Red hood Legacy

Chapter 7: Shadows of the past

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The cold mountain air bit at Izuku as he and Jason made their way to the edge of the League’s fortress, where a sleek, dark helicopter awaited them. The night was silent, broken only by the faint murmur of distant wind. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting sharp shadows across the ground as they walked. Beside him, Jason moved with a quiet tension that hadn’t been there before, his shoulders tight, jaw clenched, every step purposeful yet wary.

Izuku glanced at his father, noting the stiffness in his posture, the way his gaze seemed fixed ahead but unfocused, as if he were watching something only he could see. This was a different side of Jason—more guarded, almost haunted. They had been through months of grueling training together, faced opponents, and even spoken about Jason’s death and rebirth at the hands of the League. But the Jason beside him now felt even more distant, as if something about Gotham was digging up parts of him he had tried to bury.

Izuku shifted, trying to break the silence that weighed heavy between them. “You seem…tense,” he began, voice hesitant. “Is it because of Gotham?”

Jason’s face remained impassive for a moment, his gaze fixed forward. Then, almost reluctantly, he sighed, nodding slightly. “You could say that.” His tone was clipped, guarded.

Izuku hesitated, glancing away. He’d known about Gotham, of course—Jason had told him stories, snippets of his time there with Bruce, tales of the Robin he once was, the mantle he’d worn proudly. But this was the first time he’d seen Jason visibly affected, visibly conflicted, by the thought of returning.

They walked a few more steps in silence before Izuku found the courage to press further. “What is it about Gotham that’s so hard for you? I mean… I know about Bruce, about the falling out you two had. But… there’s more, isn’t there?”

Jason’s steps faltered, just for a moment, but it was enough. He clenched his fists, the muscles in his jaw tightening as if he were wrestling with something deep within. Finally, he stopped, turning to face Izuku. His eyes held a weight that Izuku had only glimpsed once or twice before, a shadow that ran deeper than anything he’d seen in their training.

“Gotham… Gotham’s a place of ghosts, Izuku,” Jason began, his voice low, almost strained. “It’s where I was born, where I learned what it meant to fight for something, where I became Robin. But it’s also where I died.” He paused, the word hanging between them like a heavy shroud. “And it’s where everything I thought I was… fell apart.”

Izuku swallowed, feeling the rawness in Jason’s voice, the pain that laced each word. He wanted to ask, to understand, but he also knew that this was a wound Jason rarely showed, even in their darkest, most vulnerable moments.

Jason looked away, his gaze distant, haunted. “Bruce… he’s not just Batman, Izuku. He’s more than that. To me, he was a father, in every way that counted. He took me off the streets, gave me a purpose, showed me what it meant to fight for something bigger than myself. But when I…” His voice caught, his fists tightening. “When I died, he didn’t avenge me. He didn’t kill Joker.”

The bitterness in his voice was sharp, cutting, a raw edge that hadn’t dulled with time. Izuku could hear the anger simmering beneath, the pain of betrayal, of abandonment, of loss. This wasn’t just about Gotham or Batman. This was about Jason’s sense of worth, his very identity, something he had built on Bruce’s teachings and then seen torn down in the most brutal way.

“I know it sounds… stupid, maybe,” Jason continued, his voice quieter, almost ashamed. “But I thought I mattered to him. I thought he’d do something—anything—to make it right. But he didn’t. He just… let it go. Like I was just another soldier he could replace.”

Izuku felt a pang of sympathy, understanding. He had felt that way too, in his own way—lost, wondering if he mattered, if his struggles meant anything to anyone. But this… this was different. This was a betrayal that ran deep, a scar that Jason had carried ever since his rebirth.

Jason took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as if trying to release the weight of his memories. “Going back to Gotham… it brings all of that back. The pain, the anger, the… the disappointment. Seeing him again, facing him, it’s like tearing open a wound that’s barely healed.”

Izuku looked down, absorbing the weight of Jason’s words. “But you’re still going,” he said softly. “Even though it hurts, even though it brings everything back… you’re still going back.”

Jason’s gaze softened, a hint of pride flickering in his eyes. “I’m going back because of you,” he replied, his voice steady. “Because you deserve better. You deserve to learn from the best, to understand what it means to control yourself, to harness what’s inside you without letting it consume you.” He paused, his expression softening. “And because… maybe it’s time I faced those ghosts. For both our sakes.”

Izuku felt his heart clench, a wave of gratitude mingling with the lingering sorrow in Jason’s eyes. This was more than just training for Jason. This was a chance to confront the past, to lay to rest the demons that had haunted him for so long. And though he didn’t say it, Izuku knew that Jason was doing this for him, not just as his mentor, but as his father.

They reached the helicopter, its dark form looming like a shadow against the night sky. Jason paused at the open door, his gaze lingering on the distant lights of the League’s fortress. “Once we’re in Gotham,” he said, voice soft but filled with a quiet resolve, “things will change. Bruce… he’s not like me, Izuku. He’s… colder, more calculating. He’ll push you in ways that I haven’t.”

Izuku nodded, feeling the weight of Jason’s warning. He knew this journey would be difficult, that Batman’s training would demand everything he had. But he was ready. He would face whatever Gotham threw at him, not just for himself, but for Jason, for the father who had chosen him, who had believed in him when no one else had.

Jason gave him a long, searching look, his eyes filled with an unspoken emotion. Then, with a nod, he climbed into the helicopter, gesturing for Izuku to follow. As they settled in, the engines roared to life, the blades cutting through the air with a low hum. Izuku took one last look at the fortress, the place that had shaped him, that had forged him into something new. And then, with a deep breath, he turned his gaze forward, toward Gotham, toward the city that held both promise and danger.

As they lifted into the sky, the silence between them was no longer tense but resolute, a shared understanding that they would face whatever lay ahead together. And for the first time, Izuku felt a flicker of hope, a sense that, no matter how dark the path, he wasn’t alone. Together, they would face Gotham’s shadows, and perhaps, in doing so, they would finally find the peace they both sought.

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The journey was long, the night passing in silence as they flew over the mountains, the lights of cities below flickering like stars. Izuku glanced over at Jason, who sat with his eyes closed, his face set in a grim expression. There was still tension there, still shadows lingering. But there was also a strength, a resilience that he couldn’t help but admire.

As dawn began to break over the horizon, casting a faint light over the world below, Izuku felt a surge of determination. Whatever challenges awaited them in Gotham, he was ready. He would face them head-on, for Jason, for himself, for the future he was determined to seize. And with Jason beside him, he knew he could face anything—even the shadows of Gotham’s past.