Months had passed since the dead of Damian, since his body couldn't be recovered from the burning flames they buried an empty casket.
Barbara visited the grave every day, bringing fresh flowers with her as she just stood there, apologizing, every day.
Even though she was still greatly saddened by his death she couldn't sit still, every night she trained herself, to be faster, to be stronger than she had ever been, she'd make sure to repay the Joker for what he had done.
Sadly for her the worm never showed his face in Gotham anymore since that night, Bruce had already told her to give up her quest for revenge but she was determined to take him down.
She had slowly started to give up the hope of ever finding him until Nightwing informed her over a recent sighting of the clown.
After several days of searching for him she managed to take down one of his henchmen.
In one of the several dark alleys she cornered the henchman, she grabbed a lead pipe from the ground as she approached the guy.
'' Where's the Joker..?''
Barbara asked softly as she approached the man who was laying in the corner, she had easily taken him down during a short fist fight, crushing several of his ribs and his nose.
As she stood in front of him she pressed the lead pipe against his chest, '' Tell me..''
'' I don't know! Really! I have no idea where he is, please let me go!''
'' Wrong answer...'' She took a tighter hold of the lead pipe and in a swift strike she struck the man's shoulder, who screamed into pain while trying to crawl away from the corner he was stuck in.
'' Tell me.. Where is he!'' The lead pipe struck down on his back, the cracking bones in his back were easily heard throughout the alley.
'' I really don't know! Please!'' The man screamed out in pain, yet she only continued to beat him with the pipe, eventually leaving him in a puddle of blood.
Her night continued like this and after a few weeks she had finally found the Joker's location, she'd make short work of him tonight.
She had reached the building in which the clown had hidden himself, crashing through the roof and taking down the first two henchman before anyone could react to it.
Her eyes immediately shot towards the Joker, with ease taking down the henchman that came running at her.
'' Well, how amusing it is that things can turn around so easily eh?'' She spoke sarcastically as she approached the Joker, who only stood there, laughing manically.
'' Oh, this must be my lucky year! Taking down two of you Bat-freaks in one year! oh joy ''
He reached for the gun that was hanging on his side and aimed it at her , '' Or perhaps I should cripple you once again, gives me a lot more fun than killing you immediately..''
Before he could fire his gun at her, she had already reached him, hitting him down on the ground.
She took the gun from the ground and aimed it at him, '' Perhaps yes, we'll see how much fun that is..''
When the Joker tried to get up she shot him in both his legs, dropping him back down in a mixture of screaming and laughing.
After she had shot him she threw away the gun, her eyes moved through the place in search for something to hurt him with even more.
She found one of his signature crowbars, her lips turned into a small smile as she took hold of the weapon.
'' Was this it..? Was this the one you beat him with!?''
After taking the crowbar from the table she walked back towards the crawling Joker again, kicking him in his side so that he would roll over to his back.
Before he could say anything to her she hit him in the stomach with all her strength, '' I should just kill you, I should just kill you now! You pathetic excuse for a living being!''
His laughing only angered her more, after the next few strikes of the crowbar his laughing had become a bit less, the blood around him quickly increased.
As she readied herself for one last strike on his face someone took hold off the crowbar, leaving her unable to deal the ending strike.
She quickly turned around as her eyes slightly widened, tears appeared into her eyes, '' He deserves it! Don't keep me back!''