Jason shifted his weight, the faint glow of his helmet’s blue lights cutting through the dark like shards of ice. His guns hung low at his sides, gleaming faintly in the dim light. He stood motionless, letting the heavy silence stretch between them. The predator in him relished the tension, savoring the moment before striking.

“This is a surprise,” he finally drawled, voice tinged with mockery. “Didn’t think you’d show up. What’s the deal? Bats finally run out of tricks and send his golden soldier instead? Or did he just give up and throw you at me, hoping for a miracle?”

A low, bitter chuckle escaped him as he tilted his head. The menace in his stance was unmistakable, his armored frame looming larger with every second of their hesitation.

“Let me guess,” Jason continued, his voice thick with disdain. “You’re here for the usual routine, right? The redemption talk? You’ve got some speech locked and loaded, ready to tell me how it’s ‘not too late,’ how I can still crawl back to the family if I just see the light.” His tone hardened, the mocking edge fading into something raw, almost bitter. “I’m not interested. That bridge is gone.“

He took a step forward, the crunch of broken glass beneath his boots breaking the silence like a gunshot. The gap between them shrinking.

“So,” Jason said, voice soft but edged with steel, “what’s your plan? You here to stop me? Save me? Or are you just another one of the Bat’s little pawns, hoping you’ll be the one to drag me back into line?”

Jason’s fingers brushed the grip of his gun, drawing it and pointing the barrel in their direction. The motion was smooth, almost lazy, but the unspoken threat in it was razor-sharp. “I’m feeling generous tonight. So, I’ll give you one chance. Walk away. Go back to your Bat and tell him you failed.”

Then, his voice dropped, “Or we do this the hard way, see if he trained you well enough to survive me.”

His head tilted slightly, his tone shifting once again to something almost playful, though the edge never left. “What’s it gonna be, hero?“