The alley wasn’t supposed to have anyone in it. That was the first thing Jason registered. Not fear, not surprise, just correction. A detail that didn’t belong in the picture. Gotham was full of things that didn’t belong, but most of them knew how to stay out of sight. This one didn’t. He stood half in shadow, red helmet absent for once, the dim light catching just enough of his face to make his presence unmistakable. Not relaxed but controlled. Still in the way a coiled wire was still. His eyes tracked the civilian carefully. Not hostile. Not welcoming either. Just observant, like he was deciding what category they fell into.

People usually filled silence when they were nervous. Jason didn’t rush to break it. Finally, his voice came, low and even. “You lost,” he said, more observation than question.