Chapter 15: Under the Red Hood

*WARNING: Graphic descriptions of violence and mutilation. Some texts can also be taken as potentially suicidal in nature. Reader discretion is advised.*

Scarlett felt frozen in time, her feet glued to the floor. She wanted to turn around and see the face of the man who saved her life...the man she loved.But she was afraid. Why? She didn't really know.Scarlett was one of the few people in the world who knew the man beneath that haunting red mask. Technically speaking, she had been closer to him than anyone else...but maybe that's why she was so scared to see him again. Until a few seconds ago, she could deny what he was. She could tell herself that her boyfriend was charming, mischievous, and brave, albeit emotionally scarred from his past. Now, he was someone else. Someone she scarcely recognized. Two men in one body. Yes, he was charming, but he could be ruthless. He was mischievous but dangerous. He was brave...but still a murderer."Scarlett...look at me."Steeling herself, Scarlett slowly turned around. There he was, standing under the archway in the familiar steel jumpsuit and menacing red helmet. Seeing that soulless mask again brought her back to that terrifying night in the alley. She was afraid then too, as she should have been. That mask could strike fear in even the lowest, most deplorable human beings in the world. However, the man beneath it proved to be much more than his sinister reputation. Under the Red Hood, he was just a man who wanted to protect his home and the innocent people with whom he shared it.And for that, she had nothing to fear. Scarlett swallowed the lump in her throat and said the first thing her mind could think of. "Hi...""Hey. How are you feeling?"Scarlett examined her bandages. "Fine... thanks to your family." She peered at the four people behind her and gave them a small, grateful smile.Jason coughed uncomfortably. "Does that mean I can skip introductions, or do you want some context?"She raised an eyebrow teasingly. "That might help."Jason gestured to his family one by one. "Well, Alfred you met earlier and you probably recognize Bruce...but this is his girlfriend Selina Kyle and my adopted brothers Dick Grayson and Tim Drake...lesser known as Batman, Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin. They helped me find you and gave us a place to stay."The boys gave her a small wave, which she returned amusedly. "Speaking of..." she began, turning back to Jason, "Why didn't you take me to a hospital? I'm not saying Alfred didn't do a great job or that I'm questioning his medical skills. His breakfast is amazing...but why bring me here?""This is home base for us. We don't use hospitals unless we have no choice. Doctors ask too many questions and we can't risk that. Alfred knows how to do pretty much anything and he's loyal to the family, so it works out well. Besides..."Jason took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. "What happened was my fault. I put you in danger by not telling you the truth, so I'm the one who had to make it right. On that note..." He walked up to her and took her hands in his. "There are so many things I need to say to you. I've spent the last few days thinking about how I can explain everything without driving you away for good...but I can't. I fucked up completely and I've earned what I get. You're more than I deserve and I'm going to lose you no matter what so... I'm just going to say this while I still can. I'm sorry...for everything. I'm sorry for misleading you, I'm sorry for not telling you about Talia, I'm—""—It's okay, Jason," Scarlett interjected, placing her hand over the emblem on his chest. "I forgive you."Jason's eyes widened beneath the mask. "...What? You forgive me? Just like that? How? I mean...I lied to you about who I am, I knowingly put you in harm's way, and I let you waste away in that dungeon for days. I know what that's like better than anyone, so I should have done everything I could to keep you safe. You have every right to be angry. Hell, I wouldn't blame you if you walked out that door right now and never looked back."Scarlett threw up her arms. "Look, you're right. I should feel hurt, betrayed, and taken for granted...but I don't. You fixed your mistake by coming to find me. You weren't sure you could beat Talia one-on-one, but you walked straight into a death trap without any hesitation just to save my life. I could say that I never would have been kidnapped if you had told me everything from the start, but I don't think that's true...and neither do you. She had a vendetta against you and probably wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. The only thing you could have done was stay away from me...but neither of us wanted that...right?"Jason smiled to himself, even if he knew she couldn't see. "Right.""The one thing I could be angry about is that you didn't tell me who you were, but I understand that too. You needed to be sure I was trustworthy enough so that if something bad ever happened to me—which it did—I wouldn't sell out your secret to save my life."Jason sighed and shook his head. "Maybe...but if you were kidnapped and you traded my secret for your freedom, I could handle that. I'd just kill the guy anyway."Bruce coughed sternly, earning a glare from Jason."But it's more than that," he continued. "It's not just my life in danger. It's everyone associated with me. Talia knew my identity and the first thing she did was hurt someone I love to get to me. She's not the first one to try that and definitely won't be the last."A warmth rushed through Scarlett's chest at Jason's declaration of love, but she willed herself to stay focused on the conversation."It's also about making sure you're ready to handle my secret," Jason added. "If you haven't already figured it out, this job is pretty fucking dangerous."In the corner of the room, Dick lowered his head to hide a chuckle. Scarlett let out a small mocking laugh and crossed her arms. "Trust me, I noticed."Jason sighed and grasped her shoulders. "Everything you've seen so far—that creep in the alley, Talia and her cronies—that's basically a normal Friday night for me. And this—"Jason gestured to the hole in the leg of his pants, through which Scarlett could see the white cloth of a bandage."—this is the price. On any given day I can expect to be punched, kicked, tased, shot, stabbed, strangled, burned, poisoned, thrown out of a window, or blown up. I'll be lucky if I make it home with just a dozen bruises, let alone broken bones or bullet holes. If I come home to you, I need to know you can handle that. I can't just walk away from this life. It's a part of me."Scarlett shook her head. Instinctively, she moved to touch his cheek, but it was hidden beneath the mask. Instead, she ran the tip of her finger delicately along the glowing surface of the fiberglass."I'm not asking you to give it up, Jason. No one else can do what you do. If you hadn't stopped the man who assaulted me, I probably wouldn't be here to have this conversation...but I need you to meet me halfway. I'm fully willing to accept the man you are...both halves of you. Your need to protect the people you love and defend those who can't defend themselves is what I love most about you. Yes, I'll be worried for you...but I would never ask you to stop just to make myself feel better. I'm not that selfish...and I'm disappointed that you think I could be."Jason reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I don't. I just had to be sure."She smiled and leaned into his touch. "I get that...still, maybe a little warning about Talia would have been nice."Jason grinned as he brushed his thumb over her lips. "Now, you're starting to sound like me."Suddenly, the squeaking sound of wheels against the floor came from a side hallway. Everyone turned around to see Barbara wheeling herself into the foyer with her laptop on her knees.She looked around at the group cautiously. "Sorry for the interruption...is this a good time? I've got news from GCPD.""Go ahead, Barbara," Bruce replied.Jason leaned closer to Scarlett to whisper in her ear. "That's Barbara Gordon. She's the police commissioner's daughter and Dick's wife. She's also the former Batgirl and our current head of IT."Scarlett did a double-take. "Wait, she's Commissioner Gordon's daughter?! Does he know that she's—""—Nope, but that's a story for another time.""Any word from Gordon on Talia?" Bruce asked.Barbara nodded. "She's being held in a high-security cell in the GCPD lockup without bail. They're charging her with kidnapping, unlawful restraint, aggravated assault, stalking, attempted first-degree murder of Jason, four counts of attempted second-degree murder, second-degree murder of Zafirah, and—most hilariously—vandalism for the shipping container at Port Adams."Dick let out a hearty chuckle. "Something tells me she's not going to show up for her court date, so we might want to tack on failure to appear just for the fun of it.""Knowing Talia, that cell will be empty before the Blackgate transport truck shows up," Jason scoffed."Where do you think she'll go?" Tim inquired."Away from Gotham," Bruce answered. "The last remaining Lazarus pit was destroyed. There's nothing left for her or the League. Talia might be misguided when it comes to her father, but she knows when she's been beaten.""Really?" Jason asked sarcastically. "Because you two broke up a long time ago and she's still beating that dead horse.""Wait...they dated?!" Scarlett gasped. "I'll give you one better...they have a child together. He's not here right now, but I'm sure you'll just love meeting him."She turned to Bruce, horrified. "What is wrong with you?"Everyone turned to conceal their laughter except Bruce, who shook his head with a slight smile. "The point is that Talia will always resent Jason for leaving the League, but she knows better than to go after Scarlett again. We're better prepared, so she'll be safer from now on."Jason grabbed Scarlett's hand. "Well, now that this shit show is officially over...I think Scarlett and I have some talking to do."Bruce nodded and ushered everyone out with a jerk of his chin. Jason pulled Scarlett by the hand down an adjoining hallway and into the drawing room. It was cozy, with wood-paneled walls, high ceilings, and tall windows that faced the side yard. Jason closed the double doors behind him and moved to light a fire as Scarlett watched. "Before you start...can you please take that off?" she implored, gesturing to his helmet. "I think Red Hood and I are done talking for now. I want to talk to you, Jason. I need to see you."Jason relaxed his shoulders as if a subconscious weight had been lifted. He raised his arm and pressed a few inconspicuous buttons on his gauntlet. With a click, the plates around his neck shifted and the mask popped loose. When he lifted the helmet over his head, it took every ounce of willpower for Scarlett not to burst into tears. His face looked gaunt and sickly as if he hadn't slept for over a week. Against the paleness of his skin, the J scar on his cheek appeared more prominent. Dark circles hung under his eyes, his hair was wild and untamed, and a thin line of scruff covered his jaw. Seeing Jason in such a state made her heart shatter, and she knew it wasn't just because of her kidnapping. Seeing Talia must have brought back many painful memories from the past...and Scarlett was about to do it again.She looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry to do this to you...I really am. If it hurts too much, then you don't have to tell me now. It can wait until you're ready...I can wait."Jason sighed and leaned his elbow against the fireplace mantle, then turned his eyes to the flames. "No...it's okay. You deserve the truth...the whole truth. I might as well tell it now because it never gets any easier."Scarlett bit her lip, then took a seat on the leather sofa and waited patiently for him to start. "How much did they tell you?" Scarlett shrugged. "Just about your childhood...your mom and dad, stealing the tires from Bruce's car, him taking you in. They kept it pretty vague. I think they wanted to keep their secrets, but I was able to put the pieces together."Jason nodded. "So...where do you want me to start?"Scarlett released a labored sigh, knowing full well she was about to plunge the knife in deep. "The Joker...what happened? What did he do to you?"Jason stood in still silence as if every muscle in his body was paralyzed. A long time passed before he took a seat on the edge of the armchair across from her and leaned his elbows on his knees."Joker has done plenty of terrible things in the past, but what he did that day was the worst by far. Joker broke out of Arkham a few weeks earlier and was laying low, which meant he was planning something big. Sure enough...fifty people were killed at a retirement home after the calling balls in a bingo game were wired to blow. Next, over a hundred college students were infected with flesh-eating bacteria after handling contaminated brochures at a career fair. Then, Joker disguised himself as an attendant at a carnival and killed nineteen Boy Scouts with poisoned cotton candy. We started noticing that Joker's plan involved targeting generations, so it was only a matter of time before he went after little kids or babies. GCPD issued a citywide warning. They placed armed guards at all the hospital maternity wards and closed all the schools and daycares."Jason ground his teeth and shook his head. "But it did nothing. We played right into his hand. While they were evacuating the schools, some of his men hijacked a bus full of kindergartners.""Oh god...no," Scarlett breathed as she shook her head violently.Jason nodded. "Every officer the GCPD could spare was involved. Volunteer citizens were forming search parties. It felt like half of Gotham was on the hunt. We ended up finding the bus dangling off the side of a bridge, but the kids were gone. Batman guessed that Joker took the kids back to school because it was empty, so we searched every school in the city until we finally found the one. We sneaked in through one of the vents and took out Joker's men, but that's when his voice came over the loudspeaker. He was singing the lyrics to Humpty Dumpty...and that's when we knew it was going to be bad.""Why?"Jason raised an eyebrow. "Really? Think about it..."Humpty Dumpty had a great fall...all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty back together again..."A horrible sinking feeling formed in the pit of Scarlett's stomach. She looked at Jason in shock and denial, but his face was stone cold. His jaw was set and his hands were shaking as if he was holding back all of his suppressed rage and anguish."We got down to the basement...," he continued, "And that's when we saw it. A pile of bodies...or body parts, I should say. He butchered those children..."Scarlett recoiled and shut her eyes. She felt the sting of bile rising in her throat and turned her head away. Jason reached back and grabbed a decorative bowl resting on a cabinet."I don't blame you," he said as he passed it to her. "I lost my lunch and a piece of my soul that day. There were so many frantic parents outside looking for their kids that they broke through the police barricade and several found their way downstairs. I'll never forget watching one of the mothers run over to the bodies and search for any part resembling her son. Her cries...it's a sound you hear in your nightmares for the rest of your life. It was the final straw for me. Joker had to die...or the madness would never end.""I can't believe I'm saying this...but I agree," Scarlett wheezed as she put the bowl back on the table. "How could someone do something so...vile? To innocent children?!" she sobbed."I asked Bruce the same thing. I remember the look on his face. He wanted to kill Joker with his bare hands. He had the chance, too...but he wouldn't do it. Joker got away, and Batman was going to lock him up just like every other damn time! A padded cell, three meals a day, television, and around-the-clock care were not justice for those kids and their parents.""So...what happened? What did you do?"Jason's gaze hardened. She wasn't sure, but Scarlett thought she saw a flicker of satisfaction in his sage green eyes. It scared her a bit. "I decided to go after the evil prick myself. Fuck Bruce, I thought. If he actually believed there was a prison secure enough or a madhouse qualified enough to keep Joker locked up, then he was equally insane. I turned off my tracker and communications and left the manor in the middle of the night. It wasn't hard to find him. I just had to follow the blood trail back to Arkham Asylum and into the old Sanatorium. The place had been abandoned years ago. I went inside and found a laundry chute that led straight down to the old cell block. I slid about halfway down and got caught in a net. It broke with the fall and I landed hard on the stone floor. I barely had time to look up when something hit my face. It was a fucking crowbar. I felt two of my teeth pop out before he hit me again and shattered my ankle. The whole time he was just singing that same fucking song..."Scarlett sniffled as a tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away with the hem of her dress and looked down at her hands. "What then?""I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a different part of the asylum...tied to a wheelchair with a coil of barbed wire. I couldn't move. I had no choice but to sit there and wait until... he came."Jason's voice broke, and in his eyes, she could see him replaying every minute of that trauma as if it were a movie in his mind. "He spent the next few months just...torturing me...beating me...manipulating my mind so that I couldn't tell the difference between what was real and what wasn't. He came back to that cockroach-infested basement every day. I could barely sleep...and he hardly ever fed me. I spent every minute in fear of what twisted act he had planned next. Every time was something new. One day it was a crowbar to the ribs, the next it was a branding iron to my face..."Scarlett held her breath. Her eyes flashed to the scar on his cheek that had mesmerized her all this time. What she once thought to be a self-inflicted mark was actually a calling card and a physical reminder of the nightmare Jason endured. "...and every time he did something to me," he continued. "Joker made a video of it and sent it to Batman. I knew he saw them. He had to be coming to save me. How could he not? He was my mentor...my father. The only way I survived that hell was because I held on to the hope that Batman was on his way...until Joker took that away..."Scarlett's eyes narrowed curiously. Jason shook his head and cleared his throat as if he suddenly remembered where he was. "The final video. By that point, my mind was gone. It had been months, but Bruce never came. Joker had me convinced he didn't care enough to come. I had nothing left to lose. I was as good as dead. I didn't care if he knew my name. When he asked me who Batman was, I didn't have any hesitation. I was done...with the secrets, the torture...with life. I was about to say it when Joker reached into his jacket, pulled out his pistol, and fired the shot. He sent that video to Batman...and that was it."Scarlett shook her head in confusion. "But...didn't Bruce look for you? I can't imagine him just giving up after seeing what Joker did to you. ""Bruce and I talked about it years later. Apparently, Bruce searched the asylum several times even after the last video. Joker had an inside man, a security guard named Frank Boles. They knocked me out and every time I'd wake up in a new place. The two of them kept moving me around the asylum so Batman would never be able to find me.""Wait...so you weren't dead? Joker shot you! Talia said she found your body on Arkham Island! I'm confused..."Jason chuckled wryly. "Yeah, that's kind of the point. Joker didn't actually shoot me...yet. I wish he had. No...he only pretended to kill me. I was gone for a few months before he sent the final video. He made Batman think he killed me...but he had me tied to that chair in the basement for over a year. I kept telling myself that Batman would save me...he had to. He never gave up. He's the world's greatest detective. He had to know it was all a ruse. Then two weeks turned into a month...then six months...and nothing. Every day Joker would taunt me...telling me he'd never come back. I was dead to him. He found a new Robin...""You mean Tim?"Jason nodded. "He's a good kid, better than I was...but I couldn't help it. I hated him. I hated Batman. I hated the world. Joker hollowed me out and filled me back up with anger and malice. By the end, I was just his puppet...hanging from his strings waiting to be thrown away. He finally did after I stopped being fun for him. He moved on to some other sick plot and didn't have a use for me anymore. He came in one day, said some stupid one-liner, and pulled the trigger just like that. I remember as he held the gun to my head...I was smiling. I was thinking...thank god it's finally over—"Jason hung his head as tears began to spill from his eyes. Scarlett sobbed and got up from the couch. She sat on the floor in front of his chair and rested her head on his knees as she took his hand in hers. The two sat in silence for several minutes, just holding one another and letting the tears flow freely. The trauma had finally caught up to them both and there was nothing else they could do but cry the memory away one more time. Scarlett was the first one to break the stillness. "What was it like?" she asked. "What?" he muttered."...death. What was it like?"Jason straightened up with a sigh. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "You know...you always hear stories about heaven and hell. How you'll either walk in the clouds or suffer eternal damnation in a fiery pit. I wish I could say it's all true...but I don't think it is. For me, dying was like falling asleep...except you don't dream. You don't breathe. You can't hear anything. You're not even aware. It's just...over. Coming back, however...now that was a different story," he chuckled. "It was like I blinked and the next second I was floating in water that was burning my skin clear through my bones. Every cell in my body felt like it was charged with electricity. When I surfaced, I had no idea where I was...or who I was. I just felt like I needed to kill someone. It made me realize that being born and living is what's truly violent. Dying is true peace."Scarlett looked up at him. "Talia said she bathed you in the Lazarus pool. What does that stuff do, exactly? Is it like the fountain of youth or something?"Jason shrugged as he stroked her head. "Kind of. It's a restorative enzyme that can heal all illnesses and bring people back from the dead. Talia's father Ra's has been using it to keep himself alive indefinitely. The bastard is hundreds of years old! Though, from what Talia said, he's not doing so hot anymore. A side effect of the chemical is that you slowly go insane. With every use, the Lazarus stops working as well. Now, Ra's can barely live without it acting on his body constantly. Serves the son of a bitch right...""Did it affect you?""Of course it did! Look at me! I'm a walking bag of attitude with anger issues and a bad hair dye job," he declared, pointing to the patch of stark white hair near his forehead.Scarlett threw back her head with laughter. "I was wondering how you got that. I figured it was a fashion choice."Jason cocked an eyebrow and gestured to the scar on his cheek. "Yeah...because this wasn't distracting enough, right?"Scarlett smiled and moved to sit in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with as much love and devotion as she possibly could. He slipped his arms beneath her and pulled her to his chest, running his hand through her hair. There in his arms, like every time before, Scarlett felt she was in the safest place on earth.After a minute, Scarlett pulled away with a playful grin. "You know, I spent so much time laying on that stupid rock over that pool. It's a shame it didn't bleach my hair too. Then we could be distracting together."Jason looked up at the top of her head, then into her eyes with a devilish smirk. "Who says it didn't?"Scarlett jumped back in surprise. "What do you mean?"He nodded to a mirror hanging on the wall across the room. "See for yourself."Scarlett looked toward the mirror, then bolted from his lap and ran to the other side of the room. Sure enough, as her figure settled into the center of the frame, a long strand of white near the front of her head curved down the side of her face. Jason came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He ducked his head down to look at her reflection. "See? Now, every time you look at yourself in the mirror you'll be reminded of me. You realize that means you can never break up with me, right?."Scarlett giggled and caught his lips with a kiss. "Now why would I do that?"She turned around and looped her arms around his neck, her face suddenly serious. "After all you've been through, Jason...you deserve to be happy. I need you to know that. I don't care what you've done or who you are when the mask goes on. I know who you are underneath...and that's all I need. You're the best man I know, and there's nothing I want more in the world than to be the one who gives you the happiness you need. I want to be your home...your safe haven...your peace."Jason took her face in his hands and leaned in close, his lips a breath away. "Doll...you already are."Up Next - Chapter 16: One of Us~Love Under the Hood Finale~Story note: The excerpt about the Joker's crimes and Jason's capture were sampled from Batman: Arkham Knight. While collecting Riddler trophies, you can unlock character stories. Jason's is titled, "The Fall." (I promise, I did not make up or take any pleasure in writing about dead children. All I did was fill in a few missing details.)