Jason woke to the soft sound of rain pattering against the window. His body ached less than it had the night before, the pain from his side now a dull throb. Slowly, he sat up, taking in his surroundings. The safehouse was still, quiet.

He blinked a few times, letting the haze of sleep fade before glancing toward the small table beside the bed. A note, written in neat, sharp handwriting, was resting there.

"Left early. There's breakfast on the stove if you want it. Make yourself at home, but be out by noon. —Flare"

Jason huffed a laugh, crumpling the note in his hand. Of course, she didn't stick around. It wasn't her style. She always kept moving, never lingering long enough for anyone to pin her down.

Still, the smell of something warm drifted from the small kitchen. Standing gingerly, Jason stretched, testing his body. He'd healed well overnight—credit to Flare's stitches and his own stubbornness.

In the kitchen, he found a plate of scrambled eggs and toast waiting for him on the stove. He smirked. Not bad. He'd expected something more bare-bones, but Flare had surprised him. Again.

As he ate, Jason's eyes scanned the room. He wasn't the type to leave well enough alone, especially when it came to someone like Flare. She had secrets—everyone did—but hers were buried deep. He finished the last bite of toast and set the plate aside, curiosity getting the better of him.

Quietly, he started snooping around the safehouse. He checked drawers, cabinets, even under the bed. But there was nothing. No personal items, no keepsakes, nothing that gave any real clue to who Flare was beyond what she'd already shown him. It was frustrating, but also... fitting. She wasn't the type to leave pieces of herself lying around.

He sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter. Then, his mind flickered back to the conversation they'd had last night—about her sister.

"Sister... a Titan."

Jason's eyes narrowed as the pieces slowly started to click into place. Dick had mentioned a new Titan when they were talking, someone powerful who he couldn't find anything on. Someone who hadn't yet settled into the team but had potential. Flare had said her sister was a Titan now. That couldn't be a coincidence.

The new Titan must be Flare's sister.

Jason wiped his hands on his pants and grabbed his jacket. If anyone knew more, it was Dick. And if Flare's sister was involved, Jason needed to know the details.

It wasn't hard to track Dick down at the Titan Tower later that day. Jason strolled into the training room where Dick was sparring with a few of the younger Titans.

"Yo, Nightwing," Jason called, leaning against the doorframe. "Got a minute?"

Dick paused, motioning for the others to take a break. He wiped the sweat from his brow, tossing Jason a curious glance. "Hey. What brings you here?"

Jason pushed off the wall, casually strolling over. "That new Titan you've been talking about—the one with the powers. Wind or something, right?"

Dick nodded, eyeing him cautiously. "Yeah, her name's Windsheer, we call her Windy. She's still figuring things out, but she's strong. Why?"

Jason smirked, the pieces falling into place perfectly. "Flare's sister."

Dick raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "You think they are related?"

Jason shrugged, not wanting to get into the details. "Flare and I talked the other night. She mentioned a sister. Same kind of abilities?"

Dick nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Yeah, but Windy can control wind. Similar to Flare, but not with the same level of control. She's still working."

Jason's smirk grew, a bit of pride slipping into his voice. "Of course not. My girl's better."

Dick blinked, his expression caught between confusion and amusement. "Yours?"

Jason froze, realizing what he'd just said. He had called Flare his. A wave of discomfort mixed with something else washed over him. He wasn't sure how to handle that.

Before he could backtrack, a familiar voice cut through the air behind them. "Yours?"

Jason turned to see Batman standing in the doorway, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable but intense. Of course he'd overheard. Bruce always managed to be there at the worst possible moments.

"Jason, what exactly is your relationship with Flare?" Batman's voice was calm, but there was a sharpness in his tone that Jason recognized all too well. "And do you know what her intentions are?"

Jason clenched his jaw, hating the way Bruce always turned everything into an interrogation. "What, you still think she's some kind of threat? I know she's not playing by your rules, but that doesn't make her the enemy."

Batman's gaze didn't waver. "Her methods concern me. She has a history with the League of Shadows, Jason. I want to know if she's putting Gotham in danger. Or you."

Jason met Bruce's stare with a defiant glare. "She's not. She's trying to stop people from getting hurt. You wouldn't understand."

Dick cleared his throat, trying to mediate before things escalated further. "Bruce, Flare's complicated, but she's not like the League anymore. And Jason's not—"

Batman cut him off, his gaze shifting to Dick. "What about the sister? Windsheer. If she's also ex-League, she could be putting the Titans at risk."

Dick crossed his arms defensively. "Windy's been open about her past. She mentioned it being rough and being involved with people who didn't always do what was right, but she never mentioned the league. Damian said he never knew of her either. We're keeping an eye on her, but she's not showing any signs of being a danger to the team."

Batman's expression remained impassive. "She could be hiding something. The League has a way of controlling even those who think they've escaped. If either of them is tied to Ra's or his operations, we need to know."

Jason stepped forward, anger flashing in his eyes. "Flare's not League anymore. And you of all people should know that people can come back from worse things. Or do you think I'm still one of them too?"

Batman's expression didn't soften, but he didn't respond right away either. Instead, he studied Jason, the tension between them thick in the air.

Finally, Batman spoke. "We need to be sure, Jason. Both of them have dangerous pasts, and we can't afford to take unnecessary risks. Keep your guard up. For your sake—and Gotham's."

With that, Batman turned and left the room, leaving Jason and Dick standing in the echo of his words.

Dick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know he's just being cautious."

Jason scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'm done with people trying to control everything."

Dick looked at him carefully, then smiled slightly. "You really do care about her, don't you?"

Jason opened his mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he just shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Doesn't matter."

But as he said it, the weight of the truth settled deeper in his chest.