Jaybird

Terrors of the East End

Gotham has always had a problem with drug trafficking.

But it was unusual for the East End to be so active in that department. It had been pretty quiet for the last few years, ever since the Red Hood had taken charge of crime in that sector of the city.

Dick Grayson knew something must be wrong as he sat watching the news in his adoptive father's living room.

Something seriously wrong.

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It was only about a 30 minute drive to Jason's apartment, but to Dick it felt like hours. He just couldn't shake the cold, heavy feeling that was swelling in his chest.

' What's going on Jaybird..?' he thought to himself as he pulled into the parking lot at the rundown Blüdhaven apartment complex.

Jason's windows were open but there was no light coming from inside.

'Maybe he's on patrol right now,' Dick stepped out of his car and climbed the two flights of stairs to Jason's apartment, the cold feeling never leaving his body.

It got worse when he realized that the apartment door was unlocked.  'Jason Peter Todd would never leave his door unlocked.'

Dick threw the door open, unflinching when it smashed against the wall behind it.

The entire place was trashed. The usually impeccably organized books and paintings were shredded and spread across the floor. Dishes looked like they had been smashed against the walls, some pieces of ceramic still stuck deep in the sheetrock.

And the Buddha statue that Jason held so dear to him...

It had been pushed over, the head completely broken off and laying several feet away from the body.

Dick rushed into the other rooms, but he already knew that his brother wouldn't be in any of them. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the graffiti on the bedroom wall.

It was a signature. A signature that he recognized from Jason's reports.

And a confirmation that Jason was in danger.

The Terrors of East End.