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Ghost Helpline chapter 40
Secrets before dinner 3
Jack peered closely at the green vials, “No way, you actually pulled off recreating a medical grade ecto degecto?!!”
“What like it’s hard?” This bitch.
Before the two could start another fight Ziyad placed their hand down on the little vamps shoulder. Ziyad took over the conversation quickly, “This is great Wilbur, I assume were being given the test batch?”
“Well I cant just go around poisoning my patients now can I？” the manic man laughed, “Though I suppose I can but that would be bad for business.”
Ziyad held back sighs, he admittedly hated working with Wilbur but this was for the greater good. Magical creatures (half breeds his mind unwontedly whispered to him) in the mortal world needed healthcare, and they surly weren’t getting it. Trust came hard to them. Understandably. And while king Phantom was doing his best he couldn’t be everywhere at once. And even if he could be there would always be a sour taste at accepting aide from royalty.
No instead people were more willing, happier even to seek out black market healing guilds like Wilburs. At least then you knew exactly what the catch is.
“Im sure your clientele appreciate it.” Ziyads smile stretched thin. He really hated working with Wilbur, “Speaking of your clientele, when can I schedule my sister to see you?”
Ecto degecto was still in its infancy of being considered a universal blood type for magic kind, but for the death touched it was a necessity. A necessity they weren’t even sure she needed or not. It would be best to check, and Wilburs guild was good at gathering info on his sisters illness. It probably helped that their family paid him so well. Ziyad thought as he bit the inside of his cheek raw.
—- —- ——
Tims heart raced, his sister? His sister?!!! Tim could sill remember the first time he saw the Masters family. The were all gathered about laughing and smiling. They looked so happy.
She looked happy, wheelchair bound and attempting to run her siblings down.
He’d been jealous. Jealous and sad. And suddenly any thoughts of Vlad Masters being some up and coming big bad had disappeared from his mind and he sold his old empty house on the spot. As if the money could somehow be as warm as that laughter.
No no after that first meeting he never suspected Vlad Masters.
He should have suspected his son. Tim grimaced at his own sense of vindication. Guess there not such a happy family after all.
— —- ——
Jason was actually properly shocked at what he heard. …Was …..was this guy EXPERIMENTING on his sister!!! Green threaded to swallow him whole, how dare he! How dare he hurt someone like that! Hurt his family! Hurt a kid.
Holy shit the kid!
Was the kid his sister?? They needed to intervene now!
This sick fuck is going down.
—- —- —-
Jack wasn’t named after anyone in particular. Violet had renamed him far before she had met the Masters family. Far before they knew. /that/ story. Before any of the kids knew about any of the stories that came before them and by then the name Jack had stuck. But being called Red, even as a code name, felt special in its own way.
Violet and Red like a ridiculous beautiful color combination a pair idiots would make up. And they did. Violet, Konstelacio and Red, Jack. The first time around he had been named Jack because it was common, grounding, easy to play off as foreigner trying to fit in. It was practical. But Red? Red was like roses and hearts and blood and Violet. Like being renamed to compliment her entirely. It made him feel secure.
Now if only it also wasn’t also so common.
“It’s Red —-Red——!”
What ?
All Jack heard was his own name as he tripped over the side of a table clutching his stomach as a bullet wizzed by. Crying out as the bond between him and Violet chooses right then and there to flare up terribly.
“Red!”
“Kid! Oh my gods they shot Red!”
—- —- —-
Ziyad feels something off. Gotham was full of shades and shadows and spirts. He had grown use to the felling of being watched but this felt different. Different he scoured the warehouse turning his eyes up the window just as glass shatters to the ground, damn it, “Its Red Hood and Red Robin!! Get down!” He cant reach Jack before he falls yelping in pain clutching his side, he can hear Wilburs yell clearly too clearly, “Kid! Oh my gods! They shot Red!”
He’ll think about how horrible he is later. Later in bed he’ll think about what Reds blood hands and never seeing that kid in the kitchen at fucking midnight ever again. How he’d never get to hear him and — argue over mechanics and science ever again. Later he’ll think about how lucky they all are to not be mortal. Later, later Ziyad will tear himself apart over his piss poor decision making.
But in the moment all he can think about as he sees the kid get shot is, ‘shit, Violets never going to forgive me.’
He doesn’t think at all as Red Hood rounds closer to them, doesn’t pull back his punch because whoever this guy is he is most defiantly not mortal. Not anymore. And while Ziyad might not be a halfa, he is also defiantly not mortal. He doesn’t think and punched Red Hoods helmet hard enough to crack it.
—- —- —-
Jason is momentarily thrown at the shout of “Oh my gods! They shot Red!” Whipping his head around to look at Tim. Tim whose throat he cut, Tim who he hurt and ignored and mistreated. He looks for only a second and a second is all the man needs to get one over on him.
Gripping his head Jason dodges a kick rights himself back up. The kid is on the floor behind them, shes on the floor. Just like Tim. Jason hadn’t been aiming at her. He didn’t mean to.
Swing. The bastard doesn’t let up for a minute and it takes too long for him to realize the space growing between them and the kid until its to late. Beanie guy throwing various liquids at Red Robin as he yanks the pink teen up harshly and makes a dash for it. Whatever he threw at Tim is turning to smoke, odviscating his view of the man he’s fighting.
All he can see is green eyes. All Jason can hear is Tim choking on smoke. On his own blood. On the blood Jason put there.
Oh it is on!
—- —- ——
The vigilantes take stalk of their surroundings. The men had run off with the case of lazerous water but several crates remained, Marked with letters SBS. Tim walked over to the closest one, he had work to do.
He does his best to block out the sound of Jason behind him, he cant do this right now. He cant. Focus on the case. Focus on the case. This was way bigger than the initial drug ring he assumed it would be and he needed as much info as he could get.
“I need an explanation Tim! And I need one now.” He heard his brother growled out, lovely.
Ignoring his questions he pried the top of the box open. What the hell. What the actual hell? This wasn’t drugs or lazerous water this was so much worse.
“Jason shut up.”
“Fuck no you -“
“Jason shut up and look.”
The crate was insulated, cold. And filled with blood bags.
Ghost helpline part 4. “Well then,” John huffed out a cloud of smoke “that could have gone worse.”
“Debrief in 10.” Batman stalked towards a nearby meeting room. This hadn’t gone at all as he thought it would. Bruce hated unknown variables and right now his ignorance could have cost them dearly. He needed to know as much about magic society as he could before Konstelacio came back with the cure. Something about all of this just didn’t sit right.
Sure the child had seemed happy and calm. All to willing to help for a low price. But she was defensive even before the perceived insults landed. Like his sons, like Tim, waiting for the rug to be pulled under them. Scared but joking, happy. Until a dark look passed over her face, happiness flying away the moment Dr.Fate was mentioned. That look reminded Bruce of just how dangerous this demon was and just how much he need to prepare for everything. He refused to lose anyone else, not now not ever.
—- —- —-
The demon unfolded her legs from underneath her, legs scraping against each other with a metallic rasp. She held the handkerchief up to the sun, spots of blood disappearing into the air. She exhaled overwhelmed, stomach sinking as she inhaled rage filled.
She didn’t have to answer every summons, doing so would be a waste of time. She had even been told to avoid the Justice League all together. But when she had sensed Batman of all people on the other side she had to. She had to know, her family her sweet precious family would be moving to Gotham soon. Her brothers had reassured her that everything would be fine but this this wasn’t fine at all.
She hated them she hated them with every fiber of her being why ! Why! Why! Did she have to bump into this again! This time will be different tho she promised, this time no one was going to get hurt. She refuses to lose anyone else, not now not ever again!
She crumpled her new handkerchief into her fist. She, she had work to do. Gotham was no longer as safe as she had assumed it to be.
Not when Batman was working with an Al Ghul.
#@busterkeel