Author: Logan Roberts
Disclaimer: The characters of Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Roy
Harper, Bruce Wayne, The Joker, and Harley Quinn belong to DC.
Rating: PG-13
Story Synopsis: I understand that there are currently two schools of thought
regarding what the Joker did after he shot Barbara. In this story it is
assumed that in addition to the pictures she was raped. This is about what
happens after Dick learns the whole truth
Feedback: Public feedback is welcome. Please send critical feedback to my e-
mail.
Thanks: To Charlene for letting me bounce some ideas off of her and editing and
keeping me correct with all facts.
Truth & Lies: Part 3
"I couldn't do it. Why couldn't I do it? He had shot and raped
Barbara. He killed Jason and Sarah. He ruined so many lives but I couldn't
end his. I was so close. Nothing could stop me. Nothing but his voice in my
head, my conscience. For the second time last night I cried. I pulled a small
gas pellet out of my boot and broke it under his nose. As I watched him fall
deeper into the induced sleep, I put out the call to the commissioners office
letting them know where to pick him up. I tied and gaged him then turned
away. I left through the nearest window. It was facing east and the sun was
just beginning to rise. I could feel him there behind me. He put a gloved
hand on my shoulder and started to say he was sorry. I didn't let him, I
turned and hit him square in the face and then dove off of the building. Then
I came straight here."
Dick opened his eyes and looked at Roy. He was in shock, but Dick
wasn't sure at what.
Roy looked at Dick and with a genuineness that Dick was not used to he
said, "I'm sorry, I had no idea what had happened."
"I know," Dick said, "that is why I came to you. I couldn't talk to
any of them, I don't know if I can trust them anymore or not."
"Wanna get drunk?" Roy asked. There was the Roy that Dick knew. Dick
smiled, for the first time since he saw the pictures.
"Not at eight in the morning."
Roy sat back in his chair realizing he had been sitting on the edge for
most of the story. "So what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know," Dick said.
"Well, you did hit him. I don't think he is going to take that
lightly."
"That is not the real problem," Dick sighed, "how do I look them in the
eye knowing what I was going to do?"
"Like a man and do something the Bat had never done, admit you make
mistakes." Dick hugged his friend and left to face his judgement.
- - - - - - - -
Alfred greeted Dick at the door with a hug. "He is down in the cave
Master Dick," the older man said. Dick nodded and proceeded down.
Bruce was sitting at the computer, the pictures were still up. He
heard his son enter, but he couldn't face him. He knew the pain Dick was
suffering and he didn't know what to do about it.
"How did you know?" Dick asked.
Bruce turned around in his chair and answered, "I had an alarm
programed into that file, if anyone accessed it without the correct password it
alerted me. Clark flew me in."
"How long were you there?"
"I trailed you from the bar."
"You saw what I was going to do?"
"Yes."
"Then I guess you want this." Dick pulled his mask out of his pocket
and threw it at the computer.
Bruce caught it in midair. He held it and began to trace the lines
with his finger. "I also saw what you did do. You had the opportunity to have
revenge, to settle the score with the person who crippled and tormented her and
you chose not to."
"But I was going to. I broke the code. I was going to take a life in
cold blood." Dick's Shoulders dropped. He could handle disappointment from
Bruce in everything but this.
Bruce stood up and walked over to his son and gave him the mask. Dick
thought he saw tears coming from his father's eyes, one of which was bruised.
Bruce hugged him, "But you didn't. In the end you made the right choice. You
made me proud."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Dick asked with tears welling up in his eyes.
Her voice startled him. "Because I told him not to."
Dick slowly turned around. There she was, he hadn't talked to her
since he found out. She was crying as well. Bruce turned off the computer
monitors and slowly left the cave.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
"Why should I have told you Dick? When it happened, you weren't exactly
here. You were in New York living with your super model. You had done
everything you could to distance yourself from all of us. Why should I have
told you?"
"That's not fair Babs! You know what you meant to me. What you've
always meant to me. You're the one who stopped US. You dumped me. Bruce fired
me. I left. But I would always come back to you and you knew it."
"Whatever."
"But that's not what hurts me. Why didn't you tell me later? After
we ... "
"Did it matter? Did it really matter? Would you have considered me
damaged goods? It's bad enough having you see me in this chair. I didn't want
you to think of him ... touching me ... when you look at me. When you touch me.
Can't you understand that? Can't you understand why I never wanted you to
know?"
Dick dropped to his knees. She rolled over to him and took his face in
her hands. The anger in his blue eyes had been replaced with guilt. He tried
to look away, but she forced him to stare into her emerald eyes.
"This happened to me. It was my choice," she said.
"I am so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine how this is for you."
"No, you can't. Maybe I should have told you. I wish you would have
found out in another way. But I can't change that now."
"So what am I to do now. Forget it ever happened, ignore what I know."
"That's up to you."
"I still love you, no matter what has happened. And I can understand
why. But I can't forget. But I can let go. I did when I was standing over
him. I could have ended it. But I knew that would only make things worse for
you." Dick reached up and wiped away a tear from her face. "I will always
love you."