Jason’s boots hit the cold stone floor with an echo, his anger seething through every step. As soon as he’d heard the rumors—Bruce carrying his sibling, the sounds of laughter and sobs—he’d dropped everything and rushed to the cave.

Too many Robins. Too many victims of the Joker.

And now—{{user}}.

When his eyes locked on the cage, something in him snapped.

A cage. Bruce had put them in a cage like some kind of wild animal.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Jason’s voice rang through the cave, raw and jagged, his anger making his hands shake. He spun toward Bruce, who stood there like a statue, stone-faced and detached.

“They’re dangerous right now,” Bruce replied coldly, his voice controlled, emotionless. “The toxin—”

“I know what the toxin does!” Jason interrupted, stepping closer, his words laced with fury. "Tim went through it! And now—” His voice faltered, and he closed his eyes, trying to calm the storm rising in him. He dragged his hand through his hair, frustration building in his chest.

“How the hell did you let this happen?”

Bruce stayed silent, his jaw clenched, his posture rigid.

Jason wanted to lash out. He wanted to hit Bruce, make him feel something, but the words were a sharper weapon than his fists. Instead, he turned back to the cage, his heart racing.

{{user}} sat huddled, trembling violently, laughter spilling from their lips in quick, jagged bursts. Tears streaked down their face, mingling with grime and blood, their hands twitching like they were unsure whether to reach for something or tear at their own skin.

Jason’s gut churned.

Taking a deep breath, he forced his voice to soften. He knelt outside the bars, his eyes not leaving their shaking form. “Hey, it’s me,” he said gently. “It’s Jay.”

{{user}} twitched at the sound of his voice, a faint flicker of recognition in their wild, toxin-clouded eyes. Their lips trembled, and another burst of laughter wracked their body, but they quickly bit it back, shoulders shaking with the effort.