Joker danced into the laser control room, waltzing along to the music in his head.

"So, kiddies," he called as he spun on the ball of one foot, "what have we found?"

"One big laser cannon, boss man." Copperhead replied. Joker stopped dancing and looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Anything else?"

"Um…"

"The laser was aimed at Gotham City." Interrupted Star Sapphire, saving Copperhead from an untimely demise. "Looks like Happy over there was planning to blow the old place up." She nodded over to the table where Vice lay supine, his last inane grin plastered over his face from when Joker had settled their 'disagreement'. "Apparently, Gotham is 'the hive of all evil'."

"Well, I can't see where he would get that idea…"

"It looks like the ultimate plan was that we would get blamed for this." Cheetah added. "Isn't that right, Herman?" The last comment was directed at the last technician standing, though it didn't look like he would be for much longer; his face was the colour of ash and he was trembling so much that he looked like he was about to explode.

"Y-y-y-yes. T-the laser would destroy Gotham a-and then the police would come looking here and they'd find you, and –"

"And assume we set the whole thing up."

"Y-you were supposed to die, then th-there wouldn't have been anyone to oppose the story."

The Joker 'hmmm'ed, thinking it over. "You know, that's not a bad plan. But I can think of much better things to do with a big honking laser cannon. Liiike…blow up the Watchtower!" Joker jumped onto the control platform for the cannon, and pretended to look down the scopes, making 'pew, pew' noises. Star Sapphire and Cheetah exchanged glances.

"I think that sounds like much more fun." Said Joker, hopping down and wandering around to the front of the cannon.

"What do you think, Batman? Yoohoo! Batman!" He shouted, looking up to the barrels, where Batman and X1 hung, spread-eagled, above the twin openings, stretched by their wrists and ankles in two 'X' shapes.

"I think you're a sick psychopath who should go back to the hole he crawled out of!" Yelled X1 back.

"I wasn't asking you!" Replied the Joker, sounding mock-hurt. X1 twisted his hands around and gave the Joker twin fingers, which he ignored, prancing away to check on the cannon's trajectories.

Jason watched him go, then, when he was certain no-one was listening, turned to look over at his fellow prisoner.

"Batman. Batman! Wake up." Batman said nothing; he hadn't spoken or even moved since Jason had awoken half an hour ago. His costume was torn and bloodied, and his broken arm had been forced up into the same X as the other. His mask didn't appear to have been removed (thank God), but his face was bruised and there was a trickle of blood running from one corner of his mouth. His head was slumped forwards onto his chest, his body limp. For a few long, sick minutes, Jason had truly believed that he might be dead. But then Batman had groaned once, very quietly, and Jason had breathed again.

"Come on, old man." Jason whispered. "Don't give up on me now."

J'onn felt himself waking slowly, and became aware that he was lying on his side on hot, greasy metal. Still in the compound, then. He groaned slightly in the back of his throat; needless to say, his headache had not been alleviated in any way by his recent blow to the temples, and he still felt weak and drained from the effects of the collar that was still pressing tightly against his neck.

Or was it? Was it his imagination, or was the collar moving, accompanied by a clicking and scraping of metal on metal?

He opened his eyes a crack, and then wider, blinking rapidly to try and bring everything into focus. Gradually he sensed someone leaning over him, and he tried to turn over, craning his neck to see who it was.

"Don't move." Said a female voice behind him, more irritable than threatening, and with a start he recognised it.

"X2?"

"I said," she replied, glaring at him through the eye slits in her mask, "don't move. I'm almost done." J'onn complied, feeling a slight pressure as she fiddled with something in the collar. There was a sudden loud click, and the metal split into two parts, allowing him his first free breath in hours. X2 pulled it away, and then discarded the collar by another – Superman's – on the ground.

He sat up, rubbing his neck gingerly.

"Hey." Said another – more friendly – familiar voice. J'onn turned around to see Superman sitting against the wall and smiling.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better for losing the collar…but what about you?"

"Better." Replied Superman, nodding. He certainly looked better – the colour had returned to his face, and he was sitting up unaided.

"I guess we owe you one." Superman said, turning to X2, who looked up, surprised. "You didn't have to stay and help. Thanks."

"Well… you know." She muttered, sounding embarrassed. "Couldn't just leave you lying there."

"Where is Batman? And…X1" Asked J'onn, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I don't know." X2 replied quietly. "X1 stayed behind to try and warn Batman about the supervillains. He sent me on to find you. Um, you two know about him and Batman, right?"

They nodded.

"Oh, good. Well, anyway, I was actually expecting them back by now…I'm getting just a little bit worried."

Superman looked over at J'onn, who nodded again. Closing his eyes, he gathered his thoughts together. When his eyes opened again, they were filled with a bright orange light, and instead of seeing Superman and X2, his thoughts travelled through the compound, searching the rooms for Batman and his erstwhile partner. Finally, he located their minds, calling out to him, two glowing figures in a room full of grey. Quickly, he entered X1's mind, which seemed to be glowing the brightest. He skimmed the top of the boy's thoughts; the trap they were in, the soon-to-be fate of the Watchtower, Jason's suppressed hatred of the Joker. J'onn was about to speak to him, to reassure him that they were on their way, when Batman stirred next to X1 and all other thoughts immediately went of the boy's head. Suddenly, his mind was filled with anxiety. Jason was scared – J'onn dug a little deeper and discovered the terrible condition that Batman's body was in, and he for a moment he shared in Jason's anger.

A thought flashed through Jason's head.

Am I going to lose him?

The idea filled him with fear. He couldn't bear the possibility that, having just found his friend, the man he saw as a father, the chance of regaining even part of his old life, of feeling right, was going to slip away from him. Bruce couldn't die. He was Batman, for God's sake. He couldn't just die, not like this.

And that he should be taken by the man who so nearly destroyed Jason's life before – Jason couldn't stand it. He felt the anger rising up, did his best to suppress it…

But it was too much for J'onn.

J'onn clutched his head and cried out, driven out of Jason's head by the intensity of the boy's emotion.

"J'onn? J'onn!" Superman was shaking him by the shoulder while X2 looked on, uncertain of what to do.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm alright. I know where they are." J'onn said quietly, when he had regained control of himself.

"You went into Jason's mind, didn't you?" Asked X2, more curious than anything.

"How did you know?"

"I've seen him do that. With his head." She mimed the head-clutching motion. J'onn looked at her, remembering scenes from Jason's more recent memories and wondered what had inspired her to become a thief. She was too good to be a bad guy.

"Where are they?" Asked Superman, pushing himself to his feet. J'onn noted the fleeting look of pain that flashed across his face, but after steadying himself against the rock wall for a second Clark took a breath and stood erect, his face set in determination.

"They are three floors up." Replied J'onn, also standing. "The supervillains have already reached them…they appeared to be in considerable danger."

"Then what's the hold up?" Exclaimed X2, immediately starting up. "Let's get going!"

She stopped short of the door only when Superman grabbed her wrist, holding her back.

"Hold on a second. Just because your partner has connections to Batman doesn't automatically acquit you of everything you've done."
"Are you serious?"

"I don't joke about crime."

"There is another issue…" Added J'onn quietly, almost apologetically. "I realise that you have helped us, but there is still the question of trust."

X2 started to argue, but Superman cut her off. "He does have a point. How do we know that once you've freed Jason the two of you won't take off?"

She stared at him incredulously for a few long seconds, speechless. Finally, her voice returned, and she stepped close, standing on tiptoes to get as much in his face as she could.

"You honestly think either of us could run away after all of this? Jason's just rediscovered his freaking family, for crying out loud. Batman is the closest thing he's got to a father – I'd say going back to a life of crime was pretty much ruled out after that. As for me, I don't really give a damn what happens as long as I'm with Jason and he's happy.

"You want us to return everything we stole? Fine. Whatever. I'll even throw in a note of apology if that makes you feel better. It was stupid and pointless to start with, and I wish we hadn't done it, but it doesn't matter now. Don't you get it? Nothing else matters unless the person I care about is safe, and I will do everything under the sun to make sure he stays that way. Surely you can understand that; Batman's with Jason, and he's in danger too. I know you want to save him, not just because you're a hero, but because he's your friend and you care about what happens to him. So don't you dare, for one second, imagine that I wouldn't do the same.

"So here's what happens now: I'm going up there to save my friend, and then I'm going to stay with him for as long as he needs me. You can tag along if you want. Just don't ever try to stop me from getting to Jason again."