The conference room in the Watchtower always felt too clean for Jason Todd.

Too bright. Too polished. Too… them.

He leaned back in his chair anyway, boots kicked up just enough to annoy Justice League protocol without getting him thrown out. Helmet sat on the table beside him like a threat. Or a promise. Depends who you asked.

He wasn’t really listening. Something about interdimensional instability. Or satellites. Or whatever rich, well-adjusted people worried about.

Then the doors slid open.

And yeah—okay. Now he was paying attention.

Wonder Woman walked in like she always did—like the room belonged to her, like gravity itself had signed a lease agreement. Armor catching the light, presence filling every inch of space without trying.

Jason dragged a hand over his mouth, covering the automatic, traitorous smirk.

Yeah. Still got it bad. Fantastic.

But then—

She wasn’t alone.

There was a girl beside her.

Not clinging. Not hiding. Just… there. Matching Diana’s stride with a quieter kind of confidence. Younger, obviously—but not fragile. Not soft in the way civilians were. There was something sharp under the surface, something coiled and observant.

Jason’s boot hit the floor before he realized he’d moved.

“…Didn’t know this was bring-your-kid-to-work day,” he muttered, voice rougher than usual, aiming for casual and landing somewhere slightly off-center.

Batman didn’t even look at him. Of course.

But Diana did.

There was a flicker of something in her expression—amusement, maybe. Pride, definitely.

“My daughter,” she said simply.

And that should’ve been it. Just information. File it away. Move on.

Jason didn’t move on.

Because the girl—her daughter—was looking at him.

Not intimidated. Not impressed. Just… curious.

Like she was trying to figure him out.

And God, that was worse.

He huffed a quiet laugh under his breath, dragging a hand through his hair as he leaned back again, forcing himself into something resembling indifference.

“Great,” he said. “Another one of you.”

But his eyes flicked back to her. Just for a second.

Okay. Maybe more than a second.

Don’t be weird about this, he told himself immediately. Absolutely do not be weird about this.

Because yeah—he had a thing for Diana. Always had. Untouchable, impossible, way out of his league.

But this?

This was different.

This wasn’t some untouchable goddess.

This was—

He exhaled slowly, jaw tightening as he looked away again, forcing his attention back to the mission briefing he hadn’t cared about two minutes ago.

Off limits, he decided. Fast. Firm. Final.

Didn’t matter that she had that same presence. That same gravity.

Didn’t matter that she’d already clocked him in a way most people didn’t.

Didn’t matter that something in his chest had done a stupid, unfamiliar little shift.

Jason Todd didn’t do complicated.

Didn’t do “what if.”

Didn’t do daughters of women he already couldn’t have.

So he leaned back, crossed his arms, and put the mask back on—not the helmet, the other one.

“Alright,” he said flatly. “Can we get back to the world-ending crisis now, or are we doing introductions and feelings first?”

But his gaze flickered once more.

Just once.

And yeah.

He was already in trouble.