Shadow | DC - Jason Todd/Red Hood

ONE

CHAPTER ONE

I never knew things would change within minutes, hours, or years. I still recalled the time I once met the stubborn brat teenager that my uncle took his wings under. Being part of the Wayne family may have its benefits, but it sure does have the consequences. Because I am related to him, I have been involved with danger for the past several years, especially during the days I am meant to be the happiest young teenager alive. The days as a youthful Gotham student became torture as Pig would hire goons for my head as a reward to torment the Bats.

I could not believe that the brat my uncle found was someone I could relate with about family issues. I grew with an orphan with no legitimate father as he was pounced killed during my birth and my mother was shot on my tenth birthday. What fond twisted memories I must endure for my life. The worst part is that I was raised by the League of Assassins, but mother was against their wishes because of the fate my path would lead me with the murderers.

I only wished to not be involved with violence, especially fights during my encounters with villains as an adult, but that wish was never granted. Now eighteen, I must have the burden to live a life that I never prayed or thought of. The sin that I must atone for those fallen under my biological father. I never thought of him as a father, nor never will even though he engraved it in my mind. I wished I had the guts to kill him but I couldn't because it would torment my mind even more...

///

With the influence of Bruce, I could attend Embassy gatherings in Australia and Gotham, regarding to Bruce's absence in several events. You don't need an explanation why he placed me in his footsteps as businessmen with his passion of being the protector of Gotham. I tend to ignore his beliefs and morals of fear into his enemies when he encounters the most ruthless villains on this Earth. I'm the type of person that would like to cause the predators pain to the point they would break and become cribbed in the Asylum.

The gatherings I attended are the ones that has political leaders such as ministers in European countries as well as members of the United Nations. Without a care in the world, I would write down notes that Bruce has missed along with rebuttal arguments that have questioned several ways of dismissing violence. The tactics discussed within the congressed issued violence with more violence but I stated the flaws of the statement with history and some political stand offs that bewildered others.

Let's face it, I knew this would be a flop because I would see it happen between other nations with villains and superheroes ending the conflicts. I eye rolled myself whenever the Justice League was mentioned in discussions of the evenings. The group may have shown power for unfortunate countries, but it does not resolve the issues of vulnerable people being targets. I understand that they cannot be everywhere at once but the fact they only fight against foes who are familiar to them in Gotham. I broke my heart that someone I once knew was taken from me because they fell for the same formula of being a superhero. Therefore, I am against heroes who may be too naïve between victims...

"This way Commissioner Gordon," I guided the Gotham commissioner in the mass hall of the Australian Embassy. With a composed tone, I warned the police enforcer that we may be greeted by uninvited guests. "Three at 10 o'clock, careful with the yellow eyes." I muttered before escorting the individual to an ambassador of a neighbouring country.

Before I dismissed myself from the commission I silently counted down to five before the big event occurred. Glasses were smashed and Pigs goons delighted themselves in with pink masked dolled faces as they focused on the invited ambassador. I dragged the minister to the nearby pillar before I was stopped by a tall thug with doll like limbs. I smirked to myself as I grabbed my hidden pistol from my fishnet leggings and lunged at the foe. I commanded the ambassador to hide with the other leaders in a safe place until this incident is over.

"I hate to say this", I lightly pressed my earbud gold earrings, "Pig is in the building. About ten of them has greeted themselves and it looked they originally wanted to say hello to you..." Soft sighed were muttered as I dodged incoming punches. "Hurry!" I screamed at the person until another set of glass windows were shattered.

"Shit!" Several men shrieked at the familiar red helmet. "This was never part of the plan Boss!" A thug with robot limbs hurried away from the embassy.

The red masked man raised from the ground he landed on and chuckled at the childish individuals who crashed the party. "Looks like some boys did not understood what I told them last month." The next thing in knew, I heard knuckles cracking as the red figure grabbed several hand guns.

I rolled my eyes once more before I headed to the feared ministers. I excused my reckless actions with the explanation that they safety is top priority as it was Bruce Wayne's order to myself. I allowed them to quickly gather their items before heading out of the function, only to be stopped by Scarecrow. Sharp orders were delivered to the scared crowd as I tried to divert the eyes of the defenceless politicians.

Gun shots echoed the hallway as the mask man grunted at the entrance of Scarecrow. One of the villains that I feared for my life due to his infamous fear toxin. I gulped to myself before the atmosphere in the hallway contained poisonous gases. The red mask male fled from the scene as his duty to stop the thugs was over while I crippled to the ground, knowing what would wait for conscious body.

///

The dreams of the horrific accident created the void in my mind. The void that was once taken by the irritating brat that was taken by The Dark Knight. The once braced teenager who had a pitted life in the slums after his partner's murder of debt and being the young robin hood of his suburb. It wouldn't always help him in times when needed but he somehow got me. The fact he was taken by someone I wished I never was related to cause a rift in my heart. The thought of atoning that sin from myself and from that person. My entire existence is a burden that I could not get over. Scarecrow placed me in the time of the infamous death of the second Robin, Jason Todd.

I remembered the conversation the Joker delivered to Jason as he beaten the lost boy. With repeated grunts after hits of the crowbar, the demonic laugh echoed in my mind. Till this day, I would relive the time the young Todd was taken from the Bat Family and from society. Although he was fired due his use of violence in his time with the Dark Knight, it did not fill in the missing person Dick Grayson had. The thought of failure and redemption caused the capture and beating of the young kid. The recall of Todd's mutter pierced my head as I couldn't protect him. I ghostly observed the bombing of the warehouse in an abandoned warehouse the Dark Knight barely made. I clenched myself as I the moaning of Bruce Wayne was left alone with no one by his side and the fear of losing family. I cursed to myself that I was not able to comfort the past Bruce as my memories was eventually greeted by a bright white light.

"Welcome back, Miss Al'Ghul, or I should say, Miss Chia!" the horrific criminal snickered at my defenceless body. "Now, allow myself to learn your fears, Miss forgotten assassin." The masked man with a broken hay bag over his head exposed the lethal oxygen in my system.

With my last breath, I warned the bastard. "I'm sure someone will get you for this- ", my sentence was cut as the fear toxic surrounded my thoughts of loneliness. "Jay", my mutter echoed the deemed lit room.