Aubrey was done.

It had been a week since the attack at the clinic, and in that time, she hadn't seen Jason once. Instead, she'd been stuck in her penthouse with an endless rotation of babysitters—Dick, Tim, and even Damian. The entire family of them had been taking shifts, keeping her under what felt like house arrest, all under strict orders from Jason to make sure she stayed safe.

Safe. The word was starting to grate on her nerves. She didn't need protection, she needed to be involved. To do something. Jason, meanwhile, was out there in the city, dealing with whatever demons he was keeping from her. And now, they wouldn't even let her leave the apartment.

She knew she could get out at any time, but she was hoping Jason would work whatever was in his system out and come back.

Clearly that wasn't happening. And the peanut gallery wasn't making it any better. She had tolerated them for long enough. Dick seemed adamant about snooping around as much as possible, and if he pulled up ONE MORE ARTICLE about Flare and the Red Hood she was going to lose her mind.

Aubrey had always been patient, but she was officially over it.

"You can't leave, Aubrey. Orders from the top," Dick said, leaning casually against the counter, but Aubrey could hear the exhaustion in his voice. He, too, had been running patrols nonstop between keeping an eye on her and his own nightly duties. "Jason's just trying to keep you safe."

"And I've told you, Dick," Aubrey said through gritted teeth, "I can handle myself."

Tim sat on the couch, nose buried in his tablet, but even he seemed aware that Aubrey was on the verge of snapping. Damian was, thankfully, out running errands, but that wouldn't save the other two from her frustrations.

"Look," Dick continued, "I get it. You're pissed, but—"

Before he could finish, Aubrey moved faster than either of them anticipated. In one smooth motion, she kicked Dick's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. Tim barely had time to react before she grabbed his wrist, twisting it behind him and pinning him to the couch. With a quick flick of her wrist, she snapped a rope around both of them, leaving the two men tied securely to the chair.

Dick groaned, rubbing his head where it had hit the floor. "Okay, that was uncalled for."

Tim scowled, his face flushed with embarrassment. "You're not supposed to attack your babysitters."

Aubrey ignored their protests, already slipping into her Flare suit. "I told you," she muttered, fastening her gloves. "I don't need babysitters."

With that, she left the apartment, taking to the rooftops as Flare, her fiery energy propelling her across the city. She had been out of the game too long, and it didn't take long to track down her target. Jason had been busy—his actions had made headlines, and whispers of the Red Hood's brutal tactics were spreading across Gotham.

It didn't take long to find him.

Jason was a whirlwind of fury, cutting through the city's criminal underbelly like a storm. Anyone involved in the attack on the clinic, anyone connected to the Waterkindle trade, was being dealt with swiftly and without mercy. The thugs he encountered barely stood a chance, and those who did, wished they hadn't.

He was in the middle of dragging a gang member out of a hideout when a familiar figure dropped down in front of him.

"Flare?" Jason froze, his helmet hiding the initial shock in his expression. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She crossed her arms, her fiery red eyes glaring at him. "Looking for you.

Jason scowled. "Where are my brothers? They were supposed to be watching you."

Aubrey smirked. "They're a little tied up right now."

Jason's eyes narrowed behind his helmet. "That so?"

He sighed heavily, turning away from her, his hand still gripping the collar of the man he had been interrogating. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why? Because you don't want me seeing this?" she shot back, her voice sharp. "I already know what you're doing, Red. I'm not an idiot."

Jason didn't answer, his grip tightening on the thug before he knocked him out and tossed him aside like a rag doll. "Go home."

Aubrey scoffed, stepping closer to him, her fire flaring faintly around her. "You really think I don't already know your demons? You think I don't know who you are?"

Jason froze at her words, his entire body stiffening. He turned slowly, his face hidden behind the cold, expressionless helmet of the Red Hood. "You don't know, Aubrey. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

But Aubrey wasn't backing down. She stepped even closer, her voice soft but firm. "You're hiding something I already knew existed, J."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. His heart sank as her words confirmed his worst fears—that she already saw him as the monster he believed himself to be. When he told her his story he showed it, and she didn't like it. She already knew. She saw how damaged he was. The weight of it crashed over him, and for the first time, he couldn't meet her gaze.

Aubrey, seeing the sudden change in his demeanor, realized what had just happened. He thought she was disgusted with him. He thought she saw him as a monster.

"Oh baby, no," she whispered, her voice gentler now. She reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "I've always seen all of you—the good and the bad. And I care about both. I love both."

Jason stopped at her words, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn't expected that. He hadn't even dared hope for that.

But Aubrey wasn't done. She stepped in front of him, her eyes burning with emotion. "This? Locking me away, keeping me out of the fight while you tear yourself apart—it isn't going to work. I can protect myself, Jason. I've been doing it my whole life."

"I didn't want you involved in this part of me!" Jason suddenly shouted, his voice cracking under the strain of everything he'd been holding in. "I didn't want you to see this—this side of me."

Aubrey didn't flinch. Instead, she squared her shoulders, her voice rising to match his. "I already have! There's no splitting a person into pieces you can pick and choose. I see all of you, and you can't change that! There isn't 'sides' to a person Jay! Thats Bullshit that people use to justify their actions. Each of us are ONE person, one WHOLE person who has their ups and downs. And for the love of christ, I don't care that you kill people! So do I! I probably kill more if im being honest! So STOP! Stop trying to protect me, stop trying to hide from me! Stop locking me away in a tower for no goddamn reason!"

Jason's frustration boiled over, his fists clenching at his sides. "Your mother is involved!" he roared, the confession ripping out of him. "I didn't want you to have to deal with the pain again! I didn't want you to have to relive that trauma!"

Aubrey stared at him, her expression softening as the truth came out. She took a slow, deep breath, letting the weight of his words settle between them. "Jason... I already knew."

Jason's heart dropped again, his mind racing. "What?"

Aubrey's eyes shimmered with emotion as she stepped closer to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "I relive that trauma every day. Everytime I talk to my sister or use my powers its a reminder of who i am and what caused me to be this way. And yes, I know she's responsible for all of this. For the gangs, for the Waterkindle. I know."

Jason's anger deflated, replaced by a deep, aching sadness. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I couldn't. You were too hell bent on keeping me out of it," Aubrey replied, her voice steady. "And while I appreciate that, I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I'm strong enough to handle this. We're strong enough to handle this. Together."

Jason stood there, silent, his heart warring with itself. He had spent the last week trying to protect Aubrey from the darkness inside him, from the brutal reality of who he was. But here she was, standing in front of him, telling him she had already accepted all of it—the good and the bad.

And she still loved him.

Finally, Jason spoke, his voice low and full of vulnerability. "I'm scared. I can't lose you."

Aubrey reached up, gently pressing her masked face to his own. She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. "You don't have to be scared, Jason. I'm not going anywhere."

The raw emotion in her eyes was enough to break through the last of his defenses. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if she were the only thing keeping him grounded.

"I love you. I know you're going to relapse with your past. I know this won't be the last time we have this conversation. I know you're a protector and the last thing you want is to think about me being in a similar situation to what yours was. I know all of that, and I love you for it." Aubrey whispered against his chest.

Jason's arms tightened around her, his heart pounding in his chest. "I love you too. Let's go home."

They stood there for a long moment, wrapped in each other's embrace, the weight of the world momentarily lifted from their shoulders. Finally, Jason pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers.

"We're going to take her down," he said quietly. "Your mother, the gangs, all of it."

Aubrey nodded, her eyes fierce with determination. "Together."

And for the first time in a long time, Jason believed it.