Red Hood and the Outlaws

Chapter Nine

"I'll get Jason!" Arsenal called, leaping over to the prison and cutting the ropes with arrows, freeing Jason first and slowly making his way over everyone.

"Nightwing, Batwoman, Red Robin, go deal with the brutes! Robin, Batgirl, Orphan, Spoiler, Jason, deal with the Talons!" Batman ordered. "Arsenal, Starfire, I'll chase that man down with you!"

Arsenal, Starfire and Batman ran after the Court member, with Starfire obviously flying. Arsenal growled to himself, losing patience and shooting a rope arrow at the man's legs and knocking him down. Arsenal stepped onto his chest and aimed an arrow at his head, kicking the mask off his face. 

"N-No." Arsenal stammered, dropping his bow and arrow.

"Roy?" Starfire asked, laying a hand on Arsenal's shoulder. "Is that--?"

"It's..." Arsenal couldn't find any words, astonished by this reveal. "Me."

Batman walked over to them and scanned the man, scowling as it was finished.

"It's a clone." Batman confirmed. "It's your DNA, just altered."

"You've lost. You can't win." the clone smirked, grabbing his walking stick and pulling a small device out of it, folding it out to reveal it was a bow with several arrows. He threw down a smoke arrow, sending out a smoke screen and hiding him.

"There." Batman said, kicking the man down as he spotted him running away using his scanners. "It's over."

"It's never over. The Court of Owls is eternal." the clone laughed, wiping blood away from his lip. Suddenly, a red bow came up from behind Batman's back and started choking him, eventually knocking him out.

"Roy!" Starfire cried. "What are you doing?!"

"The Court of Owls is eternal." he said, almost robotically.

"Roy, are under mind control. Please, snap out of this!" Starfire pleaded.

"The Court of Owls is eternal." Roy scowled. Just then, Batman pushed Roy against a wall and growled in his face.

"The Court of Owls will fall." Roy seemed to snap out of his control, stumbling around as Batman let him go. "Wh-what happened?"

"You were mind-controlled." Starfire said.

"Oh shit." Roy exhaled, rubbing his eyes. "Are you okay?" 

"We're fine." she smiled warmly, leading Batman and Arsenal back to the main room where bodies of Talons and Brutes scattered the ground.

"Looks like you cleaned up here." Starfire quipped.

"You're welcome, by the way." Robin grinned. "What's up with him?" he asked, gesturing to Roy.

"He found out the leader of this Court of Owls is a clone of him." Starfire sighed, laying a hand on Roy's shoulder.

"He's not the leader." Batman interjected. "When the King of the Court dies, the role goes to their nearest relative, and it isn't Roy Harper or a clone of Roy Harper."

"Who is it then?" Arsenal growled. Batman was silent. Arsenal stood up and stared Batman in the face. "Who?!"

"William Cobb was the previous King." Batman sighed. 

"Who the hell is that?" Arsenal snarled, irritated at the reluctantness Batman showed to tell them.

"He's my great-grandfather." Nightwing said quietly.

"Yes." Batman confirmed.

"Wouldn't that make you the King then?" Red Hood inquired.

"I'm not a part of the Court anymore." Nightwing exhaled. 

"So who's the King then?" Arsenal said.

"I don't know." Batman confessed.

"You don't know? You're the World's Greatest Detective and you don't know?!" Arsenal retorted.

"I'm not psychic, Roy." Batman scowled.

"But you're not an idiot either!" Arsenal shouted.

"I don't know everything!" Batman yelled, before taking a few deep breaths and calming down.

"We should do this at the Batcave." Batgirl butt in.

"I agree." Red Robin agreed.

---

The Bat-Family, along with Arsenal and Starfire, arrived at the Batcave and began discussing a plan. Well, most of them. Some people decided to use the time for a social talk.

"Uh, Dick?" Jason asked, grabbing his brother's wrist.

"Yeah?" Dick responded, turning to Jason.

"Look, I'm sorry I slept with Kory. It was wrong and I hope you two can get back together." Jason apologised.

"It's okay. I've found a new girlfriend." Dick smiled.

"Ooh, who's the lucky lady?" Jason poked fun.

"Let's just say she's...unique." Dick said, exhaling heavily.

"Aw, why can't you say?" Jason mocked.

"Look, she's not quite comfortable with telling the family yet." Dick reasoned. "I don't want to say without her permission."

"Come on, Dick. We're a family of detectives." Jason smiled.

"And, no offence, you're probably the worst detective in the family. But you have...other great qualities too." Dick explained.

"Uh, offence taken." Jason answered irritably, before smirking. "I'm messing, you're right."

"Thanks bro." Dick grinned.

"Did you just say 'bro'?" Jason said, suppressing a laugh.

"No!" Dick immediately denied the allegation. "I said...mo! And besides, you're one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jason laughed.

"What about the time you called Bruce, Dad?" Dick mocked. Jason was silent. "Thought so." Just then, Dick's phone started ringing. "Sorry bro, gotta take this." He finished, breaking off from the group to take the call.

"Yeah, babe?" Dick smiled, obviously on the phone to his mysterious girlfriend. Hearing this, Jason snuck up behind a wall to eavesdrop. "Ha ha. Jason was nagging me about it earlier, but I didn't really want to say, considering you two have a...history. Yeah, yeah, I know you've left that life behind but you know Jason! He holds grudges, and he isn't likely to drop it just because his brother's dating her. Yeah, you're right. No, I haven't told Batman yet. I don't think he's gonna be too happy his first son is dating Harley Quinn.

"You're dating Harley?!" Jason screamed, catching the attention of everyone and making Dick jump and drop his phone, luckily not smashing it.

"Uh, no!" Dick defended. "I was just--" Dick was cut off by Jason punching him across the face. 

"No shit we have a history! She helped in my murder! You were right when you said I hold grudges, but this time it's reasonable. She's a murderer."

"And you're not?" Dick snapped.

"At least I kill the right people." Jason scowled.

"Both of you, stop!" Starfire shouted, getting between the two brothers. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not help our problems."

"Get out of my way, Kory." Jason snarled. "He's dating a child murderer."

"She's not like that anymore." Dick reasoned. 

"So that makes it better, huh?" Jason chuckled sarcastically. "I'll just avoid a twenty-five to life prison sentence because I said sorry to Nightwing."

"It's not like that." Dick replied.

"Then what is it like?!" Jason screamed again, ready to punch Dick when a rough voice interrupted them.

"Enough!" Batman's voice echoed. "The DNA tests on Roy's blood has come back."

"Yes?" Roy said expectedly. 

"You're not the real Roy Harper."