Hell's Sniper | J. Todd

VIII - Stayin' Alive

You know it's alright, it's okay,
I'll live to see another day
- Bee Gees

When I wake up, I'm warm. Really warm. But it's weird because it's cold in Gotham and my heater isn't the best. I try to sit up but am sharply pulled down and yanked towards the origin of the warmth. I slowly open my eyes to find Jason glaring at me. Shirtless. While he's hugging my body.

I suddenly feel a lot warmer now.

"Stop moving," he scowls, nestling my head into the crook of his neck. His morning voice is... it's not fair. I want a morning voice like that. "Or I'll knock you out."

"Would you still be snuggling with me shirtless?"

He hmms in agreement, a deep sound in his chest. His bare chest that my chest is squished against. This is awkward. "What time is it? I need to go to the airsoft field at nine thirty. The team is going to play airsoft with a Gotham Academy senior P.E. class before our shift."

"Six fifteen," Jason replies. "I think Damian is doing that. He's been excited about it for like, a week."

"Damian? Excited? Wow. I'll need a picture."

He laughs, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Do you want me to make breakfast?"

"I can do it," I say, murmuring the words against his throat. "You were out last night, it's fine. I'll make you pancakes?"

***

"What are we doing here?" Jax Thayer, one of the two medics, asks our spotter quietly as we stand in an airsoft field. 

Reyes shrugs. "Kicking some preppy senior ass, I think."

"Oh, ok. I'm down."

"Alright everyone," the P.E. teacher says, ex-military by my guess, " Today we're doing something a little different. We have the GCPD SWAT team here, including the famous Ruth le Vont," I didn't know I was getting a shoutout crosses my mind but I nod anyways, "And we're going to see if we can beat them in airsoft."

The seniors hype themselves up as my team chuckle quietly to ourselves. They seem completely confident in their skills, but I know there's only one person to be concerned about in the class of teenagers.

"But we decided to let one student be on the losing team. Who wants to join the SWAT team?"

Damian's hand goes up. He's one of the only ones- the rest of the students want to be able to say they beat the SWAT team at airsoft. "Damian, you can join the other team."

He stands and makes his way over to us, standing beside me with the smallest grin on his face. His class doesn't seem to realise their only chance of winning just joined the other team, and they begin to talk about strategies. The teams split up and go to their starting areas, listening to the safety brief. 

"It's a deathmatch," one of the workers inform. "If you get shot, you're eliminated. So don't."

We start talking strategy. "Reyes, do you want to let Damian take your place in the sniper unit? I know how much you love bullying teenagers."

"Sure," Reyes says, swapping guns with Damian and handing the senior his ghillies suit.

"Half of us go left and the other half go right, try and draw them out for clean sniper shots if you can. We want the quickest game we can get. Snipers, you found a good hide?" Sgt. Collins instructs.

"Yessir, on your 3 at the bushes in the trees." I reply. Damian eyes the area and nods. The game begins and we run over to the area, settling down in the bushes. We watch as the team splits up and starts to take out the senior class.

Damian sees an open shot, takes it and hits with accuracy. "Nice shot," I say, taking two shots of my own.

"Are you going to tell anyone? About what we do?"

"...No. I have some respect for you."

Damian nods. "Did you and Todd talk things over?  He seemed joyful while on patrol."

"We did," I respond, shooting another. There's only three students left, while our team hasn't even taken a dent.

"Good. Do not inform him that I told you, but he needs someone to be there for him." Damian takes another shot, misses, and tries again. It hits its target. One student left.

"What about you? Do you need someone to be there for you?" I glance his way, watching him line up the last shot.

"Never." he fires, and the game is over. "You are a good sniper, le Vont."

"I used to be a green beret sniper, remember? And hey, you're pretty good yourself."

Damian hesitates, his usually confident demeanour gone. "I... thank you."