Children of Shadows and Hope

Prologue

The winter of Gotham had truly set in, two months in that dilapidated and condemned apartment, and Jason's condition got no easier. Jason, once the fiercely independent boy she had grown up with, was a hollow shell of himself. The Joker's brutal attack had left him mute, broken, and stripped of his memories. His actions were instinctual, and while Robin's training remained ingrained in his body, his mind was blank. He no longer recognised her entirely, but she had to protect him. 

Reyna had brought him here, hoping that isolation would protect them from Gotham's dangers, but as she looked at him now, the fear gnawed at her. What had she expected? Would that time alone somehow bring him back? Instead, she found herself alone in the fight, trying to protect Jason, who now moved like a machine—brutal and unfeeling.

Suddenly, Jason tensed. He hadn't seen the League of Assassins' foot soldiers first, but his body responded to them, instinct driving him into action. Reyna barely had time to process the danger before Jason lunged at the first assassin with lethal precision. He had no hesitation, no flicker of emotion—just raw survival instincts. The training Bruce had drilled into him allowed him to move through the assailants effortlessly. His movements were a blur—lethal, silent, and precise. The assassins were no match for the instincts that drove him; one by one, they fell to the ground, incapacitated or worse. Despite his condition, Jason had fought with the skill he had once wielded under Bruce's training, but now it was like a mechanical reflex. He hadn't spoken or responded to Reyna's attempts to calm him—he had only fought because that's all he had known how to do.

Reyna watched in horror as Jason fought. This wasn't the boy she knew. It wasn't even Robin. This was someone else, a broken version of him. She clutched her knife but knew she couldn't keep up with Jason's violent efficiency. Her stomach churned at the sight of the blood. But he was still Jason, and she hadn't given up on him.

And then, the tide shifted when Talia al Ghul stepped into the fray.

Unlike the other assassins, Talia moved with calculated grace. Jason, sensing the more significant threat, redirected his focus to her. But Talia wasn't like the others. She had met his assault with equal skill, effortlessly blocking and parrying his strikes. Reyna's breath caught—this woman was dangerous in a way that terrified her. Jason stopped suddenly, his body freezing mid-attack as if some unseen force had taken control. The boy who couldn't stop stopped—just like that. A chill ran through Reyna's spine. Talia held an authority over Jason that Reyna couldn't understand.

"You're coming with me, Jason," Talia said, her voice calm, her eyes sparkling with a possessive gleam. Reyna's heart hammered in her chest—she had already lost Jason once, and she would not let it happen again.

Gathering her courage, Reyna stepped between them, her voice trembling but firm. "Stop! Leave him alone!"

Talia's eyes flickered with curiosity, then narrowed with subtle disdain. "Who are you?" Talia had asked, her voice calm but laced with danger.

Reyna stood her ground, even though fear coursed through her veins. She didn't know what Talia had been fully capable of – making the older woman the most dangerous in the room. But she knew Jason was everything to her, and she didn't back down, not even for someone as dangerous as Talia al Ghul.

Reyna's breath hitched, but she steadied herself. She had made Jason a promise. "I'm his friend," she replied, her voice stronger. "And I'm not letting you take him."

Talia studied her for a moment, almost intrigued by her defiance. "You have no idea what you're up against, do you?" Talia's words dripped with quiet menace. Reyna's jaw clenched in response.

"I don't care," she retorted, her grip tightening on the knife. "You can't have him."

For all his brokenness, Jason stood behind Reyna, still poised to fight, but something in him had responded to her presence. He trusted her—somewhere deep inside, that bond remained.

Talia let out a cold laugh, almost admiring Reyna's determination. "Very well. I won't harm him," she said, stepping back, though her eyes promised this wasn't the end. "But if you want him back, you'll need me. There are ways to restore what he's lost, but not here."

Reyna's heart raced. She didn't trust Talia. How could she? But she looked at Jason—broken, empty—and knew she couldn't help him alone. Desperation gnawed at her.

"What do you want with him?" Reyna demanded, her voice firmer now.

Talia smiled, her expression unreadable. "He's the key to something far greater than you can imagine. But to you, he's just Jason, isn't he?"

Reyna swallowed, her hands trembling slightly. If there was a chance, even a slim one, to bring Jason back...

"I'll go with you," Reyna said finally, her resolve clear. "But if you hurt him, you'll regret it."

Talia's lips curved into an amused smile. "We'll see, little alley cat."