Venus was all for taking action and being a go-getter, but only if one very carefully and articulately made a plan. Though she may not seem it, Venus thinks before she acts. Even if she's blinded by rage, grief or whatever she always has a plan. She knows that going in blindly wouldn't do any good; besides, if you plan ahead, it just makes revenge all the sweeter.
She gets it, she really does. Jason undoubtedly feels hurt and betrayed, she expected nothing less. It was bound to happen sooner or later--and with her luck, it was sooner. Quite inconvenient, if you ask her. She'd rather Jason not attack Tim on live television, but whatever.
Starting the car, Venus gnawed at her lips. There's a good chance she'd get there before Jason, but on the other hand, he was angry and determined. Plus, parkour was kind of his thing. So, she revved the car's engine and took off, dodging other cars and pedestrians. She's had her fair share of car chases back in the day.
"Shit!" Venus banged her palm into the steering wheel and honked her horn impatiently, getting dangerously close to the car in front of her. But it was no use; the traffic in downtown Gotham was stopped, and nobody appeared to be moving anytime soon. Glancing at the stopped cars beside and behind her, Venus cursed her luck and shoved the door open. She began running towards the museum, ignoring the shouts behind her. She'd come back later for the car; Jade would understand, hopefully.
Her battered sneakers pushed against the pavement as she sprinted through Gotham, shoving people out of her way. The city began to blur around her as the situation began to sink in. Jason was going to kill Tim, or at the very least, beat the shit out of him. It was pretty ironic, actually. Venus doesn't know whether she should laugh or cry; Tim practically idolizes Jason, and in return, Jason is going to beat him silly. Crying would be more appropriate, though it is very funny. Not.
Venus slowed to a jog as the museum came into sight; the news vans were gone, and so was Tim. It was fairly deserted, save for the small group of cops guarding the front entrance. The faint sound of grunting caught Venus's attention, and she glanced up at the flat roof of the building. To her annoyance, Jason and Tim were already going at it on the roof. Which was very inconvenient, because now she has to climb all the way up there.
She ran to the side of the building, searching for the fire escape ladder. Finding it, she scaled up the ladder quickly. Almost at the top, Venus heard a shout and to her surprise, Tim was thrown over the side of the building, hurtling straight towards her. Her eyes widened and she threw her arm out, catching him by the cape. She groaned and gritted her teeth; her arm surely would've snapped if she wasn't enhanced.
Tim glanced at her in shock, his eyes under the domino mask widening. He nodded his head in thanks and clambered onto the ladder below Venus. She frowned when she noticed that his whole body was shaking slightly and his right cheekbone was badly bruised. Poor kid.
"Did he seriously just throw you off the roof?" Venus exclaimed, continuing to climb up. That was low, even for Jason. Throwing scrawny, teenaged boys off of a building? He did seem to be at an all time low these days, so she didn't know why she was even surprised.
Grunting, Tim followed her lead. "Gonna be honest, he's not what I expected."
"Yeah," Venus responded absentmindedly. "Dying will do that to you."
Her hand rested on the last bar, and she pursed her lips. "Maybe you should stay here. So he doesn't try to throw you off the roof again."
"I'll wait a few minutes," Tim said shortly, expression unreadable. Venus shrugged and jumped gracefully onto the roof, only to find Jason waiting inches away from her. He threw a punch, and Venus dodged his arm, throwing herself into a roll to his right.
"What the fuck?" She yelled, springing to her feet. She barely avoided her fist, and she felt his knuckle graze her cheek.
Jason's eyes widened and he grasped her shoulders, checking her face. "Shit, sorry. I thought you were..." He trailed off, a strange look on his face.
"What? You thought I was the guy you threw off the roof?" Venus said, hands on her hips. "Throwing kids off of roofs now, great."
"Where is he?" Jason asked stiffly.
Venus rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Wouldn't you like to know? You know what I know? That beating up innocent kids does not seem like your motto. What happened to the golden rule?"
"Fuck that," He spat, stepping back. "He replaced me, Vea. He fucking took my title and my suit and thinks it's okay."
"Okay, and I definitely understand. But take that out on Bruce, the one responsible for this, not some kid who can barely throw a punch," Venus said matter-of-factly. Her face was a mask of calm; she's got to set the example, here.
"Hey! I got a couple of good hits in," Tim announced, climbing onto the roof with his hands raised in surrender. Venus sighed loudly, looking to the sky. She asked him for one thing. One thing! She doesn't know how Bruce handled three of these kids.
"And your old suit is on display in the Batcave. I would never wear those godawful spandex," Tim continued, wiping blood from his nose. Jason seemed more annoyed than mad now, thank God. His fists loosed as he crossed his arms, giving Tim the nastiest glare Venus has ever seen.
If looks could kill, Tim would be dead thrice over from Venus and Jason's harsh glares. "And my ass looked great in them. Can't say the same for you."
"Right, so we're good here? We can all continue on with our lives?" Venus butted in, satisfied that Jason wasn't currently completely insane. Honestly, this whole confrontation has gone pretty well, in Venus's opinion. Tim wasn't hurt too bad and Jason hopefully didn't do anything he'd later regret. Except throw him off the roof, but no harm no foul.
Tim nodded, his stance relaxing. "Sorry for whatever I did, Todd. I'll send Bruce your regards."
Venus winced. Too far. She knows he means well, but he really just made it a whole lot fucking worse.
Jason nodded his head mockingly, a cruel smirk spreading across his face. He strode up to Tim and stuck his hand out, shaking the boy's hand. Then, he punched him in the face. Hard. Tim landed on his back with a grunt, holding his nose. It was broken, surely, and Venus was surprised his head was still attached to his neck from the force of Jason's punch.
Groaning, Venus face-palmed. "See you around, Robin" Jason said cooly, grabbing Venus's waist as her lead her to the ladder.
"Go ahead, I'll meet you down there," She muttered, pushing gently on his chest.
Jason frowned, and Venus couldn't quite identify the look in his eyes. He must be angry, confused, and he had every right to be. She couldn't help but blame herself; if she had just told him about Robin earlier, Tim wouldn't have gotten his face bashed in by his childhood hero. And maybe Jason would've taken the news better if she explained it to him in a private, more secure environment, rather than finding out from the television. But all in all, it's fine. She can't turn back the time, and it's not like anybody died.
Venus approached Tim, who was still on the ground holding his nose. With her help, he sat up. "Ow."
"Sorry," She winced, noting the crookedness of his nose. "He's, um, working on it. Obviously."
Tim shrugged as he dabbed at his nose gently. "I get it, I mean, he's been through a lot. Just caught me off guard is all."
"I'm calling Bruce," Venus declared, sitting back on her heels. She scrolled through her contacts, frowning when she couldn't find Bruce. Shit, she probably blocked him.
"No!" Tim protested, struggling to his feet. He knees wobbled, but he managed to stay upright. "It's just my face, I can still walk. Alfred will fix me right up!"
"Mhm," She hummed absentmindedly. Finding Dick's number, she shot him a quick text. "Stay here. Someone will come for you, I don't want you falling off another building."
Tim smiled cheekily. "You worried about me?"
Venus crouched down and patted his cheek, grinning sarcastically. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She turned and strode to the edge of the building, scaling down the ladder. Thankfully, Jason was waiting for her at the bottom not looking too pissed. She smiled brightly at him before remembering she wasn't supposed to encourage his actions—so Venus quickly scowled.
"You're not going to go around beating up kids now, are you?" She quipped, trying her best to ignore him as he strode closer. He stopped once his chest was a nose-width away from her and chuckled lowly, warm breath fanning across her face.
"Ironic, isn't it?" He muttered, fingers brushing Venus's. "I literally just promised Barbara that I'd try to be better, and I go and do this."
Venus opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She wanted to assure him that it was okay, that everything is fine, but it really wasn't. What if she hadn't been there? Tim could've died, and Jason's fate would've been sealed.
But he's trying to be better. Venus just didn't know if he was doing it because he wanted to. Jason has always been a people pleaser; not on a surface level, but that he would do anything for the people he loves. He couldn't give a shit about anyone else, but he would go to the ends of the earth for his friends.
So Venus wasn't sure if he really wanted to change for himself, or for Barbara's sake. Venus knows that Barbara does not support vengeance whatsoever, and she most definitely gave him the talk back in the cafe. Anyways, Jason can't truly change unless he does it for himself, in order to better himself as a person.
She pursed her lips and glanced up at Jason. "Well, you can only go up from here, right?"
"Right," Jason breathed, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips.
"Holy shit! Is anyone dead?"
Roy Harper ran into the alleyway, bow in hand. His red hair stood out in the shadowed alley as he sprinted towards the duo. He came to an abrupt stop in front of them and cocked his head. "The kid's okay?"
Roy flinched when Jade landed softly onto the floor from the fire escape, her dark hair whipping around her masked face. Her dark green robes flitted around her, and Venus was once again in awe of her ability to look so damn graceful.
"Looks like Venus got here in time," Jade drawled, shaking a finger at Jason. "It's still not socially acceptable to go around attacking children, you know."
Jason scowled and crossed his arms, a shadowed look crossing his face. "So you all decided to just drop everything and stop me, huh? How considerate."
"Just didn't want you doing anything you'd regret," Roy said, patting his back aggressively. He shouldered his bow and cracked his gloved knuckles.
"I'm surprised you dragged his lazy ass out of bed," Venus mused, nodding to the redhead. Roy smacked her head in return.
"So you all knew," Jason spoke dryly, expression unreadable. "Thanks for the heads up."
Venus shifted nervously and tentatively raised her hand. "Well, I was trying to find a way to tell you. But like, I was still getting over the fact that you're alive."
The corners of his lip twitched ever so slightly as he set his hand on Venus's raised one and lowered it. "Rhetorical question, babe. You're off the hook."
She beamed and reached up to ruffle his hair, to which he protested. Jade cleared her throat as she removed her chilling mask. "I have to steal Venus for the rest of the day. Important, uh, women matters."
Frowning slightly, Venus nodded. She'd rather stay with Jason, ensure that he never left her ever again. But, she knew once she wrapped up her loose ends and found whoever knew her name, her real one, she'd have all the time in the world with him. She wouldn't have to worry about being killed while she slept, and she certainly wouldn't ever have to think about the past again. Just one more mission. Then she can help move Jason in and get her life together. Really, she can't wait!
"I say we go back to Babs," Roy offered, throwing his arm around Jason's shoulders. "Who I assume you left all by herself."
"Vea?" Jason asked, the two exchanging glances.
Venus chewed her lip harshly and smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, it'll be quick."
"Yeah, we'll be back tomorrow night, hopefully" Jade added, grabbing Venus's arm.
"Two days?" Jason exclaimed, brows furrowed. "You're not in trouble, are you?"
Shaking her head, Venus squeezed his bicep before Jade pulled her away. "I'll explain later, don't go worrying about me!" She quipped over her shoulder, following Jade. She hoped he didn't take her leaving too personally, especially after his mini-breakdown. He'd understand.
"Don't flatter yourself!" Jason called back roughly. She heard Roy cackle in the distance as she and Jade turned the corner and stepped out of the alleyway. Venus cracked her neck before getting down to business.
"So, we're doing this tonight?"
Jade just hummed and lead her to a rental car across the street. "Sure. They're both home for the night. We shouldn't have any trouble with Dunn; his apartment has minimal security and he lives alone. Cayne has an alarm system that goes off and calls the cops as soon as a door or window is open, and his wife and ten-year old son live with him as well. I can easily disarm the alarm, but I have no way of stopping it from contacting the police. You'll have a four minute window before they arrive, so we'll have to be quick. I can act as lookout from the car, but you should be in and out."
"We'll get Dunn first, get a nice warm up in," Venus instructed as she ducked into the small car. "Cayne next. I would hate to kill the kid's dad in front of him, so here's to hoping they sleep in separate rooms. Cheers."
"Even if he is, don't waste time being considerate. You are the priority after Cayne; kill him and get the hell out, we want to make this as quiet as possible. Remember, expect anything. This is a rushed plan, and we can't guarantee everything will be exactly as I say," Jade continued, nodding in partial agreement with Venus. She started the car and began driving to the west side of Gotham.
Venus retrieved her suit from a duffel bag in the backseat and, with much difficulty, changed into the flexible material. "I just don't understand why they didn't just move out of Gotham after everything thats happened. You'd think they'd want to stay below the radar, you know?"
Jade shrugged, a small frown on her face. "Maybe somebody is keeping them there, like a superior or something. If that's the case, we need to take extra precautions so we don't end up back there again."
"We know what to expect, though," Venus pointed out as she zipped her suit up. "Worst case scenario they do respond to a superior, or multiple, we just get the hell out of there. Honestly, I just want to get this over with."
Surprised, Jade glanced at her briefly. "You want to get this over with? What happened to that burning need for revenge? Don't tell me you've gone soft now, that won't do any good" She tsked, tapping her nails against the wheel.
"Please, with Jason back things are going to change. And I'd just like to be there when it does," Venus said simply as she twisted her hair into a tight braid. And, she feels partly responsible for keeping things together. Keeping Tim safe, helping Jason adjust, and even just helping Dick bust petty criminals is all on her.
"Mm, I don't believe you," Jade mused, voice low. "I think, you just can't stand to be away from your boyfriend. Your boyfriend who has serious issues, by the way."
Venus's rolled her eyes and kicked her feet onto the dashboard. "What do you expect, Jade? That he's going to come back from the dead perfectly fine, the exact same person he was before? I thought you were smarter than that." She was mostly joking, as she could never be mad at Jade.
Jade shrugged. "Can't say I've ever died before."
"Touche," Venus replied nonchalantly, fiddling with her braid. "What about you and Roy? We haven't really ever talked about how someone like you ended up with someone like him."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" She said sternly, a small grin on her face.
Venus rolled her eyes again and puffed her cheeks. "You know exactly what I mean. I'm not complaining, though. It turned out alright in the end, I guess."
"We're nowhere near the end yet, unfortunately" Jade sighed. "But yes, without Roy, I'd probably still be a mercenary for them. More reason to take them down now."
They rode in silence for the rest of the drive, the soft blare of the radio barely reaching Venus's ears. The city faded into the distance as they drove to the outskirts of Gotham. Gloomy hills and dead trees replaced the towering skyscrapers, and communities became more scattered. Why would a rich, successful scientist live out here in this abandoned wasteland?
Eventually, they pulled up to a fine apartment building. It certainly wasn't the most lavish building, but it also was nicer than most of the ones downtown. Venus grinned widely and adjusted the silencer on her gun, pocketing it. Jade steered the car to the side of the large building, out of sight from the occasional stray person taking their evening stroll.
"Alright," Jade nodded, reaching into her duffel bag. She pulled out a large, black trench coat and handed it to Venus. "You know the drill. I'll be in here taking a nap if you need me."
Venus shrugged the coat on. "You sure you don't want to help? This is just as much of your score to settle as it is mine."
"Too tired," She responded, reclining her seat. Her eyes were closed already as she folded her arms over her stomach. "I'll help with Cayne."
Venus coughed an indecipherable lazy ass, causing Jade to flick her harshly as she was climbing out. She forgets Jade has amplified hearing too, sometimes.
She strode to the front entrance, careful to curve her shoulders inward and slow her steps in order to blend in. Not that it mattered; hardly anyone was around, and they were in the middle of nowhere. She knows that a black trench coat isn't the most conspicuous, but she wanted to scare the shit out of Dunn. Skintight suits with a large coat over it was what they used to wear for missions, back then. Venus wants Dunn to open his door and see her, in all her murderous glory, and know that he created her. His creation came back to bite him in the ass; or, shoot him in through head.
Nodding casually to a passerby, Venus allowed a smirk to creep onto her lips as she stepped onto the elevator. She hummed joyfully to the soft jazz music playing on the speakers and slid her hands into the pockets, feeling the cold metal of her gun. The doors opened onto the fourth floor, and Venus stepped out, her smirk remaining. She took her time approaching room number 410, which was conveniently at the end of the hall. Soon, she stood at his door and raised a knuckle to knock. She whistled casually as she waited, eyeing the peephole dangerously.
But much to her disappointment, he didn't answer. Annoyed, she knocked again. They usually answered on the first knock; maybe he was asleep? Venus waited two minutes before sighing in frustration. He really had to ruin her good mood, what a shame. Instead of knocking a third time, she took a step back and kicked the door in. It landed harshly to the floor, splintering from the force of her kick. Venus made her way into the middle of the room, gun out. The room was quiet, too quiet, and completely empty.
He was supposed to be here. Jade checked the apartment cameras just hours before they left, and according to his schedule, he was supposed to stay there for the rest of the day. Why would he break his overly consistent schedule today of all days? Tugging at her braid, Venus took note of his unmade bed. The pillows were thrown to the floor, and the sheets were dangling off the side of the bed, as if someone tried pulling them off. Something was off, Venus could feel it in her bones. And her instincts have never failed her before.
The apartment room was small, consisting of a couch, small kitchen, and bed in the same room. It was nice, despite how crowded it was. The door to the bathroom was halfway closed, and Venus narrowed her eyes at the darkened carpet in front of the door. She crouched down and ran a gloved finger over the strange stain. Blood. The dark liquid was mostly dried, but some smeared as she touched it.
She listened carefully, but didn't hear anyone inside the bathroom. Venus whipped the door open and flicked the lights on. "Fuck."
Dunn laid naked in the bathtub, his nose resting against his chest. The back of his neck has been completely sliced open, his head barely attached to the rest of his body. Crimson speckles painted the tile around him, glittering in the fluorescent lights of the bathroom. His hand was dangling over the edge of the tub, almost casually, as if he was still alive and merely resting from a hard day at work. The gruesome scene didn't affect Venus in the slightest; she was only sorry that she wasn't the one to put a knife through his throat.
And angry. Actually, she was enraged. How could someone possibly kill him before she could? As far as she knew, Jade and herself were the only ones who knew who he was and where he lived.
Frowning deeply, Venus examined the body. The body didn't smell yet, and it looked fairly fresh. The blood outside the door and inside the bathroom was still wet, so the murder couldn't have happened more than an hour ago. It also explains why his sheets were hanging off his bed; the person must've dragged Dunn to the bathroom, and Dunn desperately tried to grab onto whatever he could.
Venus stood quickly and headed to the window. It was unlikely, but if whoever killed Dunn knew about him, then they might know about Cayne, too. She wouldn't let another wonderful opportunity be taken away from her. Opening the window, she leaped out and landed softly onto the pavement. She ran to Jade's car and banged on the windows with an open palm.
"Damn, I thought you'd be a little more cheery after that," Jade grumbled, unlocking the car.
"Start driving to Cayne's," Venus ordered after she slid into her seat. "And step on it. Somebody else is involved."
The wheels screeched as Jade stepped on the gas. "What happened up there?"
"He was dead when I got there," Venus said grimly, crossing her arms. "Throat slit. Like, really slit. I thought his head was going to fall off. It couldn't have happened more than an hour ago, and it might just be a coincidence, but I don't want to take any chances."
Jade furrowed her brows. "That is concerning. You sure everyone died in that fire?"
"Yes!" Venus said exasperatedly. "And even if they didn't, but I'm one-hundred percent sure that did, why would they wait until today, the same day we did?"
"Are you saying that someone is spying on us?" Jade asked, nearly laughing at the possibility. "I think we would have noticed if they were, Venus."
She pursed her lips. "I don't know what I'm saying. Just drive."
-----------------------------------
Cayne's house seemed absurdly normal for Venus. He lived in a regular suburban neighborhood with a grey minivan parked in the driveway. It was difficult to believe that someone so evil can live such a picket-fence life, but she supposed that was the point. Nobody would look for him here.
The lights in the house were on, but the blinds were closed tightly, obscuring their view of the inside.
"It seems a little too quiet, doesn't it?" Jade noted, strapping a gun to her side. She changed out of her flowy, green robes and into a suit similar to Venus's, except hers was white. It wasn't ideal in any way, but they were ordered to wear them in non-stealth situations in order to look more clean, more important. Only the higher-ranked girls donned the white suits; Venus had her own too, but she found it stains too easily.
Venus stilled, straining her ears. She scowled and cursed. "I can't hear anything, not even a heartbeat."
"Well shit," Jade exclaimed helpfully. "Lets see if this person left behind any sort of trail or clue as to who they are."
With a nod, Venus swiftly got out of the car. It was midnight, and the neighborhood was dead silent. Heartbeats and soft snores could be heard from every house on the block, except for Cayne's. This was really ruining Venus's day.
The two approached the front door, and Venus raised her leg to kick it down. Jade raised her hand and stopped her, gesturing for her to stand down. Venus obeyed and watched Jade retrieve a hair clip from her hair; she began to fiddle with the lock and after a moment, the door swung open. Raising a brow at Venus, Jade gestured for her to go first.
Breathing out, Venus walked in first, gun loosely in her hand. There wasn't anyone in the house; anyone alive, at least. She lead Jade quietly through the hall and into the connecting kitchen and living room, where everything was perfectly clean. The walls and refrigerator were decorated with pictures of a family, Cayne's family. They looked happy, and Venus's fists curled at the sight. He doesn't deserve this, he doesn't deserve happiness.
Jade tapped Venus's arm lightly and gestured upstairs to the bedrooms. She nodded, and the two made their way up the stairs searching for signs of intrusion. Venus entered the master bedroom first, while Jade went off to search the other rooms.
Her fingers intertwined quickly at the back of her head to stop from punching something. Sure enough, Cayne was face down on his bed, red liquid staining his white pillowcase. His wife was propped against the headboard with a small hole through her forehead, her lifeless eyes unseeing. Venus stifled a groan and studied the room. It didn't seem like there were any signs of struggle, so whoever killed them didn't bother waking them up. The window was wide open, curtains billowing around it. Classic, escaping out the window. There was a large tree close to the window, allowing the murderer to safely get down without breaking their legs.
"Jade?" Venus called as she walked into the hallway. She's seen all she needed to see.
Jade met her by the staircase, lips thinned grimly. "The son's dead. Bullet through the head."
"Same here," Venus said, leading Jade back to the car. "Did you find anything?"
She shook her head. They sat in the rental car in silence for a moment, before Jade started the car and made her way back to the city. Despite Cayne and Dunn being dead, Venus was angry. She wanted to be the one to kill them; she wanted them to know that this was their fault, that they sealed their own fate.
"Alright," Venus breathed, calming her temper. "So, we've got two options. A second party could be hiding something and screwing us over, or we've got ourselves a rogue ex-assassin."
"I thought you said nobody survived?" Jade pointed out smugly.
Rolling her eyes, Venus flicked her shoulder. So not the time. "Okay, well, do you have another explanation?"
Jade paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. She shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. "We're going to need a fucking detective or something for this. We were not trained for this. More brawn than brains, you know?"
"Speak for yourself," Venus muttered, staring at the ceiling. "Why did they kill Dunn so brutally, while he was awake, but just shoot Cayne in his sleep? It seems like they had something against Dunn specifically."
"Or," Jade interrupted, "they realized that we were on their tail and they had to speed things up."
Venus scowled again. "Lets just sleep on it. And hope we don't get murdered."
In all honesty, Venus had absolutely no idea what to do. Jade was right; they weren't trained to solve mysteries, and even if they tried, they wouldn't even know where to start. Involving other people was completely out of the question, so they'd just have to wait until this mystery person made their next move. It certainly wasn't ideal, and neither of them would admit it out loud, but they definitely did not have the upper hand, for once in their lives.
It was a foreign feeling, being hunted. Venus always considered herself to be invincible, untouchable. Gotham is a big city, she realized, and it was foolish to think she would remain unconquerable. But she wouldn't be beat down yet, she won't be scared. Venus has always loved a challenge, and a challenge she shall receive.