Days. It had been an agonizing stretch of time since your abduction. Jason's warnings echoed in your mind relentlessly, his cautionary advice about the danger of confronting these criminals alone. Back then, you dismissed his counsel with a scoff. After all, you were the new Robin; he had no authority over your actions.

You felt the need to slap your past self. Here you were, nothing more than a robin in a cage.

Days stretched into what felt like an eternity, nearing the mark of a week. No signal from Batman, Red Hood, or Nightwing hinted at imminent rescue. Your captors grew increasingly restless, their eyes constantly straying to the guns strapped to their belts. You could sense their contemplation of ending your life here, every time their gaze fell upon you.

One of them cursed, raising a gun to your temple. Gunfire pierced the air, forcing you to brace for the impact. You braced for the inevitable, resigned to whatever fate awaited. Only to be met with nothing but the sound of gunshots.

Beside you, a thud reverberated. Opening your eyes, all you saw was a force of retribution clad in crimson. Red Hood—no, Jason—unleashed a storm of righteous fury upon your captors, illuminating the dim confines with a barrage of bullets. The captors fell with rapid finality, crimson punctuations marring their forms.

As the smoke cleared, your older brother turned to you, his helmet discarded to reveal the same shit-eating grin etched upon his features.

"Now, I'm not one to say 'I told you so,' buuut..."

He could see the exhaustion in your eyes, the way your hair fell limp and thin. The emaciation that hollowed out your cheeks and the dull complexion of your skin. And he could see the way your eyes raked over the dark crescents under his own, giving away the nights he'd gone sleepless. Praying to whatever god that would listen that your captors wouldn't prematurely end your life before the end of the week.

Cocking his head slightly, his bastard grin only grew wider. "You've seen better days."