And The Plot Thickens [Jason/RedHood]

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"Is everyone in here out of ammo?"

"Uh..."

"Shhhh!"

"Piggy Wiggy, come out to play..."

Harvey's back was pressed against a cabinet doors.  His police special was in his hand and he kept a grim face as he quietly reloaded his pistol.  He was trapped, he'd been cut off from his own herd at least half an hour and somehow ended up ten blocks away on foot without a phone and a radio they already shot off. 

At the click of the magazine sliding in he heard a few of them perk up again.

"Who was that?"

"Hey, give me one."

"SHHHHHH"

Harvey stood up and quickly shot one that looked away at the wrong moment.  He shot his assault rifle out of his hand.  The next one was about to fire and Harvey put lead in his heart.  Another was about to do the same, he looked awfully young, Harvey shot his foot so he'd save himself the running later. 

Harvey heard something from behind, he turned just as one began to strangle him with a piano wire.  Harvey knew better than to struggle too much and cause himself more harm.  Despite his tall stature Harvey managed to shatter the man's instep and began to grapple with him on the ground, attempting to free himself from asphyxiation.

He was also feeling he burn of battling up an down ten city blocks on foot with a bunch of thugs that were probably each at least ten to twenty years younger than him.  Just when he had started to feel pleased with himself was when his age started to catch up with him.  His size did not, he was slimmer than he had been a year or two ago and for many years before that.

Thank you, past-Harvey, for being fat and miserable.  Thank you later-Harvey for getting sick of past-Harvey's fat-assery.  Current Harvey appreciates your sacrifices. 

Harvey was winning the grappling match, but he was beginning to feel light headed from the lack of oxygen.  He punched with all his might at the man that continued to try to hold on to a bucking Detective Bullock.  His endurance was something to be remarked upon, Bullock fought the fading.  He knew there were more of these goons lurking around.  He'd be dead soon.  With renewed purpose Harvey burst and finally managed to shake the thug off.  After gaining breath he hogtied him with zip ties and then checked to make sure he knew exactly how many bullets he had left in the magazine.

He heard more of them, at least another four, coming from upstairs in the old abandoned office building.  He took cover and whispered something under his breath.

[Deleted]

    Jason ran across the rooftops. A few minutes ago he picked up something from the police radio he lifted from a young officer. Usually when the radio went off, it was small stuff. Robbing a gas station, a break in, etc. But this time it was something different.

    There was an ongoing police v gang gun fight. Most of the officers had taken out the gang members on the streets, with only a few casualties. However, there was a detective trapped in the gang's base of operations. Jason had to help.

    Red Hood halted his run on the edge of the roof next to the gang's building. If he was going to help out, he needed to be careful. Fluid. He had to act, not react. There was hostages in the building, and if Red Hood made one wrong move that caused the gang to kill the hostages, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. But Jason also couldn't plan for too long, he wasn't sure how long the detective could hold out.

    After preparing himself for the long fight, Jason glided down and slammed through the window. He rolled on the ground. A gang member turned at the smashing of the window. Jason stood straight up out of his role and shot the member in the head. He ran across the room, and slammed into another gang member, sending him flying through the third floor window. Red Hood never even stopped to see him hit the ground. A member pointed his gun straight at Red Hood. "I'd put your hands in the air if I were you, man. I can shoot you before you even pulled out your gu-" The gang member fell to the ground. "Rule one. Don't get to wordy." Red Hood said as he lowered his gun. The fourth member on that floor ran down the stairs to the lower floor. Red Hood jumped in the air, landed in front of the member and shot him. Jason turned around to see the detective. He recognized the detective instantly. Bullock.

    Red Hood stared at Bullock for a second, remembering the fond memories. Sometimes after cases he would go over to Bullock's apartment to hang out and watch some movies. Under Red Hood's helmet, a small smile crept over his face. "My thermal scanners tell me that there is about twenty more gang members on the other two floors. Are you ready to do this, Detective Bullock?"

[Deleted]

Bullock's gun clicked and he pointed a flashlight positioned over his shooting hand.

He looked at the man that appeared before him with caution, but halfway through what he said and asked, something clicked in Harvey's brain. His stature, his movement, his voice. This was someone he knew.

"Round up the usual suspects, eh?"

It couldn't be him... could it?

Dead. Last he knew the kid was dead. He didn't have to be told directly to get the hint. Batman had never been a smiles kind of guy, maybe a smirk once a year, but for a time he had been extra grumpy. Not on-a-case-burning-the-candle-at-both-ends kind of grumpy, but the anger of loss. Eventually a different kid began to don the costume. Harvey's known each of them, good kids, but the young man before him reminded him of his favorite ever so slightly.

"You got ammo? I only got a handful of lead left, but wait-"

Harvey wrenched a bat out of a fallen enemy's hand and picked up one of their handguns. He clicked off his flashlight and looked at the other once again.

"Why should I trust you, kid? You got a mask just like all the other loons in this town."

Harvey took position at the stairs. He held his bat at ready in the dark, just under the bannister. When the group of floor came tromping down the stairs he popped up with a hard swing of his newly acquired baseball bat into the chest of the first one. They fell down like dominoes. The last one his his head hard enough on the stairs to be knocked out. The first was on the stairs trying to catch his breath while the other two scrambled to get untangled from the other two. Harvey headbutted one as he came over the bannister, but the man stumbled away in the direction of the Red Hood. The other tried to shoot Harvey, Harvey smashed his arm onto the bannister with the bat. Harvey caught the firearm as it fell.

Harvey checked it and put it in the back of his belt, his own gun holstered under his right arm against his ribs, bat in hand.

"I think I'm ready."

[Deleted]

    "Why should I trust you, kid? You got a mask just like all the other loons in this town." Jason watched as the man beat up a few gang members. A member was pushed towards Red Hood. Jason lifted his gun and shot.

    "I'm not saying you have to trust me, how about an uneasy alliance? I always liked those. Besides, I'm your best chance of actually getting out of here. Oh, and here. Just in case." Red Hood reached into his utility belt and pulled out four clips. He gave threee to the detective and used the fourth one to reload his own gun. Jason looked at Bullock, reading his facial expressions. Heh. He remembers me. This is going to be fun.

    Red Hood walked over to the bottom of the stairs and looked at the pile of gang members.

    "I think I'm ready."

    "Good. But I just want to make one thing clear. I'm not one of those Bats. I don't have the same limits. Sure, I have some, but I want this to be clear." Jason shot all of the men at the bottome of the stairs. "I don't play nice."

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"Alright, twofer, let's roll."

Harvey realized he let it slip, his old nickname for that kid. He gave the kid one more glance before moving to continue up the stairs. He ignored his slip of the tongue and stood at the base of the stairs.

"I'll take point, you just do what you do best. If you're who I think and hope you are then you already know full and well I don't play nice, either."

Harvey started to take a step up the stairs but then stopped again briefly looking over to him one more time.

"And hey, try not to kill everyone, alright? I'd like to make some arrests tonight and not so many damn calls to the morgue, capiche?"

Harvey gave a nod and quieted down again as he began to head up the stairs with light, soundless steps.

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"For a minute there I wasn't sure if you remembered me. It's good to see you again, Bullock. Oh, and about the whole, try not to kill as much thing, I'll try my best, but no promises." Jason said jokingly.

Jason followed the older man up the stairs. It brought back old memories. Good memories. As Jason reached the top of the stairs he flashed his gun flashlight through the room. None thugs. Jason made a beckoning gesture to Harvey. He snuck around the room, signing for Bullock to follow him. He stood at the bottome of the other staircase. His scanners read that they were on the floor above. He leaned towards Bullock's ear and whispered.

"What's the plan, sneak in? Charge in guns-a-blazing? Wait for them to come down?"

[Deleted]

Bullock shook his head in disbelief.

God, last time I saw him he was a foot shorter and still in those ridiculous tights. Awww, Twofer's back.

Harvey clicked his tongue, going back to reality in an instant at the question of a plan of attack.

"Let's pick 'em off as they come down kid. After about five or ten more are out they'll get the hint and probably just wait or try to bail. We'll go from there. Sound good?"

The voice of another from above called down to the four they just took out. After a moment the sound of another four or five coming down could be heard. Harvey gave him a nod and fell back behind cover.

"You take point this round, kid."

Harvey wanted to see just how much he could do. And he really hoped the damn kid didn't kill every one of them. That would just grate his ass if he shot each one dead. Harvey didn't care for a bad person, but he didn't like to see people die either. He'd seen it enough.

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Jason smiled as Bullock shook his head. He definitely had the older man in awe. But, that was to be expected. Jason had been dead to the world as of three years ago.

"Let's pick 'em off as they come down kid. After about five or ten more are out they'll get the hint and probably just wait or try to bail. We'll go from there. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, Bullock. They are going to wish they stayed home tonight, when we are done with them." Red Hood walked to the bottom of the stairs and hid in the shadows. He glanced back to Bullock with a questioning look on his face. "We don't plan on letting them bail, do we?"

"Leo? Frank? What's happening down there?" He slid back farther into the shadows as the gangers began walking down the stairs. He nodded back at Bullock.

"You take point this round, kid." Jason nodded again. He intercepted one of the gangers as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He pushed in the ganger's elbow, breaking his arm. He karate chopped him in the throat. The man fell to the ground, he was alive, but he was going to be hurting tomorrow. Another ganger pointed a pistol at Red Hood from across the room. Red Hood sprinted towards the ganger, zigging and zagging across the room. When he reached the ganger, he twisted his wrist, pointing the gun at the man's crotch. Mid-twist, the ganger pulled the trigger. The bullet shot into the ganger's crotch. The ganger fell to the ground, screeching in pain. Jason stomped on the man's face, enough to knock him out but not kill him. Red Hood ran to the next ganger, and leaped into the air. He landed on the ganger's shoulder, leaped off, and kicked his feet into the ganger's head. He ran towards the last ganger, who was pointing a pistol at him. He pulled the ganger's finger through the trigger guard, and bent it back on the guard, breaking it. Jason elbowed the man in the temple, knocking him out.

"Your turn."

[Deleted]

Harvey gave the kid a nod and took point once again. This time is sounded like a larger group of at least six. Harvey had the bat in one hand and his pistol in the other. He could take quite a few guys on his own, but he wasn't going to risk getting killed either.

Once they began coming down the stairs they noticed the other men piled on the steps before them. Before they had a chance to arm themselves Harvey shot two, one in the leg, the other in the arm. The screamed out and Harvey narrowly dodged two bullets that came his way. A third managed to catch graze his shoulder, but Harvey paid it no mind. He dropped the bat and drew another pistol.

"ON THE GROUND, NOW. POLICE, YOU"RE UNDER ARREST!"

They shot at Harvey again and Harvey returned fire. He nailed another two. One he caught in the shoulder, the other would likely die if he didn't get medical attention soon. The last two raised their hands in the air and dropped their pistols. Harvey instructed them to come down the stairs. Once they were down Harvey put them to the floor and hand cuffed them both.

[Deleted]

Jason watched as the older man fought with the gangers. Bullock fought well for his age. Jason could tell Bullock had gotten into shape since Jason had died. As Bullock yelled, Red Hood sunk into the shadows next to the stairs. He watched as Bullock fired his pistol. The man was a good shot, but Jason was better.

Red Hood scowled under his mask as a ganger rolled down the stairs with a whole in his chest. There was crimson red liquid, almost the same red as Jason's helmet, dribbling out of his chest. It was a sucking chest wound. As the man was trying to breath, it was sucking air into his chest, and his lungs would collapse soon. Bruce trained him to treat this, but it was hard and would take a lot of drugs and medical supplies. Besides, Jason would have to work quickly, or else the man would die in minutes.

Red Hood smirked under his helmet as Bullock slammed the face of the other gangers on the wooden floor. Red Hood didn't want to quite make himself very public yet, so he had to knock these men out.

"Bullock. Close your eyes and plug your ears." Jason said sternly.

He pulled a few large pellets out of his utility belt. Concussive grenades. He threw the pellets on the floor, and they made several loud noises and flashed brightly several times. The tone and intensity, plus the intensity of the light was enough to knock out anyone. Except for the Batfamily, who had protection in their masks.

He slowly walked out of the shadows and stood above the man with the chest wound. It was to late. He wasn't dead, but he was close. Jason could save him, but he would never fully recover, and the amount of drugs he would have to use would cause permanent brain damage. Red Hood scowled and lifted his gun. Bullock may not approve of what Jason was about to do, but it was better than the other option. Besides, it was a fitting end for criminals, giving them a test of their own medicine. Jason took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. There was a quick flash. All that was left was the crimson, the smell of sulphur, and a bullet hole.