Hello there. I'm back with another chapter and this one is doozy. I'm just gonna say this chapter has a really dark moment and if you played Arkham Knight, you may know which scene. I think I also need to clarify that Jason will not become the Arkham Knight. Despite me liking the game, I can happily point out the flaws and problems in the game, Jason and Hush being the biggest ones. It's basically Under the Red Hood but the thing is, that story three pillars: Bruce, Jason and Joker. Without Joker, we can't have that scene where Jason breaks down in front of Bruce, begging him to kill Joker and Bruce urging him not to do it. The most interesting and heartbreaking aspect of the story is gone without Joker. Plus they didn't even try to hide the Knight's identity. Some people have suggested Hush or The Joker's son. While they could work, Damien would have made the most sense as he could have tied back to Talia's death in Arkham City and would have the skills and resources to do it. Sorry for my little tangent but I needed to get it out of my chest. Now on with the story.

The next day, Jason wakes up. He doesn't feel the ropes he usually feels, his clothes feels clean and not the dirty Robin suit or prison jump suit he's gotten use to. He also feels the bandages and casts around his body.

He looks around the room in shock and happiness at being freed from the Joker. 'Bruce… he came'. He stares at his old room, practically the same as it was when he left. The relief leaves him when he stops to see Dick Grayson and Selina Kyle, sleeping in the couch in Jason's room. Then his relief with pure rage. However, Jason hears someone opening the door and turns around to see Bruce standing there, his face lacking the usual stoic look and replaced with one of sympathy and pity, which Jason hates.He'sthe who one left him to die with the fucking Joker.

"Jason… how you feeling?"

Jason doesn't say anything for a while and the atmosphere is cold and tense.

"Like shit but I'll live."

"Good. Leslie says you'll recover in a few mon…"

"It's May, right?" Bruce looks surprised and perplexed at the question but doesn't show it.

"Uh yeah, why?" Bruce asks,

"Nothing, I tried to keep track of time but it eventually blurred together." They stay like that for a while, the silence so tense even Superman would hurt his hand trying to slap it.

"Where we're you?" Jason asks, his voice small though there an underlying anger that Bruce picks up and choses his next words.

"I tried to find you but Joker hid you well." "And you couldn't find me Arkham Asylum, the most obvious place in the dam world? Some detective you are." Jason's voice and glare are laced with anger and venom, which makes Bruce flinch.

"Joker sent me the film. I saw him kill."

"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME! How long do you spend in finding me huh!? A Month, a week!? I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU JUST LEFT ME TO DIE!"

"That's not what happened!" Jason looks at Bruce in shock at him raising his voice. "I spent weeks searching for you desperately but Joker covered his tracks well." Bruce stops to regain his composure. "Then he sent me the film and I saw him shoot you, point blank and given how the armor was badly damaged, I don't know whether Joker knew where to shoot or the armor still held." Bruce says, his voice less soothing and ,more stern than before but there was a layer of pain and anguish that Jason managed to pick it up.

Jason reels back like he was just slapped. Did Bruce really search for him? Did Joker lie to him?

"He's right kitten. Bruce nearly killed him after he saw the film and Clark had to step in to stop him." They both turn around to look at Selina, who had probably been listening in the whole time. Dick was still asleep though. 'Alfred probably drugged his drink in order to sleep.' Bruce mentally says to himself.

"And why the hell should I believe any of you?" Selina says nothing and leaves the room, though its not the reason you'd think. She comes back a few minutes later with a tablet in her hand.

"Selina…"

"He has to see it, Bruce." She gives Jason the tablet and watches the video in horror.

"Have you got something to tell the nice man, Jason?" The Joker asks.

"My name is Jason Todd" Jason says, his voice very robotic and numb.

"Who do you hate?" "Batman"

"Did you get that Bats? Kids not yours anymore, he's mine. Mine, mine, mine, do with as I wish." Joker walks around the chair Jason is sitting.

"Hey, I never asked? What's the big secret? Who's the big bad bat? His name, tell me."

"Of course, its …" Jason is cut off by gun shot to, though unknown by Joker at the time, survives thanks to his armor. Joker puts the gun away and grabs camera, to take a closer look at Jason's "corpse". "Never could stand tattletale, that's why I like to work alone, no one to mess with the punchline." Joker turns the camera to look directly at his face, his grin wide as ever. "You really shouldn't drag your friends in to this crazy little game of ours."

Th video ends and Jason is in shock. He remembered when Joker had filmed it and thought he was dead. Had Joker really screwed him that bad?1

"Only me, Selina and Alfred saw that video. I couldn't let Dick or Barbara have that as that their last memory of you."

Jason still doesn't say anything and Bruce leaves the room, with Selina following behind him. A few minutes later Jason goes back to sleep, the conversation draining more than he thought. His mind drifts to his time with Joker.

"We don't want him to end up back here do we? " Joker says mockingly "No we don't Daddy. I want to keep him forever." The rope holding Jason is removed and Jason begins to crawl away. Joker begins to walk towards Jason with 'J' branding

"No, Please don't ." His pleas fall on deaf ears as Joker brands with the barbaric J burn and his screams fill the entire room.

Its morning and Jason is woken by the door opening. He turns around and looks at someone he thought he'd never see again.

"Alfred?"

"I was simply bringing you breakfast, Master Jason." Jason looks at the bowl and internally groans. Its oatmeal. Not that he doesn't he like it, it's just he's not been able to eat Alfred's scrambled eggs with bacon, toast, and ham for months but won't be able to until his stomach can handle solids cause Joker at least once a week.

"Thanks Alf."

The butler and adopted grandfather nods and goes to leave but he turns around and looks at Jason in the eyes, a genuine smile on his face full of sympathy and happiness.

"I've missed you master Jason. It's good to have you back." Alfred says, his voice barely hiding joy at his grandson being alive. Hurt and in pain, in more ways than one but alive and can now heal with his family. Jason simply nods and before Alfred can leave, Jason stops him.

"Hey um, Alfred could you do me a small favor?" Alfred turns around and responds immediately.

"Of course, what is it?

"Could you um… open the curtains to get some sunlight. It's been a while and so…" He trails off. He feels weak for asking Alfred but would rather wound his pride just this once.

Alfred simply goes to the window and moves the curtains out of the way. Jason flinches at first but simply lays down and closes his eyes, slipping into unconsciousness.

So, what do you guys think? Here are the notes:1. I debated on doing waiting later on to do this but Jason has always one of the stubborn members of the Bat family, showing how similar he and Bruce are. So he needs the shock to his system in order to make his physical and mental recovery more easy going (though not by much) and to explain to him he wasn't abandoned, that Bruce was so wrapped up in grief and guilt that couldn't bear seeing the body of the son he lost or hold out hope that maybe Joker lied to him. A bit messed up but it would fit with Bruce in the Arkhamverse. Plus Selina has never been sugar coat things, something that Jason would appreciate. Bruce doesn't but in this scenario, he might do it, not knowing Jason's mental after a year with Joker.Hope you guys understand my reasoning and enjoyed the chapter. Appreciate any constructive criticism but will happily delete any hate comments on any Batman puritans who think Dark Knight Returns sadist and treat his fucking proteges like soldiers is the best version. New flash, its not. Also please share this story if you can