Just an FYI, this takes place the next day from the previous chapter. Gets a little sappy towards the end, and then came the picturesque image I drew adn put on DA. Hope you like this! I know everyone's wanted to see something like this anyway. *evil laugh*

Dick-15 Jason-12

Scared Clown

He handed over the three hundreds to the guard on duty outside the room. The man took it without question and decided to take a walk after letting the patron in. For once he was glad corrupt people were everywhere around Gotham. It made revenge so much simpler. If the man knew who he was and what had recently transpired though, he may have let him in for sympathy's sake. Most parents in all classes were upset about recent events, and how that monster would not be tried for his crimes.

Now one of the most heinous men on the planet was trapped in a padded cell with one of the most dangerous ones, usually on the side of justice. But for the next few hours, he was merely there for vengeance.

"Well well well, if it isn't Brucie Baby! Long time no see!"

"Joker."

Bruce Wayne glared darkest rage into the man who had beaten his son Jason nearly into his grave. The boy coded twice on the operating table because of him. He was still in a state of shock despite making a full physical recovery after two months being in a wheelchair. The kid hadn't smiled since that particular morning when Bruce had left him to visit with his biological mother, the woman this man had assuredly killed.

And yet because of a temporary stand as a UN ambassador, he was granted full immunity and a clean slate. Neither of them would have justice.

"So how's the wifey? Kids doing okay? I hope little junior is doing well. He was so much fun the last time I saw him." Joker grinned up at him in his straight jacket. "Maybe the two of us can party again some time."

That was when the first kick landed in the clown's stomach. "Was it something I said?"

Wayne didn't say a word. He merely took off his jacket and started rolling up his sleeves. Alfred would kill him if he ruined yet another silk shirt.

Dick looked around the kitchen at breakfast curiously. Cass, Tim and Damian were all in their favorite spots, eating their allotments of cereal and turkey sausages. Jason was dragging his feet to the room not far behind him and Alfred was busying himself near the sink.

"Hey Alfie," the oldest child there started, "where's Bruce?"

There was a slight hesitation in the old man's movements before he answered. "I believe Master Bruce has gone out for a meeting of some sort. He managed to fix himself some toast and coffee without burning the house down before leaving."

Something wasn't right. "A meeting? Now?"

"Indeed sir."

The acrobat looked down in thought. It was Sunday morning. Early Sunday morning. Unless the meeting was with some ultra early bird church group, the likelihood of that was nil. No business he heard of opened this early on Sundays, and a majority of the places Bruce ran weren't even open on those days. Fishy.

Honestly, Dick was expecting to get a lecture for overstepping his bounds or disobeying him last night. He had sent Flash to take down Joker while the man was busy calming Jason down from another night terror. Flash had taken two of the 'Teen Titans', a barely coming together teen division of crime fighters and superheroes, with him and the three of them had put the nut job in Arkham long before the cock crowed that morning. Bruce was pretty mad last night about it, but the guy had been mad at nearly everyone and everything that got in the way of getting revenge for what happened to Jason.

He looked once to his near catatonic younger brother, concerned that he may be mentally damaged for good. Two months like that with panic attacks and screaming nightmares every other night was worrying everyone around him. Bruce seemed especially worried, and when worried or threatened, he became terrifying.

"Did he say where he was going?" The acrobat looked back over to the butler curiously, a thought running through his head. With the way Bruce was acting last night, it was clear he wanted one thing above all else. And with what else happened then, it was a higher possibility.

"No I'm afraid not Master Richard. Please," the butler insisted, "sit down and have some breakfast."

For a brief moment Dick debated doing just that. But his gut told him otherwise. He shrugged. "I think I ate too much last night. Not that hungry." He turned about and started leaving the room, just sliding past Jason as he entered quietly. "I've got some homework to finish. See ya at lunch."

"Master Richard-" Alfred started but Dick wouldn't stay for the rest. He already grabbed his favorite jacket and was running back upstairs, fiddling with his watch.

All Bruce saw was red. As each blow struck the bound man, his mind went blank. Working on pure adrenalin and animal instinct, he knew he was breaking bones and pinching nerves. This man would need severe medical attention by the time he was through.

That was if there was anything left of the man to be attended to.

"You could have just called."

"Would have taken too long." Dick rode on the back of Superman's cape, trying to hide the worry eating away at him as they neared their destination. "Bruce has a head start on me."

"Are you sure about this?" The man of steel wasn't very confident about the teen's choice of actions. He said Bruce was going to do something stupid; that he was going to see Joker and probably start a legal mess with him if they didn't stop him. Well, Dick was supposed to stop Bruce. Superman, or rather Clark Kent, was going to make sure the kid got to him in time. "Bruce isn't exactly at his best right now."

"I'm sure." There was a firm confidence in the boy's eyes that made the kryptonian smile. This kid was fearless. In the past three years he knew the teen, he'd inspired and rallied many of their spirits, especially within his family. He watched them go through hard times, especially then, and he managed to keep his other siblings together. Bruce, not so much, but at least the man listened to him. "Bruce won't hurt me, or any minor for that matter. He slugged you when you told him about Joker's new job back then."

"Oh yeah, I remember." They landed just inside Arkham security, just next to a hidden side entrance. A perfect place for the man of steel to change identities. He looked through the building best he could and cringed. "Can't see anything."

"Most buildings around here were built with lead materials. Sorry." Already the acrobat was working on the side lock. Clark shook his head at the idea. Each of the Wayne kids learned lock picking to help them escape kidnappers, and each of them used said skill for other, personal reasons. Within seconds he was in and both of them were scrambling down an ill lit hallway.

Dick could blend into the shadows every time a guard came by while Clark had to float just outside their vision. Very uncomfortable for the man. He wasn't used to sneaking around like that. Going right to the front desk and asking to see Bruce seemed much more logical in his mind, but Dick insisted they needed to keep this as low profile as possible. Avoid the guards and inmates at all cost.

"Why?" The reporter asked, curious beyond belief.

"Because I… think Bruce bribed them."

"What?"

"It's not that uncommon a practice Clark." They were nearing the higher security areas, the place he needed the man of steel to make a distraction so he could get to Bruce first. The guy was still reeling at the idea of Bruce bribing guards to get in there. Just what was he doing behind closed doors during this little visit to warrant bribing? "Gotham's pretty corrupt. And besides, you know Bruce blurs the line when it suits him.

"Now are you gonna help me stop him from making the worst mistake of his life or not?"

A dark pit grew in the man's chest. Bruce was a good friend, a trusted ally, and many things he wasn't. He never could predict the man's next move, but this boy had. And he was determined to stop it. Whatever it was. And he hoped the stray thought in his mind was wrong this time.

So he nodded. He was going to help.

Joker hit the wall hard, but not hard enough. The cells were padded. Why did it have to be padded? The maniac was still laughing. Laughing! "If I knew you were this much fun Brucie, I would have banged around one of those kiddos years ago! Hear you have a new one. How old is he again? Hurk!"

Bruce's hands were around his neck now, just ready to squeeze the lifeblood out of him. "You're not touching any of my children again! You hear me! Never again!"

Again the madman laughed gleefully, making him snarl like a feral animal before throwing the man across the room again. Mocking him, taunting him, threatening him. Joker was going down.

Dick barely managed to slip past the guards rushing towards Clark's distraction. He was now alone in the highest security part of the asylum. Where all the psychotic criminals went. Some rooms had Plexiglas windows revealing the lesser psychos. Most were completely secluded. The ones he could see as he darted in the dark corridor were easy to remember from files on the bat-computer.

Poison Ivy, Calendar Man, Mad Hatter, Riddler, Scarecrow, Maxie Zeus, Penny Plunderer, King Tut, Ventriloquist, Firefly, Killer Moth, Egghead. They weren't any one to worry over at the moment. It was the ones past them he was glad he didn't have to see.

Zsasz, Killer Croc, Kobra, Clayface, Great White, Mr. Freeze… Two-Face.

Despite knowing he only had a little time before either discovery or an irreversible act could be prevented, Dick stopped and stared at that man's door. He remembered back when he was eleven and this man had taken him prisoner. When he made him choose between Bruce's life and that of Judge Watkins. Made him pick their fates based off of a coin toss. How the man had manipulated him into thinking he could save both of them somehow.

Flashes of that night flew through his head. Watkins died by drowning instead of hanging. Bruce was still on the gallows, tied up. Two-Face had a bat.

He still had nightmares of that night. Probably would for the rest of his life. Didn't stop the ones of his parents' deaths either. Worst part was Bruce had to watch. He may have saved him in the end, but both of them were scarred by the event. If Dick hadn't needed immediate medical attention, he doubted Two-Face would have lived through that night. There was a brief fight between Bruce and the psycho when he taunted the billionaire in court, one ended because of then Captain Jim Gordon when he pulled him off of the nut.

But there was no Jim there to stop Bruce now. And another of his loved ones had been nearly killed by a madman. This second traumatizing event was so much like what happened before…

Dick turned away from the psycho's door and pressed on. The nightmares were bearable now. He could talk about it. He bounced back rather quickly in comparison. Once the casts were off, so was he. Not surprising since he managed to start laughing again within months of his parents' murders while it took years for Bruce to even smile in their memory.

But Jason was a different matter, a different person. Since both of them were hurt under similar circumstances, it was likely Bruce was having flashbacks to that night. Taking on Joker now was also taking on Two-Face for then. The line was blurred for him, and that made it dangerous.

He heard a loud thump against one of the doors. Dick's eyes narrowed as he came to it. Again he picked the lock with ease then flew it open. The sight before him was worse than he imagined. And he didn't have time to take it in.

Bruce was getting ready to punch Joker clear through his head.

"NO!"

Instantly Dick was on his arm, weighing it down as much as he could to stop him from hurting the man anymore. At first Bruce didn't see him and attempted to throw him off violently. No one was going to stop him. But when Dick didn't let go and kept talking he realized who was there, his blood started turning cold.

"BRUCE STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!

"LET GO DICK!" Nothing was going to stop him. Nothing.

"NO!" The teen locked eyes with him, eyes burning with such raw emotions. Desperation, determination, fear, even confusion mixed into his gaze. "I'M NOT LETTING YOU KILL HIM!"

"DICK…"

"KILLING SOLVES NOTHING! FIXES NOTHING!" Dick kept his eyes on the man, narrowing with each word. "It doesn't bring back the dead! It doesn't reverse time! It only adds to the pile of bodies! This isn't going to bring Jason back! It'll only take you away from him! Away from us! You'll only be giving him what he wants!"

As each word reached the man's ears, he felt the truth in them. They stabbed at him like knives, tearing away at the animal fury he had just moments ago. This really wouldn't help Jason. It didn't even help him. The only one who'd win that day would be Joker. And that clown had enough victories as is.

But justice couldn't be served this time through the system. Joker's slate was wiped clean. Nothing was going to avenge Jason if he didn't so something about it. Nothing at all. This thought made him tense again but Dick's reasoning struck him harder now.

"Do we really mean so little to you?! That'd you throw everything away just to get revenge?!" Tears threatened to come out of the teen's eyes. "What will happen if you kill him?! Where will we be without you?! Where do we go…"

Dick couldn't contain himself anymore. For weeks this is what he worried over. If Bruce actually did get his hands on Joker… If he finally avenged Jason and his mother… What happened next? No one was above the law, no one. Bruce wouldn't be their father anymore. Not legally, or in spirit. They'd be separated. He knew where he and Jason would end up, maybe even Tim: the system. That wasn't a pleasant place to be, especially for kids like them. But Cassandra and Damian… Ra's would take them, change them. They'd either be executed for not following his plans or turned into assassins. Bruce would be in prison for murder.

Gripping on to the man's arm for dear life, the teen shook and buried his head into the collar of Bruce's shirt. He couldn't lose another parent. He couldn't take losing his family all over again. Bruce couldn't become a murderer. He couldn't betray everything he stood for in their lives. And yet here he was, straddling the large chasm separating him from being a hero and being a villain.

As the boy's tears started to soak the vigilante's shirt, he silently mulled over his choices. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Not this time. Dick had. And he was scared. That was one thing he never wanted to happen.

He looked at Joker, still laughing to himself for some reason and already beaten black and blue. Red came out of many places on his body. He'd done quite a number on the man, dishing out enough to make it impossible for the clown to do anything but lay there and laugh like the maniac he was. Jason had gotten worse, far worse.

The boy continued to tremble on his arm.

Slowly Bruce wrapped his arms around his son, slumping over slightly as he let the fight leave him. A bloodied hand rested on his eldest's head, trying to comfort him in some way, but the sight of it brought shame into his heart. His hands were covered in blood. If he continued, they'd be stained by it. He'd have no right to hold his children again.

"No Dick. You mean the world to me." His voice was soft, barely over a murmur. Dick looked up to the war torn face above him and knew he got through this time. Bruce was coming back.

He leaned against his shoulder now, letting the anxiety leave him. They stayed still like that for a minute, eventually ending when Bruce started to teeter. The exhaustion from all the adrenalin and stress that built up over the past months had finally gotten to him. Satisfied for the moment, they both opened their eyes. "Come on. Let's go home."

They stood from where they were and, still holding onto on another for support, made their way to the door. "Aww…. Going already?" Joker taunted. "But we haven't even gotten to the good part yet! Oof!"

Dick smirked to himself after kicking the creep's shoulder. He wasn't an angel either, but was satisfied with just that.

"Hey Alfred," Dick started, propping himself over the counter, "what cha got for lunch?"

The butler of the household raised an eyebrow at the teenager. It was barely eleven, the minimal timeframe to start asking for their next meal. Considering he had skipped breakfast, it wasn't too surprising that he was asking now. "Toasted BLT sandwiches with Monterey Jack, Dijon, and rye bread."

"Sweet. Can I get Bruce and Jason's too?" He grinned at the old man for a moment. "They're in the study and I don't want to disturb them with the lunch bell."

"Very well sir." Alfred smiled to himself as he prepared the three lads' meals. He placed each plate on a large tray and added a few water bottles as well. He had a relative idea what had transpired before the two arrived home an hour ago. He knew Dick had lied and snuck out earlier, despite him having come down the stairs like normal. He knew Bruce had been in a fight and had cleaned himself off in the guesthouse. And he knew the two of them were not about to talk about it any time soon.

He didn't mind any of it though, because both of them were much calmer now than when they left that morning. Much much calmer. They hadn't been calm since what happened to Jason. Things were still not right in the Wayne household, but at least things were getting better again. At least for Bruce and Dick.

"Be careful with this," the butler warned as he handed the tray over to the expecting teenager.

Dick laughed. "Don't worry. Not going up any stairs."

Carefully he took his loaded tray to the study and nudged the door open. He smiled as he spotted the two right where he saw them last. Bruce was holding Jason on his lap on the window seat, just staring out the window. It was one of the warmest places in the whole manor and had the best view. Everyone at one time or another found comfort just sitting there and looking outwards.

Bruce rested his chin on Jason's head, silently reassuring the boy he was safe. Jason didn't seem to respond, but he wasn't panicking or flinching away. He just seemed lost in his own thoughts. It was almost picturesque if the heavy atmosphere wasn't still around the boy.

Dick gave the two an awkward smile before setting the tray on the desk. He took his own sandwich and water before taking off to give them privacy and return to his other brotherly duties. Someone had to keep his younger siblings in line, and certain little boys needed some attention too.

A/N: Awwweee... Dick's such a good boy. Now for the most part, what happens at Arkham stays in Arkham, so this little event is kept secret for quite some time. Bruce would have beaten Joker to death (like Flashpoint Thomas/batman did Joe Chill) if Dick hadn't intervened. Why did he stop him? for exactly those reasons I stated above. This event will be brought up in another arch and because of it will save someone else's life.

Did anyone else catch the similarity between the Dick/Two-face incident and Jason/Joker beating? I thought of it while writing this arch and it kinda would explain why Bruce would want to actually kill Joker so much, even more than anyone else because it's a revisiting trauma. They still don't know about Sheila selling Jason out, probably won't know for a very long time, so they don't know the full extent of what happened. No i'm not going to write the Two-Face beating up at all. ANY EVENT PRIOR TO 'A FATHER'S REQUEST' WILL BE REFERRED TO BUT NOT WRITTEN. =]

Dunno what happened to Clark after the two of them separated in Arkham. =P The last part of this arch will commence tomorrow. TTFN!