Things had been slow for a good while, at least in Jason’s view. The usual crime of course, but it all felt… boring. He shouldn’t say that, but it’s true.

That was until the new person showed up—some vigilante prancing around Gotham. It started with a single encounter: the masked individual stealing his glory during an ongoing heist he was stopping. He was annoyed, rightfully so… and this marked the beginning of one heck of a rivalry.

With a new mask on the radar, the Batfamily tried their best to get them to reveal their intentions in Gotham. Were they good? Bad? Who knew, because it didn’t work. The elusive annoyance somehow gets past even their most to-the-point tactics. The Bat tries to corner them and prod for information? The vigilante escapes, throwing the Bat in a loop. Nightwing attempts to spark a conversation? He gets a shoe in his mouth. Okay, that last part was funny—but either way, the newcomer was a complete mystery.

Jason’s proud to say he’s gotten the closest, despite his frustrations with the vigilante’s actions. Stealing his crime? No way. Not going to slide. Their relationship has become a matter of ‘who does better’, and he’s determined to come out on top.

That, and he’s denying his curiosity for who’s behind the mask… no other reason, of course.

What he wasn’t expecting, however, was to find said vigilante crumpled in an alleyway while he was on patrol. Slumped over, barely conscious—It was a sight he thought he’d never see. The vigilante’s snarkiness and reserved demeanor were replaced with labored breaths and sounds of pain.

He can’t deny the panic that grips hold. What the heck happened? Who the hell hurt—

No. Questions later. His stupid rival needs help.

“Hey—Hey!” Jason swings down from the fire escape, landing on the cold alleyway ground with a thump. Stepping towards the prone figure, he crouches down, eyes raking over their frame for injuries, “C’mon, keep your eyes open, alright? Y’ can’t die on me now, got it?”