Archive of Our Own ^beta

Diana frowned at the man across from her, even with the lasso around his wrist he was leading them around in circles. It was time to try some questions to knock him off his game, “If you are unwilling to give us clear answers, I will have to proceed to alternative questions.”

Red Hood rolled his head as if he was rolling his eyes, “Alternative questions? You going to ask my favorite color?”

“I will give you one last chance to answer the typical questions.”

“Go ahead, you’re not getting anything you haven’t already.”

“What is your true name?”

“Red Hood.”

Barry frowned, “How is he doing that? We’re not asking for his cape identity.”

Clark shrugged, “Batman did the same thing, but he never explained.”

Barry looked back as Red Hood continued to give them the run around answers, “Wonder Woman, if he sees his name as cape identity, ask for his civilian identity.”

Diana paused her question to ask Barry’s question.

“Don’t have one.”

Diana blinked, “You don’t have a civilian identity?”

“Correct.” Red Hood was back to his clipped answers.

“What do your friends call you?”

“Red, Red Hood, Hood,” Red Hood shrugged, easily avoiding the nicknames his family used.

Diana sighed, “Are you going to answer any of our normal questions without more invasive alternate questions?”

“Yeah nope.” Red Hood hummed, “Batman is a different matter completely. I’d answer questions from him.”

Clark furrowed his brow, “Maybe we should wait then? I mean Red Hood is one of his rogues.”

Diana shook her head, “It’s a delay tactic. He didn’t say he’d give Batman more clear answers, but that he’d answer them. No, we need to shake him, if he’s uncomfortable he’s more likely to answer our other questions.”

Red Hood snorted, “Oh and what are a bunch of heroes going to ask to throw me off my game?”

Diana smirked, “How many people have you slept with?”

Barry stared at Diana, “Wonder Woman!”

At the same time Red Hood answered, “Zero, that I know of.”

Clark blinked, “That you know of?”

“Yep.”

Diana took over asking questions again, “Why don’t you know?”

“Spent a couple months essentially brain dead but able to respond to basic instructions and instincts. So, I can’t be certain what happened then. People from that time have tried after I recovered so I’m not sure.”

“Why were you in such a state?”

“Don’t know.”

Barry frowned, “I don’t think these questions will work. Batman should be here soon. Why don’t we wait for him?”

Clark looked towards the door, “He’s almost here actually.”

Diana shook her head, “He can ask his own questions once he’s here.” Before anyone could say anything else she asked, “What was your worst day?”

The door started sliding to the side as Red Hood asked for clarifications, “Actual twenty-four hours or what I remember as being 24 hours in my view?”

“Wonder Woman,” Batman stepped into the room.

“Your view.”

“My birth mother betraying me and essentially trading me to the Joker for her own safety, which failed in the long run. Joker beating me nearly to death before blowing me up and then waking inside my own coffin. Digging myself out until my hand’s nails broke through the surface. I felt grass on my fingertips and then I was drowning and trying to swim free, and then I was drowning ag-” Red Hood’s voice cut off with Batman pushing a button on the back of his helmet.

Turning from his son Bruce growled at his friend, “Take the lasso off.”

She immediately pulled it free, staring shocked at where Bruce had rested his hand on Red Hood’s shoulder.

Quickly disabling the cuffs on the chair Red Hood was on, Bruce turned to Red Hood giving him all of his attention, “Can I take the hood off?”

Red Hood paused for a moment before nodding, rolling his wrists that had gone stiff from the hours of binding.

Pulling off a glove the League watched in surprise as with a press of a finger the neck armor drew up, letting Bruce pull the hood off with Jason’s helpful tilt of his head.

“Jaylad,” Setting the hood on the table he ran a hand over Jason’s head both to sooth and to look for injuries, “Are you okay?”

“Been better.” Rolling his neck he gave a small smirk to Bruce, “Couple sore muscles and bruises from them grabbing me, but it’s just been a lot of annoying questions. I,” Jason glanced away, “I’d appreciate it if we could keep the last couple questions from the rest of the colony.” He snorted, giving a fake smile he finished, “Don’t want to deal with all the unicorn jokes.”

Bruce stood back giving Jason room to stand, “Unicorn?”

“Wait,” Barry interrupted, “When we asked what people called you, you didn’t say Jaylad.”

Jason turned a glare that had him taking a quick step back and to the side to put Clark between himself and Jason, “You asked about friends, not family and if you want to have one someday you won’t use that. Only my dad is allowed to call me that.”

“Wait! Batman’s your dad? You kill people!”

“Never heard of teenage rebellion?” Jason snorted at their expressions, “The multiple drownings was in a Lazarus pit. I have… better control over the pit rage now.”

Clark frowned, “You are a crime lord.”

Jason shrugged, “Was, now just a vigilante who uses that reputation to get into places heroes normally can’t.”

“So, you were undercover?”

“There's a trafficker trying to set up in Gotham, I was looking into trying to make a connection with someone they were working with.”

Diana tilted her head, “You seemed very, familiar, with those women for a virgin.”

Jason sighed, “Cherry and Sally have been working in my territory for years, they were the ones that brought the lead to me. When I figured out where I needed to go I asked for help looking like a scumbag. They told me what to do once we sat down as I had no clue.

Barry shook his head, “I still can’t, well I can because of the lasso, but really a virgin crime lord seems… improbable.”

“Haven’t you heard the saying that only an idiot samples the goods? It goes double with your employees. How could I expect them to tell me about a problematic John if I might be one?”

Jason turned back to Bruce, “So yeah, I don’t particularly want any of the others knowing the virgin thing, or that the closest I’ve gotten to losing the v-card is your ex. Demon Brat really doesn’t deserve to have that information thrown at him, and somehow that would get out.”

“Jay,” Bruce tried to interrupt him.

“And I’m really pissed you know about the death, revival, revival. death, revival, death revival day thing. Wait,” Jason squinted at Bruce, “Is O listening to this?”

Bruce winced, “Not just Oracle… everyone wanted to see you were okay as soon as possible.”

“Right,” Jason rubbed his forehead, “When has luck been in my favor. Fine,” Jason sighed, “Lets go. I want something to eat before dealing with all of this.”

Bruce nodded glaring around the room as he pushed Jason from the room, “Let’s get you to the zeta tube, I have some business to finish up here. Agent A will make sure the others at least wait to barrage you.”