The warehouse had remained quiet as Jason finished crying.
While outside the warehouse, the rain still hammered against the windows and rusted metal roofing overhead. Thunder was roaring somewhere farther out over the Narrows. I heard water dripped steadily from exposed pipes deeper inside the abandoned structure.
But right now this quiet moment is for Jason. It was the least I can do for him after everything he's been through.
Jason slowly pulled away from the hug first. His eyes were red beneath the domino mask, though he tried hiding it immediately by turning his head slightly. He wiped at his face roughly with one glove before exhaling hard through his nose.
"...Sorry you had to see that Cai."
I leaned back against the nearby table casually. "No Jason, you literally died, got resurrected by magical pit, spent time as a instinctual vegetable, and spent five years being trained by the League of Assassin's. Then you came back to Gotham, kidnapped the Joker and declared war on every gangster, mob family, Batman. I think getting a little emotional after killing an anchor of your trauma is fine."
Jason blinked once. "...Well when you put it like that it sounds kind of dramatic."
"Dramatic is a nice word I wouldn't use. A bit traumatically psychotic is the better term, but understandable. A lesser person would have cracked long before this point. Just goes to show how much of a stubborn son of a bitch you are."
Jason chuckled. "Yeah... That's fair."
I smirked faintly. Then my eyes shifted toward Joker's corpse still tied to the chair beneath the hanging light. Blood dripped slowly from the hole in his forehead onto the concrete below. His carved grin remained frozen permanently now.
He was actually dead, and part of me still couldn't believe it. It was so quick and easy. No Arkham breakout or punchline with big explosion. And no Batman to get in the way.
The Joker was just dead and honestly?
The world already felt slightly better for it. I know part of me hated that it had to be this way. But I knew deep down this was the only way.
I exhaled quietly. " Jason, we still need to deal with the body."
Before Jason could answer, another voice echoed through the warehouse shadows.
"I think I can help with that....If you two are done havin' your little emotionally constipated gay bro moment."
Jason and I both turned instantly as a figure stepped out from deeper within the darkness.
He wore a black bodysuit. With black cape with ash-gray lining. With matching ash-gray utility belt and gloves. He wore a full-face helmet with a white skull design, with reflective white eye lenses. With red 'X' designs on several parts of the suit.
It was Red X.
Of course it was him working with Red Hood. Part of me want to nerd out from having to of my favorite anti-heroes in one spot. But then I remembered that this was also my life now. And I was seventy percent sure I knew who was behind that mask.
But still the Red Hood is working with Red X. That would be a cool comic book to read. This world still finds was to surprise me, even after all this time. And Gotham somehow always finds ways to get worse and cooler simultaneously.
Red X stopped a few feet away while casually tossing a small red X-shaped coin between his fingers.
Jason grabbed his helmet from the table nearby and slid it back on. His voice instantly became rougher through the modulator.
"What do you want X?"
"Well I didn't take you for the emotional type, Red. Angry and vengeful sure, but not this."
"What did I make you want to get emotional too?"
Red X shrugged dramatically. "Naw, I ain't the emotional type. Just observant."
Then he pointed toward me. "Besides, scary glowing eye boy over there was practically radiating tragic backstory energy. So I wanted to see where this would go. Gotta say I wish I had popcorn for that."
I crossed my arms. "Funny." I said sarcastically.
"I know."
Red X looked back toward Jason.
"So you take care of what you needed to?" Jason asked
Red X nodded once. "Yeah."
Then Red X's gaze shifted toward Joker's corpse.
"...Nice shot."
He sounded genuinely relieved.
"Honestly I was getting' nervous waitin' for you to finally smoke the clown. Thought you would taken to long and let this asshole get away."
Then his reflective lenses turned toward me fully.
"...So who's he?" He said gesturing to me.
Jason answered immediately. "He's my brother and that's all you need to know."
Red X froze for half a second and then shrugged. "Okay. Good enough for me."
I narrowed my eyes slightly at him. "What did you mean by helping with the body?"
Red X spread his arms dramatically. "I can vaporize it. Leave absolutely no trace. Easy cleanup."
My eyes narrowed harder. "...With Xenonthium?"
The room became quieter immediately as Red X tilted his head slowly. Even with the mask covering his face, I could practically feel him staring at me.
"...Well damn. You're smart too color me impressed." He gave a mocking little bow.
Mentally, I sighed.
Yeah. I absolutely know who this asshole is. But the bigger question is where did he get the Xenonthium to power his suit from?
I looked toward Joker's corpse again. "No. I'll handle the body."
Red X just shrugged his shoulder in a uncaring manner. "See? That's why I don't do nice things."
Jason just shook his head quietly beside me. Then Red X looked back toward Jason.
"Anyway. Red Since the clown's officially dead and traumatized bonding hour seems over, I'm heading out. Last thing I need is Batman or especially Nightwing on my ass."
He paused. "...You coming?"
Jason glanced toward me briefly, then shook his head slowly. "No. I need to handle a few things first."
Red X tilted his head. "...You're seriously doing the whole war-on-crime thing?"
Jason crossed his arms. "For now."
Red X sighed dramatically. "God. You're exhausting. Good luck with you know how to reach me, if you have the money for my servies."
Then he pointed toward Jason. "Catch ya on the flipside, JT."
He looked toward me next. "And you too Mr. Dawn. And a fair warning the shadows have their eyes on you, but the light isn't safe either."
"...What? What the fuck does that mean?"
"Sorry can't say more, I gotta go"
Then suddenly Red X vanished.
He was just gone. And all he left behind was cryptic warning, that made no sense. What did he mean when he said ' the shadows have their eyes on you, but the light isn't safe either?'
Jason looked toward where Red X disappeared and shook his head slightly. "...Still hate when he does that. Ignore him Cia. Dude says some weird shit sometimes."
I shook my head and walked over toward Joker's corpse while grabbing an old tarp nearby. I will figure that out when I have time. Worse case I will just pay a visit to Nanda Parbat. And then I will respectfully ask Ra's al Ghul some questions.
"What's the plan now?" Jason asked.
I started wrapping Joker's body carefully. I closed his eyes, showing him a form of respect.
"...I need to make a. I got a guy who can help."
Jason raised an eyebrow beneath the helmet. "...You have a guy for psychotic dead clown disposal?"
"It's Gotham so no. But I have one of the most trusted and reliable men in Gotham's number."
I pulled out my phone and made the call.
It rang once. Then immediately.... "Master Caius."
I smiled faintly. "Hello Alfred. It's time."
Gotham Cemetery
The rain began to fall softer now. As the clouds moved in the distance. The light of the moon began to come into view.
The Gotham cemetery stretched endlessly beneath gray skies and dim moonlight. Old tombstones stood crooked from age while trees swayed gently in the wind above them. As water rolled through muddy pathways between graves.
Near the far edge of the cemetery stood a freshly dug grave. And beside it stood Alfred Pennyworth beneath a black umbrella.
Jason and I landed softly nearby. The moment my feet touched the ground, I let go of Jason, who immediately grabbed the nearest headstone for balance.
"...Yeah," he muttered. "Never doing that again."
I just smirked slightly. "You'll get used to it."
"I absolutely won't. I will ride my bike full speed in the pouring rain before I let you carry me again."
Alfred looked toward us calmly. "Caius....I must admit I was surprised to receive your call at this hour. But when you mentioned it was time... I had a feeling. " His eyes shifted toward the tarp-covered body I was holding in my other arm.
"So you finally did it. Now we can put this nightmare to rest. "
Jason crossed his arms. "A grave's too generous for him."
Alfred's eyes shifted toward Red Hood fully now. And something changed in his expression. It was a very subtle recognition.
I noticed immediately. I wouldn't have put it past Alfred or Bruce to already have put the pieces together.
"...How long ago did you figure it out Alfred?" I asked quietly.
Jason looked toward me sharply with a confused expression under his mask.
Alfred stepped forward slowly beneath the umbrella. "...I had suspicions." His voice softened slightly.
"When I reviewed footage of Red Hood's combat patterns." Alfred smiled faintly. "Jason always over-rotated his flips slightly whenever he attempted to outperform Master Dick."
Jason froze. "...I don't know what your talking about?"
Alfred nodded. "Welcome home Master Jason."
Jason froze again, then after a moment of not talking he slowly removed the helmet. "...Hey Alfred."
For a second Alfred simply stared at him. At the boy he helped raise and the child he had to burry. The son he had to mourn. He was home.
Then Alfred walked forward quickly and wrapped one arm around Jason while holding the umbrella over both of them. "...Welcome home, son."
Jason's breath hitched slightly. And suddenly all the anger disappeared from his face for one brief moment. "...Good to see you too, Alfred."
I quietly looked away for a second, giving the two their private moment.
Jason hugged Alfred back tightly, and the two just stood there in silence.
Eventually they separated slowly. Jason then rubbed rubbed his face roughly afterward. "...Okay enough emotional crap before I start crying again."
Alfred smiled knowingly. "Of course, Master Jason."
I carried Joker's wrapped corpse toward the open grave.
Jason looked toward me. "... Caius, why giving this piece of garbage a grave?"
I slowly lowered the body inside, and my eyes glowed gold-red. My Heat vision erupted downward and the tarp ignited instantly.
Joker's corpse burned rapidly beneath the focused heat. Until everything was reduced quickly to ash beneath the concentrated TTK energy.
Jason just watched silently and Alfred adjusted his umbrella slightly.
"...If you intended cremation, might I ask why we dug the grave?"
I stared quietly at the ashes for a moment. Then I placed my hands together and overed a prayer. For a moment nothing was said as the fire in front of me raged before dying.
Then I spoke.
"...This grave isn't for Joker."
Both of them looked toward me. I then walked toward the blank tombstone beside the grave slowly. Then I focused TTK heat vision and began to carve words directly into the stone with precise heat vision.
R.I.P
Here lies Jack Napier
A brilliant man with a funny soul. A loving husband and father.
And Silence followed.
Jason stared at the gravestone. "...Who the hell is Jack Napier?"
Even Alfred looked confused. But the he placed his hand over his heart and closed his eyes for a moment.
I stepped back slowly while the rain continued falling around us.
"... Jack Napier is who he used to be. Before the chemicals. Before the insanity. Before Gotham broke him completely."
Jason frowned.
I looked toward the grave quietly, then I used TTK to slowly push dirt back into the grave.
"So this grave isn't for the Joker. It's the man who soul was trapped in that body."
The dirt settled completely. While the rain rolled down the gravestone quietly.
Jason stayed silent longer this time. Then eventually he spoke. "...That's actually kinda depressing."
"Gotham usually is."
Alfred opened his eyes and then I turned back toward Jason more seriously.
"...Alright. Here's the hard part."
Jason narrowed his eyes. "...What's the hard part?"
I pointed directly at him. " Jason you need therapy."
Jason stared at me in disbelief. "...What?"
"Like alot of therapy."
Jason threw both hands up immediately. "I JUST killed the Joker and your response is therapy?!"
"Yes. I do and Doctor Quinn will be expecting a call from you in the coming weeks."
"QUINN! The Jokers old girlfriend is the one you want to me to go to for help? I would rather put a bullet in her skull after everything she put me through."
That's when Alfred spoke. "Jason. You need help. The correct kind. The kind I should have given to Bruce years ago. Then maybe he would have given you the home, and love you deserved. And not made you a soldier in his war."
Jason was silent for a while. "Alfred..."
I crossed my arms. "Jason I understand your reluctance, but Quin like you and me has changed , and she wants to help heal this world. Plus don't we all deserve a second chance like you?"
Jason pointed accusingly. "Says the emotionally repressed alien hybrid with abandonment issues."
"...Fair. But I'm still getting help for that. Which is all were asking you to do."
Jason blinked. "...Your really want me to do this?"
"Among other things yes. Alfred and I take mental health very seriously. Yours right now being our highest priority."
Jason looked genuinely annoyed and frustrated at the same time. Then his expression darkened slightly again. "I thought you said we were taking down Black Mask next."
"We are and will."
Jason frowned harder. "Then why're you talking like I'm leaving?"
"Because you are."
Jason immediately looked angry again. "The hell I am. I didn't come here to do all this and stop halfway."
"Jason. Batman is hunting you right now."
Jason crossed his arms stubbornly. "I can handle Bruce."
"No you can't." Alfred and I said at the same time.
Jason opened his mouth immediately.
But I cut him off.
"You cannot beat Batman in straight fight, while emotionally compromised and exhausted. If you think killing the joker won't effect you then your wrong. And don't forget the most important thing."
Jason paused.
"Alfred shouldn't have to see his son's fight each other."
Jason stood their looking at Alfred. He said nothing but could see the look in his eyes. "...Yeah your right."
Alfred nodded quietly. " Thank you for seeing Master Jason. Master Caius is correct."
Jason looked defeated. "I'll hold of confronting Bruce for now. At least until I get my head on straight. For you Alfred."
Alfred smiled"Thank you, Master Jason."
Jason then groaned dramatically. "...This sucks."
"Plus killing Black Mask right now creates a power vacuum. And until we can make sure their won't be a giant war to fill spot. We should hold off."
Jason frowned. "...Meaning?"
"It means ten worse psychos could rush in to replace him. Which can cause a massive war in the city and a lot of innocent people would get hurt or die."
Jason thought about that quietly. "...Yeah okay that's fair."
I nodded. "So for now Jason, you need disappear."
Jason looked unconvinced. "...And do what exactly?"
I smirked slightly. Oh things that came to my mind.
"Honestly you should travel."
Jason blinked. "...Travel?"
"You and Red X already hit trafficking operations right?"
Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"Then keep doing that but on a global scale."
Jason raised an eyebrow." You mean...like a mercenary for hire."
"Exactly. "
Jason's eyes lit slightly beneath the domino mask. "...Huh."
I smiled faintly. "You could even make your own little team of Outlaws to help you."
Jason smirked. "...A team of Outlaws huh? I like the name."
I pointed finger guns at him. "See? Now you're getting it."
Jason thought quietly for another moment. Then nodded slowly. "... But how about the Renegades instead."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's perfect"
Jason smirked slightly. "Yeah. I like the sound of that better."
I shrugged.
"Good go make your team of Renegades, and go make the world a better place. Then when your ready we will welcome you back properly."
Jason looked toward me again. "...You really think this can work?"
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, hand me your phone."
He then pulled out his phone and then I proceeded to put my number in their. Then I tossed it back to Jason.
Jason caught it easily.
"Call me whenever you need me."
Jason stared at the contact name. "Really? You put yourself in as 'Handsome God-King?'"
"What can I say. I can't lie."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say bro."
Then his expression softened slightly. "...Thanks, Cai."
I smiled faintly. "Anytime."
"And you still owe me the explanation about the alien invasion thing."
I groaned immediately. "...God hearing it out loud is still annoying. I'll send you the full Viltrumite file later."
Jason nodded and slowly put the Red Hood helmet back on. "... You better. How else am I gonna prepare to back you up if I'm not packing the right heat."
"Your right. Just make sure you stay alive until then."
"After I died the first time I feel unkillable."
We smirked at each other without a care in the world. Alfred quietly watched both of us with something warm in his expression.
Like for the first time in years, something in the Batfamily finally felt alive again.
Jason turned toward Alfred next. And suddenly his posture softened again slightly. "...It really is good seeing you."
Alfred stepped closer immediately. "And you as well, Master Jason."
Then Alfred hugged him again and Jason hugged him back tightly.
"...Thanks for coming tonight."
Alfred's voice lowered softly. "Thank you for coming home."
Jason didn't answer immediately. Then Alfred added quietly. "And for finally putting that nightmare to rest."
Jason's shoulders loosened slightly hearing that. "...You really think I did the right thing?"
Alfred didn't hesitate. "Without question. I just wish I did the right thing and stopped Bruce from putting you and the others in those costumes."
Jason closed his eyes briefly beneath the helmet. " That wasn't your fault Alfred. Bruce only gave us what we wanted. But your right there was always better way then putting us in costumes."
Then finally stepped away. "...See you soon, Alfred."
"You'd better."
Jason barked out one last laugh, and then he walked off into the rain. Red Hood had disappeared slowly into Gotham's darkness finally free.
Alfred and I watched him disappear quietly. Then eventually Alfred looked toward me.
"....Thank you for tonight, Master Caius. You brought home one of my sons and helped him to start healing."
I exhaled slowly.
"... Of course Alfred. Now we just have to...." My Titans communicator suddenly activated loudly.
When I went to answer it Eve's face appeared immediately, and she looked annoyed."... Caius. It's been fifteen minutes."
I blinked once. Oh shit this bad. "...Has it? I sort of lost track of time flying around."
Eve crossed her arms. "Caius where are you?" Her tone sharpened.
I looked toward Alfred briefly before answering casually.
"...Flying around Gotham."
Eve narrowed her eyes instantly. "...That's not an answer."
"It technically is."
"Caius."
I sighed. "...I'm on my way back."
Eve stared at me another second. "You owe me food. Now"
"I literally bought you food earlier."
"Then you owe me dessert." She said smiling.
"...Yes ma'am."
Then the communicator shut off. I looked back toward Alfred afterward.
"...We keep Jason secret until he's ready."
Alfred nodded immediately. "Of course."
I stepped backward slightly before lifting off the ground. "...Thanks, Alfred."
Alfred smiled softly beneath the umbrella. "No, Master Caius."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Jason's distant disappearing silhouette. "...Thank you for saving my family."
Then I flew off into Gotham's stormy night while Alfred remained beside the grave of Jack Napier alone beneath the rain.