ʀᴇᴄʟᴜsᴇ! homesick

CH 25: Identity

Jason~
Meet me in 5 minutes, in the alley behind the library.

I had been staring at Jason's text message for at least 5 minutes. Why did I have to meet him in an alley? In Gotham City?

I feel as if it's a trick, because I know Jason would never tell me to do that, to put myself in danger, unless it's an emergency.

What if it is an emergency?

My curiosity gets the best of me, and I rush out to the alley behind the library.

He's nowhere to be seen.

I roll my eyes, a little annoyed that I had fell for what seemed to be his trick. I start heading inside when the Red Hood drops down in front of me.

"What the-" I shriek.

The Red Hood is gripping his arm, and blood is trickling out of his leg.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go..." He stumbles, but I catch him before he falls completely.

"Wait, where's Jason? What kind of trick-"

"Viv," the robotic tone says, until he takes off his helmet, and the mask underneath it. "I'm Jason."

My eyes widen.

How could I not see it? That Jason was the Red Hood? How he could never tell me about his job, how he disappeared so often, and wasn't available most nights. It all clicked into place

I felt shocked, betrayed, and most of all I felt stupid.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

But then I realize I've been hiding the same secret, so I can't blame him. Does he know? Is that why he's getting close to me? Because I'm the adopted daughter of a billionaire? Or... does he know Bruce is Batman?

I have no time to process the information, I need to focus on other things. Like making sure he doesn't die."Jason, what did you do?!?" I begin to rip off a piece of my shirt, to tie around his arm and leg to stop the circulation, so he doesn't die by bleeding out.

"I tried to take out this drug dealer that was selling to kids, but it was a trap. Can you... take me back to the apartment? I couldn't get there... in time." He says through big gulps of breath.

"Yeah, I can." His apartment is far from here, I have to drag him into my car so we can get home.

He's pale and sweating, and bleeding all over my seats, but I don't care at the moment. I'm driving with one hand, the other in his. Jason's eyes his are fluttering open and shut, and I've never been more scare. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me Jason."

He softly grips me harder with his uninjured arm, and I press down on the gas faster.

I manage to get him onto his apartment on the second floor, even though he's about double my size and weight.

I unlock the door with the key he gives me, and I get him inside. He's bleeding, bleeding, bleeding, and I realize that I'm only used to my blood, not the blood of my loved ones.

I clear off the table, and lay him on top of it, as I begin my search to go and find cleaning alcohol, and a first aid kit.

"Jason, I'm going to have to get you out of your suit and armor." I say, standing over him.

He nods, and I remove his jacket first. He groans, and I do my best to make it comfortable. I'm able to get his bullet proof vest off, and his long sleeve shirt.

I'm examining his arm, and the bullet went straight through, I'm more concerned about his leg. I hurry and clean it with alcohol, so it doesn't get infected, and do nice, clean stitches on both sides to close the hole in his arm.