The path wasn't one he had walked in a very long time. His boots echoed in the cavern one after the other. It was a rhythmic tempo, slow and steady like a heartbeat. He hadn't been here since his days with the League of Assassins and as he walked along the stone path he felt something inside of him twist. The memories of the revival filled his mind; the smell of the water wafted down the hall and caused a small hesitation in his step that he caught and forced himself to keep his steady gait.
As he approached the Lazarus pit he dipped down onto one knee, his hand moving to graze the surface of the water. He rubbed his thumb across his fingertips as he considered the way the water seemed to be whispering, calling out to him. It was so audible he almost didn't catch the shift of air behind him.
Almost.
He turned and looked up at an assassin with her sword drawn and pointed at the base of his neck.
"How dare you enter this pit. This belongs to the-" He cut her off, not hiding the annoyance in his voice as he stood.
"The Great Ra's Al Ghul, yeah yeah. I know." He turned and looked past her at the woman in the shadows.
"Talia." He greeted and watched as she stepped from the shadows, an amused smirk on her face.
"Jason. It's been a long time." She said as she walked up to him. Jason nodded in response, keeping an eye on her.
"It has. I had a question for you regarding the pit." He said, wanting to get down to business. Talia hummed and then looked away.
"How has Damian been?" She asked, brushing her fingers along her sleeve, picking at a loose thread. Jason huffed, annoyed with her change of subject but he also knew this was a quid pro quo situation.
"Damian is interning at the hospital. He wants to be a doctor." He explained, his voice tight. "Now, about the pit." He motioned his head to the pool of water glowing sickly green behind him, filling the room with an otherworldly light. Talia nodded and motioned for him to go ahead with his question.
"The pit...it was traumatic, hard to get through. I've been through a lot but I can honestly say I've never been through anything quite as painful and rough as that." He began, his voice quiet and reminiscent. "Does it alter memories?" He asked and Talia paused, crossing her arms with a look of intrigue.
"Memories?" She echoed before she looked at him again, considering his question and predicament.
"The pit restores the individual going inside of it but it always has a cost. Always. For my father it has cost him his humanity. You think it has taken more than this from you?" She asked and Jason paused for a moment before he nodded, deciding to be honest with her. She may not be the best woman he knew...but she had trained him and she had extensive knowledge of the pit itself without him having to reach out to Ra's.
"I have memories of my childhood that are altered. Something in them is wrong." He explained and Talia mulled over his words before she nodded.
"And you want them restored. Normally the price you pay for the Lazarus pit is paid and done for...but you are tenacious and strong. You may have the capabilities to earn back what it took." She mused and Jason had to keep his reaction held back. He wanted to jump at the opportunity, to find out what he had missed but he also wanted to keep Talia an arm's length from his memories and not let her know how desperate he was for them.
Talia turned and walked away, expecting for Jason to follow and he did, keeping up with her pace. She led him to a small room off to the side.
"This will take concentration and control. You will have to dive back into these memories and relive them again. To know what you have lost you must earn each of your memories back. You understand this?" She asked, turning to face him. He nodded and then looked over as a league member carried over a goblet filled with Lazarus water. The idea of having that back in his body almost made him nauseous...but he still took the goblet from Talia.
"All of it." She commanded and Jason drank from the glass. His hands shook as he gulped down the foul tasting liquid until the contents of the cup were empty. He lowered the goblet and tossed it aside before he turned to ask Talia what was next but found that she was gone. The room was now devoid of anyone but himself and a haunting whisper filled the space around him, the Lazarus calling out to him softly.
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, preparing himself for what was about to come.
....
There was a door, frayed and water damaged that creaked open slightly, a little head peering out of it and into the hallway to watch as a woman walked with movers to put furniture in the small space next door. The small boy that watched caught sight of a worker flirting with the woman but he didn't quite care about that part. No, he was more interested in the girl across the way. She was about his age, skinny and had long brown hair. She was wearing a T-shirt much too big for her and little tennis shoes with the laces undone.
"You starin' at the new neighbors?" Catherine, his mother asked, making him nearly jump out of his skin. He pouted, glaring up as his mother giggled behind her hand.
"Mom!" He fussed, his cheeks red. "I'm not staring." He complained. Catherine chuckled and then ruffled his hair, an affectionate smile on her face.
"Why don't you go say hello?" She asked, urging him to do so. He pouted, not wanting to leave his mother alone for too long. When she was left alone she started acting weird when he came back...but it would be nice to have a friend to play with, he guessed, even if it was a girl.
He opened the door and walked over to the girl, puffing out his chest a little to look braver than he felt.
"Hey! You're moving in next door." He said, crossing his arms. She turned to look up at him and she had some of the prettiest blue eyes he's ever seen...and a butt-ton of freckles across her cheeks.
"Hi! Yeah, we're moving cause it's just me and my mom now. I'm Penelope." She gripped her T-shirt and wrung it between her hands.
Jason gave her a curious look.
"You and your mom? What happened to your dad?" He asked. She made a face and looked down, letting out a small hum of upset.
"Dad got arrested. Mom says it's because he was a bad guy and did bad things..." She explained though Jason could tell she wasn't so sure about that. He nodded anyways, not really caring about her dad either way...even if it sucked. His own dad had taken off not too long ago and hasn't come back since so he understood what missing a dad was like.
"Well, my name is Jason. I'm gonna be your friend from now on, okay?" He stated and she smiled wide.
"Really? Okay!" She jumped up and down, giggling softly.
"Wanna see my room?" She asked and Jason shrugged letting her take his hand and lead him off. They ran through the apartment and into the back bedroom. It had little furniture, almost as little as Jason had. Just a mattress on the floor with no sheets, a blanket and a rickety dresser with a small stack of dirty paper and broken pencils sitting on top. Jason looked it over and realized she didn't have much either and it almost made him feel better about his own situation...almost.
"Kinda sad, kid." He put his hands on his hips, assessing the room. The broken wood panels and water stains on the ceiling.
"Yeah, mom got rid of my stuff when we moved. She said I didn't need it all." She explained with a shrug. "I miss my baby doll, though." She walked over and looked out the window. Jason followed and paused when he saw it led out to the fire escape. The same one his window led to!
"Hey, cool." He opened the window and lifted himself up and over the ledge. Penelope watched him and then stood on her tip toes to look.
"Where are you going?" She asked. Jason waved for her to join but when he realized she couldn't get over on her own he moved to grab her hands and pulled. She slid through the window and fell onto the balcony on her knees. She whined and rubbed them before she looked up and around.
The fire escape was rickety and rusted but it connected the two apartments together. There was a staircase leading down and one leading up for the higher apartment levels. Jason opened his window and urged her over and she did to look inside.
"This is your room? Heck, you don't have much either!" She stated.
"Yeah, whatever." Jason bent down and hoisted her up, catching her off guard. She fell through the window and into his room, tumbling head over ass and face planted on the floor.
"Ow!" She sat up and held her face, tearing up. Jason hopped in behind her and bent down to look her over.
"Sorry." He apologized, grabbing her face to look her over. She sniffled and then calmed herself down enough to let his look at the red mark on her nose. Once she stopped wincing and he had officially declared her "okay", Jason smiled and then motioned to the room.
"Nice, right? Check it out." He motioned around. Penelope looked around the room and noticed the singular mattress, the dingy closet that was mostly empty and the action figure that sat on the dresser. She picked it up and hummed softly, turning it over in her hands.
"Who's this guy?" She asked. Jason walked over and took it.
"This is the coolest hero. His name is Red Ninja cause he's a ninja and he's red." He explained and Penelope nodded, seeing how he could be named as such.
"He looks neat. My favorite hero is Superman!" She smiled. Jason rolled his eyes, letting out a scoff.
"Your favorite is Superman? He's cool, I guess but Batman is cooler. Plus, he lives here in Gotham!"
"Yeah, but I ain't never seen him." She crossed her arms and Jason paused to consider that.
"...Yeah, that's true. I ain't ever seen him neither." He shrugged. "But still. He's cool. Have you seen his sidekick, Robin?" He asked and Penelope bounced on her feet, lighting up.
"Robin is so cool!! I want to be Robin!" She exclaimed and Jason let out a scoff.
"You can't be Robin." He declared and Penelope pouted, crossing her arms.
"Why not?" She asked, leaning over. Jason smirked at her.
"Cause Robin is a boy. Robin can't be a girl." He chuckled as she nudged him.
"Robin so can too be a girl. A girl would make a way better Robin anyways." She pointed at him.
"No, I don't think so. Plus, I've seen you fall like twice and we just met. You'd probably die as Robin." He said, a rather quick assessment but one he was starting to believe whole heartedly. Penelope stuck her tongue out at him and then looked up when she heard her mother calling her.
"Oh, I gotta go." She said quickly, scrambling over to the window. Jason moved with her, helping her up and over the window sill and followed her over to her window.
"Does your mom yell a lot?" He asked, glancing inside her room as her mother shouted again. Penelope hesitated but then nodded, knowing he was going to be hearing a lot of the shouting soon.
"Yeah. She doesn't like waiting." She said and then tried to pull herself through the window. She was halfway there when Jason grabbed her legs and shoved her through the rest of the way, so she didn't have to struggle. She hit the floor again and whined before she stood up to run off. Jason watched her go, smiling now that he had a friend to spend time with in these run down apartments.
She was goofy and clumsy and a little whiney...but he was still excited to have a friend...and for the next few weeks they grew closer. They spent a lot of their time on the fire escape. Jason would meet Penelope there and Penelope would bring some food from the kitchen, especially when Jason's mother had chosen her "medicine" over some food. Jason hated to admit it...but he was thankful. Sometimes the food she brought to the fire escape was the only food he ate that day.
Penelope struggled to open a can of tuna, her tongue sticking out as she twisted the can opener in her hands. Jason watched, already munching on a piece of white bread as he saw her struggling. Her cheeks were red and he thought she looked funny.
"You don't have any muscles." He said, moving to take the can opener and Penelope let him but huffed softly, feeling a little more than embarrassed by the fact that he was right.
"I'm trying." She said and rubbed her cheek. Jason nodded, at least acknowledging the fact that she was trying...and he couldn't complain too much when she brought him food.
Once the tin was open he wrinkled his nose and then moved to half the can with her, putting tuna on some bread with the mayonnaise she brought.
"It's not the best." Penelope admitted, licking her fingers.
"Mom just keeps cheap stuff here. She gets to go out with her dates to eat at restaurants." She looked apologetically and Jason shook his head, not wanting her to worry. He did get a bit annoyed at her mother, though. She was always gone and left Penelope by herself a lot.
At least that meant he could come over and stay inside when his own mother wanted to get high.
As they sat there together, eating the tuna sandwiches they made and letting their feet dangle over the edge of the fire escape Penelope hummed and then looked at Jason.
"I want a dog." She said with a smile and Jason snorted automatically at the ridiculous idea of having a dog.
"We could never afford a dog." He said thoughtfully and Penelope took another small bite.
"When I'm older, I mean. When I have my own house."
Jason looked at her again and then looked away thoughtfully. He hadn't ever really thought about the future. He had always been so focused on surviving through the day that he didn't even realize one day, surely, he'd have a house to himself.
"A dog, huh? I'd want a dog." He said, imagining playing with a dog with a frisbee or throwing a ball around. It sounded fun. Penelope smiled and excitedly kicked her feet.
"Yes! A big dog!" She said excitedly and Jason smirked, feeling a little like indulging in the silliness of the conversation. For no real reason.
"A big one?" He asked.
"Yes! Like a pitbull. They're so cute!" She said and Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Don't they bite?" He asked and Penelope shook her head quickly.
"No, they're gentle. It's all about how they're treated. I got a book from the library." She explained and the paused as she realized she should probably walk there and return it sometime.
"So you want a pitbull." Jason finished his sandwich and sighed, feeling much better with food in his belly for once. Penelope nodded,
"Maybe five." She giggled and Jason snorted, rolling his eyes.
"You can't have five dogs, Penelope!" He laughed when he saw that she was pouting.
"I'm my dream house I can!" She declared and Jason laughed again.
"Okay, okay! You can have five dogs in your dream house. Whatever." He rolled his eyes and then paused when he looked over and saw she was holding out the rest of her sandwich to him. He hesitated but then took it. He didn't want to take food out of her mouth, but...but she did have more than he did inside her apartment, right? Maybe she knew that. Maybe...
Maybe she was just being nice.
He looked at the half eaten sandwich and contemplated that for a moment before he brought it to his lips and ate the rest of it.
For Jason and Penelope, that was life as it simply was. Jason spent a lot of time sitting on the fire escape with Penelope, the both of them eating the little bit of food that her mother kept stocked at the house. Jason started hanging out in the apartment with Penelope, both of them drawing pictures and hiding from the rain.
Penelope hummed as she turned on the radio and Jason moved around the antenna, trying to get a good signal.
"Is the music coming in yet?" He asked, trying to keep an ear out for anything other than static. Penelope sighed and bent down to listen close.
"I don't hear anything. There's some music but not a whole bunch." She muttered right before the music came blaring out and she backed up quickly, rubbing her ear.
"Ow!" She laughed and then looked up at Jason who smiled apologetically and then let go of the antenna carefully and moved next to her.
"Alright!" He grinned and then grabbed her hands and hauled her up to stand. He started dancing with her and she giggled as she moved with him, both of them bouncing gently to the music as the rain fell outside. Penelope was more than content, spinning around with Jason as the music played. He giggled, moving to jump on her mattress and she followed, giggling and cackling loudly as they found a moment of happiness in their otherwise chaotic life.
The fun ended when the sound of the front door opening caught Penelope's attention and she stopped moving, listening to the sound. There were two sets of foot prints and Jason felt her hands tighten on his. He looked down at her, noticing how worried she looked. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze and then moved, walking over to the window and opening it.
"Come on, we can sit outside. The rain won't bug us and if we have to we can go down to Pauli's and maybe find a snack or something." He offered. Penelope nodded and moved with him onto the fire escape, ignoring the rain as it beat down on her head.
She moved to the railing and looked out over the city as Jason peered back inside her room just in time to see the door open and a man step inside. He looked around and then scoffed.
"What a shit hole." He muttered before he glanced back inside the apartment.
"You didn't tell me you had a kid!" He shouted and Jason heard Penelope's mother shout back.
"Yeah but she's always out running around so what's it matter?" She asked. "Come on. Let's have some fun. You just focus on me." She grabbed the man and pulled him back with her. Jason frowned but was glad that she didn't try and find out where Penelope was. He really didn't like that woman.
He turned back to Penelope and walked next to her, taking her hand and offering a small smile. She was his friend and he was gonna protect her, no matter what.
"Come on, let's walk down to Pauli's. I found a five dollar bill the other day and it can buy us a sandwich." He offered. She nodded and followed him down the fire escape and the two eight year olds were off, walking down the streets of Gotham in the rain. It was busy so Penelope held his hand tightly, making sure they didn't get separated.
They walked inside the diner and Jason shook his head when they got in line. Penelope laughed when the water hit her face and then looked up at the menu.
"What kind of sandwich do you want?" She asked. Jason hummed and looked up at the menu, seeing which options were cheapest.
"We can get a drink if we split a ham and cheese." He said and she nodded.
"Okay, sure. What drink?" She walked with him up to the counter. Jason ordered and handed her the cup.
"Fill it up with root beer or something." He said as he paid for the food. Penelope walked off with the cup and stood on her tip toes, filling the cup with the soda. She tasted it before she filled it all the way and scrunched her nose, making a face.
She was gonna complain, but Jason has said root beer so he probably liked it. She filled up the cup, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to just let him have the most of it. She walked over and sat down in a booth and waited for Jason to walk over with the sandwich. While she sat alone for the moment she kicked her feet and looked out the window, watching the rain fall down.
"What's a cute thing like you doing out here all by yourself?" A man across the aisle asked. Penelope blinked and looked up at him, confused.
"What?" She asked and the man leaned closer, repeating himself with his gravely voice.
"You're a cute little thing. You by yourself?" He asked, reaching over and touching her hair, grabbing a strand of it and tugging in what was supposed to be a playful manner. Penelope made a noise and moved her hand to her hair and tried to move away.
"What's the matter? Am I scary or something?" He asked and Penelope shook her head, noticing how his hands gripped the seat tighter when she moved away.
"Hey!" Jason shouted, drawing attention from the diner which made the man back off a bit. The thought of being shouted at by some punk kid made him annoyed, so he sneered at Jason.
"What do you want, pipsqueak?" He asked. Jason sat the sandwich down and then glared up at him.
"I want you to beat it, freak! Leave us alone yah nutjob!" He shouted, making sure everyone heard. The man looked around and then busily got up, muttering about not needing this kind of crap and left the diner. Jason watched him go, huffing with annoyance before he turned to Penelope, who stared at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks.
Jason paused, the look made his tummy flutter and he looked away so it would stop.
"Shut up. Next time don't let guys like that touch you, okay? Push them away or something, or shout real loud." He pushed half the sandwich to her and sat down. She nodded and then smiled, her cheeks still red.
"I won't let them touch me. Thanks for helping me, Jason." She said softly and he took a bite to fill up his belly, hoping it would squash down the butterflies in there.
"Yeah yeah. You're welcome." He mumbled and then watched as she started picking at the bread and glancing out the window again. He followed her gaze and then swallowed his bite.
"What are you looking for?" He asked. Penelope shrugged, taking a second to answer as she picked at her half of the sandwich.
"Wanna go to the library after this?" She asked. Jason paused and then looked at her, curious but found himself nodding. The library was a good place to hide out in. Plenty of books and sometimes they even had movies you could watch...if you weren't too loud.
After they finished eating they navigated the streets again, following the street signs until they reached Gotham public Library. The graffiti on the side and the crumbling bricks made it look rundown but once they were inside they saw it was actually pretty nice.
The librarian gave them a curious look as they entered but they simply waved and made their way over to the book for kids section. Jason looked around for something to read and looked over to see Penelope was already looking at the movies.
"Hey, dummy do you even know how to read?" He asked. Penelope pursed her lips and looked back at him.
"Yes, I do." She said with a roll of her eyes. Jason chuckled and then picked up a book as she picked out a movie.
"Matilda. I used to watch this all the time!" She said, holding up the movie. "It's my favorite. Have you ever seen it?" She asked. Jason shook his head, never really having a vhs player...or a good TV for that matter. Hell, he was pretty sure the TV in his apartment was just for decoration.
"You're gonna love it. It's about a girl who...who she- she lives with her family and they're not really nice. Oh-! There's also this big school with like lots of kids and-" she excitedly babbled, bouncing up and down as she spoke and Jason snorted, watching her.
"Just put it in so we can watch it." He said, urging her to do so. She nodded and then turned to put it into the VHS player, making sure it was rewinded before she hit the play button. She then sat back and watched with excitement and Jason sat on the rocking chair behind her, watching the movie a bit before he moved and lounged a little more relaxedly.
He actually thought the movie was kind of cool but the part he liked the most was when Penelope would laugh at her favorite part and then look back at him to see if he liked it too. He couldn't help but smile at the way she was so excited to see if he was having as good a time as she was.
"You're a dork." He mumbled quietly, to himself mostly. When the movie was over Penelope and Jason read a few books and Penelope ended up falling asleep on the beanbag in the corner. When it was starting to get dark, Jason knew they had to head back home. Gotham was dangerous...but Gotham at night was worse.
He bent down and shook her shoulder. "Hey, come on." He said and then looked up at the librarian who was waiting impatiently for them to leave. When he turned back she had sat up and they clunked their heads together. Penelope made a small noise and clutched her forehead, wincing. Jason did the same and then looked down at her.
"You okay?" He asked and felt a little relieved when she nodded. "You have a hard head." He mumbled and she giggled softly before she stood up and walked with him out of the library.
She held his hand as they walked back down the streets, weaving around the people. It was still rainy out and Jason could feel his shoes getting wet. He was about to complain about it when he felt her hand grip his sleeve and he looked at her before he saw she was pointing down the way. He followed her finger and saw the man from the diner and he frowned, moving his hand to grip hers tightly.
"...Come on." He pulled her along, running down the street and turning into an alleyway. He moved a box, climbed on top and grabbed her hand, hoisting her up.
"Come on, climb over." He grunted as he lifted her and she flipped over the fence and into the trash pile below less than gracefully. Jason pulled himself up next, looking back to see the man rounding the corner to the alley. He stood there, staring at them for a long moment. Jason pulled himself over the fence and took Penelope's hand, pulling her back with him.
The man must have decided that they weren't worth the trouble of running after, but it still didn't stop the chill running down Jason's spine when he saw the knife glinting in the man's hand.
Jason and Penelope eventually got back to their fire escape and opened their respective windows, ready to head to bed.
Penelope paused and looked over at Jason as he climbed inside his window. She thought about how brave he had been the whole day and how much he had helped her out. She hesitated but then opened her mouth.
"Hey, Jason...thanks again!" She said, her cheeks flushing red. Jason looked back at her and felt those butterflies again. He gripped his shirt and then nodded to her, trying to keep his voice level.
"Yeah...sure. No problem. I'll see you tomorrow." He called and she smiled warmly.
"See you tomorrow. Night." She climbed in through her window and landed on the floor with that familiar, face smashing thud. Jason scoffed and then shook his head, trying not to laugh too hard. He moved and closed his window, ready to get some sleep.
Penelope was a hard worker. She woke up every night at 6pm, had a small snack, something simple and easy before she did her makeup, brushed out her hair, curled it and then took off for work. She took a bus to the down town area and then legged it to work from there in the red light district.
She passed a few people she knew from her usual route to work. She gave change to the homeless man and ignored the officer on patrol. Sometimes she would stop at the drug store and buy a few energy drinks, downing some now and saving some for later.
Then she would walk into the Red Light Bar and change in the back room, catching up with Amber and Rhonda, her friends. She touched up her hair as she looked at herself in the mirror before Rhonda sauntered over, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Guess who's here again." She said quietly and Penelope paused, looking at Rhonda in the reflection of the mirror. She raised an eyebrow and then shook her head, an incredulous look on her face.
"Again? Why is he here again?" She asked, frowning as she felt a pang of irritation in the pit of her stomach.
"I don't know, but he's been showing up on all of your shifts. Did you like...catch his interests or something?" Rhonda smirked, amused to which Penelope gave her a look.
"Hardly. It's been weeks since he got rid of Roman Sionis. There's no reason for him to be here." She said, moving to the back door to peek out at the floor. Rhonda scootched in beside her and then motioned to the back corner, where sure enough Red Hood was standing, leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed.
Penelope let out a little groan, her scowl deepening. "Why is he here? He keeps scaring away my regulars, it's affecting my money." She grumbled, tapping her foot angrily. There was a bit of a bet, actually. The girls were trying to decide why Red Hood was still sticking around, even after Roman was put in Black Gate.
"He's gotta be an ex, right?" Amber moved, poking her head out the door above Penelope. She shook her head.
"Never dated someone that big...or with black and white hair." She said.
"Could be a wig." Rhonda offered and Penelope considered that before deciding it was dumb.
"Nah, wigs are impractical, right?" She huffed and then pulled back inside the dressing room.
"He's probably just realized this place is common ground for thugs around Gotham and wants to check out just how "neutral" it is." She said, giving a soft shrug. The other girls didn't look too convinced but as the door opened and Bunni walked through she looked at them all.
"He probably just liked how your tits looked on stage." She giggled, walking off. Penelope blushed at the notion, feeling a little exposed. Ironic, considering her entire job here was to be exposed. It was different though...somehow. He was a vigilante, a brute, a crime-fighter. He was incredibly hot and he had saved her life. Hard to just undress knowing he was watching her like that.
Still, she had a job to do and she wasn't about to let his silent harassment go unpunished.
She stepped out onto the floor, her heels making her a few inches taller and that gave her some confidence, even if it started to waver when she got closer to him. She put on a brave face and put her hands on her hips, looking up at him with narrowed eyes.
"Mr...uhm...Hood." she greeted, not knowing how to formally greet a vigilante. He didn't move, his body stiff and tight as he leaned against the wall, though now she felt his gaze on her. She immediately wanted to backtrack and take back her words but she tried to calm herself instead and make her demands known.
"You've been here for the past few weeks." She began, putting her hands together. "I've seen you, everyone's seen you and well...I've been noticing that my regulars are skipping out. You wouldn't happen to have any idea what's up with that, do you?" She asked, expecting an answer, her eyebrows raised.
Red Hood breathed in and then unfolded his arms and tilted his head as he looked down at her, almost like if he was trying to figure out if talking to her was worth his time.
"First, don't say Mr. Hood, sounds stupid." He began and Penelope made a noise, frowning a bit as she felt a tad bit embarrassed.
"Okay, fine." She grumbled, crossing her arms. Red Hood then continued.
"Secondly, I thought you said you were trying to leave this job." He stared down at her and she paused for a moment, realizing she had said that to him before. She blinked and then scoffed, trying to think up something clever to say.
"Yeah, well...rent is expensive." Clever. Real clever.
Red Hood shook his head and then made a noise by clicking his teeth.
"You're an idiot, you know. You almost get kidnapped by a notorious gang member and you still go back to work here at this bar. You must be a moron."
Penelope couldn't respond for a moment, shocked by the audacity to start calling her out like that. Like damn. She scoffed, fumbled and then tried to recover.
"Well, fuck you." Nice. Good one, Penn.
"First of all, it's not a bad job once the psychos are gone and second...what do you care?" She raised an eyebrow, looking up at him as if challenging him. He stiffened and then moved to walk away, his expression hard to decipher, but he looked angry.
"I don't care." He said quickly as he stalked off. Penelope made a noise and watched him go, immediately feeling guilty that she had upset him. Had she upset him? Why would he care about her still working here? Maybe he really was just a good guy who was worried about the dummy who didn't learn her lesson.
She sighed and went about her night, flirting with customers, serving drinks and dancing up on the stage. No matter what, though, she had noticed a decrease in "eager" hands, the men that liked to try and touch her. Part of her was pleased with that while the other part of her missed the extra bills they would throw her way while in the middle of their efforts. She hummed and then leaned on the counter where the bartender was cleaning up as it slowed down a little.
"Tough night, kid?" Kevin asked as he wiped down the counter. Penelope looked up at the burly man, noticing the bit of grey peeking out on his beard. She hadn't realized he was that old.
"Yeah, Red Hood's presence has kind of fucked up my income. My two jobs are more than enough right now, but...I might have to quit here after all." She said. Kevin nodded and looked a bit thoughtful for a moment before he handed her a virgin Shirley Temple.
"Well, if you do end up leaving you know I'd always take you back if you wanted. Besides, it was your dream to be a nurse and help people, right?" He asked and Penelope considered as she took a sip.
"Well, if we're talking dream jobs I actually wanted to be a figure skater/mechanic when I was little." She chuckled, especially when Kevin looked at her with intrigue.
"A mechanic and a figure skater? How'd we get that combo?" He asked, genuinely curious. Penelope laughed softly.
"Okay, so...I told you how my friend and I used to steal car parts to sell, right? Well, I wanted to know which parts were important so when we would hit up the library, I would read up on cars. I know all about 'em, got really into them." She explained and then leaned on her hand.
"But I also thought figure skating would make me look like some kind of princess." She smirked.
Kevin chuckled affectionately and then shook his head. "You wanted to be a princess who knows how to rotate tires. There are worse things." He smirked and Penelope smiled wider.
"Sure enough. I also wanted to have magical powers like Matilda." She added, wiggling her fingers for that "magical" effect. Kevin let out a small laugh.
"What? That's an old movie, Penn." He grinned and Penelope laughed, nodding. It was a bit old now, wasn't it? It made her feel old even though she was only in her twenties.
"Yeah, but it was a movie we could pop on down at the library. They had this VHS player set up in the kid's section so we would stay in there all day sometimes, if we had enough money or food to last the day. I used to play that movie every single time it was my turn." She said with a warm smile. Kevin sighed gently and shook his head. He noticed that any time she talked about her past she always said "we". He had heard a little about her childhood and none of it sounded pretty...but that friend always sounded important to her.
"Yeah, well...you just focus on being a nurse and helping people right now." He said sternly and Penelope smirked, feeling appreciation for his understanding. All things considered, Kevin was a great boss and a better friend.
"I will, no problem."
...........
Jason leaned against the wall, listening in on the conversation between Penelope and the owner of the bar, Kevin. His arms were crossed as he focused in, hearing her talk about stealing car parts and visiting the libraries on Gotham.
He could recall a time in his childhood when he had spent days curled up in the library, reading to escape a storm or an especially hot, blistering summer day. He could even recall the idea of watching an old movie about a girl with magical powers. The memories almost exactly what Penelope was talking about...except there was no girl with him. He felt agitated, pranked almost.
He stood and moved from the wall, heading outside. He had waited until the bar was closed and then followed Penelope to her second job. He made sure to keep his distance from her as she walked down the street. She would clean off her makeup, but glitter still clung to her hair and clothes, making her shimmer under the neon signs of the city. He hated it as much as it made him want to look at her.
When he knew that she was relatively safe behind the hospital doors he took off. The sun was coming up and he needed some sleep himself. This memory thing was annoying him and he was trying to figure out a way or two to find out if she was crazy...or if he was really missing some memories.
He went to his nearest safehouse, slipping in through the window and throwing himself onto the bed, hearing it creak under his weight. He groaned but then shifted and sighed as the urge to sleep quickly swept over him.
"...I know what to do." He muttered to himself before he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.
He never slept longer than a few hours and when he woke up he never quite felt well rested. His arms felt heavy, his legs would crack and cramp...he never could quite get the sand out of his eyes. He got up and stretched, soothing the tight muscles as he twisted his back and rubbed his calves.
It was the usual routine of taking care of himself. Shower, shave, eat, head out. He never lingered in the safehouse too long if he didn't have to. It didn't feel like a home...nowhere had felt like home in a very long time.
His mind wandered to Bruce as he walked down the street in civilian clothing, keeping his head down as he made his way with the flow of traffic.
He would need a favor from Bruce but he wasn't sure if he wanted to call in a favor. Since he had stopped killing criminals (more or less), money had been a little tight. He would need to borrow a credit card for his little venture. He could only hope that Bruce would be a little generous, even if they didn't exactly get along the greatest.
As he walked down the street he saw her pass by, Penelope. She had her head down, her earbuds in. He walked behind her, keeping pace with her footsteps as he watched her walk in her scrubs towards her apartment. It was right on schedule, like clock work. It was amazing how easy it was to learn this woman's routine. He had to convince and justify to himself that this was purely research. He wasn't stalking...he was scouting...or whatever.
He watched as she met with her friend, Amber. Jason had come to learn a lot about both Amber and her twin brother, Scott. They both worked at the Red Light Bar, they were twins and they had taken Penelope in at some point, letting her live with them until she got her own place. Amber took over as the head girl at the strip club after the previous one stepped down and Scott was just the DJ. Good guy...bit of a pervert. Maybe a whole lot of dumbass.
Jason watched as Penelope and Amber got their coffee and walked the distance to Penelope's apartment. When she walked into the building Jason sighed, staring up at the window to her bedroom. He knew exactly which one it was. The eight floor, two from the right. It wasn't stalking. He swears.
He pulled himself from his "researching" and then walked down the street again. He debated heavily between heading to the manor and trying to be an active presence there or just sending a text. He had wanted to make an effort, on some level, to reach out to Bruce. Part of him knew that Bruce was waiting on him to reach out because Bruce has the emotional constipation of a very decrepit old man and didn't want to reach out first. Not that Jason was any better, mind you, but at least he could admit his shortcomings.
He settled for the middle ground and called instead, holding the phone up to his ear as it rang. Each ring that passed started to feel more and more like an insult. Bruce should be grateful he was calling at all and here he was, ignoring the-
"Jason." Bruce said, cutting off his train of thought. Jason paused and then cleared his throat.
"Bruce." He said before he continued. "Listen, I know I said I'd swear off your financial help...but..." He paused for dramatic effect, letting the obvious sink in on Bruce for a moment.
"...I need a credit card. No limit." He stated simply and there was a moment of silence followed by a small grunt Jason could decipher as a "why?" In Bruce language.
"I got a lead on something I need to follow up on." He said, being purposefully vague with the details. He tucked his phone under his chin as he leaned on a nearby planter and checked his nails for dirt. Once again another grunt escaped Bruce. It sounded resigned, tired. Jason could tell the old man was yearning for details but trying not to be pushy.
"Alright, fine. Anything I should be aware of?" He asked and Jason considered for a split second of letting Bruce know the situation...but no. This was his problem and something told him he needed to find it out on his own.
"Nah, I've got it handled. Don't worry so much, old man." He bit his thumbnail and Bruce sighed.
"Alright, fine." He said before there was another moment of silence. Jason knew better, he knew Bruce would be tracking what he spent it on...but he had ways around that.
"Thanks Bruce." Jason said and then immediately hung up, tucking his phone into his back pocket. He felt a little smug. It was always nice to spend a shit ton of money, especially when it wasn't your own.
Making the preparations was easy, paying for it moreso now that he had Bruce Wayne's credit card. He boarded his private jet and took off, looking out the window as the plane took off over the ocean. It would be a bit of a journey...but hey, he was all for a road trip.
....
Jason's footsteps echoed around the cavern, water dripping from the fountains in the back. The smell of magic hung in the air and Jason could feel it in his limbs as he made his way towards the boy sitting in the back corner, playing with a trinket in his hand. He would say boy, but S'aru was older than him, older than anyone he's really ever known.
"Long time." Jason greeted, his tone flat. S'aru glanced up at him, an amused and playful smirk on his face.
"You came back. I was so sure you'd stay away. What brings you here?" He asked, leaning on his hand as his other closed around the golden trinket, jingling in his hand.
"Once, a while ago, I asked for entrance into the Chamber of All and you took a memory as collateral." Jason started, his fists tightening as he kept his reaction schooled, but his heart was beating. "You didn't happen to route around and take more than you should have, did you?"
At this, S'aru raised a brow and looked surprised.
"You think I would steal your memories? No. You offered me one...and I took it." He sat up and then looked at Jason curiously. He had been alive for so long, he knew when a man was troubled.
"Did you forget something important?" He asked.
Jason paused, looking down and biting his cheek. He was silent for a moment before he decided to answer with honesty.
"I might have." He looked at S'aru before he looked away, trying to figure out where to go from here.
"Would you be willing to look into my memories? I think I should know someone...but I don't."
"Oh? What's in it for me?" S'aru asked and Jason rolled his eyes.
"Entertainment, mostly. It's like a damn soap opera in there." He joked, even if it were true. S'aru paused, thinking for a moment before he chuckled and then nodded.
"Sure. I'll do as you ask." He moved his hand and gave it a wave, a plume of blue smoke leeching from Jason's head. Jason wasn't ready for the suddenness of the motion and made a noise as he watched the smoke turn into balls in front of him. Each one was playing parts of his childhood, even the earliest, foggiest memories of Sheila's face as she held him, nearly born in the hospital.
He stared at her for a moment, feeling a small pang before he moved along.
"Any particular time you're looking for?" S'aru asked. Jason hummed and looked through, waving the memories of just him away. He slowed when he reached to about eight years old, noticing the memories had gotten fuzzier.
"What's wrong with these?" He asked, thinking it was something wrong on S'aru's end since the earlier memories were clear. S'aru walked over, taking a look at the memories he was glancing at.
The memory was of Jason, on a fire escape, talking to no one in particular, tearing into bread he had stolen, his face was dirty, but his other mother, Catherine, was still alive at the time. The memory was...glitchy, for lack of a better word. It felt like something slipped away before it just jumped to him going inside through his bedroom window.
S'aru looked ahead, noticing that all of his memories from this point on were doing the same. Jason saw the day he had run away from the orphanage after Catherine died. He came back to the apartments, to have somewhere to stay. There was a bed...drawings scattered around the floor...
"A house. A house with two stories and only two dogs. We can stay there together...we can...I can stay there..." The memory shifted, Jason was talking to himself.
"Ah, did you catch that?" S'aru smirked and Jason nodded.
"I did." He seemed excited, elated even. This was solid evidence! His memories were tampered with! That sucked but at least now he could work on figuring out who and why.
"What do you suppose did this?" He asked, trying to find any hint of what had happened.
"You don't see it?" S'aru asked and Jason paused, taking a minute to look back over the memories again, studying them closely for what S'aru had caught.
There was a presence lingering in each one. A whisper, a mist. It was unnoticeable at first, but once he heard the noise it was unmistakable. The haunting voices wrapped themselves around his brain and sent him back to that cold, wet place.
It was the presence of the Lazarus pit.
Jason felt his heart hammer in his chest as he realized that the pit had something to do with his memories. S'aru waved his hand and placed the memories back into Jason's head and Jason groaned softly, feeling the rush.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and thought about what this all meant. The pit definitely messed him up but he didn't understand why it would make him forget about someone he should know. As he pondered, S'aru moved to sit back down and watched Jason pace with fascination.
Jason paused at some ruins across the way, their mossy texture covering up some ancient pictures. He stared at them for a moment, they looked like spell casters.
It depicted the grim reaper, or "death" above them, holding his scythe. He hummed and then thought about the Lazarus pit and how his own death had affected him. He came back damaged. He recalled the moment like a nightmare.
He had been surrounded by complete nothingness, peaceful, easy...then there was that rush of liquid filling his mouth, his nose, his lungs and he couldn't breathe. He heard the screams of thousands trying to claw their way into his psyche while he desperately reached for the surface of the water. When he broke through he had sucked in as much air as he could, but he still heard the whispers, loud and stabbing in his head. They didn't go away for days. He thought he would go crazy...he might have a little.
Jason made a decision, turning on his heel and heading back for the jet he had bought with Bruce's card.
"I'll be seeing you, S'aru." He called back and S'aru smirked.
"Will you? I'll be waiting." He called back, watching as Jason disappeared around the corner and out of sight.
Jason took off, his next stop not one he necessarily wanted to make. It would be a bit tricky to find and talk with Talia without alerting Ra's...but he could manage, he was sure. The time he had spent training with her and his time with the all-caste was enough to give him that confidence.
The underground subway system was rickety, the lights flickered and the smell of rusted metal always hung in the air along with the faint scent of vomit and body odor. Jason had taken this train almost every night back when he had first stepped into Gotham after his death and resurrection. He listened to the drunkards bellow and holler down the way, the arguments between punks who thought they were hot shit and the young women who offered their bodies for money or drugs.
That was Gotham at its lowest.
The lights flickered and the cart shook with rattling metal as Jason leaned back on his seat, shuffling his jacket up around his shoulders. He hadn't ridden in a while and he almost forgot how uncomfortable the seats were.
He looked up as a woman sat across from him, her long brown hair falling down around her shoulders and her bright blue eyes watching him. He paused when his eyes met hers and then shifted in his seat.
"It's you." He said, his tone holding a sense of surprise. The woman smiled, plump pink lips stretching and her eyes crinkling gently.
"..." He sat up straighter, leaning his elbows on his knees as he addressed her.
"Who are you?" He asked to which she tilted her head.
"You know my name." She said softly, her hands moving to fiddle with her hair, her fingers running through the strands in a way that made Jason tilt his head and look upon her with fondness.
"Yes, it's Penelope. How do I know you?" He asked, frowning as he wanted answers, this had been plaguing his mind for weeks now since he saw her up on that stage.
She only gave a mischievous smile in return which almost pissed him off...but still he found himself grinning.
"You don't remember? That's almost hurtful." She said jokingly and then looked at her necklace, moving her fingers over the gem glued down into some cheap plastic. It was more familiar than her face, something that gave him pause. The green gemstone glinted in the light, probably just resin, but it was shimmering.
"You gave this to me. Don't you remember?" She asked. "Though, I know it looks different now." She admitted, turning it over in her hands. "I made it into a necklace. It used to be a-"
"A bracelet." Jason answered, pausing a moment before he looked up into her eyes.
"...Why can't I figure out who you are?" He asked, his fists balling tightly on his lap as the irritation swept through his limbs. Penelope only smiled in return, the glint of sadness in her eye not going unnoticed.
"I don't know...maybe you wanted to forget." She offered and Jason felt a stab of guilt but he also knew that was wrong. He didn't want to forget. He knew that much.
"Maybe something took the memories." She offered. The subway cart rattled again, the light flickering by illuminated her face and then cast it into darkness. He couldn't make out her features very well.
"Something took...the memories." He repeated slowly, almost chewing on the suggestion. His eyes glanced down at the necklace she wore again, imagining it as a bracelet around her thin wrist. A buzzing sound caught his attention, pulling it away from the woman and he looked up and saw the ceiling of his bedroom.
He stared at it for a good long moment before he realized he had been sleeping and was now awake, listening to the alarm clock go off next to his bed. He shifted and breathed in deeply, groaning as he reached over and slapped the alarm off. He slunked out of bed, hitting the floor and began the night with his usual stretches and pushups.
He felt like he was getting obsessed. The thought of knowing a person without actually knowing them seemed moronic and his mind raced through the possibilities.
No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't remember ever seeing a skinny little girl like her in his childhood, or the woman she's become now until that night at the bar.
He looked out the window as he lit a cigarette, the old vice hanging between his lips as he stared out at the neon lights. The taste of smoke on his tongue and the feeling of it in his lungs brought him back to his death as it always had. He made a point of taking a deliberate inhale, holding it and then exhaling slowly, as if in some misguided effort to take control over the way he died.
He opened the window, watching the smoke immediately duck out and into the night air, dissipating as it went.
Tonight was going to be a long one, he could tell.
...
Penelope Dates woke up from her nap, groaning as she rolled over in her bed much too big for just her. She kicked off the comforter and then rolled onto her stomach, pressing her face into the mattress for a moment to contemplate how much she liked money and if a job was worth it. When she ultimately decided that she did like having money, she forced herself to sit up and stretched, cracking her back before she slipped out of bed and went to take a shower and do her usual routine.
She did her hair, her makeup and then wore something comfortable and easy to get off in a hurry so she could change at work. She rifled through her bag, making sure she had her wipes, her body oils, her money bag...and she was good to go. She double checked the time and then grabbed her water bottle on the way out of her apartment.
As she made her way down the street she saw the usual riff raff as always. Homeless on the street corners, young men all bunched in dark corners, too green to make a move unless provoked and of course the occasional GCPD officer making his usual rounds with a smug look on his face. Any cop that worked in the Cauldron was automatically assumed (and most of the time rightfully so) to be corrupt and this one was no different. He smirked down at Penelope as he passed, jutting his chin in the usual sleezy greeting and changed his course to follow her down the road a bit.
"Rick." Penelope greeted, her voice curt as she tried to make her annoyance with the man painfully obvious. Rick chuckled and tipped his hat to her.
"Miss Dates. Heading to work?" He asked and Penelope grunted, wanting to put the least amount of effort into acknowledging his existence. Rick nodded and whistled as he kept up with her pace, occasionally letting his gaze wander down her body.
"I bet you make a lot of money doing that job." He cooed, shaking his head as he imagined her dancing on stage, earning those bills and praises.
"You ever think about getting yourself a man and settling into a home life?" He chuckled and Penelope rolled her eyes heavily, glancing over at him as she scrunched her nose.
"Goodnight, Rick." She walked inside the back door of the Red Light Bar and shut the door in his face, leaving the police officer to stand next to the bouncer, Kong, who only smirked and nodded his head to him in greeting.
Penelope walked to the changing room and was immediately met with the head stripper, a woman who took charge and had helped Penelope out of a few bad occasions, Amber. She was absolutely gorgeous, dark skin, nearly black as midnight and vibrant brown eyes that hit the sun and shimmered like pools of honey.
"Hey, how are you girl? Any news back from the big man?" She asked, watching as Penelope took off her jacket. Penelope could only shake her head and sigh, a feeling of disappointment washing over her.
"Nah. I mean, I didn't think the Red Hood would be contacting me anyways, but..." She shrugged and pulled off her clothes to change into an outfit for the stage. "I haven't heard a thing." She said softly. Amber nodded and then leaned on the lockers, crossing her arms before she looked at Penelope who was itching at her skin, rubbing a spot by her neck raw. Amber grabbed her hand and moved it aside.
"You still jonesing from that last hit you had to take, huh?" She asked, her voice holding the concern she couldn't outwardly express, knowing that if anyone had tried to intervene and stop Sionis with his bullshit, they'd have a lot worse problems...deadly problems. Still, it made her heart hurt to see Penelope messing with drugs again after working so hard to get sober.
"Yeah," Penelope breathed in deeply and then moved to sit down to touch up her hair and makeup. "I just wish I could shove that needle up the mother fucker's dick, you know?" She frowned and leaned closer to the vanity. Amber nodded, the same sentiment crossing her own features. She watched Penelope do a few touch ups before she heard a knock at the door.
"Ladies." It was Kevin, the owner and bartender. They opened the door to let him in and he moved inside, leaning on the back wall, his legs still broken from his attempt to ban Sionis a few months back.
"Bad news." He turned and looked at Penelope, who inhaled slowly and then nodded, understanding what that look meant. It meant she would have to deal with Roman Sionis tonight.
She knew better than to keep him waiting so she finished her makeup and then stood.
She paused for a quick second and closed her eyes, wishing like hell that Red Hood wasn't off playing hookey right now and he would be here tonight.
Kevin stopped her for a moment, reaching out to take her arm and whisper low, even though no one was around.
"Penny, seriously, if he gets too handsy or brings out the drugs again call for help." He instructed, the worry plain as day like the wrinkle between his eyebrows. Penelope sighed and shook her head.
"I can't, Kev. If he hears me calling for help he's gonna hurt someone really badly." She said, her fingers brushing through her hair. Kevin knew she was right, but he still didn't like to think about her having to swallow down pride and deal with Roman like this. But all he could do was nod and let her go
As she walked out onto the floor the first thing she spotted was Roman's two goons, lackeys that call themselves Harry and Marve, like they're so fucking clever and think no one else has ever seen old movies. She glared at them as she passed by and they snickered, whistling as she passed.
"Boss can't wait to see yah, baby. Go make him happy." They chided. Penelope flipped them off before she composed herself and then walked to the VIP section, one curtain closed. As she pulled it back she saw him sitting there, white suit, black mask and a glass of whiskey, already poured.
His face remained still, unreadable under the mask burnt to his flesh. He stared up at her and she could tell he was smiling, only confirming it when the mask parted and she saw the pink tongue run across his top teeth.
"Hey, Doll. You miss me?" He asked, moving to take a drink and Penelope forced a smile, moving over to sit next to him, like she had actually been waiting for him to return. She leaned over, making sure to look him in the eye.
"Don't I always?" She purred, her jaw tightening as she considered throwing up on his lap. She knew she couldn't, but the mental image would get her through part of the night.
He put an arm around her, his hand moving across her shoulders.
"I know it's been a while...there's just been some talk around town that the walking refrigerator, Red Hood has been seen around the bar." He moved and grabbed her shoulder, his fingers digging into her skin, making her tense and flinch as the pain radiated off his fingertips.
"Red Hood?" She laughed softly and then nodded. "Yeah, that stupid asshole came rushing in here the other night...but he was asking about C-Cobblepot." She hissed softly at the harshness of his grip and after a moment of silence, he let go. She moved her hand to rub her shoulder as Roman situated and nodded.
"Oswald, huh? Heh, can't say I ain't excited to see that little midget get what's coming to him." He said with a smile on his voice. Penelope nodded, playing along with his distaste for anyone that wasn't him.
"Right? The little bastard is gonna find out Penguins can't fly the hard way." She waved her hand, laughing before she turned away and made a face. Roman reached over and pulled her face to look back at him, running his finger along her jawline before he pinched her chin to hold it. She gave him a warm smile and then situated to face him better. He nodded in approval of her adjustment and then leaned back, throwing both arms over the back of the seat and spreading his legs to take up space, looking down at her expectantly.
Penelope swallowed, feeling her stomach sink when he was done getting situated and she moved, sliding herself up and onto his lap, her hand brushing over his chest as she forced herself to act like she liked this. Like she wanted to be here, entertaining this creep and that his hand traveling over her back didn't make her skin crawl.
"Have you given anymore thought to my request, Doll? I'm a man that can provide...and I could make sure you wouldn't have to worry about money ever again." He slid his hand up her back and through her hair and she couldn't hold back the noise that bubbled from her stomach and out her mouth.
"It's a sweet offer, Roman." She said softly, trying to find a way to distract him from it.
"But you...I'm a dog person. I want myself a pitbull." She chuckled and she could tell he was making a face.
"Pitbull? Why the hell would you want a ugly thing like that?" He asked and Penelope gave him a small shrug and did good on hiding her irritation.
"I've always wanted a pitbull. They're cute, not ugly. Sweet too, actually really misunderstood, they-" she made a noise when his hand moved over her face and gripped her tight, squishing her cheeks and her lips.
"I don't actually give a fuck, doll." He said curtly and she tensed, not making any quick movements or saying anything as she stared at him. He let her go and then moved his hand back to his lap.
"Now be good and dance for me." He motioned and she nodded, forcing herself to stand up despite her legs wanting to collapse under her. She moved to the pole set up just for the VIP section and began her dance, making sure to do the moves he liked, the flashy ones that looked pretty.
He watched her like a ravenous hawk, licking his teeth, sitting with his legs spread and a glint in his eye that told her it was going to be one of those nights were she would leave with more bruises than not. She wasn't looking forward to it, her stomach felt pinched but she continued to move to the music.
There was a sudden commotion outside, something that made her jump and she looked up in time to see one of the two goons come crashing through the partition and into the table, knocking over the cups of glass and alcohol. Penelope grabbed the pole to steady herself as the sound of crashing glass rang through the room. A hand grabbed the partition and pulled it back, revealing the dark silhouetted vision of The Red Hood, standing there and looking down at Black Mask with what looked like red eyes. Penelope raised her brows, holding her breath as she stared at him in complete shock.
He took a few steps inside, the silence that filled the space felt intense and intoxicating. He looked at Black Mask then moved his gaze to Penelope, who jumped when his eyes fell on her. He didn't spare her a second glance, moving his attention back to Roman who was sitting up and reaching into the jacket he wore. Penelope gasped when she saw the sleek black metal of a gun but the shock was quickly overtaken by the gush of wind that flew by her face and the resounding impact of Roman's body on the floor half a second later. She hadn't even seen the Red Hood move. When did he cross the room?!
The gun hit the floor and slid away as Roman flailed, screaming and shouting for the Red Hood to get the hell off of him. Penelope moved away and grabbed the gun, making sure it wouldn't fall back into Roman's hands again as Red Hood fought to subdue. It wasn't much of a fight, honestly...Roman was slippery but Red Hood was also two times his size! This man was built like a fridge.
She may have hoped for too much too quickly, however, as Roman managed to land a hit on Red Hood's jaw and then made a mad dash for his gun, which is to say straight towards Penelope.
He stopped cold when he saw the gun aimed at his face, Penelope having lifted it in a fearful reaction. Her hands trembled, not realizing how heavy a gun would feel.
Red Hood stopped behind Roman, tense as he saw the gun raised though he wouldn't deny that he was secretly routing for her to pull the trigger. She had every right to.
Roman paused and then slowly shifted, a hint of amusement in his voice as he noticed the shaking hands and moist eyes. He moved closer, his hand reaching out to take the gun.
"You're not gonna shoot me, sweetheart. You don't have what it takes to-"
BANG
Blood spattered and Roman fell back with the impact of the gun, hitting the floor. Red Hood moved quickly, first stopping to see that he was unconscious but still alive. Disappointing but he didn't want to think about that part right now. He moved to Penelope who was panting, her breaths jagged and deep as she held the smoking gun.
"I-I'm sorry." She trembled, shaking her head before she looked up at Red Hood who only moved closer and lifted his hands slowly, moving them over her hands and carefully unwrapping her fingers from the metal.
"You're okay." He said softly, comfortingly. She realized she was still holding the gun and let him move it away, trying not to think about how rough his hands felt against her skin. Or how comforting.
"S-Sorry. I was...he was coming closer...I didn't kill him, right? I didn't mean to-" she spoke a little faster but Red Hood held up his hand again to quiet her.
"You're okay. He's not dead even though he deserves to be." He said, unloading the gun. "You did a good job, you defended yourself."
The words were gentle and understanding and they gave her a sense that everything was going to be just fine. She exhaled shakily and then nodded, looking up at him, pausing when she got a better look at him than before. He had shaggy black hair with white in the bangs. She couldn't see much of his features, but something was interesting to her as he looked down at her, noticing her stare.
"...What?" He asked, putting the gun away. "You've never seen a vigilante at work before? Bet this is the most fun you'll have for the rest of your life."
She chuckled and bit back the urge to comment "hopefully" before she shook her head and looked away.
"No, actually I haven't. That was terrifying. You were so fast." She said as she looked at Roman on the ground. Red Hood nodded and though she couldn't see his face, she could tell that he was a little smug, knowing he was incredibly fast. He moved and handcuffed Roman's hands behind his back and then stood to grab him and haul him up over his shoulder.
Penelope watched in astonishment, wishing he could pick her up like that, damn. She shook her head and then stood, brushing herself off. She noticed he was taking off already and she panicked, moving to grab his free arm. He ripped it away, staring down at her with a look of surprise and irritation. She paused and then blushed, feeling embarrassed for having grabbed him like that.
"Sorry, I just...I wanted to thank you properly before you left. You saved me and my friends." She said and Red Hood looked away.
"Yeah, well...it was mostly about getting this bastard. Not really for you." He said quietly and Penelope raised an eyebrow, choosing to see past the harsh words and think that he had in fact had her in mind when he came here tonight.
"Well, either way...thank you, Red Hood. You're my hero." She chuckled, knowing it sounded cheesy. She wanted it to be cheesy. Seeing the way he turned away, trying to look disgusted made it all worth it and she couldn't help her smile.
"Yeah, yeah...whatever." he looked down at her one more time, his gaze lingering on her necklace and for a split moment she saw his eyes widen before he turned and took off. Her hand moved to the cheap plastic around her neck, the bracelet she has fashioned into a necklace when it got too small to wear as a bracelet.
The gift her childhood friend gave her, Jason Todd.
Part 1
💬 0 🔁 1 ❤️ 12 · My name is Jason Peter Todd, also known as Red Hood; vigilante and sometimes do-gooder, depending on the circumstances. I
My name is Jason Peter Todd, also known as Red Hood; vigilante and sometimes do-gooder, depending on the circumstances. I operate in the seediest city in the world: Gotham. Specifically I come to target the worst parts of Gotham like Crime Alley. Despite any arguments Batman could give, my methods have been keeping crime down around the area. That was why I was a bit surprised when Oracle hacked into my comms late one night with a message...
....
Red Hood stepped out onto the edge of the building, his eyes scanning the world below him, the world that felt more like a wild animal enclosure. He was watching the red light district of Gotham now, the sleazy and scummy of Gotham's citizens coming down to this part of Gotham for what one could expect..sex, drugs, to drink away their problems...anything, really. There wasn't much that wasn't for sale around this area.
Red Hood pressed his fingers to the communicator in his ear, the electrical static just a small click on his ear.
"So, what's this about?" he asked, taking a moment to scope out the building he was supposed to be heading into, aptly named the Red Light Bar. Customers were lined up to get inside the club, no doubt to see the "talent" there.
Not that Jason had any disdain for strippers. They were just girls getting by doing work that earned them a lot of money but often put them in dangerous situations. It was a tough life.
"You know how Roman Sionis has gone into hiding after his little run in with you? In my anonymous tip line I got a message stating a dancer at the Red Light Bar has information on his whereabouts but refused to send any information without meeting someone face to face. I've checked out the security footage and there are certain days when the cameras are conveniently turned off, but nothing solidifying a connection to Roman...yet." Oracle explained and Red Hood could hear the clacking of her keyboard through the comms, his jaw clenching slightly in agitation.
This felt like a trap or a wild goose chase. There was no reason for Roman to be at a strip club in downtown Gotham and he almost felt aggravated for being brought here for no reason.
"What makes you think some stripper is going to know about Black Mask?" He asked, not hiding that irritation. He could tell Oracle was biting back her retort when she replied.
"It's the only lead we have since he went underground. It's worth checking out and you're the one who knows the area as well as you do." She said and it sounded like fair reasoning. Red Hood sighed and then rolled his shoulders.
"Fine." He grumbled, taking a step off the edge of the building before catching himself and expertly maneuvering his way to the ground. Now, Jason was not a small man. He was 6'3 and well over 200lbs. When he was coming towards you, you knew. So as he stepped up to the bouncers at the door they gave him a wary look before he stopped in front of them, staring hard for a moment. The intimidation was plain as day, despite the guards being as big or bigger than Red Hood physically, but his reputation and penchant for violence proceeded him.
"...You're in my way." He stated, making his intentions clear. The men made no more efforts to block his way, simply letting him inside. He walked in and looked up at the flashing neon lights and the music permeated the air around him. Around the floor there were plenty of girls walking around half dressed, clacking around in their heels.
Red Hood never faulted a woman (or man, for that matter) for using their bodies to get by. Not everyone was fortunate to be born with a silver spoon in their mouths...or picked up by billionaires around the age of thirteen. Still, he needed a specific stripper so he turned on the comms again.
"Which one was the whistleblower?" He asked, stealing a beer off a table as he passed. He walked up to the bar and unhooked his muzzle style mask to get a drink.
"Her stage name is-" Oracle began but the sound of music was drowning her out. Red Hood sighed and tried to clear the volume but no matter how loud he had it, it wasn't letting her voice through. Agitated, he moved and went to get out his cellphone just to text her instead.
"Looks like we just came up on some good luck, gentlemen!" The DJ spoke into the microphone and the crowd response gave Red Hood a moment of pause. People were getting hype and he admitted the reaction had him wanting to see just what was so special about this dancer coming up. He looked up to see the stage was dim, a shapely silhouette hidden in the shadows that caught his attention.
"We seem to have found ourselves a "Pretty Penny"!"
The lights flashed onto the stage, illuminating the beauty leaning against the pole, long brown hair softly curled around a supple body wrapped in black, diamond studded leather. Red Hood paused, a frown on his face as he felt something clawing at the back of his mind upon seeing her face. His body had a visceral reaction, his heartbeat hardening with a growing feeling of dread at seeing this woman, though he couldn't place why...and maybe that aggravated him more.
He stood when the music began to play, the crowd going wild with excitement as she began to move and twist her body to the rhythm, money already being tossed on the stage at her feet. The sight made his blood boil and he realized his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. The woman...he's never seen her before...but there was something vaguely familiar about her face. Wide, bright blue eyes and big, poofy lips though painted, still stirred something in his gut. Which was ridiculous. He didn't normally pay attention to crap like that.
He looked down at his phone and saw the message from Barbara who had sent him the name of this informant.
"Pretty Penny" aka Penelope Dates.
He looked up, whispers echoing in his mind, haunting laughter and playful comments. He took a step closer to the stage, watching this woman get down on her knees, back curving downwards in a tantalizing arch as she smiled at the men in front of her, holding up their money as if they were bartering chips to see more of her flesh and that made him...furious.
BANG BANG
Two shots rang out, hitting the ceiling and putting everything on halt the second it happened. The music cut out, leaving behind the soft chatter that barely filled the room. Red Hood, remaining ever composed, put his gun back in the holster and walked over to the stage, looking down at this little woman. Curvy...but too skinny. He sneered and reached down, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet.
"We have business to discuss and I don't have all night." He said simply, his voice barely keeping back the rage he was feeling. The woman...Penelope...stood and walked with him from the stage and into a private back room. She could hear the music begin again, the usual live and let live mentality rearing it's ugly head in the bar.
Red Hood studied her for a moment, looking over her features as if considering a puzzle. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, his jaw clenched hard.
Penelope fidgeted, not having thought that Oracle would send the Red Hood to the bar. His infamous reputation was both a blessing and a curse around these parts. While he tended to be incredibly helpful to the people of downtown Gotham, he was also a terrifying and deadly force.
Red Hood grit his teeth. "Well?!" He snapped and she jumped, immediately looking down. It only managed to give him a feeling of guilt in his chest that he pushed aside, letting his anger win out.
"Uhm...you're here about the information on Roman Sionis, right? My email to Oracle got through?" She looked up at the man who stood a little over a head taller than her. Red Hood gave a curt nod, still waiting on her information and she nodded.
"I sent the email because Roman Sionis has been coming to this bar." She stated and that gave Red Hood some interest.
"Why would he come here? It's not exactly fancy." Red Hood asked, crossing his arms and Penelope looked down, an expression of shame crossing her face that didn't go unnoticed by the vigilante. It was then that he took a moment to assess her. Makeup covering bruises on her arms and wrists, signs of drug use on her arms that didn't look too carefully done. Someone was being forceful with her.
"...He comes here because of you." He stated, softening only slightly as she nodded in return.
"He comes to see me dance. The least has ever been once a month...sometimes more." She said softly, frowning with a hint of sadness. Red Hood hummed, his thoughts racing. What would Black Mask want with a woman like this? Surely it wasn't just...physical? The very idea made the anger flare in his limbs, tightening his muscles.
"And what? He just watches you dance? Hardly an issue if he pays." He said, watching her reaction which was one of surprise and annoyance. She scoffed and crossed her arms, a sort of heat replacing her nervous demeanor before that made him smirk with amusement.
"No, he doesn't just watch me dance." She muttered, venom on her tongue. "He tries to make me do drugs, he threatens my friends if I try to get away from him, he...he...you wanted to find him, didn't you?" She asked, her voice rising with each word as she spoke out of anger and frustration. Red Hood held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Woah, slow down. I do want to catch that asshole." He said and then thought for a moment as he studied her, his eyes scanning her familiar features again, those haunting itches in the back of his mind whispering to him.
"...Does he hurt you?" He asked, moving his hand to her arm where the traces of makeup were still apparent. She moved to touch the spot he did and frowned, looking down.
"He has a short temper and he doesn't like it when I tell him no." She admitted, that shame appearing on her face again. She winced when Red Hood touched a bruise since it was the freshest one she had, the color a dark purple around her wrist. It made him sick to think of Roman Sionis manhandling anyone, let alone this woman as thin as she was.
"He makes you take drugs?" Red Hood continued, moving a thumb over the track marks on her arm, some new, some very old. She pulled away but found he had a strong grip on her. She sighed and nodded once again.
"Yes, he's been bringing some along when he comes to visit me. Sometimes I can steer the conversation away, distract him, but..." She shook her head and frowned and Red Hood could see the frustration in the way she spoke, how hard this must be for her to navigate. Red Hood could tell these were the classic maneuvers of a narcissist to isolate and get her depended on him.
"Yeah, if you need your fix you can't run away." He said quietly, pondering just how hard he was going to curb stomp this mother fu-
"I need help." She broke across his thoughts and he looked up at her, watching her lower lip trembled. He schooled his reaction, not wanting to give away how that made him feel bad to see.
"He already broke Kevin's legs when he tried to ban him. This bar is usually a common ground for gangs. No one really fights here. But now..." She sniffed and wiped her eye, sighing as she tried to keep herself together.
"Now it's a shit show...and I was trying to leave." She laughed, pinching her nose for a moment before he nodded and moved his hand to awkwardly put it on her shoulder, hovering it above her skin before he pulled away.
"I'll make sure he doesn't bother you. I promise." Jason looked at her, not normally one to make such a promise...there were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong but he knew one thing and that was that he was going to keep her away from Black Mask.
He stood there awkwardly for a second and she seemed to sense that he was trying to figure out how to escape from the moment so she cleared her throat.
"I should...get back to work." She said softly, "Let me know if I can help you. Roman usually comes once a month, at the least." She looked up at him, taking a moment to get a good look at the vigilante since it might be the last time she saw him. It was no secret he was known as the "big one" of the vigilantes around Gotham and she was definitely aware of how attractive he was. She tried not to dwell, though and left the room, leaving him be to figure out what to do about Roman Sionis.
____
As Jason met back with Barbara at the clock tower she turned to face him, nodding in acknowledgment to his presence before he swung over and took a seat on the sofa, laying back and kicking his boots up.
"Don't get mud on my furniture." Barbara grumbled and Jason only responded with the usual grunt. She tapped away for a second before she began to talk again.
"How was meeting with the dancer? Did she give you any information?" She asked. Jason nodded, his mind drifting back to "Pretty Penny".
"Yeah, she says Roman is there because of her. He apparently decided he likes her, wants her and is threatening her and her friends if she doesn't take drugs and dance for him." He frowned, moving to bite his fingernails as he thought about what that woman must be going through when Roman was around. He was a volatile, disgusting freak...and she was just trying to get by.
"So this is a classic hostage situation of sorts." Barbara sighed and nodded. "I've been doing some looking and the CCTV footage across the street where the liquor store is catches a glimpse of a black sedan. I ran the license plate and it is definitely Roman's personal car. Even in hiding he refuses to be inconspicuous." She rolled her eyes and then sighed.
"As for our dancer friend, I've done a background check on her, she's been in and out of juvie her whole childhood." Jason perked a bit, interested at the thought of the little dancer being a juvenile deliquent.
"Really?" He almost seemed to chuckle and Barbara nodded.
"Get this...for stealing car tires, money and conning." She chuckled and showed Jason the screen. He sat up a bit and looked over to see her juvie mugshot. A little, skinny child with tired blue eyes and lips too big for her face holding up a sign that read "Penelope Margaret Dates". The image of the girl in the photo gave him pause. She looked dirty, tired and sick. She reminded him of himself at that age, struggling to get by, barely making it each day.
"...Where was she? Like around Gotham?" He asked, getting up to walk closer. Barbara hummed and skimmed the files, her eyes moving over each word quickly.
"Says here she lived around the Park Row area with her mother, Priscilla Dates who was arrested once for possession of narcotics. She was bailed by her boyfriend." She muttered, her brow pinching in annoyance. When she went back to Park Row, she looked at Jason.
"That's where you grew up, right? You ever see her around?" She asked. Jason paused, thinking back. The memories were hazy after a long stretch of time anyways, that wasn't to account for trauma and all the other shit he's done in his life. Besides, he didn't like to think about back then, before Bruce.
"I don't think so." He said thoughtfully, taking another good look at the mugshot of Penelope. The freckles across her cheeks, the four beauty marks, two under the left eye, two on the right side of the nose...they screamed familiar...but he was sure he'd never seen her around.
"Maybe we fought over territory once?" He said, shaking his head as it felt wrong to say but he just couldn't place her.
Barbara hummed and then went back to the screen to click the blueprints for the Red Light Bar.
"So what's your plan for getting Roman?" She asked, deciding to focus on the task at hand. Jason shifted and nodded, moving to point.
"I'll stalk the place out for a month. Penelope says he comes once a month at minimum so I'll make it part of my patrol. If Roman shows up he'll want it to take a while, to get his money's worth." He felt the twitch in his upper lip before he ignored it and stayed focused.
"Okay. You think you can handle Roman alone?" Barbara asked and Jason was almost insulted before he realized she was asking if he would be able to bring Roman in and not send him six feet under. He scoffed, feeling a flare of annoyance before he sucked on his cheek, trying not to be short with Barbara. All things considered, he had a bit of a soft spot for her.
"Yes. I can handle bringing in Roman Sionis." He said grumpily, trying not to feel like a child scolded. Barbara didn't push it, nodding as she went back to the screen.
"I'll keep some of the others on standby so if you need back up I can send them in-"
"No." Jason said quickly, feeling a small ounce of something unfamiliar. He wanted to do this himself, as odd as it was. Something was telling him that he needed to handle this alone.
"I can handle Roman. He's comfortable at the bar, thinks no one is coming for him so I can just take out his body guards and get to him easy. In and out, no issues." He looked at the blueprints for the bar and the map of Gotham, already thinking about where to set up a few spots to see when and if Roman decided to come around.
For the next few nights Jason was stalking the area, swinging by and keeping to the rooftops to watch the traffic coming in and out of the bar. No black sedan, no Roman...not yet. He often came back around when it was closing time. 2:30 am. He saw Penelope walk out of the bar with her friends and then make her way towards the bus stop. He was half tempted to follow her, to see where she would be heading off to. Home, a second job... boyfriend's house??
But he was too busy. He had more important things to do than follow some woman around. Well, actually...now that he was thinking about it, Roman could be waiting for her at any other spot. So it would be helping her in the long run to make sure she made it to her next destination safely, at the very least. For her safety, of course. With that in mind, he thought about the bus she was on and where the stops were a long the way.
Cutting across rooftops saved quite a bit of time so he found the bus with no problem. Sure enough, she was there, looking out the window with her headphones on. She rode the bus for a few stops, getting out near the hospital. She had changed her clothes and she was in scrubs so he assumed she was heading in for another job. Poor thing looked dead tired and he was curious about how she was keeping up with this running around.
He saw her pause at the doors to the hospital, down a bottle of water, two bottles of five hour energy and then tie her hair back in a quick and efficient braid. Her fingers working and the way her nose scrunched in concentration had him smirking, the scene causing a stir in his chest. When he realized this he frowned and sighed, aggravated with himself for the way he felt. Nothing was special about this girl yet something was fascinating him with the scrunch of her nose, the furrow of her brow and then way she smiled at people as they passed by.
He watched her go inside the building, humming softly as his fingers drummed over his knees. He knew this feeling but he had no reason to feel it. He didn't know this woman. His first time seeing her was at the bar. Yet the feeling persisted anyhow...
Somehow...he knew her.
_________
Please be gentle with me. I haven't written a fanfiction in YEARS.
Part 1
Part 2 https://www.tumblr.com/talooneytoons/784838662660702208/the-underground-subway-system-was-rickety-the?source=share
TS4 Link's House - Twilight Princess - 30x20* (NO CC)
Link's house from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, built as accurately as possible in the Sims 4! I included hidden rooms for Princess Zelda and Midna, and a bathroom for functionality. (I used mainly Horse Ranch, Werewolves, and Cottage Living.) This has been play-tested** (see below). Be sure to use bb.moveobjects and the debug cheats before placing. Enjoy!!
*The house by itself can fit on a smaller lot without the landscaping.
➜ download my TS4 builds: my EA ID is jhocaa / my TS4 builds
**Suggested edits / corrections for gameplay
By default, the sims think the front door is the secret door to Zelda's room. To change it to the correct front door, you need to replace the front ladder with a staircase. (Apparently front doors cannot be placed above a ladder.)
The sims have some trouble with the kitchen counters due to the Werewolves shelf and decor. Delete the shelf and the decorations for better functionality.
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