"Batgirl what's the status on evacuation?" Robin panted, zip tying another criminal's hands around a fencepost.

"All but the South Quarter are secured," she responded.

"Gordon- update me on the food stores in Midtown?"

"Well, we drove them off, but… there's a pretty big dent in the food supply."

"Blackbat?"

"I need help on fire containment and I've still got people all over the streets."

Robin ran south, following a tracer on his minicomputer.

"Red Hood!" he shouted, racing down an alleyway. He found Jason's mask lying on the pavement, and he picked it up, blood splattered over the surface. He muted his comm. "Jason, where are you," he said calmly, and then he spotted his boots sticking out from behind a dumpster. Robin knelt in front of him. "Jason?" he asked hesitantly, his eyes were closed, blood coating his face and matting down his hair. "Red Hood, can you hear me?" He stirred only a little before his eyes popped open, terrified and flicking around to look at everything. When his gaze settled on Damian, his eyes widened.

"Another Robin," he whispered. "Another Robin to replace me." His hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Damian's shirt. "Do you want to go out the same way I did?!" he demanded. Damian jumped back, but Jason had already hunched his body together, his hands clutching at his head. He was trying not to see it, his eyes pinched tight but the images were in the blackness behind them anyway. Images in his mind telling him the thing he always feared the most about his death, that he'd gone to hell. "Make it stop," he whimpered. He could feel the rage. The rage he'd spent years learning how to function through and master.

"Jason, it's okay," Damian assured him, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need you back. Come on." He flinched back away from him. In the haze from the Fear Toxin, he couldn't see Damian clearly. Only a Robin. Only himself.

"You're gonna die," he cried.

"No. You're here, I'm here," Damian told him firmly, his hands on either side of his face. He made Jason look at him. "Breathe. You've been poisoned. Can you feel the toxins? Focus. Can you feel it?"

"I feel death," he moaned. "It feels like death." He swiped Damian away. "Get away." If it was Robin, he could only be here to haunt him. To send him back. "I don't wanna go back," he whimpered.

"Jason." He snapped gruffly, and he sounded like Bruce. It was Batman's voice he heard. "Work through it. I know you can, now do. It."

"But you let me die," he whispered. "You let me burn. I'm still burning." Jason wanted to attack him but knew it was the Fear Toxin and tucked his fists under his armpits. "Make it stop. Make the anger stop."

"Okay," he sighed. He could hear the screams and sirens behind him, gunshots ringing out like a war zone engulfed in flame. "Okay." Robin grabbed his shoulders. "Breathe in." He waited for Jason to take a deep breath. "Out…" He waited again, and then made him repeat it. "You want to be afraid. Your brain is telling you you want to be angry. You don't have to be. Remember what you learned." He watched Jason take another deep breath, and Damian wiped some of the blood off of his face. Titus whined behind him as someone passed the alley. "Get ahold of yourself, Red Hood. We need you. Wayne Tower is under attack. Ivy needs you."

"That's a dick move," Jason muttered. "Literally. That is a Dick Grayson move."

"Isn't it?" Robin smirked. "Can you get back to the tower alive?"

"Currently the world is burning in hell," he groaned, "and I would love nothing more than to rip your heart out of your chest." He leaned his head back. "But I think I can do that."

"Try not to kill anyone," he unmuted his comm. "Ivy, meet Red Hood halfway to the tower; he's not really lucid enough to get back on his own. Can you do that?" Damian helped Jason out to the street, pointing him towards Wayne Tower. "Titus, go with him." He whistled and pointed, and the dog obediently started trotting next to Jason as he jogged off down the street.

Robin grappled up to a rooftop to survey the city skyline, lit with fires tearing through neighborhoods.

"Where is everyone?"

"Dad is helping the GCPD evacuate citizens and round up the escapees and Infected- Robin, casualties are pretty high, and with people turning so quickly…" She trailed off.

"I know," he sighed. "Just get them to Thompkins so we can give them the inhibitor, and worry about containing them."

"Right. I have Batman and we're almost to the tower."

"Catwoman and I are about twenty minutes out," Kate said, and Selina spoke up.

"Where's Batman? Is he okay?"

"Batgirl has him. I'm your only backup, Robin." Cassandra commed. Robin hesitated.

"Right. Assist the GCPD, handle the situation here. I'm going to double back to the tower, too." He ran across the rooftops, leaping over an alley before hitting the gravel running again. "Spoiler?"

Still no answer.

"Batwoman, when you return, take your teams and head to Downtown to assist."

"Roger that, kid."

"Everyone stay safe." And pray that Gotham isn't rubble when this is all over.

"I'm not going to say it again," Dick demanded. "Put down the bag, and get out."

"Or what, brat?" Joker laughed. "I'm the one holding the gun, here. And from the sound of it-" he turned his head just enough so that Dick could see the comm in his ear- "Backup is scarce today."

Dick leveled his gaze on Harley. He was livid, the white lenses of his mask hiding any emotion in his eyes, but his shoulders were set back defiantly, his jaw tight, his hands curled into fists at his sides; he cast an imposing figure and could have been carved from stone with how rigidly he stood, his lips pressed together tightly. Her hair was still curled, up in the pigtails, and her makeup was still heavy around the eyes from when she'd met him with the intention of seducing him and working him into exhaustion. From earlier today. Harley shrank back, hiding behind the Joker and unable to meet his stare.

"She gave that to you?" Dick asked, sighing a bit, trying to curb his emotion. His chest was tight, but his head was having a field day trying to figure out whether it was because she'd betrayed him, because he was held at gunpoint, or because his family was under siege at the moment. All because of him. Joker grinned.

"Gave this one to me, and took yours," he laughed. "How generous of you to give us the first. Show him, Harley-Doll," Joker glanced at her, still smiling darkly. Harley stared up at him, her eyes wide. She pressed her lips together and shook her head slightly.

"She's been a good little soldier the entire time," he beamed proudly, turning back to Dick. "And I do mean the entire time. She could have been a spy in another life. She did so well, I could hardly believe it myself," he laughed.

"You're lying," Dick snapped. maybe if he could keep the Joker talking, someone would come. Anyone could help. He could see Stephanie in the observation room, watching him, TJ looking relatively unscathed, and Tim was unconscious on the floor now. She couldn't look at him.

"Oh no I'm not," Joker clicked his tongue. "She used to come home and give me the news; where your patrols were, who was where in the city; I never would have known that you keep everyone corralled in Downtown like fish in a barrel if it hadn't been for her. I wouldn't have known about this." He held up the bag with a grin, and then handed it to Harley. "We used to laugh about how smitten you were with my Harley. She'd tell me the funniest joke- She'd come home and I'd say 'how was your day?' And she'd say 'same old, Dick told me he loves me again!'" Joker howled with laughter, and Dick's face lost it's rigid composure, contorting in shock and anguish. He believed it. Harley's hands tightened on the bag, and she took a step back. She'd gone numb when he'd said Dick's name; she'd lost her breath at the look on Dick's face.

"Please stop," she breathed.

"Harley, take the bag and get out," Joker growled, his grin dropping from his lips. He motioned for her to walk around Dick to the door. She rushed forward. Joker clearly had the upper hand, and she didn't think he'd kill Dick. So long as he knew he could toy with him, and there's nothing Dick could do, he would be fine. She knew Joker's taste, and he wouldn't find joy in killing Dick if there was no challenge. And if she left, he'd be forced to follow soon enough. Besides, she wouldn't have to face Dick's hurt anymore.

"Stop." Dick commanded. Harley halted in her tracks, not looking at him. She couldn't make herself move. She'd frozen in the middle of the room halfway between him and Joker.

"What do you think you're going to do, make her stop? I'll shoot you in the head." Joker laughed.

"I'm not letting you two out of here," he said angrily.

"I'll tell you what, bird brain, take your best shot," Joker grinned, spreading his arms to give Dick a free chance to come forward and hit him. The gun was no longer pointed at his chest, but instead, was lazily pointed at Harley's head. She couldn't see it, still turned away from them both. Dick looked between her and the gun. If he moved, Joker would fire. "No? Pity. Harley, cuff him to the tables." She spun around to face him, clutching the bag to her chest.

"I… can't."

"You most certainly can." He barked. "And probably have before," Joker cackled. "Do it." Harley winced but still didn't move.

"Please don't make me," she begged. Joker groaned in exasperation.

"What do I have to say to get you to follow a simple fucking command!? Jesus, it's just so we can get out of here without him chasing us down the damn hallways," he shouted, the gun still pointed at her. "Now cuff him to the desks, so we can get out of here."

Harley jumped and set the bag down as she reluctantly moved over to Dick. He looked down at her, his face cold and devoid of any emotion but anger. She stood in front of him and opened her mouth before closing it. She wanted to say she was sorry, but knew it would sound pathetic anyway. Grabbing the handcuffs from where she knew they were in his belt, she obediently followed the Joker's orders, cuffing each of his hands on the legs of desks on either side of the aisle. He'd knelt on the floor without resistance, not taking his eyes off of her face the entire time. Joker beamed when she stepped back.

"Good. Grab the bag, and let's get the hell out of here," he shoved the gun back into his pocket and hastily walked towards her, grabbing her arm and guiding her to the door. Dick stared at the floor, trying to think of any way to stall. Any way to keep them here while help arrived.

"She doesn't love you anymore," he called over his shoulder at them, and Joker's steps faltered. "You can see it, can't you? She used to be yours alone, but I changed that, didn't I?" Dick shouted angrily, straining against the cuffs. The desks were bolted down, they always had been, and there was no chance of pulling them loose. He hesitated and listened to see if they were still there.

Joker stood stock-still, grinning. He turned around towards Dick. Harley was dragged around with him, her arm still clutched in his hand. She glanced between him and the back of Dick's head.

"Let's just go," she whispered.

Joker ignored her and walked toward Dick. "I was going to let you live," he said incredulously. "Why'd you have to go and say a thing like that?"

"Because it's true." Dick looked up as the Joker walked around to stand in front of him. Dick laughed. "And you don't even know it."

"Don't I know it," he snapped, kicking Dick in the stomach. He doubled over, and Stephanie slammed her hand against the glass behind the Joker, her furious screaming muffled.

"Stop it." Harley grabbed his arm. "We need to go," she pleaded. Joker threw her off of his arm, and she stumbled before falling to the ground. Dick yanked against the cuffs, trying to stand.

"Don't touch her, you son of a bitch!" he shouted, dropping back to his knees, but still staring at the Joker defiantly. "You don't deserve to touch her ever again," Dick's voice cracked and he panted, dropping his head to hide his face. The Joker grinned darkly down at him, and Harley watched him in horror through the Joker's legs.

"I can do whatever I want, boy. She may not love me, but she's still mine," he planted a shoe on Dick's chest, kicking him back. He cried out as his shoulders yanked painfully against the cuffs. It felt like his arms were going to be pulled out, and he struggled to sit up against the Joker's shoe planted on his chest. That's when he caught sight of Jane hidden under a desk, staring at him in terror. Dick blinked in shock, and then he forced himself forward, throwing the Joker off balance.

"She doesn't belong to you!" Dick cried looking past the Joker's legs at Harley. She met his eyes before blushing and looking down as she pushed herself slowly back up to her feet.

"She does," Joker assured him. "She's followed my every order from the beginning. I told her to go see you, I told her to take the comms, I told her to steal your medical equipment- Infecting the Red Robin was an added bonus- I told her to get close to your heart- it's a pity she couldn't end you herself. But she would have, if I'd told her to." Joker wound up and punched Dick in the face, his head snapping to the side. He spat blood on the floor and looked up at Jane, shaking his head when she tried to get out. Don't move. He'll kill us both. Slowly, Dick turned his head to look up at the Joker.

"You're a liar. She cares about me. I know it," he breathed. Joker's face fell and he rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Alright, here's what we're gonna do. Every time you say that-" Joker pulled out his revolver and waved it in front of Dick's face before emptying the bullets into his hand. He held up one- "I'm going to pull the trigger." He slid the bullet into the chamber and spun it, pressing it against Dick's head.

"Stop it!" Harley cried. She grabbed Joker's hand and pulled it back and away from Dick. The revolver clicked empty when he pulled the trigger in surprise, and Joker turned around, backhanding her across the face. Dick yanked against the handcuffs furiously.

"Touch me again, you little slut, and I'll leave your body here with his!" he screamed, and then laughed. "All you did was waste one of his chances at life. Five shots left. What is it, a twenty percent chance I paint the walls with your brain on the next shot!?" he leveled the gun at Dick. "You really think I care if she loves me or not? If she loves you or not?"

"Doesn't matter," Dick spat through the blood on his lips. "I do it for her like you never could. She told me. Moaned it, while I loved her like she knows you never can." He bit his lip, not looking at Harley.
Joker's face went rigid, his smile vanishing. Harley stiffened behind him as he jammed the pistol under Dick's chin.
"That's because she's usually restrained and unconscious when I take her," he whispered, a grin spreading over his face again, and a low laugh rising in his throat. He pulled the trigger again and Dick jumped when it clicked at the empty chamber, and he trembled a bit. Not in fear, but in fury.
"You fucking monster!" he shouted, yanking against the handcuffs. They clanged loudly against the legs of the desks. Joker cackled madly, and he knelt in front of Dick.
"Know what else? She likes it. The girl can take a grade-A beating. Until she passes out, of course," he mused. Dick looked down, anywhere but at the Joker, feeling sick. Joker grabbed his face, making him look at Harley, and she recoiled from his gaze. "She never wanted you. She wanted what you had. Freedom. She never gave you anything, she took it. Your communicators, your information. She played with you like a toy, kid," he hissed, "so she could get into my pants."
"You're going to pay for this-"
Dick stopped talking when the gun was jabbed against his chest, his lips trembling as he pressed them together and closed his eyes. Harley had seen him do that before, in passion, not fear, looking down at him when they were together. It was sickening to see it now. She wrapped her arms around her waist, backing away.
Joker glanced over his shoulder at Harley, and then his head turned slowly back to Dick.
"Tell her everything will be okay," he purred, pressing his cheek to Nightwing's with a grin. Dick's lips parted slightly, and he tried to hide his horror.
"Why?"
"Because she needs to see what happens when she betrays me," he chuckled.
"And how is that going to-"
"-say it!" Joker shouted, pulling the trigger. The gun clicked, and Dick cried out, taking a deep breath.
"It's okay, Harley," he choked, and he closed his eyes.

"Three shots left. The odds are decreasingly in your favor," Joker cackled, and then looked up at Harley. "What do you think, Doll?" He pressed the gun against Dick's temple again. "Do you love me?" She stared between Dick and him, her eyes wide with horror. She closed them. It was harder with Dick there. The things she'd said a thousand times stuck on her tongue at the thought of how much it would hurt him to hear her say it, at how much she'd already hurt him tonight.

"I've always loved ya, Puddin," she whispered, opening her eyes. She stared at him seriously despite the tears she couldn't hold in anymore. "You know that. It's always been you." She hunched her shoulders, her cheek still stinging. "In spite of everything, it's always been you," she breathed. Joker laughed.

"Good." He pulled the trigger again, and Dick let out a cry when it clicked empty. "Fifty-fifty now, Nightwing," Joker beamed, stepping in front of him and tearing his mask off. Dick stared up him furiously. Joker backed away from his glare, grabbing Harley's arm. She'd picked up the bag again. "How good do you think your odds are?"

Joker pulled the trigger.

Dick screamed in shock when the shot rang out, and his body jerked backwards, his head dropping onto his chest as he immediately went limp and still. Stephanie was screaming behind them, pounding on the glass.

"Shit," Joker laughed breathlessly. Harley's ears still rang in the sudden silence, her eyes fixed on Dick where he was slumped in a sitting position, blood starting to pour over his shirt from the hole just below his chest. She couldn't make a sound.

"I've made it to the Tower, I think I heard a gunshot-" Batgirl commed, and Joker's head snapped towards the door.

"We need to go," he ordered, dragging Harley towards the doors. She turned back to look at Dick. It was so much blood. She let out a small whimper as Joker pulled her along, his hand around her wrist squeezing her half-healed bruises. He dragged her out into the hall and into the stairwell, banking on Batgirl coming up the elevator. When they reached the garage he stopped- hiding behind a truck as Batgirl rushed for the elevators. When she was gone, they sprinted out onto the street and towards the open manhole cover. As they disappeared into the dark sewer, Joker pressed the detonator for the charges on the vehicles.

Jane scrambled over towards Dick as the explosions shook the building above them, grabbing his belt as she tried to find the keys. When she'd gotten him uncuffed, he fell back against the floor, his face white as a sheet, his eyes closed almost serenely.

"Oh God oh God oh God- come on, you can't just die- aren't you people immortal or something!?" Jane cried, yanking her hoodie off to stop the bleeding. she tore off a piece of the jacket and pressed it into the wound, covering it quickly. She looked around the room for anything to help her- anyone- and she looked down when Dick took a deep, shuddering breath. "Shit- can you hear me? Nightwing- er- Dick, can you hear me? Listen to my voice, now, you're gonna be okay. You'll be okay." She looked up, frantically pressing the comm in her ear. "Somebody help me, please!" She cried, looking over her shoulder at Stephanie and TJ in the zombie cage. She wished she would have let them out first; he was going to go in to shock at any moment, and she'd need help. God knows what would happen if he turned suddenly.

"Hello!?" Batgirl called as she sprinted into the room. Her footsteps faltered and she covered her mouth to keep from crying out before sprinting over to Jane and Dick. "What happened?"

"Joker shot him- I didn't know what else to do- and- and he told me to stay hidden- go help them-" She glanced over her shoulder at Stephanie and TJ in the observation room, and then looked back at Dick. She was leaning most of her body weight on the blood soaked fabric on his chest, her hands trembling.

"Dick!" Barbara knelt down beside him. He looked pale, Jane's sweatshirt covered in blood. She glanced up at Steph before giving Dick another desperate look. Quickly getting back up, she ran over to the cage and input the pin. "Help him," she begged Steph. Aside from Jane, Steph had the most hands on medical experience in the room. Steph nodded before heading over to help Jane. TJ stepped out and closed the door behind him, standing beside Barbara.

"Nightwing's been shot," Barbara updated over comms. "He's getting medical now. Spoiler's on scene as well."

Dick took a deep breath and coughed, his eyelids fluttering as he tried to open them, his lips forming the word 'Babs'. He choked, the pain rushing back to him all at once, but he couldn't scream. It went beyond that. His whole body tensed, and Stephanie let out a strangled sob.

"Dick? It's okay, we're gonna help you-" she looked up at Barbara helplessly, and she cut his shirt away quickly, trying to help Jane stop the bleeding.

"Batgirl!" Jane called. "Get me some forceps. We need to get the bullet out. I think it embedded itself after passing through his liver," she muttered to herself. "Then see if you have any clotting agents in this lab." She tried to maintain the pressure. "Dick." she said uncertainly. "I need you to stay with me."

He tried to speak again, his breath passing his moving lips but not forming any words. Barbara returned with the forceps, and then ran off again to find a clotting agent, trying not to think about how quickly black, Infected blood would clot. TJ stalled her with a hand on her arm and wordlessly offered her the clotting agent he'd already grabbed.

"I tried to help him, but he told me not to. I couldn't…" Jane's voice trailed off. She'd visited her mom at work, back in the day, and even seen some terrible wounds on her trek to Gotham out in the world, but her mind was suddenly blank. She wanted to help, and she knew how, but she couldn't seem to make her hands do anything else but push her jacket into his chest, blood oozing through her fingers from the soaked fabric.

"Don't worry about it," Steph assured her. "He's like that." Jane looked up as Barbara offered the clotting agent. She nodded to give it to Spoiler.

"You ready?" she asked hesitantly, getting ready with the forceps. "Once I remove the pressure, you go. I need to find that bullet without… taking too long… and accidentally killing him." She took a deep breath. "You guys really don't ease your new people in at all do you?"

"We like to give our new recruits hell," Steph agreed. Jane appreciated her attempt to lighten the mood.

"I'll punch you later," she warned. She cast one last look at Dick's pale face. His eyes were half open still as he tried to keep himself awake. The pain was excruciating, but at the same time it was ebbing away, numbness flooding his limbs, and he looked up at Barbara desperately. His breathing grew ragged again, and he tried to keep it shallow, lucid enough to know he may collapse a lung if he breathed too deeply.

"What's going on?" Damian demanded over comms.

"We're a little busy right now," Jane muttered. Her hands were slick with Dick's blood as she worked. "This is going to hurt," she warned him. "You're doing great, just keep breathing, okay?" Jane looked up at Barbara. "Best way to keep him out of shock is to talk to him. Think you can do that?"

"I can do that," Barbara agreed, sitting by his head. His hand twitched, trying to get to hers, and she picked it up, squeezing a little to let him know she was there. "It's going to be okay, you hear me? It's gonna be okay," she told him, lifting his head onto her lap and looking in his eyes.

He wanted to acknowledge her, but he couldn't make his voice work. He couldn't even squeeze her hand back; a wave of pain washed over him and he trembled, the shot ringing in his ears again, and the Joker's laugh penetrating his thoughts as Jane pulled the bandages away quickly to pull the bullet out. Agony burst from the wound again, and Dick suddenly screamed, his back arching off of the floor.

Tell her everything will be okay…

He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe, his vision tunneling. The pain was overwhelming, but for some reason, he felt like hands were closing around his throat, his limbs going cold as he choked on his own screaming, feeling the Joker's fingers tighten on his neck.

"Dick you have to breathe!" Barbara cried, grabbing his face and holding him still as Stephanie tried to force him to lay flat on the linoleum, her boots slipping in his blood. Barbara held his face and leaned down; Dick fell still when her lips brushed his. Her scarlet hair fell around his face, his eyes wide, but he couldn't see anything. His vision had turned to snow, white and black static. Her lips hovering just above his was the only sensation he could feel, and he focused on it; clung to it like a life preserver in the darkness of his vision.

"Please don't do this to me, Dick." Barbara breathed. She didn't know if he could hear her or not, but he seemed responsive. "You have to make it. For all of us. For me. Stay alive. Do me a favor and breathe," she whispered, and he gasped as Jane pulled the bullet out. Stephanie covered the wound again.

"Keep it closed as best you can," she ordered. "Someone comm medical and tell them we need blood and a surgeon ready." She ran over by the cage and grabbed a gurney, rolling it over and lowering it down to the setting close to the floor. "Spoiler keep pressure. Batgirl I need you to help me lift him on. And you," she gestured to TJ, "come help."

TJ hurried over, and Dick groaned as they lifted him up onto the gurney.

"Medical, we're coming to you. Nightwing's going to need blood and surgery ASAP," Stephanie commed, and Dick tried to lift his head as they pushed him out of the labs, his hand searching for Barbara's again. Jane started hurrying them toward the elevators.

"Once we get up there and get him in capable hands, you go get cleaned up and medical for yourself," Jane instructed Steph. "No need for you to turn and try and kill the rest of us."

Robin met them on the elevators, and he blinked in shock when he saw them, stepping aside to let them on as well.

"Are you alright?" he whispered quietly to Jane once the doors had closed. With the gurney on the elevator, there wasn't much space, and he stood directly behind her, bending down a bit to talk to her over her shoulder. He surveyed Dick, Stephanie holding the wound closed and pressing down on it to stop the bleeding. Barbara's hand was still clutched in Dick's.

"The blood's all his," she replied quietly. There was a lot of it. Steph and her were covered in it. Some of it had caked into her hair, and she didn't like to think how hard it'd be to get out.

"Good," Damian breathed. His features were rigid, but she could hear the relief in his voice. Dick fell still, and they rushed him out as the elevator doors opened onto the medical floor. It wasn't nearly as busy as Jane had thought it'd be. Most of the medical staff must have been at home when the attack happened or already dispersed to help in the city. There were only a few civilians scattered about the cubicles who'd come to the tower instead of one of the bunkers. Two doctors hurried over to them and walked along the gurney firing questions. Jane stepped back out of their way as they took stock of his wound and pushed him toward the operation center. She blinked her eyes tiredly as she looked around the room.

"You need to get cleaned up," Robin told her, and she jumped. She hadn't realized he'd followed her. She looked back at the room.

"It doesn't look bad in here," she commented. "But I'm going to guess that's not true for most of Midtown, huh?"

"Correct," Damian watched over her shoulder distractedly. He was splattered in Infected blood, and he looked like he could use some cleaning up as well. His focus returned to her, and he took her hand to guide her out of the medical area and back to the elevators. Once they were on, he pushed the button. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "I'm sorry. If I'd have known this was… If I knew you were going to be in danger here, I would have kept you with me," he said, a tone of anxiety in his voice. He watched the elevator floors change as they went up.

"No it's…" She trailed off and rubbed her arm. "Nightwing… Dick- whatever made me stay… I was hiding under a desk the whole time," she admitted. "I only came out to help once they'd left."

"Good," he nodded a bit, staring at the door thoughtfully. He still looked shaken from the attacks, but he was incredibly skilled at pretending he wasn't. "That was smart of you. I know you probably thought you should have done more, tried to stop it from happening; but you were smart." Robin put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. "Dick would be dead if it wasn't for you. And you would have… Severely disappointed me if you'd have died." He smiled a little, the scar on his lip pulling.

"Oh no don't get emotional on me now." She rolled her eyes, and the corners of her mouth twitched up. She hesitated before sighing. "It didn't feel smart. It felt… cowardly. A part of me wanted to help him, and I might've if he'd let me… but mostly I was glad I was safe hiding there and not the one with the gun pointed at me," she finished quietly, looking down at her bloodied hands.

"It always feels like that," he assured her. "I'm glad it wasn't pointed at you, too." Damian glanced at her. "There was nothing you could have done. The alternative would have been much worse. This way, you were there to save his life." He smiled. "See? You are a hero. Even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes." She shrugged off his praise uncomfortably.

"You know I know why I probably don't feel like a hero," said teasingly. "Because I don't have a secretive little mask like the rest of you." She grinned. "And I'm still stuck on the no code name thing."

"You'll find one," he assured her with a smile. "I inherited mine, Father chose his- Nightwing was a mantra given by Superman. It'll come to you. And the mask isn't everything." He took his off and rubbed his eyes before glancing at her with a smile. She was taken aback at his white-blue eyes; his dark skin and heavy brows made his Arab heritage clear, and the stark blue stood out against his tanned skin. "But if you really want one, we can work on design."

"I was just joking," she shook off her surprise. "Besides, wouldn't it kinda block my vision when I'm digging bullets out of y'all's chests?" She nudged his shoulder. He laughed.

"Probably," he chuckled, and the elevator doors opened on their floor. Damian walked her to her bedroom, his mask still in his hand. "Well. Get cleaned up, and get changed. We have a lot of work to do." He smiled down at her, nearly twice her size in his heavy armored Robin costume, but without his mask on he looked a lot younger than she'd thought; closer to her age. She had to tilt her head up to smile at him.

"Sure thing," she gave him a weak attempt at a salute, "Sir," she teased. Damian stared at her intensely with those blue eyes for a moment. He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently, walking past her to his own bedroom door.

"You did well," he said quietly, smiling over his shoulder before disappearing into his room. She stood frozen in surprise for a moment.

"Show off," she muttered as she headed into her own room.

Jane just turned her comm off when Batgirl commed out to tell everyone to change frequencies from the one the Joker had access to. Barbara was a frantic mess in the medical labs. More people were being brought in and more reports were coming in from the field. She was tense, and she knew it had nothing to do with the chaos around her and everything to do with not knowing how Dick was doing.

She stopped in to check on Jason before going to see how TJ was doing. Jason pushed Titus away from his side again, but the dog just moved back over and rested his head on Jason's leg, licking his lips.

"How do you make it go away?" Jason muttered. Ivy was perched on a table beside his cot and watched him with an amused smile. She put her legs up on the table to ensure the dog would stop bothering her. "Go back to Robin you little drool bucket," Jason groaned. He felt ridiculous and useless lying on the cot, but every now and again Ivy's hair would turn to fire out of the corner of his eye or Titus's teeth would grow to fangs as long as his forearm, and he'd be reminded the Fear Toxin was still coursing through his system. "And you," he glanced at Ivy, "stop laughing at me."

"I'm sorry but you just got your ass handed to you by Scarecrow." She smirked. "I believe you'd call that embarrassing."

"Hey, he got the drop on me," Jason defended and sat up a little. "Several times."

"Uh huh," she rolled her eyes. "And you're the one with the fighting skills and the filtering helmet and night vision and-"

"-Okay, yes. I get your point." He relaxed back onto the cot. "No need to rub it in."

"Oh but I'm just getting warmed up."

"Well aren't you venomous this evening," he commented. "Anything in particular I did this time?"

"I have a list," she muttered.

"Ouch. Let's start with the highlights." He couldn't help smiling up at her. "If there's anything in there about when I tried to shove you away from me, in my defense, I thought the ground was cracking open beneath us, and I refuse to feel guilty about actions done under Fear Toxin."

"Stop smiling at me." Ivy glared at him. "You did plenty before you were gassed."

"It can't be that bad," he defended.

"You told me you loved me," she snapped at him. Jason stared at her, a little lost before his mind kicked back to when he'd talked to her.

"Okay, um, technically I said 'love you too.' It's not like I actually said-"

"-The words were all there," she defended.

"Okay fine. So what?"

"So what?" she repeated. "So you told me you loved me."

"And…" he hedged, trying to dance around the subject.

"So that is not the way you tell someone that." She crossed her arms as she glared down at him.

"Oh please, it's not like you were opposed to hearing it."

"That's not the point."

"I'm sorry if me going off to war and almost dying isn't a good enough time for you," he added dramatically.

"You're so ridiculous."

"Sorry it didn't meet up to your standards. I'll try harder next time. Would you like to list out your critiques on my performance, so I can get a comprehensive review," he teased.

"Well I sure as hell didn't want you to say it then hang up on me!"

"Oh come on," he scoffed, "it gave you a chance to be pleasantly surprised without having to try and think of anything clever to say."

"Jason," she warned in a low voice.

"What?!" he laughed.

"This isn't a joke," she insisted.

"It's the two of us. Of course it's a joke."

"Oh so this is a joke now?"

"See now you're doing that thing where you take everything I say super literally." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the stiff pillow. "If you want me to take it back, just say so."

"No, that's not what-"

"-Ah ha," he grinned, "see."

"You're such an ass," Ivy complained and smacked his chest. He groaned.

"Broken ribs!"

"Oh grow up. It's not that bad." She was right, he wasn't in as bad as shape as he should've been; he begrudgingly had to give a nod to her way with herbs.

"Okay fine. I take it back."

"You can't just take it back!" she cried.

"I can, and I did."

"Well fine that's just-" Jason grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her down to him.

"Pamela Lillian Isley," he breathed. "I love you." He smirked as he kissed her softly, his lips moving tenderly against hers. After a long moment, he let her go and grinned up at her, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Better," she shrugged. "But I told you not to look in my file."

Jason laughed. "I just can't impress you."

"Well then you better keep trying."

"Nope." He shook his head. "I did my part." Ivy rolled her eyes and carefully climbed onto the cot with him. She curled up beside him as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I love you too you big idiot," she whispered.

"Oh," Selina said from the doorway, her cheeks pink. "I was just… I was looking for Batman…" She smiled a little, crossing her arms. "I didn't mean to interrupt." She still didn't leave.

"You don't have to be so smug about it then," Ivy told her.

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "Thanks, mom. You can go now."

"Okay bye," she shifted around the corner of the cubicle a bit, still watching them. "You guys are cute."

"Go away," they both told her.

"Okaaaay," she sang, still smiling as she disappeared into the hall. She thought for a moment and then called back. "But use protection, okay?" She stopped to listen to Jason groan angrily before she continued down the hall to find Bruce.

Despite it being the middle of the night, the medical floor was bustling with people. Mostly doctors that worked at the tower and wounded GCPD officers that didn't want to clog up the one hospital still in operation a few miles away. Sounds of anguish and hushed voices, combined with the dim light from the safety lights in the ceiling that ran on the backup generators, made her feel as if she was walking through a medical tent in a war zone.

"Bruce?" she whispered quietly, stepping into a dark cubicle. There were no doctors present, but she'd been warned that he was still coming down off of the Fear Toxin. "Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked, staying by the entrance. He sat on the cot in the room, his head in his hands, his mask still over his face.

"Selina?" His head snapped up to look at her, relief covering his face. "Thank God you're okay." He ran his hand over his mouth. She smiled a little and rubbed her arms.

"They told me you're still coming down off of the toxins. Are you okay?" she asked quietly. If he hadn't known where she was… Then they hadn't told him about anyone else. Good, she thought. In his state, he wouldn't be able to handle what'd happened to Dick.

"Fine. It's mainly just my eyes playing tricks on me now." He pushed his cowl off, resting his palms over his eyes.

"Good." Selina hesitantly sat down beside him, a hand sliding under his cape so she could rub his back gently. It was a motherly gesture. She stared at the floor, lost in thought.

"How bad is it?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm?" She looked over at him, and through the haze in his eyes, her skin was cracked, her eyes white and vacant. He looked away again. "It's not good," she breathed, laying her head on his shoulder. "Everyone's pretty banged up. We found Dick, at least… But… he got shot," she said slowly. Bruce's hands tightened into fists, and he kept his eyes resolutely closed.

"Is he going to be okay? What happened? How's the city?"

"We don't know. I don't really know what happened out in Gotham, either, I was on supply," she looked down. "I was told this- Damian's recruit saved Dick's life."

"Don't let her hear you call her that," he mumbled. "I'll need to figure out what their goal was, but I can't go question the boys yet," he admitted. "Are measures being taken to deal with the damage?"

"Yes. I believe she and Robin are heading back out, with Batwoman and Spoiler. Red Hood got hurt, and Barbara is waiting to hear about Dick." She rubbed his shoulders soothingly.

"Good, good," Bruce muttered. He was frustrated that he was stuck in here. he caught her hand and kissed it gently, ignoring his eyes telling him that it was lifeless white and covered in blood. "And are you sure you're okay? I know you can get… worried when things go poorly."

"Somehow… I'm okay," she nodded, looking down. "Maybe that's worse. I'm just sick of this. I'm tired of… Of thinking you're going to die when I can't help at all." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "And I'm sorry."

"Oh stop it," she pushed him away playfully. "I'm just glad you're okay." She crawled back into his arms, kissing his cheek. "How do you feel? And don't lie to me."

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I just wish I could look at you and not see you through the Fear Toxin. Just to know you're okay," he sighed and kept his eyes closed, his thumb stroking her arm. Selina took his hand kissing his fingers gently.

"I'm okay," she smiled, holding his hand against her face. Her skin was warm on his fingertips.

"That doesn't change the fact that I still wish I could see you." He moved his hand aside and kissed her cheek. Selina giggled.

"Can you stand?" she asked quietly. He cocked his head.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Holding one of her hands in his, he braced the other on the cot as he carefully stood up. When he opened his eyes, the room was spinning, the shadows reaching out toward him.

"Bruce? Are you okay?" She stroked his cheek, helping him stay upright, his cape draped over his shoulders. "Jesus, he upped the concentration, didn't he?" Selina brushed his hair back.

"I'm fine," he assured her and put his cowl back on. The lenses hid his eyes, and he closed them as he steadied himself.

"You're really not, and I don't think you should see Dick in this condition." She grabbed his shoulders, holding him from swaying.

"I… okay fine," he sighed. He hated to imagine what the Fear Toxin would show him when he looked at Dick, and that was hard to admit to himself.

"Good," Selina sighed a little. "For once, let me take care of you."

"Just try not to enjoy it too much." He kissed her cheek.

"Are you kidding me?" She smirked as she led him out of the cubicle, slipping under his arm to help support his weight as they walked. "Me getting to worry about you for a change? I'm going to savor this as long as I can."

"Of course you are," he chuckled.

Somewhere down the hall of cubicles, Dick screamed in agony, and Selina pinched her eyes closed. She held tighter to Bruce's hand, his arm draped over her shoulders, and steered him out into the hall. Bruce let her lead him along. He wouldn't have needed the Fear Toxin to have the sinking feeling in his gut. In one night, the Joker had undone all of their work from the past year.