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Red Hood had a reputation, a reputation of violence, of murder and of dipping his feet into the drug trade, so Boss avoided him, kept the other kids away too, because he was bad news.
“Boss, but why?” One of the younger kids, Tommy, complained when Boss, being the eldest and smartest had made them move once more, from the shitty run down flat they’d been squatting in, all because Red Hood had been sighted close to the area on at least four occasions and Boss wasn’t taking her chances. There were seven of them all together in their… clan? As the eldest Boss was in charge, she had to keep the other kids safe, it was her job, just like when she’d be the youngest and the other kids had taken care of her in turn.
“Cause Hood will hurt us if he sees us, ya thin’ he cares ‘bout a bunch o’ street rats?” Boss huffed. She was smart and she was blunt. The other kids knew that though, they weren’t offended by her words, long since used to her harshness and the reality of their situation. Being a homeless kid sucked, but a homeless kid in Gotham?
“I don’t hurt kids.” A voice chuffed from behind them and Boss froze.
“H-Hood?” One of the kids squeaked, Viktor, clutching the ratty bag closer to their chest. Boss had been in the process of moving the kids from one flat to a disused warehouse, further from the heart of Crime Alley, further from Red Hood's main focus point.
“Ya’ right. I ain’ gon’ believe ya’. Piss off.” Boss snapped, arms stretched to keep the other kids behind her, even if she was short, skinny and in no way able to take on the man in front of her.
“Gutsy. Got a name kid?”
“Don’ talk to villains, sorry.” She snapped, not backing down, glaring at the red helmet that shook when Hood tipped his head back to laugh.
“I like you. Good work lookin’ after the young ‘uns. Is it just you or there other older kids?” Because the rest of the kids were all between 4 and 6 while Boss was somewhere…around eight? She didn’t know. She’d only done a couple of years at school before her dad tried to- well anyway, Boss was safer on the streets than with him and if she was the oldest and smartest she had to look after the others.
“Jus’ Boss, Sir.” Tommy answered.
“Don’ answer him!” She snapped but didn’t turn her back to the Crime Lord, because that was stupid.
“Just you? Where are you going anyway? I already said I don’t hurt kids, you don’t need to run away because I’m in charge now, I promise.”
“Like I’m gon’ trust ya.”
“Suit ya’self.” Jason shrugged but didn’t budge. Boss didn’t back down either until a shout further into the alley startled all eight of them, because of course Red Hood wouldn’t jump from just a shout.
“Clowns out again!”
“Okay, fuck.” Hood swore, squatting down instantly. “You kids have to come with me, right now, it ain’ safe on the streets if he’s out.”
“An’ go where? Nowhere’s safe, it's Gotham.”
“You guys can have one of my Safehouses, I promise, I swear, I will never hurt you, but please let me get you somewhere safe before that fucker gets here.” And the raw honesty in his voice had Boss freeze. He did sound serious but Boss knew how easily the worst of Gotham could fool others.
“Boss, we need to get inside if the Jokers out.”
“Fine. Fine, but ya gi’ me a gun.”
“No chance, how's a knife?”
“Deal.”
And so, Hood ended up the shepherd of seven street kids, convincing Boss to let him pick up the youngest two, twins Kateryna and Ihor, one on each hip as a brisk and swift walk led them to a flat with light and warmth and the gentle thrum of electricity. Boss had clutched the knife tight and kept a close eye on Hood’s hands the entire time. One twitch to a gun and she was going to stab him.
As soon as Hood had them all in the flat, he turned, locked the door with- Was that seven locks? And then dashed to the window to close the curtains and blinds. It was only then he turned the lights on. The flat was furbished, not homely but it had the basics.
“Don’t open the door for anyone, not even me because I’ll come in through the window, anyone at the door is fake. Don’t open the curtains, don’t let any sign of life show to the outside, keep quiet, don’t break anything…uh.. Don’t do anything I wouldn't do?” Hood ran down the rules. “Feel free to eat anything in the kitchen but don’t use the cooker without me, if you’d rather wait for something cooked wait till I come back, showers in the second door on the left if any of you want.”
“Where are ya goin’?”
“I’m gonna go hunt a clown. If I’m not back in…” Jason paused to think, “Three hours, then assume I’m dead, do what you want with the flat, I own it so you won’t need to pay rent, should get a good few months out of it before anyone realizes… anyway, don’t leave the flat until the news clearly states that freak is either dead or back in Arkham.” Hood relayed everything and then he was gone, climbing out a window and grappling away. Boss frowned. He hadn’t done anything to them like she’d been expecting the entire time, her anxiety at being locked in with a murderer calmed slightly. She still had a knife, she had a locked door and-
“We can have a shower?” Viktor asked, eyes wide. It had been so long since any of them had been able to have a proper clean, clean water was hard to come by and other than a dip in the freezing and downright murky waters at the harbour, Boss had elected instead to just remain filthy.
“We ain’ got no clean clothes fo’ aft’a though.” Boss explained to the younger boy. “We’d jus’ be putin’ mucky clothes back on.”
“Can’t we wash ‘em?” Ihor asked, eyes sad. Boss exhaled. Okay, she could do this, how hard could it be to work a washing machine?
“Okay. Fine. Viktor ya’ in charge o’ washin’ tha’ twins, okay?” Because Viktor was nearly 7 and he was pretty much the second in command. Viktor nodded, offering hands to Kateryna and Ihor who took them and followed eagerly. “Tommy if ya brin’ me their clothes afta’ I can try an’ wash ‘em.” Tommy nodded. That just left Rob and Dixie, who Boss decided could help her raid the kitchen. Red Hood probably would end up dead in a fight with Joker anyway, the rogue was like a cockroach, nothing kept him down and so if the man wasn’t coming back they could pack all his food and take it with them. It made sense.
“Let’s see wha’ food he had.” She offered, leading them into the kitchen. She shot Tommy a smile when he eagerly brought over a bundle of clothes, throwing them in the washing machine. She was sure you had to put things into the draw but Boss didn’t know which was which, it probably didn’t matter anyway. The buttons were complex so Boss just clicked a few until the machine hummed and began to spin. She’d put it on some setting or another, all that mattered was the cleanliness anyway.
Halfway through emptying Hood’s cupboards there was a knock on the door, frantic and worried.
“Please be in.” A voice mumbled, the door clanking.
Boss’ eyes widened because they’d been told to ignore the door but someone was breaking in and- She grabbed the knife, ushered Rob and Dixie to hide behind the kitchen counter and prayed the other four stayed in the bathroom.
The man that walked in was tall, lined with muscles and a shock of red hair that drew attention from the fucking bow on his back. He quickly turned and re-did the locks.
The man saw her instantly once he was done, the knife held out threateningly.
“Hey Kiddo… Is Hood home?” He asked, he didn’t seem interested in the knife in the slightest and almost casual in his question, walking past her to look into the hallway. “Hood you home?” He seemed a little frantic but not aggressive.
“Hood wen’ to kill Joker.”
“Fuck.” The man swore. “Okay. This is fine.” And as soon as he’d arrived, the man was gone, climbing out the same window Hood had done. Boss frowned. What the fuck was that.
“Is it safe?” Dixie whispered, head peeking up above the counter.
“I guess?” Boss was confused. Still, despite the interruption that made no sense, the kids managed to snaffle the rest of the food into bags, the twins and Viktors clothes were cleaner than they had been in months before Boss had wisely thrown them in a dryer. While they waited she and Tommy had found some way-to-big clothes of Hoods for them to wear, shirts that were like dresses and shorts that were trouser length.
The news was left on, quiet, barely a whisper in the flat that had the announcement of Joker’s return to Arkham with extensive injuries. No mention of Red Hood.
“D’ya think he died?” Rob asked, they’d all huddled in front of the television, each of them snacking on items they’d stolen from the cupboards, ranging from dry cereal and chocolate buttons. The clatter from the window as Red Hood climbed back through told them that no, he hadn’t died, and the redhead that followed… Must have been a friend.
“Oh, you’re still here, good.” Hood huffed, except the Hood wasn’t on his head but tucked under the Redhead’s arm. There was a smaller mask on Hood’s face though and a nasty bash on his head that was bleeding. Probably why the Hood wasn’t on.
“Why do you have a bunch of children in your Safehouse… I didn’t have time to ask earlier, what with making sure you didn’t die again.”
“Shut up- You die once and… fucks sake. Uh, they’re street kids, couldn’t leave ‘em out with Joker about.” Hood explained, flopping onto the sofa behind the huddle of children. Boss had already grabbed the knife at the first sign of noise and had made a point of displaying it at the two men. Neither had flinched though. The Red Head with the bow huffed out a laugh and shook his head fondly.
In the background the news story changed, focus moving from Joker instead to talking about other headlines, a picture of Richie Grayson plastered in the screen making a dork out of himself. Hood scoffed out a laugh.
“Look at him, what a fool.” Hood laughed and Bow Man gave him a smile and a little chuff of his own. Boss could only stare as Hood made fun of the man on tv, ignoring his bleeding head or the bruises on his face.
“You kids manage okay without us here? Nobody else came in?”
“No, Sir.” Tommy answered, Boss sent him a glare to be quiet. Not talking to people was another rule.
“Sorry Boss.”
“We ain’ stickin’ ‘roun’ if ya ain’ dead.” Boss huffed.
“Well, a’ least wait till your friend's clothes dry?” Hood indicated, so he hadn’t missed that.
“Fine. But then we’ goin’.” Because the threat of the Joker had passed and while the warmth and light was nice, Boss knew not to trust adults. Hood… wasn’t as bad as she thought though. She’d take them back to their old flat, no longer intimidated that the new Crime Lord’s base of operations was close by. Apparently the guy looked after kids and that was enough reassurance for her.
“Fine. But you can call back here anytime. Do any of you want an actual substantial meal instead of eating all my chocolate?” Hood asked, knowing full well they’d taken all his food.
“Jay, do you really think there’s anything left in your cupboards?”
“Course not Roy.”
Boss raised an eyebrow, Hood was called Jay? And the Bow Mister was Roy?
“Do we get to know your names?”
“No-” Boss said at the same time the Twins blurted out their names.
“‘Am Ihor!”
“Kateryna.”
“Well, Ihor, Kateryna, it’s lovely to meet you both. I’m Jay but maybe we don’t tell people that?”
“Promise!” Ihor beamed, Kateryna nodding.
The rest of their kids introduced themselves eagerly, Boss only kept her eyes trained on the two men silently.
“Everyone calls me Boss.”
“Boss?” Jason let out a big smile at that. “I definitely like you.” He mirrored his early statement and Boss could only flush.
“Whateva’.”
“Well, if you’re going to run off with my groceries, I’ll order us pizza.”
And so, with the quiet hum of the TV, the kids huddled together, still under Boss’ watchful eyes, pizza delivered that they all clambered to inhale, Jay and Roy made a point of drying their clothes, packing extra supplies into their bags sneakily, ranging from little packs of wet wipes to extra blankets, knowing full well come morning the kids will have all cleared out before they woke.
It was nice, terribly domestic and Jason felt a hum of warmth at seeing the kids snuggle up and feel safe enough to sleep, even Boss who fell asleep still clutching the knife which Jason wisely removed from her hands but kept within her reach should she wake and panic.
“Knew you were a big softie.” Roy teased from the doorway as Jason tucked the kids under blankets from their sofa pile.
“Shut it Harper.”
“Make me.” Roy stuck his tongue out childishly, only turning on his heel to run once Jason flashed him a took and stalked after him.
All in all, it was nice, especially after the confrontation with Joker of all things…
And by morning, Boss and her gang were gone. As expected. Jason made sure that particular safehouse stocked extra incase they should ever return and kept an eye out for her on the streets should the group ever need Hood’s protection.