Jason struggled with all his strength, but the other party didn't make a move. Instead, they signaled towards their chest and gestured with their hand that they had no ill intent. But Jason didn't believe it at all.
In a place like Gotham, a man has to be on his guard, particularly against someone who sneaks into his room in the middle of the night wearing a mask.
As a gang leader, Jason had a single room on the outskirts of his base, separate from the other kids. He struggled fiercely to get the intruder's hand off his mouth, knowing that if he could make some noise, some kids would surely go get help.
"Jason Todd, I mean no harm. I came to ask for your help!" the person across from him spoke. Jason felt the tone was familiar. However, he was sure he had never heard this voice before.
If he had to describe it, it was like late-stage laryngeal cancer with a ruptured vocal cord, and barely any accent. Jason couldn't understand what he was saying even after his recent grammar lessons.
"Mmm mmm!" Jason made noises, meaning "let me go first".
"I can let you go now, but you must not make a sound. Trust me, I will subdue you before you can make a sound," the person across the street said a long sentence, but Jason could only understand half of it.
This stranger's voice was truly hoarse. A lot of places were breathy, intermittently unclear. Jason understood it all by using his quick-wit.
Jason sighed silently in his mind. He was sure that the other party was not a gang member. Real gang members wouldn't speak like that. He nodded and made a reassuring gesture. The stranger actually let him go.
Jason twisted his neck. He didn't make a sound. Instead, he lowered his voice and asked, "Where did you come from, freak? Why are you looking for me? Can't you see I'm sleeping?!"
Having said that, Jason went to switch on the room light by the wall. After the room was filled with light, he turned to look at this person.
The stranger was wearing a red hood which seemed to be made of leather. This allowed Jason to see the contours of some of his facial features.
But it wasn't helpful. Jason couldn't figure out who the person was. He looked doubtfully at this strange person, asking, "Who are you, and why are you dressed up like this?"
"That's not important…" The strange person spoke with a still very hoarse voice. "I need your help, Jason Todd."
"You have to answer my question first before I answer yours. It's a Gotham rule." Jason stepped forward, looking up at this red-hood-wearing freak, asking, "What is it on your head? Why are you wearing such a thing? You're not one of the crazies that make explosions every day, are you?"
Hearing this question, the stranger lifted the edge of his hood, revealing the skin underneath. Jason was a little scared because underneath, the stranger had no skin at all! The muscles underneath, bare and looking like they'd been scorched, he heard the stranger say in a low voice:
"I suffered severe burns once, causing my disfigurement. So, I have to wear this mask every day. Jason, can you help me?"
Jason frowned, "…What can I help you with?"
The man with the red hood squatted down, placing his hands on Jason's shoulders, saying, "You're the King of the Children here, right? I want you to teach me how to become a gang member…"
Jason widened his eyes in astonishment. He never thought this was what the stranger wanted. It seemed preposterous. He said, "A gang member?? Learning to become a gang member, are… are you insane?"
"No, I'm not insane." The man from the other side said seriously, "I'm not a gang member, but I want to become one. Can you teach me how to do it?"
Jason was choked at the question. He asked, "You're not in a gang and you want to join one, but what's the point? You are not a gang member and you can still survive, then why do you want to join a gang?"
It appears the person was prepared for this question, "Yes, I survived, but I'm not doing well. What do you think these wounds on my body are from?"
Jason paused. He felt the stranger had a point, but he found something wrong. He said, "The three streets nearby are all gang territory. If you were just an ordinary, weak person, you wouldn't be able to infiltrate."
In other words, if you can infiltrate this place, why do you want to join a gang? They couldn't even detect your presence."
The stranger seemed to be taken aback by Jason's sharpness, he paused and then said, "Alright, I'm not thinking about joining a gang because I'm hard-pressed to survive. But I can't tell you the specific reason, because if I tell you, you won't want to let me learn."
"What kind of reasoning is that? Why wouldn't I let you learn if you tell me?" Jason asked curiously. He really thought the person opposite was strange. The fellow didn't sleep in the middle of the night but came to him to learn how to be a gang member?
"Because…" The person paused again and said, "In short, I can't tell you the reason, but I really hope you can help me, Jason. I heard that you are the most formidable King of Children of this generation…"
"Don't use that trick on me." Jason glared at the strange man. "I won't be moved by your sweet talk. Who wants to teach you, you freak? Get lost! I need to sleep!"
Having said that, he walked to his bed without looking back, lay down, and prepared to sleep.
With seemingly no other option left, the strange man in the red hood came to the side of the bed, bent down, and said, "Jason, you're a very clever boy. Have you ever considered what caused the current situation in Gotham?"
"This place is not like other cities, yet it has its own unique order. Disrupting the current order would only cause more chaos, but if we do nothing, it's akin to slow suicide…" The tone of his words became solemn. Despite his raspy voice making it hard for him to speak, it still carried an inexplicable allure that allowed Jason to focus intently on his words.
"Someone has to solve this problem, right? Someone needs to find the answers. But if you don't study or research, how can you discover them?"
Jason opened his mouth and said, "So, it turns out what Professor Shearer said is true. There really are people willing to study this stuff, huh?"
Jason didn't notice that as soon as the name 'Shearer' was uttered, the red hooded stranger's fingertips twitched slightly. Jason pondered for a moment and then said, "You say you want to solve this problem, but can you do it?"
"How would we know if we don't try?" The other party affirmed resolutely. "Without conducting actual investigations, there will never be any progress."
Leaning back against the headboard, Jason placed his arms behind his head and nodded. "You're right. Though it's tough, if we make no effort at all, there will never be progress."
Having said that, he glanced at the neighboring head, covered in a red hood, and said, "You're quite the odd one, daring to appear in Gotham dressed like this. Are you just begging for the Mob to set their sights on you?"
After saying that, he rollover out of the bed, walked to his dresser, and said, "That thing you have on your head…it's like you're telling every member of the mob to take a shot at your head..."
When he finished speaking, he opened a drawer, pulled out a handgun, and pointed it at the man in the red hood, saying: "Okay, the first lesson of the Gotham Mob is, if you have a gun, you have no fear."
"Jason, I came here sincerely asking for your help. The reason I'm doing this is that I know you're not a despicable criminal. You understand reason far better than most people here, and I really need your assistance…"
Jason didn't lower his gun; instead, he looked into his eyes and asked, "If I shoot right now, blowing your head to bits, do you plan to just stand here and do nothing?"
The Red Hood turned his masked face towards Jason. Even though he couldn't see his expression through the mask, Jason was certain he was focused.
After a few seconds of mutual gaze, Jason slowly put down the gun and said, "Although your guard is insufficient, you're pretty good at reading people. That should be a good start. If you can discern who's a foe and who's not, you'll at least keep yourself alive…"
"So, what exactly do you want to learn about being a mob member?"
"How to be a mob member, how to survive, how to live, and how to have a better life in a society governed by the mob?"
Jason stood firm, crossed his arms, and sighed, "Don't you think you've chosen the wrong target? Do I look like I'm living well?"
"But I can't just go straight to the Godfather." The Red Hood calmly replied, "Even if I could see him, what he'd teach me isn't what I want to learn. I don't wish to establish a similar order to that of the Mob society; I want to root out this problem."
Jason shook his head, "I think you're just dreaming."
Soon, he continued, "If you're willing to pay, I might be able to help you. But let me warn you, it's hard for outsiders to survive here. If you want to join a mob, you have to obey their rules. If you're ignorant, you'll die quickly."
"Precisely because of that, I came to you. I understand that mobs don't just accept anyone. So, I would like to ask for your help in introducing me. Although I have no understanding, I won't create trouble and I learn fast. A week is all I need, then I can start working."
Jason snorted, "Ask me for an introduction? Who do you think I am, some prince of the Twelve Families? I'm just an orphan. If I had such power, I wouldn't be here."
"But only you can help me." The man in the red hood shook his head, "Others wouldn't accept that reason; they'd think I was crazy."
Jason was silent for a moment. "You are crazy. I just learned a term from Professor Shearer, cross-dressing, and I think you're a sufferer."
"But you're right. In all of Gotham, there's no one, but me who would help you for this reason. Precisely because you don't understand anything, I need to tell you that I don't like the mob. But I also know that I can't change anything. If someone wants to try, I don't mind helping."
Jason picked up the gun from the drawer again, "Right now, my words don't carry much weight. Even introducing you to the smallest mob would be difficult. But if I could distinguish myself, make connections with the upper ranks, show my face alongside the bigshots of the mob, things might be different."
He carried the gun and walked out the door. At the doorstep, he looked at the Red Hood and said, "If you're afraid of danger, just stay here. But, I need to make a move. The early bird catches the worm."
"What are you doing?" The Red Hood asked.
"Looking for an opportunity to help you."