Falling Apart

The theft of the Nth metal wasn't something the Justice League was going to forget. The fact that they had been infiltrated and properly beaten made every hero train twice as hard and be on alert at a Batman level. Bruce honestly enjoyed how for once it wasn't him that was overly paranoid and that everybody is now taking things more seriously. Looping the video footage back and forth of the night that the Metrotower was attacked, studying the way Red Hood commanded his group of thugs and his fight between John and Mari. There was a tension in his body language that screamed hatred and Bruce wondered how and why the Red Hood hated John. The small accomplice particularly grabbed his attention. It seemed that Red Hood has his own form of a Robin.

"Any luck?" asked Clark as he walked behind Bruce in the Batcave. Superman and J'onn were getting worried when Bruce refused to answer calls from the others and Alfred had informed him that Bruce was spending a ridiculous amount of time trying to capture the Red Hood. Clark knew that Bruce is always put on edge when he is basically kept on his toes and having this unpredictable and renegade rogue has definitely made Bruce obsessive in finding out who the rogue is.

"What are you doing here?" asked Bruce, irritated that Clark decided to distract him.

"Bruce, it's not just you now that the Red Hood is hurting, he hit all of us where we are at our most vulnerable." said Clark.

"I'm not having this discussion with you."

"Yes you are. Bruce, it isn't just you. John right now has only ever left the Watchtower and Metrotower for missions and when he isn't on mission, he is at the gym and the simulators in an effort to get better. The mechanics and engineers at the Metrotower have been working nonstop because they feel like they failed. If you want to catch this guy, help us too!" yelled Clark. Bruce stopped typing into his computer and Clark wondered if he is going to start being 'brooding, loner, I-am-Batman' Bruce but instead he removed his cowl and turned to Clark.

Dark rings were forming under his eyes and his face was sullen. Clark never knew this Red Hood was affecting him this bad. Bruce turned back to the computer and replayed the videos so Clark could see as well.

"He's fiery that's for sure." remarked Clark.

"And I found out why." said Bruce as he pulled up a video file and played it. The video was a news feed that showed their fallen comrade, Shayera Hol, fighting back against a couple of bank robbers. As Clark watched her fight, he also watched Red Hood and made a startling discovery.

"You think Red Hood could be Shayera's kid? Shayera had a kid? What?" yelled Clark. Bruce nodded and said, "Those were my thoughts not a few hours ago. The only questions that remain if he is Shayera's son, then when was Shayera pregnant? How old is he? Who is the father? Where has he been?"

"Do you think that John might be the father?"

"No. Red Hood is too old to be considered John's son," said Bruce, thinking about Rex from the one apparent future, "He could be Thanagarian and be Shayera's relative."

"How likely is that?" asked Clark.

"Null. Shayera told me about her years in the orphanage before joining the military in one of our chess matches when she rejoined us."

"Then… do you think Shayera might have left something behind that can help us?"

"Maybe. Are her things still in the storage facility?"

"Yeah, John refuses to place them anywhere else."

"Good. Let's go."

Gotham

Jason nervously adjusted his tie as he waited for Barbara outside her home. Having recently bought a van not only to transport his gear easily, he also considered Barbara's wheelchair for their date and hopefully further dates. He thought back to his mother and hoped that she is alright. Damien had informed him before leaving that Shayera's last target was Bruce's clone named Heretic. It will be dangerous but Jason knew his mother can handle it. She is Shayera Hol, Ex-Spy and Lieutenant of the Thanagarian Army, Hawkgirl and ex-member of the Justice League… she can do this.

His thoughts about calling Talia in an effort to know more about his mother's mission were put on hold as the door opened up and Barbara wheeled out wearing a slim and modest red dress. Jason could feel himself blush and tried to at least control himself around her while Barbara only smirked to see that she could render him speechless.

"You ready, Red?" asked Barbara. Jason only smirked at her nickname and said,"Sure thing m'lady."
"That's so cheesy," snorted Barbara.

"Got you to laugh though." pointed out Jason, pleased to hear her laugh. Barbara blushed lightly at his words and followed him to his van where he helped her sit up front before packing her wheelchair in the back. Having called ahead worked to his advantage, telling Barbara that his name was Jake Austin and that he was going to wait for her outside her apartment around dusk.

"So where am I taking you?" asked Jason as he started the van.

"We are going to the best place anybody could get a burger." said Barbara. Jason knew immediately where she wanted to take him: The Meadery. It was a hole in a wall restaurant located between Wayne Industry and Lacey's Department Store. It went by unnoticed most of the time by Gotham's Elite, but to those that were observant were able to find it and eat the best burgers and shakes at a decent price. Jason and Barbara strolled on in and were delighted to find the place half full, meaning they didn't have to wait for a seat.

Sitting down in a two-seat table, Jason and Barbara ordered their drinks and food and proceeded to connect (or reconnect in Jason's case). Jason couldn't believe how light hearted he was feeling. It has been so long since he could fully relax, never getting to experience that even with his mother because of Ras. He knew that Shayera wanted to help him escape from Ras's grasp, but it was near impossible and now with her life on the line Jason needed to make things work in Gotham for Ras. Bruce and the Batfamily be damned. As he looked at Barbara though, his hostility fell a little.

"So what do you do most of the day?" asked Barbara.

"Odd jobs here and there. Trying to get more money to help my mom." said Jason.

"And your brother?" asked Barbara.

"Often with grandpa, sometimes mom and I are too busy so grandpa is always there to handle the little ticking bomb." joked Jason. Barbara laughed, the ease and fluidity she was feeling was something she hasn't felt in such a long time. Not after losing her legs to the Joker. She went into a deep depression and had become distant with the Batfamily until Dinah had crashed into her life and they started the Birds of Prey. It brought back life to her and she began to accept her new body and began to work twice as hard as Oracle. With Jake though, she felt as though she didn't have a double life and that she is just a regular normal woman.

"So Jake, how are you loving Gotham?" asked Barbara.

"Not bad, Bludhaven is actually better in my opinion. No crimes have been too extreme for the police now so it's easier to walk around at night." said Jason, watching as a slight shadow passed over her eyes. Obviously she was thinking about the Red Hood so he changed the subject out of curiosity and asked, "How is your job at the Metrotower by the way? I bet everything is great working next to heroes right?"

"Y-Yeah," said Barbara, a slight hesitation in her voice that she hoped Jake won't hear, "It's fantastic. You'd think of them as something that's another whole level but it turns out they're more alike to us than we ever care to see."

"Cool," said Jason a small satisfaction going through him as he thought about the troubles he gave to the League. The rest of the night was spent talking about each other, trying to find similarities and differences. Jason hadn't felt this good in such a long time that when it was time to bring her back home, he was very disappointed. Still though, when he escorted her back to her apartment the peck on the lips was definitely worth something. As Barbara closed the door, he gave a small whoop of joy not realizing that Barbara could still hear him, smiling as she got ready for bed.

The drive home was quiet and he made sure to drive out of Gotham in case Bruce decided to stalk the date in order to protect Barbara. There was a secret tunnel entrance he had the Shadow League members make for him near the Midway City National Park. It is pure luck that the park is so large that he and the Shadow League members are capable of performing secret work under the cover of the trees. Grabbing a secret remote from under his seat, Jason pressed the button that opened up the hidden driveway in one of the near off road trails.

The passage opened up and he drove on in, the doors closing behind him swiftly. He drove down a dark tunnel until he was met with the welcoming committee. His followers were at the ready to relieve him of the van and to help him get ready for his nightly habit.

"Any news from Ras?" asked Jason as he walked towards his station.

"None, Aik'Tier," replied one of the Shadows, "However we have news regarding your mother."

Jason stopped walked and turned immediately to the ninja and demanded, "AND?"

The ninja shrank back from the sudden hostility and quickly said, "Your mother's mission to eradicate the Heretic. She has located his location here in Gotham."

Jason was surprised at the news and asked, "Ras is just letting her be here?"

"It's between letting the Heretic escape again or finish him here for good."

"When is she here?" asked Jason.

"Right above you, J'hari." Jason turned around and glanced up at the catwalk to see his mother's beaming smile at him.

Shayera allowed the happiness to overwhelm her as Jason quickly ran up the steps to embrace his mother in a hug. Her wings wrapped around him as a second pair of arms and Jason felt like the kid he was when he and Shayera emerged from the Lazarus Pit eight years ago. Shayera spent days tracking Bruce's clone in Asia when she discovered that he quietly traveled to Gotham, no doubt in an effort to rid of Bruce so he could take over Wayne Industries and use the resources for his plans.

"How are you? Is Ras ok having you here?" asked Jason.

"He approved reluctantly but with Heretic quickly becoming more of a threat everyday, he couldn't say no," said Shayera, "I also brought you a gift."

"Really? What?" asked Jason excitedly before he was kicked from behind and turned to see Damien in his hooded gear with a shiny new katana at his side. Jason looked at Damien incredulously and said, "My gift is to babysit again?"

Damien scoffed and said, "Idiot."

Jason looked behind Damien to see a crate. Walking towards it he opened it up to see new gear. Excitedly, he took each one out one by one including a new Red Hood mask. As he inspected each item, he noted the Nth Metal quality each item had and is excited to note that he can now have an advantage over magical beings.

"Awesome," he praised as he turned to hug his mother, "This will definitely give me an edge tonight."

"I hope so," said Shayera worriedly, "I know you have your mission from Ras J'hari but please, be careful."

"I know ma. Damien? Want to go on a nightly patrol?" asked Jason as he began to suit up.

"I thought you'd never ask." smirked Damien as he waited for Jason, eager to get back out in the field. Shayera could only smile and worry on the inside. She is afraid for him not because he could die but because of the destruction he can inflict onto Bruce and the others. She had already read the reports and listened to Damien's retelling of Jason's fighting prowess. She honestly felt pride the first time hearing and reading about it but it turned to worry. Talia had warned Shayera about the madness that could come with the pit. Shayera has yet to experience any symptoms due to her alien physiology but Jason's human side is already allowing the violence to seep through. She only prays that Jason has a strong hold over himself.

Gotham

Bruce had spent a good portion of the day with Clark overlooking Shayera's old medical records and history. The old files were kept hidden away in the databases and it took much longer than expected. They noticed a decrease of reports towards the end of her life that Bruce began to look over old security footage to see if perhaps this might give them a clue. After witnessing John confess to Shayera about the existence of Rex and then denying her that future, Bruce went livid.

"That idiot! Does he not understand the ramifications of trying to change the future? That even a single pebble could tip the scale?" ranted Bruce while Clark continued to sit in his chair, waiting until Bruce cools down, "Does he not realize that by speaking out he could very well be the reason why Shayera died in the first place?"

Clark's eyes widened in surprise, shocked that Bruce would even suggest it. Noticing his friend's stare Bruce explained, "The minute he told Shayera that he was going to stay with Mari, Shayera got depressed and began to isolate herself even more than when she first joined. She actually began to refuse missions, Clark! Her mission at the chemical factory could have gone different if she didn't have her depression."

"Are you going to tell John that?" asked Clark.
"He already knows about the ramifications about revealing the future. He already blames himself." said Bruce. It was obvious in John's behavior that he still continues to blame himself despite the therapy.

Clark and Bruce left the databases after not finding anything relevant about Shayera's connection to the Red Hood, Bruce returned to Gotham. He was out on patrol with Tim, hopping roof to roof searching for any sign of crime.

"Hey Batman?" asked Tim.

"Yes Robin?" asked Bruce.

"You know how Red Hood likes to slash and dash?"

"What about it?"

"I think that blood trail might be something to look at." Sure enough, as Tim pointed towards an alley, Bruce could see the tell tale signs of blood leading into it. Looking around he noticed on the opposite buildings, the walls had blood splotches on them.

"Go back to the cave." ordered Bruce.
"What? No, you need backup!"

"Then send Nightwing. I ordered you to go back to the cave." Tim only pouted a bit before leaving in the opposite direction back home. He already had his communicator opened to call in Dick for help. Ever since Red Hood cleared out Bludhaven, Dick found no need to stick around in a city where crime practically disappeared overnight. Instead, he stuck by the wharf and Lincoln District of Gotham. As Tim went back to the cave, he was unaware of the extra shadow following him. Bruce followed the bloodtrail until he was met with the Red Hood interrogating a thug.

"Just tell me where to find Joker, pansy," said the Red Hood, his electronic voice deeper and more menacing, "I promise it'll be a swift end."

"Your time's up." said Bruce coming up from behind. He watched as Red Hood slowly released the man and turned to him. The mask glimmered a bit in the light, something that was akin to Nth Metal. Bruce wondered what he did to the rest of the metal but watched as Red Hood approached him until they were almost face to face.

"You know? Once upon a time… you were my hero," confessed Red Hood much to Bruce's surprise, "I always wanted to be like you. So I fought the good fight for a while and then my mother died in front of me."

Bruce held his poker face but the news Red Hood was giving him was surprising. So he's a Gotham native then and one who had grown up idolizing the Batman before the unfortunate end of the mother. The question is who is he?

"Killing is not the answer. Killing won't bring your mother back." said Bruce.
"Oh I know. I had to watch her get beaten to death in front of me while he laughed as I couldn't do anything. I left Gotham and gave myself a new life."

"Killing a killer leaves the same number of killers in this world." argued Bruce.
"But it saves more lives," counterargued Red Hood, "I thought it was the most heroic thing you could have done but all you did is ensure that the cycle continues. I'm taking care of the mess you keep spilling."

"Bruce, keep him talking. Nightwing is on his way," said Barbara through the comm-link.

"You justify your killings by claiming to save more lives?"

"Look at the result: low crime and not a single superpowered villain exists in Bludhaven and Friedman City. All thanks to me." mocked Red Hood outstretching his arms as though daring Batman to take a swing.

"Your methods are violent and will have people stop trusting us and begin to fear us."

"Isn't that always been your motto? That fear is how this city works? Guess what Bruce? I used that fear and turned it into something productive. I used my fear to make a new name for myself." snarled Red Hood. Bruce looked at Red Hood, trying to find connections until it finally hit him. Years ago, a gang leader had fallen into a vat of chemical waste and turned into the Joker. The gang leader's name was Red Hood.

"The Joker killed your mother."

"Yeah… kept laughing. Of course, with you at least he ran and left you alone right? Didn't stay to taunt you, to belittle you before leaving."
"What happened to your father?"

"He replaced me!" roared Red Hood, "HE HAD THE AUDACITY TO THINK IT WAS OK TO REPLACE ME!"

"Bruce, Nightwing incoming." said Barbara. Sure enough a shadow fell over Red Hood and Nightwing somersaulted off his head to land next to Bruce.

"Sorry, got a late party invite." joked Dick.

"Never invited you Dickface." said Red Hood. Dick kept his cool and said, "What? Jealous?"

"Never liked you as a Robin and I sure as hell never liked you as Dick Grayson." said Red Hood. Dick's eyes widened in surprise at his words and turned to Bruce to see that he was unaffected. Obviously he knew how much information Red Hood carried.

"Never liked you. Never liked being compared to you. Never liked that I was never good enough!" snarled Red Hood.

"Who are you?" asked Dick.

"ME!" cried out Red Hood as he removed his mask. Bruce watched as a young man with red hair and a white streak in his hair glared at him with red eyes. He couldn't quite figure out who the man is but a katana flew through the air and nearly impaled Red Hood's face.

"Aik'Tier! Not now!"

Bruce turned to see the boy ninja from the Metro Tower Heist high above them leaning over the roof. Red Hood shook his head and his red eyes faded to a blue. The face…

"Jason!" cried out Bruce. Shocked at seeing an older and resurrected Jason Todd froze him in his place. Dick's eyes also widened in shock but he wasn't frozen in place like Bruce was, so he was able to dodge the fist coming his way. Jason placed his mask back on and proceeded to fight Dick.

"Jason wait!"

"I've done my waiting. Eight years waiting for anyone to care." snarled Jason as he brought out his kodachis and tried to hack through Dick. Bruce was about to join the fight when a kick to the back of his head attracted his attention. The boy ninja had his katana on hand and was battle ready. Bruce turned away from him when the boy slashed through his cape. Irritated, Bruce intended to quickly overpower the kid before he had to help Dick fight an unstable Jason. He took a few quick jabs but the boy was swift and agile.

"You're slow." said the boy, "I'm disappointed. Mother always said you were a top notch predator."

He removed his hood and Bruce was immediately met with the face of a child Bruce Wayne.

"Hello father." said the boy. Bruce was again shocked and didn't react quick enough to avoid Jason's suckerpunch to the head. He staggered as Jason quickly stood in front of the kid.

"Jason," said Bruce quietly, "Jason talk to me."

"I'm done talking. You've been a big let down."

"Jay-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU'VE ALWAYS LOOKED DOWN ON ME! YOU AND BATGIRL EVEN DARED TO SAY THAT I WAS NEVER GOING TO BE A ROBIN! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU ALL! I DIDN'T EVEN MATTER IN THE END!"

"Jason-"

"FUCK OFF!"

"I'd search for your new Robin by the way," said the boy, "It looked like he took quite a beating."

Nightwing immediately took off to find Tim while Bruce remained behind. He and Jason didn't break eye contact until he made the move to leave.

"You're not leaving."

"You're not the boss of me. Not anymore."

Jason and the kid left in the shadows and Bruce was hesitant to let them leave but he had Tim to worry about and left to help Dick search for him. They didn't have to go far as they found Tim with bruises and a black eye inside a dumpster. Quickly making their way home, Bruce was still shaken up at seeing his resurrected son and his newly discovered son all in one go. His once stable mind was threatening to fall apart like sand in water.

"Batman," said Barbara, "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry Barbara-"

"No," wept Barbara as she kept an eye on her family through the surveillance cameras and having caught the whole exchange the same way, "I didn't see it sooner. I went out with him earlier tonight Bruce. I was with him for hours and I didn't even recognize him, Bruce I'm so sorry."

"It's ok Barbara. We didn't think it was possible but we now know that Jason is back with us."

"Bruce how?" asked Dick.

"Ras." was all Bruce had to say for the others to know.

They reached the cave before sunrise and managed to patch Tim up who told them about his ambush and subsequent pummeling by a quick foe. Bruce was silent, thinking about the boy. The outfit, the manners, the stance, the weapons… it all screamed Talia. Bruce thought back six years ago when he last saw Talia. It was a passionate night and one he swore would be the last time he'd ever perform with the demon's daughter. Bruce needed to know though how Ras got a hold of Jason and why Talia decided to keep the boy a secret from him. He needed to know now.

Jason took deep calming breaths while Damien watched him warily. His mother had warned him about the Lazarus Pit's effects but it was another thing entirely to see it happening in front of him. Jason was slowly getting more aggressive and volatile as they searched for the Joker, his instability growing more apparent as they searched for his killer. Jason wanted revenge and he needed it badly but Damien could see the other side of him fight against it causing an even already unstable mind to deteriorate. He quietly signaled to Shayera that Jason is currently unreliable and to send backup.

"Idiot rich boy thinks that by merciful will heal the world? I'll show him. I'll show him like I showed Bludhaven and Friedman City."

"Let's go search down by the docks. I'm sure we'll find some rumors." said Damien, successfully redirecting Jason's thought process.

"Let's go kid. My swords are itching and I'm sure yours are too."

"You know it."

Hey readers hopefully you liked and please leave reviews for feedback. I'm sorry I haven't been updating as much but with this being my last semester and having to prepare for finals, I'm honestly worn down. I worked very hard though to write this chapter and hopefully you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading :)