"Who the fuck were you talking to in there?" Red Hood snarled as the Batmobile's windshield slid back from the driver's seat.
"Jason!" Dick snapped before coming to over to look at me. "Tim, what's wrong?" he asked softly, leaning forward on the Batmobile.
I sighed, shaking my head and composing myself. "Someone called...it was someone important," I emphasized, staring at Nightwing pleadingly.
His eyes widened when he read the unspoken avowal on my face. He quickly plastered on one of his signature smiles and backed off. "No worries," he replied, "Let's just-"
"You were talking to Batman, weren't you?" Red Hood accused, pointing at me irately. "What's really going on here? Is this all some big trick? Making me think we're working together when you're really leading me into some sort of trap?!" he yelled, voice rising an octave as his temper took over.
"It's not like that, I promise!" I cried, twisting in my seat to face Jason. I was too emotionally exhausted to deal with this!
"Then what the hell is it, skinhead?!" he growled, hands trembling.
Nightwing groaned defeatedly, hands in his ebony hair. Our truce with the Red Hood was already beginning to crumble. He was getting pissed at every other thing we were saying!
"Batman's been...really ill...for a long time now," I explained after taking a deep breath for the hundredth time. "It caught up to him tonight, and...he needs his rest."
Dick nodded in agreement. "He's telling the truth, Jay. We'll tell you more once we've taken care of Scarecrow."
"There's something else going on here," Jason hissed, returning to his motorcycle. "But I don't want to hear your excuses anymore. Let's get this over with." With that, the former Robin wheeled around and mounted his motorcycle, its engine growling impatiently.
"Let's go, Dick," I called, opening the back seats of the Batmobile. The older vigilante quickly secured himself and we sped off, the Red Hood following behind us.
We crossed the bridge into Founder's Island in no time, winding through the empty streets towards the precinct. I caught sight of the old movie studios between the dark buildings. Batman, Harley Quinn, and the remains of Joker's last victims were still in there. I swallowed my guilt and worry and kept my eyes on the road. If we failed now, that derelict building could very well become their tomb.
Don't worry, Bruce, I thought solmely. We won't let you down. Just sit tight a little longer.
The cops keeping guard in the parking garage jumped to attention and raised their weapons at the sight of the motorcycle tailing the Batmobile. Thankfully, Red Hood stayed where he was, regarding them with silent contempt.
I jumped out of the cockpit, opening the back to let Nightwing out. "It's OK, officers," I called as the three of us stepped into view. "He's with us."
"The name's Red Hood," Jason announced with a lazy salute.
The cops shared worried glances. "Red Hood?" one of the braver men questioned.
"Yep. Don't go wearing it out," Jason replied sardonically.
The officer glared back, obviously weary of our new companion.
"Let's go; Oracle's waiting," I said, leading the other two vigilantes through the entrance before someone lost their cool. We made our way through the holding cells, doing our best to ignore the imprisoned criminals and thugs.
"Hey, kids! Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"I knew Batman didn't have the guts to finish this himself."
"You think that's smart bringing the girl here, Robin? You might as well kill her now."
"Who the hell's the guy in the jacket?"
Jason was just about to turn and lock horns with that last man when Nightwing grabbed his arm in an iron grip and pulled him forward. I thanked Dick silently for keeping Red Hood from causing a scene in the jail.
We strode past Jack Ryder's temporary office, ignoring his obnoxious requests for an update on Batman's whereabouts. One look from Jason finally shut the man up, and he left us in peace. We entered the doors to the offices and were greeted by Cash.
"You're back," he said, raising his eyebrows. "And you brought some friends, too."
"Good to see you, Cash," Dick grinned, "How are you and the other cops holding up?"
"I'd say we were fine," the man shrugged helplessly. "But Gordon's capture and Batman's disappearance have really lowered moral. I'm not sure how much longer we can last without a miracle."
"Barbara is tracking Crane down as we speak," I reassured him. "And Batman's been...incapacitated, but he's safe."
Cash raised an eyebrow. "Incapacitated? How-?"
"Don't bother," Jason cut in, crossing his arms. "I couldn't get any more details out of them, either."
"And who the hell are you?" Cash responded, annoyed by the younger man's interruption. "I haven't seen you running around Gotham before."
Nightwing and I sent our comrade stern looks before he answered grudgingly. "Call me Red Hood. Don't ask, it was the baby bird's idea," he gestured towards me. "Nice hook hand, by the way."
"Thanks," the policeman replied flatly.
"Come on; Babs is waiting," I urged Jason and Dick, sending one last apologetic glance towards the irritated Cash. I lead them past the maximum security cell filled with Gotham's worst and into one of the offices. Several firemen were gathered at on the other side of the room, watching us warily. I couldn't blame them, considering that they would still be held hostage if it weren't for Batman.
"Hey, Barbara," I greeted softly, putting my hands on her shoulders as she worked on the computer.
"You're here!" she exclaimed, spinning in her chair to face me. She smiled relievedly before turning to my companions. "Hey, Nightwing, glad you could make…" she trailed off, catching sight of Jason. It was evident that she still recognized him underneath his new disguise. The "J" branded on his face wasn't completely covered by his mask.
"...Nice outfit," Oracle greeted her former captor quietly.
"Thanks," he replied somewhat awkwardly. He stepped forward, and I hovered over my girlfriend protectively. I hadn't forgotten how Jason and his men drug Babs from the clock tower and took her to Scarecrow, where they did God knows what to her.
Jason noticed my agitation and moved no further. Instead, he looked down at Oracle somberly. "I'm glad you're safe, Barbara," he murmured.
She blinked in surprise, but smiled at his words. "Thanks, Jason. I'm glad you decided to come."
"It's not like we gave him much choice in the matter," Nightwing chuckled, winking and slinging his arm around Red Hood's shoulders. The younger man flinched, promptly shrugging his arm off. If Dick had been hurt by the gesture, he did a great job of hiding it behind his radiant smile.
"Here," I spoke to Oracle, leaning down and handing her Dick's memory card. "This is the data Nightwing got from the Arkham Knight's bunker. It could help." I watched out of the corner of my eye as Red Hood stiffened up.
"Every little bit helps, Tim," she replied gratefully, plugging the memory card into the machine and uploading the data. "Here's what I've gathered so far." She motioned for the three of us to move closer to the screen. I stayed behind her, my arms draped over her chest. Nightwing and Red Hood came over and stood on either side of us.
"Scarecrow's chopper flew towards the bay before heading north," Barbara explained, pointing out some points on the Batcomputer's map of Gotham. "I tried narrowing it down further, but the data's corrupted. They did more damage than I thought."
"What about the data I collected?" asked Nightwing.
"It should be done uploading," said Oracle, pulling some files up on the screen. "This could work...There are some coordinates for the safe houses and bases being used by the militia." She squinted, a certain document catching her eye. "This one looks like a battle plan for-"
Oracle was cut off by a rumbling tremor that shook the entire building to its foundations. The lights swayed, and loose rubble fell from the ceiling. We all paled. That could not have been good.