Work Text:
Red Hood re-aimed, shooting the last armed man coming down his assigned street. He went down instantly, unconscious.
In the next street over, Robin took down man after man, battling with deadly accuracy even after he'd lost his weapon. Three thugs tried to flee through the closest alleyway.
They turned the corner, making it just inside before they were knocked out cold by the butt of the Red Hood’s gun. Some freak had riled up an armed mob, but dangerous as that was, he wasn’t about to kill the poor idiots who’d joined it. Instead, he pulled out some zip ties and glanced back toward Robin’s assigned street.
The boy was visibly panting, surrounded by the limply piled forms of those who’d tried to best him.
“Better get those zip ties out before they regain consciousness, Little Demon.”
“I know. I am only taking a moment to ensure no more are approaching.”
Hood scoffed, finishing up with his guys and standing once more to join his brother. “I think you got—”
A glint of light high above.
The barrel of a—
He was already moving. “Robin, down!”
He lunged, colliding with his brother as a crack split the air, and a sharp—
-------------------------
Red Hood re-aimed, shooting the last armed man coming down his assigned street. He went down instantly, unconscious.
He froze for the briefest moment. “Shit.”
A panting voice came through his comm. “Agent A would not approve of such language, Hood.”
“Robin, come to my position, now.”
“I have five men left.”
Of course the kid couldn’t just listen. No, that would make his life easy and that just wasn’t allowed to happen.
He sprinted into the alleyway and took down the three men for the second time.
Jason was pretty sure he’d told his family about the time loop at some point. Unfortunately, that had probably been during one of the loops that had since been erased. Until this very moment, it had seemed like a nonissue. So what if the day reset every time he died? He always fixed the problem eventually.
Glancing up at the barrel of a sniper rifle now made him wish he’d told somebody sooner.
He bolted toward Damian to tackle him at a different angle this time. Maybe if the brat knew, he’d fucking do what Jason said.
The gun went off.
-------------------------
Red Hood re-aimed, shooting. This time, he didn’t check to see whether his target was even down before he was sprinting into that alleyway again.
“Robin, listen to me! There’s a time loop ongoing. Come to my street now!”
“One moment!”
Three knockout blows.
Running into the open.
“Robin!”
The boy’s attention visibly faltered as he fought the last man, lending the other an opportunity to slash a knife up—
Jason’s roar as he lunged was almost loud enough to drown out the gunshot this time.
-------------------------
Red Hood re-aimed—
Jason spun toward the alleyway with a string of curses. Of course they were already so fucking close to midnight at the start of this loop. He had mere seconds to work with – it wasn’t enough time to deal with this crap.
“Robin, forget the—”
The air was knocked out of him all at once as someone slammed into him from behind. He rolled to escape but only succeeded in facing down the barrel of a semi-automatic at point blank. The man he hadn't shot pressed down the trigger before Jason could react.
-------------------------
Red Hood re-aimed, shooting. He was not about to make that mistake twice.
Instead of running to the alley, he aimed his grapple to the nearest rooftop and took off, dodging across buildings to get around the sniper.
A sudden sting in his thigh evidenced that he had been spotted first. He dropped flat to the ground, drawing a gun even as he shifted toward the roof’s parapet.
Where was that little—
A sharp cry in his comm cut off the thought.
“Robin, status!”
No answer.
“Robin!”
Jason grit his teeth and stood. The next few moments passed in a green blur as he rushed, heedless of the bullets flying his direction, and tackled the sniper at the edge of the roof.
It was only when the man was no longer moving that Jason straightened and took a stumbling step to the side, dizzy.
The world went sideways and the ground rushed up to meet him.
-------------------------
Red Hood—
“DAMIAN! FALL BACK!!”
Head shot on the first man
Three more shots for those in the alleyway
A final shot for Damian’s opponent
Running forward
A sharp—
-------------------------
“Robin, get out of that street now!”
A grunt. A cry of pain.
“Robin!”
“I can’t!”
He cursed and ran, trying to get to his brother quickly enough.
The sniper was quicker.
-------------------------
Jason stood just inside the alley, sticking to the cover it afforded this time.
He aimed for the rooftop, but the sniper was completely out of range for the guns he carried. Meanwhile, the sniper rifle’s barrel shifted almost imperceptably as it re-aimed from Robin to Red Hood.
-------------------------
At the start of this round, he disarmed the first man of his semi-automatic and dashed with it into the alleyway, using it as a blunt weapon to knock out the other three as he went.
He fired almost frantically at the sniper, but only three rounds came out, and none connected.
Game over.
-------------------------
Ninety-five seconds. According to his helmet's display, that was all the time Jason had. He’d streamlined his timing down to ninety eight so far.
Three seconds too slow.
-------------------------
His second shot this time downed the sniper.
Finally.
“Akhi?”
Jason’s vision panned down to the small form lying on the street.
Still too slow.
In a moment, he was by his brother’s side, pressing a gloved hand to his bloody chest, as if there was any hope of saving the boy. “I’m here. You’ll be okay, kid.”
Damian’s mouth pressed into a firm line as he shook his little head.
“Yes, you will be. Listen, listen to me. There’s a time loop. It resets the day when I die. I’ll save you next time.”
“You are injured as well?”
“No, I—”
“Then you may leave.”
“I’m not… I’m not leaving you like this!”
“I don’t mind. Not if it's for you.”
“Shush, it’s okay, it’ll all be okay.” Jason cradled Damian, holding his brother close until his breaths finally ceased. “It will be okay because you will be okay. I will make sure of that, Habibi.”
Jason tapped an activation code into his helmet and let out a breath.
-------------------------
Jason re-aimed.
He would get it right.
He had to.
He could stop this loop at any time and walk away, but it would cost Damian’s life.
Deep breath. He was so, so exhausted.
A sharp pain split his chest.
-------------------------
Given the choice between allowing his brother to die for real and living in an endless time loop, there was no question as to which choice Jason would make.
-------------------------
He had to make the perfect shot first try, but he was so tired.
Missed shot.
A sharp pain cut through—
----------------------
The same choice.
------------------
Holding his lifeless brother close. “I swear I’ll save you. I will save you.”
---------------
Every.
--------------
Re-aim
-----------
Single.
-------
Jason took a breath. Tried again.
----
Time.
--