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A/N: The story takes place before New 52 and Rebirth. There are, however, a few concepts that I'm keeping from the recent Rebirth timeline, Jason's natural black hair (though I'm keeping the white streak) and a few if not all characteristics of his costume.
Rated T for containing materials that are not appropriate for children under 13 like profanity, some substance abuse such as alcohol and drugs, violence, and minor suggestive adult themes. If the following materials become too intense or frequent, the rating will go up.
Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based story that is obviously not canon in the DC Universe, it just contains SOME existing events from said Universe. Characters used in this fanfiction like Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and Red Robin, along with Gotham City are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official release.
Chapter 1: Melancholy Birds and a Troubled Bat
PARIS, FRANCE
December 12, 3:00 AM CEST
Red Robin yawns as he squats on the rooftop of a fifteen story building that has the perfect view of the Autonomous Port of Paris. He is still not used to the time difference from Gotham City and Paris, France. Not that it affected his patrol in any way as he hardly slept back in his hometown.
It has been four weeks since the fallout for the Cowl in Gotham happened. Batman was dead and someone needed to take the Cowl. In the aftermath, Nightwing, the victor of the Battle and current Batman, gave the Robin title to the first Batman's biological son, making the boy the fourth Boy Wonder. The former Boy Wonder was furious at this decision as the title was taken away from him. More so when it was given to an entitled brat that claims to be the true Robin just for being the blood son of the first Batman. [Batman: Battle for the Cowl Series]
The third Boy Wonder had always been the ideal Robin who kept Batman in check. He was careful not to make any mistakes, so he could not understand why he was replaced by a violent ten-year-old who was raised by the Al Ghul family and the League of Assassins. He was more than willing and able to continue the Robin legacy after healing from his wounds from an explosion.
At first, the teen stayed in the shadows after the decision. However, he decided he can no longer stay in the shadows and chose to don a new name, Red Robin. He does not need Batman nor Robin, he was just as capable on his own. Red Robin snaps out of his trance when he notices a man leaving the building, giving kisses and hugs to his wife and children. This seems like a typical farewell of a working husband and his family, but things are not like what it appears. The man is Léo Le Roux Lemaire, Red Robin's target. Le Roux is a new face in the drug dealing industry, easy-picking for an interrogation, who's been involved in this major drug ring that has been expanding like wildfire. Red has been tracking down the ring for several days and still doesn't have any lead on the cartel supplying. Red can tell this group is experienced as he could barely find anything on them. In order to have more of a lead, he has to take the hands-on approach.
Red Robin sneaks closer to Le Roux from above the building, rope in hand. The wife and kids enter the limo and the man waves again as the car drives away through the empty streets.
Before Le Roux can enter back into the building, Red Robin throws the rope and captures the man. He quickly attaches the rope to a grappler and shoots it to the rooftop of the building, reeling in the captive man. The man screams, but it goes unheard because he was too high in the air.
Le Roux lands in front of Red Robin with a loud THUD. The drug dealer moans and looks up, eyes widen. He has heard of gossip of the Birdman from other Parisians both underground and in broad daylight but believed it was some sort of hoax the police created to scare criminals. At first, Le Roux felt queasy, but his pride was more than enough to help him gain composure.
"Qui est votre patron et votre fournisseur (Who's your boss and supplier)," Red Robin asks the drug dealer in French, not wanting to waste time.
"Un concessionnaire m'en donne deux fois par semaine au port autonome de Paris. Le patron ne fait jamais une apparition (A dealer gives me a cargo of them at the Autonomous Port of Paris twice a week. The boss never makes an appearance)," answers the dealer.
Fortunately, it seems the French man was honest as Red's enhanced contacts did not detect any change in his heart rate.
"Que savez-vous des médicaments que vous vendez? Il n'y a rien de tel, il semble être sorti de nulle part (What do you know about the drugs you sell? There's nothing like it, it seemingly appeared out of nowhere)," Red asks.
"Je ne sais pas, Birdman. Je viens de vendre la substance (I don't know, Birdman. I just sell the substance)," pleads Léo, "S'il vous plaît, ne me prenez pas à la police. Je vends les médicaments que pour faire assez pour nourrir ma famille (Please don't take me to the police. I sell the drugs only to make enough to feed my family)."
Red Robin sighs, yet another honest statement. Red knows he shouldn't let the man off so easy, but what he witnessed earlier of Leo and his family is influencing his decision. Red has already done enough research on Le Roux to know he's relatively new in the underground business. Prior to working underground, the man was an office worker who was laid off. Le Roux was not a greedy drug dealer, he's a man trying to support his family even if it means throwing away his morals.
Red Robin comes to a conclusion: "Léo, je ne veux prend pas à la police sur une condition. Vous devez arrêter de vendre de la drogue (Leo, I will not take you to the police on one condition. You have to stop selling drugs)."
"Oui, je vais arrêter de vendre de la drogue. Merci Birdman (Yes, I'll stop selling drugs. Thank you Birdman)," says the grateful Léo.
"Tu ferais mieux de garder votre fin de la négociation (You better keep your end of the bargain)," says Red Robin.
Léo nods his head, and Red Robin easily unties Léo. Léo gets up carefully and waits for Red Robin to nod before he wearily walks towards the roof hatch access. All of a sudden, something cuts through the quiet sky and hits Léo on the back of his head, knocking him out on the rooftop. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be a bullet because there were no signs of blood. Le Roux will be out for a good hour if not more.
Red Robin takes cover and hides behind the roof vent. He peaks up a little to scan his surroundings looking for the person who knocked out Léo. Red Robin readies himself for the confrontation by getting out his collapsible bo-staff. The crimson bird spots two dark figures standing behind a gargoyle on a nearby building. The duo takes out their grappling hooks to get to the young vigilante. Red Robin instantly recognizes them as Batman and Robin.
Red Robin puts his staff away and waits for the Gotham duo with his arms crossed. Frustration is evident through the young man's posture. How dare they interfere with his case.
"Tt. I still can't comprehend why many consider you a genius," states Robin with his arms crossed, "No matter the reason, that miscreant has to owe up to his crimes and be put behind bars. You're pathetic, and your action is the evidence."
Red Robin glares at the adolescent vigilante who returns the favor. Batman lets out an exasperated sigh. Seeing his little brothers' bickering is getting tiring. He had thought they would try to get along better after not seeing each other for several weeks, he was wrong.
"Watch your tongue, Robin," says Batman as he picks up the Batarang that he threw to Léo's head, "But he's right, Red. We're supposed to capture the crooks and put them behind bars, not give them a pass."
Red Robin breaks the glaring contest with Robin and turns his attention to Batman.
"Why are you guys even here? News flash, you're in the wrong city," says Red Robin, "I do not need a lecture from you because I work alone now. This is what you wanted, it's the reason why you gave the Robin title to him."
Before Batman can respond to his younger brother's statement, Robin intercedes.
"Tt. Don't patronize me, you imbecile. Quit acting like a kicked mutt and get over it," states Robin.
Red almost groans out loud but holds it in. The argument between him and the Boy Wonder is starting to tire him out as well. Can he catch a break?
"I don't need a gremlin breathing down my neck as well," huffs Red Robin, "I'm handling the situation however I feel fit. I've done the research and he's been involved with the ring for 3 days. I admit he was busy during those days, but he doesn't even have a powerful position. He's just a man who was caught in something bigger than what he had asked for. He just wants to support his family so I'm giving him a second chance."
"Tt. Just like Todd."
Red feels a lump in his throat. He was not expecting to hear that name. The fact that Robin said that name makes the guilt settle down in Red Robin's guts.
"What?" Red Robin questions.
"We know that you helped him escape from Blackgate, Red." Batman states.
Red is starting to feel sick. Jason...Blackgate...the code.
"You did good."
"Remember that. Then try to do the same."
"Sure. In about ten years. I hear five with good behavior."
"Emergency Override: M-Z-9-22-OMEGA. Say it at midnight. One time only and hold your breath." [Robin Vol 2 #183]
Back then, things seemed to be going well between him and Jason...or as well as it gets. Jason Todd, the second Robin, his predecessor, the man who called him Replacement and beat him in Titans Tower, had praised him. He had brought down an imposter Red Robin, but Jason got arrested after getting shot in the knee. He was escorted to Blackgate under the pseudonym, John Doe. Under the pseudonym Alvin Draper, the third boy wonder visited "John" and practically bailed him out of prison. The teen gave the young man a second chance. Although back then he told himself he only did it because it's what Bruce would've wanted, he honestly believed that Jason should be given another chance at redemption. He still loathes his predecessor for his past action but is also empathetic as the man was not in the right state of mind at the time.
Even before Blackgate, Jason had never laid a finger on the teen after the Titans Tower fiasco and the Duella incident. Even when he was shooting at the teen, it was obvious his intent was not to kill the boy as he was aiming at his feet. Jason had confronted the teen on several occasions, asking if they could work together. Of course, the teen rejected the proposition on the grounds that Jason's methods are too violent and messy. [Robin Vol 2 #177] However, their initial hatred towards each other has changed. From having an overpowering grudge of being replaced to the acknowledgment of skills and individuality. Likewise, the teen used to see Jason as a blunt instrument who thinks and hits like one but later perceives him as a confused and not entirely broken young man.
Then things reverted when he summoned Jason to the Cave to listen to Bruce's final words for the young man. They had a brief chit-chat and things were seemingly well until Jason finally listened to his mentor's last words privately. No one but Jason knows what was Bruce's last message to his "Greatest Failure". After hearing the statement, Jason did not reveal what he was told. However, before he left, he paused before his old costume and the tattered remains of Batman's. [Robin Vol 4 #183] It was obvious the man was having difficulty processing or accepting his mentor's last words, and the teen wished he had pushed for answers then. If he had done so, Jason wouldn't have died again and the seventeen-year-old would still be Robin.
No longer was Bruce the only person burdened with their greatest failure. It seems the teen is gradually becoming more like his mentor, and he's not sure it's a good thing.
The current Robin breaks Red Robin's thoughts with a Tt before speaking.
"After the disappearance of my father, Todd caused even more mayhem in Gotham by trying to take my father's title through bloodshed," Robin angrily states, "I used to be no different than that psychopath, but I abandoned that path because I respect who my father was. Todd wore the Bat symbol when he shot people down. He wore MY family symbol when he shot me! Those events that happened a few weeks ago would've never happened if you did not give him a second chance!"
Batman and Red Robin stare at the boy in both shock and awe.
Red Robin didn't know Robin too well since their only interactions were the boy attempts to kill Red, or when the boy ironically saved Red from an explosion at Jason's Batcave. [Batman: Battle for the Cowl Part 3 of 3] However, the last time Red Robin saw the boy was when Nightwing chose the adolescent to become his Robin. So it surprised him that the 'demon spawn' actually had emotions. As childish as it sounds, Red Robin thought that the boy didn't feel anything since he was raised by the League of Assassins.
The second Batman, formerly Nightwing, has only been working with the boy for a short amount of time, so he doesn't know much about the ten-year-old. He wants to bond with the kid, give him something the Al Ghul family and League of Assassins couldn't or refused to. After hearing the boy's outburst, he didn't know how to react. He was happy that the kid finally expressed his feeling other than cockiness, but he didn't expect anger.
Batman eventually was the first to recover: "Ahem. Maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere."
"Fine," responds both boys.
"We'll go to my place," says Red Robin.
"Where else would we go, DRAKE." Robin spits out.
Tim glares at Robin.
"Want a megaphone to announce that," he hisses.
Damian scoffs at Tim before puffing out his chest and turning around so that he can no longer see Tim's face.
Dick Grayson could no longer hold it in and lets out another exasperated sigh. He rubs his temple, he does not want to get caught between the crossfire in costume. Plus, there was still an unconscious French man on the rooftop.
"Quit it, you two. Red, just send me the coordinates and we'll meet you there. I'll let you deal with that man."
Tim rubs his temples and groans. Despite donning a new costume and name in order to become independent from the Bat-clan, the young man cannot escape from his ties with the Bat-Family even when he's halfway across the world. However, instead of complaining, Tim quickly sends Dick the coordinates to his new apartment.
Dick nods and motions for Damian to follow him. They take out their grappler and soon their figures disappear from Tim's view. Tim stares at the knocked out man. This was not how he wanted his patrol to end.
GOTHAM CITY
December 12, 09:00 PM EST
The little boy shuts his eyes before he feels a hard blow to his face. He falls onto the floor only to be grabbed by his dirty brown hair and gets kneed in the face. The boy groans. What did he do to deserve this?
The boy was enjoying an evening with his parents and fell behind because he was distracted from the Batman plush toy his father had won from a claw machine. Then, a man takes the boy's hand and drags him away from his chattering parents who didn't notice their child disappearance. The boy tried to cry for help but lost his voice due to his fear of the stranger.
The stranger had led him to an abandoned warehouse and yelled gibberish at the boy. The boy could not comprehend what the elder man was saying, and then the stranger struck the kid. It has been five minutes, and the stranger did not stop assaulting the boy. The eight-year-old boy clutches his Batman plush closer to his heart. SMACK! The blood curtailing scream of the boy echoes throughout the empty warehouse.
"W-what do you want from me? Please stop! I want my parents back," cries the boy.
The offender slaps him.
"Shut up! You don't know what you want! You're only just a kid," slurs the man.
"T-then what do you want from me," the poor boy asks.
"I WANT YOU TO STOP CRYING! WHY ARE YOU TREATING ME LIKE A MONSTER," he screams as he continues to beat the boy, "I just wanted to play with you! Don't little kids like playing anymore?"
The sound of the older man's fists meeting the boy's face rings throughout the abandoned warehouse. The boy cries even harder as the man continues to assault him. The man hits the boy's throat, rendering him from making any sounds. The boy drops his plush and touches his throat, tears continue to roll down his red cheek.
The offender huffs, clearly getting exhausted and shove the boy roughly on the ground. The boy collapses and falls; hard. His head hits the concrete floors and a pool of blood begins to form under the boy, leaving a stain on the plush toy the boy had dropped earlier. The offender stares at the body in front of him with dazed eyes. He cautiously walks toward the corpse and pokes at it. Finally realizing his misdeed, the man panics.
"Oh no. Not again. Not again," the offender repeats. The man drags the body away from the pool of blood, slips on the plush, and falls on his behind. He stands back up to find some leftovers from the warehouse that can dispose of the body. He spots a gallon of gasoline near the corner of the warehouse. He drags the body to the gasoline, then grabs the substance. He pours the gasoline on the corpse and takes out a match.
"Please forgive me, God," the man prays out loud, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I was only playing with 'im. I swear, I'm innocent!"
"Unfortunately God isn't here, so I'll decide your fate, scum."
"Who said that?" the man asks. He quickly turns around, dropping the unlit match to the ground. The culprit frantically looks for the source of the voice.
"I did," answers the notorious Red Hood. The Hood had been absent and most crooks assumed he was erased by his enemies. But there have been rumors of the Red Hood resurfacing.
The man's skin begins to pale, and his eyes widen. He turns his head up towards the upper floor and finds himself staring at the Red Hood. Upon appearance, the lethal vigilante does not appear too intimidating with his denim jeans, biker boots, a white shirt, a biker's jacket, and gauntlets. However, the metallic red hood that the man dons is what truly terrifies his victims as they cannot see the man under the hood. The people of Gotham had always noted that this hooded vigilante is similar to Batman except for one very significant difference, he kills.
The drunkard makes a run for the warehouse entrance and exit. However, the Red Hood jumps down from the rail, grabs his .45 firearm from his holster, and shoots the man's ankle mid-air. The convict falls but tries to get up. However, the antihero steps on the man's hand, making the culprit scream in pain. With one hand, said masked man takes out handcuffs and confines the murderer's hands behind his back.
He notices the blood-stained Batman plush and unconsciously grabs it. His fingers linger on the bloodstained Bat symbol on the plush chest. Realizing what he was doing, the Red Hood puts the plush to the side and turns his attention towards the little boy's corpse.
"Sorry I didn't come in time kid." He solemnly states inside his head.
"I-I'm sorry! Please have mercy," begs the murderer, "It wasn't my fault! Blame it on the alcohol! It made me do that!" Red Hood returns his attention to the squirmy culprit, and anger begins to fuel the Red Hood. If there's one thing that the antihero loathes more than the criminals he killed, it's the cowardly ones that try to shove their misdeeds under the carpet just to repeat the cycle.
"I may not have saved your life, but I can avenge you!"
"Blame it on the alcohol, huh? Who made the conscious decision to drink," shouts the antihero, "I bet this isn't your first rodeo."
He grabs the man by his head and drags him to the dead boy's body. He forcefully makes the culprit face his misdeed.
"Did alcohol kill the boy!? Did alcohol make you pour gasoline on his dead body!? BULLSHIT," He growls, "If alcohol makes you a piece of shit, how come you didn't attack other people? You targetted this boy! You were always SCUM!"
The convict cries angering the masked antihero. The Red Hood hits the culprit with the back of his gun.
"How dare you cry?! You're a worthless piece of shit! You did this! And now you have to face the consequences," He yells from the top of his lungs.
"Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, it was an accident," cries the culprit. Red Hood glares at the man through his helmet. He raises his arm and punches the man on the face. Blood starts to trail down from the culprit's nose.
"An accident? The fuck is wrong with you! 'Oh no. Not again. Not again.' These are your words."
"Please let me go," pleads the convict. Red Hood scoffs and punches him again, resulting in a black eye. He raises his fist again, but this time, it didn't hit the culprit. The convict stares at the Red Hood wondering why he stopped.
"Hey, jackass. I have a question for you," he said, "do you have any info on THAT drug ring happening in Gotham," he asks.
The convict's frightened expression suddenly changes into a smug one. If looks could kill, the Red Hood would've killed this man over a thousand times even with his helmet on. The murderer smiles and says, "If you let me go, I'll tell you everything I know."
The Red Hood laughs at the convict's statement causing the convict to lose his smug look. Then, the man under the hood grabs a fistful of the convict's hair and hiss in a cold tone, "I pulled my punches back because I thought you could be useful for a short time."
He drops the man and slaps him hard across his bruised up face. He grabs the Bat plush again and holds it out in front of the criminal's face.
"Bet you wish he was here instead of me." The man just whimpers in response. The antihero was not satisfied with that response.
"I'll make you talk," he states, "And when I'm through with you, I'm going to beat you to death like you did that kid."
The man tries to scurry off but the Red Hood grabs him from his hair and pulls him up. The man hisses in pain.
"Let the punishment fit the crime."
Please check out my other works as well:
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