A Little Overshadowing Never Hurt Anyone

Great, It's the Replacement -Chapter 11

TW: Violence, and mild swearing (I mean it's Jason)

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Jason had been having a long night, he'd been shot at twice tonight already, and had his plans to take out one of Blackmask's warehouses go awry. He stomped back to his motorcycle and kicked up the stand angrily.

Oh yeah, and something else had been strange tonight, Nightwing had been going around Gotham for the last hour. And with a vengeance, if the goons with bashed-in noses limping around have anything to say about it. Jason was tempted to go and see what was up with big bro. But he wasn't all for that touchy-feely stuff. Honestly, Dicky bird was probably just mad about something and blowing off some steam. He could talk to him later. But right now he needed to finish his patrol.

Then he heard something. His helmet picked it up quite clearly: "He didn't send the ransom video yet? I figured he would want it out immediately." Hood stopped in his tracks and crouched down on a nearby roof to listen in.

Two men were standing outside a warehouse and next to a white unmarked van, because of course they were. Hood rolled his eyes. The other man leaned up against the van putting his weight on one leg. "Boss wants us to deliver it to the GCPD directly. The last time someone sent it directly to Wayne, they were found out by Batman in an instant. Prolly' on his payroll or something."

"Oh come on, but..." Hood tuned them out and started walking away towards the back of the warehouse. So that was what Dickface was so mad about, one of his little birdies was kidnapped. Jason rolled his eyes as he grappled over onto the tattered roof.

Hood looked down through a hole in the badly shambled together warehouse roof. "It's so boring, all you can do is watch the strangely large rats run across the floor and listen to that annoying water dripping." Hood's eyes narrowed as he spotted the boy tied to a chair in between two guards.

It was the replacement, his mind grumbled angrily. How the hell did he get caught by thugs?

"How's about you shut up, kid?" Hood smirked a little under his mask. Robins never knew when to shut up. The guard moved in front of the teen. "Cause I'm this close to putting a bullet through your knee and telling the others you tried to run away." Jason narrowed his eyes, scanning the man for weak points.

The brat opened his mouth again, "How in the world am I supposed to run away when these ropes are so tight?" Little birdy is gonna get himself shot at this rate. Hood jumped down to the ground silently. "I mean what do you expect a skinny kid like me to do?" Although... from over here his voice seemed off somehow.

Hood saw the man move again directly in front of the kid. Jason barely fought the urge to immediately shoot through the man's skull. Just barely. The man growled. "Well seeing as the video is already taken care of we don't have to protect your pretty little face anymore, do we."

The man sneered as he raised his fist, about to deliver a punch. Tim closed his eyes and winced for impact. Like Jason was gonna let that happen. Though maybe he should let the brat take a punch, it might teach him not to be such a smartass. BANG! Ugh, fine. Might as well.

He stepped out of the shadows he was using to cloak himself. The goon was now cradling his bleeding hand. Jason was a good shot, he could always kill him later if he needed to. The replacement opened his eyes and looked up at his would-be attacker in shock for a second. There was blood spatter on his shirt and the side of his face. Oops.

His eyes were wide. Like he was scared. Something seemed very, very off. He spun his head to stare at Jason as he prowled forward. Then Jason froze. Were his eyes glowing? Hood was distracted; it was a rookie move. The man next to the first pulled out his rifle and began shooting at the vigilante.