Chapter 6: Classics 1030
Summary:
Jason teaches college and helps out around Gotham in a... different way than he used to.
"What would have happened if Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet as a comedy instead of a tragedy?" The instructor asked his class.
The class looked at him with various faces.
"Anyone?" He asked.
A Latin-American Student raised her hand.
"Yes Miss Alvarez?"
"They die in the end though." Alicia Alvarez said.
"How many of you watched Cocaine Bear?" The instructor asked.
About two thirds of the class raised their hands.
"And how many of you watched Renfield?"
Again, about two third of the class raised their hands.
"And how many of you watched Violent Night, Knives out, Inglorious Bastards, and Pulp Fiction?"
The entire class raised their hands as they had all watched one of those movies.
"People died in those comedies; why should Romeo and Juliet being a dark comedy be any different?"
The class stayed Quiet.
"Might I posit that the reason Romeo and Juliet is a Tragedy, is not because of Romeo and Juliet."
The lecture hall was filled with murmurs of his students.
"Class. Romeo and Juliet knew each other for five days. Five days. Less than a week. They met, got married, had their wedding night, and killed themselves. That isn't even enough time to get to know each other, especially during a time when courting sometimes took years."
"Then why is it called Romeo and Juliet?" Another student asked.
"Ah yes." The professor said. "Why is it called Romeo and Juliet if it is indeed not about them? That is because the true tragedy is about their fathers."
The class lost their minds at that.
"Think about it. Had Capulet and Montague just talked things over then it would have been a different story, and to prove it, I've asked my brother, Officer Dick Grayson, to help me with an example."
Richard "Dick" Grayson walked into the lecture hall and to the front of the hall.
"I will take the roll of Lord Montague and Dick with take the roll of Lord Capulet."
The students watched as Professor Jason Todd and Detective Dick Grayson took their places at the front of the class.
"Lord Capulet." Jason Said respectfully. "I wish to speak with you about the matter concerning our families."
"What is it, Lord Montague?" Dick asked.
"This feud of ours has gone on for too long. I wish to break this feud somehow. Might we find some way to settle it?"
"It's funny that you mention it, because I wish to end this feud as well."
"That is wonderful news Lord Capulet. How should we break this feud?"
"Would you combine our families through the marriage of our children, your son and my daughter?"
"I believe we could arrange that. With our children's wedding, our families shall become one." Jason said before turning to his class. "How easy would that have been?" He asked.
The class looked like their entire lives had been lies.
"So..." Jason asked. "Who believes that the true tragedy is not Romeo and Juliet, but instead, their fathers?"
The majority of the class raised their hands.
"I'm afraid that is all the time we have for today." Jason said, looking at his watch before dismissing his class.
Dick watched Jason as he let his class out, talking to some students who were still interested in the days lesson.
Jason had changed. He wasn't the same person he was all those years ago. He wore tweed. He had elbow patches, and yet, he was still as built and toned as he was previously.
When Jason gave him his attention again, he looked at peace.
"I was surprised to hear from you." Dick said.
"Yeah, sorry. I would have sent you a card or baked you a cake, but they don't make cards that say: "I'm sorry I tried killing you while suffering from pit madness." I know that is more meant for Tim, but I tried killing you and Bruce too. I also don't think a cake saying: "I'm sorry I tried killing you." Would have meant as much. So, I'm sorry I tried killing you."
Dick grabbed Jason in a hug. "I'm just glad your back." Dick cried into Jason's shoulder. You have no idea what it was like when you died. I did things, things I'm not proud of, and when you came back, I was just so relieved."
Jason returned the hug. "Do you want to talk about it? I've been seeing a therapist since I left. She's helped me see things in a new light."
"I killed." Dick said. "I was so angry that you'd been taken from us that I killed. It's why I wasn't as mad as Bruce."
"I can't judge you for something I did."
The brothers stayed like that until Dick's phone rang.
Dick looked at his phone. "Duty calls." He spoke.
Jason nodded and let his brother go. "See ya." He spoke.
"See Ya." Dick Said As he left.
Jason looked at the clock, gathered his things, and left for Crime Alley.
Crime Alley
Jason walked into Crime Alley and found a group of kids studying. "Hey kids." He spoke.
"Jason!" The kids shouted.
Jason laid a box of homemade sweets on the ground and looked around. "So, how was school?" He asked.
The kids groaned.
"That bad huh?"
Th kids groaned in acknowledgement.
"What are you kids working on?"
A few kids showed him their homework while other just groaned it out.
"I see." He said, going around the group, checking their homework. When he got to a group of kids, he saw they were working on Shakespeare. "No way! You kids are studying: "Much Ado about nothing"!? I'm kind of jealous."
"Why?"
"It's one of my favorite comedies."
"It's not a comedy." A girl named Julie snapped. "It's boring."
"I'm going to send you a version of the play. I think you'll agree with me after watching this version."
"Is it the porno?" A boy named Keith snickered.
"One, gross, Two, no."
"Wait." Another kid named Wally said. "You don't Watch Porn?"
"No. Because it can fuck with your brains, and why? The only reason I would watch it would be to make fun of how bad the acting is."
"Really?"
"Yes. The acting is atrocious."
"Why don't you watch porn?" A girl named Angela asked.
"Besides it rots your brains, messes with your development, and the atrocious acting?"
"Yeah." The kids Said in unison.
"I don't get aroused by it. I'm pretty sure I'm on the Ace Spectrum."
"The what?"
"The Ace Spectrum, or the Asexual spectrum. I don't feel sexual attraction to people."
"Anyone?"
"Well..." he thought about that. He and Talia had had sex before he came back to Gotham to kill the Joker, but that had been after years of spending time with each other. "I guess I feel Sexual Attraction sometimes, but I'm not attracted to everyone, and I don't feel sexual attraction to Pornstars." He thought about Roy and thought that in the right circumstances he might tap that. "Why are we even talking about this?"
"Because you were going to give us Shakespeare we might like." A girl named Tammy said.
"That's right. Much Ado About Nothing." He turned on his Tablet and opened his Shakespeare folder and pulled up the Digital Theatre. He copied the video and sent it to all the kids. "Enjoy."
They were interrupted when cars pulled up and a goon squad stepped out with a duffel bag.
"Hey kids." The lead goon said. "We're recruiting and selling."
"What are you doing here?" Jason asked.
"Shut the fuck up." Another goon said. "Before I shut you up for good."
"I'd like to see you try." Jason said.
The goon walked over to Jason and grabbed him before pulling a knife and Jason chopper him in the throat and palm struck him in the chest, sending him flying.
"Who do you work for?" Jason asked in a menacing voice. "Is it Two-Face? Scarecrow? Black Mask? Who?"
"Why should we tell you?" Another goon asked.
"You're targeting kids. I take that Personally. So, talk, otherwise I'll break every bone in your bodies."
The goon squad surrounded Jason and tried attacking him, but he was ready, as if he'd never left the life.
One goon swung a tire iron, but Jason dodged, swiped the goon's leg, and slammed him into the ground before grabbing the tire iron and throwing it at another goon, hitting them in the face before he spun and kicked out, kicking another goon's kneecap, breaking it with an ominous crunch.
Glaring at the other goons Jason taunted them.
The goons ran at Jason and were all beaten down before Jason looked at the kids. "Study session is over. Why don't you head home for the night. I'll see you tomorrow."
The kids all stared at him in awe but gathered their things and headed home.
Jason pulled zip ties out of his bag and zip tied the goons into their cars before leaving. Someone would either call the cops or take care of them, either way, they weren't his problem anymore.
Jason walked around the city and found as many of the prostitutes as he could and gathered them in a warehouse.
"Good evening." He Spoke.
The prostitutes greeted him in various ways.
"Tonight, we'll study what to do if someone grabs you by your hair, and after that, we'll study any subjects that you would like to study, and no Twilight that does not include sex, I'm Ace, you know this."
"It doesn't hurt to ask." A blond man said. "You might have changed your mind since last night."
"Nope, better luck next time."
"Oh." Twilight groaned.
"I'm going to need three volunteer's one with long hair, one with medium hair, and one with short hair."
Most of their hands went up.
"Trixy, Vixi, and Twilight." Jason called out.
The three rushed up and Jason looked at them.
"Trixy. Grab my hair."
The brunette grabbed a tuft of Jason's hair, but not too harshly.
"No, no. Grab it like you mean it. Grab it like Vixi just stole your last score for the night."
Trixy gripped harder and Jason winced. "Good, just like That. Now. There are three ways to get out of this. One." He grabbed Trixy's leg and pulled on it, causing her to fall, but he spun and caught her before she could hit the ground and helped her to her feet.
The prostitutes liked Jason because of that, even when he "hurt" then he didn't hurt them. He was built like a truck, but careful with his strength, and he never tried pressuring them into doing something they didn't want to do. It was always voluntary, and he always paid them extra well.
"Next. Vixi, grab my hair like Trixy did."
Vixi gripped Jason's hair a little harder than Trixy and he gripped her wrist, putting just enough pressure to make her let go, and looked her wrist over before moving onto Twilight.
Twilight gripped Jason by his hair and Jason mimed ramming his elbow into Twilight's side.
"These are three ways you can get out of someone gripping you by your hair, but it's not easy. Your body is going to freeze, hoping that if you don't move then they will let you go, but they won't. Not until they have gotten what they want from you. Don't let them have it. That's why we are going to practice."
Jason let the others practice for the rest of the hour before dismissing them, paying for two hours even though they had only been there for an hour. "See you here tomorrow." He said before grabbing his bag and sitting at a table with a few of the prostitutes; Trixy and Vixi being two of them.
He helped them with their studies and after the second hour was up, paid them for four hours instead of two.
"How are you able to afford this?" Trixy asked his as he paid her.
"I did some bad things when I was younger." Jason admitted. "I'm not proud of them, but I can't change those five years. I used the money to put myself through college, donate to charities, and came back to teach classic literature. I help the Crime Alley kids, and you. It's how I plan on atoning for my past."
"You must get really pent up." Trixy said, in a solemn tone. "The least I could do is help you release that tension."
"No." Jason said, not unkindly. "I see you as a student, and that would be wrong. Taking advantage of a student like that is wrong, and I won't do it."
"That's why you're one of the good ones." Trixy said. "You genuinely care about us."
"I do, but you should leave before Del makes his rounds."
"I'm going to get through school as fast as I can." Trixy said. "Then I'm going to fuck your brains out... as a thank you."
"We'll see." Jason said before grabbing his bag and heading out. On his way out he saw Del grab Vixi by the hair and walked over to stop him. Vixi had frozen and Del was winding up to hit her, but Jason grabbed his wrist in his massive hand and gripped as hard as he could, breaking Del's wrist. "Get out of here Vixi." He nodded. Get to Dr. Thompkins if he hurt you."
Vixi ran away as fast as her heeled feet could take her.
Jason kicked Del into a wall and squatted down in front of the... He couldn't think of a name for the piece of shit man holding his broken wrist.
Del looked into Jason's green rimmed eyes and saw a monster staring back at him.
"Vixi is a single mother trying to provide for her kids the only way she knows how, because people like you want to sell her body for money. If I see you hurting her or any of the prostitutes in this town again... Well, I was going to say that the police would never find your body, but that is too Cliche. How does "They will never stop finding your body." Sound? See. I think that sounds a little implausible because eventually I would run out of body parts for them to find. How does "They'll be finding parts of you for at least four months, and you'll be alive for at least three of those months." Sound? I think It sounds like a legit threat."
Del lost control of his bladder and his bowels when Jason said that.
"So. If you don't want to be slowly ripped apart for at least four months as my new "Keep Gotham Clean" Campaign, I suggest you treat your prostitutes better, and maybe start calling them Sex Workers. It sounds a little more professional than "Prostitute".
Del nodded.
"Good. Now. Sit tight until the Police arrive to get you." Jason said as he zip-cuffed Del to a lamppost.
He walked until he walked around a corner and gripped the wall while covering his eyes. "Goddammed Pit Madness." He growled.
"Jason." Batman growled.
"Kinda in the middle of something Bruce!" Jason growled back.
"I've been tracking you since you arrived back in Gotham."
"Good for you, World's Greatest Detective! Can't you see I'm busy!?"
"Pit Madness, yes. Does it control you, or do you control it?"
"I'm trying to do the latter here!"
"Good. I'll see you at tomorrow. Alfred will make your favorites. Dinner is at six."
"See you at 7:00 then!" Jason bit back.
Bruce smiled and used a Grapnel to get up to the rooftops and left Jason to get himself under control.
Jason used the wall as support and began dragging himself home, only for someone to take his arm and help him.
"Let's get you home." Trixy said.
"I said no Trixy!" Jason bit out, fighting back the Pit's influence so he didn't accidentally hurt her.
"I'm not taking you home for sex. You need to lay down and sleep off whatever the fuck is going on, and that's all you're doing. You're taking the couch. Don't argue with me or I will pull the mom card.'
Jason went quiet, and let Trixy guide him home. He was too tired to argue, and if the mom card was anything like Alfred giving him: "The Look™" Then he didn't want any part of it. So, he shut up and let Trixy take him back to her place.