Jason Todd's Daughter

Doubts and Fears

     Meanwhile, far away from the chaos currently erupting on Gotham City's streets, Jason Todd was desperately trying to figure out an escape plan.
     The villain holding him hostage had temporarily left the room to fetch instruments of torture. So he knew he had only a few minutes to implement any kind of plan.
     Arya had been brought to a different cell hours ago, and Jason feared the worst. Roy had been drugged into a compliant state, so he'd be useless in assisting his comrade.
     It was no use... he have to escape and then return later to rescue them. Just a little further, Jason encouraged himself as he crept stealthily towards the door that led to his freedom. Reaching for the knob he let out a very manly shriek as a blast of green fire melted the door knob in front of him.
     Hunching his shoulders as he felt a dark aura simmering on the other side of the dining room, the Red Hood peered over his shoulder shaking with fear.
    Yep, Koriand'r was mad, furious actually. She had spent hours cooking this meal and Jason had dared attempt to avoid eating her masterpiece?!
    She pointed her spatula at him and then at the chair. "Sit. Down."
    Gesturing weakly with his hands in protest Jason smiled nervously, "N-no. I'm good thanks. Not that I don't want to eat your truly amazing cooking but I, uh, have to get to Gotham! I... promised I'd help my replacement with his er...uh... homework! His homework! Gotta show good blood is between the our families right?"
     The orange skinned alien slammed the palm of her hand against the table, causing the smell of burning wood to immediately enter the air as the table literally began to smoke.
     Gulping Jason walked back over and sat back down once again next to a highly amused Roy, who had been snickering the entire time as he had watched Jason's second attempt to escape crash and 'burn' (literally on the last part).
     Roy knew exactly why Jason was so scared, the last time Kory had cooked dinner for the Outlaws... let's just say that the night ended with food poisoning and a trip to the hospital.
     But, Roy was to tired to care at the moment and Kory, despite her many culinary flaws, could make a mean cup of coffee.
     Looking at the dish in front of him Jason winced at what had once been food which sadly now looked more like nuclear waste.
     Sweat trickled down his forehead, one thought repeating itself on a continuous loop as he stared at the tragedy before him: And this ladies and gentlemen, is how I, Jason Todd, died.

      ******************************
     Nah, JayJay made it. How? No one knows. Must be because he spent several years building up an immunity to iocaine powder.
     Glancing at the other redhead in the room Roy finally brooched the question he and Jason had been wondering, "Why did you call us here? I mean, family time is important and all, but on the phone you sounded urgent."
      Kory bit her lip, looking at her two dearest friends, "I'm worried about Arya."
     "What for?" Jason asked quizzically, "Her training sessions with me and Roy are going well, she picked up on the bow almost immediately, Arya's school grades are above average. I don't see any cause for you to be worried."
       Roy nodded in agreement at his best friend's statement.
       Giving them an exasperated look Kory continued, "Yes, I know our daughter excells at everything. Including aging. she's barely nine months old and she already looks like a fourteen to fifteen year old human!"
       Jason lifted an eyebrow, "So? We ran tests on her when I first found her in that alley. We found nothing wrong. And besides, we've all seen an odd thing or two."
      Unbelievable...how can a human being be this dense? Kory steamed, folding her arms across her chest.
     "You're telling me that you're not concerned at all? JASON WAKE UP!" Kory yelled the last part, "If she keeps growing at this rate, in a little more than five years she'll be one hundred and five! People don't live to that age on Earth. And if she starts aging any faster, Arya could die even sooner."
       Jason just stared at Koriand'r dumbfounded, while Roy paled as he realized the seriousness of the situation.
       Yes, yes, get that into your thick skulls! Our daughter is dying!
        Roy dragged a weary hand down his face, shifting his blue eyes to Kory's vivid green he asked, "Do... do you have any suggestions on how to stop, or a least slow down Ari's development?"
       Kory grimaced at this, yes she had a plan, but Jason wasn't going to like it, "I do. We need to talk to Poison Ivy. She did this to Arya, maybe she can undo it--"
         "ARE YOU CRAZY?! THIS WOMAN KILLED ARYA'S PARENTS, SHE'S DATING THE JOKER'S EX! ARE YOU FORGETTING THAT HARLEY WAS THERE WHEN THAT SICKO BEAT ME TO DEATH? NO, NO WAY," Jason bellowed, standing up so fast that his chair toppled to the ground.
     Kory sighed, I knew he wouldn't react well.
    "Jason please, just listen!" She attempted to reason, but the Red Hood was having none of it.
     "No! You listen! I am no--” Roy had finally had it. He'd listened calmly so far but know it was his turn.
     "ENOUGHHHHH!" His outburst froze both Kory and Jason. They started at their normally mild-ish mannered friend in shock. Glaring at the two he hissed, "Both of you, sit!"
       They obeyed. Laying his palms on the table he targeted the other male in the room first, "Jason. This, this isn't about you. Going to Ivy is about trying to save Arya's life. So swallow pride, and shove your old grudges up your ass."
      He turned his attention to the Tamaranean who squeaked at the look he gave her, "Kory. One, I'm out of coffee and I'm to tired to deal with Hood's shitty personality without it. Two, thank you, for realizing the danger Arya is in."
     I swear...if I wasn't in love with Dick (that sounds wrong, I'm sorry), I would date this man, Kory admitted to herself as she looked at Roy in awe.
    She was ripped out of her thoughts when a small voice spoke up from behind her, "Mommy. Am I... going to die?”
  
     ******************************

      Arya knew Jason would attempt to save himself from having to eat Kory's  disasterous attempt at spaghetti and meatballs, so she decided to film it for blackmail usage later. Fortunately for Arya she'd already eaten an early dinner before she had arrived.
     She'd set up the camera by throwing a small batarang at the wall  directly across from the stairwell, from there all she had to do was sit back and watch on her laptop.
     Let the show begin! She snickered to herself as she watched her dad attempt to escape once, and then once again. Uncle Roy's reaction was truly the best. 'Just nonchalantly sipping coffee as a ball of fire flies by my head, no biggie'.
      After a while things had pretty much slowed down and the only thing interesting happening was Dad's face as he ate dinner.
     Might as well check my emails, pulling out her phone (which was 'Timothy Drake improved') she began scrolling through her messages. After a bit she got a new email notification. Arya frowned.
     Opening it she read the email Tim had sent to her aloud, "'Need to talk to you in person about Prim. Tell me when you're coming back so I can pick you up -Tim.''
      She sent him a quick response, and then began watching her family once again, only to find the conversation that they were now having had taken a much darker twist.
     "...in a little more than five years she'll be one hundred and five! People don't live to that age on Earth! And if she starts aging any faster, Arya could die even sooner."
     Arya's chocolate brown eyes widened in shock and horror, Die in five years? Aging? What?
     She knew she wasn't the normal size for her age, and that they constantly had to go clothes shopping for her, but it had never occurred to the nine month old what that could mean for her.
      Closing the laptop she slowly made her way towards the stairs. I'm going to die when I turn six...but...what about becoming a hero? What about saving people?
     Arya pondered all this as she descended down the stairway. Reaching the bottom step she stopped at the kitchen entrance and asked, "Mommy. Am I... going to die?"
     The heartbroken expression on her mother's face gave her the answer. Yes. She was.

      ***************************
  
     Kory stood up and walked over to her daughter. Once she reached Arya she pulled her into a bear hug.
     "No honey. You're not going to die. Not on my watch. Or your Father's. Or Roy's. We'll figure it out, okay?" Kory stroked Arya's hair soothingly.
       Nothing will happen to you baby. Not on my watch.
       If only they had known what was to come.

        ***************************

      "VLAD! WHERE ARE YOU DAMMIT!" Morathena shouted slamming open the Vampire's inner castle doors.
       She knew that the castle contained all of the most prominent and powerful vampire regents, but right about now, Morathena couldn't give two flying fuck's.
       "VLAD YOU BAST-Agghhh!" She choked as a pale hand lifted her into the air by her neck.
       "I would watch your next words carefully, they could be your last," Andrea warned.
       Despite dangling the squirming redhead in the air, Andrea Moore looked like grace itself. Her golden hair was tied loosely behind her while her pale yellow eyes tracked Morathena's every movement.
      Across the room Brianne let out a gasp as she realized what was going on. Speeding up to her lover's side she nuzzled her face into Andy's neck. "Honey, I think that's enough. Don't you?"
      "She was slandering our Lord's name! Such insolence--" Andrea began to defend herself only to be cut off by the Dark Prince himself.
      "-Will not be tolerated. Yes. However, Morathena is an old friend. I'll let it slide," he chuckled in amusement.
      Huffing in annoyance Andy released her hold, causing Morathena to drop to the cold stone floor. "Bitch!" She hissed, rubbing her neck bitterly.
      The blonde's eyes sparked at the insult, she went to lunge but stopped when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.
      "C'mon. We need to go find Yurio anyway. Please Andrea?" The dark skinned girl begged, looking at Andy with puppy dog eyes.
       Sighing the century (give or take) year old vampire allowed herself to be led out of the room by her mate.
      Dracula's steady eyes shifted to Morathena. "How's Arya?"
     "So you're calling that human but her first name now?" She sneered.
      Rolling his Ruby colored eyes at the female vampire's childishness, he replied slowly, almost as if talking to a toddler, "Yes. Now, answer. The. Question."
       "She's fine," Morathena caved. "But you better change her, I'm getting sick of babysitting a weak human. She's too fragile."
        Running his fingers along the wall he was standing by Vlad looked at his main enforcer with disdain.
       "She's not ready yet. But soon...very soon."