Collection Of Short Stories

Under Red Hood's Wing

The kid was sitting on the steps in front of his house.
His face rested on his arms witch rested on his knees.

Jason wouldn't usually care but it was pouring rain.
The kid was soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold.

"What are you doing out here kid?"

The boy looked up at him.
Seeing who was talking to he jumped up to his feet.
"Hood!"
Jason held his hand out in front of himself to calm the boy.
"Geez. Calm down and answer the question."

The boy opened his mouth to answer but something crashed loudly in the house behind him followed by male and female voices yelling.
The boy flinched visibly.

Jason sighed heavily.
He had thought this was going to be as easy as "go inside stupid kid."
It appeared it wouldn't be that simple.

He took of his jacket and threw it at the boy.
"Put it on."
The kid hesitated staring at "The Hood" for a moment.
A violent shiver ran through his body and he quickly slipped into the leather jacket.
It swallowed his small frame but at least it would protect him from getting more wet than he already was.

"What's your name kid?"
The boy stared at him.
He had to look up quiet a bit.
"Beckett." He said finally.
"BECKETT!"
The loud echo came from the house.
The kid whipped around gasping audibly as a man stormed out the front door.
Beckett backed away instinctively and slammed right into Jason's chest.
Jason put a hand in the boys shoulder and moved him to the side.

The man was intoxicated but he recognized the red helmet.
"Hood?"

Rage boiled inside if Jason.
"You were going to hit your kid?"

The man swayed on his feet.
Red Hood or not the man was hammered.
"What's it to you?"
Jason serged forward grabbing the man by his shirt causing him to cry out in fright.

"I'll show you what it is to me!"

He slammed the man's face into his knee, picked him back up and kneed him in the stomach.
The man vomited on the ground.
While he was down Jason repeatedly kicked him in the ribs until a hand grabbed his arm.

It was Beckett.

Maybe he was crying maybe he wasn't.
Kind of hard to tell in the rain.
"Please stop," he begged. "He's my dad!"
Jason met his eyes for a moment then shook his hand off.
He reached down and pulled the man up by his hair.

"How's it feel to get hit by someone bigger than you? How does it feel to be unable to save yourself? What's it to me? That's a good question. What's it to the EMT you're going to need when I'm done with you?"

He punched the man square in the face and then through him back to the ground.
"I may not be the nicest guy around but at least I don't hit kids!"

He placed one more hard kick in the man's ribs before turning back to the boy.

Beckett was sitting on the ground with his knees pulled to his chest, his eyes squeezed closed, and his hands placed firmly over his ears.
His shoulders shook and his small body was racked with sobs as he tried to block out the sound of his father's ragged breathing.

Jason slipped an arm around the kids torso and picked him up.
He didn't way half as much as he should.
The boy didn't fight him at all which was a little disturbing actually.
He just folded over Jason's arm as his body continued to shake.

"I'm sorry kid. But you're better off without him."

****

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