Chapter 1: A Shot in the Dark

"C'mon, Scarlett! Give us that winning smile!"She lifted her head and flashed a coy smile at the camera. A bright flash from the light momentarily blinded her, but she held her composure."Perfect yet again!" the photographer exclaimed. "You never have a bad picture, do you?""Bad pictures aren't in the job description," she laughed, yet there was a hint of sadness in her tone.He chuckled and motioned toward the group of assistants hidden in the darkened studio. "Get our lovely girl some clothes! I think she's probably tired of laying in her underwear."Scarlett accepted a silk dressing gown from one of the assistants with a half-hearted smile. She quickly pulled it closed to hide the white lacy lingerie beneath and headed into her dressing room, where she slumped down in front of her lighted vanity. With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and passed a comb through her short ruby-red hair. Dying her natural strawberry blonde hair was a bold move for her, yet one she never came to regret. Red was her favorite color. She always associated it with courage and confidence, which she sorely lacked. Scarlett rifled through her bag of extra clothes and slipped on a lace blouse, high-waisted jeans, and black pumps. As the chaos of the movie studio carried on around her, she locked the door to her dressing room and proceeded quickly toward the side exit door, wanting to get home as soon as possible. Just as she reached the back stairwell, a familiar breathless voice called out from behind. "Scarlett! Wait!"She turned around, an adoring smile gracing her lips. "Stevie! I didn't know you were here! How are you?" Steven Hartwell. Her modeling agent. "Oh, you know...living the dream," he replied sarcastically. "I'm sorry I missed the shoot. I got held up in a contract negotiation with one of my other clients and ended up in the five o'clock rush going over Perdition Bridge. Go figure."Scarlett shook her head with a smile. Steven's witty humor and "it is what it is" attitude always managed to lighten her mood. It's why she trusted him to be her agent when she moved to Gotham five years earlier as a scared, naive eighteen-year-old just trying to survive. He's also the reason she stuck with modeling as long as she did despite her doubts and insecurities."It's okay," she said at last. "You didn't have to come all this way. The shoot wasn't anything to write home about...""That bad, huh?" he asked solemnly. "See, this is why I like to be on-set with my clients...just to make sure no one pushes you girls around or makes any off-color comments.""Oh no, nothing like that!" Scarlett reassured him. "It's just...well you know how it goes. I just laid there, pretending to feel sexy when I don't, praying the pictures actually come out this time...."He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, I know the last campaign didn't turn out like we'd hoped...but that photographer was a hack with no real connections. Those pictures would have just been more fodder for your portfolio. We'll work on getting you some real gigs. Speaking of, I've got some news that will cheer you up. This morning I got on the phone with a buddy of mine over at Calvin Klein. He gave me an update on the casting call you did last Friday. You made it in! The shoot is gonna be here at Panessa next Thursday! They'll send more details in the morning."Scarlett squealed excitedly and threw her arms around him. "That's amazing!"He chuckled and patted her back. "It sure is, kiddo...so just hang in there, okay? The big names are starting to bite. Just a couple more of these tedious window ads and maybe...just maybe... we can start negotiating some commercials.""Really?" she grinned."Why not? You're already at a film studio, right?"The two shared a laugh as they jogged down the stairs and pushed through the door to the adjoining parking garage. The sounds of angry taxi horns and police sirens echoed around the cement walls and the warm springtime air was polluted with the smells of the city. Another typical night in Gotham."Do you need a ride home, kiddo? It's getting pretty late and there are a lot of creeps out at this hour. I don't trust it," Steven muttered, nervously pushing his thick round glasses up the bridge of his nose."That's very sweet of you, but I'll be fine. My apartment in Chinatown is just a couple of blocks away. Tell Marla and the kids I said hi.""Alright...," he returned hesitantly. "Please, be careful."Scarlett kissed him on the cheek and proceeded down the deserted sidewalk. She sighed peacefully as she imagined a rose-scented bubble bath and a glass of Cabernet waiting for her at home. The constant criticism and unrealistic demands for perfection involved with photoshoots left her feeling drained. Modeling wasn't her greatest passion, but it was the only one she was ever allowed to pursue.Scarlett had been modeling since the age of two. Her mother entered her pictures into catalog and department store advertisements to earn money, even going as far as sleeping with photographers, agents, and marketing heads to get Scarlett gigs. Unsurprisingly, their relationship fell apart when Scarlett wanted to leave home. She was made to feel it was her obligation to support her scheming mother and younger brother. Scarlett's father was a traveling salesman and therefore rarely at home. He was a good man who provided for his family, yet his absence gave his wife ample opportunities to sleep with anyone who could further their daughter's career. Scarlett felt that her success in life was attributed solely to her mother's actions. She wanted a life of her own and nothing could stand in her way. The night of her eighteenth birthday, Scarlett jumped onto the back of her ex-boyfriend's motorcycle as her mother chased her down the street with a golf club. Needless to say, they were no longer on speaking terms. As Scarlett rounded the corner and started down Jade Street, she noticed the neighborhood seemed eerily quiet. Only a few people were out and about, each of them eyeing her suspiciously and making her feel further out of place. In Gotham, everyone passing each other on the sidewalk looked tense and paranoid. It was the constant fear of being mugged, assaulted, kidnapped, or worse that kept everyone on their toes. Instinctively, she threw a glance over her shoulder. Several yards behind was a man in a gray hoodie shuffling slowly along, his hands tucked into his pockets. His narrow, predatory eyes were trained on her like prey. She suddenly felt a sickening sense of unease writhing within her stomach. She hastened her pace as discreetly as possible, footsteps hitting in time with the pounding of her heart. Her eyes darted left and right in a growing panic, searching for another path away from the stranger. To her relief, there was a narrow alley on her left that led straight to the back of her apartment complex."Maybe if I'm quick enough, I can lose him," she thought. She side-stepped into the alley and took off at a sprint as fast as her heels would allow, not daring to look back. Between the slapping of her shoes against stray puddles and the thundering of her heartbeat in her ears, Scarlett couldn't hear if the man was following. Her only focus was on the end of the alley, which suddenly appeared much further than before. Just as she reached the opening, a strong arm snatched her by the waist and slammed her against the brick wall. It was the man in the gray sweatshirt, out of breath from chasing her down the street."What's the matter, sweetheart? You scared of me or somethin'?" he asked, his tone dripping with false sincerity."N-no," she whimpered. "Please, just leave me alone," she begged as she thrashed her arms in a feeble attempt to escape his grip. "I caught you staring at me. It seemed like you were interested...but then you ran off. You like playing hard to get?" he asked as his eyes roamed over her dainty figure."Help! Anybody! Please!" she screamed, her vocal cords nearly tearing. She tried to knee him in the crotch, but his entire body had her pinned firmly to the wall. She opened her mouth to cry once more, but he muffled her screams with his palm. He reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt with his other hand and Scarlett gasped when she felt the point of a switchblade poking dangerously into her side. "Oh, so you don't want it no more?!" he growled, his softer tone gone. "Well, I got news for you, sweetheart. There ain't no one here to help you. It's just you and me now, so you better take it easy and keep your mouth shut. One scream and you're dead," he warned. Scarlett kicked, clawed, and squirmed, but her strength was no match for his. The blood in her pulsing veins ran as cold as ice as she realized what was about to happen. She cursed herself for walking alone at night and for moving to Gotham in the first place. Everyone warned her of the danger, but her desperation to leave home overcame her common sense. Without warning, the man spun her around and pushed her face against the cold and dirty brick wall. She felt a sharp, stinging pain as the coarse stone scraped against the skin of her cheek and drew blood. She withheld a distraught yelp as she heard the metal clinking of a belt buckle coming undone behind her.In a morbid twist of irony, she felt even more hopeless at the thought of not seeing the man's face as he was about to torture her. She definitely wasn't his first victim, but had she gotten just one good look at him, she'd make sure she could identify him to police so that she could be his last. If she could save another woman from the same fate, she'd gladly suffer the nightmares that were bound to follow. But in her current position, she wouldn't be able to. She'd be haunted by a faceless memory for the rest of her life while he got away...if she managed to survive.Suddenly, a sharp clicking noise came from somewhere in the shadows directly behind them. Scarlett's attacker whirled around....only to be met with the steel barrel of a gun. "Wrong move, asshole," a deep, almost robotic-sounding voice growled from the void. "Then again...thugs with a death wish are my favorite."The attacker started shaking in pure terror as the hulking figure of a man slowly emerged from the darkness, gun still drawn. The stranger had on a dark brown leather jacket over a steel-plated jumpsuit. A bright red symbol of a bat was smeared across his chest in what Scarlett hoped was not blood. He had a utility belt around his waist with an assortment of gadgets and pistols strapped to both legs. However, the thing that made him truly terrifying was the faceless red mask covering his head. There were no eyes that gave him a soul. No eyes that showed fear. No eyes to prove he was even human at all.The creep attempted to flee down the alley, but the masked man retrieved his second pistol and shot him in each of the knees with astounding precision. The attacker collapsed onto the pavement and shrieked in pain as blood poured down his legs. The masked man marched over to the assailant and pointed the pistol at his head."Stop!" the wounded creep pleaded helplessly. "I wasn't going to hurt her, okay?! I just wanted to talk to her! She looked at me first!""Blaming the victim..." the mysterious man replied scornfully. "In my book, that's the quickest way to get dead.""Please, don't shoot! I'll leave her alone! You'll never see my face again!""I'm counting on it," he growled before shooting the man in the forehead dead center. The shot echoed down the length of the alley, followed by a sickening splat as blood sprayed the concrete. After a moment, the masked stranger wordlessly turned to Scarlett. She was curled up on the ground and breathing heavily. "He's gone. You're safe now.""Am I?" she questioned softly.He turned back to her deceased attacker and shrugged. "Trust me...he's not getting back up. You hurt?" he asked, his fingers just touching her jaw as he examined the scrape on her cheek. "A little but...I'm okay."Suddenly he stood up, as though he was irritated. "What the hell were you doing in this part of town at night by yourself anyway?!" he snapped. "Do you have a death wish?!"A small part of Scarlett wanted to call out his hypocrisy. Anyone parading around town in a mask, leaping from buildings, and fighting supercriminals undoubtedly had a death wish. But after witnessing what happened to her attacker, she thought it best not to provoke him any further...especially after he saved her life. "I...I was on my way home. I live in that building right over...there," she choked as she gestured down the alley. "It was only two blocks...I thought I'd be fine."The masked man groaned and shook his head. "Welcome to Gotham, doll. There isn't a stone on these streets that's safe to walk on."Scarlett's lip quivered as fresh tears pooled in her eyes. The masked man looked between her and the roof of the apartment building."Let's try to get you home in one piece. Hang on." He lifted her into his arms and launched his grappling hook into the air. She held on for dear life as they shot across the rooftops. Once they reached the roof of her building, Scarlett staggered out of his arms and leaned against one of the air vents."Will I be okay here?" she questioned feebly."How should I know?" he retorted playfully, but his reply only succeeded in frightening her more.He let out a sigh. "Lock all the entrance doors and pull the drapes over the windows. Have a friend stay with you for the night if you can. And clean that cut so it doesn't get infected."Scarlett instinctively reached up and touched her cheek. The skin was still painfully raw, although the bleeding seemed to have stopped. The masked man pulled out his grapnel gun and approached the ledge of the building."Wait!" Scarlet begged, tugging his arm. "You're one of them...aren't you? A vigilante...like Batman and the rest?"The stranger remained silent for a moment, the face of his disturbing helmet turned toward her. "I'm not like Batman," he replied curtly. "But yeah, something like that."She gulped nervously, feeling she had so much she needed to say and yet she was terrified of making this man angry. "Why...?" she asked suddenly. "Why do you do...this?"The stranger let out a sigh, which sounded even more inhuman with the electronic voice changer he seemed to be using. "Because of nights like tonight."She nodded, feeling foolish for even asking such a question after the horrific trauma she just endured. Yet, she couldn't help it. She was desperate to learn more."Can you at least tell me...who you are? So I can thank you properly. You're not Batman...obviously. So...who are you?"The masked man fired the grapnel hook at the ledge of a nearby building. For a moment, it seemed like Scarlett wasn't going to get an answer. But then, as he stepped up onto the ledge, he turned his head enough to speak over his shoulder. "Red Hood," he said.In that same instant, he rushed forward and dove off the ledge, disappearing into the darkness of the night. Scarlett stood there motionless in pure astonishment. She instantly remembered the stories of the legendary Batman who patrolled the city at night, but Red Hood was a different sort of vigilante. Word had it he once handed over an entire drug cartel to Batman... in pieces...in a duffel bag. Despite his horrific reputation, Scarlett wasn't eager to judge. The man she met seemed different from what most people described. He could have abandoned her in that alley, but he went out of his way to bring her home safely. He was a vicious killer, yet he also protected the innocent. He was a mystery to be sure. As she made her way slowly and groggily into her dark and lonely apartment, any thought about the horrible man in the alley was replaced by her alluring savior. Why did he risk his life to save Gotham if he viewed the city and its people so dismally? Why was he so unmerciful compared to the other Gotham vigilantes? Who was the real man hidden beneath the faceless red mask? Scarlett fell asleep thinking about these questions, and her dreams were filled with the memory of the mysterious masked hero who saved her life.