Live to Rise

The Red Hood

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EVERYTHING BELONGS TO DC AND KAI MACIEL THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK
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One year later

Miami

November 2, 12:12pm

Henry Sandoval backed away until his back hit the wall. He couldn't run and there was no one left to protect him, all his men were dead.

How was that possible? How could twenty armed men lose against one single guy?

"Who the hell are you?" Sandoval asked, grabbing his Glock 18 with his trembling hands.

"Well... that doesn't really matter, does it?" the man with the red mask said, moving closer to the terrified man. "Now, Henry, we have to talk."

Sandoval fired, but the man moved out the way and kicked him in the stomach and punched him in the face before grabbing his neck. His gun fell to the ground, completely out of his reach.

"Maybe you didn't understand, I said we were going to talk" the masked man groaned.

"I haven't done nothin'!"

"We both know that's a lie" the masked man answered angrily as he pushed Sandoval against the wall. "Blackmail, hits, extortion, drug dealing, gun dealer, rape and even domestic abuse. Not even your wife and son escaped, you worthless scumbag!"

"Did... did that bitch sent you?" Sandoval asked. "Did she pay you? Because I can double it! I can pay you whatever..."

"I don't want your filthy money, Sandoval! I want answers! Where did you sent the nuclear weapons?"

"Wha...?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you sold them, I've seen your payment. You couldn't care less about the lives those bombs are gonna take, do you? All you see are those zeros on your bank account!"

"You're crazy! I didn't sell any weapons!" Sandoval yelled miserably. "I'm just an honest businessman" without hesitation, the masked man shot his right leg. "AAAAAHH! GOD DAMNIT! AAH! YOU SHOT ME!"

"Damn right. Lie to me again and I'll continue shooting. Now... tell me where you sent the bombs."

Bailing pathetically, Sandoval told him everything, which the masked man recorded on his hidden phone. Then, he remembered the families this man had destroyed, the kids who died of his drug dealing, the women he raped but never got justice and the beaten faces of his wife and son. He kept all those faces in his head as he punched Sandoval to the ground and shot him in the head.

Batman wouldn't have done it. Batman would have beaten Sandoval and his thugs into a pulp and left them for the cops to find. Then, Sandoval would either pay his bail or pay some of his buddy cops to keep him out of jail and free to continue his dirty work.

Now, Henry Sandoval would never hurt anyone ever again. It didn't matter that Batman would never approve. It shouldn't matter, not anymore.

"Red Hood, here" he said to his phone. "Did you hear everything?"

"Every bit" a male voice said on the other side. "I guess we have work to do tonight."

"You can go back to bed once the bombs are destroyed, Arsenal."

"I wasn't planning on sleeping, though I had other plans in my mind. I'll bring Kori."

"Right" the Red Hood answered. "I'll see you in the harbor."

"Hood... There's something else" Arsenal said. "The League is already looking for the bombs. They'll find Sandoval soon and you. Nightwing and his gang are also looking."

Red Hood sighed as he jumped from the window into the nearest roof, avoiding any potential cameras. He knew the League Junior was already tracking him for months, but they had failed to catch him. There was no way he was going to let them sent him to jail or an asylum.

Also, he would never let them know who he really was.

"I have to work fast then" the Red Hood said.

"Do what you have to do, but don't get yourself killed" Arsenal said. "Wait for the team."

Under his mask, Red Hood frowned. "We're not a team, Arsenal."

"Maybe... but you need help and I sort of owe you. See you later, Hood."

Red Hood turned off his phone with a small smile. For reasons that he was still trying to comprehend, he had burst Roy Harper out of a prison in Qurac and let the redhead find out about his identity. Maybe it was because Red Hood identified with the original Roy Harper more than anyone else. He knew what was like to be taken away, forgotten and replaced by the people who were meant to care.

"No time for moping" the seventeen-year-old thought. "Time to blow up a submarine
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A/N: Sorry for the short chapter.

I've decided to break this chapter into two chapters because the original book only has 8 chapters and was last updated the summer of 2015.

Until next time
-Nightwing-