My Ghost

seventeen

jason's point of view

"You could never hurt me," she tells me, looking into my eyes. "All I feel is your arms around me while we watch the stars tonight."

I stand there, gun pointed at Ray and simply just watch her. The girl I love, falling apart before my eyes. Her eyes are watery and leaking tears, her hair shorter than I had ever seen it, her head bruised from an unknown wound. If Black Mask had laid a finger on her I was going to tear him to shreds.

But of course he did, otherwise she wouldn't be so terrified of him before me now. I can't shoot her, can I? Not when I finally have her back. There has to be some sort of way to save her still, I know it.

"Enough of this," Dick grumbles, and before I know it, he sticks his electrified batons to each side of Ray's head. Her eyes go wide and I watch as her body trembles before she passes out on the rooftop.

"What the fuck?!" I scream, storming towards him, gun in hand. "No killing, huh Bats?!"

"I didn't kill her," Dick informs me. He doesn't move as I come face to face with him, leaving little room for comfort. "She has a chip implanted in her head that not only tracks her, but can kill her instantly. She also has a communication earpiece that links her directly to Black Mask. We just temporarily disabled the kill device to save her from Black Mask, so you're welcome."

I relax, allowing my shoulders to fall. I set my gun back in its holster and look back at Ray. "She's been through a lot, you guys can get that chip out safe and sound?" I ask.

"Of course," Bruce answers. "You're going to come with us. She'll want you there when she wakes up."

I shake my head, walking over to where I had dropped my helmet, picking it up and tucking it under my arm. "I can't."

"You're the one that was dying to find her," Dick snaps, pointing a finger at me.

"Yeah and you saw how terrified she was of what Black Mask would do to her. How do you think she'll feel waking up and finding out that he's not dead? The best thing I can do right now is take this guy down so she can wake in peace," I argue.

"That can wait," Bruce steps in. "Jason she'll forgive you for not tracking down Roman, she won't forgive you for not being there tonight. You saw how she acted, how impulsive and angry she was. Something's wrong, and we're probably not the people she'll want to get cozy with. She needs you there."

"We can't debate this for long," Dick interrupts, leaning down to pick up Ray bridal style. "I don't know how long the chip will be incapacitated for, and I don't think we want her to die tonight."

Bruce turns to me and simply stares. I look down at my mask and hold it in my hands. I wanted to be there, more than anything I wanted to. If I don't get Roman now, though, what if I lose my opportunity?

"He can't get away," I mutter.

"You can't leave her!"

"I'm not leaving her!" I scream, silence falling over the rooftop. "Not like you left me. I know what it's like to come back and realize that the person who hurt you most is still out there. That everyone you loved let some... maniac who hurt you get away. I can't let her feel like that, too."

"Jason... it was different then," Bruce states. "She'll understand, she knows you love her. She's alive and with us, she can help us."

I shake my head and look down at my boots. Was there a right answer?

"He can't get away," I repeat, quieter now.

"He won't," a male voice joins the conversation. I turn around to find one of Roman's men standing a few feet back. His blonde hair is tussled and his face is slightly bruised. He has a near matching wound to the one on Ray's head, who was this guy?

"Who are you?" Dick asks.

"My name is Cole, I work with Black Mask," he states, and as he sees us all tense he raises his hands in surrender. "I've turned off my coms with Roman, he doesn't know we're speaking."

"What do you want?" I ask, my fingers gripping around the handle of my gun.

"Ray is a close friend of mine. I helped her get back on her feet when she was brought back. She... she taught me things I never considered before, I just want to help," he explains.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Bruce questions.

"Who do you think told the Hood about the window repair?" he asks, turning his gaze back to me.

I loosen the grip on my gun and stand there, dumbfounded. "That was you?"

"Yes. Listen, I've done my fair share of bad things, and as far as I understand she no longer trusts me. But as far as I'm concerned she deserves more than playing a puppet the rest of her life. You should go with her, I can contact you soon with a location to take Roman down," Cole offers. He lowers his hands now, sticking them nonchalantly in his pockets.

"Why would you betray him?" Bruce interrogates him.

"It's a long story," Cole states, looking down at his feet. "You can trust me. Just go take care of her."

"Thank you," I tell him, walking towards him and stopping in front. I extend my hand and he grabs it, shaking it firmly.

"You're the one she called Jaybird," he whispers, and I look at him with shock.

"What?"

Cole chuckles slightly. "She said she loved someone that she lost, I knew that you couldn't truly have been dead, not the way she spoke. Watch over her?"

"Always."

Cole nods, dropping my hand and turning around, walking over towards Roman's men that litter the rooftop.

I turn back to Bruce and Dick and find the two of them climbing into the Batwing, Dick carefully setting Ray in the eat beside him.

"So are you coming with us?" Bruce asks.

I simply nod and walk over to join them. As we lift into the air, I look back at Ray lying peacefully on the floor. I run a finger softly across her forehead, avoiding her gash, and moving a strand of hair from her face.

I am going to kill Black Mask.