Leaving

Leaving Part 2

Life after Jason was similar to a ship losing its way after the lighthouse turned off. It was only a matter of time until she crashed into the rocks waiting at the shore. She was bouncing from home to home. School was the one constant, yet even that was a painful reminder. Jason use to help her with homework, and now without him she didn't want to try.

Some nights she would sneak to the cemetery and talk to his grave stone. Tell him how life was going and give news on old familiar faces. Told him how she no longer felt like college, not that she would be able to get in anyways with her grades. Failing half your classes is a sure way to keep the thoughts of college out of one's mind.

It wasn't all bad though, she was earning money legally through her job as a busser at the local diner. Eventually working so many hours that she didn't have time to stop by her friend's grave. She kept telling herself it was okay, she needed to move on. Talking to a stone that couldn't talk back was not the method to do that.

Years passed, she went from a busser to a waitress. Earning enough to get a place in the Narrows. Occasionally she still stopped by the grave to talk to him, finding that talking helped. Like most Gotham citizens, she had a small idea on what was going on with the bat clan. Knew a new robin was on the scene. Hopefully Batman could keep this one alive longer than Jason. She also knew of a new masked individual known as Red Hood. The police didn't like him, but the people in the Narrows did. He did what Batman would not.

One night she had the great opportunity to meet the red helmet wearing, gun wielding Gothamite. Once again she had pulled the graveyard shift at the diner and decided why not visit a graveyard as well. She touted over to her favorite gravestone. Unknown to her someone was watching from the very tree she sat in during Jason's funeral.

"Hey scrawny, how goes life six feet under. Sorry that was mean just long day. What did you use to say? Oh yeah the more annoyed I am, the worst the sarcasm. Had a table walk out so that came out of my meger paycheck. Neighbors next to my apartment are loud as hell. I think they work for Two Face. Rumor has it he has great benefits. Nights like this makes me think I should. Anyways don't have long, got a schedule date with my bed I can't miss."

She laid down some cookies on his grave out of tradition and started the walk back to her apartment. The figure from the tree followed her, but he wasn't the only one. A few thugs had started to stalk her once she entered into the area known as the Narrows.

Next thing she knew, gunshots rang out a little too close. Quickly she turned around as the thugs came out of their hiding spot. One was down with a gunshot. From above the building came another shot. Y/N took down the two near her. Growing up on the streets taught her to fight and fight well. The worst they had managed was a knife wound to her back that could be fixed later. Both men were down in a few minutes and out cold. Once the third got shot, the gunshots stopped. Instead she heard clapping.

Down a fire escape came the one and only Red Hood. Fear immediately took over any other emotion that she was feeling. Rumors had it that Red Hood only took out criminals, but one could never trust the rumors in Gotham. Part of her wish she was some religion just to have someone to pray to in a moment like this. Any bit of luck would help. He kept clapping as he got closer.

"That was impressive." He said as he got closer. The mask made his voice sound almost robotic.

"Thank you" She replied heistantly.

"Although it seems your nerves must be shot or you don't feel pain. Since you are bleeding on your lower back." He said as he pointed to her.

"I was going to fix that later?" She shrugged.

With that she started walking towards her apartment. If he wasn't going to harm her, then he was just keeping her from sleep. After a 14 hour shift, all she wanted was her pathetic excuse of a bed and to pass the hell out.

"Hospital is that way" He pointed to behind her.

"Not going there, that cost money I don't have. Sticking a band-aid on it and going to bed" She yelled behind her while walking. Heavy footsteps could be heard as he ran up to her.

"Are you dumb?" He said as he caught up to her.

"Debatable" She replied while rounding the corner to her place. "You coming in"

"Yes, since you are stupid enough to just sleep that off." He huffed. The blood pooling on her shirt made him concern. "You need stitches."

"Fine then you do them." She said as they got to her door. Fishing the keys out of her pockets, she unlocked and flicked the lights on.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" He asked while surveying her place.

"Bathroom" she yelled while going to her bed. Hood wasn't going to stop her from long overdue sleep.

He took the time to look around, not there was much. Her studio apartment didn't leave much room. Her bed stood against one wall facing a container that held a TV on it. Next to her bed was a night stand with an alarm clock. A computer stuck out of the mattress, no doubt her attempt at hiding it. The kitchen was a hop and skip away from her bed. The sink over flowed with dishes and an open bottle of gin was sitting there waiting for her.

The bathroom was a mess with makeup all over the counter. Luckily the first-aid kit was right under the sink. It was the same one she kept when they were kids. He checked to make sure there was enough stuff to stitch her up, and saw his notes. The ones are he gave her back when he was Robin. Her habit of ignoring injuries never changed. He turned around to check on her.

"Seriously you are going to sleep it off aren't you." he said when he saw her basically asleep on the couch. Looks like her ability to not care if she was injured stayed the same.

"I am tired."

"You always say that" He mumbled under his breath. Unfortunately she had good hearing and caught that.

"Wait what" She about screamed. There was no way he knew her. "Start talking"

"It's complicated" he replied.

"Story of my life, so start talking."

Silence followed for a bit. Jason thought about it. He really wanted to tell her because he missed her. There was always the chance she would hate him now for what he became. The growing red spot though weighed heavily on his mind. He knew that he needed her to trust him in order to patch it up, otherwise she would sleep it off.

"Don't freak out." He said while going to press the button to take his helmet off. Slowly he took it off and dropped it to the floor.

"Jason. What the fuck" She said while the helmet went thud on the ground.

With that she passed out as the vision of Jason back played over and over in her mind.