"Hey, it's been a while..."

Jason's voice was gruff yet softened by a hint of emotion as he removed his helmet, revealing his face. He smiled at the familiar figure standing before him, the person who he had found crying in an alley on that rainy day so long ago.

The same person he had silently watched over since his return, unable to bring himself to approach or reveal that he was alive. His piercing blue eyes held a mix of relief and regret, the weight of their shared past hanging heavy in the air.