It has been 7 years since Lyn walked these Gotham streets. She looked around wondering how so much could've changed yet still be the same. The streets of Gotham seemed to close in on themselves, and you couldn't see the sky from the streets. The alleyways beckoned you forward daring you to enter. There was safety in this sunlight but when the sun falls the rats that hide in those alleys will come out to play. Lyn knew she should avoid the alleys, all Gotham citizens knew that, yet the darkness called to her. She paused, realizing she had reached her old apartment. She stared lonely at the fire escape stairs where she had had her first kiss. She loved Washington but there was something about Gotham that it could never beat. She turned down the alleyway, stepping in nostalgia.
"Hey pretty lady, whatcha doing here?" Lyn snapped to attention as she noticed the man who had spoken. Draped in shadows she hadn't even realized he was there. He smiled at her creeply, one hand resting casually on his gun.
"I could ask the same of you." She began to walk away hoping he wouldn't push her. He grabbed her arm and her hopes of having a good first day back were dashed. She felt the barrel of the gun push up against her back.
"That's a nice necklace you got on there. I want it. And your money quickly now." He loosened his grip on her arm and Lyn rolled her eyes and reached into her bag.
"Are you certain you want the contents of this bag?" Her grip tightened on her own gun.
"Look lady, just give me the money okay? God women these days!" Lyn grabbed her gun and turned around to fire but then a shoot went off. Lyn looked at her gun in shock, she hadn't fired yet. The man and Lyn looked up at the same time to see a figure standing on the fire escape.
"Holy Shit! I'm out of here, you can keep your money, babes!" The man shouted as he ran off down the alley. The masked figure went to follow but paused when they realized Lyn had turned her gun on them.
"In case you haven't noticed, lady I just saved your ass. So maybe stop pointing that at me" The figure chuckled, Lyn tightened her grip on the gun.
"Yeah well in case you didn't notice, I don't need saving. And you just fired a shot at a member of the GCPD. And you let the perp get away." The figure stared at her confused before dropping down the stairs to her level. Only now could Lyn get a good look at him, and she was even more confused. He wore a leather jacket over what looked to be a standard bat brand suit, but instead of the usual cowl he wore a red helmet? She didn't know how else to describe it.
"Oh, wow you're serious. That's funny. Especially when you're the reason he got away."
"Look here, red mask dude, I'm just trying to get to work. So give me one good reason not to take you with me."
"Do you really not know who I am? I mean at the very least you gotta recognize this" He gestured towards the red bat symbol on his chest. Lyn rolled her eyes then lowered her gun.
"Oh great you guys multiplied while I was gone. Well then I guess you better get back to your official Batman business." Lyn mocked as she dropped her gun back into her purse and began to turn out of the alley way. Red Hood stared at her as she began to walk away,
"You say that you have something against batman." Lyn paused for a second before continuing to walk,
"Because I do" She stated as she turned out of the alleyway. Maybe coming back to Gotham was a bad idea after all. Jason stared at her with a memory sitting on the edge of his brian. A name on the tip of his tongue. He knew this girl, but how?
Gotham is many things. It is a cold place not caring for its inhabitants, relishes in their suffering, but yet it is also so fragile it cares so much for each and every civilian. It weps for the children it can't protect, for the little boys in the alleyways. The villains of Gotham abuse it, tell it they will make the pain go away but they only make it numb. Every inch of this city is covered in grief. Every inch that is up until you reach the doorway of Wayne Manor. Standing there so tall against the winds, strong against time. Gotham finds it's solace there, in the home of it's great heroes. For when in the company of Batman you don't need to cry anymore.
Jason was a lot like Gotham in that way, though he would never admit it. He felt at ease as he walked through the doorway, into the house he used to call home. The golden glow of the house made him feel as though he had just entered another realm. He quickly walked past the hallways they begged him to stay, past the memories. Jason had a mission, find out who this girl was. I mean as far as he knows she could be someone dangerous, he knew a lot of dangerous people. So he went to the office that was never used and he opened the door that was used far too much. And he was in the batcave.
Now this was better, the happiness had never quite made it down to the cold batcave. Jason scanned the area looking to see if anyone was there. Bruce was on patrol but as the girl had pointed out they did multiply quite quickly. He walked down the elevator platform, where old robin costumes were displayed. The stairs had a landing for the gym but he walked right past it. There in the middle of all these platforms was the 'bat computer', what a cheesy name. Must everything be bat themed, what's next a bat credit card?
Jason didn't bother with the chair and simply typed in the words as fast as he could. "GCPD current list of active officers" A list of over 100 men and women appeared on the screen, Jason kept typing. "Order from newest to oldest" And there she was at the top of the list a picture of the girl with a name next to it, Carolyn Chen. Oh. This was not what he was expecting to see, Lyn was back in Gotham.
"Do I want to know what you are doing, Master Todd?" Jason jumped at Alfred's sudden voice behind him. He quickly x out of what he was doing and turned to alfred.
"The more you know the more you can blab to Bruce" he smirked under the mask as he made his way back over to the stairs.
"Well then you better hurry, he is coming back now." Alfred said calmly before returning to his cleaning. Jason ran up the stairs as fast as he could, Alfred was right he could hear the car approaching now. He slammed himself into the elevator just as the batmobile began pulling up to its platform.
"Come on come on" he muttered, bashing the close door button. The doors closed shut just as the batmobile finally pulled up. Jason breathed a sigh of relief and ran out of the mansion jumping out to his bike and running off into the night. Carolyn Chen the name echoed in his brain. His life before his death had not been long, but she had been in it he knew that for sure. The memories came back to him slowly as if the little boy who had been killed by the joker was scared to give them up.
"You're late," smiled Lyn, she should be mad but she knew better than to expect him on time anymore. "Too busy living it up with the rich kids?" Lyn meant it as a joke but she could tell Jason didn't feel that way.
"I hate it, Lyn. If he didn't want a son he should have left me on the streets." Jason sat down next to her on the fire escape and stared into space. Meanwhile Lyn stared at him, sadness in her eyes. She wished things could go back to the way it was before but she knew Jason was better off with the Waynes.
"Don't be such a pain, I just got my dad to let me apply to Gotham Academy and now you're telling me you don't want me to go?" Jason shot up excited by their news.
"He is really letting you!?" Jason asked excitedly, Lyn smiled at his happiness and nodded. "Just you wait until you get in, and I convince Bruce to give you the scholarship. I won't have to eat lunch alone anymore!" Lyn chuckled.
"You eat lunch alone?" Jason sunk back in embarrassment realizing what he had just admitted. "I'm joking with you Todd, jeez chill out. Anyway, sitting alone is kind of the trend right now."
"And how would you know if it's a trend or not?"
"Well everyone I know is doing it! If I'm doing it and you're doing it surely that must amount to something." Jason laughed at Lyn's stupid joke, and Lyn laughed along with him. Sometimes she was scared for Jason, sure he seemed tough, but truly he was fragile. It seemed all it would take is one mistake and he would shatter before her. Little did she know that all it really took was a crowbar.