The dimming sun was bright. Too bright, in fact. Jason had forgotten to close blinds to his new home. He groaned in pain, and rolled off of his bed, slamming his forehead into the nightstand.
    "Fuck!" he shouted, not caring how early it was. He was hungover. Again. Jason had went out last night to forget once again forget his past. But because of his condition, he wouldn't ever forget. Jason couldn't forget.
    He reached a hand to the area, and when he brought it back down, he saw blood.
    Goddammit, Jason thought. I need to stop drinking so much...
He walked to the bathroom, and went for anything that would keep his head from falling apart. He looked in the mirror, and what he saw disgusted him.
    Jason had dyed his hair a natural red, but the white spot he had gotten from his traumatic past stayed there. He also covered up his scars with a beard, which was also dyed to match his hair. Jason looked at the fresh cut, and patched it up with a band-aid. He again looked at his reflection, and growled in frustration.
He had grown to hate himself even more ever since he left his friend, ever since he abandoned his friends, ever since he left Max. He grew to love her, even though they were miles apart. He moved to the small town of South Bend. Jason frequently traveled to Chicago as well, as that's where he usually took care of some business that wasn't so savory.
    Jason looked as his watch, and saw that it was almost time for work. He cursed again, and got ready for his job of the day. Jason never stayed at a job once. Today, he was working at a smoke house as a dishwasher.
    Jason parked his car into its spot, and walked in. He put on an apron, and began working.
A few hours later, Jason was on his way and with almost $100 in his hand. He opened his car door, and saw a note in it. Disregarding it entirely, Jason drove home and decided to not go out tonight. Well, I need the sleep for once.
    When he got home, Jason went to unlock his door, but found it to already be unlocked. Jason was cautious, so he took out a hand pistol, and slowly opened the door.
    "Whoever is in my damn apartment had better come out, right now," he growled. Just then, the lights flicked on, and Jason dropped his gun in disbelief.
    Roy Harper sat in his chair, next to Max Caulfield.
    "If that's how you greet me, Jaybird, then I've missed you too." Roy laughed and told Max to go get Jason before he collapsed from the shock, which he did.
    Jason wakes up in Max's arms, and Roy is checking his pulse.
    "I'm alive, Roy," he says, brushing the cold hand away. " But 1) How are YOU alive, and 2) How did you both find me? It's been 6 months!"
    Roy explains that he didn't truly die, but he did lose his arm. "I, uh, I got a metal arm. Like Bucky Barnes. And we, well, I, tracked you down." Jason sighs, and then sits up a bit.  Jason then looks at Max, and begins to cry.
    After a few minutes of him letting out his sadness and anger, he finally asks the question he needed an answer to.
    "Why are you here, Roy?"
    "Well, Arcadia Bay need Jason Todd and the Red Hood. Some asshole going by the name of Red X is terrorizing the town, and I can't fight him alone," Roy says.
    "Jason, we need you to come home," Max pleads.
Jason gives in, and tells them that he'll come back. "Besides, this town is fucking boring." Roy and Max smile at that, and Max kisses Jason on the cheek.
    "But, I will need to redo my hair so give me about an hour or so."
    An hour later, Jason steps out with a shaven face, and hair up in a ponytail. "I'm ready to come home." Max smiled and kissed him on the cheek, and Roy patted his best friend on the back.
"It's great to have you back, Jaybird."