Red Hood and Company - My Life as an Outlaw

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Chapter 10: Quick Draw McGraw is I

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A nod to a dopey Barbara legend. You got this, buddy!

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Jason fixed his binoculars on a stack of crates outside of a ship yard for dummies. He was a fool not to have seen it before. The crate had a body inside. His heart patterned. ~ I found them, and the kid. ~

~ I'm a few blocks south of you. Checking it out…that logo.~

"Logo? Is it marked for transport, tell me." The outlaw had to beg it out. Artemis had these guys in her radar as a small factor didn't play out quite so badly.

His roof, wasn't the only one with infrared.

"You…got…" Jason's eyes almost failed him.

Waving back, halfheartedly, Roy was teasing the time he had to scoop up the little prince at his call. Right now, if they worked together, he could-

"Hey!" Hissed Jason, as Roy moved away, the Outlaw copying what he was gonna try. "Is that…are you trying to be me?" Grinned Roy as he smoothly landed onto another side if the roof. Grapple in hand as his arrow made the scale twice as fun to watch. "Damn it, show boat…" Jason gritted his fists and caught up. Roy was not Dick, but they were very gaudy to a degree in how they performed on the world's stage.

"Don't fuck up this, idiot. The kid is –

"He isn't just some kid. I got my intel, and he's as interesting as you are dense. If I get him to Bruce, maybe they can help me with my damned bills once in a while."

"Ransom, now? Why not save his-

"Hey!"

The buffoon at the bottom had good ears as the two men flopped into each other and slapped to the wall, it was a distress call to beat one another up.

"My student. My call."

"You can't even hold a hand gun without swapping to a knife, Todd. I know you're not safe enough to BE anyone's hero."

"Is puff the magical flying asshole thinking I'll drop a deuce on his education? He's been loving me like a big brother-

"Like Dick hates your guts. And mine?" Roy cocked a smirk as Todd kept his big mouth filed shut.

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"We gotta wrap this up and call the boss."

"Aye – aye! If I could only see the look on his face. We'll get paid handsomely for returning the prince to his country. I'd like to see them call us clueless, then!"

"Shut it and move the crates. We ain't got all night to alert the security." The man, with tiger sai to each hand and a foul temper motioned to the knocked out and tied up officers they had already meant to ship off to some port in the dark ocean.

"What is the time on this, check it."

"12.14. We're ready, Tiger!" The younger man was of Indian or south Asian decent as ( I know this is incorrect) the larger black American man with dreds and claws got the boat ready to fire up. "We make it to the plane by tomorrow and it's done. Too bad that this city ain't got a damn airport. We are gonna be swapping shifts till day break."

"Yeah…but what about the prince? You know he's got a larger temper than –

"The boss wanted him unharmed, says he's special and important for his plan. Ra's is dead, so we are gonna be scrounging from this guy's pockets until he sets us off right. I won't go back to just fighting any old sicko in the next town. Not my style." Tiger looked at his faux claws as the sheen did not betray his sights. "Aim. Five o'clock." Zahar plucked out from his arm a Velcro fold as Roy shoved the boys to both duck.

The dart went, but the poison didn't hit anything but ground as Jason made a whine to imitate a dead dog. Or a wounded one. Roy rolled his eyes as the two stayed quiet.

"Zahar, anything?"

The younger male hummed and then shook his shaggy hair. "Nope. Lost stray mutt. Must have smelled people, which is not a hand out."

"Don't know it." Gruffly responded the Tiger as he hauled the crate to get a forklift. "On the ship. Time's started. Can't delay."

"No." Jason shot a blast into the air at the man's arm as he flinched and his eyes flickered yellow. Like a big cat's.

That…was new?

"Hand over the cargo and everyone keeps their parts." Todd aimed his pistol at Zahar who held up his hands and looked spooked. "Little guy got nothing to add here?"

"Just get the kid, moron." Muttered Roy as he swiftly passed Tiger and locked a hit into the big guy's knee cap. He was armed there, but a bow like an Arrow's was no toy for beginners and it. HURT.

"GOD… DAMN IT!! ARCHER'S got a lot of nerve putting his ear ta the glass. Piss off!"

The next hit was fire, as Artemis 'said sword magic came down on the man's position. She had Bizzi go for Dami's crate as the two saluted one another. "We've been surrounded??" Zahar gawked as Todd threw up the bat ears like bunny ears. "Yup. No one's going it alone."

"Speak for yourself." Roy scoffed and dodged Tiger's angry claws. "I got this guy. You having fun, sweetheart?"

Artie snorted and landed a hit to shatter the frame without harming an unconscious young prince. "He's fine. But we had better leave them with a message."

Roy was snubbed off as Jason chuckled. Bizarre lifted up the boy and they took off, not until Zahar sent a fart flying to his Bizzi in his shoulder. "Fucking, great, man! I'm awesome !" The kid was tackled by Todd as he looked to his team. "Have em far away. I'm gonna send the effing message…" Todd took out the last response and Roy screamed once again, that he had no right to set the sky ablaze.

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Jason found that Arte's sword could heal any wound as well. A fun touch as he had already gone and gotten the antidote off of the brat for nothing. "It rarely works this way." She told the hero as they got going. Tiger was already standing over the fallen wreck and his knocked unconscious teammate. "Slade's gonna kick my ass. Fuck it!" The Tiger roared, yet none forgot. Damian was whisked off to safety as Roy's place was the closest. "We can't go back." Jason sat down too soon as soon as Roy moved his newspapers, coffee cups and ….

Blow.

He dragged the stash out before anyone had a chance to tell him off for wanting to heal his own way. Too many man-made scars, while Jason got more credit for dying twice. "You. Wanna be on the force?" Jason picked up his application as Roy turned red as a fire hydrant. "Yeah, but I'm not up for doing drills right now. You can crash until I can get a safe house up. Might have to call some old league pals, which…"

"We are not getting handouts from those ass holes." Jason shot and threw the paper pile at Roy, Arte holding onto Damian as he slept away amidst the chaos. "Is he not cute? He is not cute at all!"

The bizzaro clone with a lion's heart bopped the son of the bat's nose, as Artie chuckled. "We are all tired out, as you say. We will not bother you much, Archer."

"Arsenal." Roy grumbled. "Get it right. And, sure. If you don't touch a thing in my apartment or eat anything without my permission you can all sleep side by side like some traveling freak show with four heads."

"Be nice, or we won't get you on this team."

"Why the fuck! –

Roy slapped his own jaw and growled at the outlays cocky leader. "You blew up our only reward. You fricking…. animal! It's no wonder B dumped you too. You're as hopeless as your goddamn-

Jason cracked his neck. "Were you gonna say something, puff? Wanna settle this, old school?"

" Gladly…and once I've cleared out my apartment, you can go sleep in the trash compactor with all the rest of the garbage."

At least I don' shoot up to lose my head!!"

"TAKE A HIKE, FUCKER!"

" MEN !" Artemis handed Dami to Bizzi as she hit the Archer square in the shoulder, making him slouch back. Todd was next as she wrapped him in the face, hard. His bloody nose and swollen cheek were a sorrowful end to their night as she got out her sword and healed both. "I have to waste my gifts on your squabble, while there is only our team. Working as one against this threat that seems to know the boy. Todd? You will tell us, who is this child?"

"He's…"

" Obviously not your kid, so who?" Roy snorted as Jason sneered back. "He's an Al Ghul. Grandson to the now since DEAD Ra's, all because of Deathstroke." The brat sat down and sighed. "All because Talia wanted us to get him to his dad, Bruce… but I just…. took him as my apprentice instead. But we have a plan! Dami is gonna stop…what?"

"ARE YOU, SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?" Roy threw his head back and yelled. "You were supposed to run and errands and did something to entirely worse off than before?? Isn't you not following orders how you –

"He's gonna get the hit on that asshole, I'd make sure of it. Then, then he can go back to Bruce when…"

Roy stopped him again. "Well, saying that you DO manage to somehow beat the Terminator, all with a kid wielding his weapon or some Viking style shit. What the hell do you think Bruce would do if he found out about…his kid? You said Talia, right? She said to find B, and hate to say it. This kid is a target that he has the motives to protect. Dami needs to go back to him, Jason."

"Dick got the heads up, but I can't. The kid wants to do this. He said he won't go anywhere until I show him how to put that monkey back in its cage."

"This, Deathstroke…" Artie raised a hand up. "Is he quite formidable?"

"Ra's is a genuine psycho." Todd explained. "Slade; A.K.A Deathstroke, was supposed to be the ding song cult leader's successor, but B beat him to it by giving Talia a kid. I still think she took his DNA last mission but hell, what do I know. She told me this a long time ago."

"You were…a shadow. A former. Shadow."

"Just a body guard, tight wad. I was watching the kid. I was supposed to train him to earn his place in FUCKING line…but Ra's died and we didn't get a single say. Talia is being held against her will, and believe, me." Jason groaned. "She's not gonna take all of this sitting in her tower. Talia is the bat's unmarried mistress, but his rival in wit like her dead daddy. She saved me. Ra's was just okay - ing it but …. she told me. Find his dad, make sure Damian was safe. Dick ruined our moment though, and Bruce isn't very…"

Jason trailed off. "We cut ties and Dick has beef on me fir hurting Bruce by not showing my mug since. And fir going along with the enemy is…-

"You betrayed them, so what will you do when Deathstroke is gotten rid of?" Roy crossed his arms and leaves into the wall, expecting a valid answer from the clear headed but hot headed zombie bait outlaw.

"Are you going to out Dami up for grabs every time? We need reinforcements and Talia gave you orders you didn't commit to. It's that tiny voice in your head saying "this is a real bad plan," but you just wave it off like some excuse."

"You still rebel against your saviors, which means that boy is not in need of saving." Artie said, "But you, Red Hood, are."

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Even without a ship, the phone still rang in Tiger's pocket as he fished Zahar out if the water. "Yell-

~ Did you pack up my cargo, Tiger? I don't see a tracking number in my inbox. ~

Slade never joked about his shipments as Zahar whimpered until he found land. "Are we…"

~ Put your little protégé on, for me... ~

The two froze up as Tiger did as he was instructed.

~ Well? Is the boy secured? ~

The poison keeper pulled at his belt and fighters with it before thinking out his words very carefully. "Not yet, Mr. Deathstroke. We, ah had a delay –

"What he's trying to say, is that…we have to rethink the plan."

~ My plan was to box up that snot of a prince and bring him back to the base where his grandfather is about to be burned at the pyre…are you saying my ideas are worthless, now? That what told you to do 'wasn't 'easy enough for two grown professionals??~

"We had a…a visitor, they took the kid." Tiger bit his tongue as Zahar shook his head. "They are still in the city. We can find them before –

~ If you fail one more time, I'll have you both fed to Talia's pets in her honor. Maybe as a wedding gift. ~

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Slade mused as he picked up a goblet of Ra's and let the amber in its depth swish to perfection. "Find the boy, avoid Todd if that's who you are trying to protect." Slade took a sip as Talia remained chained to a wall across from him with a bruise to her sunken face. She was tired, hungry and bitter, but not broken.

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~ See that whatever he tries, be it bat or no bat, that bodyguards a coward and will run as far as it takes. Hunt him down, bring me what I ask and I'll give you what you've asked for in total. ~

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Lions wouldn't eat people unless they were trained to Talia's pets were her body guards. An exotic batch of cats and dogs that her father allowed as long as they watched out for her wellbeing at were trained on whom to snap at, personally. Slade rose to reach out and tug at her binds as she flicked at those massive hands to her throat. "The boy has help now, but what if we could change that? He wouldn't last a day as a run away in Gotham, let alone Bludhaven. Why not set him loose with a message?"

"The boy is devoted to his brother." Talia said, knowing there was always a way to flip their devotion as Deathstroke was saying. "Todd has always been clear on his intentions, and he will only do what is right. If the bat of Gotham does not come to free me, my son might be granted that right instead. Man of rage…you are clouded by your greed and obsession so, that you cannot see why your plans were flawed at the very star –

He gripped her neck as she kicked out, her leg jerking as he tossed her back into a mountain if pillows on the floor. She wore an outfit only fit for the lower caste meant to entertain. He'd done so to embarrass her. Yet, one option would never be enough to break the strong-willed princess of the demon's head.

One boy however, could. And a bat.

"I think, you may be right. The person I should be looking to send my message to, needs to know the exact truth as you put it."

"Deathstroke…there is not another way. Let my child prove that he can surpass us both. You may take my father's glory, yet his people will never become your devoted subjects. Your role us as a simple reagent until Damian-

"The boy us weak. He was coddled far too long, Talia. But I could make him stronger if he comes back. If he allows Wayne's memory to dissolve so I might train him to see it fir myself. If that perfect detective is really as Ra's gained by the boy's DNA. Because in fact, we could change that. Make a new –

"How dare y-

Slade pushed her down as she snarled up at him. "I dare, because I can abd I won, my dear. You don't have to give a damn about me, but your DNA and my own could give this cult back its successor. You wouldn't even need to worry about raising that –

Her hand cane to his cheek as it barely raised hell on his flesh. He allowed it as the wound began to heal. "If he can face me, he's as much a Wayne as you say. And stubborn to die , unlike myself." Smirked the mercenary as he got off of Talia, his word totally pulling her back and forth in this exact room – her father's old chamber. Gone.

She'd fumigate it once this man was decapitated properly and burned to ash. Just like her father.

"Think on the outcome, dear Talia. You could live a better life if only you tried hard enough to forgive and forget." He left her chained as she heard the door lock behind him. Her eyes on something to get her free. She felt the metal on her arm piece of a damned harem girl, chipping as she looked to use the scrap for…

She sat up and sighed into her hands. Something. "Beloved…. why have you not come for me..." She asked, her feet growing cold as no mountains if pillows could keep her safe. The dragon would be back, and by then…

She'd have to gut out his other eye.

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Everything was fine. The kid and his companions all died like homeless in Roy's living room as he went out to the adjoined terrace to make a quick call. The ringer buzzed on and Roy took a deep breath. "Hey, this a long shot, but…I need your help. Found him, and the kid. Yeah. Over in the morning? Off tomorrow, sweet. Yeah and, thanks again…Dick."

Roy didn't say it out loud as the phone call ended with a click closed. Todd was snoring into Bizzo's face as the two made quite a duet of loud and louder.

Arte was under a pillow to avoid said noise and Dami was leaning into her with his neck crunched to the side like his tiny brows. He needed to chill. At this rate talking to B would be an in-person ordeal. He knew Todd hated coming clean; didn't he know that much. Roy took out a smoke and just added to the list of depressants that would not make him super high tonight. The ones he really wanted, were someplace that only he had access as the man looked out at the city from his tiny window of opportunity. Ollie wouldn't think much of him as he dropped the cig into a nearby ashtray and sighed. "This is the best for them. Yeah, sorry Jay." The Archer left and went to his room. Where the unpainted walls told a story of a boy who could never cry wolf like the former Robin had.

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