Curiosity Killed the Cat
Mari awoke with a shudder, the past still plaguing her mind. She had been having dreams about Jason a lot more recently and that kiss seem to linger on her lips. She released another shiver before throwing off her covers completely. Her muscles tore at every step, she really regretted not stretching before she dosed off. Mari crawled over to her mini fridge pulling out a water then began to loosen her legs. Don came up about ten minutes later with a cup of coffee and a bagel.
"There's more downstairs when your stomach feels up to it" he said, handing them to her.
Mari sipped the hot beverage greedily, "Thanks, gimme a little bit though."
"Of course. How are you feeling by the way?"
"Better I guess."
She started to stretch again as Don walked over to straighten up her bed.
"You still sound distracted though, did you by any chance run into the Red Hood again?"
Don was always so perceptive. Mari flung herself on her back, munching on her bagel well pouting.
"So what if I did" she huffed out.
Don chuckled at her voice, " he seems to making quiet the impression on everyone, including you."
"Well he basically saved my life" the thief mumbled, still in denial.
"Did I hear you right? And how did that happen?"
Don took a seat down on the edge of Mari's bed.
"I was sloppy and let the goons get the best of me cause I ran out energy. I passed him and he helped me fight the guys but I could of sworn I passed out... I think he let me rest at his place, I remember the smell of..."
"The smell of what my dear?"
"Nothing, never mind. It must have been part of my dream."
"Are you sure?"
"I barely know this guy, what does he have to gain?"
Mari went back to stretching, shaking off the suspicions. She remember it smelling like Marlboro cigarettes, but Jason was the only she knew that smoked those so it had to be from her dream. She was the one that got him started, she thought smirking. The scene of the kiss played in her mind again, recalling the reason why she slapped him so hard. He had captured her heart long before that and for him to take her in and then push her away, it almost broke her to be teased like that. Now she knew what it felt like every time she teased him, it didn't stop her from doing it though.
"Maybe he finds you intriguing" Don said, breaking Mari from her thoughts.
"It seems like more then that" she answered, her suspicion growing.
"Maybe you should go ask him about it, but first you need to eat."
Mari gave him a sarcastic smile, like she could actually ask him, then she stood up grabbing her coffee and followed Don downstairs.
Black Mask sat on a couch in his hideout glaring at his lackeys.
"Maybe my last request was to mirrored in subtlety. I want this man dead. When I say dead , I mean seriously dead! Beaten! Broken! His head mounted on my wall, dead!" he yelled.
"Understood" spoke his adviser. "We'll be taking further precautions at every transaction."
"Screw that!" the crime boss argued, standing up. "Time he learns that this is a contact sport, we're going on offense, ruff up his business. Something big, something loud! When he shows up to take us down we'll having a party waiting for him. And when I say party I actually mean a whole lot of people who are gonna kill him!"
"I figured" the women spoke again.
"Just making myself clear."
Black mask's men worked fast, driving a car into a bar, shooting up the joint and smashing everything in sight.
"What are you doing? We're protected, we pay up the the Red Hood" the bartender pleaded.
"Is that so" grinned one of the goons.
Jason watched them on roof across the street, "Cute" he said before running off.
In a wide ally a couple miles away two more lackeys dragged a beaten up man across the concrete, then threw him into a car door.
"We're sending your boss a message" one smirked, lighting a Molotov.
He lifted it up in the air but suddenly a bullet shot through the air, shattering the bottle and setting the guy up in flames.
"Ok what's the message" the Red Hood said, landing on the car.
The other guy looked at him frightened then ran off.
"A simple one actually" a women spoke, landing in front of him with three companions. "Care to guess what it might be?" She launched at him.
"I have a few ideas" Jason answered, as he pulled out his guns and started firing.
She blocked his bullets with her swords and swung at him but he dodged her easily, then the other started to attack his as well. He ducked out of the way of metal time and time again but eventually it caught up to him and they knocked him down.
"Really I thought you'd put on more of fight" one of them said.
"O the fight hasn't started yet, I'm just stalling" the Red Hood smirked.
A bat-a-ring flew outta the air hitting one of the guys then Batman jumped down.
"What took you so long" Jason said.
"Shut up and fight" the dark knight growled, then the pair went into action.
Blaze lips curled into confusion as she watched the cape crusader and the newest crime boss take on the fearsome four like they were nothing. She recalled last night when the Red Hood helped her defeat Two Face's men and how perfect they fit together. It was like they had fought together before. The women sliced her blade down on the Hood suddenly and for some reason the thief cringed, as he tumbled back in pain. He ran at the girl then, knocking her out as Batman took care of the others.
"I gotta say I miss watching you work" Blaze heard the Red Hood say.
Suddenly the fourth guy jumped up behind Batman and aimed his sonic beam from his head at the cape crusader.
"Look out!" Jason yelled, pushing Batman outta the way, and getting hit himself.
The Dark knight threw all he could at the guy but he managed to kick him down as well, then he walked back over to the Hood, and jumped on top of him lowering his head to fire again.
"Awful close, afraid you'll miss?"Jason mocked.
"Black Mask wants a body, we don't need your head" the guy spoke.
"Let him go" Batman said, before Blaze could even react.
He was back on his feet with a taser in his hand, "Step away."
"A taser?"
The guy lifted Jason up with him and put him in a head lock, "Nail me and you'll electrocute us both."
At that moment a stun gun slid into the Red Hood's hand as well, " Maybe that's what he has in mind."
He shoved it into the guys "mask" staggering him backwards as the weapon malfunctioned then blood splattered everywhere as the guys head exploded.
"NO!" Batman shouted as the limp body fell to the ground.
"Just be happy I only killed one of them" the Red Hood growled, "They're all assassins."
"And what are you?!"
"I'm cleaning up this town more then you ever could!
"You're stealing territory from Black Mask and killing anyone who gets in your way."
"Black Mask is just part of the plan."
"Plan? You're becoming a crime lord!"
"Yes! You can't stop crime, that's what you never understood. I'm controlling it. You wanna rule them by fear, but what do you do with the ones who aren't afraid. I'm doing what you couldn't, I'm taking them out!"
"Tell me what happened to you, let me help."
Batman's voice seemed understanding and it surprised Jason but it didn't matter.
"It's to late, you had your chance."
He pulled out a smoke grenade, threw it, then disappeared in the mist. Blaze jumped down after she watched Bats pick up the blade that had grazed the Red Hood. She ran a couple blocks, guessing his movements, then she rounded a corner and came face to face with Jason.
"What exactly are you playing at?!" she yelled, alerting him.
Jason froze startled to see her, he took a short breath then moved into his cocky mood.
"I'm not but if you want, I'd love to play with you."
But Blaze's face didn't waver, she stepped closer and pushed the Red Hood up against the wall. Her stare was fierce and her body taunting him with every sway, Jason was already out of breath from his fight, but this was to much.
"Tell me what you want from me!" she demanded, slamming her hands on both sides of his head.
"I want you!" he yelled.
Consumed by every inch of her, he flipped their positions but held her wrists down with one hand as the other lifted her chin.
"What are you doing? Who do you think you are!" Blaze screamed as she struggled against him.
"You really wanna know?"
Blaze froze now as she heard those words and nodded her head slowly.
The Red Hood smirked, "Good cause I can't be away from you any longer."
Jason leaned in closer, moving his hand down to her hips and pushing her into him.
"Let her go!" they both heard.
Jason's head whipped around to face Nightwing, making him growl and tighten his grip on Blaze.
"Stay out of this!" he seethed.
"No way!" the boy wonder shouted.
He took a step forward pulling out his eskrima staffs (also from the game,they are like shock sticks), but the Hood retailed pulling out a gun and pointing it at Dick.
"You'll miss" Nightwing smirked.
But Jason wasn't playing, "Will I?" He then moved the gun fast against Blaze's head.
Her eyes turned to the gun and saw his hand shaking above the trigger, unnoticed by the boy wonder. The Red Hood wouldn't really hurt her, but why not, it's not like he ever hesitated to kill before. She moved her eyes back to her old friend and they locked. He studied her expression and understood immediately that there was no way out of this, but there had to be. If he moved the Hood would kill her, but if she telported away because he was holding her down, he would just go with her.
"You don't want to do that" Nightwing spoke slowly.
"What do you know about me!" The Red Hood shouted.
"Do you mind" Blaze whispered, his hands starting to chaff her wrists.
Jason watched her face turn to uncomfortable and he loosened his grip, but stepped closer to her.
"If you telport us out of here I'll tell you everything you wanna know and more" he whispered.
She contemplated it, surly she would worry Nightwing but questions dug at her insides making the decision for her. In a flash they were both gone, Nightwing tired to catch onto the telport but he was to slow.
"What the hell!" he yelled pounding on the wall.