EPILOGUE

The dark car hummed up the hill while the black road to Arkham was still lit, under the dark branches, with the glint of the setting sun, like fire. It passed through the forbidding gate, the streetlamps lighting on automatically, with the deepening twilight, as the car passed. It came to a stop at last, the guards with their stern expressions opening like a line of ants leading their sequential way into the earth.

"Right this way, sir." They showed no fear at his appearance; though it was still spoken of with terror in whispers on Gotham streets. Nor did they bring up the new attacks that the villains, released from Clayface's hold through a brilliant maneuver of Hatter's, had begun.

"I know my way around," the figure said, quietly. "How is he?"

There was a jingle, huge, rusted keys put into locks; the door turned. "It's been quiet. Hasn't said a word, Mr. Jok—Mr. Napier."

With the clank of chains, Bruce stood up, toweringly huge and still forbidding inside the small room, even dressed in Arkham gray.

He waited until the guards had left before he spoke.

"Batman," he said, quietly. His gaze roamed around the bare cell, the barred windows and the stone, mortarless walls, before falling upon the face he'd been wanting, dreading, to see; met the blue eyes, dark as a night ocean, and spoke the only words he had left, the only way to preface everything he had to say. "…I need you."

"I know," Bruce said.

He reached to the manacles; un-did them with the key he'd palmed, the magician's oldest crime; and Bruce turned his hands over, testing his range of movement when freed. "Before all this," Bruce said, slowly, "I told you you meant nothing to me."

Jack turned aside. "I know you did," he said.

"I lied."

From far off, in another cell, a young woman's laughter filled the air.

The Beginning

There were trains
We out-run 'em
There were songs
We out-sung 'em
There were brighter days never ending

There was time
And we were burnin'
There were rhymes
And we were learnin'
There was all the love two hearts could hold

STARRING: BRUCE WAYNE, AS BATMAN

And after all this time
You're always on my mind
Hey I could never let it end
'Cause my heart takes so long to mend
The dream that keeps your hopes alive
The lonely nights you hold inside

And after all this time
You're always on my mind
I still want you

ALSO STARRING: JACK NAPIER, AS THE JOKER, JACK NAPIER & JOAN KERR

There was rain
That we outlasted
There was pain
But we got past it
There were last goodbyes still left unspoken

There were ways I should have thrilled you
There were days when I could have killed you
You're the only love my life has known

GUEST STARRING: HARLEEN QUINZEL, AS HARLEY QUINN
MARIAN DREW, AS HARLEY QUINN & THE JOKER
JERVIS TETCH, AS THE MAD HATTER

And after all this time
You're always on my mind

Hey I could never let you go
A broken heart that heals so slow
Could never beat for someone new
While you're alive and I am too

JEANNIE
LEX LUTHOR
JONATHAN CRANE, AS SCARECROW
OSWALD COBBLEPOT, AS PENGUIN
& FURTHER CO-CONSPIRATORS:
EDWARD NIGMA, AS RIDDLER
SELINA KYLE, AS CATWOMAN

And after all this time
You're always on my mind
I still miss you
And I could never let it in

'Cause my heart takes so long to mend
The dream that keeps your hopes alive
The lonely nights you hold inside

JASON TODD, AS ROBIN
DICK GRAYSON, AS ROBIN & NIGHTWING

And after all this time
You're always on my mind
I still want you

And after all this time
You're always on my mind
I still love you

& GOTHAM, AS ALL

If you'd like to hear an 8tracks playlist I made that goes along with this story, you can listen to it here: 8tracks dotcom (slash) yesterday-was-tuesday (slash) bring-down-the-house [includes songs featured in chapters as well as a few extras]