Author's Note: keep an eye out for my new story which should be on the site soon, The Evolution of Batman and Batgirl.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Boom. Jason's life flashes before his eyes. He sees a white light and begins walking towards. As he is about to walk into it he is yanked from it.
His eyes widen and he feels immediate pain. He looks at his body, which is covered in a glowing green water. He has scarring on his chest as well as his hands that wasn't there before. He looks around and sees what appears to be cave walls.
He looks to the top of the cave and sees Ra's al Ghul and his daughter, Talia al Ghul, standing side by side observing him. He is going crazy. Emotions and thoughts flow through him. Fear, anger, depression, and confusion.
Before he has time to process his emotions, armed guards begin walking towards him. Two with semi automatic rifles and the other two with pistols. He knows Ra's wouldn't have wasted the Lazarus Pit on someone he was going to kill, so he decides to not fight the armed men.
They lead him to a training room, and tell him to wait there. He sits down and begins thinking. Why did he need the Lazarus Pit? What happened to him? He starts trying to remember what happened last, but he can't.
The last thing he remembers is looking for Joker with Bruce on patrol. When they couldn't find him after twenty four hours, Bruce decided they should both rest. He doesn't remember anything after that though.
He is so deep in thought that he doesn't realize Ra's walked into the room. "Boy," Ra's says getting Jason's attention.
"What the hell happened to me?" Jason shouts at Ra's.
"I told Talia that this was a bad idea," he mutters to himself. "You are experiencing memory loss. We used the Pit as quickly as we could, but it might not have been quick enough." Ra's explains as he paces with his hands behind his back.
"Just tell me what happened to me," Jason says trembling.
"The maniac killed you and your birth mother," Ra's says, not even trying to sugarcoat it. "Talia, my daughter, thought it would be useful to bring you back. She went behind my back and did so anyway. As you were put in I was just discovering what happened.
"While I was aggravated by your death, I would have never brought you back had it not been for Talia. However since she did, I want to find out if there any side effects. I'm going to send four men in here, I want you to take them out." And with that Ra's walks out of the room with the doors shutting behind him.
As he said four men enter the room. They all have weapons. Two have swords, the other two have daggers. One of the men with daggers goes to stab Jason in the stomach. Jason easily catches the dagger in between his hands and kicks the man in the leg. The man falls to the ground and Jason punches him, hard, knocking him out.
The next man comes in with a sword he slashes at Jason, who simply moves out of the way. Using the dagger that he pocketed from the previous man, he throws the dagger at the sword, knocking it out of his hand. Jason runs up to him and punches him in the stomach. Once. Twice. Three times, then delivers a roundhouse kick to the man's sternum. Over the speaker Ra's announces, "I said 'take them out' not knock them out. Murder them. Murder them like Joker murdered you."
These words make Jason shake violently with anger and rage. He takes the fallen man's sword and stabs him, sheathing the sword in its owner. The next two men attack simultaneously. The man with the sword goes low, while the one with the dagger goes high.
The man carrying the sword swipes at his feet, but Jason jumps over the sword and kicks the man in the head as he avoids the sword. This knocks over the man with the sword, but the man with the dagger now begins at attacking more ferociously. Jason dodges all of motions delivered to end him. Jason uses his sword to block the dagger and kicks the man with the dagger in the balls.
The man clutches his stomach as he falls over. Jason puts his sword to the man's throat. In one swift motion Jason ends his life too. The man with the sword begins getting up. He swings wildly with his sword, Jason blocking each attack. Jason blocks an attack and swings. He turns away and hears an object hit the ground. He doesn't have to turn around to know that it's the man's head, which he just cut clean off.
When he is done killing them he can't believe what he has done. His eyes widen at at blood covering his hands and sword. He drops the sword onto the ground and shouts nowhere in particular, "This is your fault! You made me kill them!"
"I didn't do anything. One of the side effects of the Lazarus Pit is a bloodlust. You should be able to control it eventually," Ra's says nonchalantly. The doors open and Jason charges, not caring who is entering.
At the door stands Talia along with two guards. Jason attacks the two guards with the sword, impaling one and dueling with the other. He swings quickly, but effectively at the second guard, slashing open his chest. As he turns around to attack Talia he realizes she is holding a gun to his head. "GO AHEAD! DO IT!" Jason shouts tears rolling down his face. The sword falls from his hands and he drops to his knees trembling.
Talia bends down to his level and brings the frightened child close, "It's okay," she whispers into his ear. He accepts her embrace and leans into her.
Two months later, he sits across the table from Talia at a bar and grill. "I hope you understand how difficult it was sneaking you away from my father. He wanted you dead."
"I know, and I'm thankful. But, I want to know why," Jason responds.
"Jason, Joker is still alive." Talia says making Jason's eyes widen in anger and doubt.
"He wouldn't have left…"
"And he crippled Miss Gordon," Talia says. Jason clenches his fist and smashes it on the table.
"Why the HELL DIDN'T BRUCE KILL HIM!" Jason shouts enraged.
"His morals no doubt, but that doesn't mean that you can't. I have recourses. I can send you around the world, so you can learn valuable skills."
"What's first?" Jason asks.
The plane flies through the stormy sky trying to get Jason to his destination. "I'm sorry," the pilot says, "but I can't take you any further. This is a war zone."
"How the hell am I getting down there then?" Jason asks. The hangar door opens and Jason nods his head. He grabs a parachute and begins sprinting out the hangar door.
Jason dives head first toward the war torn land. When he is about two thousand feet to the ground, he begins deploying his parachute. He lands flawlessly and begins running for cover. He is going to Kahndaq to train with one of the world's best sharpshooters.
He gets to the meeting place about twenty minutes earlier than expected. When he gets there he sees the silhouette of his trainer.
The man steps out of the shadow and Jason immediately recognizes him. He is wanted in several countries, and many people have put bounties on his head. His dark hair, mustache and goatee make him instantly recognizable. "So, you're the rich kid I'm training." The man says.
"Yeah Lawton," Jason responds.
"So how did you find me anyway?" Floyd Lawton asks.
"I didn't. The people that are training me wanted to get some training with snipers. And they wanted the best, so they hired you." Jason explains.
"Fair enough, you gonna tell me who you're working for?" Lawton asks.
"Don't they pay you enough not to ask?" Jason asks sounding aggravated by the questions.
"Fair enough. What should I call you?" Lawton asks.
Jason thinks of the man who caused all of the pain in his life. He thinks of his unknown origin. But, he also thinks of Bruce's theory about how he was the… "Red Hood." Jason tells Lawton firmly.
Lawton extends his hand, "Nice to meet you Mr. Hood." Jason accepts the gesture and shakes his hand.
After training with Floyd for a little under a year he departs Kahndaq and goes to meet up with Talia again. He contacts her and tells her to meet him at the same bar and grill as last time. He arrives early as usual. He enters and goes to sit down.
Talia enters a few minutes later and sits down in the booth. She is accompanied by one of her personal guards, but he just stands by the door. She puts a folder on the table without saying a word.
"What is this?" Jason asks. She motions toward the folder telling him to open it.
He opens it and his eyes widen. "Those pictures were taken yesterday by spies I have in Gotham." Jason looks at the pictures enraged.
He stares down wondering, "How Bruce could just replace me?" Talia feels bad looking at him. She sees the obvious pain that he is going through. "HOW COULD HE DO THIS! First, he lets the man that killed me still roam the earth. Then, he replaces me!" Everyone at the bar look at Jason, then go back to what they were doing previously. "I'm going back to Gotham." Jason announces.
He goes to get up but Talia grabs his arm, "No, not yet. You still need more training before you can take on him."
Jason looks at her annoyed, but knowing that she is right. He sits back down. "Who do you suggest I go to next?"
"The League of Assassins once had a great assassin who it used. His name is Ben Turner, The Bronze Tiger. He is now hiding out in Asia. He has agreed to train you in more forms of martial arts and train you in close range weapons."
"When do I start?" Jason asks.
The situation seems familiar to Jason. Once again he is on a plane, flying in stormy weather. However, this time it is not a cargo plane, it is a private jet, and he doesn't have to jump. The plane touches down in China and Jason begins getting out and Talia yells to him, "He will be in Beijing at the Yonghe Temple at five o'clock. Do not be late."
It's not too far of a walk for Jason, but it's tiring nonetheless. With the blistering heat and crowded city, it's exhausting.
Jason gets to the temple by four thirty, and begins waiting for his latest teacher. Bronze Tiger shows up promptly at five o'clock, and scans the crowd for Jason. He finds Jason before Jason finds him. He walks up behind him and begins speaking, "Mr. Todd I presume?"
"Mr. Turner," Jason says turning around, "you would be correct in that assumption. How did you find me so quickly? I didn't even see you enter."
"Americans stick out like a sore thumb in China," Turner tells him.
"So, you are going to train me in martial arts?" Jason asks.
"Much more than just martial arts. I will teach you observing techniques, stealth techniques, give you weapon training and more," Turner explains to Jason.
In this encounter it is Jason who offers his hand, "Well thank you for offering to train me."
"Of course," Turner says taking Jason's hand.
After a year and a half of training with him, Jason decides to leave. "Thank you again Master Turner." Turner bows and Jason bows in return. Jason takes his suitcase, now packed with sais, nunchucks, bronze knuckles, and throwing stars.
Jason walks to the airfield that Ra's owns and meets Talia. He boards the plane and sits in a seat. "How did your training go?" Talia asks him.
"It went extremely well, I think I'm ready to take on Gotham. I'm ready to take on him."