Eren and Bruce Wayne came down the stairs together. Bruce waved off all who tried to approach them as they made their over to Historia, who was conversing with Lois Lane over drinks.
"Oh, Eren." She said, getting to her feet as they approached. Lois looked up, and upon catching sight of Bruce quickly tried to hide her discomfort. Bruce smiled.
"Ah, Lois." He said. "I haven't seen you since we had breakfast together in Metropolis."
"Yes." Lois said, trying to hide her annoyance at the fact that he had never called her again."Seen any bats lately?"
"Around here?" Bruce chuckled, as he and Eren sat down with them. "Never. How's Superman?"
"The same as ever." Lois sighed, shaking her head. It was ridiculous… she was on speaking terms with one of the richest men on the planet, and yet still somehow Superman, the love of her life, was completely out of her grasp.
"Oh yes, you know Superman, don't you Lois?" Historia asked, turning back to her. "Is it true? Does he really fly through the sky, like a bird?"
Bruce leaned over the table, smiling.
"Can he leap buildings with a single bound?"
Historia copied the movement.
"Is he faster than a speeding locomotive?"
Lois palmed her face with her hand. Historia and Bruce caught each other's eyes and laughed.
"He's very much real…" Lois said, imagining that Historia's question had not been in jest. "He's not a figment of my imagination, I assure you."
Despite her aggravation, she was watching Eren Jaeger very closely. She had never been so close to him before. He had not spoken at all since he had sat down, and he did not seem particularly engaged with the conversation. He seemed to be watching the dancing crowd.
Lois was about to ask him whether he liked dancing, as an icebreaker, but Historia spoke again before she could manage it.
"What did you and Bruce talk about, Eren?" She asked.
Eren didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes, as if deeply considering his words.
"Nothing of interest." He said. "We were just getting to know each other."
Historia's smile did not fade, but Lois's sharp eye was quick to note that the smile was rather fixed.
"Is that true, Bruce?" She asked.
"Well we talked a little about your people." He said. "His impressions on things… Where he would to see them five years from now…"
"Oh." Historia said. Lois wasn't sure why, but she suddenly looked very troubled, and awkward. She cast a worried look at Eren, who again paid her no mind. Lois thought it was rather odd. She was sure that there was something going on here.
She was considering her options and how to best approach the situation when the cake exploded.
Lois jumped and whirled around, seeing a number of party guests covered in cake and icing. A feeling of fear fell through her heart as the soft, gentle classical music playing over the speakers was replaced with raucous laughter.
The entire room seemed to stiffen.
"Oh, is this a party event?" Historia asked obliviously. "Bruce, where are you going?"
Lois grabbed her arm.
"Your Majesty, we're in danger." She said urgently. "It's…"
The laughter fell silent.
"Hello, Gotham!" A loud voice shouted over the loudspeakers. "It's your favorite Uncle Joker here!"
The laughter continued. Historia wrinkled her nose.
"Danger?" She repeated. Just as she spoke, a spotlight shone on the center of the floor. She and Lois looked up, aghast, as suddenly a white faced man spun in a circle, and, with a wide smile, addressed the crowd.
"It is been far too long, far too long!" The Joker cried, as he surveyed the room around him. Each and every way he looked, those watching him flinched, as if expecting to be struck.
"What's happening?" Historia asked. "Lois?"
Lois did not answer. She sat, stiff as a rod, hoping that the Joker would not catch sight of her.
Of course he did.
"Is that Lois Lane right over there?" Joker asked. He adjusted his suit and tie and, smiling radiantly, jubilantly strode over to where they were sitting. Lois found herself groaning: it was like these freaks were magnetically attracted to her.
"I haven't seen you since I threw you off that building in Metropolis." He said joyfully, as he sat down next to them. The crowd around them watched silently as he leaned across the table, leering at her.
"What are you doing here, Joker?" Lois asked, a little coldly. "Touch me and Superman…"
He raised his hand. Glittering on his finger was a beautiful green ring made of Kryptonite.
"Will do nothing." He said dryly. "I never leave home without it…. These days…"
He looked forlornly at the table before widening his smile.
"But what brings you to my neck of the woods, Miss Lang?" He asked. "Missing Brucie already?"
He frowned.
"So am I." He muttered. "I swear, every time I try and pull something with that bozo he's nowhere to be found."
Lois said nothing.
"Batman, on the other hand, is always there for me." Joker said, sighing. Lois wondered how he had gone so long without ever realizing that Batman and Bruce Wayne were the same person. She had figured it out within a week of meeting him. She allowed herself to feel a little smug. It was a well known fact among Gothamites that Joker thought that he knew more about Batman than anyone else.
"I'm sorry." Historia said, a little bit confused. "Who exactly are you?"
Lois could have slapped her. Joker gave a incredulous glare.
"I could ask you the same thing, my dear." He said, in a rather exaggerated pompous voice.
"I'm Historia Reiss." Historia said, as she held out her hand. "A pleasure."
Lois barely had time to usher out a warning as Joker raised his hand to her. She knew that the Joker Joy Buzzer could potentially shock her into unconsciousness, or worse.
"Touch her, and you die."
Joker stopped mid motion. He turned to the man sitting next to him. Eren stared straight ahead, still looking into the crowd, as he raised the glass of wine to his lips.
"I'm sorry." Joker said. "And you are…?"
"No one in particular." Eren said quietly, still not meeting his eyes. "We have that in common, I think."
"What?" The Joker hissed. He twisted his wrist and suddenly there was a knife in his hand. 'You look like you need a smile on your face!"
Eren closed his eyes. He did not seem particularly worried about the fact that the Joker was sitting next to him, holding him at knifepoint.
"Cut me." Eren said. "If you want to see the biggest smile in your life."
Lois almost screamed, but before the sound could come out Historia blurted out. "Don't hurt him, Eren!"
The room somehow began even more silent. The Joker glanced back at her.
"You two…" He said slowly. "Have not yet learned to fear the name 'Joker.'
It happened in an instant. Eren whirled around and clobbered him across the face with the glass. It shattered into pieces, cutting into both Eren's and Joker's skin, drawing blood. Joker cried out in pain as he was slammed into the table with great force by Eren's other hand.
"Fear?" Eren asked, as he raised Joker's head and slammed it into the table so hard that it cracked his skull. "You threatened an Eldian."
He raised Joker's head upward, and Lois could clearly see that that one blow had knocked out several teeth.
"We attack the things we fear."
Eren slammed his head back onto the table. Historia whimpered.
"Eren... Please…."
"Give me one reason." Eren said quietly, as he brought up Joker's head again. Joker gasped for breath, almost crying from the pain."Give me one reason why I should stop."
"That's enough."
The crowd let out an excited gasp. The feeling in the room changed instantly.
Historia gasped. Lois supposed to her, the tall dark figure of Batman standing there was far more intimidating than the Joker.
"Let him go." Batman said, as he took a step forward.
Eren did not hesitate. He slammed Joker's head onto the table again.
"Let him go!"
"This may be your home." Eren said. "But I will not submit to you."
Batman stiffened for a little bit. Lois thought that he had been completely taken aback by how aggressive Eren was.
"I'm warning you." Batman said. 'If you kill him..."
A silence fell through the air. It was Historia who broke it.
"Eren." She said gently. "We should let them take care of it. It isn't our place to… execute their criminals."
Eren said nothing.
"I understand." He said at last. "If that is your wish… I will spare him."
He threw Joker backward and out of the chair. The clown went sprawling onto the Manor floor, coughing blood and teeth.
"This will, however, be your last warning." Eren said. "I will not trust a society that refuses to deal with such trash."
He turned back to Historia and Lois and sipped his wine. He already seemed as if he was done with the situation. Lois couldn't stop staring.
…
"He's dangerous." Following the arrest of the Joker and all his men who had come into the Manor, Bruce, the titans, Barbara Gordon, and Jason Todd found themselves sitting at the long dining table. Beast Boy was bouncing in his chair, seemingly still over the moon about being in such close proximity to such a beloved hero.
"I like that about him." Jason Todd said casually. "And his fine asian bodyguard…"
"A lot of people like him." Barbara said. "I spoke to Dad about it, and he says most of his people say that we should have just like Eren kill him."
"If we kill Joker." Batman said, his voice growing increasingly impatient. "We will be no better than he is."
"But you saved him." Dick argued. He looked angry. "You didn't have to do that."
"It would have been a mistake." Bruce said. "People would panic."
"Would they, though?" Jason asked. "They seemed pretty thrilled about it to me…"
"Why do you say he's dangerous?" Cyborg interjected, changing the subject.
"The fact that he would act on such short notice, with no warning…" Bruce said. "I think he may be a psychopath."
"But a competent leader?" Raven probed.
"According to Historia, she controls political policy on the island." Bruce said. "And Eren controls the military. If she were to die, I think it's safe to assume that he will become a tyrant."
"You can't know that." Dick began. But Bruce was already shaking his head.
"All doubts I had were erased when I spoke to him." He said. "He tried to make himself sound like he was benevolent. Like he was going to eliminate all poverty and crime from his island. But I could tell, even then, that he would be willing to do anything to accomplish that goal."
"Anything?" Raven repeated.
"I fear." Bruce said. "That Eren Jaeger is capable of far worse than we have seen tonight. It is why I have been so interested in investigating his island, and his people. And why I want you all here."
He cast a look at Dick, as if wanting to say something more. But it was Beast Boy who spoke next.
"Uh… I may be missing something here…" He said. "But Eren Jaeger just wants to help his people. Right? Doesn't that make him a good guy?"
The entire table fell silent.
"I forget sometimes." Bruce said. "How young you all are."
He stood up.
"Sometimes." He said. "It is the people trying to do good that do the most damage."
He left them with their thoughts. It was Barbara who broke the silence.
"It may be time for the Titans to hit the streets of Gotham." She said to Dick. With Joker out of commission his rivals will be trying to step on his territory…"
"We'll take care of it." Robin said, sounding a little bit tired.
"By we, you mean us." Jason said as he got to his feet, stretched, and then yawned. "I wonder what people will think when they see two Robins out there."
"Dick, I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Barbara said, turning to him. "Bruce thinks one of you should go by another code name…"
"I'm Robin." They both said immediately, at the same time. They glared at each other.
Barbara raised her hand placatingly. "We'll settle it some other time." She said hastily. "Just don't get in each other's way out there… okay?"
"Yeah, Dick. You better."
They glared at each other and then turned away.
"The other Robin is nothing like our Robin." Starfire muttered, as she suckled on her bottle of mustard.
…