AN: Yeah, this is more of a filler chapter than anything else. The next one will be far more interesting, I promise.
Disclaimer: The Joker owns more of this franchise than I do, and he's a fictional character.
Batman overlooked his city from his favorite spot atop Wayne Towers and refused to think over the events of earlier that night.
He had done nothing wrong! It was all the Joker's fault!
It was the clown who had started all this: coming between him and Bruce, abandoning their rivalry, refusing to fight back because it would hurt Bruce...
Abandoning that disturbing line of thought, and the direction it was heading in, when he picked up on a call for backup at a jewelry store robbery, Batman shot his grapnel out and swung into action.
Busting a few heads together would sort him out, it usually did, and then he could start figuring out a way to fix things with Bruce- and to oust the clown from their lives.
He refused to be replaced!
JOERJOKERJOKERJOKERJOKER
Bruce tried to hold onto his anger, he really did, but it just wasn't part of his personality to do so.
With a resigned sigh he stopped his pacing and sat back in the plush chair he had created for his room years ago and let himself relax for the first time since he'd woken up to find B's tongue shoved down Joker's throat- and the damn clown not fighting it one bit!
He needed a way to get them all- himself, Joker and B- to sit down and talk about everything.
Giving a snort at the thought of B's reaction to that suggestion he stood up and walked out into his and B's shared library of knowledge.
Picking a book at random from B's section he sat down and began reading, an hour and several reference books later Bruce had a plan.
Now the only problem he would face would be getting the other two to agree to it.
JOKERJOKERJOKERJOKERJOKER
"Absolutely not!" B yelled as soon as Bruce told them his plan.
Bruce had caught B just after he'd finished turning over some young idiots to the police and demanded that they return home immediately, and then refused to say anything else until he could tell the Joker what he had decided at the same time as he told B.
"I agree with Bats, it's too dangerous! You could get hurt, Brucey, you know I would never forgive myself- or him- if that were to happen." Bruce almost gave in to the pleading look on his lover's face, but instead he stiffened his resolve and shot both their arguments down.
"This is going to happen, and you both are going to cooperate or else we will just keep going around in circles- and I refuse to live that way. Alfred will be standing by at the controls, and at the first sign of a problem he will hit the safety shut-down and get us out." Seeing that he was serious about this the other two could only- begrudgingly- agree to Bruce's plan.
They just really hoped that everything would go as smoothly as Bruce said it would, they had both had bad experiences with Dr. Hugo Strange's Dream Machine and were not looking forward to repeating the process.
Joker because he had been a test subject to the first prototype.
Batman because it had not only almost cost him and Bruce their secret but had also nearly destroyed the balance of their mind since it hadn't been calibrated for a double load when he'd been hooked up to it.
Bruce smiled brightly at the man in the mirror and the clown at his side even as they wallowed in their doubts.
He just knew bringing Joker into his and B's mind was the perfect solution to their problems: B wouldn't be able to retreat from a conversation and Joker would be able to see for himself just how separate he and B really were.
It was perfect!
But now for the hard part: convincing Alfred of that.
JOKERJOKERJOKERJOKERJOKER
After a very lengthy discussion with Alfred, and the promise that all and every safety precaution would be taken- really, the old man was more overbearingly protective than either B or Joker ever could be- it was agreed that the use of Dr. Strange's Dream Machine really would be for the best.
Three days later, after the machine had been pulled from its storage closet in the Batcave- and hadn't B just grumbled up a storm when Bruce had shown Joker down there, but Bruce had needed a bit of revenge since B wasn't letting him spend even a second alone with Joker- and several diagnostics run on it- it had been nice to watch B and Joker working together to make sure the dusty machine was in peak working condition- it was time to hook them all up and get this convoluted therapy session started.
"Are you still convinced that this is the best way to go about this? Shouldn't we try something more conventional first?" The Joker asked as he made the last adjustments needed to the connection probes on the helmets.
"What? So you can drive another therapist insane like you did Quinn?" With a sigh Joker threw a Look over his shoulder at the man sitting at the computer terminal.
"I was talking to Bruce, Bats." A snicker that was all Bruce was his answer even as it was obvious that the Batman was still in control of the hands as they continued to finalize safety parameters.
It was fascinating to watch the two men split the working of their body like that, but it was something that the Joker didn't think he would ever get used to.
Though that didn't keep him from imagining what it would be like for that to happen in bed...
"I'm sure. Neither of you would sit still for something conventional, nor would either of you be willing to open up to a stranger, or even each other, about what you were really thinking and feeling- neither of you even open up to ME- so this really is the best solution." Last minute preparations completed, and with nothing left to stall over, the three men lay down on the two cots and slid the helmets on.
"Alright, Alfred, whenever you're ready."
"Do be careful, young Master. And if you other two have any ideas while in there just remember that you've left me in charge of the kill switch." With that ominous warning still ringing in their ears the machine was switched on and they were pulled down into the dreamscape.