Red and Company; My Life as An Outlaw –

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Chapter Seven: Cut and Dry

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I told Dami to give her the couch, but he put up a fuss of her staying over either way. Period. Great…my plan was to see if she had her own backstory. Something juicy, but no. He won't cooperate.

"Then, should I sleep with one of you, perhaps?"

The audacity , is possibly what he'd be thinking. And after not meeting any aliens or foreign peeps, damn. This kid needs to chill.

"Dami." I pull him back from tossing his plate at someone's head. "I got this. You need to sleep, couch is fine. I know you like the terrace view."

"Wrong again, Todd." Spits the little louse at me. "I can sense possible intruders if I have the proper setting to do so. You are in the far corner of the high rise, so no one can hear you if you got attacked –

"Why would he think this?"

Artemis sounds disturbed, and I'd rather not disclose that past of the kid's. Our bond is set. It's a partnership and that is vital – ah, and I wanna be there for him. Did I spell that out already? He could be right anyway; she could be faking it.

'I'll get some comforters or another inflatable mattress. You. Stay."

That scowl, kid…He's gonna hate me, so I add in the extra fun sauce to the mix.

"Play nice until I get back." It's not that late. Not too late, I can go in and out of a big box magnet store. In and out. It's fine.

"I will not –

"Your safety is my top priority!" Artemis blurts out. "You have my word…. I'll treat him just, like royalty."

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That, is where a few things click for me. I shut the door, waiting as I hear not a peep. Oh, ok. It's just my imagination. That was all, until four steps down, I hear signs of a struggle and turn my ass back to a few tricks Red Hood always carries.

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By the sofa, Dami is fist fighting his ass off against the woman I brought home. Her arms are lean but that mass is there as she grips him and doesn't grin about it. "Time to come home, Highness."

"Eh… Todd! You bumbling DUNCE of a protector…I was…. right not to say yes!"

" DAMI. DON'T –

He ignores me and kicks her, shins biting as she drops the damned sword which – this place is not so set in stone. It goes and burns a fucking hole through the sofa. I gawk. More expenses??

I see a scorch on the floor and I'm not barreling out that window to flee the tax man. You step in my "somewhat sketchily earned pad," you then had better fork over your last dime n' cent. No take backs! Esposito is on my ass otherwise. I'm owning up to a gangster…. Damn.

I instead grab the cords to the fucking flat screen TV and the one lamp, and trip her before my cuffs can take her down. "Hands off my brother!" This place is gonna need repairs, or else her ass is the pigs' problem. I'll deliver her there myself! Easy peasy.

I see a flashback…almost stopping me. Dick was….no, he was only there when he had to be.

Shit.

"Todd!?"

I shake my head as I hear him. She's making a break. I dive at her before she can crack a window on us and hop like a rabbit up to the wall. " C'MERE!" I get her scarf, her teeth gnashing while her sword isn't on her. Did she expect to leave it? My mind is fuzzy. I guess right as we talk things out, sans table.

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"There." I get my only cuffs from B's confiscated stuff and they are on…a rogue, amazon.

Damn my luck.

"You're in exile, but was that your whole story?" I look at Dami, guessing he'd rather use the T word. We don't do that, not to strangers.

"I work for the League." She's serious, then adding, "I was on a mission to find and take you home, highness!"

"Grandfather was murdered. There is no home for me in that place." Dami crosses his arms.

Giving it a second, she shows no signs of understanding, brows scrunched. "But…I…. I did what he asked me to do…How…. You're telling me I'm out of a job??!"

"Wait, Dami." I halt him from sitting on her parade. Bad move, kiddo. "How come you weren't in the fortress when I was still a member, Artie? You do know us, right? How?"

"Easy." She snorted. "I followed you, and I knew the kid but was shipped on my exposition before you'd showed up. Got a few cues right away. Red Hood was Jason Todd in the database, and the underground said-

"No, not that, charlatan." Dami snipped. " Why, are you a shadow when you let my grandfather perish?? What platoon or rank are you, for a warrior. If you even are one –

"I…was born with nothing. I apologize, young prince…. And like Red Hood," Her eyes convey a lot of meaning, so I shush the pouting prince. "Lord Ra's Al Ghul gave me a home and a purpose to live again. Themysceria (typo) broke off relations with us, the race of Amazons in Egypt and Africa. Bana – Mighdall. That is my tribe."

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"Look, go find a new purpose. If you take this kid back now, the guy who killed Ra's would only murder him in cold blood."

Dami gives me an incriminating look. Yeah, I called him a squirt. So what?

"Then, what can I do? I used to do as I was told, I had food, shelter,and I life I could trust. Now? I came to do what was right and was punished for it…so, kill me then."

"WHOA, WHOA!" I see a lot of rebel in her dying and it makes me afraid to become the opposite of what I'm looking to be. "You can, stay here…" I see Dami's lip twitch. "Take on some jobs as long as I can find you …. you know, a con –

" Really?? Oh, thank Hera you have come to me in need like this. Do not worry, I can also sit this child –

"I will not be belittled by an overgrown teenager." Dami scrunched up his nose at her before, but now I think…it's kinda hilarious. "Playing house will only drive that attention we don't want towards us, Todd. She cannot stay. And we cannot afford-

"She's paying up, don't worry. First thing tomorrow." I go on the plan. "To get what we need for you to have your end at that man, we have to see if she has any idea." I turn to Artie, eyes narrowed in thought. "About Deathstroke."

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Artie is your average immigrant, only she's less informed in how to dress and act on occasion than Dami was from day one. He's a kid. But she…

Well, in Bara – Whatsit, you don't just walk around in the buff. Dami expressed that she was out the window and on the roof in only a robe and towel. Oh, it's just like taking care of a barking dog and a measly, wandering cat! I honestly have to get rid of this clown grin or i….

You never see the past until it sets you up for hating yourself in the now, thankfully. Dami.

"Todd! The fried pork fat is burning!! Watch your hand!"

Bacon. He's not much into that as much as I think…I turned him full vegetarian from my cooking. Artie however is a much better chef that when I first guessed those arms…oh…. wow.

Her sword is at her hip and grows shorter as her aim is true. "Cut, fresh orange orbs! They must be tastier this way. In my village, this did not grow to our climate."

"You ate something, if you are so fit all the time." Dami bit into the fruit, his eyes bugging out.

"More. I want another."

"Please and thanks, kid."

"Yes." Great. She's the perfect sitter. My troubles are gone, right?

"After breakfast, Artie and I…and you, are going to stretch our legs a bit. And because Artie – she is loyal still to the Al - Ghuls, like me, then we are going to get her a job and YOU. Are going to stay. By us, at all times."

"Whatever. As long as we can find a way to save mother and stop that buffoon from burying Grandfather's empire." The kid leaned back, wise but still crass in his nature. B could learn a thing or two.

"Fine, Artie?"

She is biting into a slice of rye and pumpernickel. "MPh -nn?"

"You, are gonna be rotating shifts. Dami is the prince and he had only basic training. What we are really gonna do…" I lean in and get her ear.

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I want it all, but my crew isn't like in my prime. Not like Hood's or the Bat pack.

Dami is not clueless, moody, but still sticking by Artie who is wearing her hair up in a tail as long as an arm. Well, and of course she had to throw off by showing off her rocking midriff. Guys in Gotham are like in a ny city. Seize up or stay down, why should I tell myself not…

"Here." I hand her a scarf and she frowns at it. "This is my body."

I look, and we drew in a crowd. Dami is hiding in his hood, groaning like a kid with obnoxious –

Oh. They think we're a couple.

I turn to her and she shoves the scarf at me, the top comes off and I don't know how to not drone out and toss a hand to my eyes. Dami had the right idea. "There is no man or mortal that can compare!"

"You tell em' sister! She ain't got nothing to hide, shame on you!" One black African American woman chastises me from a side corner. Shit, shit shit!

"What's up? Is it a domestic –

If the cops catch on….

I, start to sweat.

Oh, ok.

I grab her arm and Dami tugs on her other wrist so we're one human chain down the street.

"Treat her like a person, not some –

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"Some, what?" Artie turned to me and yanks, Dami nearly falling back as he catches himself. "Why was that behavior –

"This is a city!" I shout at her, Dami rolling his eyes. "Obviously."

Ignoring him, I continue to reprimand this amazingly dense person.

"See how Dami and I don't want anyone to recognize us?? You stand out too much!"

"But…this is my custom."

"YU –

I stop, Dami is trying to hide a smirk. Imp. The kid's not gonna like what I have to say next.

"So, we should tell him."

"Huh?"

I look like the idiot now; all eyes are officially on me.

Dami raises that thick brow and I have to stammer. "I – We don't have to –

"Tell me what, Todd." The kid's not even going to question it. "Your highness wishes to know. Now, talk."

"We….um…. you see…" Rubbing the back of my neck, a few minutes later…

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"A CREW!!??"

He gave me a bruise. On my face. No, my ass is next so a teacher it up. I can't work under these conditions!

"YES. And Artie said she wasn't here alone, or she had to find another person on her outdated "quest." Artie just huffs and crosses her arms. Great! What, a crowd!

"He is very reliable, and what you would say…sweet." She then out of nowhere, blushed a bit at the thought, as if recalling a kind gesture and nothing more. "He is a tall, open hearted and strong man. I have yet to reunite us. You must ask him to help you on this mission –

"She is leading you astray, Todd. Where then is this…. partner you speak of like he's blood?"

"In…."

I dread the day, as Dami's brow has my mouth going slack.

Artie breaks the silent moment in my skull, to blurt out –

"Gotham City, the underground!"

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