They take their time, stopping for a couple of days here and there so that Jason can keep in practice, not let himself get out of shape. Jimmy critiques him and even complains about what Bruce and the League had taught him.
“I wasn’t the best student,” he says.
Jimmy gives him a raised eyebrow. “And are you now?”
Jason nods. “I’ve gotta be able to watch your back and not make you worry about me,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
Sighing, Jimmy says, “Let’s take a break. I wanna cover another hundred miles before nightfall.”
.
They spend a week in Nebraska, going over everything Jason knows about combat.
It starts with Jimmy creating a space in an old farmhouse and then telling Jason, “Try to take me down.”
Jason blinks at him. “What?”
Jimmy is goddamned smirking as he repeats, “Try. To. Take. Me. Down.”
Jason tries. He fails.
Once he’s gasping on the floor, Jimmy kneeling over him, Jimmy asks, “Would you like to know what you did wrong?”
“Lay it on me,” Jason says, head flopping back. “Shit. Haven’t been taken down that quick since Talia.”
Jimmy versus Talia -- that is something Jason wants to see. Except, it’d end with one of them dead. Shit.
“Up,” Jimmy says, rolling off Jason and offering him a hand. “You bulldoze your way against a target; you need more finesse.”
“Okay,” Jason says. “Show me.”
.
Jason gets to drive again in Illinois while Jimmy keeps researching. He asks questions about Gotham that Jason tries to answer; he’d had a lot of things set up but he’d planned to spend a month undercover to finalize it all.
“Tell me what your plan was,” Jimmy says as they drive across Indiana.
After he’s done, Jimmy just stares at him in silence for almost five miles. “What?” Jason finally demands, glaring at him.
“I’ve heard worse plans,” Jimmy says after a moment. “Most of them were in a warzone, though.”
Jason clenches his jaw. “What’s wrong with the plan?”
Jimmy sighs. “Think about what we just finished,” he says. “Do you still think your original plan is the best way to do things?”
They sit in silence until Jason finally pulls up to a motel in Indianapolis. “Okay, so it might’ve been a little complicated,” Jason admits. “Let’s table it until after dinner.”
.
After dinner, Jimmy asks, “Do you want the Joker dead?”
Jason nods. “Not just for me, either,” he says. “He’s… he’s never gonna change, it doesn’t matter how long he’s locked away. He always gets out. And Bruce…” Jason sighs. “He’s got this thing against killing. He’s never gonna do it. And the Joker terrifies everyone, even assassins.”
Jimmy smiles at him, slow and sweet. “He doesn’t terrify me.”
After a minute, Jason smiles back. “No, I guess he doesn’t.”
2/2: DCU animated/Marvel movies, Red Hood + Winter Soldier
They take their time, stopping for a couple of days here and there so that Jason can keep in practice, not let himself get out of shape. Jimmy critiques him and even complains about what Bruce and the League had taught him.
“I wasn’t the best student,” he says.
Jimmy gives him a raised eyebrow. “And are you now?”
Jason nods. “I’ve gotta be able to watch your back and not make you worry about me,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
Sighing, Jimmy says, “Let’s take a break. I wanna cover another hundred miles before nightfall.”
.
They spend a week in Nebraska, going over everything Jason knows about combat.
It starts with Jimmy creating a space in an old farmhouse and then telling Jason, “Try to take me down.”
Jason blinks at him. “What?”
Jimmy is goddamned smirking as he repeats, “Try. To. Take. Me. Down.”
Jason tries. He fails.
Once he’s gasping on the floor, Jimmy kneeling over him, Jimmy asks, “Would you like to know what you did wrong?”
“Lay it on me,” Jason says, head flopping back. “Shit. Haven’t been taken down that quick since Talia.”
Jimmy versus Talia -- that is something Jason wants to see. Except, it’d end with one of them dead. Shit.
“Up,” Jimmy says, rolling off Jason and offering him a hand. “You bulldoze your way against a target; you need more finesse.”
“Okay,” Jason says. “Show me.”
.
Jason gets to drive again in Illinois while Jimmy keeps researching. He asks questions about Gotham that Jason tries to answer; he’d had a lot of things set up but he’d planned to spend a month undercover to finalize it all.
“Tell me what your plan was,” Jimmy says as they drive across Indiana.
After he’s done, Jimmy just stares at him in silence for almost five miles. “What?” Jason finally demands, glaring at him.
“I’ve heard worse plans,” Jimmy says after a moment. “Most of them were in a warzone, though.”
Jason clenches his jaw. “What’s wrong with the plan?”
Jimmy sighs. “Think about what we just finished,” he says. “Do you still think your original plan is the best way to do things?”
They sit in silence until Jason finally pulls up to a motel in Indianapolis. “Okay, so it might’ve been a little complicated,” Jason admits. “Let’s table it until after dinner.”
.
After dinner, Jimmy asks, “Do you want the Joker dead?”
Jason nods. “Not just for me, either,” he says. “He’s… he’s never gonna change, it doesn’t matter how long he’s locked away. He always gets out. And Bruce…” Jason sighs. “He’s got this thing against killing. He’s never gonna do it. And the Joker terrifies everyone, even assassins.”
Jimmy smiles at him, slow and sweet. “He doesn’t terrify me.”
After a minute, Jason smiles back. “No, I guess he doesn’t.”