Zodiac (Nightwing x OC) book #1

Chapter 17

I sat on top of the library roof studying for my Arabic test tomorrow while I also listened to the police scanner. I had it down low so I could focus on translating.

"Zodiac is it?" I turned and aimed an arrow at the man standing behind me.

He was very tall, he was dressed in black armored suit with a red Batman logo on his chest. He had two holsters on his utility belt. He wore a brown leather jacket and a red hood covering his entire face.

"Who are you?" I asked as I stood up, keeping my aim locked on him.

"I'm the Red hood." He Said.

He bounded for me and I fired and he dodged my arrows. He tackled me and we both went over the ledge. I kneed him in the gut and he let go. We landed on the cement and I reached for an arrow but my quiver was in between us. He'd severed the strap during the fall. I ran and threw one of my home made smoke bombs at him. I got my quiver and ran away from the cloud of smoke. I turned and aimed my arrow at the cloud waiting for the hooded man to emerge. He emerged and I fired. He pulled a gun and shot my arrow.

"Hey not fair!" I yelled.

"Life isn't fair, honey." He yelled.

He ran twoards me and I fired an arrow and it hit him in the gun. He grunted and stopped before he pulled it out.

"Ow that stung." He hissed.

"What do you want with me?" I demanded.

"I want the family to crumble. One member at a time." He said.

"Which family? Team arrow?" I asked as I fired another arrow.

"No!" He dodged it.

"Batman and his merry men of Do gooders." He said.

"I'm not one of his apprentices." I Said as I fired another arrow.

He dodged it and tackled me again. He pinned me to the ground,

"You we're at the manor last summer. Bruce trained you while you were healing from your incident with Slade." He Said. His words took my breath away.

"How..how do you know that?" I demanded. He knocked me out to avoid answering my question.

I woke up to the sun starting to rise. I got up and collected my things and went back to my dorm. I was careful with the one that had the Red Hood's blood on it because I wanted to test it as soon as my Arabic test was over.

•••

After my test, I took the arrowhead to the Bunker.

"Hey kid, whatcha doing here?" Curtis asked.

"I need this blood's DNA cross examined with the League's data based." I Said as I gave it to him.

"Where did you get this?" He asked.

"Some guy in a red mask and Batman logo, attacked me last night. He knew where I was last summer and he knew about Bruce." I Said.

"I'll get started on it right now." Curtis took a swab of the blood and put it into the computer to test.

"We have a match," He Said after half an hour of analyzing.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Jason Todd, the second Robin." He said.

"That doesn't make sense, the second Robin died. The Joker killed him." I said.

I printed the results and took the arrowhead with me. I went to the Zeta tube and programmed it for the BatCave.

I walked toward Bruce who was sitting at the compute. He was sitting intently at the compute, Dick was also there.

"Hey What are you doing here?" He asked as came over and kissed me.

"I have some information you two would probably like to here." I said.

"What is it?" Bruce asked.

I noticed multiple Gotham news articles about a vigilante calling Himself Red Hood.

"It's about him, the Red Hood." I motioned to the computer.

"What?" Dick asked utterly confused.

"Explain what happened." Bruce said.

"Last night I was sitting on the roof of the library, studying and listening to the police scanner. Then he showed up." I recounted the events of last night.

"What happened after he knocked you out?" Bruce asked.

"I woke up a few hours later and I collected my arrows but I was careful with the one I'd shot him with. I had Curtis cross examine the DNA with the League's data base. It matched Jason Todd." I showed them the results and gave them the arrow head.

Bruce ran his own tests on the remaining blood.

"We've been dealing with him for over two weeks." Dick Said.

"Why would he leave Gotham to send Maria a message?" Dick asked.

"He knew I spent the summer here, so he must have been watching us for a while." I said.

"Thank you, you've unmasked Jason." Bruce Said.

"You're welcome." I said.

•••

I stood on the opposite roof that Bruce and Dick were on. I was there Incase things went south, and Incase I wasn't enough Tim was on standby in the cave.

"Zodiac are you in position?" Bruce asked over the com.

"I am, waiting for your signal." I radioed.

Something metal hit my ankle, I looked down and saw a smoke bomb, it's fumes already escaping. I could already feel my throat swelling shut from the reaction.

"Dick!" I exclaimed over the com.

I kicked the Can away and went into a coughing fit.

"What's wrong?" He radioed.

I continued struggling to breath. I took a flare arrow and fired it. I coughed again and managed to gasp for air.

"Didn't think you would have that much of an allergic reaction." I heard. I saw the Red Hood standing next to me.

"Ja-son," I croaked over the com. I coughed again and he kicked me in the face.

•••

I woke up in the BatCave, Ollie and Dick both sitting near me. I sat up and they both kept sleeping. I kicked the blanket off and poked Ollie with my foot. He stirred and woke up.

"Hey Kid!" He stood up.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he made me lie back down.

"Better," I Said with a raspy voice. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days, you were in a coma for two of those days." He Said.

"What!" I croaked as I sat up.

"Hey calm down," Ollie pushed me back on the bed.

"My classes, and the Red Hood, did you catch him?" I asked.

"We did, Bruce has been trying to talk to him for the last few days." Dick Said.

Later that day, Ollie took me back to Star City so I could get back to school and my classes.

"I'm telling you Maria, I can't keep covering for you. Either you be more careful, or you're going to have to choose between education and Zodiac." Ollie said.

"I know, I'll try to be more careful." I said.
__________________________
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
-Zodiac
Ps I don't own any characters DC owns.