Love Under the Hood - A Jason Todd X OC Story

Chapter 4: Fair Warning

The muscles in Jason's arms rippled and beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as he lifted the barbell.

'Forty-seven...forty-eight...forty-nine...fifty,' he counted to himself in a steady rhythm.

Strength training had been his favorite exercise since his early days working with Bruce. He wasn't the fastest or most agile of Batman's students, but when it came to raw power and endurance, few could compete with him.

On a good day, Jason could fight Batman to a standstill. Even Damian—who had almost no respect for anyone but himself—admitted Jason was one of the greatest fighters he had ever known. He was a master martial artist, mechanic, tracker, and interrogator...most of which he learned during his training with the League of Assassins. Under the guidance of Talia al Ghul, Lady Shiva, David Cane, and Bronze Tiger, Jason learned how to play to his strengths. It turned out he was a born marksman, something he never would have realized if he stayed with Batman. Jason's ability to push the limits, take risks, and utilize his fearsome reputation made him an asset to the family's mission...even if they didn't always see it that way.

Jason was currently hiding out in the training area on the lower level of the Batcave. Earlier that night, he and the majority of the Bat Family busted a Santa Priscan cartel that managed to enter the Gotham drug trade. The team spent the past few weeks hunting down the buyers and suppliers and piecing together the network. They narrowed down the cartel's distribution center to an abandoned shipping yard once owned by the Falcone family.

Jason wouldn't have been involved at all if their investigation hadn't overlapped with a case he was working on. An old informant at Sionis Steel gave him a tip about a possible drug deal happening between Black Mask and a mystery supplier. The product turned out to be cocaine laced with trace amounts of Venom, enough to be lethal to any novice or unsuspecting drug user. Once Jason discovered the supplier was the same cartel Bruce was tracking, he wasn't going to stand by and let him take all the credit for the bust. He could have gone home after the mission was over, but there really wasn't a better place to train than the Batcave.

Just as Jason finished his reps, the screen on his phone lit up with a text message. He quickly peered over his shoulder to see if anyone else was nearby. Dick was up on a platform in the corner of the room practicing on the rings, too far and too focused to pay him much attention. Jason rarely got messages on his phone, so if anyone in the family happened to see, their noses would immediately be in his business.

He swiped the screen to reveal the message. It was from Scarlett.

Scarlett: Hey ❤️ You still awake?

Jason smiled to himself. He and Scarlett had only been seeing each other for two months, but being with her felt like the most natural thing in the world. So natural that it was difficult to resist the temptation of following her upstairs after their first date. But that wasn't the kind of game Jason played, and he wasn't going to ruin the first real relationship he'd ever had by trying it. Scarlett was the first girl that made him want to start doing things the right way. Even if their relationship ended in disaster, for reasons he couldn't explain, she made it worth the risk.

Jason typed in his reply.

JAY: Hey. Isn't it past your bedtime, doll?

Scarlett: Definitely, lol.

Got home from a shoot two hours ago. It was a rough one.

I'm dead tired but can't manage to fall asleep.

JAY: Yeah, I know the feeling.