Hell's Sniper | J. Todd

VI - Break My Heart

I wonder, when you go,
If I stay on your mind
- Dua Lipa

I'm back to work. Getting congratulated when I enter the precinct, the word 'hero' being thrown around more times than I'd like to admit- it's something I missed.

Even Sgt. Collins said I did a "good job".

Unfortunately or fortunately, there weren't that many calls today. Only one for SWAT; a bank robbery. Nothing major like we thought it was going to be. Just some crackheads with rifles. Honestly, the things people in this city will do to get some cash is wild.

But I have more important things to think about than amateur bank robbers. Jason texted to see if I wanted to meet up at the Wayne Botanical Gardens at the end of my shift.

He never said for a date, though. Just to... have dinner and take a walk.

"That's a fuckin' date, Ruth." Reyes said when I told him. "Have you kissed yet? Made out?"

"Uh, no- we- uh, we held hands, like once." I paused at his expression. "My dogs like him, though."

So now here I am, waiting outside the gardens with six doberman pinchers as they playfight over a squeaky toy. Even though the city is most dangerous at night time, it's hard not to feel safe with the six of them around.

"Hey," Jason calls. I smile when I recognise him in his leather brown jacket. The dogs run over and sniff him, grateful for the pats he gives them. "Did you go back to work today?"

"Yeah, I did." I stand and walk beside him into the gardens. They close at eight thirty, and are lit up by the warm lights of lampposts. "It was pretty... relaxed today, so it wasn't too bad." 

The Q word is not allowed. You also stole tech from Lex Luthor's crazy anti-vigilante gun, but we're not talking about that, are we?

As the dogs run around sniffing the various plant species, we talk about work. He's pretty secretive on what he does for a living, but he says it gives good income so I leave it that.

"How long have you been a sniper?"

"Oh, a long time. When I was twenty I joined the Army Special Forces and trained as a sniper. When I was twenty-three my brother got into the car accident and I was his caretaker, so I had to leave the Army and then I joined the police force and quickly became a SWAT sniper. So... six years?" I think Jason looked impressed. "I'm considered one of the best in the US, if not the world. I have a natural talent with sniper rifles and stealth."

"And here I thought you were just some cop,"  but it's not Jason who says it. We turn and see Gotham's most famous teenager, Damian Wayne, with his hands in his pockets and a dull look on his face, but there's a sparkle in his eyes when he notices my dobermans. His dog, a Great Dane, begins to join my dogs' fight over the squeaky toy.

"Demon Spawn? The hell are you doing here?"

I forget Jason's technically a Wayne he doesn't... act rich, if you know what I mean. Probably because he didn't grow up that way.

"Enjoying the gardens with Titus." his smug tone and voice is weirdly familiar.

Titus and Chief try and wrestle Ruby off Corvus. 

"At seven pm?" Jason asks doubtfully.

"What are you doing here? And are you on a date with the woman who killed the Joker?"

"Yes," Jason says at the same time I say, "It's not a date."

"Let me guess," Damian hmms for a second, "You're having dinner after your walk. Then maybe you'll go back to one of your apartments and-"

"Shut up!"

"Aren't you seventeen, garçon?" in a strange way, it looks like Damian recognises the word.

My phone starts ringing. I take it out of my pocket and see who's calling; Maxine. "Hold on mate, I have to take this."

"Hey."

"Hey Max. What's going on?"

"Well, I heard Lucien's awake. Can I visit sometime? Mum and Dad are busy but they said I could visit if one of youse let me. They're busy. It'll only be for a week? Please?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Lucien would love to see you again."

"Do you think like... in a few days? Maybe three?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Okay, great, I'll uh, I'll see you then."

There's a bang on her end of the line. "What in the dusty fuck was that?"

"Uhm... I think it was a bird. Oh, yeah, a robin just smacked into my window."

"Robin?"

"Yeah."

Holy fuck. "I'm going to have to call you back," I hang up and stared at Damian. The dogs have stopped playing and I swear to God, the little breeze in the air stopped blowing.

"What?"

"Robin."

"Here we go..." Jason mutters quietly with a groan.

"Robin." my dogs repeat in my head.

"Todd, what's wrong with your-"

I turn to Jason. "Robin." "Robin." my dogs confirm.

"I'm honestly surprised you figured it out. Yet I'm also surprised you didn't figure it out sooner." Chief says. Piss off, Chief. Does their father know?

"He practically recruited them. Bad parenting in my opinion, yet our parent was worse." Petrova says while nipping Ruby on the ear. I don't bother trying to decode her words. Upon this revelation, I turn to Jason and say, "So that's where you do for a living. You own the Iceberg Lounge and control the drug trade in Gotham. Well, except for Black Mask who you still haven't apprehended... and you." I point at Damian,

"You said I was going to become a homicidal maniac."

Jason snorts. "Says the kid who killed probably hundreds of people."

"I haven't killed anyone for over six years, Todd!"

"What?"

"What?" 

//

Lmao I almost forgot to put in a doberman pic

I'm back from the dead now tho