Chapter 17: Crimson Shade of Night.

Crimson and Red Bird stood in the middle of the room as the S.I.G.H.T. members stood behind them. In front of them were five dead bodies laid out in the shape of an "C". Crimson looked over all of the blood on the floor and the grey matter all over the wall behind the men.

Crimson touched the side of his helmet and leaned down. "Scarlet you seeing this?"

"Seeing it Crimson." Cassie's voice echoed through his ear piece. "Recording and sending the data to Oracle as we speak. What do you think it means?"

"I dont know." Crimson motioned to the roof and Red Bird grappled up the rafters while the members of S.I.G.H.T. looked on in confusion. "But we're going to find out. Talk later." Crimson stood up and walked back over to S.I.G.H.T. "Who called it in?"

"That's the scary part." Blair's voice was shaky as she looked over the bodies behind the vigilante. "The call was directly to us."

"I answered it." Zane stepped up with a cigarette dangling from his lips half smoked. "All the call said was to come here and make sure you came also. At first we thought it was a prank call..." Zane's voice trailed off as he took another long drag from the cigarette.

Crimson snatched the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it grabbing Zane's shirt collar. "Keep talking." His voice was no nonsense as the smell of the bodies lingered.

"The voice was computer generated." Blair pulled Zane back as he backed away from the bodies. "It just said to come and to give you a message." Blair exhaled.

"Let me guess." Red Bird dropped from the rafters holding a crowbar. " 'Chaos will rule.'?" Red Bird held up the crowbar and showed the messaged scratched into the side.

Crimson's eyes narrowed as he looked over the weapon and then back at the familiar scene. He took in the bruises and the gashes on the bodies and remembered his own. These people were beaten to death with the crowbar.

"Keep us informed on what you learn from the bodies." Crimson took the crowbar and grapneled off with Red Bird leaving S.I.G.H.T. members alone.

Jason held the crowbar under the scanner as Damian and Cassie sat below in the loft doing homework. Jason stretched and yawned starting down the stairs, as the scan continued. He flopped down on the end of the couch and grabbed the remote turning on the tv and began channel surfing.

"That rots your brain you know Todd." Damian snorted as he closed his text book and placed his homework away into his book bag.

"Need me to check that?" Jason asked never looking up.

"Please." Damian rolled his eyes. "A simpleton like you go over my work would be like a preschooler proof reading for Darwin."

"I'm gonna guess that was an insult." Jason yawned again and looked over at Cassie who was scrunching her brow at the paper before her. "What about you Cassie need a hand?"

"Hm?" Cassie looked up and shook her head. "No I'm just wondering on how to approach this project."

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"You really care?" Damian scoffed.

"Shut up." Jason said face palming Damian and pushing him over. Much to Damian's dismay and annoyance.

"I must do a paper on my family tree." Cassie's eyes narrowed and filled with sadness. "I dont remember my real family that well."

"What are you talking about?" Jason laughed. "You live with your real brothers." Cassie looked up shocked as Jason smiled and Damian glared at him with his arms crossed. She smiled and looked down blushing. "You have all you need to know and its just a phone call away. Call Alfred. He's like a Wayne family historian."

"Thank you that's a smart idea." Cassie smiled as she sat cross-legged on the couch. "You dont give him enough credit Damian."

"Oh great." Damian rolled his eyes. "Now you'll have Cain swooning all over you as well."

"Shut up." Jason said again, once again face palming Damian over.

"TODD!" Damian rubbed his face in annoyance and growled at Jason.

=KNOCK KNOCK.

"I'll get it." Jason stood up as Cassie grabbed the remote before Damian could and stuck her tongue out at him as she flipped to the history channel. Jason walked towards the door and looked at the security camera to see a pretty medium built woman with short blonde hair. Jason slid opened the door enough to lean out it. "Yes how can I help you?"

"Jason Todd?" The woman asked smiling and somewhat giggly. Jason nodded. "Good. Was hoping you'd be home." She reached into her bag and pulled out a press pass. "Chloe Sullivan. I work at Gorge Council Press. I was wondering if you could give me an interview."

"Interview?" Jason asked confused. "I'm sorry but what's this about?"

"Well you must know right?" Chloe asked. "Your adopted father is buying out our News Station and Paper and is doing a press conference this weekend. We're doing a front page article about it and I told my editor that an in-depth interview with three of his children, who just happen to live here in Gorge City now, would be a great fluffer for the article."

"Did you say my father was buying the GCPN?" Damian asked from behind Jason. Cassie stood behind him also looking confused.

"When did this news drop?" Jason asked irritated.

"Just this morning." Chloe answered confused. "You mean he didnt tell any of you?" She laughed. "Here I thought my family was full of bad communication. Yeah, he signed the paperwork this morning. It was under the radar but he did an interview from the prestigious Wayne Manor and announced it. I'm surprised none of you knew."

"Thank you Miss Sullivan but I think an interview will have to wait." Jason said hurriedly and began to close the door. "I'm sure you know where I work you can stop by there on my lunch time and we can do it then. Have a nice night." Jason closed the door just as Chloe began to talk again.

Jason latched the door and breathed heavily. Damian stared up at his new mentor as Cassie looked off into space with worry on her face.

"He doesnt trust us." Jason snarled. "He bought out GCPN to keep an eye on us out here." Jason walked off. "Cassie you're in charge. Get the Demon to school and home. Emergency cash in safe under my desk. Use it to buy food if you need it though we're pretty well stocked. If I'm not back in three days call Alfred."

"Where are you going Todd?" Damian asked confused.

"Out." Jason answered as he pressed a button and the suits rose up from the floor. "No more questions." Jason opened the Plexiglas door and grabbed his costume.

Bruce sat at the bat-puter and flipped through the paper work before him as a scan was going across his screen. He never moved but sighed as he rubbed his eyes and took a sip from his coffee by his picture of his parents.

"You hacked into my computer and going over my work too I see." Jason stepped from the shadows with his cowl under his arm. "What you got this low jacked too?" Jason threw the cowl at Bruce's feet and glared towards his mentor.

"Hello Jason." Bruce turned towards his ward and crossed his leg over his other and sat with his arms crossed. "Didnt hear you come in."

"Why didnt you tell any of us you buying the GCPN?" Jason matched Bruce's neutral look but didnt hold the venom from his voice. "Would have been nice to known before an annoying reporter showed up wanting an interview."

"Not my fault you dont keep up with local news." Bruce shot back quickly. "I dont have to report to you Jason. Remember who is in charge around here."

"Yeah, HERE!" Jason fired back. "In Gotham you're right. You're in charge. But GCPN is in Gorge City! My City! There I'm in charge and would like a heads up when you're just gonna come barging in!"

"When have you ever cared about what Wayne Tech. has ever done?" Bruce stood up and stared straight a head.

"When you put your children in the spotlight again when they dont want to be in it!" Jason fired back loudly. "Cassie is still getting into being the new girl at school while still dealing with everything that happened with Tim. While your son Damian is dealing with his first crush and is barely skidding by in his wood work class! They dont need added stress of just finding out their father is pushing back into their lives in a business way!"

"I do what is best to hold up..." Bruce began.

"What is best for your family." Jason finished for him causing Bruce to stare silently at him. "You do what is best to hold up your fake persona of Bruce Wayne." Jason walked to Bruce and looked him in the eyes. "A heads up next time would be nice." Jason picked up and placed his cowl back over his head. "Make sure you stop by and see Damian would you? He misses you."

Bruce watched in silence as Jason walked back into the shadow and vanished.

Damian sat in his class rolling his pencil back and forth under his fingers and exhaled loudly. He looked up to see there was still twenty minutes left in the period. He had finished his exam and placed it on the teacher's desk with in the first five minutes.

Jenni was staring off absently to Damian's curiosity. She was ignoring the test before her and had barely even talked to him today. Which for her was odd. Damian wasnt exactly sure how to respond to her sudden coldness. She was normally much happier and often followed Damian around all day talking in different languages and challenging him in many ways academically. But today she was completely opposite. She avoided him at all costs it seems.

The bell rang surprising Damian and the rest of the class. Jenni horridly answered the questions and handed in her test as the rest of the class hurried out of the room. Damian stayed behind enough to watch Jenni as she finished gathering her stuff and left the room leaving Damian alone.

Cassandra walked from her H.S. building just as Damian exited the Elementary building and walked towards him. Cassandra looked around confused as alarms were going off all over the city and police cars drove past in a hurry.

"Cain." Damian acknowledged her while keeping an eye on Jenni, who was off to the side by herself. "Do you know what is happening?"

"No." Cassie answered as the familiar black El Camino pulled up and honked at them. "There's Jason come on." Cassie and Damian walked towards the car quickly.

"WAIT!" A voice yelled over the sirens and loud engine of the El Camino. Chloe Sullivan ran from the sidewalk and breathed heavily as she walked backwards keeping up with the two Wayne siblings. "I've been trying to catch you both. I was wondering if you had time for that short interview?"

"Miss Sullivan," Jason leaned from the passenger side window as Cassie and Damian placed there book bags into the back of the car, "Now clearly isnt the best time."

"Well had YOU been at work yesterday like you said," Chloe began but the door slamming by Cassie shut her up.

"Family affair." Jason answered flatly. "Now if you dont mind I'm getting home before the streets get flooded. I suggest you go as well. Have a good day." Jason pulled off quickly and rolled up the window. Cassie and Damian looked over at Jason who flipped a switch on the side of the dash and exhaled loudly. "We're clear."

"What the hell is going on Todd?" Damian asked crossing his arms.

"Chaos." Jason answered looking up as smoke drifted across the sky from unseen fires. "Seems our little murder the other night was referring to this. No one has taken responsibility yet but there was fire downtown across from the Mayor's office." Jason's eyes narrowed as he focused on the driving. "Looks like who ever left us that message has decided to start early."