Welcome to another new story, and to those waiting on others don't worry I'm working. Just had to get this out of my head before I explode!

Disclaimer: No, don't own any characters from the DC universe. This is fan based and it's meant to be fun.

The ringing in his ear from the explosion still ran through his head as he trudges down unused alleys. Fortunately for him he wasn't bleeding obsessively, but most of the pain he suffers from comes from internal injuries like broken bones and strained muscles. He had worst though. There was the night of his murder is one, and the night of his resurrection is a close top as well. But now, he doesn't know what he's feeling and sees no reason to keep going.

From a distance he can hear the sirens going off from first responders and soft traffic sounds coming from behind the tall brick walls.

He finally falls as he trips over some trash bags from an overfilled dumpster (people, you must recycle! Half of that shit is recyclable!) and lands hard face first. Slumping up against the wall, he finds no strength to get up again and gives in to the darkness. In the phase between life and death, he could hear footsteps coming his way. 'A woman' he thought as the clicking of heels gets closer and stops a few feet away from him.

Those said heels now run towards him, and said person starts to shake him. "Hey dude, wake up! You'll catch your death if you sleep out here." The voice held true concern, a rarity in this city full of strangers, as she tries to get him back from the world beyond.

He shakes her off and tries, to no avail, to shift away from the warm hand. "Shut up, I don't need you to tell me that." His voice came out cold and cracked, giving himself extra points for not sounding weak and in need; but with life just loving to suck ass, he moved the wrong way and let out a struggled breath.

She obviously caught this sign, and through the dim lighting of the ally she could see some bones poking out here and there. "Damn, you're hurt aren't you. Come on, we need to get you to a hospital."

She attempts to get him up by using her body to hold him up, but he wouldn't have it. "Fuck off, I don't need your help. If I die here, so be it." He shoves her off and he falls again.

She huffed as she crossed her arms, pondering on what to do. "No way in hell. You're not dying right in front of my home." She tries to pick him up again, but the size difference between the two of them becomes a big issue for her. "Do you know how rank the smell of death is in the morning? Get the hell up." Again, he shakes her off and they both fall to the ground.

He wipes sweat from his forehead as frustration starts to build up within him. That frustration brought new energy as he was now able to stand up, her following, and he easily beat her on height as well. "There's no fucking way I'm going to a god damn hospital." The air around the woman felt like she's also becoming very frustrated. 'Stubborn bitch,' he thought as there's no sign of her giving up. "I told you to leave me the fuck alone and- ow, did you actually just kick an injured person?" He holds his shin as the pain subsides, but he falls from lost of balance.

Her face holds a triumphant smirk. "Yes I did, now get off your fucking lazy ass and come on. You won't survive an hour in this city if you're like this. I know life is a bitch, but we're all damned and fucked, so just rely on a little charity once in a while."

"You don't even know what's it like to survive. I bet your just a prissy spoiled brat thinking you're all that just because you're raised in one of the most dangerous cities in this country. Don't even joke about the shit that goes on around here."

"Ya, I know what's it like here. Now just shut up and let me help you."

"Why help a scummy stranger like me. Better for you to let me die here."

"I said to shut your fucking mouth the hell up! Unlike others around here I have a blood conscious." Before he could spew out another line of cusses back at her, he feels a hard impact hit him on his neck before fading into the dark numbness.

To what felt to him like a few seconds past, real time it was mid afternoon, he woke to face a ceiling and smell of food lingering throughout the air space. The smell made his stomach whine since he hasn't really had a decent meal ever since he retuned from Death's grasps, but looking around made him couscous as he didn't recognize this alien place he finds himself in at the moment. To top it off, he didn't have a shirt on and couldn't find any of the weapons he still had on him from the explosion.

He lay on an old lumpy bed, and he could easily feel that his wounds were bounded and wrapped in a very skillful manner so that movement wasn't a threat to him. There's also a soft humming of a melody coming from the same direction as the scent of fresh food. Jason finally sat up and paused to let the blood return to its normal circulation, not knowing that the minimum sound from his movements has alerted the other person just on the other side of the door. When he stood on his feet, a sudden pain from his shoulder cries and he couldn't help the soft moan that escaped from his cracked lips. "Sorry I couldn't do much for your shoulder. If I moved you, you would have woken up." He was startled. Even on his worst day, it was hard for anyone to be able to sneak up on this former vigilante. He turns to the voice he recognizes as the same girl from last night, and his emerald eyes lock with crystal blue eyes.

The haze of the pain and dim lighting now clear allows him to get a better look at the person who supposedly saved him from Death's front door. There was something about her that reminded him of someone, but he couldn't put the pieces together. Physical features of her is a lean short woman that could easily be mistaken for a child if she dressed like one. She's pretty, but saying gorgeous was pushing it, more like she'll make a perfect mom figure. Her black hair is in a messy pony tail, and wearing what'll typically be called a lazy day outfit.

As he a analyzed her, she walks towards him silently to a nightstand just beside him covered with gauze and medicine. "Here. If you don't want it to hurt that much anymore, then let me wrap it up." Two voices screamed through his head; one saying to let her help him with his injury, while the other cusses and yells for him to get out of there. But with a slight shift of his arm gave the first voice the win and left her to quickly wrap his limp.

They were both silent as she finished, and he could feel a little better about accepting her help. With silence playing in the air, she packed the materials away as he looked through the window for a beautiful view of Gotham bay. He was lost in thought when she spoke, her voice dragging him out of the deep caverns of his brain. "Can you walk? Or do you want to eat your food here?" He didn't turn to face her, she almost doubted that he heard her.

A few seconds past without a response, so she starts to head out the door when he responds with a question, "Why'd you help me?" Looking over her shoulder, she could see that he wasn't facing her still. "If you think I'll pay you back to show how grateful I am, don't hold your breath. I'm penny-less and there's no where in hell will I ever be a sex toy."

Without even looking, he could tell that she felt pissed about his last retort. But her voice showed patience, calmness and warmth, "Whatever happened to just helping out another human being?" She turns to open the door, but she has to throw one more thing out before she heads into the other room, "And I can get a dick anywhere. There's no way I'll ask for some from a street rat." She left and closed the door, cutting off the next words about to jump out of him.

Again, she left with being able to say the last word. A total stranger. He always had the last word. Only a few others know how to leave him speechless, but this is the second time she left before he could say anything, and that pissed him off. The hunger also fuelled his anger, and the effects of that lagoon is still fresh inside his mind. 'This bitch doesn't know the danger she's in. Maybe I should scare her a bit.' A smirk slowly came to his face as he pictured the look on her face when he tells her. But then a little thing called his conscience got to him, and he decided against it.

Before he could change his mind again, he walked to the window and opened it. The air wasn't the freshest, but it's open and free. Better then inside the cramped apartment. Looking down was a five story drop, but he jumped higher rooftops and this little jump would only have leave small damages to his already broken body. Just at the moment his left leg goes off the ledge, she choose to come in with a tray of food. The normal response would be to drop the tray and run to help, but her's just landed on an arched brow and she calmly places the food down on a desk just beside the door. "Really? You're actually planing on jumping a five story window with those injuries? It's either you're damn careless about your own health, or you're amazingly stupid."

He forced himself not to sigh or say anything that could lead her to calling the cops, "Look, don't take this the wrong way but if I stay here, you'll be in trouble." He turns away, getting ready to slip through the window, "So, with that in mind-" Without him noticing, she appears behinds him and cuts him off.

"Do you really think I'm stupid?" She grabs his uninjured shoulder, and with surprising strength, pulls him back in. "Say any excuse you want, but you'll die out there. Even a skilled fighter knows their own weakness. And this is yours." She lightly touches one of his bandages and a surge of pain flows throughout his body. "Did you even think about what might happen if you didn't land properly? You'd be paralyzed at best."

He picks himself up without her help, and glares her down. His height gives him extra intimidation, but that still hasn't fazed her. "If you knew who I really am then you'll think twice about helping me and having me in here."

"Try me." She smirked, showing no fear of who he might be. "You've been awake for a while and there's no problem."

He took a step closer, and hardens his glare. Most people would shrivel at the air around him, but she stood just as tall and unaffected by his stance. He was impressed with her bravery, but that alone wouldn't help her against him. "And if I were to tell you I'm the Red Hood?" Once the words flew out of his mouth, he expected her to feel scared and easily kicked him out, but he got a much different reaction.

"If you are, then why don't you kill me?" She turned around and went to the night stand again. In the drawer came out his gun and he can clearly see his other weapons in the same drawer. She took the gun out and tossed it to him. "If you really are who you say you are, then you'll need this." There's wasn't even a hint of hesitation in her words, it was like she was just talking about the weather or what's for dinner. "But if you're really sure about going out, and if you really are who you say you are, then you're a dead man even without your injuries. There's a lot of people out for your head."

He was torn with leaving and facing his death, to staying for an uncertain fate. Looking into her eyes gave no hint of whats in her mind. It reminded him of a formal life, where he'd blindly follow a code he feels he'll always question. "Are you actuatlly saying that you'll care of a total stranger, and one that could protentionally be a murder? And on the top of not only the police's list, but even the Batman's list." He inwardley smirked, curious of what her answer be. "Even if the chance of lengthing your life is right infront of you? Are you looking for protection, or do you just go for the bad boy type?"

Again, her response is something he would never guess. "Do I really look like the desperate type? Besides, there's a whole range of 'bad boys' just outside this door. And if you think that you're that much of a big shot, then if you make me fall on my knees then I'll let you leave." Something shone in her eyes for a moment, but it was muddled and flashed dully. However, that one flash was enough. Enough to show that there wasn't any hidden motive to her kindness. But he couldn't trust it. He shouldn't.

He knows nothing of this person infront of him, except that she's skilled in medical care and has a strong backbone. Also that famillure feeling he gets at just looking at her. Almost like a girl version of someone, but he couldn't place a strong guess on who. Other then that, she's a total stranger. And the quote 'stranger danger' was beat into the minds of children ever since they were allowed to get out of the house, but not him. Strangers were never a problem to him, the police was one, but never strangers.

Still broken between the choices of leaving and staying, her bargin would be easy. Just the fact of hurting an innocent person, even a woman smaller then him, still effected him. Even through the whole ordeal of being a crime lord by force and fear, he still wanted to protect the innocent. But this situation called for the use of force. "I'll take you up on your offer."

A smirk graced her lips as if she was expecting him to say exactly that, "Good. Now choose. Attack first or defend?" Confusion painted his featured, thinking how crazy it was for her to let him choose how this fight went.

'Well, it'll be an easy win.' He thought, knowing full well that he'll be able to take her down even with his injuries, and he'll be scott free. Without even saying anything, he went for the direct charge and throws in a fast left hook. Making contact, the results as always wasn't what he was expecting.

His fist made contact, yes, but not where he was aiming for. She somehow managed to catch his arm without even a moments hesitation to what could happen if she wasn't fast enough. He retrated his arm to his side, and glared a bit at her cockey grin. "You're actually skilled." He sneered as her smirk deepened.

"You need skill that'll match your core in this city. And my core is rock solid." Not even wasting a second, he went in for another attack which she easily blocked. This went on a little longer, him aiming at all her open areas and attacking, only for her to easily block him in that last second. Neither side was giving in, until she finally decided to end it. The final punch was thrown and again she caught it, only the difference from then and now is the fact that she grabbed hold of his arm and shifted both of their weight. Resulting in him being carried off his feet and flipping ontop of the bed, which was right behind her.

A trumpant smirked fell on her again, placing her hands on her hips and looking very pleased with the result. "And you wanted to go out in the streets again. You can't even beat someone my size." She stuck out her hand for him and he accepted her offer. A sense of respect fell between the two, that fight held a lot of meaning between the lines. It showed their personalities and their true intention, and in a way it has brought them both on common ground. Though the idea of being easily taken down by a woman the size of a girl did hurt his pride, he knew that he wasn't at his best and there was obvious signs that this woman wasn't even trying her hardest.

In a way, it made the situation interesting. Usually women would be an open book to him, or be total obvious about their interest in him that it'll be very annoying, very fast. But not only did she show no interest in him; the more he learns about her, the more questions forms. He wondered for a second if he got that trait from HIM, but shook that thought out. It might just be because she's different from all the others he's met, and it's natural curiosity that has him wanting to stay.

Or maybe, he was sick and tired of being on the streets and hiding. Always on the move. Always on edge. Maybe here, he could actually start over again. Be normal for once in his life. Get a job, find a home and maybe settle down. Just maybe he could erase everything and just be Jason Todd, or someone else since that Jason Todd to the public is dead and not alive by some weird ancient water.

Either way, he just feels like it would be better to stay here then out there. Sure it's unclear if this will be the right choice or not, but he's willing to take this chance. It's a 50/50 shot. What does he have to lose? His life? He shouldn't even be breathing or feeling pain. At least this choice looks like he'd be taken care of and no certain death. Yet.

Well that's it for now. Tell me what you think, and if you want more. The results of the reviews will show next week. I'm gonna try again for a weekly update, but in order to do that I need the reviews from you guys. I hope I can see you all next weeK!