"HA HE HA HE HA HA!" The Joker squealed with delight as the caped crusader lay, dripping with blood, at his feet. "I WIN. I WIN I WIN I WIN! Sorry Batsy, I've finally topped you. There is nothing you can do to stop me now. The Gotham cathedral will be nothing but dust."

"No," the dark knight croaked. "I will stop you. I will prevail."

"Oh, will you now?" The jokers grin widened flashing his scars to the dark knight. "Too late."

The flat back of the clown prince's crowbar cracked batman's jaw in three spots. Struggling to his feet, the dark knight's wounded body failed and he blacked out.

"In all of the destruction in the city, we all must ask, where is the Batman?"

"Alfred, how is he?" a worried Dick Grayson inquired of the elderly butler.

"He will pull through, but it would be a smidge easier to operate if I didn't have to answer your question every forty five seconds."

"You're the one who called me here, Alfred. And it's really good you did. I had just enough time to clear the cathedral of all the people. At least this time, the joker only destroyed a building. And those can be rebuilt."

The slap of the butler removing his surgery gloves rang through the silent hall. A small smile spread onto Alfred's face. "You have learned much, Master Richard. I think it's time we all took a rest."

"So, he's okay ? "

"He will be Master Richard. He needs his sleep, as we all do."

So soft. It's all so soft, so wonderfully puffy and soft,

His eyes shot open. He stared in disbelief at the fact he was at home. In his bed.

"You had quite a nasty tumble, Master Bruce." Alfred gently noted as he briskly strode into the room.

"Thdggk?"

"Don't try to speak, Master Bruce. I had to set your jaw, and until it heals you shouldn't be flapping it."

The old butler drew up a chair, and the pleasant smile on his face was replaced by a cold dread.

"Bruce. I know how important batman is. I know that the city can't survive without him. But I also know if you keep galavanting around the city like this, you are going to die. And I swore I would protect you. "

The battered billionaire's eyes hardened.

We are not having this discussion again. I am the Batman. The world needs theBatman. Neither of those things will be changing soon.

"I'm not saying you should stop being batman. I know without you, the city would eat itself..."

And.

"…and the Justice League would crumble..."

And.

"And the world would be consumed by some unstoppable threat.

But at this rate, it's all going to happen anyway. One of these times, one of them is going to get lucky, like the Joker did, and instead of letting you live for fun and torture, like he did, they will just kill you.

Ever since Damian died, you have become reckless, with no respect for your mortality. "

A rage sparked in the dark knight's eyes at the mention of his dead son, the last robin.

You. Will stop talking. Now. You will get up and leave. We will never have thisconversation again.

"No. Bruce, this has gone on for far too long. You are going to get yourself killed, and I cannot let that happened. I took the liberty of summoning the family here. Everyone is downstairs. When you are more capable, we will discuss, as a group, the future of the Batman. "

You brought them here.

"Yes, I did. And I would do it again. "

Bruce sat up and removed the guard in his jaw preventing from moving his mouth. He stood, dressed and went downstairs without uttering a single word.

"So, Dick, how's Bludhaven?" asked Gordon

"Somehow, I managed to find a place doing off worse than Gotham. Don't know how, but I did. It's a mess in Bludhaven. Anyway, how's the PD?"

"Tim! It's been a while. I missed you!" Batgirl exclaimed gleefully

"Yeah, it's been way too long. How's it been for you?" Red Robin responded.

"I'm not sure I belong here." a worried Batwoman confided to Selina

"Don't be ridiculous. This is a meeting of everyone who has fought for and with Bruce, and that includes you. If anything, you belong here more than anyone, you were inspired to make the Batwoman persona from afar. The rest of us needed him to teach us, whereas you did it yourself." Catwoman stated.

"Enough ".

Even in a room of his friends and family, a single harsh word from the Dark Knight shuts down everything else in the room. ".

"All of you. There is no immediate threat, so leave." His icy tone showed how this was a decree, not a suggestion.

There are very few people in the world who can say 'no' to the Dark Knight. But, this was a fully stocked room of those very few people.

"Bruce you can't carry on like this. You're going to get yourself and many others killed." Nightwing announced. "Don't misunderstand. The world needs the batman. But batman doesn't need to fight alone."

"As I said, I invited them all." the Brit explained as he came down the stairs behind the batman. "For a team of sorts."

"Well, not a team, per say. But a family."

A grin spread upon red robins face.

"A Batman Family."