Nine: We're All on the Road of Ruin

That was then, this is now

If I learned my lesson. I forgot it somehow

Headlights in the driveway,

A knock at the door,

I hear that voice, and I know what's in store...

(Road to Ruin- Mr. Big)

Leslie's days were growing longer, summer was closing in to fall and usually that meant crime would begin to somewhat slow down. But small petty crimes were going up, people were become nervous.

'Dr Thompkins.'

Leslie cried out nearly dropping her clip board. She spun around in her office to find Johnathan Crane sitting there. Playing with her letter opener.

'You cancelled our last meeting.' She said coolly.

He nodded, 'I had to, Joker needed convincing that I was still on his side. But don't look to deeply into that my dear.'

She swallowed hard, 'An innocent...'

'No.' Crane snorted, 'one of his goons. He wanted progress so I gave him some. And in return he gave me some juicy tips.'

'That you want me to pass on?' she offered. Johnathan nodded. He stood and faced her, being only a few inched taller, his eyes narrowed.

'You've not been sleeping.' he said softly.

Leslie allowed a moment for her exhaustion to show, She fell into her now vacant chair and shrugged, 'Comes with the territory.' she said simply. He nodded, then continued.

'Joker has a delivery of another device he's smuggling in, he has the first one so now that he'll have two, he'll have his little game.' Johnathan said, 'I'm to provide the toxin at the right spot and time when he gives the call.'

'And from Harley told me, Red Hood and Batman are the targets.' Leslie said. Johnathan nodded, 'It seems so.' he replied.

'Are you afraid, of what the Joker will do to you? To Gotham?' He asked now.

She looked him dead in the eye, 'No.' She said calmly, so calm it unnerved him, 'I have always had hope for this city. It's why I run this clinic Johnathan, and why it's open to nearly everyone. I believe the best in anyone who walks in those doors.'

'You should be afraid. Afraid of us, of me.' he whispered.

Leslie smiled, she stood and moved closer to him. Johnathan's breath hitched as she had her lips very close to his own.

'Are you afraid? Afraid to do the right thing when the time comes?' She whispered. She then spun on her heels and left her office. She was so quick he barely had time to react to her movements, her words. Her scent.

What he hell was wrong with him?

Jason came out of the shower, he wrapped his towel around his waist humming softly. He hadn't seen Cass since that night, but nothing seemed off, he assumed she had made up with Bruce and was at the mansion or something.

He strode out to change when he nearly bumped into someone, that wasn't Sacha.

It was a raven haired teen.

'God damn it Tim!' He cried out nearly loosing his towel in the process.

'My retinas!' Tim howled covering his face and rushing back towards the living room, he heard Sacha cackling madly and stormed into his room to change. Draw back apparently of having her stay on the couch instead of getting her own place in the building, was unwanted guests.

Now dressed Jason stomped back into the living area.

'What the fuck Replacement?' he growled.

'Information swap, required more effort then texting and no way can you guys come to the mansion.' Tim supplied easily. He now ran his fingers across the keyboard of his laptop. Sacha beside him was looking at maps on her own.

'Okay. Details, now.' Jason said.

'Les called, but you were asleep.' Sacha explained, 'She said she was tipped off that Harley's on the run, and Hatter's gone now too. But Crane is still working with Joker on this mind control fear thing. Apparently another one of those devices is being delivered for the Joker.'

'When is the drop off?' Jason asked.

'Tonight.' Tim said, 'we're figuring out possible locations.'

'What is our most likely spots' Jason asked, Tim listed off two places that were most likely.

'Honestly, I will have to let B know.' Tim said, Jason nodded, 'Fine, but only tell him the one spot. We'll go after the other.' Tim frowned at that but nodded nevertheless.

'But you have to join in on communicating tonight.' Tim said in a bossy tone no doubt Jason figured he saved for teen titan losers.

'You think I will replacement?'

'I will.' Sacha said. Jason glowered but she smirked back menacingly, 'We'll need to know if we get the wrong site.'

'Fine.' Jason grumbled, 'But I'll need a nap first.'

'You do realize it's after noon?' Tim said exasperated. Sacha grinned and Jason merely waved him off, 'Just go back to your flirty tech talk and let me be for another hour kiddies.' He stood and went back to his room, leaving two very red in the face teens.

It wasn't hard to convince Bruce, soon Batman and Robin, and Red Robin had taken flight. Nightwing was house bound from a small encounter in his day job as a cop. So he and Oracle stayed back at the cave.

'Pssst, checking in to losers.' a voice called through the computer. A voice Dick had not heard there in a very long time.

'Ja-Jason?' he said. Barbara's eyes widened as the young vigilante cackled over the comm line.

'The one and only Dick Face. And don't worry, Sacha and Timmykins altered my line so you can hear me, I can hear you, but Bats can't hear any of it.' Jason said gleefully.

'Clever, what are you doing hacking into our feed?' Barbara asked.

'And what's this about Tim and Sacha?' Dick asked.

'Oh they're just toooo cute-ow! God damn it Scarlet.' Jason snapped, 'any ways, we got the tip the same time as Red Robin for two spots-'

'Two, he only told us one!'

'Because dumb-ass, we're going to the other one.' Red Hood said, his voice was slightly muffled no doubt from wearing the helmet.

'I'll keep you posted, chances are one of these spots is a trap.' he said and cut the comm out.

Batman, Robin and Red Robin reached their destination first. It was a meat packing building. Robin scrunched his nose as they entered through the windows silently.

The lights flickered on and suddenly twenty heavily armed men surrounded them.

'Like it Bats?' Two- Face chuckled from the side. His coin gleaming in his hand.

Batman's eyes narrowed beneath the cowl, he suddenly knew something wasn't right.

'Where's the real drop off Harvey?' he called. Red Robin seemed more on edge now as the goons raised their weapons simultaneously.

'Wouldn't you like to know!' Two-Face cried out as they men took aim and fired.

Red Hood landed on top of the apartment building near Crime Alley. He hard the gentle flutter of Scarlet landing behind him. They moved in synch crouching to the nearest roof top entrance. It was unlocked.

They quietly moved down the stair well, the building seemed deserted except one room, with a lamp giving off a tiniest bit of light source.

And there he was. The Joker sat chuckling to himself As he took a package from a small man. He easily pulled out a pistol and shot the man, still laughing like a maniac.

'Oh goody.' he called out, 'Joined by dolly face and dead boy wonder!'

Red Hood decided there was no point in subtlety, 'Nice to see you haven't lost your touch Joker.' he said calmly, his own guns raised, one in each hand.

'Didn't expect this spot, Crime Alley to be the right one.' Red Hood said rather loudly.

Joker smiled, a more dangerous sight, he shot at Sacha, she dodged it easily but suddenly hands came from behind, rather large and reptile like hands..

'Killer Croc.' Red Hood snarled. He fired into his hands making the beast cry out in pain. Sacha freed herself and rolled, quickly kicking the Joker in the process who had tried to run.

'Little brat!' He screeched. Meanwhile Killer Croc lunged for Red Hood, crashing into the wall, and literally through it, and into the street.

He was surprised he was caught, by Batman himself.

'My rep...' Red Hood groaned.

'-tt-' Robin scoffed soaring in on a attack, katana released from it's sheath, Red Robin went to the other side and the two took Croc on.

'Where is he?' Batman demanded.

'Scarlet!' Hood yelled and went to move back inside, but there was the sound of a window smashing, two figures flung from it towards the ground.

Red Robin was closest, he allowed the Joker to slam into the pavement, grapple fired it hooked onto the building as he swung faster then most easily catching her and anding onto the next roof.

Scarlet groaned in his arms, a silver knife protruding from her side.

'The Joker!' Batman yelled as police sirens came around the bend. Croc thrashed under bindings that now held him down.

'Get her to the cave.' Batman ordered through his comm. Red Hood went to argue but Batman glared, 'Get gone. Be there in an hour.' he said harshly, but not too loudly as the police grew closer. Red Hood merely nodded and fled through the alley way.

There was a screech of car tires from the other side of the closest building but Batman paid no attention, he allowed himself to turn to face the commissioner with Robin by his side.

'I'm sure glad you got out in time to grab me.' Joker said as he sat upward, his own stab wound to the shoulder bleeding.

'Just be glad I did.' Dent growled.

Joker smirked, 'This your ride Dent?'

'Yeah why?'

'Just admiring the interior...' Joker said, he banged his fist against the dashboard and the glove box opened to reveal a gun.

'What the fuck?' Dent cried as a shot fired into his skull. He veered off letting go of the wheel and the Joker grabbed the steering wheel. Pulling himself up not caring about his wound now, he laughed insanely into the night, the device snug in the trunk.

'Sorry Harv, got a little speck of blood on the seat.' Joker grinned. He continued driving off.

Batman and Robin were last to arrive in the cave. Sacha was unmasked and her cape removed as Alfred tended to her wound.

'Slight poison, but you should heal in a day.' he said to her. she nodded, her eyes dull. Both Tim and Jason by her side. Jason was helmet less and Tim had knocked off his own cape and mask as well.

'What the hell was that?' Bruce demanded. He ripped his cowl off and tossed it aside.

'We had two drop spots that were potentials-'

'And you decided to tell me when Tim?'

Tim shut his mouth, Jason stepped up, 'Look it made sense, we had the info, but we needed to be at two places at once. '

Bruce glowered, 'You don't run this show.'

Jason's nostrils flared, 'And yet one spot was in my area? Who prowls the lower ends of this city, actually gets into the dirty talk with the low life's to get somewhere with this case? If it wasn't for us-'

'We would have found the Joker.' Bruce said coldly, 'with or without you.'

Jason stared furiously and then threw up his hands, 'I don't even know why the fuck I try with you! Here I am sharing my Intel, allowing my partner to share our technology, and fight along side when I could just shot you all dead!' His voice rang through the cave.

'Because that's what you've wanted. To be the best man here.' Bruce said. Jason flinched.

'No.' he muttered, 'I just wanted to actually do something worth praise in your eyes, other then dying.'

Jason stormed off. He didn't even register the lack of helmet in his hands, or partner at his side. Bruce meanwhile was breathing heavily.

'I should leave.' Sacha muttered standing as Alfred was mid wrapping her torso.

'At least wait for me to finish ma'am.' Alfred said. She allowed him and when finished he tried giving her a pill bottle.

'No thanks.' she said softly, 'I'll be seeing Les when I can next.'

'Leslie.' Bruce croaked suddenly. Sacha eyed him warily, 'Yeah, she's been a real help. ' Sacha said. Bruce merely nodded and walked away.

'I'll drive you back.' Tim offered, 'Just lemme change right quick.' Sacha nodded and waited by his motorcycle.

When Tim came out the cave was nearly empty. Only Dick remained, the elder robin was staring at the memorial that held Jason's old uniform. He turned to them smiling sadly, 'Drive safe.' he said. With that Tim took off, Sacha holding and Jason's helmet in his side.