- I suggest you read "Red Hood/Arsenal" Issue #4 and #5.

- I chose to keep the " gender " of the Kwamis from the French version. So Kaalki is a MALE! (Sorry, but if I have fun changing everything between the French and English versions, I'm not going to make it in my translations anymore).

Chapter 17: Fighting Evil with Evil.

Tim was genuinely on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Within a few weeks, his whole life had become a total mess. First Dick was killed, then his mentor disappeared.

In the wake of this tragedy, Cass decided to move to Hong Kong. Stephanie decided to go with her. Barbara was in total radio silence.

He had no idea where Kate could be.

He was left alone to deal with Gotham, Wayne Enterprises and...Damian.

The enormity of the task he was carrying out over the past few weeks had drained his body of all energy. But it was only three poor weeks. He felt like he hadn't slept in years... Tim couldn't take it anymore.

He needed help.

And Tim was convinced that Batman was still alive... Unfortunately, he needed time to find him, and he didn't have that.

He didn't like the idea at all. But faced with the catastrophic situation, with Gotham going insane, he needed a radical solution. At least, time for him to find a solution for both Blüdhaven and Gotham. Then to find a solution for Wayne Enterprise as well, because no one could know Bruce was missing.

Tim needed to find Jason.

Bruce would have probably sent him over the edge if he had made that kind of suggestion when he was there. But the situation was so chaotic in Gotham that an equally chaotic solution was needed.

Tim had heard about Red Hood's new partner. He was sure that Bruce had started looking into this girl... That kid was a disruptive force. Just like Bruce before him, he'd been trying to find information, but hadn't found anything. Jason was probably behind it.

Before he died, Dick had talked about Jason's strange behavior at the mention of the young girl. Jason had introduced this girl as "his sister". He was attached to her enough to let her work with him and even live by his side. If he didn't know she was a kid Damian's age, Tim could swear that Jason had actually found himself a girlfriend.

I'll find out once I meet her. Let's start with finding Jason first.

-XxxX-

Jason looked at the monster at his feet with some disgust. That thing looked like a "Muk". Perhaps the creator of Pokémon had taken inspiration from this creature to create those things.

The young man was sincerely glad he hadn't brought Marinette with him. Especially when he saw that a fake Batman had already replaced Bruce. The little one had already made quite a splash lately, she had to stay off the radar a bit more.

While the fake Batman who was still on the stage was going, Jason grabbed Roy and ran off the stage. Caught by surprise, the fake Batman couldn't keep up with them.

He let go of Roy.

— Dude, you know I can run by myself, right?

— No time for that crap. We need to get home immediately.

— Red... The kid's perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

— I got a bad feeling.

— Seriously Jay, it's only been a week... What do you want to happen to her? As time goes on, the more of a daddy hen you become, I hope you realize that.

— …

Jason walked back up as if nothing had happened. He didn't know why, but he had the feeling that Marinette was in trouble.

Roy followed suit, clearly exasperated by his behavior.

— And of course, the fact that you never left her alone for that long did not influence your "bad feeling" at all.

— Roy, shut up and move on.

Suddenly Jason felt a presence.

Red Hood stopped dead in his tracks.

Arsenal had stopped as well.

They looked around.

— There you are, Hood, you know you're not easy to find, don't you?

Jason sighed.

That kid was the last person he wanted to see. He had to get home fast; he didn't have time to waste with the Bat-family.

— Replacement. What's the displeasure?

— Hood, I need to talk to you, do you have a moment?

— No.

— Hood, it's really important.

— What I have to do is just as important.

— Isn't the girl with you?

— None of your business.

Roy came over and pushed Jason aside.

— Don't mind him Timmy, he's just having a hard time getting used to the idea of letting his kid live her life.

— I can see that. I guess you'll be going home to join her.

— Roy, when we get home you can help my daughter with her shooting practice. She'll be happy to have a new target.

— Nope, last time didn't end well for me. I still have the scar from her last " training" session.

— Pfft. Pussy.

As one surprise never comes without another, Red Robin pulled out his Bo and gave a hard blow behind him. He then did a back flip. As a reflex, Jason pulled out his weapons and Arsenal pointed an arrow with his bow.

Right where Red Robin had been earlier, there was now a figure. Someone who definitely shouldn't be there.

A young lady, wearing a long black cat-eared hood, walked towards the three men. Jason lowered his weapons.

— Jaybird, do you know this person?

Roy as usual couldn't keep his mouth shut. The replacement on the other hand was looking carefully at the newcomer.

It wasn't good at all.

— What are you doing here, Lady Noire?

— Mistress Lucy, is being attacked as we speak by Batman's son...

Jason recognized the voice as Trixx's. This meant that this " Lady Noire" was an illusion.

The young man glanced over to the boy next to him. He frowned, even though his helmet didn't show anything. Jason felt his blood boil.

What gives this brat the right to attack Minette like that? If he had a problem, all he had to do was come and tell him face to face, no need to involve his little girl in the story!

— Is that why you wanted to talk to me, Timbo, to keep me here long enough for Demon Spawn to come after my partner?

— Jason, I assure you, I have no idea what this... " Lady Noire" is talking about.

Lady Noire approached until she was up to the task.

— Master, something terrible has happened. Mistress is not in her right mind. If the fight goes on any longer...

— Understood. I guess he's here too?

— You're right.

— Jaybird, seriously, what's going on, who is this girl and who is she talking about?

— Later Roy, we gotta go help Lucy first.

He turned to Red Robin.

— Feel free to come along. If I ever find out, you had anything to do with this…

Red Robin doesn't say anything. He just nodded up and down to indicate that he understood the situation.

A portal opened just behind Lady Noire. Once the gate opened, she disappeared. As Jason had already figured out, Kaalki couldn't have been far away.

Jason entered the portal without looking back.

It was a completely confused Roy and a completely intriguing Red Robin who followed him.

That same night, 3:00 a.m., Jason, Roy and Marinette's living room.

— Then he attacked me, and I fought back.

— I see.

— Mphhh-Mmmmmmmm-MMMMMMM!

Marinette was sitting on the living room couch with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand, while Robin was tied up like a sausage next to her. In front of her were Jason, Roy and another guy the girl didn't know. According to his uniform, Marinette could tell it was "Red Robin". In other words, Jason's replacement.

The lady was genuinely surprised. When Jason talked about that boy, he always seemed angry. It was extremely surprising that he was in the company of someone who annoyed him so much.

Marinette must have been staring at Red Robin without realizing it, because Red Robin cleared his throat.

— I'm truly sorry for my little brother's actions. He's a little... on edge right now.

— Okay, well... I'd appreciate it if in the future, he takes his nerves out on someone else.

— Yeah, of course.

An uncomfortable silence settled in.

Unsurprisingly, Roy was the first to break the silence.

— Okay. Now I want an explanation. Who is this Lady Noire? Where did that gate come from?! Why was she calling Lucy "mistress"?! What's going on?!

Marinette frowned.

— You have seen... Lady Noire?

Jason looked at her for a moment before answering.

— What can I say? "Your sister" is very resourceful. She came to warn us that Demon Spawn had invited himself without permission. She brought your "brother" with her. For once, it's a good thing they're out there free and clear.

— Lucy, you have siblings and you never told me about them?

— …

Marinette didn't answer anything. At her side, she could feel Robin staring at her. She quickly finished her drink and put it on the table in front of the couch.

— I'm going to bed.

The young lady saw that Roy was going to protest, but Jason crushed his foot, making it clear that this was not the time to talk to her.

She nodded her head towards Red Robin to say goodbye. Red Robin did the same. But before she left, she turned around one last time, just this time looking directly at Robin.

— You think you're better than me because you live under the shadow of Batman... But I can tell you one thing. You have the same smell as me.

The brunette left, this time without a glance back, leaving the three men in the room in utter confusion.

Robin remained strangely calm after her departure.

The next night.

— Stay in Gotham?

— That's right. The brat wants someone to take care of Gotham while he's out looking for Batman.

— I thought Batman was dead.

— The kid's convinced he's not.

— And so are you, if you agree to help him.

— Hmm. I haven't accepted yet, and I can't see the old man getting shot down that easily. So what do you say?

Marinette looked at Jason for a moment, then looked out her bedroom window, pensively. Should she talk to Jason about it? Should she tell him what she found out about Swiper? She had decided to listen to the Kwamis and to wait for Jason's return before making any decision.

Marinette wanted to kill Chat Noir.

Their stay in Gotham would undoubtedly help her get closer to her prey. Could she really do that? If Red Robin had come, entrusting Gotham to Red Hood was because somewhere... he trusted him, didn't he? Wasn't she jeopardizing the tenuous trust Jason's family placed in him?

And then staying in Gotham meant having to work with Robin, didn't it? She wasn't sure that she really wanted to see him again. On the other hand, it would be fun to put him in his place...

— How long do you think it will take?

— I don't know, Minette. But if you're worried about our plan to eliminate the terrorist from Paris, you don't have to worry. As soon as we finish this job in Gotham, we're going to France, and we're not leaving until that guy gets his head chopped off and hangs from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Marinette smiles at Jason.

— All right. I trust you, Jay.

— Actually, Trixx said something happened while we were gone. Are you sure you're okay?

— It's nothing... just Plagg and Xuppu eating our entire food supply, you may have noticed. They did it several times this week, I wanted to eradicate them from earth...

Jason laughed heartily. Then he kissed her on the forehead.

— I don't know what Demon Spawn told you, but, don't pay attention. That kid has a binary view of the world. Kind of like his father...

— I've noticed that. He just gently told me I was a psychopath and a criminal who needed to be stopped at all costs. I think he also said you were an incompetent at one point.

— Oh? Well, he was pretty nice about it, which is surprising of him.

— I can't wait to see what happens when he's "bad".

They both started laughing out loud.

After Jason left her room, Marinette went back to bed.

Plagg immediately came out of hiding. He was the only Kwami who had not returned to the new Miracle Box Marinette had made.

— I ate the food supply, huh...

— Plagg, I'm not in the mood for your sarcasm.

— I just hope you're aware of what you just did.

— You know my plan, Plagg. Feel free to stop me.

— Far be it from me to stop you from committing murder, kid. It's not as if the idea of eliminating all former Miraculous holders is completely psychotic and just confirms what the kid with a cape told you.

— …

— I told you once, I'm telling you now, so you'll keep it in mind. I won't stop you. I am the god of destruction, chao is my nature. Never forget that the choices you make today determine who you are tomorrow. If you are willing to pay the price for your choices, who am I to stop you? It would be a considerable waste of energy... I could eat so much cheese in the meantime...

— Plagg... Tikki would be disappointed in me, wouldn't she?

— Completely.

— …

— Tikki is optimistic and naive, you are the cartesian type, Mini-bug, it's not a good mix. Besides, Marinette's dead, you're Lucy.

— I've lost my soul that much?

— I assume that's a rhetorical question?

— …

Marinette closed her eyes. She had no desire to continue this conversation.

So she did not see the psychotic smile of the Kwami of Destruction, nor the evil aura that surrounded him.

-XxxX-

Damian and Tim had quietly returned to Gotham...

As soon as they arrived at the Manor, each left for their respective rooms.

Tim had some papers to prepare for WE, a report on his last meeting with Jason and some research about this "Lucy" that Jason had collected.

Damian on his side took a good shower. Then he went to his bed, opened his computer and started new research. He was sure that "Lucy" wasn't this girl's real name. However, during their exchange, she had leaked some important information.

The girl's parents had been murdered and the assailant had gotten away with it. Obviously, if she had stayed with Todd, it was because she wanted revenge on the murderer of her parents. Todd was familiar with the subject matter of revenge. No wonder the two of them got along so well.

Second, she had a "sister" and a "brother." This "sister" was probably the one responsible for the incident in Gotham... And was likely the person who helped Todd escape from the criminals who had imprisoned him. The "brother" was the one who created the diversion so Todd's partner could escape. The "sister" would have a destructive capacity, while the brother would have a teleportation capacity. So the big question now was this: Did "Lucy" also have a special ability? And then, he wondered about the real connection between this " Lady Noire " and Lucy. You don't call your own sister "Mistress".

Who was really Lucy?

Thirdly, he was almost certain that the girl he saw hurt that day with Richard, was this "Lucy". Now that his head was clearer, he thought the girl seemed to consider her former "personality", which she had described as "weak, naive, stupid and good for nothing," as "dead."

Damian was far from an idiot; he was sure he recognized Nightwing's fighting technique. This girl was also using some League of Shadows assassin moves. In other words, Todd trained her. So, "Lucy" must have been the "personality" that came out of it. Kind of like how he went from "assassin" to "Robin" under his father's tutelage.

"The world is not so black and white. He's not just gray either. There are other colours in the world. Men aren't just "good" or "bad." Hood and I... we think differently than you and Batman. I'll admit, sometimes we are brutal. But I won't let you say we're insane or just psychotic, because we don't think like you."

Damian shook his head several times.

Maybe this girl wasn't as bad as he first thought. Maybe she wasn't as incompetent as he had originally assumed.

"You have the same smell as me."

What did she mean when she said that?

His mind wandered for a few moments. He remembered their struggle. The way her body moved with agility and precision.

Damian was certain that this girl hadn't fought him seriously.

What would happen if she fought him thoroughly?

A shiver ran through his whole body.

He wanted to know.

-XxxX-

Lurking in the shadows, a certain mercenary watched events from afar, with great interest.

Who would have thought that by accepting this contract, he would have stumbled upon such a rough diamond?

This young lady had enormous potential. She could become his successor without any problem.

Perhaps she could even surpass him if he gave her the same treatment he had received?

All he had to do was push her in the right direction.

The man smiled under his mask.