CHAPTER 232

"Did you see the news?" Jamie asked with a calm tone, clearly trying to contain his fury as he asked Charlotte who immediately had shivers sent down her spine as she wondered why he was so mad all of a sudden when they were prepping to leave.

"Where's Fang?" He asked as Fang coincidentally entered the room. "Right here boss, what is it this time." He nonchalantly answered.

"You both were assigned to eliminate the target right?" Squinting his eyes as he had on a creepy smile on his face, void of any actual emotions.

"Yes, we caused an explosion that's impossible for anyone to survive." He replied. Jamie immediately tuned in to the news report from that morning, where Charlotte and Fang had their eyes wide open upon seeing Tom chilled out and taking an interview like he wasn't supposed to have been burnt to a crisp already.

Jamie took am accelerated step towards Fang, grabbed him by the head and forcefully pressed his face against the TV screen damaging the screen as a result. "Does this dude look dead to you in anyway? Or even injured?" Jamie asked, his expression suddenly showing the anger he had been shoving beneath the surface.

"Let him go, there was no possible way for anyone to survive that disaster." Charlotte called out to Jamie, trying to intervene before Fang gets his head smashed through the TV Wall.

"Huh, did you just talk back at me while I'm making a point and emphasizing your mistakes?" Jamie asked, immediately having a crazy look in his eyes as he abruptly appeared right in front of her. He smacked her across the face so hard with the back of his hand that she was sent flying across the room and crashing against the refrigerator.

"This is the longest any of our targets have survived  just because of your incompetence. Why do I have you all if I have to take on boring jobs like this that aren't even worth a moment of my time."

"We're sorry, there was no way of telling he would survive that blast." Fang apologized with his head bowed, Jamie just inhaled deeply as he calmed himself down.

"I don't understand why it's so difficult to end that dude with the rabbit hair." He complained as he walked up to the fridge to get himself a beer, when he noticed the dent on the door from Charlotte's collision against it.

He let out a sigh and just  opened the door then grabbed himself a chilled bottle of beer, while both Charlotte and Fang quietly exited his presence to go work on how to rectify their little mistake.

…

[Jason Todd's POV]

Late at night I sat at the edge of a rooftop, letting my legs drop over the edge as I gazed upon the city's skyline, taking in the ambient lighting from the commercial sign boards which illuminated the night.

I had my red helmet in hand but still had my mask on, not risking anyone mistakenly getting a glimpse of my identity.

"You can come out Bruce, this isn't some sort of trap as you might suspect." I called out, fully aware Batman was already at our rendezvous point but being as cautious as he was, he was still scouting the area to make sure it wasn't some kind of mesh.

Like I suspected, he dropped from the top of a commercial sign right behind me, his cape dropping so elegantly as he stood straight up. "What is this Jason? You said you had some information you'd like to share and it would be best to join hands together if we want to keep the people of Gotham City safe." There he goes, going straight to the point of business without exchanging pleasantries, not like I cared in the first place. He was acting like he didn't have the same thing in mind.

"Lighten up Bruce, it's something I'm sure you would want to hear." I replied.

"Is this about the group calling themselves the Sparrows? I'm aware you contacted Vicki Vale to relay a message to the commissioner." He hit the nail on the head, not wanting me to stray from that topic but to emphasize on it so he gets a better understanding as he must have not found anything on a mercenary group with such name, and there was no way the cult of Owl was involved.

"Yes, they are a mercenary group who do not seem to exist to the world but they do exist in the shadows,  carrying out tasks and making it seem like some accident or disaster like what happened a couple of days back." I elaborated so he knows the recent happenings weren't just coincidences.

"Then how did you get to know about them?" Bruce asked, taking a step closer as he gave me an intense stare down.

"I have my ways." I replied. "Moving on, they are a small group and I was able to get a picture of two of their members." I handed over the picture Tom and I were able to dig out. With both teams searching for them it would be more efficient and the city would become too small for those two to roam about without being spotted.

"Hmm…Why are you giving me all this?" He asked, being sceptical as to my sudden compliance as he took a look at the photo,  rather than my usual rebellious attitude.

"It would be more fun if both teams hop on a hunt for them, team Batsy and the Outlaws." I said with a smirk.

"I never thought you'd align yourself with criminals or go to the extent of which you trend on, just to see your vision of keeping this city safe and keeping rogue criminals under control." He said with his broody tone, almost sounding like a disappointed father.

"Well, those are the extremes you need to get to if you're to keep those guys in check. A line you refuse to cross, but look how much more peaceful this city had gotten since Ace and I took matters into our own hands."

He let out a sigh, seeming like he was in no mood to argue. Between matters with the Justice League and the recent happenings in Gotham, I get why he's as stressed as he was. Although he won't show it or even take a break.

"I have to say I was glad you let the police handle the case of corrupt politicians in the city and crime lords who was causing direct harm to the citizens, rather than kill them yourself, you handed evidence of their misdeeds. You did the right thing." He complimented,  having a subtle hint of a proud father in his tone, a bit different from the disappointment I could hear from earlier.

Only he didn't know I was more than happy to end them myself if it weren't for Tom who had other plans to use their imprisonment to his favor.

"Well that's all Bruce, whoever catches them first gets to decide what to do with them. Let the hunt begin." I stated,  jumping of the rooftop as I shot my grapple hook, making a cool and dramatic exit from the scene.

….

[Tom Hendricks POV]

Seated at the office of the commissioner of Gotham PD, I observed the interiors as I awaited the commissioner.

Looking on to his table I could see a picture of him and his daughter from when she was way younger and with a wide smile across her lips, I wonder how he'd react if he finds out his daughter was running around playing vigilante with Batman.

Click

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Tom." Commissioner Gordon apologized as he swung the door open, then he approached me.

"It's no problem at all." I replied, exchanging an handshake as he went behind his desk to take a seat.

"I have to say thank you for your contributions to rebuilding this city into a better one than it used to."

"There's no need for that commissioner, I'm just following my heart to try creating a less hideous world." I replied, having a neutral expression on my face.

"Once again, I really do appreciate your efforts but I'm quite concerned about your safety. You don't have a security detail so many who wish to foil this dream of yours, could come after you." He elaborated.

"I know and like I said before, if I die then that's where my journey ends." I said with a short pause as I continued. "And I got a visit from the vigilante calling himself the Red Hood the night after my proclamation." I added, spicing up out little conversation as we continued.

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