Chapter 8: Gorge City.
Jason looked over his apartment and smiled. It was top floor of an eight story building in the center of Gorge City. The two floor studio apartment had a single floor with a closed off bathroom yet an open living space and kitchen that ran together. The second floor was a large living space with wire framed looking over the larger living space below.
Jason smiled as he placed the last of his books upon his wall shelf. He had decorated the apartment the best he could with the last of his cash. He had a fake leather wrap around couch around one corner of the living space with a flat screen placed upon the wall opposite it. The kitchen area was stocked with the essentials, including a 24 pack of beer, and utensils. He had found a small wooden dinning room table set with matching chairs that he had set up in the corner of his kitchen area. The bedroom was set up with his desk area and computer against one wall and a futon mattrass set up against the other.
Jason flopped down on his couch and cracked open a beer smiling over his new home. He had spent the past five years traveling around living one abandoned building to the next, never actually having a place he could call his own. The realization of those days being over flooded over him as he took a chug from his beer and smiled even bigger.
"Home." Jason said aloud to the room. "Really is no place like it."
A knock came from the door, causing Jason to nearly spill his beer. Jason placed his beer on the small end table next to his couch on the coaster and walked towards the metal sliding door. The living space had a large open space between the living area and the door, which Jason planned on turning into a small work out area once he found some income.
Another knock made Jason walk a little faster. "Hold up!" Jason hollered. "I'm coming I'm coming."
Jason opened the door and looked over Stephanie Brown. She was wearing tight skinny blue jeans and a turtle neck purple sweater. Her blond curls framed her pixish features and she smiled.
"Hello Jason." Stephanie cocked her hips and raised an eye brown. "Can I come in." Before Jason could answer Stephanie pushed past him and stepped into the open area of the bottom floor of his apartment. "Love what you've done with the place."
"What do you want Steph?" Jason closed the door and crossed his arms.
"To come and thank you." Stephanie said standing in the open area of his apartment. "You put your life on the line to help us out and you didnt have too." Stephanie smiled and before Jason knew what was happening was pulling her sweater over her head to reveal a silky purple bra that held her large breast in place. "So then." Stephanie smiled big and walked up to Jason. "How shall I start thanking you?"
Jason's eyes narrowed as he uncrossed his arms and pushed Stephanie back away from him. He walked past the confused girl and picked her sweater up off the ground and threw it back to her.
"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked placing the sweater over her chest in embarrassment.
"Nothing." Jason said coldly walking back towards the door. "Just never do that again. You dont have to thank me like that. Just a simple thank you will do. Now get out of my fucking apartment." Jason pulled the door open as Stephanie pulled the sweater over her head again.
Steph walked towards the door and stopped before Jason. "You're in love with someone arent you?" Steph smiled and held her arms over her stomach. "Well thank you Jason," She looked up and then back at Jason, "Not just for the ride either I mean for..."
"Dont mention it." Jason nodded his head. "Come by anytime," He stated as the blonde criminal walked through the door, "Just cause I dont wanna fuck you, doesnt mean I dont wanna hang out with you sometime." Stephanie smiled and walked down the hall to the one elevator.
Crimson sat atop the massive skyscraper that held Falcon's Nest, Gorge City's biggest nightclub. He pressed a button on the side of his cowl and his vision changed to infrared and he saw all the partiers of the club dancing to the dull thud of techno music that invaded the air around him.
Crimson scanned the building and saw his targets. In a back room hidden behind the bar sat three infrared figures sitting at a table. The vigilante worked his way over to above the area and lucked out finding a small sun light directly over where the men were sitting. Flipping off his infared vision, he stared down from his hiding spot and watched.
Johnathan Capolino and his brother, Harold Capolino, sat across from and scowled at the intimidating large black man across the table. Johnathan was a skinny lanky pale individual who wore an expensive three piece suit that fit him firmly making him look even skinnier with his long brown hair tied tightly into a ponytail. Harold was a heavy set man with a slightly darker complexion then his brother wearing a three piece suit as well, that gave the man a grace about him that there shouldnt have been, and a fedora. In his lips was a foul smelling cigar.
Trevor Anders sat there with his hands on the table in gesture of good faith. He was wearing a two piece suit that he had currently unbuttoned revealing a tight fitting shirt that revealed his chiseled abdomen. His revealed hands and neck showing black swirls from unseen tattoos hidden by the expensive suit.
"Thank you both for coming." Trevor stated, his voice low and demanding, yet showing softness and appreciation. "I know you're very curious on why I invited you to my club," Trevor stood up and buttoned the bottom of his suit, "But before business, may I offer you both a drink?"
"Save it you nigger." Johnathan nearly screamed. "What do you want?"
"Johnny!" Harold scowled at his brother causing the smaller man to flinch away and turn his head. "Mr. Anders I apologize for my brother's vulgarity!"
"Its fine." Trevor laughed as he poured himself a drink from the bar behind his desk. "I've been called that so many times over the years by so many different types of people, one gets use to it." As Trevor turned around a knife struck by Johnathan's head into the chair he was sitting. The blade was slim and had sliced through the slim Italian's ear causing it to trickle blood. "But if your brother wants to leave here in one piece he'll watch his fucking mouth!"
Johnathan grabbed his ear in terror and looked at the knife. The handle was that of an opened mouth lion. The blade was so slim the blade looked to be more of an ice pic then an actual blade.
"That was impressive." Harold pulled the blade from next to his brother's head and placed it back on Anders' desk. "I believe we should just get to business Mr. Anders. Why did you ask for us to meet?"
Trevor un-bottened his suit again as he sat back down in his large chair. "As you both are aware," Trevor started, "I'm doing very well for myself. Falcon's Nest is making me so much profit that I'm opening up a second location in Los Angeles and a third in Metropolis." Trevor took a sip from his drink. "That being said I'm going to be spread a little thin."
"What's that got to do with us?" Johnathan asked shyly.
"I'm looking to sell out." Trevor held his hands up. "I'll give control of the entire Squabble over to the Capolino family. Under certain conditions."
Harold's eyebrows raised at this. For the past decade the Anders and the Capolino crime families have been fighting for control over certain parts of the city. Capolinos holding the north and east sides of Gorge City while Anders held the south and west sides. Capolinos focused on the organized crime while Anders kept the gangs in check. It wasnt perfect but the families kept crime in check, while controlling every aspect of it. The Squabble was the name for the slums on the west side and was home to a majority of the drug trade. Trevor Anders had worked his way from a crack pushing thug, to the most dangerous gangster Gorge City had ever seen, to a family man that held a seat on many of the city's political councils.
"That's a very big offer." Harold stood and motioned questioning towards the bar. Trevor motioned for Harold to help himself. "What would those conditions be of course?"
"A simple shoot back of seventy percent." Trevor stated plainly.
"Seventy huh?" Harold laughed. "Not much room for profit."
"I'm not interested in your profit." Trevor again stated plainly. "I'm worried about my own."
"That leaves us with thirty!" Johnathan yelled.
"Congrats," Trevor turned his head ever so slightly at the pale man across from him, "You can do math."
"Johnny," Harold sent a cold stare over his younger brother, "Shush."
"We make more from that on our own drug deals!" Johnathan stood and walked to his brother's side angrily. "You're considering this?"
"I am actually." Harold said coldly. "Remember your place dear brother! I am the one who's in charge now since dear old daddy died! I say what the family does!" Harold's jolly exterior turned dark and all good seemed to drain from the man. Johnathan stared over his brother and walked back to his seat slowly, his head down as he took his seat. "Now then," Harold's jolly expression took over again, "Though he went about it wrong," Staring at Johnathan, "My brother makes a point. Seventy percent seems a bit much." Harold poured himself a drank and held the bottle up and looking at Trevor's empty glass.
"Oh thank you." Trevor held the glass out before him allowing Harold to pour him a drink. "It is negotiable of course."
"Good." Harold leaned against the large desk of Trevor's and thought for a moment. "It is deep in your area so we will need your word that our shipments will be safe."
"With out a doubt." Trevor agreed.
"And my boys will need protection from the Humiliators." Harold stated. The Humiliators were the biggest unaligned gang in Gorge City. Their leader, the mysterious Talisman, sent his gang out to kill, destroy and ruin every operation that both the Anders and the Capolinos were behind.
"I'm trying to deal with them as it is." Trevor stood and smiled as he leaned against the table as well next to Harold. "That is a nuisancethat will be quickly taken care of."
"Good to hear." Harold pulled the fedora off his head revealing his thinning brown hair, and receding hair line. "As for the seventy/thirty split," Harold whistled, "That's not going to work."
"What do you have on your mind?"
"Fifty-five/forty-five." Harold said easily. "We getting the forty-five of course."
Trevor crossed his arms, never letting his drink go. He looked towards the club and smiled. "Alright Capolino." Trevor took a swig from his drink finishing it. "Deal."
Harold followed suit downing his drink as well and placed his hat back upon his head. "Deal." Harold and Trevor shook hands and smiled.
"Awe!" A mechanical voice sounded from behind the three men. The three turned to see Crimson resting against the opposite side of the desk. Johnathan jumped back and hid behind his brother as Trevor and Harold stared over the crimson clad vigilante. "This is perfect. My first night out and find out the biggest scum bags in the city wanna make a truce. How precious!"
"Who the fuck are you?" Trevor reached under his desk and hit a button.
"Panic button?" Crimson laughed. "Really scary there buddy." Crimson looked behind his shoulder as three ghetto clad thugs walked into the room behind him from a hidden door. "Names Crimson. Think of me as the Batman of Gorge City. You lot need to remember my name," As he spoke Crimson turned quickly and pulled his right 9mm from its holster and fired three times knocking each of the thugs out with rubber bullets to the skull, "It'll be the name that haunts your nightmares."
Trevor flipped the table towards Crimson causing him to back flip out of the way. When Crimson looked up the three men were gone. "Shit!"
Jason threw his cowl on his couch and hung his head low as he sat at his kitchen table. He shouldnt have taunted as much as he had and grabbed the scum bags while he had a chance. He had evidence on them, just not them. He hadnt set up the right connections at Gorge City Police yet and he was at lose on where the three men would hold up. He had gone out unprepared and with out the right knowledge of the city or the bad guys. First rule Bruce taught him was be prepared. He was overzealous tonight, and it cost him.
Jason slammed his fist onto the table and stormed off up his stairs to change. He quickly stripped from his Crimson suit, placing it in the back of his closet. He walked towards his small dresser by the bed to pull out his lounge around shorts when movement from the corner of the room caught his attention.
Jason acted normally as he knelt down in front of his dresser and opened it. Instead of shorts however Jason pulled a hunting knife from it's hiding place and waited. It was only a breath of time before Jason sprung and sliced at the figure that was walking up behind him. The figure dodged back with ease and dropped to the floor in practiced ease. Jason flipped over the figure and spun kick at the intruder's feet.
The intruder let out a grunt of pain and fell to the ground cursing. Jason rolled to his feet by the light switch and turned it on. Laying on the floor was a man wearing a red Kevlar top with no sleeves and red armored pants. On his belt sat four pistols and a shotgun across his leg holster. Strapped to his back was quiver of arrows and a red compound bow. His face was covered by red sunglasses and red trucker hat. His right arm had two tattoos, one over his bicep and the other on his forearm.
"Roy'd Rage?" Jason asked as he stood up looking over Roy Harper. The former side kick rubbed his back as he stood up removing the trucker hat revealing his short crew cut red hair.
"Damn Jay!" Roy pulled his sunglasses off and cracked his neck. "Is that how you say hello at the batcave?"
"What are you doing hanging out in my bedroom in the dark?" Jason looked down at himself in his still skin tight red leotard. "You know I'm only into women right?"
"Oh hardy ha ha!" Roy rolled his eyes and threw his hat and glasses onto Jason's bed. "I came to say hello you dick."
"Next time call!" Jason yelled while laughing. "Shit man." Jason laughed with Roy as the two friends embraced each other in a hug. "How you been man?" Jason asked as he walked over to his changing area behind a black curtain he had sat up in his room's corner.
"I've been good." Roy said sitting at the rolling chair at Jason's desk. "Left the League."
"I heard." Jason said from behind the curtain. "Things not end to well with you and Ollie right?"
"He's a lying ass hole." Roy said flatly.
"Not the point." Jason said as he stepped from behind the curtain wearing pajama bottoms and muscle shirt. "Beers down stairs." Roy's eyebrows lifted and followed behind Jason. "You left for other reasons, their yours. Not my problems"
"So caring." Roy rolled his eyes as Jason opened the fridge and tossed his friend a beer.
"Yeah I'm Doctor fucking Phil." Jason sat at his kitchen table, with Roy sitting across from him.
"Gorge City huh?" Roy looked out over the window of Jason's apartment.
"Not starting out to well." Jason said as he took a chug from his drink. "Let three of the biggest gangsters in the city get a way tonight."
Roy looked over Jason and laughed. "Hell man what do you expect?" Jason looked at Roy with killer intentions. "You cant go after the big guns your first night. You gotta work your way up man."
"I'm not use to that." Jason said rolling his hands around each other as his anger built. "I'm use to just going in and kicking ass."
"When you were Robin." Roy reminded Jason. "That's been almost seven years Jaybird. You're not a kid anymore. Use that big brain of yours for something other then picking up women."
"Still jealous I see." Jason smarted off as Roy took a drink from his beer. Roy simply shrugged.
The friends sat there for what seemed hours laughing and catching up when Stephanie barged in and threw bags on the floor. Jason looked up in horror as Roy's eyebrows raised in confusion Stephanie yawned loudly and walked over to the kitchen and started raiding the fridge. She was wearing her skin tight black leotard with the purple hoody of her Spoiler outfit over it, with out her mask and the hood down revealing her long blonde curls.
"Uh," Jason looked over the suitcases then back at Stephanie as she peered up from the fridge with a piece of pizza hanging from her mouth, "The fuck Steph?"
"Whuah?" Stephanie asked through the mouth full of pizza. She pulled the slice from her mouth and stared over Roy and Jason. "You said I could come over anytime."
Roy started laughing as Jason looked on in confusion and horror. "Not with bags and shit! I also didnt tell you to come in or that you could raid my fucking fridge." Jason kicked out at the door of the fridge, causing Stephanie to squeal and move from the rapidly closing door.
"Hey you said.." Stephanie started again.
"I know what I said." Jason interrupted her. "Now explain."
Stephanie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Rose is an annoying roommate."
"Rose Wilson?" Roy asked as he stopped laughing. "You're friends with Spoiler and Ravager? Wow Jay maybe I should be jealous."
"Shut it!" Jason threatened Roy. He turned back to Stephanie as she pulled her suitcases into the living area. "You just assumed you could stay here?"
"Why not?" Stephanie asked shrugging confused. "You said you would like to hang out."
"I dont have a job yet," Jason began, "I'm nowhere near on my feet fully. I cant babysit you also!"
"Relax." Stephanie said patting Jason on the arm. "You'll barely notice I'm here. Its only until Rose cools off anyways."
"Cools off?" Jason asked even more confused.
"Yep." Stephanie pulled the thick purple hoody off and stretched. Roy whistled slightly as Stephanie's physique was revealed in her skin tight leotard.
"I'm moving to Gotham." Roy laughed.
Stephanie raised one eye brow at Roy and rolled her eyes. "Men, I swear." She turned on them and headed to the bathroom. "Thanks Jay!"
Jason stared after in confusion. Roy laughed to himself. Jason tried to find words as he pointed towards the bathroom and turned back towards Roy.
"Wha... Wh... How... DAFUQ!"
A.N.: So finally getting to the story story of this... story... anyways. Jason is in his new town and ready to kick some ass.
As for what's next just stay tuned and fine out. This will be a double chapter today because my girlfriend is going out of town on Sunday and I wanna spend as much time as possible with her before I drop her off. SO enjoy this chapter and the next. Also! REALLY LOVE THE COMMENTS AND REEEEAAALLY WANT SOME FAN ART. I'm dying to see my characters come to life.
Thank you and enjoy.
RedRellik!
