DA Meadow: The Hellbent and the Broken (Jason Todd) BOOK 2

Sixty Three: Voice

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas or holiday. For those in the snow, congratulations, I envy you. For those like me stuck in 42ºC heat, I feel ya.

Note: Please, I need you to trust me about something that happens in this chapter

~

There is Telysha. Sweet, loving Telysha. I am at the head of the conference table with her to my left. On my right is Kalie, who seems to think she shouldn't be here, but is entirely wrong.

Down the rest of the table are four other people. Each was selected with great care and detailing by myself, Kalie and Telysha, the Mayor and even Harvey with a bit of a push and a couple of Arkham visits.

Jonah is my campaign manager. He will boss around the other five and organise basically everything through delegation and knowledge. He knows who I need to see, when I need to do things, where I need to be, what I need to do and how to do it.

Colleen is my social media co-ordinator. Yeah, it's a thing. She has a certificate and everything. Anyway, she'll handle my accounts on places like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I've never had an interest in any of those so she can have at it. In her opinion it will be a battleground between my opponent and I.

Teresa is my digital designer. She'll be creating the billboards and the signs and the adverts and the badges. Basically my merchandise.

I dread to think of people walking around with my face attached to their shirt. Hopefully I can compromise my initials and slogan.

Jeremy is my speech composer and information guide. He checks the facts, knows the people and understands their dynamics. I know he's straight out of crime alley. For that I am thankful and for that he was chosen.

"We need to discuss your slogan," Jonah says, turning a page in his file and prompting everyone else to.

"You said you wanted it to be about the new justice you're bringing to Gotham," Jeremy adds, "So I brainstormed some ideas and came up with my best."

"And I finished off your logo. The initials, VM, like you wanted, on a silhoutte Gotham skyline." When Teresa flips her tablet around, I can't believe my eyes.

It looks amazing. Just as she described. Against a gradient blue background is the Gotham skyline, white, with the initials VA over it.

"I thought it worked like, you protecting all of us," she smiles. I can see that it has another meaning behind it. It's a familiar look, one that the people I have helped give me. "When you choose a slogan I'll add it beneath the skyline."

Jeremy shuffles around in his chair to face me, chubby hands facing his own tablet towards him.

"We have 'The justice Gotham deserves', 'The first to defeat the worst', 'The hero Gotham really deserves,' The equality Gotham has been waiting for', 'Justice, equality and honesty'. Or, if you'd like we could take from any of the groups you support. I thought 'The future is female' would work for you as well."

I take a few seconds to mull them over. They're all pretty good. I like the message most of them send. Honestly, I don't see myself losing this, but I need a slogan either way.

"I like the first two," I tell him, "the third...Is that a swipe at Batman?"

Jeremy flushes red and glances down at the table, "It wasn't supposed to be disrespectful or anything. You just do more for us concerning the legality of everything."

I nod, looking back on the wall where the choices are being projected. 

"As true as it is, I don't want to use the word equality. I feel that remains very strong in other arguments. I wouldn't want to take from that. I like the three-word one very much, but I don't know if I like the words used. Justice, definitely, but perhaps something different after."