DA Meadow: The Sinner and the Sadist (A Jason Todd/Red Hood Fanfiction) BOOK 1

Thirty Five: What You Protect

I wake up in the spare bedroom alone. I had expected it, so it was okay. I put on my pyjamas and walk out into the kitchen. 

A smile comes to my face as I see a paper bag from the vegan place down the road. Jason must have left it, before he went.

Before I can even touch it, I hear sounds from my bedroom. Memories and realisation crash into me like a wave. He'd be terribly hungover.

"Dick?" I call out, taking a water bottle from the fridge for him. I walk down the hallway. My bedroom door opens, only to have a giant muscled body slump against it.

"Hey," he says. "Why are there tiny rabbits jumping on my brain?" 

Smiling, I hand him the water. There are dar bags under his eyes, they are bloodshot, his skin is red and his hair is a nest. 

I lead him out to the livingroom, explaining Ginger's text and his inconvenient interruption.

"Have you heard from Ginger since then? My phone's dead," he mumbles. His hangover voice reminds me of Jay's.

"Not yet. You can charge it if you like," I say, nodding over to where I usually charge my phone and tablet.

"Thank you," he says, voice husky and obviously tired. He walks across the room.

"If you want, you can have a shower while I make you some breakfast. Jason's clothes are in the second draw. Just steel some," I say, opening the brown paper bag.

"Are you sure?" Dick yawns tiredly. Poor guy, he looks terrible.

"Yeah yeah. Go. Towels in the cupboard. I'll make you eggs or something," I say, shooing him.

"I thought you were vegan?"

"And Jason is far from it. Now go," I say. He's yawning again as he disappears down the hallway. 

~Elsewhere~ 

Her blonde and red ponytails sway in the freezing, snowy wind. She and her men wait at the rendezvous point at the back or Arkham.

This works nearly every time... 7/10 times, at least she thought. Surely this was one of those seven.

Soon enough, the guards are loading a supposedly empty crate into the truck. The driver nods to the guard before taking off, down the road towards where she was.

The truck stops and she tells on of her men to open the back up, where they all crowd in, around the crate. 

Using a crowbar, his favourite, she cracks the wood open.

"Puddin'!" She exclaims, upon seeing the Joker AKA light of her world sit shot up. His green greasey hair springs up all over the place, and his smile is as red as ever.

"Harley! You never cease to amaze, do ya?" He grins, laying back in the crate as if it were a beach chair. Harley squeals at the compliment, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a yellow, dirty file.

"I-I brought it, like you asked Mr J," she smiles, handing it to him. The Joker takes it from her and flicks through it roughly.

Red Hood, Red Hood and his men, Red Hood shooting someone.

 "So- What do we do?" Harley asks. Everyone leans in, awaiting his words.

The Clown Prince of Crime begins chuckling darkly, before his laughter builds to an all-out cackle.