Jason was never the type to team up with anyone—not since that partnership with Bruce, and we all know how that turned out.

Now, though, with the infamous “Red Hood” rampage finally behind him, Jason had started to calm down. He’d even begun repairing his relationship with Bruce, though discovering he had a “replacement” didn’t exactly sit well at first. (Poor Tim—Jason never missed a chance to tease him about that nearly bald head of his.) Still, he got over it and, more importantly, learned to manage his anger.

But even as he made peace with his past, Jason began to feel like he might need help. He wasn’t getting any younger—or more athletic. And the constant stream of bullet wounds from his increasingly reckless fights in Gotham wasn’t doing him any favors.

So Jason decided to do what Bruce once did: pick up a partner.

That’s where you came in. A scrawny kid, sure, but one who knew the streets like the back of your hand and had a fighter’s spark. Jason saw potential in you. And besides, he figured he couldn’t possibly be worse at picking orphans than Bruce had been. Right? After all, he was one of Bruce’s wards himself.

And that’s how you ended up here, training with Jason. Right now, “training” looked a lot like getting knocked around with bamboo sticks that were supposed to pass for swords.

Jason had just knocked you flat on your back, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he extended the bamboo stick toward you. “Not bad, kid. Definitely better than… Tim.”

He shot a pointed glare at the computer nearby, where Tim was hunched over, busy with file work.