Chapter 5: Chapter 5 - Training 1
Time skip - 2 years
Location: League of Assassins' base
Jason's POV
Sweat drips off my brow as I focus on the opponent in front of me. My breathing is even, while the person garbed in black and masked has a labored breath. Both of us waiting for the other to make a move. I curl my lips into a mocking smile and lift my arm up to taunt them with a come-hither motion with my fingers.
The person dashes forward with their sword in hand for me, but I swiftly dodge to the right grabbing their outstretched and dropping my elbow down breaking their arm, bone sticking out from the action. A snap echos out along with a muffled shout of pain in the small room we are in. The hand holding the sword loosens in their moment of pain allowing for me to grab it mid drop and charge the blade straight into their throat.
The gargled sound of choking on blood sounding to my sharpened hearing. Yet, it doesn't faze me as I watch the person slowly stop their motions before going still. I look around me and see the rest of the bodies of my other assailants. All laying in their own blood in different position as I stare coldly at it all.
Clapping sounds in the room. I don't react as I knew I was being observed in my little match. There's really only one person who observes me anyway.
"Well done, Jason," Talia compliments from her standing position. Having watched the match, the whole time.
"This one wasn't even a challenge," I scoff looking at her. In the past two years of learning under her and a couple other martial masters I've killed most if not all of my matched opponents. Those surviving permanently crippled for life. Mainly from trying to practice and perfect the combative teachings of my teachers.
I don't really feel bad about killing them either. They're all assassins or some other shmuck for hire that thought they could get easy pay. Scum and trash that really don't deserve my respect. Only really serving as some sharpening stone for me.
"You've done well to demonstrate what your teachers and I have taught you once again," Talia says ignoring my complaint.
"What can I say, talent like this only appears once in a lifetime," I say with a puffed-out chest and a cocky smile. Talia only smiles with mirth in her eyes from my antics, knowing I'm pretty humble about it all in actuality.
"I suppose so, now get your assortments packed there is something planned for you," Talia tells me before leaving the room. People coming in to take the bodies away for disposal. I grab a towel and wipe the sweat off my exposed body. Only wearing pants for clothing.
I roll my eyes while leaving the room because of Talia's need to never explain what's going to happen. The last time she said something like this was two years ago when taking me out of the compound to train with a contact of hers.
Said contact was Lady Shiva. A woman known across the world as one of the best assassins and martial artist. She can even give Bruce a run for his money and his beaten him before. I was honestly surprised Talia got her to train me for almost a full two years and Lady Shiva accepted training me. And I've got to say, those times spent with Shiva was some of the most brutal training I've ever had.
Constant beatings and having to truly push myself to keep up with her demands of me. Said demands being on some inhuman level, but I still did that and more. I'm training to be the best and I'm not settling for just completing a challenge, I want to absolute destroy it.
After training as such extreme degrees, I've come to realize some effects form the Lazarus pit that has followed me. Such effects being a decent regenerative ability and a somewhat enhanced strength. Nothing on a super powered level, but basically, I am normally as strong as a peak Olympic body builder without needing all the muscle mass.
My body also de-aged by about a year give or take if I had to estimate. I knew the Pit de-aged people, but that's if they stay in there long enough. Talia explained to me that it was probably the pit trying to reset my body back more to fix the malnutrition symptoms and effects I've had since I was born.
Which also meant a huge growth spurt for me. I'm now 5'10 with my body being physically sixteen after my current two years of training. I was fifteen when going in the pit and came out being fourteen. The two years of training now leaves me at sixteen. Of course, I'm mentally older by a good amount due to the combined mental ages of both my life's.
A little weird, but hey being younger again gave me more time to set my foundations and build upon them even more with my teachers. More leeway for open directions in any form of style I really could learn. Though I'm now younger than Dick by about six or seven years than the previous five. And somewhat closer in age to the current Robin, Bruce has running around with him.
Talia and Lady Shiva took that information and decided to up the level of my training to some unholy levels. Because fuck it, why not? I took it all in stride to test my current limits. After all of that training I can say that I'm now really one of the best, but I feel like I can do more than where I'm currently at. Hopefully wherever Talia is taking me will improve upon whatever she thinks I still need.
I walk into the room, that I've grown accustomed to for the past two years. I look around while grabbing a bag to pack anything I'll really need. I grab the twin swords hanging on the wall, along with the twin pistols.
The pistols being heavily modified by yours truly and the swords being crafted by the best smithies the league has to offer. Yet, both of these duo weapons hold a more sentimental value to me.
Gifted to me on my birthday by Talia. My other two gifts for my other birthday also in the room. It's a little difficult to tell if Talia cares for me, but I would like to say she does to a certain extent. Spending the past two years with her building a mutual respect and familiarity.
I know she is probably just helping me for her own benefit down the line, but her efforts almost remind me of my last life's mom. How far she would go to see me prosper and reach my own goals. I push those thoughts away.
I don't need to be feeling all sentimental now. I need to pack before she decides I'm taking too long and start hassling me. I walk around the room and pack some plain dark clothing and reach my next gift given to me.
A customized brown leather jacket. Always wanted to wear one of these when I was younger. I never told Bruce about this odd request of mine, but somehow Talia found out. Don't know how she does it.
I put on a tight black muscle shirt before putting the jacket over it. I go over to the mirror and slip on some slippers. Putting my hand through my hair to semi tame the mess it's become. It truly is a burden to be this handsome and badass looking at the same time.
A figure approaches and leans at the door, while I look into the mirror. I take notice and wait for Talia to say something except she doesn't. Typical dramatic behavior from her. Swear, like everybody I know loves to just wait it out before someone notices them.
"You know this really reminds me of the first time I met you when I came back from the grave. Me just relaxing in a room quietly by my handsome self and you being a creep. Good times," I call out to her with a smile. Still looking at myself in the mirror with a few exaggerated poses for fun.
She puts a hand to her brow and just shakes her head.
"Are you done looking at yourself in the mirror, you have a place to be soon," She tells me. Exasperation clear on her face, even with her masked emotions.
"Actually, I think I could look a little more," I snark back. Talia pulls a blank face at that and just raises her brow. Yet her eyes show she is a little amused. Looking to her eyes is really the only way to tell what she is feeling. After all the eyes are the window into the soul.
Heard that one time from Bruce way back then, when we were at some stupid fundraiser. Of course, he was hitting on a woman with that line. So maybe not the wisest words, but they still hold some merit.
"Alright I get it, no need to raise any eyebrows at me," I sigh, throwing my hands up in exasperation. I go over to the last item of value to me on my bedside drawer. A book 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jain Austin. It was the book I loved reading most at Wayne Manor and even with my new self after the mind merge, I still love it greatly.
I brought up one time what I liked to do in my free time to Talia and for my first birthday here at the league base she got me a first edition signed version of the book. When I'm not training or relaxing, I always just read this book. My love of stories always staying true.
I grab the book and put it carefully in with the rest of my packed items and clothes. After zipping up the bag I lift it up to my shoulders. Turning around to face Talia once again. She turns around to leave the room.
"So, you going to tell me what's planned or am I just gonna have to wait till we arrive at wherever we're going?" I question after following her through the halls once leaving my room.
"Patience Jason, you shall see once we arrive," Talia chides me.
"You're telling patience to the guy who is the definition of patience," I reply. I mean I've waited and trained for literally two years and still have another two to go. So much planning and researching spent on the current world from inside the league walls and wherever I was taken to be trained.
The only information I get of Gotham, or the super community comes from Talia or from a computer, but the only really good information still comes from her sources. I've been patient for so long now.
We enter a silence as we travel out of the compound and onto a Helicopter. Both of us being the only ones aside from the pilots on the copter. It's currently day and the sun touches upon my tanned skin. I take my seat and buckle in and close my eyes to the rest of the world.
I feel the green haze in my mind stir a little, but I just put it back in its place. I'm the master of my own mind, not some nutty green force. I open my eyes to the surroundings noticing we've travelled pretty far into some mountain range.
I must have been too focused on the Lazarus to notice the passing of time. I decide to bug Talia for fun. A favorite past time of mine these past two years I do whenever I get the chance.
"You're not taking me to some ancient monk monastery in the mountains that will teach me to harness my inner self, are you?" I joke lightly. She opens her eyes from her own little meditation or focusing.
She doesn't answer my question, but only smirks at me before going back to closing her eyes. Knowing I hate when she doesn't answer anything verbally.
"Wait I was just joking," I say in surprise. I feel like I've attained a pretty good balance within myself. I'm not a raging machine that wants to put everybody through the hell I've been through. I just want my cold raw vengeance against the fucking clown. Aside from that I'm a pretty nonchalance guy after spending these past two years training, yet also mellowing out with all this time to think.
Of course, I still resort to some sarcastic and sassy comments here and there for the fun of it. Fucking with people is funny too. Something I still enjoy greatly after the mental merging.
I could never guess that training to be one of the deadliest assassins and martial artist around could be so therapeutic for me.
I try questioning Talia some more, but she just continues her meditation. It's rude to ignore people, I would think she would have some proper manners for a woman her age. Her brow furrows when I think that. Like she could tell I was talking shit in my mind. A woman's intuition is truly scary.
A couple of hours later
Location: Chamber of All
Jason's POV
The Helicopter lands in some ancient structure looking temple. I step out after a moment and look at my surroundings. Waterfalls are around with shrubbery here and there. The building looking pretty old in my opinion. People with spears come up to us and hold us at spear point.
"Woah their guys might want to point that somewhere else before someone gets hurt and by someone, I mean you guys," I warn with hardening eyes, yet still relaxed in stance. Talia comes from behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder.
The people with spears open way for some hunchback looking old person to come walking through. And by old, I mean old. This person looks like they could have been alive while Jesus was around.
I lean over to Talia to ask a question. She eyes me with a sort of tiredness, knowing I'm gonna say something stupid or inconsiderate.
"Yo Tals, who is the hunchback of Notre Dame over there?" I question with a whispered voice. Talia doesn't answer me in typical Talia behavior and only sighs, while rubbing her eyes with her fingers.
"This hunchback of Notre Dame is your new teacher little man-child, have some respect," The old person responds in a chiding voice typically used on small children.
"Well, now I just feel like an asshole. Thanks for the heads-up, Talia," I mumble to myself. This elderly sure has some great hearing to be able to clearly make out what I said. That was in one of the lowest tones of voice I could use when talking quietly.
The elderly that I now can identify as a lady, if that's what you can call it starts to chuckle. Ah shit, she probably heard me mumble. Got to remember not to say anything too bad around her.
"My name is Ducra boy, but you may refer to me as master Ducra while staying within the Chamber of All," Ducra states to me. I look over to Talia and she has a great amount of respect in her eyes for this person, so I'm sure I can give this a try too.
"Well greetings to you Master Ducra, I'm Jason Todd. I'm sure you already knew that though. I can't wait to see what you'll teach me," I greet with an exaggerated bow and dip of head. I'll wait to give my opinion on any of this.
Author's note: Sorry for not updating sooner and I'll be uploading on my other story too later on today. I'll try to have a chapter out each day for this story, while my other story will be a little bit slower on the upload. I just felt a little worn-out writing Peter's thought process and wanted to have some fun writing this version of Jason.
Thanks for reading and see you next chapter.
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