High atop an aging cathedral Batman watched his city. He was alone. Again. And that was how it should be…although…if he truly believed that, why could he not keep Alfred's admonition that Batman needed his younger counterparts from running through his mind? He and Dick had parted badly earlier that evening; once again unable to meet eye to eye on an issue. Barbara would probably take Dick's side…if given the chance. Which is why his link to Oracle remained off-line.

Robin and Batgirl had disappeared. Batman knew they, too, were probably trying to wrap up the case…though he had stated that he didn't "require" their assistance any more, just before Dick blew up at him…they hadn't stuck around long enough for him to expressly forbid them from helping.

That was the difference, he mused silently, between Dick and Tim. Dick would argue and fight any decision he disagreed with, trying to convince another of his view. If that didn't work, he ended up eventually doing what he thought was right, yet leaving a rift behind him. Tim would simply go his own direction, finding the loopholes through which he could operate. Oh, he would face the consequences later, fully prepared for any punishment offered. But he didn't let Batman, or anyone else, stand in the way of what he believed. None of them did, really, but Tim had been a much more independent Robin than Dick or Jason. He was autonomous and disliked having that taken from him. It was something Batman admired in Tim, even as he rued the fact that it meant Robin was less reliant on Batman…and as he feared that there was the chance that some day their beliefs may not coincide.

Or that Tim's actions may lead him into a situation he would need backup for and his independence would leave him without the support required...something Batman himself had experienced. There it was again…Alfred's voice in his head. Batman shook it off, focusing, instead, on the problem at hand.

Joker's formula had been no more difficult to dissect than any of his others, taking awhile to bring together the right chemicals, but still something Batman could counteract… or so it had seemed. But now the city was experiencing the effects of the hastily concocted antidote.

The original formula had held a mixture of anesthetics, narcotics, and other seemingly random chemicals that had rendered the victims unconscious. When Batman had created the antidote, he had brought the patients out of the coma-like trance, unknowingly activating a second reaction within the victim's body. The antidote, combined with natural hormones and one or two of those apparently random chemicals mixed in the original gas, had caused the individual to become receptive to commands issued from an outside source.

Batman had overheard Batgirl and Oracle's remarks when the first encounters had occurred. He, too, had thought immediately of a connection to Mad Hatter. Though while Oracle had simply verified his whereabouts, Batman had paid him a little visit. There was no connection. At least, not one that would implicate Hatter as an accomplice. But Joker had been in a cell near the Hatter's for a while, and one of the orderlies admitted that Hatter had enjoyed conversing on the subject of mind control at some length… though why no one had realized that the sharing of criminal techniques between the inmates would be a bad thing and put a stop to it was unclear.

So, Joker had a veritable army under his control. And there was little doubt that he would use it to some nefarious end. It was a situation that would require very careful handling…if he were to avoid fallout similar to the disastrous end to the "war games" that Stephanie had unleashed upon the city. As much as he could use the help of his younger partners, even just for crowd control purposes, he was loathe to submit them to the possibility that the police and the public could turn completely against them…again.

Then there was the risk that, unbeknownst to him, Cassandra had pointed out earlier. The people who were being controlled still maintained their previous levels of functionality. At least none of the Bat-clan had superpowers to worry about, should they fall under the control of a villain, but they had enough training to do substantial damage. Of course, if that were the only risk, Batman himself shouldn't be taking on the Joker, as he had more training and experience than any of them.

Of course, the desire to protect them that also played a small part. A very small part. He knew, as they all did, the risks each of them took every night. While Joker was a more deadly and unpredictable criminal, and though he had managed to destroy the lives of more than one of the members of Batman's family, the likelihood that he would manage to kill another of them was not too much higher than the risk of being shot by a gang member or a housebreaker.

But a fourth possibility existed, and it was this, more than anything else, that caused him to resume his vigil alone. And that was the fact that Joker was his responsibility. It had been suggested more than once over the years that such villains as Joker, Poison Ivy, Two Face, and the others only sprang into existence because he had begun to work as Batman. It was a theory of balance, one that, though he mostly discounted it, he could never completely ignore. Would the major psychotic criminals of Gotham have existed had Batman never come onto the scene? There was no way to know… not now. But, having lost control of the situation too many times in recent months, Batman felt that he had to bring Joker down… and he had to do it alone.


"…so…what do you think?" Robin eyed Batgirl worriedly, hoping she would acquiesce to his plan. Her head was still cradled in her hands, but she didn't seem quite as tense as she had before.

"It…makes sense." When no other statement was forthcoming, he sighed.

"Ok…so, what are we going to do about it?" This time she looked up, confusion evident in her eyes.

"We?"

"Ummm…yeah. As in… we, Batgirl and Robin, the two of us, you and me."

"But…I thought…" He waited, trying not to be impatient, knowing how hard it was to form coherent thoughts when in the grips of a migraine. Unfortunately that knowledge didn't seem to be enough, as the silence grew longer.

"Batgirl, what is it?" She winced, and he regretted raising his voice, even though he hadn't spoken very much above a whisper. "Sorry."

"You said…I thought… since I am…um…com…compromised?…I can't…" Understanding lit Robin's face.

"Batgirl, I didn't say you were 'compromised'. In fact, I believe I said just the opposite." He sighed. "Ok, let's go over this one more time…" She groaned, lowering her head back into her hands. "You got hit with Joker's formula on the card. Because of the generality of the cure Batman used, or possibly because of something in you, you came out of it. Now the 'special' antidote is creating zombies, but you aren't affected. Why? I don't know. Maybe because you didn't use the specific antidote. Or maybe this headache is an indicator that whatever device Joker's using to control the victims it trying to work on you and it can't."

"Why not?"

"Well, you're probably not going to like this…but since you're incapacitated I'll risk it." She didn't react and he shook his head. "That was a jok…oh, never mind. You're probably not in the mood for humor right now…anyway, where was I? Oh yeah! My theory is that the reason Joker can't control you is the same reason you can't read." This time she did look up.

"You said all that before."

"Yeah…?"

"And I said it made sense."

"Yeah…ok…so what part made you think that you couldn't…"

"If Joker's…thing is in my…head…what if it gets through?" She didn't quite manage to disguise the despair in her voice, and Robin nodded sympathetically.

"I really don't think it will…it hasn't yet, and usually there is some kind of time limit to these things, you know…like if it can't get control of you almost immediately it probably won't ever. And if it does, well, that's what I'm here for, right?" She didn't seem convinced. Of course, knowing her combat skills and ability to predict movements…he wasn't really feeling convinced himself. He sighed. "Listen, the truth is, I don't think it will make it through. Like I said before, we know you have trouble reading, right? And the article by Dr. Friedman said people with language problems often have differences… physical differences…or chemical ones, too, I guess… but still, differences that aren't easily explainable. And with those differences in your brain…it could be that Joker's formula simply can't work on you…which means we have an ace up our sleeve that could be the difference between defeating the Joker and finding ourselves about six feet under."


To be continued…