Nobody can stop me from drawing cards in Gotham!

Chapter 105 The Red Hood, and the Best Chapter Answer

That night, after the banquet ended, in a building in Crime Alley.

"Squeak—"

Jason finally got home, closed his bedroom door, and sighed.

...After all that, he and Barbara still hadn't seen Jaeger return; it seemed he really had left on his own.

So he could only regretfully pack his things and choose to go home with Catherine.

"Thud." That was the sound of Jason placing his homework, which he was worried he wouldn't finish when he got home that night and had taken to the dinner party to do, on the table.

As he did this, his gaze unconsciously swept over the few paintings scattered haphazardly on the table.

—The main subject of these drawings is a character drawn with crayons or ballpoint pens.

Although the brushstrokes are still somewhat immature, the image and design style are already roughly discernible.

At first glance, this character looks a bit like a character from some tokusatsu (special effects) films.

Wearing a hood that covers his face, and a uniform whose function is unknown but is undeniably cool, he holds a weapon that is different in every painting.

Sometimes it's a gun, sometimes a crowbar, sometimes a baseball bat, and sometimes even a simple, brutal brick...

All of the above inspirations came from Jason's observations and experiences while exploring Crime Alley in an attempt to lighten Catherine's burden.

After all, if we're talking about criminals, there's no place with more criminals than Gotham, and the criminals in Crime Alley are among the worst.

The types of weapons they use are so numerous that they could fill a book titled "50 Weapons Every Criminal Uses and Their Techniques".

So Jason freely designed his character and tried to equip him with all sorts of weapons.

Many people actually designed their own characters when they were young, and there are plenty of characters with even more elaborate designs than Jason's...

But unlike most works that are simply a way to pass the time or vent creative desires, Jason is serious.

After all, in Gotham City, there are vigilantes like Batman and Batgirl, and even criminals like Scarecrow in bizarre costumes... similar characters can really appear in this city.

Although Jason is not yet able to become the vigilante he envisions—a true, yet unconventional, vigilante who might be completely different from Batman and Batgirl...

But designing the image first is still an option!

Looking at his painting, Jason couldn't help but think of the events of the night before.

—Especially the scene where Jaeger simply waved his hand and easily caught "Elena," thus dispelling the smokescreen...

It has to be said that the power of magic is constantly redefining Jason's understanding.

But when Jason touched the batarang that he had carefully placed on the table—the one Jaeger had given him as a small gift last time—he was deeply moved.

He couldn't help but imagine Batman leaping from the sky above the city and landing with his cape spreading out like wings.

Clearly, Jaeger and Batman are on completely different paths, but both are deeply attractive to Jason.

So much so that he was caught in a happy dilemma for a time.

Which direction should I take in the future...?

Honestly, Jason felt that either option was good, as long as it gave him the ability to subdue criminals, to walk a completely different path from them, and to prove to everyone—

Even someone who came from the alley of crime, even him.

...and he could become the kind of person he wanted to be.

Jason racked his brains, so frustrated that he tore his hair into a mess, but still couldn't come up with a solution.

Or... Jason lay on the table, touching the batarang, when suddenly an idea popped into his head.

Since you can't make a decision yourself, why not ask Jaeger?

After all, even if he did make the decision, he couldn't learn to use magic on his own, or master Batman's fighting skills and vigilante abilities without a teacher.

Ultimately, they all have to find Jaeger, or ask Batman through Jaeger...

Jason breathed a sigh of relief after finally making his decision and looked at his painting again.

But for some reason, at that moment, he suddenly felt that the vigilante uniform he had imagined seemed somewhat monotonous in design.

"It's all line art, but it seems to be missing some color?" Jason opened his crayon box, randomly picked out a color, and stared at his drawing in a daze. "Otherwise, it'll be too unrepresentative."

Since he has decided to become a vigilante with a unique style... it would be best not to use colors like Batman and Batgirl, which are mainly gray and black.

He needed something impactful, something completely different from black...

Yet, it can also instill fear in criminals upon seeing it.

Jason, lost in thought again, accidentally spun the crayon he was holding between his fingers, and it flew out and hit his drawing!

"Oh no!" Jason hurriedly grabbed the crayons, only to find that they had accidentally smeared the drawing.

A splash of blood-red color, drawn across the character's hood, surprisingly suited the role perfectly.

"Red Hood...?" Jason subconsciously thought of that classic slang term.

His blue eyes flickered, and suddenly it dawned on him: "Wait, Red Hood... Red Hood!"

Perhaps this is the color he needs.

The one that itself carries the legend of the slums, and lives on in the mouths of countless people... the Red Hood!

A burst of inspiration struck Jason, who immediately got to work, sitting down at the table and continuing to color diligently, while also writing down some vigilante ideas that popped up, full of childlike romantic fantasies.

Jason, engrossed in his creation, failed to notice that...

The door to the room behind him had been quietly pushed open a crack without his noticing.

Catherine was originally just worried that Jason wouldn't be able to sleep after seeing the dead people at the dinner party, so she wanted to check on him.

But upon seeing this unexpected scene, she was first taken aback, and then her expression softened involuntarily.

She smiled, then quietly closed the door, choosing not to disturb Jason.

……

……

Meanwhile, in another place.

"I knew it!"

Barbara, who secretly changed into her uniform at home and successfully escaped while Commissioner Gordon was away, climbed to the rooftop using the grappling hook, landed lightly, and then looked up at the dark figure in front of her... that is, Batman.

And this place is the rooftop of a building near tonight's banquet.

In fact, Barbara, who went straight home without waiting for Jaeger to come back and explain, kept thinking about why Jaeger chose to let "Elena" go.

Although "Elena" did not commit murder, she provided them with crucial evidence.

But I always felt that things wouldn't be that simple.

So Barbara made up her mind to use Batgirl's account to launch an attack and return to the scene to investigate.

She wandered around the buildings for a long time before finally finding Batman.

With Batman present, Barbara's ideas were immediately sparked.

—Did Jaeger contact Batman after letting Elena go?

So Barbara, curious, pressed the silent Batman: "So, what the detective meant by 'handling the aftermath' was contacting you... What about Elena? Did you catch her?"

"Let's go," Batman said simply.

"?" Barbara was shocked. "She...she's gone? Is Elena that amazing? You couldn't even catch Batman?"

"She didn't kill anyone, and what she stole was returned, so it's like she did nothing all night," Batman said. "So I chose to give her a chance."

"But given her reputation in Gotham... if she chooses to break the law again next time we see her," Batman said coldly, "things won't be that simple."

"Reputation?" Barbara asked curiously. "Is Elena a very famous person?"

Batman nodded: "Catwoman, a thief who appears and disappears without a trace, specializing in stealing collectible jewels from certain high society figures."

"I've heard her name many times, but this is the first time I've met her."

"Alright, so this is why you came here, right?" Batman then looked at Barbara, "—wanting to know the follow-up to this case."

"You knew all along that I would come back?!" Barbara exclaimed in surprise.

At the same time, something suddenly occurred to her, so she cautiously asked again, "Could it be... that you've been waiting here all this time to answer my question—until I came looking for you?"

"..." Batman did not answer.

He simply lifted his cloak, and then—suddenly leaped off the roof!

"...Batman!" Barbara instinctively chased after him, but the next second she saw Batman unfold his cape, glide away, and disappear into the night.

She was initially frustrated by Batman's refusal to answer the question, but then she turned around and suddenly noticed something else.

"Hmm?" Barbara noticed that a small box had been left behind where Batman had been standing.

Batman left something behind? No, wait... could it be something he left for me on purpose?

Barbara curiously crouched down and opened the box.

The moment Barbara's green eyes came into view of the contents of the box, they lit up instantly—

Inside the box were several gleaming, finely crafted batarangs, a grappling hook gun, and various vigilante tools...

And a bright yellow belt embroidered with the code name "batgirl" and with many pockets hanging from it, big enough to hold all sorts of props.

—Clearly, this box represents Batman's answer.

For Barbara, this was the best answer she had ever received since she started as a vigilante. (Note)