metalogs | [Open-ish] October Oddities

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[Open-ish] October Oddities

Who: Jason Todd

robintohood and you. Also a couple of closed prompts
What: Various antics with Jason as a civilian and as the Red Hood
When: Throughout October
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: Potential PG-13 level violence. Will edit if needed.

Civilian:
[Between running Descendant Bar & Lounge as a civilian and being the violent vigilante and crime lord known as the Red Hood, it’s hard for Jason to have time for himself. But somehow he finds a way to squeeze in a few free days every month.

After running several errands, Jason’s now relaxing on a park bench and reading a library’s copy of The Bad Seed. If one were to look at the bags next to him, he apparently bought some new apparel, tools, and sewing supplies. Come bug him]

Red Hood:
[Tonight, the Red Hood is well within his gang’s territory and busy with making sure things stay in order.

If you’re nearby, you might see a thug get defenestrated out of a dive bar and landing on the curb. Jason then coolly follows after him and cracks his knuckles. Two of Jason’s gang members also come out of the building to follow him]

We can do this the easy way or the hard way.

[Come enjoy the show?

Alternatively, instead of coming across the Red Hood committing assault and battery, you might see a rarer side of him.

He could be seen escorting a teenager towards a homeless shelter for youths. There's no threatening, dangerous growl to his voice as he talks to the kid.]

Just give tonight a shot and see how you feel tomorrow. You can call me if you need something.

Cooking Lesson (Closed to Donnie):
[A lot has happened since Jason and Donnie talked about making a grilled cheese sandwich. Time travel, more new arrivals, a possibly new timeline…. These things happen, you know? But Jason and Donnie’s schedules have finally lined up for them to spend a morning making a grilled cheese sandwich. It should be simple enough, right?]

Might wanna take it easy on the laser.

[Okay, mostly simple]

Crime Lesson (Closed to Accelerator):
[As promised, Jason is going to teach Accelerator on how to be a better criminal.

Tonight, Jason is fully dressed in his Red Hood gear and perched on the rooftop of a store that’s closed for the evening. The meeting spot he and Accelerator worked out is within Backbreakers territory near a chop shop. Said shop’s lights are on and sounds of tools banging and whirring indicate the illicit business is open.

Jason isn't entirely sure how this lesson will turn out but it should be entertaining at least. He just has to wait for Accelerator to arrive]

Wildcard:

((OOC: Got something else in mind? Hit me up! I always welcome new CRs as well. My contact information is on this journal's profile and I'm in the game's Discord server. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns as well. I also have a feedback post.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fuck no.

[Look at them, a couple of liars.]

I just know them.

Right. Enough that they taught you some basic stealth.

[But he won’t argue it. Then Jason’s phone rings. He looks at the caller ID]

Perfect.

[He answers the call and taps the speaker button so that Accelerator can hear as well.

“B-Boss! We got a problem! Someone tried to take a shot at us tonight. Blew up a van right outside of us a-and…” the goon gulps before continue. “Your toolbox is missing. We’re so sorry!”

At that, Jason makes an amused smirk hidden underneath his helmet and calmly responds]

It’s already been taken care of. Just clean up and finish those orders already.

[Jason then hangs up]

[The response Jason will get is a glare. He's right, random people you know generally don't go to that much effort for you unless you're friends with them.

Accelerator is quiet as he listens to the call, switching his choker back to normal mode. When it ends he tilts his head a little.]

That asshole sounded terrified.

[There’s a hint of pride in Jason’s seemingly casual tone]

They’re afraid of pissing me off. I dropped off that toolbox, said it was important, and to not touch it. Just that they needed to keep an eye on it.

... You arranged the entire thing.

[So it wasn't just random chance Jason chose the toolbox, he set this entire thing up. Accelerator isn't sure if he should be flattered or annoyed he put that much energy into this.

................... Well. Either way.]

I'm keeping it.

[It's his now. He is stealing it for real.]

[Jason laughs. Tonight has been a good first lesson. Teaching Accelerator really is going to be fun]

Go ahead. There’s something in there for you anyway.

[Wait, what?

Accelerator stares for a second before shifting the toolbox. He has to let go of his crutch in order to use both hands to open it, but he's doing so, confusedly.]

[Inside the toolbox are mostly nuts and bolts that caused the loud rattling from before. But also inside is a black bandana. It’s big enough to cover Accelerator’s hair and has eye holes]

You don’t need to get all fancy and dramatic like some people do with their masks but you should still have something to hide your face while you’re committing B&E.

[Blinking, he takes the bandana out of the toolbox.

Oh.

This is awkward, but it might just be him. Masks are clearly important to Jason, they must be super important in his universe, but it's such a far cry from nearly the entirety of his own life.

He isn't sure what to say. Masks are pointless when you're the strongest, because your infamy utterly destroys any attempts at a normal life? God, he isn't sure he wants to get into that.]

... Shit, you're really hung up on separating your civilian identities from your vigilantism, aren't you? I told you that isn't my style. I don't even bother using my real name. Anonymity's a luxury I don't give a shit about.

[Rather, it's one he's never been afforded and he has no idea how to handle receiving a gift, let alone one that's had care put into it. Especially when Jason wouldn't know about the significance of it all.]

[Jason shrugs. To him, it's a very important precaution that he's learned to take since he was 12 and became the second Robin. As much as he disagrees with Bruce, maintaining multiple identities is one tactic he still finds value in]

I benefit too. You stick out and anyone can trace you back to me if they put in enough effort.

Besides, you might be hot shit by some standards but there's always a bigger fish that might show up and try to take you down a peg.

.....

[There's always the chance Jason knows more than he's letting on, but Accelerator is pretty sure he's only being logical. He doesn't actually know he hit the nail on the head when it comes to a major aspect of the esper's life. Even if he's gotten a bit of a temporary break here, that's all it is. Temporary. It's inevitable that people will put together he isn't just strong, he's the strongest, and the fights will start back up again.

Jason is absolutely right. He's hot shit by some very strict standards and people have spent a lot of his life trying to take him down a peg. Where his logic fails is that whole bigger fish thing.

(Not to say there aren't people or things who can beat him - Aiwass comes to mind, Gojo as well - but they're few and far between.)

It's kind of hilarious how much Jason's got him pegged. Less hilarious is that he has a point, he benefits from a level anonymity he's never going to be able to get when he knows someone like Accelerator. When he thinks about it, it's kind of cruel, even dangerous, to keep him in the dark about that.]

I know.

[His legs are starting to wobble a little, so he shoves the bandana back into the toolbox. Closing it, he grabs his crutch and starts walking across the rooftop.]

That's something you have to live with when you know me.

[It’s a mix of practicality and concern for Accelerator that had Jason gift the teenager a mask. He knows it’s not much but it’s a start and he can at least say he tried to make a point to the kid.

As he watches the boy walk, Jason recognizes he’s hit something personal]

Trouble tends to come to you?

[His tone is calm and neutral, not judging Accelerator or faulting him for anything]

That's putting it lightly.

[He stops, looking down at the ground, silent as he decides whether to just spit it out. That's a rabbit hole though, there's so much packed in those stupid words, I'm the strongest, that he swerves and starts rambling about the science behind it first.]

Back home, the scientists that make us espers have a level system to categorize our abilities. Zero to five. Level Zeroes, despite going through the Curriculum to become espers, are basically the equivalent of normal humans. Even if they can even manage to manifest their reality as an ability it's too weak to affect anything. About sixty percent of espers are here. Level ones and twos can bend a spoon, that's about it.

[Exceptionally weak. Barely even worth thinking about. His tone is derisive.]

Level threes have enough power that it's convenient to everyday life. Level fours are the ones with combat ability. They've got tactical value in a military force.

[There's another pause.]

Level fives can take on a military force on their own on equal terms. There's seven of them in total.

[It’s what Accelerator isn’t directly saying that makes Jason’s temper rise. He’s reading between the lines as he listens to the teenager. The mention of a military means they were involved in Accelerator’s life early on. It means they saw espers as threats, potential weapons, or both. Then there are the scientists. They saw kids as experiments.

Jason’s helmet hides the scowl he makes and except for a tensing of the shoulders, he’s seemingly calm]

And you’re one of the seven.

[Jason’s tone is neutral. He’s not afraid of Accelerator. He’s angry on his behalf. He’s also starting to see why Accelerator is talking about his background. He was already targeted multiple times back home]

[It's a complicated system, made all the more so since there isn't an Academy City here in this universe. There isn't even an equivalent he can compare it to - at best there's Excelsior, but that's only in terms of technology. Excelsior isn't a closed, independent city. Excelsior isn't producing millions of psychic children, then forcing them to live within its walls and take part in experiments day after day.

There's a lot more to it, things Accelerator doesn't see relevant to the conversation at hand or want to get into. He's glad Jason is picking up the thread he's been laying down, that makes it a lot easier.

He turns to face Jason, spreading his hands a little, a gesture one normally does when they're talking about something grand.]

I'm not just one of the seven, I'm the first. First ranked Level five, Accelerator. Number one. The strongest damn esper in Academy City, and therefore the world. I'm so fucking powerful even the #2 and #3 don't come close to me. They're fucking insignificant jokes compared to me.

[He drops his hands, huffing, finally getting to the point.]

When you're the strongest people target you for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you threaten their way of life, or you're a stepping stone to some stupid goal they have. Or they just want the clout that comes with beating the strongest, there've been a lot of those kinds of idiots over the years.

[He shrugs.] Even if I'm not home my being the strongest doesn't just go away. It's not like I'm going around bragging about it, but eventually people are gonna put it together and start picking fights with me. A mask isn't gonna be able to change that.

[Jason's quiet as he keeps listening to Accelerator. He's sympathetic. It's a very rough life to live to say the least. And he gets the sense he hasn't had much in terms of support back home]

What happened when people targeted you?

That's fucking obvious. They'd lose.

[After all, you don't get to be the strongest without completely slaughtering anyone who picks a fight.]

If they were lucky they got to walk away with only a few broken bones.

[Jason maintains his calm attitude]

And if they weren’t?

[Accelerator doesn't hesitate in answering that question. After years of dealing with people not being lucky, he's desensitized to what happened to them, so he doesn't really care.]

They died. Either by their own weapons, or their internal organs exploding.

[It depended on whether they attempted to touch him or not. Either way, it was the same bloody outcome.]

[Jason doesn’t flinch from hearing the gory details. Between what he’s witnessed while being in the criminal underworld and the crimes he himself has committed, he’s used to it.

He’s also not surprised by Accelerator’s answer. It makes sense given he just said how powerful he is and what kind of people would have tried to go after him]

Was there ever collateral damage?

[Collateral damage? Again, Accelerator doesn't hesitate in answering.]

Yeah.

[Mainly when he was younger, and had no idea how to control his ability. Like those classmates who had attacked him when he was ten. They had been only dumb kids, ones who had thought they were going after a slightly-above-average child their own age. Not a monster.

The teacher who had tried to step in and stop things was collateral damage, too. And the members of Anti-Skill and Judgement who had done the same.

He pauses as he considers the Sisters, but... collateral damage requires a lack of intention. He had intended to kill every single one of them.

(Except the first, that had just happened because she fired and he wasn't paying attention, but he doesn't let himself consider that. It would imply he wasn't one hundred percent responsible for every awful thing that happened to those girls.)]

Of course there was.

[Jason senses that the whole story behind the collateral damage is a touchy topic for Accelerator. He’ll have to tread lightly and back off soon]

Yeah. That’s one of the tougher parts about being a target.

That's the kind of shit you're in for when you know me.

[Like it's an inevitability, or something, because it is. His attempt at normalcy lasted all of five minutes before his reputation ruined everything and people around him began to get hurt again.]

I get what you're trying to do with the mask. [Even if actual masked superheroes and villains don't exist in his universe, he understands the premise well enough.] It'd make sense for most people, but not for me. My life doesn't work that way.

[Jason nods. Accelerator has made his point and he won’t push the matter more unless something happens and he has another reason to bring it up again. It doesn’t mean he likes it though as it says a lot about the kind of life the kid has had]

All right. I’ve been at this work for years now and got into plenty of shootouts. I got plenty of guys who would love to see me six feet under. Just be careful.

[Despite everything Accelerator just said, he doesn't try to return the toolbox or the mask. It's stupid and he's sure he'll never use it, but he knows that it means something to Jason and he doesn't want to just dismiss those feelings.]

Careful? I'm the strongest, plus I've got the gun the other you made for me. [Yep, that's where the gun came from.] I'll be fine.

[Open-ish] October Oddities

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