He turned his head as she appeared, also dressed in her suit. "It's not that I believe you," Jocelyn said quickly as though she had read the thought that had crossed his mind. "I just… want to hear what he has to say."

Yeah right. Even if she didn't claim to believe Jason, there was still some part of her that doubted. Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to come along. 'You'll see,' Jason thought. 'I'll get that bastard Connor to confess. He's the one that led Zsasz to us.'

"Besides," Jocelyn continued, her loud voice conveying her anxiety. "You won't be able to find him without me. My helmet still has his tracking data from back in the day."

"I think I'd be able to find him with or without it, but sure," Jason replied. He hadn't told her, but he'd secretly copied and extracted the tracking data into his own helmet's UI. As he pulled the red hood over his head, he called to the prisoner bound in the other room, "Don't you stay up too late while we're gone."

Jocelyn didn't find it so amusing. "What are we going to do with him?" she asked under her breath as they headed away from the apartment.

"Are you asking me? Because you already know what I'd say."

Jocelyn let out a curt sigh. "No, it's wrong."

"Why? You've never minded taking the life of a delinquent scum. He certainly didn't mind the thought of taking yours. What makes it different this time?"

"It's because he's harmless now. It'd be like an execution. We can't just do that."

"Why not?"

Jocelyn looked at him. "That's what bad people do."

It irked Jason how her words reminded him of a certain mentor he used to have. "Jo, there are no good guys or bad guys. The world's not black and white, remember? Sometimes people have to do evil things."

Jocelyn didn't respond as she touched the side of her helmet with a hand. Turning away, she gestured and said, "This way."

According to the tracking data, Connor was in the Ryker Heights district. As soon as Jocelyn told that to Jason, he muttered, "He better not be in there."

He was. After a short while, the two of them were standing in front of the district's long-abandoned mall. It was here where, three years ago, Batman had chased Scarecrow and finished off the Arkham Knight. It looked the same as it had then, though its exterior was a little more weather-beaten now.

"Where's he at?" Jason's question snapped Jocelyn out of her thoughts. She blinked and looked at her helmet's HUD. The little white dot was inside of the mall. "A large room towards the east end of the building. Looks like the main center of the mall or something like that."

Jason grunted in response and headed towards the mall. "Let's go."

The interior of the empty mall was nothing short of eerie. The vacant rooms were littered with broken mannequins, their faded faces staring as the two passed. Jocelyn spotted little pieces of red equipment and weapons—signs left behind by the militia presence that had taken over Gotham City. It seemed like this place was never cleaned up after what happened. Whether it was out of respect or fear, Jocelyn wasn't sure.

The main center wasn't much different, but there was the relieving absence of mannequins. The tiles and escalators were covered in crushed rubble and bits of miscellaneous debris. A sniper rifle shell clinked along the floor as Jocelyn's foot sent it skirting away.

The main center was divided into two floors. Jason and Jocelyn were on the upper floor, and it appeared that Connor was below them. As they approached an escalator, Jocelyn peered over the railing. "He's right below us," she told Jason.

Jason descended a few steps down the escalator and looked over the edge. "You sure about that? I don't see anyone."

Jocelyn double-checked the tracker. Yes, that's where the dot was. She quickly recalibrated the tracker, but the dot reappeared exactly where it had just been. "Maybe there's something obstructing the view," she suggested, stepping down to where he was. As she looked, she realized that couldn't be true. Below them, there was nothing but a stretch of flat, empty space.

But wait… There was something small on the ground there. Jocelyn used the helmet to zoom in on it. It was a small, black device, no bigger than a fingernail. Connor's tracker.

Suddenly, she heard Jason speak. "You should have stayed hidden." She turned to see Jason pulling out one of his firearms and aiming it. Sitting on the opposite escalator was Connor, who was holding something large and round tucked under his arm.

"I can see why Verlix wasn't exactly fond of you," Connor said. "You're the kind of guy who shoots first and asks questions later, aren't you, kid?"

"You see me shooting? And trust me, I have no qualms about putting one in you, not after what you tried to do to us."

Connor sighed. "I told you, Jason. I had no idea Croc was going to be there. If I had, I never would have called Jocelyn there."

"You know fully well that's not what I'm talking about."

Connor's eyes drifted away as he looked like he was pondering on Jason's words, and then shook his head. "You lost me, buddy."

Jocelyn saw Jason's fist tightened. Quickly, she placed a hand over his arm. "Connor, Victor Zsasz attacked us earlier, in our own home. We thought… we were just wondering if you, um, were involved."

There was no response from Connor at first as the man slowly got up and leaned on the escalator railing, regarding both of them with impassive eyes. "Listen, kid—."

"Call me that one more time."

"All right, Jason. Listen. I know you don't like me. I understand that. I understand how suspicious I may seem to you. Looking back at what I've done ever since coming here, I don't blame you. I arrived here, you got attacked, and you thought you linked two and two. But I promise you… and Jocelyn," he added, looking at her. "I promise both of you, I had nothing to do with Zsasz."

"Can you prove that?" Jason persisted.

"I can't," Connor admitted. "But there's no proof that I did, either. Just conjecture. Just your judgment. And speaking of which, I wouldn't put a lot of faith in your ability to decree good moral character." He raised the thing he had been holding. It was a cracked, blue helmet. Both Jason and Jocelyn were silent as they stared at it.

"A lot of people think the Arkham Knight's locked up in Blackgate with the rest of them," Connor said. "Some even think he died. As for me, I think he should have. He was the exact opposite of what Axiom stood for, the prime example of the kind of enemy Jocelyn and I faced. Too many died, lost their loved ones, or lost everything they had. A lot of everyday heroes, the kind of people the world needs more of, were cut down here in this very city. Any jury or judge would agree in a heartbeat that the one responsible deserves death. But where is he now? Graciously living with a second chance. Walking freely through the streets, girl on his arm. Then masquerading at night as a dark vigilante, a 'proponent' of justice. Well?"

They had come here to confront Connor, but somehow he had turned the whole thing around and was now laying the accusations onto Jason. Jocelyn was stunned, but Jason seemed unfazed.

"Get whatever bullshit conclusion you've come up with out of your head," he snapped. "The Arkham Knight is dead."

"Fine. If that's what you insist, then I won't pursue the matter any further. I'm not here to exact vengeance. And even with her biased judgment, Jocelyn cares about you, and that's all that matters to me."

Jocelyn piped up, "Connor, that's in the past now. We came here to ask you about Zsasz, so don't change the subject. You said you had nothing to do with him, and I believe you. But I can't shake the feeling that you know something."

"Hmm," Connor murmured. "Nothing gets past you, does it, Spec? Well, you're right. I think I may know who told Zsasz where to find you. This certain 'individual' is also why I'm here. You two ever heard of the Overseer?"

The Overseer? Another new villain to Gotham, perhaps? Whoever they were, they seemed to have a grandiose view of themselves to don that kind of title. "I haven't," Jocelyn answered.

"This guy's a really formidable one. Actually, I can't really call him, or her, or it, a guy. I've spent months tracking the Overseer, but I haven't been able to pin 'em down, so I don't even know what they are. But given the scale of what they're doing, I have my doubts that it's just one person behind this 'Overseer' personage. But whatever the Overseer may be, he acts like one person. He acted like that when he reached out to most of the crazies in this city a few nights ago." Connor's face was grave. "And I think he's shown pretty clearly what his goal is."

"And that would be…?" Jason demanded.

"What do you think? Earlier tonight, he led Zsasz to where you and Jocelyn would be unguarded, unsuspecting—like hiring a hit from an assassin. He's trying to kill you and probably anyone else who calls themselves a vigilante here in this city. With Batman gone, he wants to pick the rest of you off."

"This fucker's got a pretty inflated head on his shoulders if he thinks he can just get rid of us that easily," Jason mumbled. "And you said you spent months trying to find him? Is he that elusive or are you just incompetent?" Reflexively, Jocelyn glared at him. However, it wasn't conveyed well through her helmet.

"I wish it were just me being dumb," Connor replied. "That'd make it a lot easier for everyone. But he knows what he's doing, whoever he is. I can't face him on my own." The man hesitated. Then he continued, speaking slowly. "That's really why I'm here: to find you." He was talking to Jocelyn.

"Me?"

"We need to fight fire with fire. If the Overseer is rounding up a force to do his bidding, then so do we. Axiom needs to come back. And we need you most of all."

Following those words was a heavy silence. The lull was broken by a scoff. Jason crossed his arms and turned away. "You're kidding, right?" he said. "You really think you can pull this Axiom thing back? Make a ragtag little team to fight this Overseer person? I thought you guys swore an oath to never talk to each other or something. And besides, you can just go home. If the Overseer's in Gotham, then Jo and I—."

"Of course," Jocelyn spoke up. Jason looked at her. With her eyes still on Connor, she gave a small nod. "Axiom needs to come back."

"Jo, you can't be serious."

"This is important," Jocelyn insisted, switching her gaze over to Jason. "Just please, please understand."

Jason didn't say anything for a while as he looked at her. Jocelyn couldn't tell what kind of expression he had under his helmet, and she didn't want to know.

"36 seconds," he finally said. "It took 36 seconds from when he made that proposal for you to give your answer. You chose that stupid organization and him over me in less than a minute."

"I didn't say that."

"No? Then what was it you just said?"

No answer.

"Just what the hell is going on? Just tell me."

"I…" Jocelyn's voice faded as she struggled through the turmoil within her. What Connor had told her was urgent, but at the same time… "Connor, I don't know if I can. Jason and I—."

"Axiom won't survive without you."

"Fuck Axiom," Jason snapped. "Survive? It's already dead, and there's no point in reviving it. Like I said, we can take care of this Overseer."

Connor glowered at Jason with a ferocity that hadn't been in his eyes before. "You watch your mouth."

"I'm sick of you," Jason retaliated, not the least bit intimidated. "And I'm sick of her, too. You know, I should be thanking you. You let me see how willing she is to drop everything and run and the slightest opportunity." He looked back at Jocelyn. She could practically see the bitterness oozing out from underneath his mask. "Still mulling over your choices? No need. I'll make things easier for you." He walked passed her and, as he did, said, "I'm heading back and packing my things up. You can play around with Axiom to your heart's content."

"Packing? Jason, wait—." She started to follow him.

"Stay right where you are," Jason demanded, a tone of hostility in his voice. "In case you didn't get it, let me spell it out for you: we're done. Later, Specter." Then, he was gone.

It didn't hit Jocelyn right away. That's how humans were. They even had a name for it—delayed reaction. But when it hit her, it was like stepping out in front of a train. Jocelyn pulled in a shaky gasp as she lowered herself onto the escalator steps and pulled her helmet off. She pressed a hand against her face and cried. Connor crossed over to where she was and sat next to her.

"Jason," she sobbed, covering her face with both hands. "I-I wish I could have just told him. Why does it have to be like this?"

Connor gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he told her softly. "Do you want me to go talk to him?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "We can't. We can't say anything. You know that."

Addendum: Sorry, sorry. I got drawn into the Witcher and started publishing stuff in that section. Then classes started and I'm dead now.

But don't worry. This story is coming back.