Bruce broke off mid-sentence as Jason entered the cave. "...Well?" he turned to ask impatiently.

Jason shook his head. "Still nothing."

"Damn it," Tim muttered. "Where could she have disappeared to?"

That, Bruce thought perturbedly, was what he wanted to know. Nothing had been heard from Nona in the week since Jason had promised her his assistance, and the silence was beginning to worry him. His greatest efforts had still managed to turn up very little information on the woman's past, and just knowing that her goal was to take over Gotham wasn't enough to let him predict her actions. Worse still, it wasn't just Red Hood whom Nona had ceased contacting. If anyone had seen or heard from her in the last seven days none of them were talking about it. The city's rotten underground grapevine was bursting with speculation about its would-be new mistress, but fact and evidence were sorely lacking.

It was as if Nona had vanished into thin air, and the idea made Bruce shiver.

"I still think you should go back to the Joker," Damian returned to the topic they'd been discussing before Jason's arrival. "If he knows that Nona is trying to overthrow him-"

Jason snorted derisively, cutting the teen off. "What," he asked cuttingly, "you think he'll want to help us take her down?"

"No," Damian glared. "But he might at least give us a hint as to where she is. If she's still trying to make him think that she's working for him, she would have to keep him somewhat informed about her movements, right?"

"Hypothetically," Tim mused. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then went on. "But if he thinks she's still working for him he's not going to tip his hand. He'd have to know that she's a wolf in sheep's clothing. If we give him information that makes him begin to suspect that Nona is acting against him...well, it's the Joker. He'll probably have her killed."

"I wish him luck," Jason opined.

"Yeah, Drake. How would that be a bad thing, exactly?"

"It would be a bad thing because the goal is that nobody dies," Bruce rumbled back into the conversation. "Manipulating a situation in order to get somebody killed is not how we work, Damian."

"Speak for yourself," Jason retorted.

As Bruce flinched, Tim leaped to his defense. "What are you saying, Jason? That you want to go talk to the Joker?"

"No," Jason sneered. "I'm a double agent, remember, genius? Me going to talk to the Joker would look pretty sketchy from Nona's point of view. I'm just saying that I'm not on too high of a moral horse to keep a bad situation from becoming worse through inaction. If the Joker is let in on the fact that Nona's a traitor, she dies. But if he's not let in on that fact, and if Nona gains much more support than she already has, we might be the ones who end up dead. I know which of those endings I prefer."

"So then what?" Damian pressed. "The Joker kills Nona, and then?"

"...Then Jason would have to go after the Joker," Tim concluded slowly. "You've let it be known that you're working for Nona; if she's killed, you'll be expected to pursue her killer."

"It would be the perfect excuse," Jason admitted.

"But it wouldn't be necessary," Bruce insisted. "You're working for her, but you're not allied to her. She's using you like a hired gun, Jason, or at least I suspect that she would be if she was using you at all. You don't owe her allegiance; you don't have to kill anybody, and neither does the Joker. Nobody has to die." He aimed a pleading look at his second son. "Nobody has to die for justice to be done. It's not a question of being on a high moral horse; it's a question of preventing a bloodbath."

Jason's mouth tightened as he turned his head away with an annoyed toss. An awkward silence unfurled, and was broken only when Dick appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey..." His wan smile collapsed into a frown. "...Feels like I walked into something heavy. What's going on?"

Bruce had to hide a wince as he examined his eldest. Ten days of terrible nightmares hadn't done the injured man any favors, and as he stood beneath the cave's fluorescents his pallor and weight loss were starkly evident. For the briefest of moments Bruce wished that he could go to the Joker, go to the Joker and let Nona die, if only so that his son might rest in peace. "...Nothing, chum," he answered, shaking his head to rid himself of that unacceptable thought.

Dick's gaze forgave him, then slid to Jason. "Jay?"

"We were discussing tipping the Joker off so he kills Nona," the younger man replied.

"Jason!" Bruce exclaimed. Dick was seeing enough destruction in his dreams; he didn't need to worry about it in real life, too.

Apparently unbothered by the chastisement in Bruce's speaking of his name, Jason glanced at him. "Quit helicopter parenting," he said lazily.

"It's okay, Bruce," Dick calmed him. "...So long as we aren't actually doing that, I mean."

"Why not do it?" Damian pushed. "We wouldn't be killing anyone. We'd just be...sharing information."

"The kid's right," Jason agreed.

"I'm not a kid."

"Do you want to be right, or not?"

"That wouldn't change either way."

Jason smirked. "...Heh. Yeah, okay. You're still right." He paused. "...Kid."

"Tsk."

Watching them, Bruce was torn. It had been beautiful to watch Jason slowly come back into the family over the last ten days, and this little moment of almost-friendly teasing between him and Damian made his heart ache with joy. At the same time, though, it sickened him to think that they were in agreement about killing someone. Yes, that someone was Nona, and yes, they all loathed her for what she had had a hand in doing to Dick; but a death sentence was too much, especially if the executioner was to be the Joker.

Fortunately Dick's tongue was less tied with emotion than his was. "Guys, we can't do that," he said gently. "It's not right."

Damian's face went suddenly stormy. "Why not?!" he all but exploded.

Dick appeared surprised by the violence in that short question, but he recovered quickly. "You know why, little brother. You know the rules."

The teen flailed and leaped up from his chair. "I don't care, Grayson!" he shouted. "If getting her killed makes you better, then I don't care about the stupid rules! And you shouldn't either," he jabbed at Bruce. "...If it makes him better, you shouldn't care about the rules either." "Aw, Dami…" Dick stretched his good hand out towards the teen, but his offer of comfort was resolutely marched past. Only when Damian had vanished into the shadows did he let his arm fall back to his side. "…Crap."

"Would it help?" Tim asked after a brief silence. "I mean…it might make the dream go away, don't you think?"

"No," Dick stressed. "…No. Don't even think like that, Timmy. Nona being dead wouldn't help, especially if you all had something to do with it. The dream is just…" He sighed heavily. "The dream is just something I have to get through on my own. But anyway," he changed the subject, "tonight…I thought you were going to Bludhaven tonight."

"We are," Bruce agreed.

"We are?" Tim queried.

"Yes. We are. That's the point I was getting to when Jason came in."

"But-"

"Madden's back at work," Dick explained before Tim could finish voicing his confusion. "…Babs and I found out this morning, while you were all still asleep. The website implies that he's working normal hours, but…"

"But the odds are good that he's staying late, too," Bruce finished grimly.

"…Do you think he has another victim, or…?"
"We don't know," Dick shook his head. "There are plenty of new missing persons cases on that side of the river, but then there always are."

"What about the Joker? Is he treating him again?"

"Maybe. We don't know that either. Without the Arkham records, there's no telling."

"He'd have to be crazy to do it."

Dick hummed. "Crazy…or very, very clever."

Bruce arched an eyebrow. "Clever?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Clever. Look, I've done a little extra research into Madden since…well, over the last few days. I didn't mention it because it didn't really seem pertinent at the time and I thought it would make you all…well, some of you…upset if you knew." He gave a one-armed shrug. "I just wanted to know more about him, the same as I did with Nona. What I found out is that Madden's no pushover. He's good at what he does." A wry smile twisted his lips as he gestured to himself. "Case in point. Given that, I can't see him taking on someone like the Joker as a patient unless he had put some serious protections in place. I don't know what, exactly, but…something. And something effective, too," he added, "because not only is he still alive despite losing me, he's also back at work."

"…He's got a point," Jason put in. "We know the Joker didn't like the silent room; that's why he 'volunteered' Nightwing to go in his place, right? So even if Madden's not putting the Joker in there anymore, he'd have to be either insane or ridiculously confident to show his face in public again."

"In Bludhaven, though?" Tim frowned. "It would be harder for the Joker to hit him there."

"But not impossible," Dick contributed. "He used to send out for the occasional job in Bludhaven just to screw with me when I was over there full-time. Remember, Bludhaven's crazies end up in Arkham, too. The longer he's in there the more connections he has on both sides of the river."

"Oh, great, a two cities Joker," Jason muttered. "Remind me again why we haven't killed him yet?"

There was no accusation in Jason's tone, but Bruce took his remark as a calling-out anyway. The old guilt filled him as it always did when he was reminded of the main reason why a reconciliation with his second son had been made necessary to begin with. He hadn't killed the Joker in revenge for Jason, he hadn't killed him or stood back and allowed him to die in the years since, and now another one of his children – all of them, really – was suffering because of that ongoing failure. Now not just Gotham but Bludhaven, too, was more at risk than ever. "I'm sorry," he breathed, glancing between them. "…I'm sorry, boys, but there's nothing I can do about it. Not like that. You know that." Dick's eyes were already soft with understanding, so he turned to Jason. "…You know that," he reiterated.

Jason stilled, his expression offended. Bruce knew that this wasn't the best environment in which this long-dodged topic could have been brought up, but it was done, and he had to press forward. "Please," he whispered huskily. "You know why."

"…Yeah," Jason spat eventually. "I know why. But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

He spun on his heel as if to leave, and Bruce felt his throat tighten miserably. All of the careful progress they'd made since Dick's disappearance was evaporating in front of him, and he was helpless to stop it. If only, he lamented silently, he had just a little less control over that do-gooding steed that Jason pictured him astride of. Maybe then he might not have been able to rein it in when life urged it to buck; maybe then he could have passed into the beautiful vista that had beckoned to him in quiet moments for the past week. But no, he'd kept his fingers clasped tight on the leads and refused to be unseated, content to trade the kingdom he might have had for a horse. He was a fool, an absolute fool…

"He's not asking you to be happy about it," Dick's voice broke through his thoughts. "He's just asking you to understand."

Jason halted so suddenly that his shoes gave a faint squeak against the polished concrete. For a moment after that the only sound in the cave was his harsh, rapid breathing. "I don't want to talk about this right now," he managed.

"But you'll come back?" Dick pressed. "You're not leaving leaving, right?"

"I…I have to go." He started forward again.

"Jason," Bruce nearly whined, leaning forward after him. He heard Tim shuffle closer in a show of support, but he didn't look over. As much as he loved him, he wasn't the one he wanted just then.

"I said not now!" Jason pressed his balled fists tight against his temples, but he didn't stop his feet. "Just…not now. Later. Not now; later."

When he'd gone, Bruce slumped back in his chair. "Shit," Tim murmured beside him. "…Now what?"

"Now we go to Bludhaven," Damian announced as he stepped out from where he had clearly been hiding and listening. "…If we can't get rid of the Joker or Nona, I at least want a piece of Madden."

"Dami?" Dick spoke up.

"What?"

"…Killing Madden won't help me, either."

"I know. I didn't say I wanted to kill him; I just want a piece of him. But if it would help," he said fiercely, his jaw set, "I would do it."

"…I know," Dick nodded sadly. "And that makes me sad, little brother."

Something flickered in Damian's expression at that, and Bruce felt a trickle of relief. For the still-suspicious teen and Jason to agree about something was a good thing, but for Damian to be pulled back into killing by his elder brother would be unacceptable. If anything could restrain the youth from returning to his old ways, though, it was the idea that Dick would be hurt by or think less of him for doing so.

Before he could dwell on that for long Damian squared his shoulders and crossed his arms. "It wasn't supposed to make you feel sad, Grayson," he glared.

"I know. It was supposed to make me feel loved."

The boy looked about to answer 'yes', but a glance towards his audience forced his lips into a thin line instead. "…I'm going to go get dressed," he mumbled, and headed towards the changing area.

"And you two?" Dick asked when neither Tim nor Bruce moved. "…I have to admit, Bruce, if you don't go with him I really will fear for Madden's life. I don't think he'd mean to do it, but there's been so much turmoil lately…"

"The hormones don't help, either," Tim added.

"Yeah…it's all kind of hitting the fan at once for him. I'd try cuddling, but the last time I did that I woke up screaming and freaked him out. He's been alternating between hovering and avoiding me ever since." He sighed. "…Want to give him a big hug in my stead, Timmy?"

"The way things have been, Dick, I'm tempted. I'm about ready for some cuddles myself. But not right now, because the more I think about tonight the more I agree with Damian." Now, finally, Tim stepped forward and made to follow the boy. "…I want a piece of Madden, too."

In a minute it was just the two of them, Bruce and Dick, as it had been at the start of the whole marvelous clusterfuck that the billionaire had woken in every morning of late. "…Bruce?" Dick asked gently. "Are you okay?"

"Chum…tell me he'll be back." Dick would know; Dick always seemed to know things like that, at least about his brothers.

"He'll be back. He's just struggling with it. It's been a long time, and it still hurts him."

"I know it does, but what else was I supposed to do?"

"…I didn't mean that you didn't kill the Joker, although that probably still hurts him, too. I meant the separation. I think that hurts worse, to be honest. It hurts worse because he's finally realized that he could have ended it well before now."

"How do you know that?" Jason hadn't told him something of that nature, surely…

Dick laughed a little bitterly. "Been there, done that. I've experienced that pain personally, and he knows it. He can't stay away forever, Bruce, and not just because he's in this Nona business with us. He wants to come back, the same as I did; he's just having a harder time working out all the kinks. But he'll get there." His lips curved upward. "He's more bull-headed than you are, you know. That's what's kept him away for so long." A beat passed. "It's also what will eventually get him home."

He swayed slightly once he'd finished. Seeing the motion, Bruce gained his feet in the space of a blink. "I'm okay," Dick insisted. "Just tired. Seems to be the new norm for me."

"Not forever," the billionaire said, gripping his elbow fearfully. "You'll conquer it, Dick."

"I know." He yawned. "…I think I'll try again right now, actually. I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea, but at least if I sleep while Alfred and Babs are down here and the rest of you are out of the house there won't be anyone to hear me wake up a failure."

"You're not a failure. Don't ever say that."

"Okay. But dad?"

He swallowed hard. "Hmm?"

"…Neither are you." Dick pulled away then, and started for the stairs. "See you later, huh? Maybe I'll finally have some good news."

Unable to speak, Bruce watched him depart in silence. When he was alone his face slowly settled into a hard mask. Dick should have been going with them tonight, out on a normal patrol on a normal night. Instead he was going to bed to battle demons that he had done nothing to deserve. He couldn't undo that any more than he could lend aid in his son's mental war, but he could ensure that at least one of the responsible parties paid a heavy price for that unjust burden.

It wasn't the evening he would have preferred, and it certainly wasn't the shining paradise he still hoped to achieve in the end, but it would serve to quell his hurt and anger for a little while more.