A/N Hey everyone. I've got good news . . . And some bad. The good news is the surgery went well and I am Cancer Free! . . .The bad news . . . Scarlet Fever won't be posted as often since I am still in the process of healing.

Scarlet Fever

Part 5: In the Hood

Jim Gordon entered the coroner's office, his face a grim mask. There were several bodies covered in sheets littering the corridor, all within a 24 hour period. There were several more in the examination room of the morgue itself. It looked like an epidemic had struck, but there had been no reports of any outbreak of any infectious diseases, not since the Clinch had hit Gotham over a year ago.

"What have you got for me Nicky Elder?" the commissioner asked. as he approached the coroner.

"It's some new drug," Nicky stated. He pulled back one of the sheets. "I can't understand it. It's hard to break down. I've never seen anything like this for a street drug. It starts out innocent enough, but then this happens."

"You must be new here because that doesn't look like a new drug to me."

"I don't understand."

"Several years ago a similar drug showed up on the streets, their facial muscles being pulled back into a hideous grin with red lips. It was labeled the Joker drug."

"The Joker drug? Are you serious?" Nicky Elder's eyes widened.

"How long have you been in Gotham Mr. Elder?"

"Um, two years. I transferred from the midwest."

"Who did you work for?"

"I worked under Captain Blaisdale."

"Paul Blaisdell?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"You might say I do," Commissioner Gordon stated. Jim Gordon thought back when he was in the military. It had been many years since he spoke to his former Captain. He would have to get reacquainted and find out what he was doing these days. "We go way back. How is Captain Blaisdell?"

"Well, things changed over at Metro and well, it just wasn't the same when he left and so . . ."

"He left the hundred and first?"

"Yes, I don't want to talk about it."

"Understood Mr. Elder. Getting back to our victims, this does look like the work of the Joker."

"I'm not familiar with the Joker," Nicky Elder stated.

"No, but you should be," Commissioner Gordon added. "I suggest you read up on his file. Do not let the media get ahold of this information. I don't want a city-wide panic. I need to contact someone." The Commissioner left, his face even grimmer than before.

CTJDCTJD

Tim headed to the cave and changed into a fresh Red Robin uniform. This time, he left his wings behind and wore a black cape and mask. He grabbed a collapsible bow staff and added it to his arsenal along with several kinds of different pellets. He waited for his brothers to arrive. Jason went and changed into his Red Hood costume. He stepped out of the changing area and cracked my neck. "Come on Golden boy! Lil Red and I don't want to wait any longer!" he shouted back to the oldest.

"Shut up, I'm here." Nightwing stepped out placing his mask on his face. Red Robin climbed on his motorcycle and headed out, leading the way. Red Hood followed him on his own cycle, charging ahead of Nightwing. As they drew closer to the city a bad feeling started to grow at the pit of Red Hood's stomach. He ignored it. 'Nothing bad should happen . . . at least . . . That's what I think, I hope.' In the back of his mind, he was wondering why he should get creeped out like that. He had something he needed to do besides patrolling. He hoped he could ditch his brother's but they seemed to be determined to follow him, especially the replacement. "Where do you want to patrol?" Red Robin asked, talking in my com link. "If you two don't mind, can we check out my part of town?" Red Hood stated. "Haven't been there in a while and I know the drug trade is up high since I wasn't controlling it for a while." "What do you mean controlling it?" Red Robin questioned, but Hood didn't answer.

Hood nearly kicked himself for almost giving away that he was still somewhat involved though not as much as he was over a year ago.

"I don't mind," Nightwing responded. "Little Red?"

"Sure, no problem," Red Robin answered. "I guess Nightwing and I can patrol high, you can take the streets. We can let you know if we see anything sort of a bird's eye view." "I have an informant I need to see," Red Hood stated, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. 'That bastard better give me every name. I want the drug lords out of there. Even if I have to make an example of them, again. Not only that, they owe me.' "Sure thing," Red Robin replied, though his suspicions about Jason were put on alert. Red Hood decided to take the lead and pulled into a shady part of town. He turned off the cycle and waited for his brothers. Red Robin pulled his cycle into the shadows, not far from Red Hood's. "I'm going up top." He pulled out a grapnel hook, shot toward the edge of the roof and let it pull him up. Once on top of the roof he positioned himself out of sight so the informant couldn't spot him and bolt. "Nightwing! Where are you going to be?" Red Hood asked. "I don't want my informant spooked." "Up top as well, but on the same side as you, Little Wing," Nightwing stated.

Red Hood cringed at the nickname. "I'm not your "little wing" any more."

"You're always my little wing." Nightwing gave Jason a wide grin then went up to the roof across from Red Robin. He looked down in the alley where Red Hood was standing. Both watched Red Hood approached a door at the end of the alley. It was covered in graffiti. From where Red Robin was located, he could also see some of the wall was also covered in gang tags and other graffiti. This area was disputed territory. Red Robin pressed a small button on my mask to go to night vision mode so he could get a good look at the informants face as he came out of the door that Red Hood had knocked on just moments before. 'Don't recognize the informant,' Red Robin thought. 'Must be pretty new.' Though he hadn't patrolled in Red Hood's territory very often. Usually he would steer clear of the area because Jason was pretty touchy about people coming into his territory when he wasn't there. "Wish I would have brought a listening device. Can't' make out what they are saying and Hood isn't using sign language to let us know." Red Robin spoke on the private channel of the com link to Nightwing. He switched over to Hood's frequency. "Jason, keep your com link on so we know what's going on." Red Hood was getting annoyed, and Red Robin just spoke in his ear. He switched off his com link to keep his conversation private. He wasn't going to be able to respond.

"Jason . . . . Jason." Red Robin frowned. What was Jason up to?

'This kid ain't talking. It's annoying the hell out of me.' Using his left arm, Hood's hand shot to the kid's neck and pinned him to the wall. His right one held a gun to the informant's temple. "All right, you're going to talk. Not later not a minute from now, but right fucking now." Hood pressed the gun harder against the informant's skull. "Who are the ones leading the drug cartels? You know it's not the Red Hood because I'm standing right here in front of you." "All right, all right,' The information put up his hands in surrender. "He'll kill me if I tell. His name's Mr Whiteface. He showed up soon after Black Mask tried to muscle in. Smooth talker. That's all I know." "You don't know where he's located?" Red Hood pressed the gun a little harder. "He's been seen at the ruin amusement mile," the informant said then added, "And he hangs out at the defunct movie studio. And the warehouse district, but that's it. He catches me I'm dead. He'll gas me like he did with Slick Tom, and The Thumb." "The cartels work for me, remember that," Red Hood growled through his helmet. "And thanks for cooperating. You get to keep your life," Hood stuffed some bills out of sight from his brothers then dropped the informant and went back to his cycle. He drove around the corner and waited for Nightwing and Red Robin to catch up. He switched his com link back on. "Did you guys get that?" Red Robin was pissed. He didn't catch all of what the informant said. 'I'm out of practice reading lips.' Red Robin he said to himself. He also was at an angle where he couldn't see his face very well. In truth, Red Hood's helmet kept blocking his view, but if he had mentioned that, Jason would have complained that it was his fault for not positioning himself where he could see. And turning off his com link had been just plain rude. Nightwing dropped down beside Red Hood. "So what did he know?"

"Well, if you must know, 'Red Hood' was replaced with a man named Mr. Whiteface," Jason said with sarcasm. "A real smooth talker. He is based in the old amusement mile, the defunct movie studio, and the old warehouse." "That's practically every inch of your territory," Nightwing stated.

"So who is this Mr. Whiteface?" Red Robin asked. "Who's the only person that will use gas to kill off their workers and has a while face?" "Are you kidding me?" Nightwing commented. "Why pull that alias? He hasn't used it in years. Is he trying to mock Black Mask?"

"Everything is a fucking joke with that guy," Red Hood scoffed and gave out an irritated sigh "It's going to take a lot of work for me to rebuild up to what I had." "Wait . . . I thought you stopped all that," Red Robin stated.

"Look, Little Red, I don't have to answer to you," Hood stated. "The cartels respect me."

"You know Batman's not going to be too happy with you. And you've got two kids on the way. You going to raise them as part of the family or as future drug lords that we're going to have to take down. I don't believe this." Red Robin was pissed at Jason. He needed to get away from him. He felt hurt that Jason would betray the family like that. "I'm heading to Amusement Mile. Just do me a favor, don't follow me." Red Robin took off on his motorcycle before Nightwing could protest. "Red Robin, wait! We need to stay together!"

It was too late. Nightwing stared back at Jason. "What is wrong with you? You can't do that anymore! Lil Red is right. Two kids Red Hood. TWO! You have to stop this. Either take down the Joker and leave the trade for good or don't bother coming back to the manor."

"Are you trying to tell me that if I don't do as you order I won't be able to see my own kids? That sounds like a challenge Golden Boy."

"I'll make sure of it," Nightwing stated. "Make your decision . . . Now." If Nightwing needed to fight him on this he will. "They aren't going to be drug lords because of you."

"Who said I would bring them into it!"

"They are already brought into it when you went to that informant! Think before you act!"

"That informant gave us valuable info!" Red Hood started to get angry. He wanted to hit Nightwing, but he was right. 'Why does he always have to be fucking right,' he thought. "FINE! Fine! Urgh." Red Hood went to punch the wall.

Nightwing watched as Jason calmed himself down. He needed this. He needed to be reminded what was important, He was now married and expecting twins. He needed to end his association with the cartels before he or someone close to him could get killed. "Come on. Let's go hunt that psychotic clown down and put his ass back in Arkham. We can start by introducing ourselves to his Lab workers." RNHRNHRNH

Tears stung Red Robin's eyes behind his mask as he approached Amusement Mile. 'How could Jay do that, be involved with drug lords. I thought he was done with it. It's bad enough we live in two worlds you can't live in three.'

Red Robin reached the edge of Amusement Mile. He was going to have to search on foot. He had been listening to Nightwing and Red Hood discuss the situation. To think that the Joker was trying to break into Jason's territory should not have surprised him, The Joker though was worse than any drug dealing cartel. Instead of getting people hooked on whatever drug of choice was out there, he probably was simply getting them killed. The Joker probably has already left a string of bodies all over the place.

'The police are probably keeping it quiet,' Red Robin thought. 'I'm surprised the Commissioner hasn't called Batman by now.'

Red Robin continued through the ruined stands and amusement rides, keeping as close to the shadows as he could. If the Joker was here, he didn't want to alert any of the Joker's men that he was even in the area. The place needed serious repairs. It didn't look like anyone had been there for years. He made his way toward the fun house. It was one of the larger structures that might hide a criminal mastermind like "Mr. Whiteface."

Red Robin entered the funhouse with careful ease. A lot of the items that made up the fun house, like the mirrors that distorted a person's body were gone or broken. The walls were littered with gang symbols and graffiti, other evidence that this was disputed territory. Red Robin made his way toward the glass maze that made up the center of the fun house. The walls of the glass maze were smashed. The black lights that distorted a person's vision were still working, but the paint was peeling off the walls. Red Robin made his way though the broken parts of the maze. If it had been intact, he would have had to follow the path through the maze to the other side.

'And probably get myself lost in the process,' he thought. Red Robin reached what must have been the center of the maze at one time. He heard creaking and looked around to be sure no one had followed him. Something kept making that sound until he realized what it was, but it was too late. He couldn't move fast enough. The floorboards suddenly gave way. As he fell through into darkness, debris from above hit him on the head. He saw nothing but blackness after that.

Continues with Part 5