Chapter Text
It really felt like the world wasn't just yet done screwing him over.
Because not even 3 min after that whole fiasco, he realized that they needed a place to converse with Elena.
That was the first thing he thought of before he created a group chat.
The second thing was that he was probably making a mistake.
The third thing was that it was too late to fix it.
The group name alone had taken five minutes.
Mostly as the first person to come online Harley kept changing it.
Jason's Fashion Emergency
Deleted.
Red Hood's Runway Redemption
Deleted immediately.
Operation Make The Murder Guy Beautiful
Jason stared at that one for a full ten seconds.
Then deleted it.
Finally, he settled on something simple.
Training
Harley immediately changed it.
Training ✨
Jason changed it back.
Harley changed it again.
Selina
Jason felt the urge to delete the chat.
The messages started almost immediately and worst of all Successively.
Selina
Did Elena tell you the theme of the comp
Talia
I need the competition rules and event location
Harley
I need to know if we're doing dramatic entrance or mysterious entrance
Jason stared.
Jason
Neither.
Harley
Wrong answer
Jason
I really regret everything.
Selina
Too late
Jason looked at the screen.
That was the problem with asking people for help.
They helped.
And then they stayed.
He sent Elena a message.
He typed and deleted before settling on what to call these dignity muncher, that were his mom /aunts " emotionally chaotic support."
Jason
I made a group-chat with some of my mentor i guess.
Could i add you
He went to type another message,
You can reply when you---
but stopped when he saw her number come back online
Almost immediately, she responded.
Elena
Yes please
Jason
Did you not sleep?
Elena
Hard to, when you have to redesign all of the outfits
Jason frowned.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard before he typed.
Jason
Why?
The three little dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Each second stretched tighter than the last.
Finally—
Elena
"The theme of the competition final is "Life
Jason blinked.
Life?
He wasn't sure why that word alone made his stomach twist.
Another message came before he could ask the meaning.
Elena
But not the designer's life
The model's
His heart skipped.
No...
Not
Maybe he misread
He looked at the message again
Nothing changed
She kept typing.
Elena
Each outfit has to represent a different period of the model's life. Childhood. Adolescence. Turning points. Losses. Dreams. The collection has to tell their story without words
His head went silent.
His phone almost slipped from his numb fingers.
It felt as though every breath had been ripped out of his chest, leaving nothing but ice where his lungs should have been.
His pulse thundered in his ears.
No.
This couldn't be happening.
He'd spend all these hours preparing himself for problems.
Maybe she wouldn't have fabric.
Maybe the designs wouldn't fit.
Maybe they'd have to stay up for days fixing seams or starting over.
He'd accepted all of that.
But this...
His life?
His vision blurred.
He saw flashes before his eyes.
A tiny apartment.
His mother's overdose.
Her vomit on the floor.
His father's fists.
The streets.
Bruce.
Robin.
The warehouse.
The crowbar.
The explosion.
Darkness.
The coffin.
The Pit.
The blood.
The rage.
The scars.
How do you turn that into fashion?
How do you sew abandonment into silk?
How do you stitch death into velvet?
How do you drape resurrection over a mannequin?
His hands began to shake.
He forced his thumbs to move.
Jason
It'll be based on... me?
The reply came almost instantly.
As if Elena hadn't realized what she'd just asked of him.
Elena
Yes.
Which means I have to redesign everything from the beginning.
Everything.
Because of him.
Jason stared at the message until the letters blurred.
No.
No.
No.
God, no.
His life wasn't inspiring.
It wasn't beautiful.
It wasn't something you displayed under bright lights while people applauded.
It was ugly.
Bloody.
Broken.
It was every nightmare he'd spent years trying to bury.
If Elena knew...
If she saw it all...
Would she still look at him the same way?
Or would she finally understand why Red hood always hid behind leather jackets, sarcasm, and anger?
His thumb drifted over the keyboard.
One message.
That's all it would take.
Find another model.
He could disappear before this ever started.
Protect her.
Protect himself.
Lock every memory back where it belonged.
Another massage came in
Elena
I know this is a lot to ask and I'm sorry
If it's too much I can just plead with the organizator to use the outfits I made for Liam ,given how hard it would be to design new outfits in such short time .
His finger hovered over the send button.
Hesitation, doubt and guilt spread across his body.
He could agree.
Just send a text.
Say yes.
But he couldn't.
Elena
Red hood?
Because of those green eyes that reminded him of her
and
Because for the first time in a long time, he'd made a promise.
One that didn't involve crime or death
And for the second time in a long time...
His heart told him that breaking it would probably hurt even more than reliving his past.
So he took a deep breath.
And typed
Jason
My life is not pretty or moving…
And then
You may even come to fear or despise me
Elena
I know
Elena
Maybe not your story but everyone in Gotham is a little broken. Even me
You saved me hood, are going along with my wishes without even asking once for something
so in my book you may not be a hero but you ain't a villain either
Jay delete and typed again and again feelings hit him square in the chest.
In the end he just send
Meet me at the location at 8 am
Im adding you in the chat
Elena
Ok
Exiting the conversation he realized he had spent almost fifteen min texting with Elena
But the group chat was surprisingly quiet
Buthe didn't linger, better to deal with this today since his feelings were already overwhelming him.
Elena has been added to the [ Training ✨] by Jason
Elena
Hello, I'm Elena. Nice to meet you
Harley
Hi, pumpkin! I'm Harley
Selina
Selina. It's nice to meet you
Talia
Greetings. Talia
Jason stared at the screen with mixed feelings.
Four introductions.
Four completely different personalities.
One sounded like a fashion designer. One sounded like she was five seconds away from adopting him or causing property damage. One sounded like she had never wasted a word in her life. And Talia...
Well, Talia sounded exactly like someone who would casually announce a plan to conquer a country before breakfast.
Selina
So, you're the munchkin who got Jay-Jay in a twist
Jason stopped typing.
Jason
I hate that nickname.
And not true
Harley
Aww, too late, pudding'. It's already cute
Jason
It's really not.
Selina
It is a little funny
Jason
Traitor.
Selina
I wasn't aware we had loyalty agreements
Jason
We don't.
Selina
Exactly
Jason sighed.
He had somehow joined a competition group chat and was already losing arguments.
Talia
Elena do not pay them attention@
Can you send all the information you have for the competition?
Elena
Yes, this is all the competition information and requirements I have
A few seconds later, several files appeared.
Jason opened the first one.
Then the second.
Then the third.
He stopped.
Because apparently there were entire documents dedicated to clothing.
Not just "make an outfit."
No.
There were requirements.
Fabric specifications.
Design notes.
Color psychology.
Material restrictions.
He looked at the screen.
Then at the room.
Then back at the screen.
This was somehow a lot more intense than he expected.
Jason
This is a lot.
Elena responded almost immediately.
Elena
...I know
Sorry
Jason frowned.
Why was she apologizing?
She had literally done exactly what Talia asked.
Jason
No need to apologize.
There was a pause.
Elena
👍
Selina
How cute you two are
Another file appeared. Form Elena.
Jason opened it.
His eyebrows slowly rose.
Jason
...What is this?
Elena
The model requirements.
Jason
The model requirements have requirements?
Harley
Welcome to fashion, Jaybird!
Jason
I despise that sentence.
Harley
You'll get used to it
Jason
I really hope I won't.
He scrolled.
Social media accounts.
Jason stared.
Jason
Why does my outfit competition need my social media?
Elena
Because since the competition is for student, the models also are students or beginner model. The theme is about life, not just clothing
Jason paused.
That actually made sense.
He hated that it made sense.
Selina
Translation: They want to know if you're a person or just a mannequin wearing expensive fabric
Jason
I feel personally attacked.
Selina
You should
Jason
Wow.
Talia
It is true. You have the emotional expression of a locked door
Jason
I have emotions.
Harley
Sure you do, pudding'. They're just hiding behind seven layers of sarcasm
Jason looked at the messages.
He didn't know whether to be offended or impressed that everyone seemed to know him already.
Elena
Don't worry. I'm sure we could work on it.
Jason
Work on what?
Elena
Your public image
Jason
What public image?
I'm a crime Lord and vigilante
My public image is nonexistent.
Harley
False
Your the Mysterious angry guy who looks like he fights furniture for fun
Jason
I don't fight furniture.
Talia
You broke a chair last week
Jason
The chair was weak.
And how do you even know???
A moment of silence.
Harley
I like her
Elena
Is this normal???
Selina
@Elena That's putting it mildly.
Jason
@Elena do no listen to her it's def not normal and very weird
Jason looked at the chat.
Somehow, in less than ten minutes, he had gone from asking for help to being roasted by almost all of them.
If this is a nightmare someone slap me awake
The conversation continued.
Selina
I can arrive tomorrow afternoon
Harley
Same
Talia
I will arrive tomorrow morning
Jason raised an eyebrow.
Jason
You already planned that?
Talia
Yes
Jason
When?
A few seconds passed.
Talia
It is not important
Jason stared.
Of course.
With Talia, everything was either classified or concerning.
Usually both.
Selina
We'll meet at your safe-house
Jason immediately replied.
Jason
No.
Three dots appeared.
Selina
Jason
Jason
It's my safe-house.
Elena
Harley
Exactly. That's where the emergency fashion meeting happens
Jason
I hate this sentence.
Harley
You love this sentence
Jason
I absolutely do not.
Talia
The location is practical
Jason paused.
Even Talia agreed.
That was concerning.
Jason
Fine.
I'll meet with Elena for breakfast at 8 and meet with Tal at 10
Then we have the meeting at 7pm
Harley
Works for me
Elena
Me too
Selina
👍
Talia
Very well
And so after having drained his social and emotional battery he looked at hopefully the last time today his phone screen
7:26 am - March 12th 201
He left his phone on the table before walking toward his room and validly passing out on his bed
And maybe because of how exhausted he was he didn't have any nightmare or dream.
Progress ?