Red Hood's Arc

Chapter 5 of 8

Red Hood delivered the second girl to the stone fort before dawn. Karen Hagglewood met him at the door with a blanket and a scowl that never quite left her face. She took the child inside without a word wasted. Red Hood turned back toward the hill while the sky was still gray. He did not make it far before someone dropped out of the trees ahead of him. The man landed light on the path, green hair, mask over his mouth, cape settling behind him. Red Hood set his hand on his blade. "Wait," the man said. He held up both gloved hands. "I heard there were kids taken. I came to help. My name's Deku." Red Hood studied him. The stranger did not lower his hands. He did not fill the silence with promises. He just waited. "There's a cave," Red Hood said. "A man inside gives the orders. He has help. More children." "How many?" Deku asked. "I don't know yet." Deku nodded once. "Then we should go before he moves them." They climbed the ridge together. Red Hood pointed to the jagged rock where the stickers had ended, then to the black mouth beyond. Two men stood at the entrance now. A third paced inside, giving orders in the same low voice from before. "I can take the door," Deku said. His voice was steady, but his eyes flicked once to his own hand. "I hit hard. Sometimes too hard. If I go first, you get past me to the kids." "You sure?" "No," Deku said. "But it's the fastest way in." Red Hood drew his blade. "Go." Deku moved. He crossed the open ground in two strides that cracked the dirt. His fist met the first guard's chest and folded him against the stone. The second guard swung a bar. Deku caught it, twisted, dropped him. Red Hood ran past into the dark. The cave opened wide inside. Four children sat roped together against the back wall. The man in charge grabbed one by the arm and pulled a knife. Red Hood threw his blade. It struck the man's wrist and the knife fell. Red Hood closed the distance and put him on the ground with one clean strike to the jaw. Behind him, Deku ducked into the cave, breathing hard. His right arm hung stiff at his side. "Got them all out front," he said. "Arm's done for a bit. Sorry." "You did enough." They cut the ropes. Four children, thin and shaking, no worse than that. Red Hood counted them twice. Deku knelt and spoke to the smallest one in a soft, plain voice until she stopped crying. By the time the sun cleared the ridge, they were walking the children down toward the fort. The cave was empty behind them. The man who had given the orders was tied at Red Hood's belt, alive, awake, and quiet at last.