rattling from the front door and he excitedly announced, "Jason's here~"

.

Laughter echoed the room for a good minute as the red head gripped his stomach tightly. The atmosphere was light and Kori had a loose smile. Jason entertained them with a story at his stay at the Wayne Mansion. He didn't realize his story was even that hilarious.

"Oh God, I knew it!" Roy said wiping the tears formed at the brim of his eyes. He held out his hand towards Kori and demanded, "Pay up, Princess!"

Kori muttered a few curses (non-understandable) before giving up a few wads of cash she somehow have. She stared at him sullenly. "Richard is emotional, but I didn't think he was this emotional." She said.

Jason scowled at his friends and narrows his eyes. "Roy—you— You bet on me?"

In the speed of an arrow, Roy immediately defended his actions. "You left us alone for a week, Jaybird. You can't blame me that this just happen to popped up." Seeing that his explanation did no good with the raven haired, he wailed, "We were so bored and so lonely without you!"

"You guys have each other."

"But it wasn't the same without you though. You know, the three of us, hanging out like old times." The red head pouted and somehow his chartreuse eyes managed to shine under the bad lighting.

Jason rolled his eyes and muttered along the lines of freaking ginger and his stupid eyes. He sat on the nearest couch available and he held his hands together. He took a deep breath and suddenly announced, "They want me to move in to the mansion."

Roy immediately beamed and said, "That's good! Spend more time with family and please make time for your lovely awesome friends, okay?"

Kori was quick to jab him on the side, noticing the underlying tone in Jason's voice. "You don't sound particularly happy about it."

"I am happy about it." Jason stressed. "But, I'm not sleeping well either."

At this point, the couple immediately knew to that problem. It wasn't much of a secret since each and every one them held no secret from each other. None. And Jason's nightmares were part of it and which caused the former to have insomnia.

"You haven't had a nightmare for years." Roy noted. "Why now?"

"Perhaps it's something in the mansion that triggered it." Kori suggested. She remembered clearly, two years ago when Jason had used a crowbar for a weapon against a certain enemy. Immediately when night fell, Jason's mind was plagued by nightmares and continued on until that woman did something.

"I doubt that Mansion would have any crowbars lying around and about." The red head countered. It was no secret among the team (back in the Teen Titans days) how Robin was beaten to death. Roy didn't like the idea of his friend plagued by memories of his eventual death.

Jason shook his head, refusing any ideas of why his nightmares resurfaced. "I'll call Talia for meds." He didn't even bother to listen to Roy's refusal to that idea and sauntered over to the kitchen to make a quick call. He wasn't going to have a simple nightmare ruin anything.

He took out his cellphone, ready to call Talia but halted once he noticed the one new message notification. Quickly checking it out, he read the message once and without a second to spare, he deleted it.

Putting away his phone, he strolled back into the living room and announced he needed to do something.

.

The moon shined brightly over Gotham, as the city bustles on with its business. In the upper corner of the city were lighted up beautifully as the night goers went on their way and parents making their way to their home. In one particular building, the shouts and pleads were undeniable and unluckily, the victim was alone.

"Please, don't k-kill me! I have a family to-to feed!"

He titled his head to the side, pressing his gun against the man's cowering forehead as his finger rubbed the trigger. "Sorry, but orders on top said to kill you. And if I were you, I would say my final prayers or something. 'Cause even I didn't have time to do that last time."

The man gave him an odd look, but it soon disappeared when he pressed the gun against his forehead. "I don't hear you prayin' old man." Just as soon he heard the man whispering under his breath, he pulled the trigger and—

Click!

"Whoops. Forgot to reload." He sheepishly smiled at his hostage as he quickly reloaded and once again, they were back to the position they were in a minute ago. "Let's try this again."

"Please! What have I done? Who paid—?"

"No one paid me." He growled and he finally pulled the trigger. The pleads from the man grew tired and wanted to get the shit over with already. He stared at the bloody mess his gun created and frowned. "Fucking hell, I ain't cleanin' this shit."

He heard a soft buzz from his earpiece and a voice congratulated him.

"You don't have to clean anything. Leave that to my men. In the mean time, keep doing this and I will keep my end of this bargain, Red Hood."

Growling deeply, he signaled the other men in the vicinity to clean up the mess and ordered strictly, "Clean this shit up and don't leave a spot. Don't want catchin' Batman's attention."

Whoa guys. I promised an Alfred part here but eh. He felt kinda out of place so he's next chapter along with Brucie yay. The last part may be confusing but it will make sense in later chapters. This isn't the last time you'll see Red Hood like that. c: Sorry for the short chapter and the lateness of it. College started again and I'm swamped with work and I'm suppose to be writing an essay. LOL.