Red Hood: The Lost Days

Chapter 29 - Birth of The Red Hood

"If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore, what he must be taught to fear is his victim." - Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper

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Italic = Flashback batman dialogue

Third POV

8 months later, October 2013

3 weeks after the downfall of the League

Schiffling can be heard as another page was flipped across the one before it, followed by a soft little pop, as the bending paper flicks to the level as all other pages and then a very soft thud as the page rests on other pages.

Y/N was laying on the bed as he read Pride and Prejudice. Both him and Shiva had run away after the assassin known as Deathstroke had attacked the League headquarters.

The head of the demon was dead and his daughter was in hiding. Her last two known locations were Gotham City and the oil platform north of Scotland.

Slade Wilson, real alliance of Deathstroke, had given Shiva an ultimatum; join him or die.

What was left at their camp was bodies of dead assassins who were sent after them.

He hears the triple knock on the door. After the attack, Shiva and Y/N made the call out signs so they know it's them and not another of Deathstroke's assassins.

Y/N: "Come in."

He calls out as he closes the book on the nightstand. He turns to Shiva who enters his room carrying what seems to be a file folder. He looks at her, reads her body posture.

She tries to hide it, but she's nervous, even though she has a blank face as she looks at him.

Gone are the days where she could hide anything from him. And she knows that.

Shiva: "Y/N...I...well, I have to show you something."

She passes the folder to him. Y/N curiously grabs it and opens it while Shiva sits on the bed.

Shiva: "I still have a few operatives doing some low level surveillance in the wild. Just to make sure we aren't followed."

They were currently hiding in a safe house in London. One of many safe houses that Ras has seated up for his minions while on missions.

Shiva: "One of them took these photos 72 hours ago. In Gotham City..."

She says as Y/N takes a few pictures out.

What do all of them have in common?

A little boy in a red and black suit with yellow outlines on the cape and a hood making it look like an assassin uniform.

One thing which stands out on that suit is a letter R.

Robin.

Y/N is...silent. He observes the kid. The kid reminds him of... He moves his eyes towards Shiva.

Y/N: "Who...who is he?"

Shiva: "His name is Damian... Damian al Ghul Wayne. Robin."

Y/N glances back at the pictures. He drops them on the bed as he lowers his head. Shiva stares at him worried. Guilty.

Shiva: "You...all right."

He doesnt look up when he answers.

Y/N: "I dont know."

Only thing Shiva does is lean in and hug him as he silently starts to sob.

1 week later, Gotham City

The new dynamic duo is making their way on the rooftops, swinging into the night to fight a never ending bunch of criminals.

They are not aware that someone is watching them.

Y/N pushes the binoculars down as he stares at the duo swinging in the distance.

When he came back from the dead... part of him wanted to pick up where he left off.

But there is he now: A new Robin. Blood Robin. Real son of Batman.

For 2 years, nobody was Robin. Probably for the better. But now...

Y/N was hurt. Hurt because he was replaced.

It hurt even more because that Robin had more connection to Batman than he ever did.

A street punk replaced with an actual heir.

He wasn't Robin anymore.

Now, he is just some screw-up who came back to a life that wasn't his own.

Y/N lowered his head as he sank down. He can hear voices speaking to him again.

"WORTHLESS!"

"PATHETIC!"

"REPLACEABLE!"

"STREET RAT!"

This time Shiva wasn't around to comfort him when he started crying again.

When he returned to his warehouse, he was surprised with 2 boxes on the table. There was a letter on top of them.

From Shiva.

"The acquisition of the Kord corporation will be completed by the end of a month. That is the controlling arm of Wayne Industries R&D."

Y/N opens the first box.

"You should be receiving a gift. It's my replica of the one Ras often carried. It is tempered for the battle you will wage. But remember one thing. Don't lose yourself, my finest pupil. - LS."

Out of the box, Y/N pulls out a knife, made of the only metal that can cut Batman's ropes.

Batman: "Do not treat this lightly, and don't write him off as simply being insane."

Batman tells the new Robin in the cave as on the computer is shown a picture of a specific clown.

Batman: "It's not that simple."

Y/N moves to the 2nd box.

Batman: "He's not like the others. He has no code."

When he opens it, a cold smoke comes out of it.

Batman: "He can't be predicted."

Y/N stares at the thing inside the box before picking it up in his hands.

Batman: "He can't be reasoned with. And if you're careless with him..."

He raises the thing up to the light.

Batman: "... you'll die."

Y/N is standing there, staring at a big red helmet with 2 eye white pockets in his hand, his own reflection reflecting off the helmet, staring back at himself.

And then, slowly, his eyes start glowing green.

Present Time

July, 2016

Titans Tower, Jump City

Third Pov

His reflection of his lifeless mix of E/C and green is the only thing he sees as he stares at the red helmet in his hands while sitting on a bed.

Y/N was in his room, surrounded by 3 bags packed for his trip to Europe.

He has some unfinished business in Prague which he has to take care of.

Unlike all the other times, he is going alone.

No Titans. No Batman. No outside help.

Just him.

He hears a commotion at the door of his room. He gets up to go investigate it.

When he is at the door, he opens them and looks into the hallway.

No one is outside. Only lights are still - -

He senses something nuzzling into his left leg. He looks down and sees the cause of commotion. He smiles.

Y/N: "Hey there, Titus."

Titus is the name of a puppy Cayla has gotten for Damian as a gift after all the fiasco with church of blood and Deathstroke.

The Great Dane puppy got the name after the Shakesperian character by the same name. Y/N was more than amused with the name.

Y/N: "Have you run away from your "parents" again, Titus?"

The dog nods with his head. Y/N chuckles. Damian has taught his dog a new command.

He squats down and pets the puppy as it leans into the touch.

FLASHBACK

Y/N: "So what do you think of it?"

Y/N asks as he pets Titus infront of him. Damian stops drawing and turns towards his brother.

Damian: "... West gave me a puppy..."

Damian bluntly responds.

Y/N: "She did. "

Y/N hums as he faces the little demon that is his brother.

Damian:... "And she guessed which kind was my favourite."

Y/N coughs playfully as he stands up and stops petting the puppy, which makes Titus whine a little at loss of touch.

Y/N: "I mean, we have been living under the same roof for over a year and you spend most of your time, when we aren't on patrol, with her. Are you surprised?"

He asks which makes Damian silent for a moment, as he thinks about it.

Damian: "... Tt."

A smirk spreads over Y/N's face at that. If there's anything that can make him smirk, it's Damians sound of clicking his teeth.

Y/N: "No quity remarks?"

Damian looks at him as he crosses his feet and calls Titus to come to him.

Damian: "I never thought you would complain about me not ever saying them, Todd. "

He caughts Y/N off guard, which makes Damian smirk as he starts petting Titus.

Y/N: "Touche."

Silence falls over them.

Y/N: "So what do you think?"

He asks again the same question.

Damian: "Think of what?"

And Damian again,as usual, tries to ignore it. He doesn't blame him. He felt the same way when someone gave him a gift that shows how much the other person knows him.

Y/N: "Don't play dumb on me. You avoided that question all day..."

He confronts him, which makes Damian stop petting Titus. And again, Titus starts whining.

Damian: "..."

Y/N: "(sigh) So... What do you think of a gift Vel gave you?"

Damian looks down at Titus in his lap as Titus stares back at him. Damian then looks back at Y/N.

Damian: "I believe... the right expression is "A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one"?"

Y/N didn't stop smiling throughout the entire day.

END OF FLASHBACK

As he scratches Tituss' head, he feels a change in air as the sound of electricity comes to a stop next to him.

Cayla: "Y/N! HaveyouseenTitus?!Heranawayagainandimtryingt - -"

Y/N: "Slow down there, Eminem. Titus is fine and right here."

Cayla turns her head down and sees the dog who somehow ran away without her noticing. She sighs.

Cayla: "I swear, he's more of a troublemaker than Garfield."

Cayla leans down as Y/N allows her to reach the puppy and pet him.

Y/N: "I doubt that, but at the same time I see no difference between Gar and animals sometimes."

They both get up as Cayla picks up Titus into her hands. Cayla scoffs at his comment.

Cayla: "Titus is not an animal. He's a pet who somehow always, when he gets away, goes to your room. While Garfield on the other hand is easily distracted by the smell of food."

Y/N rolls his eyes as he turns to let Cayla enter his room.

Y/N: "I think the only smell that distracts him nowadays is Terra."

Cayla: "That's so mean... and true."

Cayla laughs as Y/N picks one of his gadgets and puts it into the bag. Noticing his silence, she shuts up.

Cayla: "You okay?"

Y/N turns to her as she puts Titus down.

Y/N: "Yeah, why are you asking?"

Staring at her, he can see she is glancing between his bags and him unconsciously.

She's concerned.

He sighs and interrupts with raising his hand before she can say anything.

Y/N: "They sent you to try and change my mind on this when neither of my brothers succeeded, didn't they?"

Cayla exhales a breath she didn't know she was holding and lowers her head.

Cayla: "Yes."

His look softens as he exhales.

Y/N: "I told you, this is something I have to do alone."

Cayla: "We know, but - -"

Y/N: "This is personal, Vel."

Cayla: "We know, but if you let - -"

Y/N: "VEL!"

Y/N yells which caughts her off guard.

Even Titus stopped whatever he was doing and turned his head towards him.

Y/N pinches his nose as he lets out a groan.

Y/N: "Sorry, I just..."

Cayla wanted to look at him with pity, but didn't because she knows that he hates that when everyone pities him.

Y/N: "I don't want you guys to get hurt because of my own past mistakes."

Cayla walks up to him and puts her hand on his shoulder.

Cayla: "You don't have to experience your pain alone."

Y/N: "I'm used to it."

That. Those words.

Only Damian, Raven, Alfred and Cayla herself knew that those words also hurt Y/N himself when he says them.

Because they are true.

It hurts.

It hurts him a lot.

But he'll keep it to himself so it doesn't hurt anyone else.

Cayla: "If that's what you want, I won't stop you, but promise me that you will call for help if you need us."

She tells him as he grabs his Titan device.

Y/N: "I promise. Even I know there are things I can't chew on."

She makes a small smile as he grabs the device from her hand.

Y/N: "Did I ever mention that you are the heart of this team? One holding us together when we are at our lowest? "

He gives her a small smile.

Cayla: "More than once."

Before he can say any remark, he notices something.

Y/N: "Where did Titus go?"

They both turn and see that Titus is nowhere in the room. Cayla lets out a loud groan.

Cayla: "That sweet annoying little precious puppy, I swear!"

Y/N: "I mean, it was kind of your idea to go and give Damian a pet."

Cayla gives him one last look before she speeds out of the room to go and find the little troublemaker.

When she is out of sight, Y/N exhales instantly and runs his hand through his hair.

He hated this. Lying to his friends, family.

It's easier to lie than tell that you're broken beyond repair.

He doesn't want them to be the ones who will be paying for his mistakes.

Funny. Alfred would say he was just a child.

He was never a child. Well, not the kind that all those advertisements put on what makes a perfect child.

But what child would start a war on adult world?

The ones who were forgotten and left to defend for themselves and have been forced to grow up.

Those children know that sometimes you have to do very bad things to do a good thing.

Y/N turns to his left and stares at the red bag. He slowly lifts his hand towards it and opens its zipper.

He stares at a thing inside of it.

Y/N: "Im sorry Bruce..."

He zips the bag close.

Y/N: "...but sometimes you can't do some things without shedding some blood."

Blüdhaven, 10:34 pm

Inside of an abandoned warehouse, Shiva and Cassandra were currently hiding.

This building once was a money-lauding factory for Blockbuster, until Nightiwng raided it.

Now it's a good spot to be in when you don't want to be found.

There was no power so they had to make a little campfire on unused barrels that were scattered around the warehouse.

Shiva was currently making tea for them to get warm.

It's a recipe that Y/N taught her when they were outside on the snowy cliffs, looking over a horizon.

Y/N told her that Alfred used to help him in cooking new dishes. They had a big book with many diffrent recepes in it.

She threw a glance towards her daughter.

Cassandra was currently reading a local newspaper, trying to read and then try to speak the new words she found.

She would occasionally ask Shiva what some of those words meant.

She didn't call her mum or mother. She doesn't blame her. But in time, she hopes that...

Shiva notices a little movement. She sees as the shadow slightly moves in the darkness.

She quickly grabs the sword at her side and gets up. On her sudden action, Cassandra does the same.

Shiva: "Show yourself! If you don't, I still can kill you without knowing where I hit you!"

They hear a dark masculine chuckle in the left corner of the room.

???: "I would see you try."

From the shadows, a person, completely dressed in black clothes, walks out into the light.

???: "But that might disappoint your daughter here."

Person chuckles again. In the same, unsettling tone. Shiva senses something is very off with him.

???: "On the other hand, the other one would very, very much appreciate it if you did."

She narrows her eyes at that.

Shiva: "Why did you come here?"

???: "To warn you about his whereabouts."

Shiva: "Who's?"

???: "The one and only. The Red Hood."

She can see in the corner of her eye that Cassandra flinches a little at the mention of the name.

Shiva: "What are you talking about? What is Y/N planning to do?"

Even though she can't see his face, she knows he is smiling.

???: "He is going to do it and nobody will be able to stop him. Not even you two."

Shiva doesn't like when she is in the blind in the situation.

Shiva: "What will he do?"

She asks and warns, gritting her teeth. The person turns his face towards her.

???: "He is going to kill David Cain."

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First chapter in a long time.

Basically, first chapter since the last year.

This chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to take out some parts because they would better fit in the next arc.

I wanted to show a dynamic between Y/N and Cayla in this, because she will play a bigger role when last arc comes, also, so you can get to see how she is as a person behind the suit.

This was the last chapter of this arc, so we are finally heading back to Present events.

As you can see, I'm preparing an arc which will change and, if not also brake Y/N even more.

If you see grammar mistake, tell me.

Name of the next arc:

Red Hood: Eternal

See you the next time. Bye.