Chapter Text
This peaceful calm was broken by an intrusion alarm.
A raid on the control tower; all the heroes at headquarters either went to the command room where Cyborg and Mr. Terrific were, or the others went to where the raider was.
The alarm sounded in the entertainment room where Batman, Robin, and Red Robin were.
And the intruder is there too.
When Superman arrived with Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Flash, and they were about to engage the intruder, Batman stopped them.
He spoke to the intruder
"How did you manage to get in here, Red Hood?"
A laugh escaped from beneath Red Hood's mask, but this did not conceal the annoyance and anger that possessed him.
From his posture to his voice, which has changed because of the mask, they say he's angry.
When Superman tried to speak, Red Hood spoke.
"Shouldn't you be wondering why I came, Bruce?"
Bruce didn't reply, and Red Hood let out a laugh that seemed to indicate he had anticipated this.
"Oh, I forgot, excuse me, I almost forgot that you know why I came, Bruce!"
"How dare you... instead of trying to protect him..."
His words left both Flash and Superman wondering about what he was saying.
Red Hood removed his hood, revealing his angry and desperate features.
That was almost the first time the members of the association had seen his face.
It is true that they know he is Robin II, the one with the tragic death, and the criminal known as Red Hood
But they had never seen him like that
"Tod..."
The one who spoke this time was Robin, Damien
Jason approached him and, seeing that he was about to collapse, knelt on the ground to examine him and saw his injuries, which had been treated.
Bruce was quiet and sighed wearily, while Flash, Superman, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman wondered about the worried expression on Red Hood's face.
"Bruce! How dare you break your promise!"
Jason glared at Bruce with anger and resentment.
"You said you would protect him! I believed you..."
He finished speaking, turning his gaze back to Damien.
"Instead, he almost died!"
"I let him get hurt... You in have while he was almost dying, all I thought about was others."
Bruce, Damien, and Red Robin all started looking puzzled at what he was talking about.
"Todd, it's not—"
Jason interrupted him
"Oh, so you'll find excuses for your father just like Dick and Tim!"
"This is not what should have happened."
"You don't have to be a hero!"
"You don't have to think it's your responsibility because of the blood that runs in you."
And here Bruce spoke
"Jason, this is what Damien chose—"
Jason interrupted him
"Oh, just shut up!"
"You always say this, while you don't put anyone in a position to choose."
"You make them believe it's inevitable, then it happens, and you say again that it's their choice."
Others watching began to act as if they understood what he was talking about.
And Green Arrow strongly wanted to agree with him, and during this time Harry let out a laugh and agreed in the control room.
And there are many heroes watching what is happening.
"Damian… leave the League, leave Batman!"
Both viewers were somewhat shocked by what he said.
It seemed that Batman was about to say something, but Jason didn't let him and interrupted him.
"Listen to me!"
Despair began to permeate his voice along with anger.
"If I die, I will hate myself."
"I will not die—"
"No, it will happen, look at me, I'm dead!"
Those watching this began to feel uneasy, and guilt overwhelmed Bruce, silencing him.
Tim spoke
"Jason, it seems you misunderstood—"
Jason rolled his eyes and spoke
"Others, you know it's real."
Superman tried to join the conversation and stop them.
"I don't think it's the right time to talk now-"
Jason then made a comment
"Shut up, Krypton! If your son John had almost died, you would have lost your mind!"
"And now you're trying to stop me."
Bewilderment began to appear on the faces of the heroes in as they tried to understand what was happening.
"I'm fine, Todd-"
Jason interrupted him
"No, you are not. I'm giving you the choice now!"
This time he spoke with strength and determination.
"Leave Batman alone, and live your life."
Damian frowned and said
"So I have to go back to the League of Assassins? To become a criminal?"
"I didn't say that! There's no need for you to go back to the League of Assassins, you can leave the whole world of crime."
Almost everyone seemed stunned.
"You're a child! I don't understand why these crazy idiots would make children fight!"
"You can just live normally like everyone else, study or take care of animals since you love them."
Despair began to return to him
"You shouldn't think it's your duty; you're not tied to anything or the world of crime."
"You always have the choice to live comfortably."
As soon as he said this, Damian spoke firmly.
"Since you said I have a choice, then this is my choice."
"I'll do what I want, Todd I have wants to become a hero."
Many of the heroes watching felt Noah's pride while now awaiting Jason's reaction.
"No!! Don't joke with me, Damian, think more!"
"You almost died-"
"Todd, I wasn't going to die! I wasn't even hurt in a fatal place!"
"I'm fine, something just fell on me while I was trying to protect a cat."
Silence fell. Jason was shocked and opened his mouth slightly in surprise.
"... "
"And the Joker? And the building that fell on you?"
Damian looked surprised, while Tim sighed.
"Todd, a box fell on me while I was trying to protect a cat..."
"Not a building"
Jason's face showed a mix of emotions: shocked, angry, and nervous.
"Oh damn... he's been tricked."
After processing what was happening, he looked around anxiously and felt the worst... he was surrounded by various heroes.
In a secluded spot, he raised his hands in surrender and cried out in anger... but it was more like a feeling of relief.
"Talia the Ghoul, I will take revenge!"
This was followed by Jason's detention and questioning, and a few questions for Damien.
They learned that Jason, also known as Brid Hood, had raised Damian for many years and had always looked after him.
Even after he left the League of Assassins, he protected him, but he only spoke about his relationship with one person: Bruce.
"He took care of me for many years, since I was five..."
They learned from Jason that he had been tricked by Talia the Ghoul, and that he stormed the Tower of Justice because of this.
Several heroes sat in the meeting room; Batman arrived with Robin.
Red Robin and many other heroes waited outside for them.
In the room were Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Cyborg, as well as Martian Manhunter and Zatanna. Not many others entered to avoid problems.
As soon as they sat down, the discussion began; the first to speak was Akuman.
"His intrusion into the tower is dangerous; it's not a trivial matter."
Both Barry and Hal spoke
"I agree with him, he literally bypassed everything and all security and achieved his goal, he deserves punishment!"
"Hal, calm down, it doesn't seem really serious."
Marchan spoke
"Barry is right, he came to protect Robin."
Here Damien speaks
"He's right! He didn't come to hurt anyone or cause trouble. It's between him and me."
Cyborg stopped him
"He broke into the tower! He bypassed all the security you put in place and all the fingerprints. This isn't just about you."
Here Batman began to speak
"He's a criminal from Gotham, and I'm the one who will be working with him."
Superman sighed wearily
"Bruce, this is no longer a Gotham issue."
"His storming in shows he's ready to take on any other champion."
Here Wonder Woman intervened
"That's right, I agree with him. He deserves a fair punishment."
Then Green Arrow spoke
"People who operate outside the law have their reasons."
"Apparently, he just wanted to protect the child."
Marchen joined
"As Robben said, he didn't come to attack the league."
Akuman confirmed
"The matter is serious; its causes are irrelevant, it poses a danger."
Barry tried to calm things down, but he was met with indifference.
Zatana, who had been watching from afar, spoke
"Okay, let's all calm down so everyone can say what they want and we can agree on a decision."
Batman said
"She is right."
"Jason is my responsibility. I will handle him myself."
Damien spoke
"He came for me, not for you. No one here knows his motives better than I do."
March
"From what I sensed, his intention was not to attack the league, but rather his entire focus was on Robben."
Superman
"He made a mistake, but I don't think punishment alone is the solution. We need to listen to him first."
Wonderman
"I agree with Superman, there is a chance to fix things."
"But he deserves punishment; mercy does not mean ignoring justice."
Green Lantern
"He deserves a harsh punishment for breaking in here. He's a notorious criminal. I may leave the planet often, but I know what's going on here."
"So he deserves punishment for all his previous actions as well as for breaking in. If we let him get away with it, what will stop anyone else from breaking into the tower?"
Green Arrow
"Let's be realistic, if he wanted to kill someone, he would have done it before we arrived. He stormed the tower to get to Damien, not to declare war on us."
"I believe the punishment is fair."
Flash (load)
"I think he deserves another chance, so I'm with Superman and Wonder Woman."
Cyborg
"He deserves punishment. His intrusion into the tower is a serious crime. He should have spoken or asked questions, not broken in and disrupted everything."
Akuman
"Cyborg is right, it's dangerous. He's not just a criminal, but he can easily break into a place teeming with heroes."
"If he manages to breach this place once, it's a problem for the security of the entire planet."
Zatana hummed a little and spoke
"So, we have three options..."
"Either Batman takes matters into his own hands, or we impose an appropriate punishment on him, or we look for another solution that ensures the security of the League and gives him a chance to prove himself."
This is where the heroes began to cause chaos, as Batman, Damien, Green Arrow, and Martian all preferred to leave it no have to Batman.
Meanwhile, Superman, Wonder Man, and the Flash all wanted a fair punishment
Wakeman, Green Lantern, and Cyborg wanted to imprison him and hold him accountable for his actions.
This was followed by a long discussion until Zatana said something that silenced them.
Zatana
"I have a fourth solution, would you like to hear it?"
Batman was going to object, but Wonder Woman interrupted him.
"Okay, let's see if it's suitable."
Zatana looked up at everyone and said calmly:
"What do you think of a magic contract?"
Silence reigned for a few seconds, and her suggestion had piqued everyone's interest.
But Damien flew into a rage, slammed his fist on the table, and said, "Do you mean to turn him into an obedient dog of the League?!"
Batman sighed and spoke to Damien
"Calm down, where do you think you are?"
Then he turned his gaze to Zatana as he adjusted his posture.
"I will not agree to such a thing; this is inhumane and contrary to principles."
Zatana smiled coldly, yet with a hint of kindness.
"I didn't say to make him a dog for the association, listen to me until the end."
"He is not evil, everyone knows that, just as he is known as an anti-hero."
"He did more great things than he committed crimes, and he put a good system in place in Gotham, and I even heard that Batman cooperates with him."
Batman cleared his throat and replied
"That's true, he's keeping things in order, but it hasn't reached the point of full cooperation."
"I cooperate a few times when necessary, but his methods of killing are not to my liking."
Zatana pointed to Damian
"He even arrested him, and he stormed the place for his sake."
"It would be beneficial for the association if he were on our side."
During the conversation, she pointed to herself.
"But I don't like to force anyone to do anything, so I will create a magic contract."
"Our arrangement is balanced, so that everyone gets their rights and what they want."
Superman enters here
"So you're saying a magic contract to get him on our side, but without forcing him?"
"Explain it more clearly; I won't agree if it's just about exclusion."
Zatana hummed in agreement
I then explained the contract and how it would suit them and him.
Damien refused, but in the end he had no choice and was forced to listen.
The terms of the contract were as follows:
Key items
- Jason Todd undertakes not to attack any member of the Justice League, their families, or their allies, except in legitimate self-defense.
- Jason Todd undertakes not to kill anyone during official League missions, unless a majority of the mission leaders agree that lethal force is the only means to prevent an imminent catastrophe.
- Jason Todd is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of all information relating to the Watchtower, the League's systems, and the confidential identities of its members.
- He is obligated to attend when summoned in emergency situations classified as threatening a city, country, or the world, unless he is physically incapable of doing so.
- He undertakes not to use his membership in the Justice League for personal, political, or criminal gain.
- He undertakes not to break into any facility belonging to the association or use its systems without permission.
- He undertakes not to direct his criminal network or any affiliated organization against civilians, members of the League, or their allies.
- He is committed to providing the information he possesses about global threats if withholding it would result in significant human losses.
- He is obligated to respect the mission leader during official operations, even if he disagrees with him, and he has the right to object after the mission has ended.
- Any deliberate breach of contract will result in a warning from the association, and a non-lethal electric shock as punishment.
Additional items
- Jason Todd is entitled to retain his identity, residence, and private networks, as long as they do not violate the basic terms.
- The League has no right to monitor or spy on Jason Todd without a clear reason or collective permission from the League's leaders.
- The association is committed to providing him with treatment and support if he is injured while performing an official duty.
- Jason Todd may not be forced to accept a job that conflicts with his principles or in which the association is used to further the personal interests of one of its members.
- The contract may not be amended or new clauses added except in the presence of Zatana and with the consent of Jason Todd and the association together.
At first, Batman, Wonder Man, and Wacoman were hesitant
Green Lantern and Cyborg refused
After further explanation, and given that it was in the best interest of the alliance, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman all agreed.
Superman, Flash, Martian Hunter, and Green Arrow all supported the order.
While Damien had no right to choose and left the matter to his father, he felt guilty that it was his fault.
The voting results included three opponents and they were
Cyborg and Green Lantern
They were somewhat ignored
Another discussion ensued regarding who would sign the official clause, until Batman spoke up and decided
"This is not a public vote but a formal matter, so only the leaders will sign."
According to the terms, five people were put forward to sign the magic clause.
Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Hunter
Zatana is not a voting member, but rather a witness and the sorceress of the contract.