Chapter 2
"NOOOOO!!!!!"
Bruce sat up quickly, his eyes darting quickly around the room....
He lay safely in his bed, dripping with a solid coating of sweat.
It'd all just been a dream...
'No...not a dream. It was a nightmare.' He thought.
He ran his hands through his hair, trying to let the images of his sleep fade quietly away.
Flipping the covers back, he threw his legs over the edge of the mattress, letting his feet slide to the floor. He sat there for a moment, with his pounding head in his hands, thinking of how real it all had felt. Even...
He looked around his body, verifying that there was not a single wound to be found.
His door opened easily, admitting his most trusted family of all.
"Good afternoon Master Bruce."
He glanced up at Alfred, his face still twisted with the grief he'd felt in his slumber.
"What time is it, Alfred?"
Opening the curtains of Bruce's chamber, he glanced at the clock sitting right beside him.
"2:24pm, Sir." He paused, then turned to look at him, "Are you feeling all right Master Bruce?"
Rising slowly, he smiled at his old friend.
"Yes, I'm fine, Alfred. I'll feel better after I eat breakfast."
Looking at him smugly, Alfred walked to the door, "It's a bit late for that meal, Sir." Then promptly left him standing there alone.
***
He sat at the table in the kitchen, reading the Gotham Globe, and sipping a cup of coffee. He'd resisted the serious urge to call Dick, just to verify that he was actually alive.
Rubbing his forehead, which was now pounding incredibly, he pushed the thoughts of last night from his mind. They'd felt so real, he even thought he'd felt the pain. His head reminded him that he no longer wished to dwell on that...he'd have Alfred bring him down some Aspirin later.
Pushing the chair back in as he got up, he grabbed the newspaper, and headed out of the kitchen.
Doing his typical glance about, Bruce pulled the switch inside of the grandfather clock, standing back as it swung to an open position.
It firmly shut as he descended, the lights around the cave blinking to life. Now was the time for review.
Sitting in the cushioned chair in front of the large computer, he began pulling names and files from different data banks. He'd been leaning hard on some drug dealers, finally getting from them that a large shipment of questionable items was supposed to arrive tomorrow night, pier 18 at midnight, always at midnight. All he had to do was find out who was running the operation, and to place names on the buyers.
A small hand rested on the back of the chair, the figure reading silently over his shoulder.
"How was school?"
Tim looked oddly at Bruce, it had been forever since he'd even cared to ask.
"Boring. How else would it be?"
Bruce smiled, turning his attention back onto the screen. Coming around and sitting on the edge of the console, Tim glanced back at the list of names.
"Find anything yet?"
He lightly shook his head, visions of Tim's cut body flashing through his mind before he spoke.
"Not a thing. Though I have found a few leads to the locations of some of these men."
Hopping down, Tim faced him with a smile on his young face,
"Now that's the kind of assignment I can appreciate."
Bruce twisted in his seat, looking sternly at the boy,
"Speaking of assignments, I assume you have-"
Tim's shoulders sank,
"Homework, yeah yeah yeah. I'm going."
Bruce smiled, hitting the escape key before following Tim up the stairs.
He'd only gotten as far as the main stairwell before Alfred came around the corner, informing him of something on the news that he might want to be aware of.
Rushing to the television, he turned up the sound, sitting routinely on the couch, and coming in on a breaking news bulletin
"-had this to say." The screen flipped over to Jim shoving his way through the crowd, followed closely by Bullock, who turned to face the camera's, "No Comment!"
Summer's bright face reappeared onto the screen,
"Though the whereabouts of the Joker remain unknown, police insist that Gothamites remain calm during anoth-"
He turned it off, feeling a bit sick. It was just a coincidence right?
***
"If you're going, I want to go too."
Bruce pulled the cowl over his face,
"No."
Looking heatedly up at the man that was now Batman, Tim turned on his heel and stormed loudly out of the cave.
He knew he was being overly protective, especially over a dream, but it really didn't matter, and to be honest, Joker was too dangerous for anyone to handle, even Batman. But it was his duty as the Dark Knight, the Defender of Justice, the Masked Vigilante...he could think of a million other ones, but it didn't make him feel any better about sliding into the seat of the Batmobile.
He fired up the ignition, and threw it into drive, squealing slightly as he shot of towards the way out.
Reaching down to the frequency tuner, he opened the police channel, listening for anything that might aid him in his search.
"-car in pursuit of stolen vehicle, license plate number 283-"
He changed to another,
"-peat, we've lost sight of suspect. Use caution 331, male escaped from the Asylum earlier this morning. He is armed and highly dangerous."
That had to be him. He waited for a minute, getting the location of the squad cars, and headed in that direction. They'd lost what he'd find.
Pulling onto said block, he looked around, recognizing it as the area of Harleen Quinzel's home. He parked, instantly leaping out of the driver's seat and activating the car's security features.
Grappling up onto the rooftop of the building across from hers, he aimed a small device at her window, and shot a bug against the glass. Placing the hearing piece into his ear, he listened, and waited for noise.
His binoculars rested gently against his eyes, his gaze entering her home from the outside.
She sat on the couch, staring unyieldingly at the telephone. He knew who she expected a call from, and that gave him all the more reason to survey her.
***
Tim slammed his fist into the wall,
"Damnit!"
He was tired of being shoved aside, Bruce never let him handle important things. Sometimes he wondered why the hell he even bothered with it.
"Because you love being a hero." He thought out loud.
He really did. The adventure, and excitement of saving lives was nothing he could possibly replace.
Checking the hallway for Alfred, Tim slid down the railing, and ran to the cave entrance. He was going to be there whether Batman needed him or not.
***
It had been about an hour, and still she sat by the phone. He sighed, thinking dully to himself,
'This could go on for days.'
"RING!"
He perked up, listening intently as she answered,
"Hello? PUDDIN!!! Where? Oh but Puddin', you know I hate Warehouses, the air in those places is just-"
He heard faint yelling, only imagining what was being said to her.
"All right Mr. J. I lo-"
Her hand pulled the phone from her head, and she looked at it like it'd just bitten her. Even with all she'd done, he really did feel pity for her and her delusions of Joker.
He pulled the piece from his ear, replaying her conversation in his mind,
'Oh but Puddin', you know I hate Warehouses...'
Another coincidence.
***
Dick answered the phone, hearing Barbara's lovely voice coming from the other end.
"Hey Babs, what're you....what? He did what? Where is he? WHERE? I'm on my way."
He slammed the phone down, heading quickly for Barb's house.
***
Barb drummed her fingers on the coffee table, waiting for Dick to arrive. Tim had called her just twenty minutes before, telling her that he was going after the Joker. He had to be kidding!
He'd sounded so sure of himself, and had told her of the Warehouse he was supposedly staying in. How Tim had gotten this information was beyond her.
A light knocking emitted from her window across the room.
She rushed to it, opening it to Nightwing's worried face.
"Are you ready?"
She pulled off her robe, revealing the suit underneath, and slid on her mask.
"Let's go."
***
Batman always chose to do things the hard way. But not him, he'd gotten his information the easy way. Good old fashioned beatin'. That was always fun.
He pushed the large metal door open, and snuck inside, trying endlessly to see in the pitch black corridor.
He'd only gotten a few feet before a strong hand wrapped around his arm, and yanked him into a side room.
He tried to yell, but a large hand pressed firmly over his mouth.
***
He released Tim after he knew of whom had grabbed him.
"What the hell were you doing? I could've killed you."
Tim huffed.
Bruce tried to see him better in the dark, but failed,
"He's at the end of the hall, waiting for you."
Tim was thrown back by his comment.
"What?"
Bruce couldn't be sure, but all of this was so familiar. It'd all happened before. But it couldn't be.
"The thugs you used to find him, it was a trap."
Looking towards the open door Tim wondered if he was right.
"How did you know I-"
Batman shushed him,
"Quiet."
He had always been a little intimidating to Tim, but now Batman was seriously startling him. He was talking so strangely, and was for the first time in a long time, scarring him.
A car outside drove speedily by, shining light into the room for a brief moment. He'd been shot in the side, his hand cupped over the hole.
"Oh my God. Batman, are you-"
He cut him off, crouching further to the ground as noise floated from the hall,
"Not now."
***
"Where did Bruce go, Alfred?"
He thought for a minute,
"I am not aware of his current location, but he did take his car."
Dick pulled the lever, waiting for the clock to open,
"Thanks."
Alfred nodded before heading back to the chores,
"You're welcome Master Dick."
Barbara beat Dick to the computer, and set it to scan for the Batmobile.
***
Were they hiding? He couldn't tell.
After the noise subsided, Batman snuck over to the door, and peered out.
"What do you see?" Tim whispered.
"Nothing."
He wandered further out into the hall, looking for any sign of the Joker. There was none.
Tim leaned against the wall, angrily waiting for Batman to decide on what to do. This was just ridiculous. What was wrong with Bruce tonight?
Deciding to check things out and then return, Tim crept out of the other door in the room.
Batman returned, panic growing inside of him as he realized Tim was missing.
"Robin?"
There was no response. Where the hell did he go?!
***
"There they are."
Dick's finger rested against the monitor, pointing out something that was already obvious.
Barb halfway grinned at him,
"So let's go there."
***
His feet silently made contact with the floor as he snuck forward.
Peering around the corner into a large open area, he jumped at bit when he saw him.
The lights around them flared, blinding him slightly as a firm grasp wrapped around his neck.
His face was pale, a large grin painted evilly onto it.
"Hello kiddo!"
***
The lights flicked on, alarming him even further. Where was Robin?
But he knew where he was, somehow, he knew all of this.
He began to run, making his way through three hallways he'd never physically seen before, but he knew them!
Coming to an immediate halt, his heart skipped a beat. There they were.
Joker held the boy, his arm pulled sharply behind his back.
This wasn't happening.
"Oh come on Batman, give it a rest."
It couldn't be, it just COULDN'T be!
Tim began to struggle against him, the Joker pushed his gun into his temple.
"Ah Ah Ah."
He felt violently ill, didn't understand how this was possible.
"Batman?"
Tim's face was filled with memorable concern. He tried not to, but it slipped out.
"Let him go Joker."
He laughed...again.
"Or you'll what?"
A thought ran quickly through his head. 'He's going to shoot me again.'
He threw himself to the side, the bullet only cutting the edge of his arm.
Joker looked frustrated,
"It's either him or you Batsy. Choose!"
Bruce pulled a batarang from his belt, throwing it roughly at the clown's hand. The gun flew from his fingers, giving Tim the opportunity to break free, punching him squarely in the face. Joker clutched his nose, yelling about pain.
Batman stood, stopping just in front of him,
"Pain?"
His fist landed against a white jaw, knocking Joker to the floor, unconscious.
He fell to one of his knees, trying to cope with the shot, and the knowledge of what would have happened if he hadn't....he didn't want to think about it.
Tim helped him up,
"Are you all right Batman?"
He looked down at Joker.
"I am now."
