We stood before the suite's double doors unsurely, as if they were a portal into a terrifying alternate dimension. A bloodied body lay next to them, perhaps that of the room's previous occupant.
"Watch my back," Nightwing muttered, pulling out his remote hacker.
"Wait!" I hissed, making him hesitate and send me a questioning glance. "Maybe we could, I don't know, knock?" It made sense to keep the situation from escalating out of control.
Nightwing bit his lip, examining the doors. "He could've booby trapped them."
"Well, my mask isn't picking up anything out of the ordinary," I assured the vigilante, moving past him and closer to the entrance. The red figure remained seated on one of the beds, toying with a familiar handgun. He had to be Jason.
I extended my staff, the bullet shield emerging to protect my vitals. I reached my hand out and, taking a deep breath, knocked twice on the door. Here goes nothing.
I motioned for Nightwing to get behind me and my shield in case Jason decided to attack the door with a barrage of bullets.
"WHO THE FUCK IS OUT THERE?!" a loud roar echoed throughout the hall. I flinched, expecting the former Robin to open fire and tear the doors apart.
Dick replied before I could do anything. "It's me, Jason! Don't shoot." He jostled past me, pushing me back into the darkened hallway. He pressed a finger to his lips, imploring me to stay quiet.
I wasn't the biggest fan of Dick standing in the path of a gun-toting sadist, but I knew I had to respect his wishes and do things his way.
Jason cursed from within the suite, stomping towards the door. We listened as he unlocked the chain and deadbolt before flinging the doors open. I froze as the barrel of a gun was pressed against Dick's forehead. I'd been hoping that he wouldn't murder us on the spot.
"What do you want?" The Arkham Knight growled lowly, glaring right into the older man's bewildered eyes.
From the light pouring out of the suite, I could see that Jason had stripped out of most of his armor. He wore a dark undershirt along with a pair of cargo pants. His sweaty hair stuck to his forehead, the familiar ferocity twisting his face.
Dick gulped, managing a small, nervous smile. "Hey, Jaybird. We wanted to see if you had a chance to talk."
"'We'?" Jason hissed, eyes finding me in the dark hallway. "Robin," he snarled furiously. Quick as a flash, he pulled out his second gun, aiming straight at me.
I ducked behind my bullet shield, peeking over the top. "Good to see you, too," I replied cooly, struggling not to betray my anxiousness. He had us pinned. One wrong move and at least one of us would get our brains blown out.
"Er...can we come in?" Nightwing asked carefully, just as tense as I was.
The Knight looked between the two of us. "What did you come here to do? Capture me? Interrogate me?" He questioned, voice shaky. "You already ruined me in front of my militia, everyone!"
"We didn't come for any of that," Dick replied placatingly. "I promise."
Jason paused, eyes darting between us both. He then shook his head and lowered his guns. "Why am I wasting my fucking time?" He muttered annoyedly. "I can't even stop you from trying to bust in here. You want to talk? Fine. Doesn't mean I'll listen." With that, he wheeled around and stalked back into the room.
Dick turned to me and shrugged helplessly before entering behind the Knight. I steeled myself as I followed him into the hotel room. We were in Jason's domain now, and I wasn't sure what to expect from the angry man. I made sure to shut the doors before proceeding.
I took a quick look around the suite. Everything appeared to be in order, minus the scattered pieces of armor and the shattered TV mounted on the wall. The curtains on the living room window had been yanked shut, blocking out the stormy night.
Nightwing had taken a seat on the sofa, toying with his domino mask in his hands. I hung back, leaning against the counter of the suite's small kitchen. I was nowhere near comfortable enough to remove my mask and expose my identity; not when things between the three of us were so tense.
Jason chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom, running a hand through his now wet hair and pacing across the living room. I took the opportunity to better examine him as he moved to sit in an armchair next to Dick. His bare, muscled arms were crisscrossed with cuts and scars. I wondered how many of those were from his training, and how many were from the Joker. I tried not to let my eyes linger, knowing my staring would only irritate him more.
The former Robin flung himself into the soft chair, hands gripping his guns lazily. His blue-green eyes burned holes into Nightwing and I, and he continued to silently glare for several long moments. It was as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with us.
Dick cleared his throat, breaking the overwhelming silence. "It's...good to see you, Jason," he told his former friend, voice earnest and truthful.
"Really?" the Arkham Knight drawled, thoroughly unimpressed. "You sure about that?"
"Well," the older man replied, looking ahead at the broken TV in front of him. "Considering your recent...exploits...I think I was right to feel a little disappointed as well."
Rage flashed across Jason's face, his grip on his weapons tightening. I held my breath, hand tightening around my staff's handle.
"You don't understand, Dick," he replied, frustrated. "You don't know what it's like for someone you trust to abandon you when you need them most; for them to leave you for dead in a living hell! I was doing the right thing here!"
Nightwing faced the former Robin, resting his elbows on his knees and pressing his mouth against his linked hands. "I know, Jay. I'm sorry." he apologized miserably. "I failed you. We all did."
"Damn right, you…" Jason trailed off, as if suddenly remembering that I was in the room with them. His eyes burned with hatred. "What the hell is this kid doing here?" he asked Nightwing, pointing at me with his gun. "If he's here to preach about how wrong I am again, then he's got another thing coming."
As much as I wanted to tell the man off, I knew I had to be patient. "I'm only here to help you, Jason. I know we didn't meet on the best of terms, but-"
"You're Tim Drake," Jason spat, cutting me off. "Son of Jack and Janet Drake, now Bruce Wayne's ward, computer science major who's dating Barbara Gordon and likes to cage fight in his spare time."
I blinked, unsure how to respond to him having kept tabs on me.
"Don't look so surprised," Jason chuckled darkly, "I've done my homework. Not bad for the brat who stole my place."
"I never-"
"Save it, Birdboy" the Arkham Knight growled, rising to his feet. "You won't fool me with your 'innocent' crap. You knew exactly what you were doing when you wormed your way into Batman's good graces!"
His words tore into me and tugged at the insecurities I thought I had hidden away. He was making me out to be some lowdown opportunist, and he accused me with so much intensity that I almost believed him.
"Jason," Nightwing warned, standing up between us.
"Stay out of this, Grayson!" Jason yelled, advancing threateningly. "I can't believe you even trust this kid! Didn't he find out our identities on his own? For all I know, he could've blackmailed his way to Bruce's side!"
"Tim isn't like that," Dick snapped, fists clenched. This wasn't good. Our plan to talk some sense into the former Robin was falling apart.
"You're right," I blurted out before I could think. The two men turned their gazes on me. I tried not to shrink away from Jason's murderous glare.
"Not about the blackmail, I mean," I corrected, motioning with my hand. "I went to Batman knowing that he needed a new Robin. I wanted it so bad that I turned a blind eye to your disappearance. No one ever talked to me about you, so I kept my mouth shut and focused on completing my training."
The Arkham Knight remained impassive as I spoke. Nightwing remained tense, ready to jump to my aid if he lashed out.
"Bruce dedicated so much time to make me into a worthy crime fighter; time he could've used to save you and bring you home," I sighed, my fingers toying with the edge of my cape. "I took your rightful place in Wayne Manor while you suffered unbearably. And for that, I can never forgive myself." I met Jason's blue-green eyes, trying not to linger on the "J" branded on his face. "But I was hoping we could put aside our differences, for now, and make Gotham safe again. From one Robin to another."
Dick smiled softly, happy with my little soliloquy to the Arkham Knight. Our adversary, however, remained unresponsive. I stared at him earnestly, conveying all of my sympathy for him and regret for what I had inadvertently done. Barbara would always fall for the puppy-dog eyes, but that would've been a tad inappropriate considering the situation.
Jason finally opened his mouth, but what came out was a harsh, cold laugh that chilled me to bone. My face fell. Whatever the Joker had done to him, he was now an angry and psychotic shell of the hero he once was.
"Jason," Nightwing mumbled, not in a reprimanding way, but in fear of what his "brother" had become.
"You still don't get it, do you?" The Arkham Knight smirked, stepping back and spreading his arms out cockily. "I didn't come all the way to Gotham to hear your apologies, replacement. Did Daddy-Bats make you seek me out just to say that? He must know that I'm here, back from beyond the grave."
"Bruce doesn't know," Nightwing interjected, brow furrowed. "He's been out of commission for a while now."
"I don't think it'd be a good idea for him to see you," I added somberly, "Not in the condition he's in now."
"I don't give a fuck!" Jason barked, twirling his guns in agitation. "My endgame was never to make up with that man, or be part of his happy little family."
Barbara had warned me about his true intentions, but I found myself unprepared to hear them straight from his mouth.
"Mark my words; when I find Batman, I'm going to make him beg for his life. Then, I'll end it myself!"