"This is dumb," Jason mumbled, standing near the back of the room with his arms crossed. "I still think this is a trap."

"Is that why you're all garbed up? Gotta be ready to save your sweetheart if it hits the fan, right?" Barbara teased as she pulled up the Clocktower's largest projected screen. "Lighten up, Jason. Bruce used to have to do this all the time too, remember?"

"Oh, how could I forget?" The projection showed a live broadcast from one of Gotham's biggest news stations. At the moment, it only showed an empty podium in Elms Plaza. The podium was often used as a hotspot for political campaigns, protests, and the like. Today it had a different use.

The low buzz of background conversation could be heard in the background. Reporters were warming up and getting ready. It hadn't started yet. Barbara muted the broadcast and wheeled around to face Jason.

"So is that why you're here and not there?" she asked. "In case something happens?"

"No," Jason replied. "I'm not interested in the mayor's offer, even if he claims temporary immunity to sanction. When Jocelyn told me about it, I said he could take that offer and shove it up his ass. Live interviews are dumb. Public speaking is dumb. And Gotham's vigilante culture is all kinds of messed up. One moment, the public's demanding we be locked up in prison, and the next, they're worshipping us like celebrities."

"I take it you read that article in the Gazette last week," Barbara said.

"The washed up one about us? I heard about it."

"They need to replace whoever wrote that. I mean, really? I bet Jo wasn't too pleased."

"Mm," Jason muttered unenthusiastically. It had been a few days since the incident at the warehouses, but their little rift hadn't completely healed. The mention of her didn't exactly delight him at the moment.

"Oh, and uh… Tim's going to be here soon. He said he wanted to watch the interview too."

"Okay. So?"

"Just letting you know."

Jason shrugged. "All right."

Barbara considered Jason for a few seconds before reaching up to adjust her glasses. She turned back to the keyboard and began working on something on a smaller screen to occupy herself. "I don't mean to pry, but are you two all right?"

"Why are you asking?"

"It's just… When Jo was here earlier, things seemed a little tense. Everything okay?"

"It hasn't been okay for a while," Jason admitted. "It's nothing serious. Just a little road bump." After a pause, he continued, "But I just wished she wasn't so damn unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?"

If there was one thing Jason was undeniably good at, it was withstanding any pain and misery bottled up inside of him. But there were things now he wanted to get off his chest, things he didn't quite understand. And right now, Barb was the best person to vent to. "She just treats me like she's concerned all the time. Like I'm some kind of unstable, ticking bomb. Yeah, I get that you'd treat any other person who's been through what I've been through like that, but at least she should know me better! That's what drives me crazy!"

Barbara looked over her shoulder. "Have you told her any of this?"

"Y—," Jason stopped and thought for a second. "Well, no. I don't like talking."

"That's what we're doing now."

"But with her, there's something… I get this feeling from her every time I'm around her. I don't know how to explain it. But it's like she's still hoping things will go back to… before. That…" He was forcing the words through his gritted teeth. "That I'll turn back into… Robin."

"Hey guys! I'm not late, am I?" announced the loud, cheery voice. Jason backed a few more paces into the darkness as Tim Drake pulled aside the rickety elevator door and stepped into the loft. He gave Jason a brief glance and nod as he passed. When he reached Barbara, he stooped down to give her a one-armed hug and a kiss on the temple. "Hey, hun. You doing good?"

"Yeah," Barbara replied. "And you got here just in the nick of time." She unmuted the broadcast as the mayor was ending his preliminary speech. Every so often, the occasional camera flash would light up the mayor's face.

As he introduced the Specter, he held an arm out. Then, beside him, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air. That sent the off-screen crowd into frenzy. The irregular camera flash transformed into a continuous barrage of brilliant light from the rapid-fire cameras trying to catch as many images of the Specter as possible.

Underneath his helmet, Jason scoffed. He was willing to bet his dual handguns that the mayor had asked Jo to materialize like that beforehand. And despite her face being masked, he could tell how stunned she was. He knew she'd never had that much attention focused on her at once. For some reason, her being so utterly dumbfounded was kind of adorable.

"Her helmet is too reflective," he heard Barbara murmur to Tim. "They're going to get terrible picture quality with all that flashing. Someone should tell those buffoons to switch to high-dynamic-range instead."

After a minute of nonstop flashes and clicks, the mayor took to the stand again. "Before we open the floor to everyone's much-anticipated questions, let us have our esteemed speaker give us a few words first." He stepped away from the microphones and gave the Specter an expecting look. She stared at him, and then turned timidly towards the podium.

"Wh… What is there to say?" she wondered. She was legitimately asking.

"What is there, indeed?" the mayor said, taking one of the mics. "For there are no words needed for one of Gotham's legendary pairs! How about beginning with why the other half of your duo, the Red Hood, isn't here with us?"

'Because he's not interested in your fancy-pants bullshit,' Jason answered in his head. On the screen, the Specter looked towards the audience and slowly surveyed them.

"Th-the Red Hood… He…" she trailed off as the remaining microphone whined loudly from the feedback. She reached over and adjusted the microphone until the sound stopped. "If you really want to know," the Specter continued, her voice suddenly gaining fervor, "it's because the Red Hood chose not to appear today. He's a man who favors his fists and guns, not the things that make us civilized like words and reason."

Tim snickered at her snide remark, but was quickly silenced by a sharp elbow to the ribs from Barbara.

"Furthermore, there is no need for both of us to simply answer a few questions. If you have anything you'd like to ask, then go ahead and shoot."

That sent a hectic chorus of shouting voices flared up. It was impossible to discern any coherent sentences from the cacophony. "The sooner you all settle down and let me understand what you're saying, the sooner you'll get your answers," the Specter snapped. The voices died down but did not completely stop. Then, a particularly loud reporter shouted, "Were you responsible for the bombing of the abandoned warehouses four days ago?"

"Let's get some facts straight first," the Specter stated. "Those warehouses were not as abandoned as you would think. We found the place active with criminals trying to smuggle explosives into the city, all conducted by Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot. We didn't bomb the warehouses on purpose. We merely destroyed the shipments. It doesn't take much imagination to infer what kind of future events you all would be reporting on had that smuggling operation been successful."

"The police estimates that at least a dozen casualties occurred from the incident," another voice sounded out. "Gotham's vigilantes have always adhered to Batman's code. Why are you and the Red Hood acting differently?"

There it was: the ethics question. Jason knew it was coming sooner or later. He was curious about how Jocelyn would handle it. She was still a little too soft when it came to giving those lowlifes what they deserved. Maybe she'd find another way to insult Jason on live television.

"I admit, the police have good reason to have us on their wanted list," the Specter began cautiously. "But as heartless as it sounds, this is the most effective way. Think back to when Batman was still in Gotham. Crime lords and common thugs alike suffered under him, but despite that, they still kept coming back. Countless innocent lives have been claimed because these criminals weren't scared of justice. They need to be scared, and at the same time, they need to be stopped. What we are doing is a necessary evil. A greater good that, at the same time, is ugly."

Hmm, poetic. It wasn't exactly how Jason would put it, but whatever.

"How do you think Batman would react to what the two of you are doing?"

"We'd probably be behind bars with a few bruises."

There were a few more questions thrown out that Jason didn't particularly care about. Things like the Specter's opinion on a few of Gotham's notorious criminals, political campaigns, Red Robin and Nightwing, and some other boring shit. They even tried to get information on the Specter and Red Hood's origins, but of course Jocelyn was very tight-lipped and vague in her answers. He was seriously glad he wasn't part of that snoozefest.

Of course, then a few interesting questions came up. "Several years ago, there was another person in Gotham who went by the name of 'Specter' and looked similar to you. Was that also you?"

There was a pause, and then the Specter said, "I will say that I drew inspiration from her. But that girl and I are not the same person." It was a lie, but there was something in her voice as she said it.

"Nevertheless, many have drawn parallels between your current partnership with that of the previous Specter's and the then-Robin. Those two were confirmed to be in a relationship."

Jason's fingers tightened at the mention of his long-dead title. The Specter looked visibly tense as well.

"Let's finally put this to rest," she said, poorly hiding the strain in her voice. "The Red Hood and I are merely partners. Nothing more, nothing less."

"But—."

"No more questions," the Specter interrupted. "This interview is over." Before anyone else could protest, her silver form vanished completely from the podium. The broadcast ended.

Tim straightened up. "That wasn't so bad for her first public appearance," he remarked.

"I remember mine," Barbara said as she closed the blank broadcast and turned the overhead lights back on. "You were there too, remember? There was this crazy guy who jumped up on stage and—."

"And tried to pull off your mask! Yeah, I remember that!" Tim finished, desperately trying to hold in his laughter. "Oh man, and Bruce was there too! It did not end well for that guy." He apparently remembered that Jason was still there, his joviality vanishing. "Oh… Ah… You're waiting on her, right?"

"Yeah," Jason grunted.

"So what did you think of that interview?" Tim asked.

Jason shrugged. They fell to heavy silence.

Barbara wheeled around to face Jason. "What she said about the necessary evil… Do you really believe that?"

Finally uncrossing his arms, Jason replied, "Look Barb, I know Bruce drilled it into our heads that killing isn't right. That's because he was restrained by his own past. I'm not going to fault you for carrying on with his code, but I've moved past it."

Before Barbara could reply, they heard the sound of the rooftop entrance opening. A silver figure dropped down.

"There she is," Tim said, relief in his voice.

Jocelyn let out a breathy sigh. "I was shaking the whole time," she admitted. "Could you see it?"

"I didn't notice," Barbara answered. "But at least it's over now."

Jocelyn turned back to Jason. "Okay. Let's go home."

"'Just partners?'" he quoted, clearly irritated.

"Yes," Jocelyn said irately. "What about it?"

Jason looked away. "Nothing."

Both Tim and Barbara watched the exchange speechlessly. "Oh… kay…" Tim began uneasily. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll just be over in this corner doing… busy… stuff." He quickly scurried away.

Jocelyn shot one last glance at Jason and headed out of the Clocktower herself. He waited until she was out before following after her. His conversation with Barbara earlier rose into his mind. Maybe it was time.

She was waiting for him at the edge of the Clocktower's sloped roof. She couldn't traverse on top of the buildings without his help. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her waist and shot out the zip line to the nearest rooftop. When they landed on the other building, Jocelyn pulled away from him and began walking.

"Jo, wait," Jason called out apprehensively. "Hey, can we talk about some things?"

Jocelyn stopped, and then kept walking.

"Jo—."

"You can talk," she replied. "Meanwhile, I'll be over here wondering what happened to the real Jason."

"I'm serious."

"Okay, fine." Jocelyn turned and walked back to him. "What do you want?"

"We… We've been like this too many times," Jason said. "I'm tired of this. I'm tired of arguing and getting pissed and everything." He lifted his red helmet up, revealing his face to the cool night air. "I know you are too. So can we…?"

"Can this even still work?" Jocelyn interrupted.

Her words, their implication, startled him. He even felt a hint of fear. "Of course it can," he insisted. "We're badasses. We've been through tougher times."

"That's the problem," Jocelyn said sadly. Suddenly, she stepped forward and threw her arms around Jason. "Yeah, you're right. I'm tired. Trying to hate you for four days is exhausting."

Jason hugged her back. Then he reached up and gently tugged her helmet off. He was finally able to see her face, to look her in the eyes. She gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry for roasting you on TV."

"It's no big deal," Jason assured. "Everything's fine. Time to kiss and make up, right?" He leaned down as Jocelyn placed both hands on either side of his face. When they kissed, they lingered for a little longer, savoring their tiny oasis of happiness.

When they parted, he saw a certain gleam in Jocelyn's eyes as she gave him a certain, familiar look. "Hmm, I'm thinking there might be a little more than mentioned in the 'make up' part," she suggested.

"Oh?" Jason's hands slid further down.

Jocelyn caught them and pulled them back up. "Easy there, cowboy. Patience is a virtue."

"What a shame. I'm feeling particularly sinful tonight." The apartment had never felt further away.

"No more questions. This interview is over." The video stopped the instant before the Specter disappeared. On the screen, the still image zoomed in on her masked face.

"Well," a voice mused. "It appears we have found the final piece to our puzzle. I think it's time to pay Gotham City a little visit."

"Of course."

Addendum: Cover image is up. It took a while because of all... that.. coloring. And I had to redesign the Specter's appearance. And by "redesign," I mean I crossed my eyes, hit my forehead with a hammer six times, and then scribbled out a design until the bleeding stopped. So enjoy. Don't worry. My brain am still thunk good.

Almost gave away identities on rooftop; dmhs.

And yeah, public speaking really does suck. I had to take a communications course that made us do a lot of speeches. Absolute nightmare.