Red Hood

12. Tumbling Through The Years

Sinking further into the couch cushions, Jason couldn't get himself to move. He wasn't tired really, quite the opposite rather: He was wide awake- and irritated.

Groaning, the springs underneath his muscled body shifted as he glanced at the clock. Only a few minutes went by since he last looked, though an eternity seemed to stretch through the shadows that coated the living room.

"This is stupid," he huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose in a familiar gesture as he rose from the couch.

Stubbing his toe and muttering profanities, Jason heard the dog give a soft growl. A growl that somewhat seemed like one of disapproval.

"Well how about you stub your paw and see how you feel," Jason loudly whispered as he clutched his toes, as if they would fall off any second.

But Sarge just stared back at him with a blank face, as if to say, "What a drama queen".

Jason rolled his eyes, "Tt."

Finally picking up what he knocked over, praying to whatever spirits were out there that he didn't wake Danny up. She didn't like being woken up, especially with how early she has to visit the clinic and do her doctor rounds.

That was a show he didn't want to get a front-row ticket for.

Shifting his attention back to the fallen object, he softly fingered the book as it met his hands. Flipping the soft brown leather cover open hesitantly, he shrugged.

Danny did say he was free to look at anything that wasn't in her personal room.

Glancing down at the first page, slightly worn and yellow, he could feel something as he touched the photos. The heavily touched paper made it obvious it was opened many times before, and most likely would be opened many times after.

Inside the first photo, a man and a woman were holding up an ultrasound of who Jason assumed to be Danny. It was quite obvious with the way the couple looked (and held themselves) that they were her parents.

It was also clear to see that the young woman had the same bright spark in her eyes as Danny, with an athletic build and a warm smile that lit up her face.

Her lively blue eyes were set off against the dark shirt she was wearing, stretched barely enough to tell she was pregnant. And her hair was a warm light brown, cut just above her shoulders, slightly wavier than her daughter's.

Switching his gaze over to the man, Jason could immediately tell he had been in the armed forces for many years, just by the look in his eyes.

And though Jason couldn't quite tell how he knew this, he let the question roll off him, instead putting his focus back into the photos.

Tanned with the same freckles as Danny, her father had dark brown hair in a regular haircut, seeming to have barely grown out of a relaxed army style, being peppered slightly with grey as the photos progressed.

But besides the look that hid behind his eyes, a look that showed just how much war he'd seen, they still had a kind and strong feel about them.

Jason decided he liked the two people, the people who Danny resembled so much.

They both had this air about them that made Jason feel they were two good forces to be reckoned with. He could definitely see how much the young woman asleep down the hall took after them.

Flipping through more pages, seeing the years pass as Danny grew up, he saw that by the age of 10 there were no more pictures with her smiling parents. And by the age of 18, pictures with her Uncle in them had stopped too.

Carefully lifting two newspaper clippings, on a page dedicated to Danny's passed family members, he saw they were about the murders of Lieutenant Spencer Walker and his wife Carolin.

Anger filled Jason as he saw that Danny was in a deliberately blown up plane, putting together the extremely faint scars on her back and arms from the accident.

Slowly glancing at the light scarring on his own body, he knew she was much more of a fighter than she let on.

Jason also knew he probably wouldn't have been able to keep such a smile on his face if that had happened to him.

He vaguely recalled having a traumatizing event himself, more than one he suspected, which might be the reason he wasn't always open with others. Though Danny always did have a way of letting his walls down somehow.

Halting near the last few pages, pictures of a company wall with a few awards in Danny's full name, Jason recalled her saying she owned a company. A business her family had built and passed on to her when they passed, and Jason felt memories slip to the surface.

It was the familiarity of passing by an almost recognizable skyscraper many times, a W somewhere in the company's logo, though he knew he rarely went inside. It wasn't a fully clear picture, but this was the clearest a memory has been.

Jason wasn't quite sure why it came to mind, even if he felt like it wasn't his most common place to be, although Danny did say not all memories would hold significant meaning.

Finishing with the photos, his own family heavy on his mind, Jason silently padded across the room and into the garage, wrapping his hands carefully before coming up to Danny's punching bag.

She offered him the use of it whenever he needed it, seeing him use it once as he tried to clear his head.

And even if he didn't remember, Jason felt that training was something he did to cope, something he did to calm down. It was a past-time he didn't have to think too deeply about, the ins and out, the punches and hits all coming naturally without the need to force it.

It was comfortable and it was familiar. So, Jason got started, getting into a rhythm as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

Throwing a jab, he quickly swung again, exhaling in a breath of relief as his aggression was melting away into the bag.

Jason didn't like getting upset and coarse with Danny, although it did happen sometimes, so this was a good outlet. But he didn't know the young woman that well, at times acting awkward at best with only getting to know her for two weeks.

Two weeks of being half-clueless about how his life went before this.

WHACK!

The light sting of his hand helped Jason reign in his wandering thinking. He knew if he let himself, he would spend all night punching without a positive thought.

Which wouldn't be good for him physically.

WHACK!

And it also wouldn't be fun mentally either.

Taking a sip from his water bottle, Jason sat down, his sweaty shirt sticking to the wall he leaned against.

He wondered for the millionth time about his family and life before this and was sure he'd wonder a million more before stopping.

Because once Jason had his mind set on something, he wouldn't give up. That's just who he is, and who he'll always be.

Whether he ever remembers or not.

____

Hello fellow demigods and dear mortals,

It seems that I had a bit of time and actually felt a little bit motivated, so I wrote a chapter for today. I know my schedule is all willy-nilly, but it might take a while to get back on track, so I'm just going to write and post when I can.

Anyway, how is everyone doing today? I had a sleepover with my sister at my Nana's house, we helped her at her block's mini flea market. So that was fun, but I also dropped my electric guitar on my fingers, in between that and our keyboard, so that wasn't fun. lol But my day was good, and I'm hoping all of yours was too.

Let me know how your summer is going! Anyway, see y'all when I see y'all

-EthanVenlivrenVari, Cabin #3, Child of Poseidon🔱🌊