Fandom Under The Bat's Hood {TallyHoe & Ashman74}

[Ashman74]

Mornings were always much more difficult for Jason than night was, and it wasn't simply because ninety percent of the time he was sleep deprived, but also because apparently no one had realized: 'Hey, Batman isn't out during the day. Lets do stuff then.' Well, he had. It was when most of his people did their thing. It was a bit riskier when it came to the police. But most cops could be bought off in this city. Hell, Jason even put a few of them on payroll. Mainly to know who was investigating the things he did, or his alias, and how much progress there was. Or to make evidence disappear. He didn't wake up until eleven AM, and didn't get out of bed until twelve thirty.

His mornings usually went in a pattern. Wake up, change, shower, eat whatever left overs he had, work out for an hour or so, then attempt to function like a normal human being would. Kind of difficult considering he was the opposite. When everything was said and done he settled down to look into the news. His previous activities had certainly gone noticed. At this point Jason wasn't even robbing Sionis's people, he was just taking them out. Slowly expanding his own territory, by making sure his men ran out of ways to defend it. He wondered when they'd resort to rocks and sticks. That'd be the day, and a rather hilarious one at that.

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[sodium]

"Head that way then a right. Should be the first isle." Barbara smiled as she offered directions to a man who merely gave her a smile in return before following the directions. Her attention was still on the computer screen in front of her, smiling a bit to herself. Batman and Robin had left the scene. Most likely, they had found evidence they would evaluate at the Batcave. Nothing new. A part of her felt guilty to let them continue with all this hard work when she knew who and why. Two of the basic questions they searched to answer. So much, that the guilt only began to increase throughout the day as she worked. Soon, she was locking up the library for the night, making sure the lock was secure. But no one ever tried to break into the library. Not really, except those students who had a major book report due in the morning. It was peaceful, a great place for her to enjoy herself, to forget about everything for a few hours. As well as getting paid.

Maybe she would take the night off as well. She was getting lazy. But she was also getting a headache. After all, it wasn't Bruce who had to deal with a family member going off the rails. Well, she was glad she was the one to find Jason instead of Bruce. Tim probably would have been in the hospital if he found Jason first. Hell, she was glad she didn't end up in the hospital. Close to it those first few nights. She hated hospitals, she had spent too much time in them when she was stuck in that stupid wheelchair. Luckily, her home was just around the corner. She doubted Dad was even home yet. Who was she kidding, she knew he wasn't home yet. Wouldn't be for a few hours probably. It would give her more than enough time to relax for a bit, eat some dinner, and change into her uniform. But calling off for just one night off to just sit on the couch with a blanket and some dinner sounded so tempting.

The first thing she did was turn the news on when she came home. Habit. As if the news would know before her if anything went wrong. It was rare. Nothing new. Not yet. But Gotham never rested, especially at night, not for anyone. Maybe it was best if she did just go out for patrol, just a quick sweep with Bruce and Tim.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

Tonight was the night Jason truly made his presence known. Killing a few people here and there only did so much. Especially when they were no named scum. But what he had planned, it'd make a mark. One that people couldn't turn a blind eye to. That wasn't his intention of course. He didn't care who knew of his existence. The first part was simple. Acquire a certain weapon of...Explosive potential. He stuck to going from roof top to roof top. Stealth was key for once. He made good use of his grapple gun, even if it sent him through a window at one point. Luckily no old ladies had a heart attack. The window didn't even have glass, it was just boarded up. A nice indicator of how hard he hit it, the wood snapped and he went right through. Landing with a roll and a curse. "How the hell was I ever good with this?" He asked himself. He guessed the whole 'can't forget how to ride a bike' thing didn't apply here.

After recovering he got back to moving. Make his way closer to the center of Gotham. The buildings got larger, and the street population the same. Bunched together people were safer at night. Except for when some lunatic was in the mood to blow up a lot of people. Then it was the opposite. But the biggest lunatic in Gotham was now in an Asylum. Probably not as good as being six foot under. But he had to make a point. He didn't know what that point was though. It wasn't a moving truck he found himself stalking. But a white van. It gave off some disturbing vibes with it's tinted windows. But it wasn't kids in the back. Thank god.

Gotham was the ideal city for swinging around. Though Jason still missed the gliding capabilities a cape offered. Made things easier, and it wasn't murder on the arm like a grapple gun was. Eventually he reached into his jacket, pulling out what appeared to be a small disk. A tracking device. He gave a hard underhand throw. It made its mark. Landing right on the back of the van. It made tracking it infinitely easier.

Eventually it arrived at what seemed like a laundrymat. A garage like door opened behind it, and the van drove in. Jason dropped in front of the building. Grabbing the door and pushing. It didn't budge. He pulled, just in case, but the result was the same. So. He settled for a vent on the roof. He pulled on it, the rough material it's bolts were in cracking before he pulled it out. He crouched, making his way in. It was a tight squeeze, and hell on the back. But he made his way through. Eventually crawling until he arrived at another vent. This one overlooking the van. He pushed against it, and it fell, him along with it. He rolled in the air, landing on his feet. No one around. He made his way to the back of the van. Opening the back doors. A single, wooden container was there. He pushed the top off. A grin forming on his face at the sight of an RPG. He didn't ask to take it, because he'd have to shoot people if he did. Instead he simply took it, closed the doors, and returned to the vent.

Half an hour later he was overlooking Black Masks office in his tower. Some people could work from caves. But someone like Sionis, well, he needed a view of the city. There was some type of conversation going on inside. Jason aimed. The windows could take an airstrike. Luckily there was some renovations going on. Which made them vulnerable. When Sionis turned around Jason was waving. Then he fired. A rocket souring towards it. It was funny seeing them all rush to the door.

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[sodium]

This time, it wasn't Barbara who caught Jason. Well, not really. Tim had managed to get a bit ahead of Batgirl and Batman on the tower that overlooked Black Mask's office. Batman moved to Tim's side, while Barbara lingered behind them just a bit, her eyes glued to the Red Hood now. Hands were on her hips as she fought back a smirk on her lips. Almost like a typical crime lord, but had good intentions. "Stop there!" Robin's voice was stern as he glared at Red Hood.

Good thing she didn't decide to stay in for the night. This was either going to be amusing or worrisome. Hopefully, Jason would be able to leave somewhat peacefully. Peaceful was never really a good adjective for Jason Todd. She had learned that the hard way. Her nose still ached a bit. Then again, maybe it would have been easier for all of them if she did just stay home. But the last thing she needed was for Tim to come back with broken legs. So far, she seemed to have met with the Red Hood as Batgirl more than she met with Jason as Barbara. Well, normal wasn't in their vocabulary for normal she supposed.

"Don't make this harder than this has to be." Bruce's modified voice was soon heard, offering the peaceful way out. Though, he was clearly suspicious about the Red Hood getup. Not that Jason was really the first person to come to mind, but he certainly wasn't happy to be seeing the Red Hood reappear in Gotha, his hands clenched at his sides as he held a similar, threatening glare on the criminal. Why hadn't Barbara told them about this man? There had been multiple reports over the time they had left about a Red Hood. Mixed reports. Good and Bad. Mostly bad. Almost all including Batgirl. But she chose to focus on telling them about the muggers instead.

Not a single word about Jason Todd had escaped Barbara's lips. Not to Bruce. She stood a bit behind them, arms folded over her chest and remained silent, watching. What else was she supposed to do? She knew it was Jason under the hood, she couldn't hurt him now. She could, but she wouldn't unless she had to. And she expected the same from him. Maybe she could try to somehow separate Jason from Batgirl. Try to view him as just another crime lord. It wasn't working very well yet. She could feel the ghosts of his arms wrapped around her, his teasing words that had surprisingly managed to soothe her. He could get himself out of a mess like this easily. There was no way they would be able to arrest him, she wouldn't let them. It would be different if she didn't know what he was doing if he was more dangerous towards innocents.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"Gonna throw me into a Vat of chemicals instead?" Jason asked, gauging the situation. It wasn't very good for him. He doubted he could take Bruce one on one without time to prepare. So adding Tim and Barbara to the situation would probably result in a bad beating for himself. One he'd much rather pass on. "This Red Hood has no intention of becoming a Clown." His first step was easy. It something right out of Bruces own book. He reached into his jacket, withdrawing a small pellet. He threw it at the ground, and within seconds smoke filled the area. Though a rough outline of him could be seen moving in the opposite direction. Right off of the roof. Without a cape the odds of survival were low. His arms grabbed a latter of a fire escape on the next, yet significantly shorter, building. It killed his arms. Didn't pull them out of their sockets. But by god he'd be feeling that for days. If he had to face Bruce it'd be on his own terms. While climbing he felt something wrap around his ankle. A grapple. In one motion his arm moved, knife falling from his sleeve and cutting right through it. Then he continued climbing. He knew they were coming. Didn't need to think. Thinking took to much time. Everything that followed was instinct.

He finished climbing, and after arriving on the roof resumed his run. Sliding under an air duct. This part of Gotham was much...Better off then were he usually was. No abandoned buildings. But there was a construction sight. The familiar sound of batarangs cutting through the air filled his ears. He couldn't help but smirk. Why not put on a show? He jumped, spinning in the air, letting one fly over head and the other under his body. Then he landed, sliding right under the explosions that followed. He made his way along the construction site, blue tarps occasionally hiding his presence. Eventually he scooped up some type of canister. There was no time to check it, they were getting close. He could hear their footsteps. To close for his liking. So. The first chance he had he hurled himself off the building. Turning in the air to throw the canister back at them. But that wasn't all. He held one of his pistols in both hands, aiming. The bullet flew, striking the canister. As he expected it exploded rather close to them. If that hurt Barbara... He thought to himself. He pushed it away. He'd beat himself up later if it did. He turned again, in time to smash stomach first through a skylight. Right into a dark warehouse.

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[sodium]

There was a clear grimace from Bruce after hearing the man's words. Then, the coughing from the three of them due to the smoke. Robin was the first to move after the criminal. The youngest had the best sight out of them all. Not to mention he was pretty good with the grappling hook that managed to catch Jason's leg. But he easily escaped. This caused a string of curses from Tim's lips. Normally, that would have earned some kind of scolding from Bruce, but his attention was busy, following closely to the Red Hood. This criminal was proving to just be some other lunatic who knew their history.

"Down!" Barbara shouting, quickly grabbing Robin who was advancing towards the unseen canaster. Her body moved over his to shield it. Instinct. Burning debris hit her back. She'd deal with the burns later, nothing she couldn't handle but was a bit annoying to deal with. When they looked up, Bruce was desperately looking around. The Red Hood was gone, but he was looking for some kind of evidence from him. Robin was quick to join the search after thanking Barbara. She joined next after she tore her gaze away from the warehouse in the corner of her eye. She would give him a hard time about the explosive canister another time. Todd was always one who acted without thinking, acted out of instinct.

Bruce was frustrated. It was why Tim and Barbara remained mostly quiet in the Batcave while he worked at the computer with whatever little things they had managed to find. It wasn't much really. But Bruce seemed particularly upset with her. She'd be hearing about it tomorrow night. But for now, all she wanted was to curl up in her bed while her father worked on the new situation Jason had caused. She would talk to Bruce tomorrow. Most likely. If he would talk to her about whatever she had done to upset him, that is. He was a pretty closed person when it came to his anger, tried to make it go away. Must run in their little Bat family. Glasses returned to the bridge of her nose, Barbara was in her pajamas in her bed, staring down at her laptop. Two in the morning. She wondered what it was like to have a healthy sleeping schedule.

There were a few bandages on her back from the small burns she had, only to make sure she didn't get an infection. It was good to know that nothing had really changed between Red Hood and Batgirl though. As long as he didn't mind the future beatings he might receive from her. She smiled a bit to herself at the thought. God, this was crazy.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

Jason's escape was a matter of pure luck. Inside of the warehouse he'd kicked opened the back of a wooden crate and hid inside. He opted to hold a high powered taser towards the hole. He didn't want shoot Barbara with something lethal, and though he might give the New Robin an Ass kicking or so in the future, he had no intention of killing a kid. Not now. Not ever. The odds of him shooting himself were significantly higher then that. When the voices and footsteps came to an end he remained for almost twenty minutes. First thing he did was go home, and get something on his arms. A lot of ice. It was late. But he had to check up on one thing. He didn't take any pain killers. Last thing he needed to do was become an addicted. He already had a drinking and smoking problem. Didn't need the holy trinity of life destroying choices.

He made his way throughout the streets. Dressed the way one would expect some annoying biker to be, not a Criminal who also fought crime. He needed to check on her. He wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't. Granted, he probably wouldn't be sleeping at all tonight. For other reasons. Last time he'd been to Barbara's he was fifteen, and having trouble in some subject at school. Couldn't remember what. That wasn't quite the point. No one but he himself knew that he was intentionally failing. He was also the only one who knew why. He planned to keep it that way. The answer was far to childish...

And cliche...

Just in case her dad was home he decided to take a much less direct route. He went up a fire escape for another building. Jumped to the one which belonged to the building she lived in. He made his way up it. He made his presence known by dangling down. Head visible through her window. His feet and hands holding onto his grapple gun to avoid falling, and giving himself brain damage again. He had it once, not fun. He let go of it with one hand, and gave her an upside down wave. Then his eyes went wide. He was swinging slightly, and his forehead and nose kept smacking into it. Not enough to break it, or even crack it. There wasn't any damage at all. But by the fifth time around it started hurting.

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[sodium]

At the sight, she couldn't help but let out a laugh, shaking her head slightly at him before setting her laptop aside. She stood and approached the window, raising an eyebrow as she opened it. "Romeo, O, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" She teased before offering him a hand to help him inside. As she did, a wince threatened to come across her features. She fought it. He didn't need to know about something minor like a few burns. "Dad works late... Especially when someone decides to blow up part of a building in the middle of Gotham." She told him with a small chuckle. Her Dad had worked later for worse. The nights Joker attacked or the middle of a gang war. Those days had been more frequent than she would have liked as a child. She had already lost her mother, and her brother… well, he was his own story.

Her hands were on her hips as her eyes glanced him over. "I see jock decided to go biker? Didn't know we were re-making Grease." Another tease and a small smile. Throughout the years, Barbara Gordon's bedroom had changed a lot. As a little girl, she had bookshelves upon bookshelves filled with books. Not to mention the princess stickers on the walls. The room slowly changed, the princess stickers had been replaced with mugshots and reports. Until that night. She took down everything. Had the room painted from it's pink walls. Now, it was a light blue. Still full of books, but there was more tech stuff like the desk in the corner with a setup she had depended on for a good amount of time before. Mugshots and reports were slowly making their way back onto the walls. Her hand moved gently towards his, carefully taking it in her own to hold gently, maybe a bit hesitantly.

There was no way she blamed him for what he had done. Not when she would have done something similar. Nothing to that extent, but he was protecting himself, afterall. He could have made it less violent, yes, but she doubted he planned to do anything of the sort. "You alright? You better be. Got away before I could even get a punch in. Broken nose for a broken nose."

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

Jason felt the blood slowly rushing to his head. Oh goodness my brain is going to explode. He thought, until Barbara came to the window. It opened, and he took her hand. Though the fact he was upside down made it a bit difficult. So, he let go of the grapplegun with his other hand, placing it on her windowsill. He let go of the gun with his feet, and held himself upside down for a moment, awkwardly pushing himself forwards before he fell into her room. Landing on her floor with a thud. "My dad worked late nights when this kinda crap went down to. Guess we have that in common." He said, prior to standing up and readjusting his jacket. He took a glance around her room, noting the changes. It had, like so much else in the time he was gone.

"What can I say, It was time for my sense of fashion to get even worse." He said, putting his arms out to the side. "I thought nerds had a thing for bad boys who made bad life choices." Oh god...I went from calling myself a jock to a bad boy. Please shoot me. He thought. He didn't notice the picture she had in her hands. "Does your dad wonder why you have pictures of criminals all on your wall? Might not give off a good vibe." He gave a couple of them a glance before pointing at one. "That guys dead by the way. Not my doing." He informed her, once he recognized the face. "Though I think it'd be worse if he learned about your new choice in company." His arms went from being at his sides to folding over his chest. Smirking at what she said next.

"Well, first off. I didn't escape until 'after' you all left." He said, glancing at her nose. "Don't worry, you'll get your shoot eventually. Might be hard though. Helmet and all." His voice went a bit softer after this, letting his shield of humor go down for a few seconds. "Are you alright. I didn't know if...Well. You know what I did. Is the kid okay?" He asked, there was more concern for her, and he assumed the kid was alive. Bruce would have ripped that place apart if he wasn't.

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[sodium]

At his information about one of the criminals, she frowned and moved quickly to tear it off her wall and put in on the desk. "Used to be a lot worse than it is now. I told him it's just my way of helping. Besides, he's worse. Keeps scrapbooks of most of the bigger criminals like Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler..." She trailed ofd a bit. He had burned Joker's. For both of their sakes, it was better to keep anything related to him out of the home. Her eyes soon went back to him at his own question of worry, inhaling deeply as she turned fully towards him. Lying wasn't exactly one of her strong areas. Not at all. Especially when it came to someone she cared about. But when it came to people asking if she was alright... Well, she was practically an expert on responses that hid whatever she was feeling. Surely physical pain would be no different.

"I covered him, got a few burns on my back but nothing extreme." She brushed it off a bit, offering him a quick smile. "He's fine, should be at home sleeping by now." Never would she have thought she was assuring Jason of his 'replacement's health. It made her smile a bit more. She moved to sit in the computer chair, still looking up at him. "You know, it's only a matter of time before Bruce figures it all out. What happens when he does?" She asked carefully, watching him. "I don't know what your plan includes, but you know it's still Bruce. He would be more than happy to see you, hell, he might even smile for once." She chuckled a bit at that. Bruce rarely smiled. But he had his moments. Her eyes glanced to the computer on the desk. An updates from Gotham's news website. All it was for now was a recap of what had happened. Some citizens must have been concerned. But if they had been authorized to update, it met her Dad was wrapping things up. It wasn't anything really new for her to have a boy around, hell, Dick lingered aroun even when they weren't dating. However, she wasn't too sure if she could really explain how a criminal who should be dead was in her room.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"Don't tell him about Bruces relationship with her then. Might not be a fan." Jason said. Gaze going back to the pictures for a few seconds before he shook his head. "I guess Kiteman and Condiment King need to step up their game." He mumbled when she added a few more names to the list. And the Red Hood. He thought, though that brought the opposite of a smile to face. It was short lived. Outside of anger he was good at hiding his emotions. He really needed to get some more help with that. Well, if things didn't work out in Gotham he always had a back up place. He narrowed his eyes at her when she told him she was alright. He supposed it was possible. He'd taken his fair share of explosions in less armor then she did. But still...

"Good to know." He said, in response to both answers. He stood behind her when she went to her chair. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "Still. I feel like crap for...You know, almost blowing you up. Can't let that go unmended." He wasn't referring to her wounds. He started by giving her a simple shoulder rub. In their line of work these sort of things were good to know. Though usually you were doing them to yourself. He didn't rush it, taking his time at kneading her muscles. "By the way. Tomorrow a boat shipping 'a lot' of illegal stuff might go up in flames." He told her. "If it makes any difference, only a few of the people on board are aware. Apparently Black Mask decided to keep everyone in the dark. Still hasn't realized I have people of his on payroll." That made him smirk. It was always nice having the upperhand on scum like that. "I wont know who's who, so no one's going to be blown up along with it. I'm making sure of that." His hands continued while he spoke, temporarily giving her neck a short amount of attention.

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[sodium]

It wasn't very long before Barbara was typing the new information into the computer. Her life had easily become computers and punches. Just what most little girls dreamed of growing up to be. A small, light chuckle escaped her lips feeling his hands on her shoulders. It felt nice. Hell, more than nice, she was practically melting into his touch. It was only natural for her muscles to be so tense, but at least she could feel them. Things could always be worse no matter what the situation was. "The Red Hood doesn't take any nights off?" She asked softly, inhaling deeply feeling him shift his attention to her neck, stopping her hands on the keyboard just to enjoy not tensing up or flinching away from another's touch. For once, she was letting her guard down instead of being on edge, always expecting the worst. Who would have known Jason gave the best massages.

Slowly, her head moved to lean back slightly on the chair, looking up at him with a smile. There were still tired bags under her eyes, but they were pretty permanent by now. It came with the job. Even if Bruce was aware of Jason's return, it still would be hard to have some kind of relationship with him. "You're unbelievable... Every time I turn around you've got some surprise. Keeps me on my feet." She grinned a bit. Another problem she had with Dick. They both knew each other too well. It got... Boring. They pretty much grew up together through their teen years. She moved to turn around in the chair, smiling up at Jason as she moved her hands to his, giving them a gentle tug to pull him down slightly so she could reach up to meet his lips with her own.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"Believe it or not I actually do." Jason told her. Sure, he hadn't taken one since she took off his helmet on the back of that truck. But he did take a night off on occasion, and not just because he was to injured to move. "My personal brand of Vigilantism only requires me to do big stuff. Which has a knack for involving explosions." He bent his legs slightly, hands returning to her shoulders as he pressed his lips to the back of her head for a few seconds. The sound of her typing stopped, causing him to smirk. Must have been doing a good job. He looked over her shoulder once he pulled his head back, hoping there was something in front of them he could see her reflection in. There wasn't. He mentally shrugged. Returning his attention to her, wanting her to relax.

He chuckled at what she told him. "I've gotta keep things interesting somehow. Wouldn't want you getting bored of me." He explained, leaning towards her ear. "Besides..." He began to whisper. "It's good to remind you that there's one unpredictable lunatic who's a benefit to have in Gotham." When her chair turned he moved his hands, taking a step back. Only to feel her own hands around his. The next moment he was gently pulled towards her, then their lips connected. He freed his right hand from hers, letting it ret against her cheek. He let his eyes close, forgetting the room, forgetting about Red Hood and Batgirl, and just focusing on the moment. On Jason and Barbara.

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[sodium]

This was when Barbara finally allowed herself to be fully relaxed and happy for once. To let someone else in and let them make her happy. Slowly, she rose from the chair, her eyes closed as she moved to place his hand on her hip before her arms moved to wrap lightly around his neck. "You're my favorite lunatic." She whispered against his lips before quickly returning to the kiss. Thin fingers were moving into his hair slowly, inhaling deeply before finally pulling away slightly, her forehead moving to rest on his for a few moments, enjoying the closeness. "I want to see you more often... Preferably when you aren't trying to blow me up." She smiled a bit, slowly opening her eyes to look at him, her lips moving to brush against his lips once more.

A few strands of auburn hair fell into her face, just next to her glasses. It was amazing how different she could look as Barbara Gordon from Batgirl without even really trying. Some things stayed the same, of course. Her smile, her hair. "Stay for a little bit," She spoke hopefully, her lips giving his another quick peck. This didn't have a label, but to her, it didn't feel that complicated. Their relationship was making each other happy and comfortable. Two things she hadn't felt in a while. She hoped she was able to give him the same in return. Slowly, her fingers were running through the back of his hair gently, smiling up at him as she stared into his eyes.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"Hopefully I can keep that position." Jason said, his voice quiet due to how close they were. He grinned against her lips once they made contact for a second time, closing his eyes milliseconds after she did. There was something odd to the idea of doing it with his eyes opened. He liked feeling her fingers in his hair, he pulled back ever so slightly when she did out of habit. He thought of a joke after she spoke. But kept it to himself. "Well. I think that can be arranged." He said, smirking. "Maybe mark a certain day where we just laze around together?" He suggested, only half joking. "No costumes, no fighting, just... Being as close to normal as people like us can be." That in itself was another odd concept. If you had any connection to Bruce Wayne the odds of being normal were incredibly low.

He placed his hands on her forearm, and nodded. "As long as you want." He said. Feeling her lips touch his for a few seconds. "Lets just hope you don't have anymore guests. I'd hate to pull a vanishing act...Or end up hiding in your closet." That last possibility gave him a mental image of him being forced to hide after her dad barged in. Cliche Highschool crap. Still, sometimes cliche was good. Not in that instance though. Not even close. He was very selective with his serious cliches. "So, Barbie." He removed his hands from her arms when her fingers found their way to the back of his head. Looking right back at her. He didn't finish what he was saying. Because there wasn't anything to say at that moment.

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[sodium]

Normal for her was dressing wounds and typing up some extreme code at four in the morning. The idea was tempting. To just take a day, the two of them and relax. It would be impossible with their... careers. And the last thing she needed was not one but two 'Dad lectures' from her own Dad and Bruce about being so close to a criminal. Then Barbara would retort with Catwoman to Bruce. Then they wouldn't speak for a week until Bruce needed something only she could provide. Usually how those kinds of disagreements went. "We could order in, watch a movie." Her smile only grew as she kept herself close to him. "I doubt we'd be able to get Gotham to settle down enough for one night. Even if we did, there's the problem of my Dad and if we go out there's the problem of Bruce and..." She trailed off with a sigh. Even just talking about it made her tired.

Her head moved to rest on his shoulder for a few moments. Comfortable. She smiled a bit to herself. "Maybe I should let you go home... Get some sleep. But I'm selfish." She let out a small laugh, keeping her arms tightly around him for a few more moments before finally pulling away. "You should know, I think Bruce is suspicious of something with me. He's upset with me after tonight. I didn't ask." She explained, moving towards her closet. Not many clothes in it, containers with gadgets and tech and on the corner, with some dirty clothes on top of it, a wheelchair. "You also forgot this the other day." A smile on her lips as she handed him the red hood she had altered. "Should make your life a little bit easier."

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"Maybe we leave Gotham to the other lunatics." Jason suggested. "The one's who wont kill everyone." He was quick to clarify. He didn't even want to consider what kind of damage could be done if they left the city to 'them'. Assuming there'd even be a city left by dawn. "The city seemed to survive when the both of us were out of commission." He reminded her. It wasn't his preferred way of making a point, seeing how it referenced a time where she was a cripple and he was dead. But that wasn't really important anymore. Because they weren't anymore. He wouldn't let it happen again, and if the latter did...There'd be a massacre that could impress even the Joker. He was sickened at the idea he could actually do that. But a lot of what he did left him that way. It was necessary. Most of the time at least. "How about I get a red wig and you get a black one. Boom. Instant disguise, no one will recognize us." He teased. She'd look funny with black hair.

"I think you've earned the right to be selfish every now and again." He told her, he watched after she pulled away from him, going to her closet. He didn't like seeing her wheel chair. It was a reminder of weakness, being defenseless. It brought the same feeling to him that seeing a crowbar did. Luckily her back was turned to him. He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling several times, quietly. "I feel like I'll have to tape this to my head." He told her once she held out his helmet. He took it, giving it another look over. "Shiny. Still not on board with the whole 'Barb tech' idea?" He placed it on the floor, by the end of her bed. Then he hoped he wouldn't forget it. Again. She put work into it. It didn't deserve to be waste of time.

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[sodium]

"You would not look good with red." Another laugh escaped her lips as she smiled, watching him with the hood as she stood with hands on her hips. "I'll call it 'Barb tech' the moment I lose my sanity. Which might be soon so, get ready for it." She teased a bit before inhaling deeply and glancing at the computer on her desk. "When I first found you, I took some samples from the blood on the hood." She began, her smile fading before moving over to the computer now, sitting in the chair once again to bring up the results from the tests she had run. Everything had gotten so hectic she hadn't been able to elaborate with him on it. The light from the computer screen reflected against her glasses as she finished typing, glancing over to him. "Your blood showed a few... Unhealthy substances. Besides alcohol and tobacco. I'm just concerned."

As she sat in the chair, looking up at him, it was clear she was a bit... Nervous. Nothing like she had been before around him, not that extreme. Just a bit afraid of what his reaction would be. She remembered the morning in Wayne Manor when he had snapped at her. Granted, she probably brought it on, but that didn't mean it didn't frighten her any less. Yelling like that had usually only received yelling in return from her. She felt like some fragile child, afraid of a little shouting. It was more than that, though she wouldn't give herself a break. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too upset though. He certainly had a temper, he always had but now he didn't hold back. Even against her, she was sure. At least it was someone who looked at her as if she was equal, not some past cripple who couldn't handle anything.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

Lets ignore the fact that my hair is naturally this colour. Jason thought, smirking at it. He was fairly certain Bruce was the only one alive who knew about that. He moved towards her chair once she sat down, resting a hand against the back of it. Quirking an eyebrow at what she had say. "Really now? Care to elaborate?" He could use big words when he wanted to. That one he hadn't intended to use, but hey, it made him seem a tid bit smarter. That was always a win. Right? Well. It was in his books. He took a glance at the computer. But didn't understand a thing. There were still a few things he had to adapt to. Technology could change a lot in four years, and the time he spent training hadn't involved much of it. He could use most things, but it was the more complicated stuff that stumped him. Obviously his smoking habit, and drinking habit, would come up eventually. Probably in a different way than: 'It's not either of these things'.

He could tell the look on her face. Nervous. Guess it was time to break some tension. "Oh god, don't tell me I have an STD." He said, acting terrified. Though his acting skill in this area was trash. "I'm to young to have my junk burn whenever I pee." He forced a chuckle out with that last part, it wasn't very funny outloud. He decided to act serious now. "So what is it?" He'd done...A lot of stuff. He'd died. Come back. Trained around the world. Killed countless people, and was waging war on the streets. Yet somehow this of all things made him uneasy. His hand made it's way to the back of his neck, which he unknowingly began rubbing while he awaited an answer.

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[sodium]

A small smile appeared on her lips hearing him, shaking her head a bit. Her attention then went back to the computer screen to point to one of the sections on the spreadsheet of test results. "This is the result to some of the basic drug tests. Let's just say I hope you're not looking to apply for a federal job." She took a shaky breath. The amount of painkillers and the injection he had taken that day didn't help these results. Her finger moved to the next column. "It's not serious, but you have a heart murmur as well. I imagine when you... Left, this happened when you came back. But if anything in your chest starts to hurt, let me know please." She explained to him, taking a shaky breath before hesitantly moving to the next column. "These are the results of tests similar to brain scans. Your electrons are too active. There's been some damage there, so you'll have trouble with short-term memory. Again, nothing too serious, but something to keep an eye on." She explained.

The next one, she was more reluctant to move to. "Speaking of electrons moving too fast, you heal at... an alarming rate. The more you heal, the faster the process becomes. I imagine another side effect from when you came back." Her eyes remained glued to the screen as she finally lowered her hand, watching the very small reflection on the screen of him. Her body was tense once again. In her lap, her fingers were wringing each other. Nervous habit. By now, her glasses had sunk to the tip of her nose, still staring at the small reflection, almost as if she was waiting for him to get angry with her at any moment. She remained quiet, afraid of making things somehow worse than she already had. But he should know about all of this, she doubted he would be making any real doctor visits. How would he explain the death records?

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"So, I have a healing factor now? That's pretty cool. Explains a few things." Jason said, focusing on the single part of that which seemed to be good. Heart Murmur? Swell. He hated the tone in her voice. But he chose to take this seriously. because it was just that. He pondered her theory for the reason for it. It made sense. As much as something relating to a pit which could make people younger, and bring back the dead, could. He hadn't told her that he'd come back if he had chest pains. He didn't feel he needed to. She was the only person he could trust these days. The only person he could be Jason around. "Well, that makes sense. Having your head beaten in would probably cause that. We can run some tests if you'd like to confirm it." There were several people with heads he'd like to beat in. He went back to being serious after that. His hand moved from the chair to rest against her back. "So. With this heart murmur, anything I should do?" This was another area he wasn't to knowledgeable on.

He sighed. Leaning forwards. Maybe he wouldn't outlive them all after all. He hadn't actually thought about that. At first the prospect of outliving them all was appealing. But with Barbara...That changed things. Greatly. Things were so much simpler when I was six feet under. He thought, then attempted to lighten the mood again. "So, me not remembering any after life doesn't debunk religion then? Dang. Thought I could piss off some chat rooms online. Pity." He sighed again. That thought with his newly acquired knowledge was...Well, complete crap to take in.

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[sodium]

There was a small hitch in her breath feeling his hands on her back, before mentally cursing to herself. At least it wasn't a fear of Jason, more of the fear of remembering what she let happen that night. The night she didn't fight back, react quick enough to pull the gun away from him, to close the door to buy time, anything but just stand there frozen. "Besides taking it easy on the drinking and smoking?" There was a hint of a smile on her lips before a small shake of her head. "Take a break once in a while, lots of water over alcohol. Taking care of yourself should help it." She explained, taking a shaky breath before finally shutting down the computer, her shoulders tense. Sitting down for too long only made things worse, remembering those days she couldn't do much more than sitting around, feeling useless.

Trust was something Barbara did not give out easily. It wasn't something that could fully be earned immediately. Somehow, a small part of her trust had been given to Jason. It was more than most people got from her at least. Surely it was... Normal to be skeptical. To be concerned, worried, scared. The buzz in her pocket pulled her from her thoughts as she moved to look down at her phone, frowning. Bruce. A message. No, worse. A picture. With a small sigh, she handed the phone to Jason. "I think he's ready for a family reunion." She teased a bit, showing the picture that was from one of the many security cameras in Wayne Manor of Jason from his little stay. Her eyes were on the floor. Guilt was slowly making its way over her. If she hadn't brought Jason there, maybe they wouldn't be facing more problems.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"But if I stop with my self destructive habits I'll become boring." Jason said with a smirk. Which got a bit wider at another thought. "Well, I think the whole 'we take a day off' thing just got a few more reasons to become an actual thing." He said, the teasing a little to obvious for his own liking. He pulled his hand away from her. He walked towards one of the walls and leaned against it for a moment. Thinking. Smoking was a habit he'd picked up while he was on the streets. It helped with the stress of 'Will I eat tonight?'. So, if he were to kick it, well, it wouldn't be easy. Drinking would probably take less effort. He saw a fair bit of light vanish as her computer shut off.

What she said next after seeing the picture caused his jaw to tense, and a frown to form from his lips. Yeah, that was a problem. One he'd forgotten about. "I'm not." He told her, letting a breath out. "Aside from the obvious awkwardness of having to say: 'Hi guys, I'm back from the dead. Oh, I also shoot people and am an up and comer in Gotham's criminal underworld'..." His jaw tensed again, realizing the this was the first person he'd tell this to. "Aside from the awkwardness with Dick about whatever the hell we are, eventually Bruce will find out I've been with one of his Exes." He decided not to say who. It was a disturbing thought to have, considering what was going on now, and the fact it was simply a disturbing concept on it's own.

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[sodium]

For a few moments, Barbara remained quiet, staring at the phone screen. She kept her distance a bit from him, not wishing to find out if there was anger behind his teasing. "Well, at least you're rising up fast." She tried, glancing at him with a small smile as she shoved the phone back in her pocket. Eventually, she would have to deal with Bruce. Tomorrow, most likely. A lot of shouting. The old 'Why didn't you tell me' probably from both Bruce and herself. He could have told her more about his death. How... Violent it was. Cruel. Even Barbara now had her fair share of wondering if Bruce tried hard enough to save Robin. "I won't tell him about any of the details. Especially... Whatever the hell we are." She sighed a bit. It seemed like it would be just another long night. Slowly, she moved to rub her temple. Why did libraries have to open so early and Gotham so late?

"You aren't going to hurt him, right?" She asked, a bit hesitantly, unsure if she wanted the answer. Her eyes remained away from him, glued to the wall with her arms lightly folded over her chest. Another restless night was ahead of her. "Dick wouldn't care, and Bruce... Well, whatever happened between you and his ex, you know how unemotional he can get." She mumbled a bit, lightly rubbing her arm. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, whatever was happening between Jason and her. It would end the same way as Dick. In frustration and anger from both ends. Not being enough. There wasn't much she could really... Provide for as a girlfriend after that night. Hell, she refused to take her clothes off even for a shower for so long. So, when Dick got frustrated enough with everything else, she left. The two eventually sorted it out, and they went their separate ways more peacefully. "I think we should stop."

The words were a bit shaky as they left her lips. Before either of them got hurt, it was better if they stopped this. She couldn't be the average girlfriend most guys wanted. And she had tried for Dick, granted it didn't last longer than a day, but she still tried. Only ended in silent tears and loneliness. She didn't need that again, to feel even worse about the effects from that night. She didn't want to lose another because of it. Because she just couldn't get over that night. That night that had scarred her worse than anything else.

Ashman74

 

[Ashman74]

"I guess I am." Jason agreed, crossing his arms. He let the distance remain, something felt off. Probably him. He didn't want to make whatever she was feeling. He supposed now that Bruce knew he was up and kicking he'd have to be extra careful to avoid confrontation with him. If only it were that simple. He smiled slightly at her assurance. "That'll make things easier." He said, taking a step towards her window to lean out, getting a bit of fresh air. This was normally the time he'd light a cigarette, but thanks to that little revelation she gave him, and the fact she'd probably take it out of his mouth, he didn't. Plus she didn't seem to like it when he did. He tapped his gloved fingernails against the wooden board below him. Looking around for a few seconds. A chuckle escaping at what she said next.

"Your question should be: Will you get hurt trying to hurt them." He told her. Bruce would obviously be able to take him down if he tried. Dick...Probably the same case. "But no. Not physically anyway." The whole 'You let me die' thing, or the 'you never cared' card would probably be enough to let him escape whatever situation he was put into. What she told him next left him silent for a few seconds. It surprisingly hurt, as though his heart got kicked in the nuts. But he kept his composure, and having his back to her made it easy to hide the expression on his face. "If that's what you want." He said. Looking down to his wrist, as though he were wearing a watch. He even included the detail of lifting up his sleeve, and trying to keep the bare skin hidden. "I should probably go, rather early." He said after. "See you around." The next second he was gone, the sound of his grapple gun being audible for a few more seconds before there was nothing. He probably wouldn't see her, not personally anyway. In costume it was rather inevitable. He went straight home after.

It was a simple thing. Shower, brush his teeth. Sleep. He hammered it out in less then an hour. Except for the last part. That took a grand total of three. It was starting to get bright out when he passed out.

**

He didn't have a good morning, and it wasn't because of what occurred earlier that day. Several bodies had been found in various parts of Gotham. He didn't have a chance to sleep in and deal with it. By seven AM he was out, having opted to not eat breakfast. The body he found was on top of a movie theater. It was in what looked like a hospital gown, and it wore an odd mask. Which Jason tried to remove, but to no avail. He stepped back. Getting a glance at it as a whole. It resembled a rather twisted doll in his eyes.

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