REDEMPTION PART 5:
"What is all the racket? Can't a guy get some sleep around here," the Joker said yawning as he entered the room.
As he looked into the face of the Crow, Deacon screamed again. A sadistic smile had crept upon the Crow's face.
"And here I thought I was going to have to look for you," the Crow said.
***********************************************************************
"Robin!" Batman called, activating his communicator.
"I'm here," Robin replied as his face came on the screen.
"Anything on Cast?"
"He's definitely one of Joker's men. Has been for years. Usually hangs out near the pier."
"I'm on my way."
Batman drove the Batmobile through the streets of Gotham like the proverbial bat out of hell. He had to find Dick. He had to find him before it was too late. He had failed Dick a year ago. Had let him die. He couldn't fail him now. The stakes were even higher.
"Oh God, please. Please help him. Or let me help him," he prayed aloud as he continued his hunt for Deacon Cast. He knew where Cast was, Dick wouldn't be far behind. He had to tell Dick what he had learned.
***********************************************************************
"Weeelll, what have we here," he said gleefully as he saw Deacon writhing in fear on the floor.
At the sound of the voice he hated most in the world, Dick stood tall and straight, his back to the Joker. Slowly, he extended his hands out to his side, like a bird spreading his wings. His movements were deliberate. Calculated. Deadly. Methodically, he turned around.
"Bwahahahahaha," the Joker's laughed echoed through the fun house. Then it stopped as suddenly as it started. "Copyright infringement!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he pointed at the Crow with his long, lanky finger, "I will sue! The scary clown gig is allllll mine. Who do you think you are?"
"Retribution. Righteous anger. Revenge."
"Been done," Joker replied as he pulled a loaded pistol from his purple jacket and calmly shot Dick in the chest until the magazine clicked empty.
***********************************************************************
"Batman, you don't think that Dick would really..."
"I don't know Robin. He's...different."
"Not that different. He's Dick."
"Dick...died. Now, he's..." Batman found it hard to focus, hard to say what he was thinking. So much last night the boy before him was his son; but at the same time, he was so different. "You didn't see him in the alley last night, not like I did."
***********************************************************************
With his hands clutching at the gunshot wounds to his chest, Dick looked up at the Joker and smiled. As he did so, he dropped to his knees, then toppled onto the floor. Dead.
"Ah, so much for the impostor." Joker said as he turned around, yawning again. "Wonder what's on the cartoon channel?"
"Joker," Dick called out.
The Joker turned to face the man he had just killed standing before him. "Didn't I just kill you?" he asked seemingly unfazed.
"It wasn't the first time," Dick replied.
***********************************************************************
This wasn't fair, Bruce thought as he drove to the pier. If they -- whoever they were who sent Dick back -- were going to send him here, they should have given him instructions. How could they send him back like this? How could they give him these powers and this anger and not let him know the danger they were placing his very soul in.
As he continued his search, he spotted the abandoned amusement park. The funhouse caught his attention.
"Cast works for Joker. The funhouse. Dear God, don't let me be too late," Bruce pleaded desperately as he raced toward the funhouse.
***********************************************************************
"You're almost as pesky as the Batman," Joker replied with a sigh.
"I'm not Batman."
"No, you're not nearly as entertaining. Let's cut to the chase, I have places to go, people to kill. Tell me how to make you die?"
"Been there, done that, came back. I have an idea though, I'll die when I take you with me," Dick said as he grabbed the Joker, violently turning him, so his back was against Dick's body.
"Is this a new cha-cha-cha?" Joker asked.
The anger in Dick grew. The Crow was in complete control. And the Crow was angry that the Joker showed no fear. With his left hand draping across the Joker's left shoulder, grabbing hold of the Joker's right shoulder, Dick took his right hand, gripping the Joker's head.
Batman entered the fun house to see what was happening. He felt sick as he knew what Dick was about to do. He cried out, "No!" But he cried out too late, for as he screamed, Dick snapped the Joker's neck like a breaking twig. Then, Dick let the Joker's limp, lifeless body, drop at his feet. "No," Batman whispered.
Dick looked up at Batman. His face was Dick's once again. Stepping over the Joker's body, he walked calmly toward his father.
"Dick," Bruce began, as he reached up and removed is cowl, " son..."
"I'm sorry. I know how you feel about killing. But things are different for me now. My rules are different. I'm done now."
"No, you don't understand Dick."
"Bruce, you don't understand. This is why I came back. To set things right. I've done what I had to. It's time for me to go."
"Dick, you really need to listen to me," Bruce implored his son. But Dick was still talking.
"I don't want to leave you, but I want to be with Barbara. I have to be with her. But I'll still be with you," he said as his hand reached out touching his father's chest, "here. We'll be together again."
"Dick..."
A swirling white and yellow light appeared in the middle of the room. Bruce and Dick turned toward the light. Perhaps what he read was wrong, Bruce thought. In the center of the light, they both saw Barbara. Her hands outstretched to Dick.
"I love you Bruce," Dick said as he walked toward the light. As he walked toward Barbara. His hand outstretched to her.
Bruce felt a single tear fall from his eye as he watched his son walk away from him. Was this forever?
As Dick neared the light he reached out to touch it, to touch Barbara's hand.
Savagely, violently, he was thrown across the room. He hit the wall with a dull thud. The light and Barbara disappeared. Bruce watched. He realized his mouth was open. He wasn't sure what to make of what he had seen. This was what he had feared.
Dick sat up on his knees. He started crawling towards where Barbara and the light had been.
"Nooo! Don't leave me! I set things right! Please! Barbara! Barbara!" he cried. On his hands and knees, he cried.
The sound of police sirens filled the air. Quickly replacing his cowl, Batman walked over to his son. Reaching down, he grabbed him by the shoulders. "We have to leave. The police are coming. We can't be found here with the Joker's body."
"I don't care. I don't care anymore," Dick said as he looked up at Batman with tears in his eyes. "I don't understand. I set things right. That's what I was supposed to do. I got revenge."
"It's not about revenge Dick, it's about redemption. I'll explain later, but please, let's leave. We have to leave," Batman said softly as he pulled the boy up and ushered him out of the building.
"Redemption?" Dick whispered as they headed into the night.
To be continued......
"What is all the racket? Can't a guy get some sleep around here," the Joker said yawning as he entered the room.
As he looked into the face of the Crow, Deacon screamed again. A sadistic smile had crept upon the Crow's face.
"And here I thought I was going to have to look for you," the Crow said.
***********************************************************************
"Robin!" Batman called, activating his communicator.
"I'm here," Robin replied as his face came on the screen.
"Anything on Cast?"
"He's definitely one of Joker's men. Has been for years. Usually hangs out near the pier."
"I'm on my way."
Batman drove the Batmobile through the streets of Gotham like the proverbial bat out of hell. He had to find Dick. He had to find him before it was too late. He had failed Dick a year ago. Had let him die. He couldn't fail him now. The stakes were even higher.
"Oh God, please. Please help him. Or let me help him," he prayed aloud as he continued his hunt for Deacon Cast. He knew where Cast was, Dick wouldn't be far behind. He had to tell Dick what he had learned.
***********************************************************************
"Weeelll, what have we here," he said gleefully as he saw Deacon writhing in fear on the floor.
At the sound of the voice he hated most in the world, Dick stood tall and straight, his back to the Joker. Slowly, he extended his hands out to his side, like a bird spreading his wings. His movements were deliberate. Calculated. Deadly. Methodically, he turned around.
"Bwahahahahaha," the Joker's laughed echoed through the fun house. Then it stopped as suddenly as it started. "Copyright infringement!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he pointed at the Crow with his long, lanky finger, "I will sue! The scary clown gig is allllll mine. Who do you think you are?"
"Retribution. Righteous anger. Revenge."
"Been done," Joker replied as he pulled a loaded pistol from his purple jacket and calmly shot Dick in the chest until the magazine clicked empty.
***********************************************************************
"Batman, you don't think that Dick would really..."
"I don't know Robin. He's...different."
"Not that different. He's Dick."
"Dick...died. Now, he's..." Batman found it hard to focus, hard to say what he was thinking. So much last night the boy before him was his son; but at the same time, he was so different. "You didn't see him in the alley last night, not like I did."
***********************************************************************
With his hands clutching at the gunshot wounds to his chest, Dick looked up at the Joker and smiled. As he did so, he dropped to his knees, then toppled onto the floor. Dead.
"Ah, so much for the impostor." Joker said as he turned around, yawning again. "Wonder what's on the cartoon channel?"
"Joker," Dick called out.
The Joker turned to face the man he had just killed standing before him. "Didn't I just kill you?" he asked seemingly unfazed.
"It wasn't the first time," Dick replied.
***********************************************************************
This wasn't fair, Bruce thought as he drove to the pier. If they -- whoever they were who sent Dick back -- were going to send him here, they should have given him instructions. How could they send him back like this? How could they give him these powers and this anger and not let him know the danger they were placing his very soul in.
As he continued his search, he spotted the abandoned amusement park. The funhouse caught his attention.
"Cast works for Joker. The funhouse. Dear God, don't let me be too late," Bruce pleaded desperately as he raced toward the funhouse.
***********************************************************************
"You're almost as pesky as the Batman," Joker replied with a sigh.
"I'm not Batman."
"No, you're not nearly as entertaining. Let's cut to the chase, I have places to go, people to kill. Tell me how to make you die?"
"Been there, done that, came back. I have an idea though, I'll die when I take you with me," Dick said as he grabbed the Joker, violently turning him, so his back was against Dick's body.
"Is this a new cha-cha-cha?" Joker asked.
The anger in Dick grew. The Crow was in complete control. And the Crow was angry that the Joker showed no fear. With his left hand draping across the Joker's left shoulder, grabbing hold of the Joker's right shoulder, Dick took his right hand, gripping the Joker's head.
Batman entered the fun house to see what was happening. He felt sick as he knew what Dick was about to do. He cried out, "No!" But he cried out too late, for as he screamed, Dick snapped the Joker's neck like a breaking twig. Then, Dick let the Joker's limp, lifeless body, drop at his feet. "No," Batman whispered.
Dick looked up at Batman. His face was Dick's once again. Stepping over the Joker's body, he walked calmly toward his father.
"Dick," Bruce began, as he reached up and removed is cowl, " son..."
"I'm sorry. I know how you feel about killing. But things are different for me now. My rules are different. I'm done now."
"No, you don't understand Dick."
"Bruce, you don't understand. This is why I came back. To set things right. I've done what I had to. It's time for me to go."
"Dick, you really need to listen to me," Bruce implored his son. But Dick was still talking.
"I don't want to leave you, but I want to be with Barbara. I have to be with her. But I'll still be with you," he said as his hand reached out touching his father's chest, "here. We'll be together again."
"Dick..."
A swirling white and yellow light appeared in the middle of the room. Bruce and Dick turned toward the light. Perhaps what he read was wrong, Bruce thought. In the center of the light, they both saw Barbara. Her hands outstretched to Dick.
"I love you Bruce," Dick said as he walked toward the light. As he walked toward Barbara. His hand outstretched to her.
Bruce felt a single tear fall from his eye as he watched his son walk away from him. Was this forever?
As Dick neared the light he reached out to touch it, to touch Barbara's hand.
Savagely, violently, he was thrown across the room. He hit the wall with a dull thud. The light and Barbara disappeared. Bruce watched. He realized his mouth was open. He wasn't sure what to make of what he had seen. This was what he had feared.
Dick sat up on his knees. He started crawling towards where Barbara and the light had been.
"Nooo! Don't leave me! I set things right! Please! Barbara! Barbara!" he cried. On his hands and knees, he cried.
The sound of police sirens filled the air. Quickly replacing his cowl, Batman walked over to his son. Reaching down, he grabbed him by the shoulders. "We have to leave. The police are coming. We can't be found here with the Joker's body."
"I don't care. I don't care anymore," Dick said as he looked up at Batman with tears in his eyes. "I don't understand. I set things right. That's what I was supposed to do. I got revenge."
"It's not about revenge Dick, it's about redemption. I'll explain later, but please, let's leave. We have to leave," Batman said softly as he pulled the boy up and ushered him out of the building.
"Redemption?" Dick whispered as they headed into the night.
To be continued......
