The air in the penthouse was suffocating, the silence too loud, the stillness too unnerving. Jason lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his chest tight with the weight of absence. He hadn't slept in days—couldn't, really. Every time he closed his eyes, the memories came flooding back. Aubrey's laugh, the way her scarlet curls shimmered in the light, the warmth of her presence that made his cold world feel bearable.

But that warmth was gone now, leaving only a void that seemed to stretch endlessly within him.

Tonight, though, exhaustion finally claimed him. His eyes slid shut, and the shadows in his mind twisted and warped, dragging him into a restless sleep.

Jason was standing in the penthouse, but it wasn't how he remembered it. The walls were cracked and crumbling, black veins of decay crawling across the surfaces. The city skyline outside the window was obscured by a thick, choking fog, and the air was bitterly cold.

"Aubrey?" he called, his voice echoing in the emptiness.

No response.

He moved through the space, his boots crunching on shards of broken glass scattered across the floor. The silence pressed down on him like a physical weight, and a deep sense of unease settled in his gut.

"Aubrey!" he called again, louder this time.

A faint sound—laughter, distant and haunting—reached his ears.

He spun toward the source, his heart hammering in his chest. "Where are you?"

The laughter grew louder, echoing from every direction. It wasn't her usual light, melodic laugh. It was warped, distorted, like a broken record playing over and over.

Jason broke into a run, tearing through the penthouse, searching for her. Each room he entered was more decayed than the last, the walls dripping with black ichor, the floorboards rotting beneath his feet.

Finally, he reached the bedroom.

The door was ajar, a flickering orange light spilling out from the cracks. Jason hesitated, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, he pushed the door open.

The room was engulfed in flames.

Aubrey stood in the center, her back to him, her scarlet curls glowing like embers in the firelight. Her black diamond hair clip shimmered, untouched by the heat.

"Aubrey," he breathed, relief flooding through him.

She turned to face him, and his blood ran cold.

Her face was pale, almost translucent, her eyes hollow and empty. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Instead, the laughter echoed again, louder this time, reverberating in his skull.

Jason stumbled back, shaking his head. "No. No, this isn't real."

"You let me go," Aubrey said, her voice suddenly clear, cutting through the chaos.

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut.

"You could've stopped me," she continued, stepping closer. The flames around her licked at her skin, but she didn't flinch. "But you didn't. You just let me walk away."

Jason's throat tightened. "I didn't have a choice. You... you didn't give me a choice."

"There's always a choice," she said, her voice cold and accusing. "But you were too afraid. Afraid that I'd see you for what you really are."

Her eyes bore into him, and Jason felt as though she could see straight through him, peeling back the layers of anger and bravado to expose the broken man beneath.

"I'm not afraid," he said, his voice trembling despite his efforts to sound firm.

"Yes, you are," she whispered, her tone almost gentle now. "You've always been afraid. Afraid that no one could ever love you. Afraid that you'll always be the one left behind."

Jason clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "That's not true."

She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Isn't it?"

The flames roared higher, closing in around them. Jason could feel the heat now, blistering and oppressive, but he didn't move.

"You weren't enough for your mother," Aubrey said, her voice taking on a cruel edge. "You weren't enough for Bruce. And you weren't enough for me."

Her words cut deeper than any blade ever could. Jason staggered back, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

"You don't mean that," he choked out.

"Don't I?" she said, her voice echoing eerily. "Maybe I left because I couldn't bear to stay. Because you'll never be more than what they made you—a weapon. A shell."

Jason fell to his knees, the flames closing in, the heat unbearable.

"I tried," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "I tried to be better."

Aubrey knelt in front of him, her expression softening for the briefest moment. She reached out, her hand brushing against his cheek. Her touch was cold, like ice.

"You'll never be enough, Jason," she said softly, her voice filled with sorrow. "Not for them. Not for me. Not even for yourself."

The flames surged, consuming her entirely. Jason screamed, reaching for her, but his hands closed around empty air.

He woke with a gasp, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face. His hands trembled as he gripped the edge of the bed, his mind struggling to separate the nightmare from reality.

Gypsy chuffed from the floor, jumping onto the bed and nuzzling against him. Jason buried his face in her fur, his body shaking.

"It wasn't real," he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "It wasn't real."

But it felt real. Too real.

Her words echoed in his mind, haunting him.

You'll never be enough.

Jason sat there for what felt like hours, the weight of the nightmare pressing down on him. Finally, he stood, his legs unsteady beneath him. He needed to get out, to move, to do something—anything—to shake the lingering shadows of the dream.

He grabbed his helmet and jacket, not bothering to change out of his wrinkled clothes. Gypsy mewled softly as he headed for the door.

"Stay," he said, his voice firm despite the turmoil inside him.

Gypsy tilted her head but didn't follow.

Jason stepped into the elevator, the doors closing behind him with a soft hiss. As the elevator descended, he stared at his reflection in the mirrored walls. His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale and drawn. He looked as hollow as he felt.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, Jason stepped out into the cool Gotham night. The city was alive with its usual chaos—sirens wailing in the distance, the hum of traffic, the faint sound of shouting from a nearby alley.

Jason slipped on his helmet, the familiar weight grounding him. He revved up his motorcycle and tore off into the night, the wind whipping against his face.

He didn't have a destination in mind. He just needed to run.

Jason's ride eventually brought him to the Narrows, the grimiest and most unforgiving part of Gotham. The streets were dark, illuminated only by flickering streetlights and the occasional neon sign.

He parked his bike in a shadowed alley and leaned against the wall, pulling off his helmet. The cool air did little to soothe the storm raging inside him.

A sound caught his attention—a scuffle, the sharp crack of a fist meeting flesh.

Jason moved toward the noise, his instincts kicking in.

In a nearby alley, a group of thugs was cornering a man, their laughter cruel and taunting. Jason's hand went to his gun, his mind eager for a distraction.

The fight was quick and brutal. Jason moved like a shadow, taking down the thugs with precision and efficiency. When the last one hit the ground, groaning in pain, Jason turned to the man they'd been attacking.

"You okay?" he asked gruffly.

The man nodded, his eyes wide with fear. "Yeah... yeah, thanks."

Jason didn't respond. He just turned and walked away, leaving the man to fend for himself.

As he climbed back onto his bike, the adrenaline from the fight faded, leaving him feeling just as hollow as before.

The nightmare still lingered, Aubrey's words etched into his mind like a brand.

You'll never be enough.

Jason tightened his grip on the handlebars, his knuckles turning white.

It didn't make him feel better. Not like he had hoped. Saving that man did nothing to help him. Beating up the thugs did nothing. Getting out of that penthouse did nothing. Moving did nothing.

He couldn't outrun her. Who was he kidding? She was a part of him now. He had given her all of himself, everything he had rebuilt. Now he either had to start from scratch or stay the way he was now.

He was too tired to restart. What was the point anyway? Why try and rebuild himself into the man he already knew he hated before she came? He didn't want to be that person anymore.

She took all his fire with her.

-

It was late when Jason returned to the penthouse. Outlaw was waiting for him at the door this time, and when he tried to move past him the oversized cat moved in front of him and stopped him.

Jason stopped for a moment to actually access that. Outlaw had grown to be the size of a large dog. His head came up to Jason's upper leg, and he would probably be just a few inches below Aubreys hip with her tiny body. How and why the cat had grown so big he didn't know, but it made sense that Aubrey would be raising some kind of, seemingly wild, unheard of species.

"Whats up boy" Jason spoke, kneeling down.

Outlaw chuffed before racing off through the residence. Jason heard a low yowl from Aubrey's office. Jason followed the sound and found Outlaw pawing at a box in the corner of the room. A stereo system.

Jason stepped forward, kneeling again to inspect the box. A track was set up, and as Jason hit play he felt the tears come back to his eyes.

"Hey J. I know you probably hate me for this. And I understand, it sucks. The worst part is you wont be able to see me as time goes on, but i'll still be watching you. Following whatever endeavors you go on. I hope you know i love you. And when you move on and find someone new, which im sure won't take long, im gonna try and be happy for you. I wanted to give you this, both this message and this song. We both have faced death and loss, and this seemed right for the two of us, especially because the ghost of a memory is a lot harder to kill than one of a person. I'll always be dancing with the ghost of us. Of you."

As the music started and Jason listened to the song, he realized she was wrong. They both would be dancing with a ghost.

https://youtu.be/a5RQ0z29XoU

Authors note: Song above is the one Aubrey is singing for him. All credit goes to Sasha Alex Sloan! I love her voice and think she is an amazing singer. Everytime i hear this song i think of Jason. It just fits so perfectly for him.