Blood Ties

Chapter 13 -Seismic Waves Part 1-

Alright my friends, this chapter is a little different, there's going to be a before AN instead of after. Why? Because this chapter was 14,000 words. I had wanted to keep it all together but I was forced to split it once it hit 12,000. This chapter is part 1, it's the longer one with 9,080 words, while the next chapter will have the remaining 5,000ish. Because it's already been mostly written, Part 2 will be out very soon, like next few days soon, but it will be much smaller than normal chapters. 

Another reason the AN is up here is because flow, that was my main issue with splitting the chapter. I had this super awesome transition and I didn't want to interrupt it with an AN so it's up here for your benefit. 

Now... without further ado... 

Gotham was quiet at the moment, busy with a strange sense of subdued haste, busy with the things that need no deep thought but spent all day in mind. It was that odd lull between day and night, a twilight zone of quiet work. The people out and about were hushed with the calm sense that settled low on the dusty ground. It was nearing the end of a long and exhausting day, only to be reinvigorated once the sun went down. But the sun was still up, the calm serenity still heavy in the air, almost toxic. Closer to the ground the air thinned, cold wind scuffing up dirt and trash, creating tiny whirlwinds of litter and leaves. The cold Gotham wind wove between the buildings, shooting through alleys and roads like the scaffolding of a building's air conditioning. That's why Gotham felt alive, it breathed and pulsed like a sick and mad dog. The fleas, ticks, and pests infesting her body were also under the spell of twilight. One such man was shaking off the lethargic coat of dull eventide, waiting, stalking, for the chaos of the night.

His feet shuffled with pounding steps, faster than the average traveler. He had things to do, people to see, he had no time for the sweet allure of relaxation. His target would be a lot harder to find by then, or maybe easier. Either way, he needed information before making a decision.

Fisted hands were stuffed in his warm pockets, a yellow hat low over his eyes. His brown jacket collar was high on his neck, protecting the sensitive skin from Gotham's relentless gasping gusts.

Other people were walking on the sidewalk, a couple here and there, a lone woman or man this way and that. People returning home to sleep, or to plan for the lawless night. The crowds faded away as he got closer to his destination, his hand fingering the red mask in his pocket.

You see, Jason Todd has a plan. It wasn't a very well thought out plan, frankly, he didn't even know what he was trying to accomplish. All he knew was that there was a kid out there, probably suffering, and two grown-arse men were playing tug of war with him. Of course it had to be him to pull the boy out, who else was going to do anything about it? He knew Batman, he knew Bruce, he knew what he was trying to do. He also knew Deathstroke, more in a professional way though, but even then he wasn't sure what his motives were. All he knew was that the man was merciless and had his own level of downright evil and had canny abilities of master manipulation. Clearly neither man was going to back down, and Jason didn't want the poor kid in between to get ripped in half.

But why? Why was he doing this? Maybe it was to get back at Batman, he was angry with Bruce, he didn't want him to mess up another kids life. But also having Deathstroke as a mentor sounded like a living nightmare- and being convinced it was a dream. He could save the kid from both evils, although we wasn't much of saint himself. Yeah he didn't have much of an after plan, he didn't exactly want a little pint-sized accomplice. He didn't even know the kid, he could be helping a brat just as terrible as Deathstroke.

While Jason had fought the kid, the spirited boy seemed bright and oddly capable, even if he was as thin as a twig. He was so gosh darn young though, and while Jason had tried to kill him, he wasn't trying very hard, but even then he could see the kid had some serious skills. The way the kid's acrobatics melded with his fighting technique was nothing short of incredible, a true asset to any side. That was the problem, if Jason was being honest, both sides wanted him so badly, this would never end well for the kid.