Chapter Nine

Dick Grayson slipped out into the early morning light, leaving Kory Anders, Starfire to recover. Dr. Tompkins had moved her from the bottom floor where she had been treated for her injuries to an infirmary on the fourth floor. Things were looking up for him at last.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him; he hadn't realized how worried he was until that moment. He pulled out his grapple gun and secured it to the roof. He swung off the ledge and let himself swoop down and landed on the concrete with ease, landing near his motorcycle.

He drove through the streets, making his way back to the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. He had been up all night and he felt exhausted. He was going to crash the moment he got home. He hadn't realized how tired he was.

He pushed a button on the cycle that opened a sewer grate that was actually part of the entrance to the Batcave. He weaved his way through the darkness, turning on the headlights. He pulled the cycle to a dead halt and dismounted.

Removing his uniform, he climbed into the elevator and headed upstairs. The shelf behind the grand piano moved itself aside revealing the hidden entrance to the Batcave. Closing the secret entrance behind him, he headed straight to his room.

He collapsed onto the bed, utterly worn out by his vigilante activities. It seemed like forever since he'd been out that long and even longer since he'd gotten a good night's sleep. Dick climbed into the covers, shut his eyes, and slept in a dead heap until late that afternoon.

Kory Anders looked up as an elderly gentleman entered her hospital room. She hadn't seen him before and she wondered who he was. "Greetings, strange newcomer, who are you and where are you from and do you wish to be my friend?"

Alfred Pennyworth smiled. "Well, young miss, my name is Alfred Pennyworth. I am from Gotham City, although I am British decent, and yes, I would like to be your friend. May I ask your name, Miss…?"

Starfire had to think for a moment, if she gave this man the wrong name, she could endanger herself and she remembered that superheroes in Gotham had secret identities. "I am…Kory Anders," she replied.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Anders, would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes, I would like the breakfast very much. Do you work here?"

"No, I'm just a friend of Dr. Tompkins, she's the nurse here."

"Oh, wonderful, have you ever met Robin?" she asked. "I am searching for him."

"Robin…the vigilante, Robin the Boy Wonder? Yes I have met him. A fine boy, really, why do you want to find him?"

"He is my friend," she answered simply.

"As you probably know, Ms. Anders, Robin is well known in Gotham City."

"I understand that."

"He has many fans and admirers; perhaps you yourself fall into one of those categories." A small smile pulled at Alfred's lips. As Dick Grayson's maternal figure, he had watched the boy's transformation from a lonely, bullied, insecure boy into a confident, strong, brave Boy Wonder called Robin. He knew there were many screaming fans that would love to meet him and unmask him. He was always wary when girls talked about Robin.

"I am not sure if I am a "fan" of his, but I wish to find him because…it is very important that I do so." She didn't want to tell him everything at once. She wasn't sure if he was one of the "bad guys" Gotham was infamous for housing.

"I see. Well, Ms. Anders, I wish you luck in finding Robin. And I hope you have a swift recovery as well."

"Well, Alfred, how is she?" a voice asked. Kory looked over and saw an elderly woman with a kind, gentle face walk in the room. She must be the Dr. Tompkins Alfred had spoken of.

"Ms. Kory Anders is doing fine, Dr. Tompkins," Alfred replied. "Ms. Anders, this is Dr. Tompkins, she runs the clinic."

"Am I in a…"good shape", Dr. Tompkins?" Kory asked, trying to remember the proper Earth grammatical structure. Dr. Tompkins smiled at her. She stood beside her bed.

"Well, Ms. Anders, you are recovering well from your wounds. You may have to stay here for a few weeks before you can be released." Kory's face fell, as much as she tried to hide her disappointment.

"Don't you worry, Ms. Anders, you're in pretty good shape for a girl your age, I'm sure you'll be out of here in no time at all."

"I thank you, Dr. Tompkins."

"Now you get some rest, it's the best way you can recover." Dr. Tompkins said as she changed the IV in Kory's arm. Kory winced in pain as the needle was removed and bit her lip to stifle a cry of pain as the fluids entered her body through the reinserted needle.

Dr. Tompkins changed her bandages and she tried not to look at the wounds on her body. The doctor cleaned them and told her they were healing nicely. She then left the room and told her if she needed anything to ask Alfred or push the button on the side of the bed if he had to leave and she would come see what she needed.

After it was over, Alfred set the breakfast tray down before her and she ate slowly, unsure whether or not her body could handle food. After she finished, she lay back down. Closing her eyes, she began to drift into a deep, dreamless sleep. Alfred watched her and sighed. There was more to her than met the eye, and it was obvious she cared for Robin. He had to wonder if the Boy Wonder felt same for her as well.

Aweary Cyborg pulled the T Car into the hotel parking lot. Pushing a button he quickly reversed the car back to its normal appearance and the Titans climbed out. Raven then used her soul self to teleport them to the boy's hotel room so they could all change back into their normal clothes.

"Good night, y'all, I'm gonna shut down," Cyborg said to Beast Boy and Raven.

"Same here, Dude, I'm gonna crash. Night Rae," Beast Boy said. Raven turned and walked out of the room and quickly ducked into her own before anyone could see her. She shut the door behind her and sighed. It was strange not having Kory there. She was used to her talkative nature and questions. Now she was in a clinic fighting for her life. She wondered if her friend was better. It seemed her healing powers had helped some. She had never tried to feel emotions of individuals at a distance, and the thought crossed her mind that she could try to contact her.

Raven was an empath, meaning that she could feel the emotions of others. She wondered if she could feel Kory's emotions even if she was unconscious. Though she was exhausted from crime fighting, she felt she had to try.

She exhaled slowly and began, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" she repeated the mantra again and again, reaching out with her entire being, connecting herself to the emotions of others, feeling for the emotions that were clearly Kory's. She concentrated, sifting through the fragments of feelings she sensed. She felt…worry, concern, an emptiness…it was centered on…birds…specifically…she felt for it again, focusing her energies on those thoughts. Birds…the emotions she felt was different…Birds, birds! It suddenly hit her, a specific bird: a robin.

A Robin! Raven's eyes snapped open, she knew these emotions came from Kory Anders and she knew her friend was alive. She got up and changed her clothes quickly. She practically ran to the boy's room. She knocked on the door. There was no answer. She began to pound on the door until it was opened by Beast Boy.

"Raven, Dude, it's 7:00 A.M. and we haven't gotten any sleep! Can it wait until tomorrow?" Gar asked in an angry, sleepy voice.

"It's Kory, Kory's still alive," Raven said breathlessly. Gar's eyes about popped out of his head.

"She's still alive? Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I think so." Victor came up behind Gar.

"She's alive, and she's recovering. I've felt her emotions and she's still worried about Robin."

"I was worried we were going to lose her," Victor smiled. "Thanks for the news Raven, now go back to sleep. We'll visit her later this afternoon. We all need our rest first." They closed the door and she headed back to her room. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her far, far away from consciousness, succumbing to the rest she desperately needed.

The Titans woke up later that afternoon, still exhausted from their night excursions. Raven went down to the lobby. Gar and Victor soon joined her. "So, when will we go see Kory?" Gar asked.

"As soon as we're done eating," Victor replied.

"Should we continue our search for Robin?" Raven asked in a low whisper.

"Of course, but the problem is that we have no idea where to look."

"We'll have to try anyway," Raven said. "But we should probably go see Kory first."

"And we should probably get something to eat." Victor got up from the table. Raven and Gar followed him to the car. "So, does anyone know of any good restaurants?" They both shrugged their shoulders. "I suppose we'll have to drive around and look."

They began to drive through Gotham, looking at the various eateries, cafés and restaurants. They didn't see anything they could afford in the downtown area so victor headed towards the east side of the city. They eventually came to a little building called the Time Out Café. The small banner read COFFEE, OPEN ALL NIGHT, EATS. They parked the car and walked inside.

Sitting down at one of the booths, they began looking at the menu. "Do they have anything that's vegetarian?" Gar asked. He didn't see a whole lot on the menu, mainly sandwiches and burgers.

"Well, kid, we ain't got a lot of vegetables but we do have appetizers," a heavyset lady with a deep voice said loudly.

"Oh, okay, I'll take two appetizers," Gar said, "the vegetable platter."

"Suit yourself kid," the lady said. "You two want something?" the lady asked.

"Sure, I'll take a turkey sandwich," Raven said.

"I'll have the chicken sandwich," Victor said. "Have you lived here a long time Ms…?"

"Just call me Berty," the lady said.

"Uh, Berty," Victor finished.

"Lived here all my life, kid; why so interested?" she asked.

"Because maybe you've seen a friend of ours," Victor removed a photograph from his pocket, it was one of the Titans as a team standing outside Titans Tower. She looked at it thoughtfully.

"Hey, I know that kid. That's Robin the Boy Wonder; you part of his fan club or something?"

"You could say that," Victor said.

"How do you know him?" Raven asked.

"He used to come here all the time. Never understood why, but this is where he hung out a lot before your friend moved to Jump City or some place like that. Never understood why, this isn't the nicest or the safest place in town, and then Batman got a new one."

"What a new Robin, can you explain this to us, we don't understand," Victor said. "There's more than one Robin?"

"Listen kids, I'll get you your sandwiches; then we can talk about the Bird Boy, alright?" Berty bustled off to get their orders. Victor looked at his friends.

"Do you think we can trust her?" Gar asked.

"She seems to know a lot about Robin," Raven pointed out. "I wonder why he'd hang out here in this side of town."

"Don't know, but we should be careful of what we say, we don't even know anything about Berty. Let's just play it by ear."

Betty came back with their food. "So, you wanna know about the Bird huh? What would you like to know?"

"You said Robin left and went to Jump City and Batman got a new one. How did that happen?" Victor asked.

"I'm not sure. I heard Batman fired him because of something that happened with the Joker."

"Really? Do you know what happened?"

"The papers said Joker shot 'im. Poor kid, then Batman fired him or somethin'. The second one didn't last long though; he just disappeared into thin air. Don't know if he's alive or anything, I guess he's not 'cause Batman got a third Robin, this one stuck around, then he retired. That's all I know, really, just what I read in the papers. Does that help you kids?" The three Titans continued eating their food in silence.

"It does. Thanks a lot Berty," Victor said.

"You're welcome," Berty replied. She handed them the receipt for their meals. Victor pulled out some money from his pockets, which in truth were his robotic compartments.

"Here you go, keep the rest."

"Thanks for the tip, kid. Come back again sometime," she said in a friendly voice. They got up and left the café.

"Dude, I didn't understand a thing she said," Gar commented. "Did you guys?"

"It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, once we find Robin, I'm sure he'll explain everything."

"I hope we find him soon, these late nights are killing me," Gar said. They climbed into the parked car. "Are we gonna see Kory now?"

"Yep. I just remembered that the Batman sent us the coordinates for that place, what's-it-called…?" he looked down at his G.P.S. system. "Oh yeah, the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic," he drove them to the clinic and they parked the car.

They climbed out and entered the building. "What room is Kory Anders staying in?" Victor asked Dr. Tompkins as she looked up at them. "We're her friends."

The kindly doctor raised a knowing eyebrow at the young teens; she had already guessed who they were, since that particular patient was not from Gotham and had no known connections here except Dick Grayson, and she had not seen at all that day.

"She's resting in her room. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you." Dr. Tompkins led them up to her room on the fourth floor.

They walked in and she looked up at them. "Hello friends! It is good to see you!" Kory smiled at them.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gar asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "And you I trust you are doing well?"

"We're fine, Kory," Raven replied. "How do you feel?"

"I do not know, but I feel better than I did earlier."

"That's good to know. We were worried that we might lose you."

"I am stronger than I look," the alien princess smiled. "But tell me, have you found him yet?"

"No, but we're still looking. He's bound to turn up sooner or later," Victor said.

"That is worth knowing," she sighed. "There is something about the Batman that is highly disturbs me."

"What would that be Star, he's creepy enough so he'd disturb anyone," Gar said.

"He called me Star," she said quietly. "It is as if he knows me somehow. Only you my friends, call me "Star". Everyone else calls me "Starfire". Maybe the Batman is not who he said he is."

"Well, I don't know who he is either," Victor said. "I don't understand why Robin just disappeared into thin are once he arrived."

"Unless he is the one under the mask of the Batman," Kory said. "We have not forgotten how he created the Red X to trick Slade."

"Yeah, but Red X was a villain, Kory," Gar protested. "Batman's one of the good guy. Why would Robin want to impersonate a good guy? This city already has a Batman."

"I do not know why, but I have a feeling it might be him under that mask."

"Well, I don't know, but I think we should concentrate on finding Robin so he can straighten out this mess. We're not giving up, Kory. But Robin being Batman is just too coincidental. You've been hurt and you're still recovering—"

"But friend Victor, what if it is friend Robin under the mask?" Kory asked.

"Then Robin's gonna have a whole lot of explaining to do. You look really tired so we'll leave you to rest and go start searching for Robin again."

"I thank you friends for coming." Kory watched them leave. The others walked down to the elevators.

"What if she's right?" Raven asked. "She's the one who discovered Robin was Red X the first time. It would explain why we can't locate Robin anywhere and why his communicator's offline."

"Maybe, but all the information we have is nothing but guesses and here say."

"Which makes it all the more important that we find Robin," Raven said.

"And that's exactly what we're gonna do," Victor said.

The sun was high in the sky by the time Dick Grayson opened his eyes. "Excuse me, Sir," Alfred said. "It's time for you to wake up."

"Bats are nocturnal!" Dick growled. He was still exhausted from his encounter with the Penguin and staying up beside Kory Anders. He pulled the covers over his head and rolled over, trying to ignore his butler.

"Bats may be Sir, but for a billionaire playboy, three-o'-clock is pushing it. Besides you have visitors in the living room."

"Visitors?" Dick asked, snapping awake instantly. "Who is it?"

"Oh, Detective Ellen Yin and Detective Harvey Bullock, Sir," Alfred explained. "They're here to inform you about their investigation into the whereabouts of Bane."

"Oh, I'll go see them right away. I wouldn't want to keep them waiting." Dick quickly climbed out of bed, pulled a suit from the closet and threw it on hurriedly. He tried to straighten himself out as best he could. He quickly darted inside the bathroom and put some gel in it, he quickly straightened out his hair, making himself presentable.

He walked out into the living room where Detectives Yin and Bullock were waiting for him. "Good afternoon, Detectives. Can I help you with something?"

"Hey, kid," Harvey Bullock said. "Well we came here to inform you that Bane's still loose and we haven't found him. We got a few leads but they've gone cold since then."

"I see, and have you consulted the Batman about this?" Dick asked.

"What do we need him for?" Bullock asked. "Cops like me are busting our butts off to protect this city, and that glory-hogging long underwear geek gets all the credit for it."

"I see. So has he been spotted anywhere in Gotham?"

"Yeah, we've heard of sightings, but by the time we get there he's cleared out."

"You know, Dick, he could come after you," Detective Yin said quietly as she sat beside Bullock on the couch. "I'd be very careful." Only Dick and Ellen knew the double meaning behind her words. She was one of the few who knew the secret identity of both Batman and Robin. She was warning him not to do anything rash.

"I understand your concern, Detective Yin. I'll be very careful."

"You know kid," Bullock began. "I may not like the Bat much but he could've stopped Bane. I mean, we didn't get there soon enough."

"But you don't support him."

"I know, but in some instances, he is a nice thing to have around, saves us from injury ourselves. You remember that Wolfie character that showed up out of nowhere, I let him handle it, and it turned out alright. Not that I'm promotin' him or anything, but I still say he should leave saving the city to us."

"Ah, I see. Well, thank you for dropping by, detectives. If I see anything I will inform you immediately." The detectives got up and Dick escorted them to the door.

"Thank you for your time, Grayson. We'll let you know if anything turns up," Bullock said.

"Goodbye, detectives, thank you for your time." He shut the door behind him.

"Would you like some breakfast, Sir?" Alfred asked. "You haven't eaten anything since you woke up."

"Sure Alfred, when did you come home?"

"Earlier this morning, Sir. After I served Ms. Kory Anders her breakfast I came home and took a good nap and then I though it was time to wake you."

"Kory Anders...? Oh yeah, Starfire," Dick shook the sleep out of his eyes. "How is she Alfred?"

"The young lady is recovering quite well actually. She seems very worried about you, Master Dick, and by the way she talked about you it seemed she has no knowledge of your secret identity. I assume she doesn't know anything about it"

"She doesn't."

"But I thought you and Ms. Anders were friends, Sir."

"We are, it's just I've never felt the need to tell her about it."

"Why is that?" Alfred asked.

"There was no need for Dick Grayson, there was only Robin."

"I see, but now that you have returned to Gotham and assumed your alternate persona of Dick Grayson, your friends have no way to find you, since you are no longer Robin."

"Exactly."

"Then they followed you here for nothing, Sir?"

"No, it's just not the right time to tell them Alfred. Not just yet. Maybe later, when this is all over with."

Well then, what are you going to do now Sir?"

"I think I'll take Ace for a walk. It's been a long time since I've gotten to do that."

"Going anywhere in particular, Master Dick?"

"Robinson Park, I'll be back later, in time for dinner."

"And your nightly activities, I suppose," Alfred quipped.

"Of course," Dick Grayson turned and whistled for Ace. "Come on boy, we're going for a walk!"

The dog bounded into the room and jumped up on his master's knees. "Easy boy. Come on. Ace, to the car, boy." They both headed out the door to his car, which was to his amazement still left intact by Bane. Ace jumped in the front passenger's seat while Dick climbed in the front. He drove across the bridge down the narrow streets to Robinson Park. He hoped to have a little peace and quiet there.

He climbed out of the car and put Ace's leash on him. Smiling, he looked down at his furry companion. "Come on Ace, let's go." They began walking towards the park. Once they were inside they began strolling through the park.

Walking along a pathway Dick spotted three very familiar faces. Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg, he remembered their names were Gar, Raven and Victor. He smiled. He was happy to see them, but he had to remind himself that they didn't know that Robin was Dick Grayson.

"Hi, remember me?" he shouted. They looked up and smiled.

"Dude, what are you doing here?" Gar asked, walking up to him.

"Oh, just walking the dog," Dick replied. "Come here, Ace." The dog walked over to Gar and sniffed his shoes.

Gar bent down and scratched the dog's head. "He's nice."

"Thanks…Uh, where's your friend Kory?" he knew he had to bring it up but he wasn't sure how to start. He knew where she was but he didn't want to let on that he did.

"Oh, she's…hurt," Gar said.

"Oh, really. What happened?"

"It's a long story, Mr. Grayson," Victor said.

"Please, call me Dick."

"Okay. Dick, let's just say she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We took her to a clinic."

"I see," Dick looked thoughtful. "Do you know where she's staying?"

"She's in the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic."

"I know where that is," Dick said. "Maybe I'll visit her."

"Really, why so interested?" Raven asked. She'd been silent for a long time.

"She's a nice, and I think I should go see her," Dick replied.

"So are you really a rich party boy like they say in the tabloids?" Gar asked.

"Gar! Don't ask him that! We barely know him!" Raven shouted.

"No, not, that's not true at all, the tabloids are well, the tabloids. They'll write anything if it sounds good."

"Forgive him, he's an idiot," Raven glared at Gar, who blushed.

"Don't worry that's okay. I'll see you guys around. I have some business to take care of."

Dick Grayson walked about the park until he decided to go back to his car. Climbing in, he drove to a card shop. Parking, he headed inside and rummaged through the Get Well cards until he found one. Paying for it, he sat in his car writing a note to Kory Anders, Starfire. He finished writing and drove to the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic. Where he knew she was recovering.

Entering the building, he asked for her room and made his way there. He saw her look up as he entered. "Hello, Starfire."

"Mr. Grayson, what are you doing here?" Kory asked, surprised. "How do you know who I am and that I am Starfire?"

"Robin told me who you were. I heard you were here and I came to visit."

"I thank you, but how did you find out I was here and when did Robin tell you who I was?"

"I met your friends in the park; they told me you were hurt." Dick Grayson pulled out the Get Well card from the inside of his clothes. "Robin told me when he came to see me earlier this afternoon."

"It is from Robin!" Kory exclaimed. "But how did you obtain this?"

"He told me he wouldn't be able to give this to you himself so he asked me to give this to you."

"I welcome you, but did he say why he could not give this to me himself?"

"He had things he needed to do. I must be going now. I'll tell him that you're alright." Kory nodded.

"I thank you. Could you close the window? I am feeling the cold."

"Sure," Dick said. He walked over and shut the window. "See you tomorrow, Kory."

"Please tell Robin when you see him that his friends are here looking for him."

Kory opened the get well card that Robin had sent her. She wondered how he knew Dick Grayson and why he hadn't come in person to give it to her. She looked at the card. On the front it said, "Get Well Soon…"

She opened the card and read the message. "I haven't left you Starfire, I am always close by. I know what happened to you. I'm sorry I can't talk to you now. The situation is too complicated. Get well soon. Sincerely, Robin."

She closed the card. How could that be possible that he knew what had happened, unless…he had been there the entire time. Her mind was spinning with confusion. She felt exhausted. She put the card on the small table next to the bed. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"Please give Robin my message."

"I will, I will." Dick Grayson turned and left the room. He walked down to his car and drove back to the Batcave and began to prepare for his patrol. He had a bad feeling about leaving Starfire alone, and he had no idea why. Hell was about to unleashed on Gotham City, and the match that would start the fire was about to be lit.

It was early evening and Harley Quinn, the Joker, and the rest of the occupants of Arkham Asylum sat in their cells waiting. They were waiting for Bane to come barreling through the doors and smash through their cells. The Venom powered hit man hadn't been seen around Arkham for days and they were wondering if he was going to show.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as Bane's fists broke through the gates of Arkham Asylum. He smashed into the guards, killing them instantly. He then ran through the doors and began crashing through the cells, their occupants wasting no time in making their escape to fresh air and freedom.

Soon, he made his way to the top floor where criminals like Harley, the Joker and The Riddler resided. He broke through their cells and they walked out into the hallway. They looked at each other. The Joker stood to his feet. "Hey Baney! Where you going?"

"I have business to take care of," Bane's low voice answered. He turned and bounded away. Joker shrugged his shoulders.

"So Boss are we gonna put your plan into action?" Harley asked.

"Of course, Harley, but first we need to pay a quick visit to Pengy at the Gotham Penitentiary and see what all this fuss is about Batsy's girlfriend."

'Oh, okay," Harley said. They began making their way downstairs. Various criminals were running about. One man stepped out from a cell and into their path.

"Hello, Joker," Dr. Crane said.

"Oh, Scarecrow, it's you. What are you going to do now that Bane's busted us out of here?"

"I'm going to make myself known. Gotham seems to have forgotten about the Scarecrow. But first I need to talk to Bane."

"Why talk to Bane? We got a better way to get rid of Batsy." Joker said, placing an arm around Dr. Crane's shoulder. "Come on Doc, we're gonna need your little Fear Toxin anyway." Dr. Jonathan Crane placed his burlap sack mask over his face.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he said and followed Harley and the Joker out of Arkham Asylum as the inmates overpowered the guards and poured into Gotham City.

"Where are we going?" Scarecrow asked.

"The Gotham Penitentiary," Joker replied. "We have to see Pengy."

"Why?"

"Let's just say he knows something about Batsy that may come in handy."

They headed straight to Gotham Penitentiary. The Guards saw them coming. Some fled in fear while some bravely stood their ground. "Do you want to deal with them or shall I?" The Joker asked.

"Leave them to me, death will be much more terrifying my way," Scarecrow said.

"Oh, the more the merrier my friend, have a go at it!" The Joker chortled.

Scarecrow walked up to them and without a word, sprayed them with his Fear Toxin. Joker could only laugh in sadistic amusement as the men fell to their knees, writhing on the floor they screamed insanely about demons and boogie men and monsters. It was only a few minutes before they stopped speaking and soon after they stopped breathing.

Joker and Harley walked into the compound, not even looking at the bodies of the poor, unfortunate souls who had just died before their eyes. Joker stepped over the corpses as if they were mere garbage in the street. Leaving them behind, they made their way towards the Penguin's cell. Fortunately for Harley, she remembered where they were holding him.

"Good evening Pengy, how're you holding up?" The Joker asked in a cheerful voice.

"As good as can be expected in surroundings such as these, thanks to you-know-who," Penguin muttered.

"Funny you should mention that, we were hoping to talk to you about Batsy."

"Oh really, what do you want to know?" Penguin asked.

"What's this about his new girlfriend?" Joker asked.

"Oh, her, she's some redhead. Shoots lasers from her eyes," Pengy said. "My Kabuki Twins got her. Don't know where she is though."

"Well I have my own methods of finding out," Joker said. "I suppose since you gave me this information you want something in return."

"Of course I do! I want you to get me out of here!" Penguin shouted angrily. "Wasn't that obvious enough?"

The Joker stepped back and looked around for something he could use to open the door. He found a crowbar in a loose toolbox that some idiot worker had left lying around. He took it and began beating the cell lock until it had a dent in it. "That's not doing me any good," he smirked.

"Give me my umbrella and I'll get myself out of here!" Penguin shouted.

"Let's hope I'm not tempted to use it on you, Pengy," Joker glared. He handed the criminal his effects and gestured to Harley and Scarecrow. "Come on, we have a Bat to send to a box." Penguin wasted no time and broke out of his cell and ran off into the night.

They headed back to an abandoned building. A sign worn with age hung on a building with the words LAFF CITY still visible in the dim light. The Joker and Harley entered the building. Joker began prowling through dusty boxes filled with his deadliest weapons: poison gas toxins that killed most victims within minutes or left them in the hospital unless Batman administered an antidote.

The Joker pulled out a uniform, utility belt and mask. He dressed himself in the costume and turned around. "Well Harley, how do I look?"

"You look like Bats, Mr. J," Harley Quinn admitted.

"Good, now that's what you were supposed to think. I'll be out for a long time so hold down the fort."

"Mr. J, can't I come with?" Harley pleaded.

"No! If I get busted you'll have to bail me out, and besides, I need you to look after the hyenas. Come along Dr. That fear gas may come in mighty handy." Harley hung her head and Joker and Scarecrow walked out the door.

He used a grappling hook to swing up to a nearby rooftop and began looking for "trouble" that he could exploit. He saw a young man cleaning up graffiti and decided to take advantage of the situation. Scarecrow followed at a distance and let the Joker have his fun.

He leapt down and landed near the boy. "Whoa, Batman, what are you doing around here? I saw you leaving Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic. Did you get hurt or something?"

"I'm just fine," the Joker said. "In fact, I feel better than I've felt in a long time!" He grabbed the boy by his shirt and removed some poisonous laughing gas from his utility belt. "You know graffiti's a crime and you're probably trying to cover your trail!"

"W-wait a minute," the man shouted. "You're not the Batman! You're the Joker!"

"Since you figured out who I am, I want you to answer a few questions for me. What window did the Batman come out of when you saw him?"

"I'm not gonna tell you nothin'!" the man shouted.

"Oh well; then smile for me—"

"No, no wait; it's the third window across on the fourth floor. Please don't hurt me!"

"I won't hurt you; that's what my gas is for!" The Joker laughed.

"No, no! Stay back! Let go of me! NOOOOO!" he screamed as the Joker sprayed him with the laughing gas. He began to laugh uncontrollably until his face contorted into a hideous grin. The Joker threw him on the street and his smile broadened.

"Thank you sonny, if it weren't for you I wouldn't know where Batsy's girlfriend is." The two villains headed for straight for the clinic. And the third room on the fourth floor.

Kory awoke with a startled jolt. She had the strange feeling she was not alone. She turned her head and saw her window was open. She thought that was strange since the Batman had closed it. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She saw a tall figure standing in her room. "W-Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the Batman," the voice replied. She was immediately suspicious. It didn't sound like the Batman, not the one she had talked to earlier. It was someone else, but she wasn't sure who it was.

She reached over and turned on the light. Before her was a tall man. Or at least she thought it was a man. He didn't seem like a human being at all. He looked like the Batman, dressed like the Batman, and talked like the Batman, but there was something about his face that she didn't like.

There was one facial feature that disturbed her: his smile. And if she remembered all the stories about the Batman, they say he never smiled or showed emotion when he was on patrol. Then, to her horror, she remembered Beast Boy's conversation with Cyborg about the man called the Joker.

"You are not the Batman; you are the Man of Jokes!" Starfire said, trying to sound braver than she felt.

"Well, Missy, I've been called many things but no one's ever called me the Man of Jokes before, but I suppose it is true." The Joker's grin widened. "This is my associate, Scarecrow."

"I am not afraid of either of you," Kory said bravely.

"Oh, you're going to be very afraid, little girl, when I'm through with you," Scarecrow said, stepping forward. He held up a small spray container filled with his Fear toxin. The Joker suddenly stopped him.

"Hey, this was my idea, so I get to go first!" Kory suddenly blasted him with her eye lasers since it was the only way to defend herself. Joker flew back and hit the wall, leaving a very large hole in it.

Scarecrow was about to spray her when suddenly a Bat-a-Rang cut through the air and knocked the container out of his hand. "Looks like I got here just in time," the Batman said, jumping off the windowsill and landing in a crouch position on the floor.

"Well, well, Batsy, we've been waiting for you," Joker said.

"Nice get up, who invited you to this pajama party?" Batman smirked. He leapt feet first at Joker who blocked his blow and struck back. Batman unleashed a smoke bomb that blinded his foes for a moment. He then threw a viscous punch at the Joker. The blow connected and he stumbled back.

The Batman then turned his attention to Scarecrow. He pulled two grappling hooks from his belt, aiming them at Scarecrow's midsection, he fired. The hooks slammed into Scarecrow, sending him out the window. He hung onto the windowsill and attempted to scramble back up.

Batman turned his attention to Starfire, "Are you alright?"

"Batman, look out!" she cried in warning but it was too late, the Joker had grabbed a crowbar from beneath his cape and struck Batman's skull with it. Taken off guard, he fell to his knees. Scarecrow ran forward and inoculated him with his Fear toxin. His eyes went wide and he began to punch wildly at Scarecrow, who jumped back.

"No, no, I won't let you do this Slade! You won't get away this time!" Batman shouted.

That was all Kory needed to hear, she knew who the Batman really was. With all the strength she had and launched herself at the Joker, smashing her fists into him. She shot him with the lasers from her eyes and hands, blinding him. She grabbed her communicator that was hidden beneath some napkins on the table.

"Titans, the Batman needs help, I am still in the clinic."

"Star, what's going on?" Victor shouted.

"The Joker and the Scarecrow have attacked the Batman!"

"We're on our way!" Cyborg shouted.

Within minutes the Titans appeared in the room. "Titans, go!" Cyborg shouted. The Titans rushed into the battle.

"Beware of the gas, it is dangerous!" The Titans charged him. Raven used her powers to blast Scarecrow back against the wall, the Joker plowed into Cyborg as Beast Boy attacked him from behind.

Scarecrow punched at Beast Boy, who morphed into a tiger and slashed at him. The man jumped back and pulled out some of his Fear toxin. He was about to gas the changeling when Raven used her powers to yank the toxin from him and spray him with it.

He began looking around wildly. "Y-you betrayed me, Joker! Now it's over! You set me up so the Batman could catch me!"

"You must be crazy!" Joker laughed. "I might as well kill you right now!"

"Just go ahead and try!" Scarecrow grabbed another bottle of his toxin and sprayed the Joker with it. The Joker looked at the Titans and shrieked.

"No, no! You won't take me, I'm not afraid of you little snot nosed brats! I'm not gonna let Bats take me in!" The Batman charged into him, kicking and punching furiously.

"No, no! Bats! No!" He cowered on the floor, whimpering.

"It's over, Joker. There's nowhere to go!"

"Oh but there is! I'm afraid you'll all have to die," he pulled out a gun and fired at the Batman before anyone could move. Joker, still under the influence of the panic inducing toxin, jumped out the window like madman. Starfire screamed and Joker threw a gas bomb into the room. The Titans gathered quickly around Raven as Starfire grabbed Batman. She quickly surrounded them with a shield of dark energy just as the bomb exploded.

"Take me…to the Batcave…" the Batman whispered.

"We'll get you there but we don't know how," Cyborg said.

The Batman pushed a button on a communicator. "Alfred…send the Batmobile to the Thomas Wayne Memorial clinic."

"Right away, Sir," Alfred said.

The Batman fumbled for his utility belt, he quickly removed a small vile from it and inhaled quickly. "It's the antitoxin." He gave it to them. "This will protect you from Joker and Scarecrow's toxins."

"That's the least of our worries, you've been shot," Cyborg said.

"I have to stay awake…fight off the toxin…I got exposed to most of it…" Batman blinked. "No…it's not real. It's not real. No!" he began thrashing as he stared around wildly. "Slade… He's here! I can see him."

"Robin, Robin, stop! It is the poison showing you Slade! He is not there!" Starfire shook him. The Titans gaped in shock.

"Robin? That's him under there!" Raven said in shock.

"Oh, Dude…" was all Beast Boy could manage to say.

"I knew it when he hallucinated about Slade before you all arrived. It is him beneath the Batman's mask." Starfire said.

"We're gonna have to get him to the Batcave or wherever before we lose him!" Cyborg shouted. They saw a big black vehicle that looked like a tank pull up beneath the window. It must be the Batmobile. They would have to save their leader at all costs, and it seemed that he was running out of time.