Jason lifted his face an inch off the gritty pavement, out of the frigid puddle. Pain and nausea hit him as soon as he sat up, and the streetlight glared in his eyes. He coughed, and the whole right side of his torso burned. He clenched his jaw and got to his feet.

What was that smell? He took in his surroundings: Bodies lay all around him, and the one closest was lying in a puddle of his own vomit.

Jason scrambled away from the man quickly, scrunching up his face in disgust as the man groaned. Had Roy passed out right after punching Jason? Who the hell was this guy?

Jason stumbled away blearily. It was still mostly dark out. If this had been a night of patrol, he would be heading back right around now. He heard more retching and groaning behind him and then unsteady footsteps, but he didn't look back. He would be happy never to set eyes on the man again. He kept walking with the pace of someone who had just been hit by a car.

"What the fricking hell?" came an incredulous wail from behind him.

Jason didn't look back.

"That's Batman! That's the fricking Batman!"

Jason stopped short.

He turned around to see Roy pointing to the top of a building just a block behind him. The sky was just barely light enough so that Jason could see the very familiar silhouette. He swore explosively and tried to run, pressing a fist into his side.

He couldn't let Bruce see him like this, see that he'd failed like this. They had moments until Bruce spotted them, and the bodies around them, and then, if he came over here… He couldn't let Bruce see him like this, see that he'd failed like this.

Jason scowled as Roy passed him easily. And then the man suddenly stopped.

"Shit! Where the hell am I supposed to go?" he demanded, turning towards Jason with wide eyes.

Jason kept making his way, which unfortunately happened to be in the direction of Roy. He just glared.

Roy continued frantically. "I think we might have killed a few of those assholes! Batman's not cool with that. He might- he might-"

"No, you killed them," Jason growled. "Move out of my way."

Roy stayed right in his face. "Okay okay, just let me stay with you, one morning, just one morning-"

"No!"

"Come on, man, I saved your ass back there, and you gotta have an apartment around here or something- whoah-"

One moment Jason had been right next to Roy, the next, Jason tripped over a beer bottle and didn't get back up.

"Shit! Shit!" Roy crouched next to Jason, frantically shaking him until Jason cracked opened his eyes, screwed up his face in pain.

"Get off me before I make you," he growled.

"Tell me where the hell we can find somewhere to lay low until the Batman gets out of here!" Roy glanced frantically up at the building where the Batman had been. He was on another building now, closer, and still, except for his cape. Roy could feel the blood pounding in his chest, in his head.

"Leave me the hell alone," Jason said stubbornly.

"Listen, I'm not from Gotham, I don't know-"

"I don't give a shit."

Roy set his jaw, and then scooped him up into his arms and started running.

Jason opened his mouth to yell at him. A wave of nausea hit him and he snapped it firmly shut.

"Okay," Roy pointed. "Now give me directions or he'll beat up both of us and leave us for the cops."

Jason hesitated.

"Do you see where he is?" Roy demanded. "If he turns around, he'll see us!"

"Left," he croaked. "No, not that far, you idiot. You better fricking put me down before I-"

"You'll slow both of us down!"

"You smell like shit. Go right! No, right!"

"Gee, thanks, buddy. You're not looking so hot yourself."

"It's… it's here," Jason said, and as Roy set him down in front of the door, he slumped to the ground. He was unaware of Roy searching him for keys, frantically unlocking the door, and dragging him over the threshold.