That's it he was shooting whoever thought it was a good idea to beat on his front door at… three in the morning. He hadn't been asleep for forty five minutes before the pounding woke him and burrowing under his pillow did a whole lot of fucking nothing. With an annoyed snarl Jason rolled out of bed grabbing his Desert Eagle from the floor by his nightstand on his way up. Checking the safety as he made his way to the door making sure it was off, leaning his back against the wall he leaned over and looked out the peephole. Groaning when he saw who it was, thumping his head against the wall he debated whether to ignore his unwanted annoyance and go sleep in his bathtub. He'd slept in worse places and at least he'd have a blanket and pillow and knew it was clean and he'd have another door to block the knocking.
No, the annoying shit would just break in anyways, might as well get it over with, shifting to stand in front of the door Jason unlocked and opened it. Oh, great he had that bitchy mom look on his face, a lecture great, he should have just went and slept in his tub. Before Jason could say anything Dick shouldered past him and into his apartment.
"Sure, come on in." He muttered sarcastically shutting his door, he made sure the safety on his handgun was locked -didn't need another hole in his wall- he tossed it to the recliner and looked over at Dick who turned on his living room light and glared at him.
Okay he'd bite. "You gonna tell me why you're here or are you just gonna evil eye me all night. If so I'm going back to bed, you can't watch though."
"Did you do it?" Jason blinked slowly.
"I've done a lot, you're gonna have to expand that question." Dick lips twisted into a snarl.
"This isn't funny Jason, Bruce is beyond pissed the League wants you back in Arkham. It took a lot for me to convince Bruce to let me talk to you first."
"What the fuck are you talking about Dickhead. What the hell do you assholes think I fucking did?"
"You don't know?" It wasn't a question directed to him but Jason answered regardless.
"No, and you better tell you twat, cause I'll be god damned if you think I'm going to let you shove me back in that fucking hellhole without a fight." Jason snarled crossing the four steps between him and Dick bringing them nearly nose to nose.
"You really don't? Where's your laptop?" Jason jabbed his finger towards his kitchen table where the black computer sat.
Jason followed as Dick sat at the kitchen table and flipped the laptop open and typed in the GNN webpage. Clicking on the first video Dick turned the laptop and Jason watched the video, his fingers gripping the hardwood of his kitchen table making the wood groan. He watched at Red Hood walked away from a burning warehouse a duffle bag over his shoulder and gave the camera a salute before climbing into a van. The video then started over, Jason watched it three more times by the time the loop stopped his hands were shaking. With a shout he grabbed the coffee mug from the middle of the kitchen table and hurled it at the far wall where it shattered.
"When did this happen, tell me right fucking now!"
"About eleven-thirty." So almost four hours, if he talked to his network he could find the slimy bastard who used his god damned face to do whatever the fuck this was.
"Jason," He looked back to Dick trying to hold back snapping at him. "Six people are dead, innocent people they were kidnapped from S.T.A.R labs." He killed six people using Red Hood's face, fucking up something Jason had worked hard on, he'd fucking kill the slimy bastard!
"What do you know?" Jason asked as he paced trying to calm himself down, as Dick sighed running his hand through his hair.
"Not much right now, only about the scientists that were kidnapped and that they were chemists Bruce and Damein are at the scene now collecting evidence. The League are arguing about you, Jason do you have a way to prove that it wasn't you? That someone is framing you? Because if not, I can't protect you they'll put you back in Arkham." Jason bristled at this.
"I don't need you to protect me Golden Boy, I can do that myself and I'd like to see those pompous assholes try and put me back." Jason said with a bitter smirk. "I wasn't even in Gotham today I was in Star City, getting something from Roy."
"Alright I believe you but Bruce-" Jason cut him off.
"Yeah, I know he's gonna need it written in triplicate, Roy's sworn word on Lian that I was there, video surveillance and then still fucking question it."
"Jay he-"
"Save it Dick, let me get a shirt and we can go. The sooner we find this prick the sooner I can beat the ever loving shit out of him." Jason sighed walking down the hall to his room grabbing a shirt his jacket, gun belt and other Desert Eagle from the floor, a pair of brass knuckles from his dresser went in the inside pocket of his jacket. Making it back to his living room he grabbed his boots and sat on the edge of his recliner and pulled them on grabbed his tossed gun from the seat behind him and tucked it into the belt.
"Ready."
"As I'll ever fucking be." Jason followed Dick to the door grabbing his key and phone from the small table by his front door. "I'm not gonna be jumped by a group of uppity Leaguers when I walk outside, right." He asked shutting his door with a little more force than necessary.
"No, I told them I could handle it." Jason snorted at Dick's words.
The ride to The Cave was mostly quiet Jason bounced his knee trying to work off the pent up anger, he was getting better at controlling it or at least redirecting it. He fidgeted and snapped at people more but he punched people less now, in anger unless it was justified. Okay, he was working on it so that's all that mattered, right? Results varied. Fifteen minutes into the drive Dick got a phone call, Jason knew who it was when Dick shot him a side glance before he answered. The call was short and Dick told Bruce they were ten minutes away saying they would explain when they got to The Cave.
Dick pulled up in front of the mansion and they both got out making it to the front door it opened and Alfred was standing there and Jason couldn't stop the small smile. The man was one of the only people he could remember treating him the same no matter how badly he fucked up. Alfred could destroy you with only a disappointed frown and make you feel like a million bucks with a smile. The butler shut the door behind them and followed to the hallway.
"Master Jason?" Jason looked back at him.
"Yeah, Alfie?"
"If I may say so you look quite horrid have you been sleeping well?" Ahh, Alfie right to the point.
"I was trying to sleep but someone decided they wanted to ruin my good name." Alfred's brow lifted slightly and Jason smiled at the man's form of saying 'good name my ass'. "I'd love some coffee."
"You should sleep Master Jason."
"Sleeps for the weak and those not being framed." Alfred's lips pursed a bit before falling back to a neutral.
"Columbian four cream and six sugar." Jason smiled.
"You know me Alfie."
"Of course I do, I know all of you, I'll bring it down shortly." With that he turned towards the kitchen and Jason followed Dick to the entrance for the Cave.
"Alfred's right you should sleep."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead, again." Dick huffed.
"I hate when you bring that up."
"Hey, I'm the one that kicked off, I'll bring it up whenever I want Dickiebird." He snipped as the elevator stopped and the cage door slid up.
"Fine, still don't like it." Dick muttered stepping out of the lift and making his way to the Batcomputer. Jason still thought that was a stupid name, it was like Bruce slapped the word Bat in front of everything, lazy shit.
Dropping into one of the chairs Jason planted one foot on the control console and tilted the chair back onto two legs, and rocked himself back and forth. Watching as Dick pulled up more news footage and news reports and surveillance footage of the area. Filtering through it, Jason watched as different angles of the van were caught before the van found a blind spot and was lost. The rattle of the lift filled the silence and the click of a metal tray being set on the flat area of the control console rang out.
"Master Jason, that is bad for the chair."
"Sorry Alfie." Jason moved his foot and let the chair drop back to all four legs before taking the offered cup of coffee. Taking a drink of the coffee had Jason missing fresh ground coffee beans, instant coffee was like swill in comparison, Jason was just too lazy to go buy the grinder.
"Master Richard do inform me when Master Bruce returns, he has yet to eat today." Alfred let his subtle threat hang in the air.
"Will do Alfred." Dick said looking over his shoulder at the butler before going back to the computer.
"Master Jason, do try and get some rest."
"I'll try, thanks for the coffee Alfie, still amazing." He told the older man as he grabbed the silver coffee pot and poured another cup.
"Of course." Jason picked up on the smothered annoyance in his words but brushed it off, there was no way he could sleep right now. Knowing someone was trying to ruin the shakey foothold he had on public opinion of Red Hood and the fact Bruce was on his way to the Cave. Jason's nerves were fraying and he knew this interaction with Bruce was only going to make it worse, it always did. Bruce always made everything worse for him.
Jason was on his fourth cup of coffee when the roar of the Batmobile filled the cave watching as the veritable tank stopped Jason downed the rest of his lukewarm coffee. Standing from his seat as Bruce walked towards him, cape snapping behind him with his brisk steps. Jason steeled himself for the coming screaming match that was about to ensue he saw Dick standing next to him. Bruce stopped, pulling the black cowl back his eyes narrowed and his mouth was set in a thin line.
"Tell me it wasn't you Jason." That wasn't what he had been expecting.
"It wasn't me."
"I need proof Jason, the League will need proof, do you have a way, a definitive way to prove it wasn't you." Of course his word wasn't good enough, it never was.
"I was in Star City all day with Roy."
Bruce moved past him and to the computer console typing something in, the screen flickered and went black before lighting up pale blue. The screen was suddenly covered by Roy's half awake face, groaning and rubbing his face he blinked and finally focused on who had called him.
"I was asleep."
"Roy was Jason with you today?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah." The answer was drawn out in a questioning manner Bruce didn't fill him in and went on.
"Do you have any way to prove it?"
"Oh, you mean besides me just saying so?" The red head snapped sitting up, he disappeared from the screen for a few seconds before coming back into frame holding his phone. "I took pictures of him and Lian." He said then held his phone out.
"Cute." Dick snickered.
"Shut up." Jason bit out looking at the picture of him sitting with Lian at her little tea table a plastic blue tiara on his head and his hand drawn back with a small tea cup aimed at the photo taker. The picture flicked over to a new one of a close up of the small pink tea cup, then the next was of him flipping off the camera.
"Lian got him to play Princess tea party, I told him he made a very pretty Princess." Roy said as he moved his phone. "He wasn't very Princess like throwing tea cups and flipping people off, Lian picked that up by the way, thanks for that."
"Have you heard any news from Arrow?" Bruce asked.
"Ollie, no I said I was sleeping."
"Some asshole's trying to frame me for blowing up a wearhouse and killing a group of scientists obviously my word isn't good enough so here you are." Jason added and Roy shifted to sit up.
"Well you're the best person to frame for something like that." He scratched his head. "What was in the warehouse?"
"It was a drug lab." Bruce told them as he pulled up what he found on the screen.
"That explains why they needed the chemists, what was it? Meth, cocaine, Venom, something else?" Roy asked, looking over his shoulder then back to the screen.
"I'm not sure yet, I need to run some tests on it. Whatever it is, didn't have a hit on the field kit I have."
"Something new then?" Dick crossed his arms as he thought.
"So what does that mean for Red Hood? I mean with this guy out there trying to make you into something you're not, the media and cops are going to be gunning for you, not to mention the League."
"I'll take care of the League and in the meantime Jason will stay off the streets." At Bruce's words Jason snapped.
"The hell I will, this asshole is ruining my name I'm going to be out looking for this prick as the real Hood."
Bruce turned to look at him. "You're just going to walk up to people and tell them it wasn't you?"
"Pretty much, unlike you my networks like me." Bruce's mouth turned down.
"You networks are junkies and prostitutes. What good is their word."
"Well I think I'm going back to bed now." Came the quiet snarl from Roy.
Realizing what he had said Bruce tried saying something. "Roy I didn't-"
"Yeah, whatever, Jason call if you need help." With that the screen went black.
"Good job Bruce, shit talking junkies with Roy right there." Jason smirked getting a bit of joy from Bruce's fuck up.
"I didn't mean it that way."
"You did but who cares, I'm going out to touch base with my people and find out if they know anything about this fucker wearing my face."
"So you're not going to listen to me?"
"Do I ever?"
"I'll run the tests on what was found at the site and send you what I find." Bruce walked to his lab as he spoke.
"I'll try to find some useful footage of the van they used to get away." Dick sighed sitting back in his chair.
"Great talk team, I'm taking your bike Dickface." Jason called swinging onto the blue and black motorcycle.
"Don't scratch it, this time."
"Last time I drove it off a cliff, and you deserved that."
"Throwing out expired caffeine pills does not give you the right to wreck my bike." Dick called back.
"What can I say I was unstable back then."
"Right back then."
XXXXXX
Jason had stopped by his place and grabbed his helmet and some more ammo before making his way to his first stop. Parking the bike in an ally he scaled the fire escape to the roof of the building and made his way across the roofs until he was on Magnolia and Parmen. Seeing the girls he smiled, sliding down the half ladder on the dilapidated building he made his way towards them. He liked talking to the working girls, sure they were prostitutes but they were still people they had feelings and shit. Paris wanted to be a doctor and Lavender had a sister who she was proud of because she was in college. The girls were dealt a shit hand and Jason wasn't going to hold it against them, god knows he had no right to be judging others with his track record.
As he got closer one of the girls, a new one from the horrified look she shot him before elbowing a red head in the side. The woman with the elbow in her rib cage looked up and saw him and said something to the other girl who nodded and looked relieved as she bolted into the doors behind them. The red head fished a pack of crumpled cigarettes from the depths of her ample cleavage tapped one out setting it between her dark red lips. Replacing the pack of smokes she lit the one between her lips as Jason leaned against the cracked wall of the stoop. The woman took a drag and let out a stream of smoke before she looked at him with a smile.
"Hey ya' Red haven't seen you around in a while."
"Territories expanded Mags but I'm here now, so have anything new for me?" He asked hands tucked into his pockets.
"Hmmm, heard something interesting from one of the girls who works the pier." She took another drag before going on. "Heard you blew up a warehouse." She let the smoke seep from between her lips as she smiled. "Smacked her dumbass hard, told her not to say shit to no one."
"You don't believe it." Mags looked at him, her head cocked to the side her eyes half lidded in exasperation.
"I'd believe you frenched a poodle before I'd believe you destroyed a building and hurt innocent people, Red. So you know who it is?" Jason shook off the poodle thing and answered Mags' question.
"No, that's why I came here, you and your girls get most of Gotham's gossip before the news stations do." Mags stubbed out her cigarette before crossing her arms over her knees.
"That's all I have so far Red, but give me a few hours and I can have you some good intel but you know the price."
"What do you need done?"
"One of my girls has been getting stalked by a john and with all the kidnappings I want a message to go out about my girls. That Magnolia's girls are protected, that if you fuck with us then you're fucking with the Red Hood, I want john's to fear the idea of hurting my girls, Red. Make that happen and I'll find you all the information you want."
"I think I can make that happen Mags, where's this guy at?"
"He hangs around Sunset by the bar, Massie said he always wears a sports cap and a navy pullover, dark jeans and cowboy boots. Square jaw, five o'clock shadow, hazel eyes, scar above his lip."
"Lot of detail there Mags."
"My girls take in everything about a john for this reason Red."
"Well then I'm off to do your bidding Mags." Jason said pushing off the half wall.
Magnolia stood up brushing her butt off. "I'll start on your information, make sure to strike the fear of God into him Red."
"I'll do better than that I'll strike the fear of Red Hood into him Mags." Jason called as he made it across the street and towards the bike.
Sunset was ten blocks away, Jason parked the bike and took to the roofs again sitting on the ledge of the building next to the bar. Keeping to the shadows Jason waited for the john to come out so he could do what Mags asked of him. Jason knew Massie she was a nice girl, her mother had kicked her out at fifteen and Mags found her and gave her a place to stay. Massie had only started with the johns a few months ago and Jason was going to make it safe for the girls, in his own way.
Forty minutes later the john walked out of the bar and tripped his way down the sidewalk, Jason stood from his spot and made his way past the man. Dropping into the ally he waited as the man reached the opening Jason grabbed him by the hood of his shirt and yanked him half into the ally slamming him to the ground. The man rolled to his back, mouth opening to shout then saw the Red Hood his mouth snapped shut, Jason crouched down. Hands hanging between his knees as he looked at the man, who seemed to find words.
"Wh-what do you want man?" He sobered up fast.
"I'm here on behalf of my girls, you seem to be bothering them and I want you to stop."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jason sighed.
Striking out he dug his knee into the man's gut and grabbed his hand, bending the johns pinky finger back and with a snap the man cried out. "I don't like being lied to so this was just a reminder not to do it." Jason told him as he let go of the john's hand and he cradled the injured hand.
"Okay, the whores-" Jason smashed the man's head to the dirty ally ground his hand in the center of the man's face.
"Don't call them that, their working girls, my girls they deserve respect." The man's wide hazel eyes looked at Jason through the gap between his fingers and nodded as well as he could.
Jason moved his hand. "Right the girls, what about um'?"
"You've been stalking one of them and I don't appreciate that, you see you're scaring my girls and if you scare my girls they can make their living. I don't like my girls not being able to take care of themselves, because of people like you, so you're going to leave them alone."
"You can't threaten me over a bunch of skanks, I'll go to the cops." Jason laughed.
His hand was around the man's throat in seconds slamming his head back into the ground Jason pulled one of his guns from his jacket, the man let out a pitiful whine. Holding the gun aloft Jason leaned down putting more pressure on the man's throat.
"I don't think you're understanding what I'm telling you, it wasn't a request or a friendly suggestion, you're going to fucking stay away from Massie and all of Magnolia's girls or the next time we see each other." Jason tapped the man in the side of the face with his gun. "I'll take this Desert Eagle, shove it in your mouth and pull the trigger until it's empty then you'll be a John Doe."
"They'll have to sift through the bits of brain and bone chips to maybe find a tooth to identify your sorry ass. Trust me, you should listen to me." Jason slipped the gun back into its holster, patting the man's cheek as he stood and fixed his jacket. "Have a nice night, Derk Warren from 32nd street, Walden apartments second floor room eight, you have a cute Pomeranian."
Jason heard the scrap and thump as the man scrambled to his feet falling as he went then the pounding of feet as he fled.
"Hood?" Dick's voice called over the com link.
"Yeah?"
"Where are you now?"
"Looking for information." He told him as he climbed the ladder to the roofs.
"Bat's found out what the chemists were making for the Imposter, come back to the Cave Red Robin and Robin are on their way back too."
"Wait where was the Spawn didn't you say he was with Batman?" Jason asked just now realizing Demon spawn hadn't been with Bruce in the Cave.
"He's made a new stop in his nightly routine."
"That would be?"
"He stops to check on Marley."
Marley?
Ah, fuck how was he going to expalin this to Marley!
XXXXXX
Hey guys!
So a lot has happened in my life in the past few months my fiance and myself got approved for our house loan. So we finally own our home! That said with packing, cleaning, moving, unpacking, moving our pets, adjusting to our new home and area, getting our son into his new school. There's been a lot of stress and craziness in life for us, so Marley and Jason just got pushed to the back burner.
Don't worry! I'm in no way giving up on this story, I love them both and I have a road map for this story and will see it through to the end. All of your reviews, favorites, and following Windows makes me happy that you all are still sticking with me, and for that I thank you. It may take me a little while to get back to steady weekly updates again, but I'll do my best.
Thank you for all your patients!
p.s. I had to post this on my phone, so hopefully the format is okay.
