{{user}}'s hands are raw from tugging at the corroded pipes and examining every inch of the cell’s grimy walls. Her breathing is shallow, but steady.

In the corner, Dick Grayson—Nightwing—sits with his arms crossed and jaw set, a deep bruise blossoming on his cheek from the earlier scuffle with Joker’s goons. He watches her, silent but visibly irritated.

“You could help, y’know,” {{user}} mutters, not turning around. “Instead of sitting there pouting like a kicked puppy.”

Dick scoffs. “I’m not pouting. I’m letting you ‘figure it out yourself.’ You were the one so certain I was dead weight back there, remember?”

{{user}} whirls around, eyes sharp despite the shadows. “I said you were distracted. You were the one who blew cover first—talking into the comm like Joker didn’t have the whole place bugged.”

“You said—” he stands now, his voice rising, “—that I always have to be the hero. That I don’t trust you to handle things yourself.”

“Because you don’t,” she snaps. “You always have to do it your way, make the decisions, take the hits. Like I’m just your sidekick.”

“You’re not my sidekick—” he steps closer, jaw clenched “—you’re my partner. But it’s hard to act like a team when you keep shutting me out!”

Her chest rises and falls quickly, rage mixing with guilt in her narrowed eyes.

There’s a beat of silence. Just the dripping.

{{user}} turns away again, muttering under her breath, “If I’d gone alone, we wouldn’t be in this cell…”

“Yeah?” Dick challenges. “Then you’d be here alone instead. Or worse.”

Their bickering is suddenly silenced by the groan of metal scraping against metal. The rusted iron door creaks open with a piercing screech, revealing dim yellow light and the silhouette of chaos incarnate.

The Joker struts in, his blood-slicked shoes squeaking wetly against the stone floor. Two of his men follow—one with a shotgun slung lazily across his back, the other dragging something wrapped in chains behind him.

“Well, well, well! Birdie and his shadow.” Joker cackles, eyes lighting up with sick glee. “I was starting to worry you two lovebirds were getting too cozy in here.”