Beyond Words and Oceans

CHAPTER 5

By the end of the week, she caught sight of the letter she had received from Gotham and decided to read it.

Dear Marinette,

I'm sorry...

I know you're hurt and that this could be my only chance to explain the last four years to you. Just putting it on paper is hard for me, I don't want to remember, but I need to, well that's what Dr. Lee said to me. Yeah, can you believe B is sending me to mandatory therapy? You can laugh at me.

Well, where to start? I really left for that mission with B, but I didn't came back... I was killed Mari, Joker beat me up to death and blew up the warehouse he was keeping me in. I died and I remember every second of that day, it still hurts, mentally I mean, because physically aside from the scars I don't have anything. But just like you the nightmares are the worst, I can't sleep most of the time, but don't tell anyone, I'm pretty good at hiding it.

I was buried and six months later, an organisation called the 'League of Assassins' dug me up and resurrected me with the help of the 'Lazarus Pits'. To make it simple, the waters of the Pits can heal and bring back people from the death, but let's just say it take a part of your soul when you come back to life.

I don't feel like I'm myself anymore, but I learned how to control it and now the urges to kill are easier to manage. The leader of the League took that opportunity to further my training and change my view of the world, setting revenge in my mind on anyone I had a connection before. They sent me on missions all around the world and I killed for them. I killed so many people, I don't even want to start counting.

I became the Red Hood, crime Lord of Gotham. Terrifying the drug dealers, killing the criminals, who can't seem to stop and keep getting release from prison, just because the police is still as corrupted as it was before. I made it my mission to kill B, when I came back to Gotham, but in the last few months, they were able to make me see the big picture, take away most of the fug in my mind and learn to control the Pits Madness.

I was really hurt at first, because B adopted another boy, I call him 'Replacement', but his name is Tim, he lost his parents recently and him being the new Robin, he is now officially family from now on.

I decided to keep being Red Hood, but I changed my methods and my goals. I still shoot people, but B got me rubber bullets, almost the same, but no blood and I took in charge the drug trafficking. I know I won't be able to stop it, so I decided to make sure kids wouldn't go near it and with the money I can get from all my 'activities' I make sure the street kids get food every day. You know how important this is to me, so I'll just keep going with the rest of my pathetic life.

I decided to finish High School, so that's a good thing I guess. I also got myself three apartments, or what I like to call them, three 'safe houses'. I'm the only one who knows where they are, I pay cash and no real names, it's the best way I found to be able to disappear if I'm in need to do so. But for now Alfred asked me to stay at the Manor, until things gets better and I can't say no the man, so here I am, in my old room, trying to put my life back together, day by day.

I read your letters, all of them, and I'm sorry you had to go through this alone, you deserved to have a friend and I wasn't. I hope that this letter finds you, because I don't even know if you're still alive and to be honest I'm scared you might not be...

If you do get this letter and you would like a friend, I would love to be one for you. Because I know how much I could use one right now.

Sincerely yours,

Jason

She cried, laughed and felt guilty while reading the heartbreaking letter from Jason. He had died and was now back. That was the most important information in this story. He never abandoned her, he never wanted to leave, he was taken and broken, by this 'League of Assassins' to become their weapon.

"Marinette!" said Tikki, who was reading over her holder's shoulder.

"Yes, Tikki?"

"You need to know... the Lazarus Pits was created with the Miraculous magic, centuries ago and like you know the world needs to be kept in balance, so when its waters bring back someone to life..."

"It takes a part of their soul..." finished the young Guardian, understanding how bad Jason's mental state had been for the past four years. "Is there a way to help him?" she asked turning to the kwamis around her.

"Not really, but Ladybug could create a charm similar to your Magical Charm, to help him control and calm the Pits Madness, but it will have to be stronger. The work to create it will be harder than those normal charms that's for sure," explained Wayzz.

Marinette smiled and took out a paper pad and started to write a letter to her long lost friend, happy to have him back.