Put on Your War Paint

Talon chuckled and jumped backwards. Robin almost hit him and the older male felt the air around the kick. He pulled out a few small daggers and threw them at the young one legs. A flightless bird is a dead bird.

Cursing under his breath as a knife clipped his leg, Jason flipped backwards, landing in a crouch. He had nearly avoided the blades, but there were long, thin cuts left behind. Not enough to stop him running, but maybe enough to slow him down. Not good. Having any kind of weapon would be great right now, he should have asked Nightwing for eskrima lessons.

He pulled a few small explosives from his belt, throwing them at the assassin, trying to will a few to hit the mark.

“Only if Jensen Ackles plays you,” She snapped back; aware of his sarcasm, but she did picture the two being similar in a way. A chuckle slipped her lips as she tilted her head, stroking his abs a bit.

“You know; you could always just ask me if I’m wearing the lip stick; I wouldn’t lie to you, just the other animals in your pack. I haven’t used the lipstick on the new Robin though; he’s just a kid.”

“Dunno who that is, but I hope he’s dreamy.“ With the vines keeping him in place, he could only subtly shift away from her touch as he cocked his head to one side. “Hey, easy there, I’m ticklish.”

One eyebrow rose beneath his helmet as his grip on his knife tightened, readying to strike at the vines binding his hands, though he wanted to keep her talking, get her a bit more distracted if he could. “Yeah, see, I’d like to believe that, I really would, but how ‘bout you buy me dinner first? Then I see what kinda lipstick you’re wearing.” He let out a breath of a laugh at the mention of Damian. “Probably a good idea, kid’d bite your lips off if you tried.”

lazarusoutlaw

“Oh, hey, Jason.” Kyle looked up from his painting and smiled. His studio in the Wayne house smelled of oil paints and had become quite a mess, but had a certain artistic charm. Half-painted canvases sat strewn about and paint splatters covered many surfaces.

“What brings you by?”

Returning the smile, Jason walked into Kyle’s room without hesitation, almost like he owned the place, feeling more than at home there. He moved to Kyle’s side, hand going to the painter’s shoulder as he leaned into his space to look at what he was working on. “Wanted to see how the painting was going,” he said, eyes drifting over Kyle’s work.

“Also wanted to ask if you could take a break to paint something else...”

Fucking Gotham, Jason needed a vacation, and this settled it. Soon as he was done here, cruise. Cruise to somewhere nice. Maybe a Disney cruise. Finally, living up to his childhood dreams, ooh-la-fucking-la.

Jason eyed the other guy, other him, shoving his guns back in the holsters. Guess there was no need for them anyway. He’d rather not shoot himself in the foot, literally or figuratively. 

“Gotham Fashion’s gonna have a fit about this. Who wore it better, Identical Person A or Identical Person B?” Jason shook his head. At least he still rocked the helmet. “Accessorizing is key.” 

Guns away. Good sign. Hopefully that meant he wouldn’t be leaving with a bullet anywhere unpleasant. But knowing himself the way he did, it could still happen. 

Jason shrugged. “Yeah, least I’ve still got the mask.” The red domino under the red helmet was usually unnecessary, but he was glad he kept it up now, so there was at least something of a layer to hide behind. His own helmet had been lost in an explosion just before the portal nonsense. He still wasn’t sure which side of it he had ended up on.

“Kinda hard to tell who’s wearing it better when I can’t see that pretty face of yours.”

“Robin do whatever you please, but I respect you more then Batman. After the Joker incident I would have just let you come out on patrol again, not keep you caged on. What is wrong with me is because I am not afraid to cross that line!”

Talon’s voice was cold, but he made it sound soften. “If you are scared then run back to Batman and come find me when you have your big boy cape.” He chuckled.

Taking another step back, he flinched at the mention of the Joker. As much as he wanted to be fine, just the sound of the clown’s name still made him twitch. “I don’t kill people,” he said, voice rising to a shout. There were times when he was tempted, sure, people he didn’t regret not saving, but actually killing someone... that was different.

“You don’t scare me!” With a growl, he reached for his belt and grabbed a fistful of smoke pellets and hurled them at the man’s feet before launching himself forward, aiming a kick at his knees. 

Of course he was scared, he had just seen the man kill four people right in front of him, but he couldn’t admit that.

“Everyone assumes that,” Pam let out a sigh, tightening the viney binds before rubbing at the helmet softly, pursing her head. “It’s funny; really. How everyone always assumes that I always wear my death toxin.”

A pout soon formed on her lips, more of her pheromone starting to head toward his direction. Her eyes never left where his would be behind his helmet, however her head tilted slightly. “If anything–your story intrigues me. Being killed..coming back..taking a new name..”

So much for squirming free. Jason still had a grip on his knife, but using it wouldn’t be easy with her so close. He shrugged. “Y’know, I just always figure better safe than sorry, cause if I think you aren’t wearing it when you are, then I’m just shit outta luck.”

He bit at the inside of his lip, feeling the pheromone’s starting to try to take effect. Next on his to do list, get a better filter for the helmet. “And I appreciate that, it’s a good story, there should be a movie.”

Talon was watching Robin tie up the thugs. The Court had a plan for the little bird and Talon was sent to watch him. The older male thought the boy had talent, but rage. After the Joker incident Batman and Robin were fighting.

Talon was going to try and take Robin. He jumped down and smirked under his mask. “Finish them! Scum like them don’t deserve to live!” Talon walked closer to the four thugs and threw small knifes at them.

The knifes hit the men in the hearts and Talon looked at Robin. “You know they deserved it. Come follow me and I’l answer your questions.” He turned and started to run.

Footsteps in the alley had him on edge, but it was that harsh, cruel voice that made him freeze, eyes wide as the new arrival suddenly struck. “The hell? No, don’t--” But his protest came too late, blood running cold at the four dead men on the ground.

Slowly, panic mingling with anger, Jason turned to look at the assassin, ready for an attack to come his way. Shaking his head he took a few quick steps back. “They were just thieves, what the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped, doing his best to sound furious rather than scared. “Not going anywhere with you, fucking psycho.”

“Isn’t that too bad for you, then? I was going to have you stick around anyway.” Ivy chuckled softly, walking over to where he stood. As she moved closer, some pheromones escaped her body, allowing her hips to only sway a bit.

“I’m sure the other pests that travel around here can handle those mobsters who need stabbed and drug dealers who need shot for now. There’ll always be more later.” 

Not good. Jason shifted a little, trying to find any place where the vines would give. He needed to get free now. “Yeah, but see, this is kinda my turf, so if someone else takes ‘em out, it’s gonna make me look bad, you know how it is, I’m sure.”

Maybe if he could just keep her talking. At least he still had the helmet on, because he didn’t want those poison lips of hers anywhere near his. “Why d’you want me to stick around? Figured you’d be more interested in the big Bat himself, or the pretty boy.”

Pamela stood up, snapping both fingers as she outstretched her arms, plants rushing to shut all the doors and windows in her facility. Her arms stayed out, however, in case she wanted to summon her henchmen’s fly traps to open up.

“Huh; what makes the Red Hood suddenly want to cower? Could it be that someone finally realizes who the Queen of Gotham is; and is going to sit and watch her conquer this pathetic little town?” Her hand fell onto her hips, the other arm draping down at her side. 

And there went all his possible exit routes, just great. He sighed, rolling his eyes again as he shrugged. “Nah, I’ve just got other shit to do, y’know? Drug dealers to stab, mobsters to shoot, you know how it is. This just doesn’t really fit into my schedule, I’m booked solid all week.”

At least she hadn’t gagged him so he could still throw out all the sass he could muster. “I mean, watching you do that conquering thing could be fun, but I just really don’t have the time. Think you could push it back to next month?”

Sure, Ivy didn’t seem like the kind of rogues to do a drug operation. However; they really weren’t for her; she was only collaborating with a different rogue, the drug bust only being a diversion.

Finally, vines came out of what seemed to be no where, tangling them up to drag inside the greenhouse, right where Ivy was sitting. The green woman smirked down at the male, sitting at her floral like throne. “You wanted to do this face to face? Well–here I am; you seemed to be tangled up though.”

Seeing the vines too late to do anything about it, Jason just swore under his breath as he was yanked off his feet and into the greenhouse. He had dropped one gun and quickly moved to put the other away, hand moving to one of his knives instead, though he didn’t pull it out. Not just yet. Cutting himself free wouldn’t do any good if she just grabbed him again.

He couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Yeah, I noticed that. Thanks for the update though. Look, how ‘bout you let me go, and I don’t shoot you and we both just call it a night?” Somehow he doubted she would take the offer.