alnifolia | ( open ) a heart full of fire, looking at a fighter

Entry tags:

*open,
c: hana song

( open ) a heart full of fire, looking at a fighter

( open post for d.va 🌸 leave prompts, blank toplevels, anything )

( The Red Hood's kept a bit too busy cleaning up the streets of Gotham... but what's a man to do when his entire life's been upended - and was once, in fact, straight up ended by the Joker? With far too many burnt bridges to speak of, any notion of a regular life, of returning to anything resembling the support system he once had at Wayne Manor, Jason's devoted much of his energies to being a one-man reign of terror. It's become hard to navigate Gotham's criminal underworld without the mere mention of the Red Hood, his presence haunting the periphery of every interaction. Fearing Batman is already one thing, but to fear the guaranteed lethality of Red Hood's methods is something else entirely. Who can prepare for a force that'll escalate to meet every challenge, take an eye for an eye where the Batman won't?

It's this kind of fear that governs criminals' movements these days. In Gotham, it's a no-brainer. But elsewhere... the first sign of the Red Hood in town is like a warning for all criminals to seek shelter. Weapons deals, human trafficking, the peddling of drugs to minors-- anything caught in the Red Hood's radar ends in blood. It only became a matter of time, then, before he crossed paths with the likes of Talon: terrorists who sought his talents, but were swiftly rejected by him... as he then sent their messengers back to them in body bags. This rigid commitment to his moral code, despite his many infamous methods, leads many more to seek him out. Hopeful, perhaps, to curry his favor. Unfortunately, his ways were never going to endear him to the likes of Overwatch. What it took, instead, was an investigation that led him to Korea.

That led him to fight the Gwishin.

Jason never felt so close to death a second time, but he can thank the skills of one Hana Song for averting it entirely. This put him, a crime lord, in Overwatch's debt. In practically joining them when it became clear an alliance was beneficial, and that having the Red Hood around - an established enemy of Talon - was a way of watching his movements, too. He's well aware of this, even now... after all of the times he's collaborated with Hana, the missions they breezed through and the missions they narrowly escaped. An unmistakable connection, forged in fire, leaves both of them at each other's beck and all - even when worlds away.

Which is why, as soon as he learns that Overwatch took a colossal hit, Jason stops everything. Grabs the phone before he can even step out of one of his safehouses. Overwatch personnel, he recalls, barely survived a three-way skirmish with Talon and the Gwishin, with Overwatch tech and resources now in desperate need of repairs. After learning this, Jason knew what Hana needed. And now, Jason knows the kind of catharsis she'll want. Stars seem to align, then, for Jason to already have a specific gang in his crosshairs: bikers with high-end weapons, no doubt smuggled Apokoliptan tech from the world of Darkseid, wreaking havoc in Gotham's streets. )

Heard about what happened.

Seems your mech's gonna be in the shop for a while.

Can't promise you a good pep talk, but I might have something better.

[ Hana doesn't need pep talks. She's well aware of the risks she takes every day, as well as the fragility of everything she works so hard to protect ever since becoming the golden girl of Busan, of the country. Nothing has made that even more clear, as of late, than their last encounter with the Gwishin, made all the more treacherous by Talon's interference and apparent collusion with the forces that would see to the Gwishin's victory.

What she needs is for resources to come through and for repairs to go faster— the sooner it all gets done, the sooner she can get back out to the front lines and deliver unto Talon what's due. The aforementioned skirmish, after all, has left parts of Busan damaged, and for that Hana will not forgive them. She's learned by now, though, that - between both MEKA and Overwatch insisting that she take the time to properly recuperate - she can't always have her way.

Besides, Dae-hyun has the pep talk department on lock. He always has, ever since they were kids, although lately his pep talks have been more scolding than anything else.

Jason's messages coming through are a welcome reprieve from a whole lot of nothing, at least, and Hana finds herself grateful for even a momentary distraction from trying to work on her mech when there's actually nothing she can do for it at the moment. She wants to tease him for not even bothering to ask if she's okay— but after some thought, she actually rather appreciates that he doesn't. Maybe he figures that it's pointless to ask when she'd obviously not be okay. ]

I've already had like 8 pep talks just today

so whatever it is you've got, I'll take it

[ And Hana would be right. Jason does think asking is pointless, even scoffing at the idea as he deliberates his subsequent texts. ]

I'm only a Zeta-Tube away.

[ He sure loves neglecting to elaborate, because that's the most he says. Figures the mere promise is enough, based on past experience. He remembers his own need for catharsis, for overcoming the frustrations of failure and loss... the impatience to redeem oneself from defeat. And while defeat is something he's not too acquainted with as the Red Hood, it definitely marked the end of his career as Robin. Without first channeling his bitterness over that, Jason wouldn't be where he is today: a scourge to Gotham's criminal underworld, a recipient of an uneasy alliance with Overwatch, who would prefer not to have him as an enemy. Rejecting Talon's invitation very publicly had a way of making Jason's morals known.

Known to the point that even Batman eventually backed off, though that demanded another tense agreement. Where the Red Hood stands now, Jason can thank Talon for. All that free press demonstrating the need for a figure like him - especially with the rising tide of global threats - eventually took him on a collision course to Hana.

Nothing has been the same since. ]

You have my coordinates.

[ A Zeta-Tube from any MEKA facility or Dae-Hyun's workshop should do. Jason's coordinates lead to the garage sublevel of a building where his safe house belongs. ]

see ya soon

[ Hana has learned by now not to expect details from Jason. It's part of his whole thing, and she's learned to appreciate the mystery and vagueness for what it is: something unexpected in her life, a change of pace when it's normally so structured and rigid, sometimes suffocatingly so.

It's refreshing, and speaks to the unlikely connection that the two of them have made over their time working together. She's never once felt the need to uphold her 'D.Va' facade with Jason— due in no small part to the fact that it didn't take much time at all for her to realize that he would have seen right past it, anyway. There's no need for her to be bubbly, or people-pleasing, or even strong - and she really appreciates that about him.

Whether she's entirely aware of it or not is another matter.

Still, she has to be careful whenever she leaves HQ or really go anywhere, especially so if she's going to meet mystery man Jason Todd. It's both rather telling and a small blessing that it's easy avoid detection by the general populace if she's dressed down and out of uniform, lacking her usual face paint, so she arrives at Jason's safehouse in civvies and with her hair pulled up into a cap. ]

...Oh, nice. From one garage to another! You really know how to pamper a lady.

[ Jason's relieved to read such a concise reply, no questions asked. People like Bruce and Dick usually demand explanations from him. Justification. There's simply not enough trust despite the effectiveness of his methods, the certitude of his convictions. But he's aware, to some extent, of what he means to Hana. Sometimes, being around Jason equals being away from the pressures of Overwatch and MEKA-- from the pressures, that is, of the constant spotlight that hangs over Hana's every duty. She has a responsibility to her people, of course, and a responsibility to this imperiled world. But it's never D.Va that Jason asks for, that Jason goes out of his way to ever see.

It's Hana.

Maybe there's something to that, too. That any talk of games, or streaming, or epic pwnages go out the window around Jason, who's been far too dead to form new hobbies. There's no pretext of stardom, of a tenuous parasocial connection, that led to their current attachment. It was watching the other nearly die by the hands of a Talon operative, a rogue omnic, or some supervillain... and stopping it every time. Saving each other and learning to carve a space in the world for themselves.

And that, now, is where Hana returns. Not literally, though. His garage is not that place. ]

Figured this was better than public parking.

[ He doesn't make a big fuss about this fancy facility, already outfitted in his Red Hood gear, helmet and all. Beside him is his motorcycle, engine not yet started, but it's evidently one of many. In a vast parking structure to rival the Batcave's, Jason keeps a stable repertoire of vehicles at his disposal, far too many of which are fancy bikes. You never know when you might have to ram a motorcycle into a big strong supervillain and set it to self-destruct, after all.

Hopefully that doesn't become a worry tonight, considering Jason's quarry. ]

Here's the deal. Got a biker gang wreaking havoc on the city streets with alien tech. Apokoliptan tech. Worst of all, they're just tearing through the poorest areas. They know the cops don't care.

My sources claim these lowlifes have started organizing street races, and plan another tonight. In the next half hour.

No one needs to know you're D.Va. They just need to know the feeling of your light gun when you shoot them off their bikes.

[ As he speaks, he proffers an extra helmet in his hand. It sports a featureless black design, something to - once again - leave Hana nondescript. ]

[ Well, it's a good thing Hana came armed with the aforementioned light gun. She tries to keep it on her in the event of an emergency, anyway, but she would be lying if she said it felt especially appropriate to bring a 'just-in-case' gun when meeting with Jason.

On that note, however, she holds up her light gun in all the glory of its pink and branded custom appearance, turning it over as she hums thoughtfully. ]

I could probably pass this off as black market D.Va merch, right?

[ She gives him a lopsided grin before holstering the weapon at her hip once more. Then she takes the helmet from Jason, although she doesn't put it on just yet. First, she's got to inspect their ride for the evening, and to that end she circles around the motorcycle - and catches a glimpse of the rest of the motorcycles in the process. ]

Why am I not surprised that you've had these all this time without ever telling me? Come on, Jason. Promise me we'll take these out sometime - maybe even without the crimefighting part. Though I do like that, too.

Resell it in a matte black shell. Bound to drive some niche hobbyists wild.

[ He's not the most literate in all things gaming, but even Jason knows that newfangled PS6 is butt-ugly and third parties have been selling expensive makeovers of it. ]

Ha. Never considered all this to be vital information.

[ It's while answering that he grins back at her facetiously, conspicuously not promising to stop withholding more knowledge from her. He's had a lot of time since coming back to life to craft this more mysterious persona, and he's not slacking on that front just because Hana's cute. Then again... that seems to be the reason he's doubling down instead. Preserving, however futile it may be in the long run, this air of mystery. Of a danger made clear by Overwatch's own tense alliance with him. But maybe the way that Jason unsettles the structures of Hana's own life - the routines, the protocols, the bureaucracy - is part of his charm... if it can be called that. ]

I'm trying to multitask here, you know. Joyrides tend to be more fun with some asskicking on the side.

But I'm not opposed to scoping Gotham for some boba.

[ After speaking he revs up the engine of his bike, an implicit invitation for Hana to climb aboard. ]

Or, hell. Arcades. See if you can beat my high score on Dance Dance Revolution.

[ Too bad he's lying. ]

[ She gives an amused scoff in response, not because she thinks the idea of her light gun reskinned in a matte black appearance is ridiculous, but because it's absolutely already something that exists somewhere out there, she's sure.

In any case, she isn't one to turn down a night of thrills, especially one that's off-the-books and detached from anything that even remotely resembles the pomp and circumstance that her work as D.Va entails. She shoots Jason one last amused look before she zips her jacket up and puts the helmet on, mentally making a note of all the suggestions he's making because she's definitely going to hold him to his words. More joyrides, boba, arcades— why should she be made to choose when they could most simply do all of those things. ]

That's why I like you, Red Hood. You're just full of great ideas.

[ She says it playfully as she's swinging her leg over the bike, situating herself behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. You know, for safety. ]

Alright, let's do this!

Of all the people I know who's ever said that...

[ He grips the handlebars and revs the engine a bit. ]

You'd be the first.

[ He waits, of course, for Hana to sit astride the bike as well. Thank god his expression remains concealed within his helmet, because his chest and stomach tighten as soon as Hana secures a grip around his waist. There's, indeed, the ostensible benefits of safety at play here, but it sure as hell feels like she's already holding on for dear life. Jason, of course, knows better than to believe what his stupid brain his telling him, filling him with these unwarranted expectations. Better, instead, to focus on the mission at hand. Because that sure as hell is all Hana's here for.

Right?

Never mind. Jason's drowning out this train of thought with the obscene roar of his engine, the bike quickly accelerating through the opened garage door. As soon as the motorcycle's wheels hit the road, Jason starts speeding through the streets, relying on Hana to maintain her grip as he swerves between openings in all the traffic. Sometimes, he barely misses a car that's switching lanes. Other times, he overtakes just inches past a vehicle only slightly slower than him. But this is how he takes the fullest advantage of a motorcycle's smaller size, the greater mobility it affords, while navigating the roads of Gotham City.

This is hardly anything that Hana, with her own expertise in piloting a MEKA, shouldn't be used to. Hell, she might even be getting a kick out of it. ]

You know I'll have to go even faster if the cops come after us.

[ She probably won't be surprised to learn there are comms between their two helmets. His voice does seem to come out of nowhere, at first. ]

Doing okay back there?

[ Jason Todd is lucky that Hana is a number of things: she's the best MEKA pilot the Korean Army has ever seen and likely will ever have, she's a hoverbike enthusiast, and most importantly of all, perhaps, she's someone that lives for moments like this. Moments where she can forget about the frailty of life and the responsibilities resting upon her shoulders, where she can simply be present. Her superiors in both MEKA and Overwatch have historically called this "being reckless," but she begs to differ time and time again. Reckless would be if she acted without regard for the effects of what she does, or if she didn't understand the risks involved. On the contrary, Hana is always keenly aware of the consequences of each and every one of her actions, and she understands the risks— and thusly, why she has to take them, anyway.

All this to say— she's doing more than okay back here, and he's right to think that she's getting a kick out of it. She leans with every quick turn he makes and each sway of the motorcycle is extended through her body being in a perfect line with it. And with Jason's, too, as she dutifully keeps her grip around him tighter than one might expect.

Her laugh carries through on their comms in response to his question. ]

Are you kidding me? This? This is slow, Red Hood. Is that all you've got?

[ Oh, he likes her moxie. Helps that as soon as she asks, he starts to pick up speed, weaving the two of them through yet more traffic. Narrowly, he dodges every approaching vehicle, leaving a long trail of drivers to eat their dust... honking distantly as they do from well behind Jason and Hana. Wherever traffic starts to congest along Jason's route, he always seems to have a solution for it, cheating by driving over empty sidewalks or - hell - getting some altitude by driving up loading ramps. It's from the adrenaline of sticking the landing after his umpteenth ramp that Jason even pops a wheelie, fully confident not only in his own control but in the security of Hana's embrace, her own ability to follow the ebbs and flows of the bike's momentum. Jason might be the one driving the thing, but Hana sure rides it like she's the pilot.

That impresses him. How many people has he had to rescue who've held on for dear life, not mindful of how unstable a bike can be? It's a refreshing change to up the ante a bit without hesitation. Without fear. That, after all, is the least he can expect from a peer. A fellow soldier, equally deemed "reckless." It's this frustration with pigeonholing, all the ways he's been pressured to limit himself and the ways he fights crime, that lead to outbursts such as this. Bursts, specifically, of speed. ]

That enough for you, Hana? There's still more where that came from.

[ It's one of the last things he says before, finally, they enter a tunnel, bike speeding them through it till they reach a sector of Gotham's slums. Till the surrounding architecture loses the opulent luster of the rest of the city, disparities of wealth making themselves known the further he and Hana venture down the same road. By necessity, Jason slows down, nearing their destination. Broader city streets narrow, the two of them soon surrounded by featureless industrial buildings. Warehouses, too. It's after passing enough such places - dark and derelict, if not abandoned - that they finally drive up to where other street racers have converged: a road filled from end to end with would-be competitors and their bikes. Each racer and their vehicles were decked out with glowing technological accoutrements-- not just cyberpunk fashion statements, but also cybernetic weapons. Alien tech from Apokolips, notorious home of Darkseid. The modifications to their own bodies to show they mean business... on and off the road. ]

Alright. We're here.

We just need to wait at the starting line. They know who I am.

[ Even if they don't know who she is. More accurately, they can't really tell. That doesn't stop some of them from jeering, from wondering why the notorious Red Hood's bothered to bring a new 'honey' to these parts. With no discernible expression from the surface of his helmet, he only glares back at his competitors in this race, offering them no word. Not even a quip. These are people whose operations he's going to disrupt very shortly. They're not even worth his time as an audience. ]

You guys got my text, right?

If I win, I get a piece of your territory. If you win, you get a piece of mine.

[ But... he's lying. Despite clearly having labored to establish enough good will with these people, such that they felt comfortable enough to tease him. Clearly, they sought an alliance with a big bike enthusiast. A crime lord who seemed to share their aesthetic sensibilities, given the ways his own costume glows.

Because he's not here to win the competition.

He's here to eliminate it. ]

[ Now that's more like it. Although he can't see the way her lips have curled into a lopsided smirk, helmeted and positioned as they are, it carries in the tone of her voice when she answers, ]

Hell yeah.

[ It's this silent, mutual understanding that they both need this kind of outlet, this kind of release, that has always drawn them together. They may have differences in a few other things, but at the end of the day it's this way of being unafraid to take risks and willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done that Hana frankly finds quite attractive about Jason.

It helps that he's easy on the eyes too, of course.

Hana loosens her grip around him as they begin to slow down, ultimately letting go and sitting up straight when they get to the starting line. She's entirely unbothered by the reactions to her presence, knowing that they're likely just trying to get under Red Hood's skin, although she would be mistaken to say that she doesn't enjoy the fact that he's getting teased about her, especially when they don't even know who it is beneath the helmet.

Truth to tell, she doesn't pay much attention to the exchanges happening between him and the others present. She's merely here for a fun ride and to let some frustrations loose by way of vigilantism. She pays enough attention, at least, to know who she's supposed to be aiming her gun at eventually, which is made easier by the fact that the answer seems to be "literally anyone else here."

The way that Jason's costume glows, however, does catch her attention, if only because she finds it amusing that the Bats always have a way of being flashy even when they supposedly operate in the shadows. Jason, at least, is the least concerned with this, and she appreciates that about him. It makes having fast, fancy vehicles make a little more sense. For now, she'll keep her amusement to herself and wait for things to get started, although she's unable to hold back a quiet chuckle. ]

[ Jason doesn't need a detective's powers of observation to hear the smile in her words. He can only smile back silently at the note of approval, before gritting his teeth in a bit of confusion. Finding himself, somehow, invested in her approval at all. Could it be he's out to impress Hana, one way or another? That half the fun of this mission in particular, is the hope he puts a good showing in front of her? Because he always could've invited her to something lower stakes. Something less demanding of Jason's particular skillset... and hers. But this is his way of truly discerning the magnetism between them. The way they constantly seek a specific escape in each other. What more could both of these things be, and what is he investing in this? Curiosity? Hope?

When he scoffs at all these thoughts, it happens to be after the provocations of the other bikers. Convenient. Sounds like a transition to him hurling profanities and insults right back at them, in some kind of shallow ritual of masculine bravado. Something neither he nor Hana particularly care for, despite the understanding that this is the world he's navigating. The world he's trying to undermine every day. He'll get his chance to do more of that when another gang member, from a sidewalk, calls the countdown with a megaphone. The unspoken expectation now being for all vehicles to line up on the starting line, crudely etched on the pavement with glow-in-the-dark chalk. With the tech of this age, it manages to cast as vivid a neon glow as the bikers' accoutrements. ]

Doubt you need reminding.

I'll just say that two miles in... you work your magic. We're painting the town red tonight.

[ Get it? Like his Hood? He's glad he doesn't say that part out loud.

There won't be a chance to, anyway, when the announcer cries "GO!" The second that happens, the other bikers are already eating Jason and Hana's dust, as the two blaze through the route. He needs to put on a convincing show, first, that he's interested in winning this race. For Jason to be invited here at all, he was also given a destination to study beforehand: a set of idea of a "track" consisting of specific streets across Gotham. It's transposed, now, onto a navigation readout in his helmet's lenses.

Just as these groups wanna be in the Red Hood's good graces, then... maybe this is their way of testing him, too. Does he live up to his reputation, at least enough to contribute to a mutually-beneficial partnership?

Too bad Jason's interested in something entirely one-sided. ]

[ More and more, as of late, Hana finds herself leaning into most anything just as she leans with every swerve and movement of her mech when she's piloting it. Just as she's leaned into the motions of Jason and his motorcycle. Everything else about her life is regimented, planned, and decided for her, and so she takes any chance to simply go with the flow whenever she can. Jason, she finds, affords her more of these sorts of moments than most anyone else, but she doesn't expect anything out of him in return. She's not so oblivious to think that there isn't any sort of attraction between them - if neither of them were to act on that attraction, then that's simply how it needs to be. They're both adults with responsibilities and the But if he were to lean in— she would, too.

Though speaking of leaning in, she wraps her arms around Jason once more, pressing herself to him when the announcer begins their countdown. She merely gives an affirmative hum to his reminder. Right now, she only needs to look like some woman who's along for a joyride - which, she is, but she doesn't need to have her hand poised on her light gun just yet. Not for another two miles, as per his instruction, except... ]

What's that in metric?

[ Just kidding. She can convert between measuring systems easily by now. Occasional forays New Mexico with Overwatch, among other places, has demanded that of her.

In any case, her grip around him tightens as the race begins, unfazed by the rapid acceleration Jason puts them through. It won't take long, at this speed, to reach the point at which she needs to start picking people off. ]

Alright, let's do this.

[ She pulls an arm away to reach into her jacket and pull out her light gun, then moves her other arm to grab ahold of Jason's shoulder to give herself a little more room to maneuver. She twists around and gives the closest racer on their trail a little wave with her armed gun before she points it at them and shoots. She's not shooting to kill, necessarily, but she's shooting with the intention to them dismount them from their vehicles and if things go wrong for them in the process, at the speeds
they're all going, well, that's that. ]

[ Jason's life was one that could go from being super busy to just days of reading and working out. It had been weeks since Roy, Tim, Jon and Ed had all vanished one after another. All that was left was Damian. The two were still prickly as pears but they had made their lives work in the city.

Damian still berating Todd for suggesting that Hana go after Shiro. He had figured it out and called Jason out on one of those nights before Hana had parked her mech behind the Mustang and called Jason out on avoiding him. So, Jason had to find ways to keep Damian from telling Hana the truth as he still didn't want that known.

Connections were liabilities and one Jason Todd had terrible luck when it came to relationships. At least he hadn't had a girlfriend fridged yet, but who knew in this place. He had spent a week or so up in the mountains helping helping Bucky with guard duty. Figuring that Damian was at school he made to one of the local dives to get a burger, and sent Hana a message asking her what she had been up too. ]

[ And Hana, yet unaware that there was anything more between herself and Jason than friendship and a mutual attraction that they had once, twice acted upon in boredom (at least as far as she was concerned), readily responded - saying that she would rather catch up in person and to stay right where he was. She was off-duty that day, and had otherwise been stationed to protect the quarantine within the walls.

That, and she missed Jason for the week that he was gone. He was her best friend, after all, and just because she was dating somebody else didn't mean that she no longer had time for him. That much, at least, she tried to get through his thick skull after she confronted him about avoiding her.

It didn't take very long for her to pull up to the dive bar he'd gone to in the hoverbike she had been working on. After it was situated, she entered the bar with a presence as commanding as always and soon enough she was seated next to Jason and telling the bartender: ]

I'll have whatever he's having!

[ before she turned to glance at him with a smirk. ]

So, you survived another week out in the mountains, huh?

[ Jason had no regrets.. okay some regrets over that night. Having the flu hadn't been the best time to sleep with one of his best friends. This was all par to course for his life choices. After all, there was a reason Damian's ringtone was Stacy's mom.

She had gotten back an 'aye aye Captian Hana' And his location sent to her as he ordered an oreo shake, a large fry and a double cheeseburger with bacon and far too much cheese to be healthy. He grinned for Hana, that classic playboy grin he used to give her when she spoke up and sat next to him.

Her calling him out and not putting up with his shit was the best thing she could do for them both. Jason needed to be smacked in the back of the head sometimes to get out of his own funks. ]

Same thing, huh?

[ His tone playful as he leaned closer and bumped her shoulder with his.]

Yeah, it's pretty nice up there. Creatures and all aside. How were thing's here?

[ To be fair to Jason, at least part of the responsibility of that night rested upon Hana as well. Maybe fooling around with your best friend while he was sick wasn't the smartest idea, no, but— she was a nineteen-year-old pilot who no longer had the fate of her country and her world resting upon her shoulders all of a sudden. As far as she was concerned, that lapse in judgment was harmless.

(Harmless, of course, except for the fact that these two not only caught the flu, but caught feelings?)

All of that aside, though, she was happy to be able to banter and talk with him like this again. All that time he had spent avoiding her really did bother her, and though she still didn't understand the full depth of why he did what he did... he was talking to her again, and that was the most important outcome.

So he earned a quick shrug of her shoulders for pointing out that she'd copied his order just as he bumped shoulders with her. And then she locked her eyes onto his as she reached over and stole a fry from him in plain view. ]

Same stuff as usual. Patrols, working on projects, hanging out with Shiro, all of that stuff. Oh, though I'm kind of thinking about moving out to my own place soon.

[ She quirked an eyebrow at him. ]

Unless... you got room in that big mansion of yours?

[ It was probably never a good idea to sleep with your best friend, or your brothers exes... or your fathers exes... Jason had a laundry list of bad choices he had made when it came to sleeping with people. But, Hana he didn't regret. And her confronting him had saved their friendship so to him that's all that mattered.

Most others walk away when he runs cold and don't come back. Hana came back and for that she was worth the ache in his heart.

He chuckled when she shrugged and stole his fry.]

Now that's just cruel, you cant steal a man's fries when hes been out fighting monsters.

[ Looking amused as she explained life as it had been while he and Bucky had been gone.] Sounds like a good time to me. And how is the Dreamboat?

[ Yes, he just called Shiro a dreamboat. He's seen those shoulders. He and Loki had talked about Shiro before. ]

Yeah, always. [ He said without hesitation. Classic Red Hood, shot first question later.] If you don't mind Damian, that is.

[ There were more rooms than the two needed, he could avoid her on bad nights. He didn't even have any worries there as she already knew their identities.]

[ Jason merely got a look from Hana that, in turn, spelled watch me as she reached over and stole yet another fry, making sure that he watched her eat it even knowing that he wasn't truly annoyed. Later, when her fries would get there, she would let him steal some from her, too.

But she sighed at the mention of the 'Dreamboat,' knowing full well who he was referring to. Hana and Shiro were still very much in that rosy honeymoon period of being in a fresh, new relationship, and she smiled as she rested her cheek on her hand, her elbow propped up on the counter. ]

The Dreamboat is dreamy.

[ Because, yeah. Jason had seen Shiro's shoulders, right? And his arms? And chest? What about his legs? But even apart from how Shiro looked... ]

He's just so sweet, Jay. I've never been with someone so nice before.

[ He was so nice, in fact, that sometimes she didn't know what to do or how to respond. ]

Anyway, this mansion idea... What, you think I can't handle Damian? Please. I led a mech squad full of kids like him.

[ He couldn't even be mad about it, just shaking his head. He already planned to steal some of her fries as vengeance. Vengeance he would claim was his middle name. It definitely wasn't Peter. Vengeance sounded cooler.

Even if it hurt he kept that grin it place and knocked her shoulder again. He was a bat he was good at hiding his feelings when he tried. He would rather stay her best friend than lose her all together as he nearly let happen, before she stepped in and stopped it anyway. ]

Yeah? Good. I didn't wanna go threaten a nice guy like that. You deserved that kinda nice, Hana. I'm glad to hear it.

[ He knew she could handle herself, but truth be told he'd do the same when Damian got a date, and his brother was raised by the league of assassins.

Plus all of Shiro was nice to look at.]

Oh I know you can. Let's be real, Damian would call me a fool and demand you bring your dog. That's probably it. There are rooms people outside the family aren't allowed in, but we can cross that bridge later.

[ He had better hope she would never find out that his middle name was Peter. He would never hear the end of it.

She looked a bit skeptical at his threatening to give Shiro a shovel talk. As far as she knew, it wasn't necessary. If something ever went down between the two of them, Hana was confident that they could resolve it without anyone having to step in, despite her relatively inexperience with serious relationships. It spoke to the kind of trust she placed in Shiro. Ultimately, though, she realized that what Jason said comes from a place of genuine happiness and an earnest desire to see his friend happy, and so her expression softens into a little smile. ]

All I need to do is bring Pacchan? You're making this too easy for me.

[ She chuckles, but what he says next has her completely intrigued. ]

Wait. What? Are you saying there's secret rooms in your house?

[ He deserved to be dragged at every turn.

He'd do it if she gave the okay. It didn't matter his own feelings, or that he knew Shiro was a fine charming gentlemen. It was the fact of the matter. Hana was liked by the Riverview Bat's she would be protected by them if she said yes. Or if either found out her or Pacchan were having issues. Jason wanted her to be happy. No matter the cost. ]

You should have known. Hell you know I'm easy like Sunday morning.

[ He spoke in a playful sing song. His tone returning to normal as he grinned her way and ate another fry.]

Did you expect less? The world can't know who we are. Plus there's like the rooms just locked by B that no one wants to go into. I can tell you about that some other time.

[ At that, she couldn't help but smile even as she shook her head and rolled her eyes. ]

You're right. How could I forget?

[ Even so, she was really happy to see Jason more or less back to his usual self. It had been difficult to confront him about avoiding her - most of all because he was just so cranky and edgy through all of it. She knew that he would always be a bit edgy, but... it was nice to see this playful side of him again. Even if it came with all the cageyness of a Bat. ]

Okay, sure. But I'm just saying, you can't let me be your roommate and then expect me not to be curious about the secret rooms.

[ She leaned in closer to him and whispered, ]

Is one of them your dad's secret sex room or something? What's the deal?

[ He couldn't help but laugh, they both knew better. It was nice to feel back at ease with Hana. He could finally understand why Bruce deals with Talia and Selina even when they always leave him. It made sense now. And he wouldn't give up on Hana again. He was stubborn if nothing else. ]

Fine, fine, fair point. [ Shaking his head amused as he took a long drink from the milkshake. ]

One's B's parent's one, the other's are just rooms of people who no longer really matter. The sex room is totally no secret.

[ Was he kidding? Yes, but he sounded serious.] But you gotta see the basement.

[ At least Hana knew, now, that if he were to ever even try to give up on their friendship again, that all she had to do was a little bit of good-natured, affectionate bullying. And calling him out on his bullshit. It worked this time, so there was no reason to believe it wouldn't work again. But she trusted that he wouldn't try to pull that on her again, unless something truly dire happened. She was in this for the long haul. He was one of her oldest friends around here, after all.

She was still waiting on her own food to arrive, so rather than wait politely, she took a straw from the dispenser and easily stuck her straw into Jason's milkshake to steal some while he took a long, contemplative drink of it. Hana was, of course, smirking all the while as she committed milkshake crimes and even after she pulled away to answer him. ]

Oh, yeah? Ugh, now that I think about it, though, it's kind of awkward to know your dad just has a sex room around the house, isn't it. Even weirder since he's not even around to use it so it's just kind of there.

[ Then she quirked a brow. ]

What's in the basement?

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Riverview - A month later

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