Without Hope

Jason Hears the News

Jason slowly put his red helmet on, covering the messy hair and a shit-eating smirk. He twirled his twin handguns and flipped them into the holster that was around his belt. Chuckling, he slowly pulled on the leather jacket that had been lying on the edge of his messy bed, the jacket hugging snugly onto his frame. Crossing his room with long strides, Jason whistled an annoying tune and flung his closet open. Ak-47s, bazookas, sniper rifles, machine guns, and boxes of ammo were precariously littered across the floor. He took the Ak-47 and slung it over his shoulder, fiddling with the strap so it fit comfortably. Jason placed some magazines (ammo) into his belt, and gracefully sidestepped the other dangerous objects on the floor of his closet. Reaching the hidden compartment that was on the way back end of the surprisingly large closet, he typed on a keypad that was attached on the white wall. A "beep" sounded, and the wall moved away with a hiss, revealing the sharpened and gleaming set of various sized blades. Knives, katanas, and daggers were lined up neatly on shelves. Unlike the other section of the 'closet', everything was tidy and organized.

Jason preferred bladed weapons to guns. Guns, they could be remade, and were the same. Blades, they were all custom made, the handles and different resources that made up the weapons were all different. Jason liked different. All of his knives were made out of different material, and they were all handmade. The handles were all carved in a way that made the weapons themselves have a beautiful but dangerous look to them. Jason strode up to the best of the batch, right on the middle shelf, the one blade that he used for every patrol. A marvelous ivory knife with a carved handle made of dark cedar wood, was carefully slipped into a little compartment on the bottom of his boot.

Jason wasn't one to be this slow to prepare for a night in Gotham, no, it would usually take him only a few minutes to get all of his 'stuff' ready. He just liked trolling Roy, one of the three members of The Outlaws. He thought that the red head was hilarious when mad. Roy's face would turn to a red color, matching his hair. Jason tried to piss him off whenever he could.

As if to prove Jason's point, Roy's shrill voice rang out. "JASON! I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP AND GET YOUR SORRY ASS OVER HERE, ME AND KORY WILL LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!" He was clearly annoyed.

Jason's smirk widened under the red helmet, and as he straitened up very slowly, he shouted back, "JUST A MINUTE!" At a leisurely pace, he walked out of his closet, closing the secret room that held his precious knives, and shuffling around the guns on the floor. He knew that Roy wouldn't leave to patrol without him. One, Jason would chase Roy down and shoot him, and two; Kory was such a goody-goody that she would stop him from leaving.

Kory, the sexy alien from Tamaran, and the superhero known as Starfire, was the best fighter in The Outlaws. Jason didn't like to admit it, but she was a total badass, (although Jason was the best badass of the team). She could shoot lasers out of her eyes, beams out of her hands, and could fly. Roy, on the other hand, was totally not sexy, and had no awesome powers. He was the superhero named Arsenal, former sidekick of Green Arrow, and a human. The other Roy that was roaming around Star city, as Red Arrow was a clone of the real Roy. Both 'Roys' had somewhat enhanced speed, but that was about it (though his aim was a little bit better that Jason's, but oh well…). Jason was also human…or whatever could be described as human. Maybe he was a zombie? Ra's Al Ghul had raised him from the dead. Apparently, he wasn't supposed to die, but the Joker got a little out of hand. So, he was technically human… though anyone who was trained by the Bat was never actually human in the end…

Jason finally got to the door, where he could hear Roy banging on his furniture clearly. Oh, his neighbors would probably file a complaint sooner or later… He opened the door, and quickly sidestepped the incoming vase that was thrown at his head. With a loud shatter, bits and pieces of dirt and glass fell to the ground. The neighbors definitely file a report now.

"Finally! What the hell were you doing in there? Taking a long relaxing shower, hmm? I've got important information-" Roy's head was as red as his hair! Jason laughed, and interrupted his ranting. Kory just draped herself over the ratty old cushions on the sofa, not attempting to break up the incoming spit battle.

"Where the fuck did you get that vase? I sure didn't have one of those! Did you take it from the neighbors?" Jason said angrily. Now that he thought of it, he never did actually own a vase.

Roy's haughty look told Jason everything he needed to know.

"Jesus! Roy, the neighbors are gonna kill me! I'm gonna be kicked out of this shitty apartment!" Usually, Jason stayed in his safe houses, but this particular apartment was the one with all the secret compartments in the walls and behind paintings. He wouldn't want to install the same shit to another building; it would take way too long.

Kory laughed, the sound reminding Jason of tinkling bells. Roy snorted, grabbing his bow.

"Y'know, I was gonna tell you a rumor. You know, it's about Dickie-" Roy's smirk settled to a frown. Kory interrupted him.

"Wait, it's about Dick?!" She asked, immediately getting off the sofa and flying over to Roy at fast speed. She was infatuated with Dick, even if he was currently with the Oracle, A.K.A Barbara Gordon. Jason rolled his eyes at her urgency, but underneath the safety of his helmet, he frowned. Dick was prone to kidnapping.

Roy continued, his masked eyes somehow darkening. Once upon a time ago, Wally, Dick, and he were the best of friends. Then, Roy had been cloned and locked up in a test tube. Dick and Wally had never been the same to him, though they were still friends, after he had gotten out. Red Arrow had stolen the two under his wing, and the real Roy was left out.

"As I was saying, Dick hasn't been in Bludhaven at all. I called him yesterday, but he didn't answer, and you know how he is with his phone- it's on even in battle! So, I went over to his apartment, and guess who I see there? Our dear little Robin and Red Robin, going through all the stuff in Dick's place! I asked them what they were doing, but they only left without a word! Something is definitely wrong." Roy fingered one of his feathered arrows, and turned to Jason.

"We goin' to his place?" He asked tentatively. Roy didn't know Jason's relationship with Dick. The two had been close when Jason was still Robin, but after Jason was pulled out of death, nothing was the same. Though, he heard from Dick that he was trying to maintain a strong relationship with Jason.

Jason nodded, and Kory sighed. She too had always had to tread lightly with Jason whenever the subject had anything to do with Dick.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Jason mumbled, hastily climbing out the window and pulling out his grappling gun. Kory and Roy followed silently; exchanging a dark glance with each other. They had a bad feeling too.

Luckily, Bludhaven was only a few miles away, and the three were able to arrive to the border of the neighboring cities. Jason stood on the tall building that had the word "Wayne" on the top, and scowled. The Wayne building stood right at the divide of Bludhaven and Gotham. Already he could see the small, shabby buildings that were littered all around 'Haven.

Jason turned to Roy and Kory. "You ready?" He asked grimly, watching them nod.

"I was born ready." Roy huffed, making Jason roll his eyes. He grappled the building that was on the edge of the Bludhaven, and the darkness enveloped him as he sailed down to the other side. There was another thud, and Roy was on the roof too. Kory floated over, her long orange locks flying widely.

"Lets find Nightwing."