Dick opened his eyes. His chest stung a bit, and he groggily sat up.
"Wow…" He groaned, feeling the soreness in his muscles. He couldn't see anything, and one arm was trapped under Harley's sleeping form. That much, he was sure of. He always could sense her; he could hear her breathing, could smell the soap she used in her hair. He laid back down calmly, closing his eyes.
"Harley?" he whispered. It was so dark, it didn't make a difference whether he opened his eyes or not. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. She was so small, but so solid, wiry muscular arms tucked under her head, her scarlet and black hair a warm blanket that Dick buried his face in with a sigh. Harley groaned as she woke up, and her hand swatted at him as she tried to fall back asleep. Dick smiled a little, holding her tighter.
"Stop," she whined. "I'm sleeping."
"I know, but I just can't help it. You're too irresistible." He held her close to his chest, sighing softly. It was calm here in the dark quiet between them, and Dick wanted to savor it. He wasn't even sure why, but he wanted every moment to last a lifetime. "I love you," he whispered against the back of her neck.
"Shhh," she shushed him as she tucked her hands under her head. "Love ya too," she mumbled groggily. Dick stiffened, and his heart skipped a beat. This had to be a dream. She only ever said that in dreams.
"What?" he breathed, smiling as he inched his lips closer to her ear. "What'd you say?"
"I said I'm sleeping," she sighed.
"You said you loved me," he grinned. "Even if you're my dream Harley, I'm gonna make you say it again," he giggled a little, kissing her cheek.
"Kay but can it wait till morning?" She yawned and pulled the covers over her shoulders.
"Just don't leave me," he breathed, relaxing with her in his arms.
"Can't leave. Too sleepy," she mumbled. She rolled over and tucked her head against his chest. Dick sighed happily.
"I love you." Harley blinked her eyes open and squinted at him.
"Shh." She covered his mouth with her hand. "You keep talking."
"I love you," he said again, muffled by her hand. His fingers trailed through her hair. It felt the same as it always did, soft and warm. She dropped her head against his chest with a groan.
"You never let me sleep in," she complained.
"Well in my defense, the non-dream you let me sleep in and then shot me a few hours later. I'm a bit worried." Dick lifted her face up and kissed her slowly, savoring it. "I didn't- I don't want to lose you."
His words weren't his own, at least, they didn't feel like his own. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he ought to be pushing her away. So why wasn't he? Dick kissed her again.
"Because you love me," she teased. She ruffled his hair as she yawned.
"I shouldn't. You betrayed me; betrayed my trust, shoved my love back in my face. You nearly killed me. Maybe you did. Maybe I've died and I get to pretend that we can be together, forever." He kissed her lovingly. "I'd be okay with that. Somehow. I'd be okay."
"Besides," she snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his arm as she smiled up at him, "it was non-dream me that did those things. I love ya."
"I love you too, Harley." He smiled and stroked her cheek. "I just don't understand. How could you… How could she do that to me?" He ran a hand over his eyes. "I could've died. And Babs… Oh Jesus I screwed up." She sat up a little and pulled herself onto him. She laid gently across his chest, her legs tangling with his, and her head resting on his shoulder.
"I don't know. It wasn't me, remember?" She smoothed a hand through his hair. "Maybe that was the dream and this is real," she suggested. Dick sighed and draped an arm over his forehead.
"Don't do that. Don't… Mess with my head like she does. This can't be the real world. If it was the real world, you wouldn't admit you love me."
She chuckled softly and bit his ear. "It's not my dream," she reminded him.
"You're right. So why are we still talking, my love?" He beamed, his arms tightening around her waist to pull her lips to his.
"You started it," she mumbled, her hands tightening in his hair as she bit his lip. Dick sighed happily.
"Can you tell me just one more time?" He breathed, kissing her slowly. He still couldn't see her in the darkness, but he could hear her, and that was enough. He could feel her in his arms.
"She shot you," Barbara snapped. There was suddenly light, momentarily blinding him; Dick cried out. He raised a hand, an IV strapped to it, and shielded his eyes from the light. Barbara stood above him and pulled her surgical mask down. "You shouldn't want to hear that again."
"Babs," he groaned. Harley was still on him, her legs tangled with his where they lay on a gurney, her pale skin reflecting the sickly light of the operating room. Their bodies were covered with a sheet, and Harley beamed up at him, her chin on his chest, oblivious to Barbara standing above them.
"I don't know what I expected, honestly," Barbara sat on the edge of the gurney, glancing at Harley. She wore an old fashioned nurse's dress and hat. Dick blinked and rubbed his eyes wearily. "Your head's always in the clouds, skydancer."
"And I think it's cute," Harley giggled and kissed his chest.
"Except when it almost gets you killed," Barbara added seriously. She glanced at Harley and narrowed her eyes. "Cuz face it, even she isn't crazy enough to do a dead guy."
"Well at least I go after the guy, huh, second best?" Harley grinned at Barbara.
"Oh shut up, bitch," Barbara scowled. "Let's not forget it was you who did this." She stood and pulled the sheet down from the torso of a body on an adjacent table. Dick's lifeless face was calm, his eyes closed, and the living Dick stared at the clean hole in his dead doppelganger's chest for a long moment.
"Oh, I've definitely got some shit to work through emotionally," Dick whispered, looking away from his corpse to purse his lips at Harley. "...But she makes a good point, you did do that."
Dead Dick suddenly jerked, opening his eyes. He struggled against imaginary restraints, and Barbara watched in confusion as he tried to speak, but couldn't. Fresh blood oozed from the wound in his chest. Barbara looked at the living Dick and raised her eyebrows.
"Well it's your dream. I don't know what he's doing."
"Is he Infected?" Harley sat up. "Is his blood black?" She peered over at him, the sheet down around her waist.
"Nope, he's still him," Barbara said thoughtfully.
"Why does it look like he's trying to say something?" Dick asked, frowning.
"I dunno. Last words?" Harley joked. Barbara shrugged and the figure fell still, staring at his living counterpart, their heads even with each other on the cold metal slabs.
"I'm pretty sure I've seen this movie before," Harley whispered. "It doesn't end well for the not dead you."
"Yeah. Get rid of that thing, Babs," Dick breathed, and Barbara backed up. She shook her head.
"I'm not touching him."
There was suddenly panic in his chest. The dead version of Dick didn't move, still staring, but the suspense was in the air. The living Dick slowly stood, wrapping the sheet around Harley's shoulders to cover her up, grabbing another for himself.
"Let's go." He grabbed Barbara's hand, and Harley followed as they rushed to the door and came out into a tunnel. Dick stopped and spun to go back through the door, but it was gone.
"Oops," Barbara watched him, and he spun back to the dark tunnel, panting. "What now?"
He hesitated. "Why you two? Why are you the ones in my dream?" Dick looked between them, fairly certain he knew the answer anyway; Barbara stood with her arms crossed over her nurse's costume, and Harley beaming at him, hardly caring to hold the sheet up around her naked frame.
"I prefer to think I was here for the fun at the beginning that she ruined," Harley shrugged. "Ya know, you wishing it had gone that way instead of…" She made her fingers into a gun and mimed shooting him. Dick blinked in surprise, staring at her in shock.
"I think we have to go back and find that other me," he decided, turning back to the wall that had formed behind them where the door used to be. He threw a shoulder against the wall, the stone cracking. Something behind the wall stirred.
"Why do guys always wanna go poke the thing with a stick?" Harley muttered. "If you heard a creepy noise, don't explore. Think ya see a ghost in your house… or of yourself? Leave. Don't go looking for it."
"I can't believe I'm agreeing with her, but I'm agreeing with her," Barbara glanced at Harley disdainfully.
Dick pounded a fist on the wall. "No, I think… I think I know what he was trying to say!" He turned to Harley. "Did you-"
He was cut off as hundreds of bats burst through the wall, knocking him down into the dirt. Barbara screamed, and Dick grabbed for their hands, pulling Harley and Barbara down under his arms and covering their heads.
"She's touching me!" Harley whined.
"Well you're naked," Barbara snapped.
"Both of you shut up," Dick cried, holding their heads down until the bats flew off. When they stood again, the hole had patched itself.
"What kinda movies did you watch as a kid?" Harley asked. "I'm guessing a lot 'a horror? cuz your dreams are weird."
"No. Just saw a lot of horror," he said seriously, standing as he pulled them both up. Barbara pushed his hair back from his face sadly, and he looked down. "Let's go."
He led them down the tunnel, and Barbara smirked triumphantly at Harley over his shoulder, as if to say 'I know him better' before following.
"Ugh," Harley groaned. "And now we're fighting over you. I can't decide if this is a nightmare or horny fantasy."
"Hey, I'm not controlling it, okay?!" Dick snapped. "I've never wanted to control you two in real life, why should dreaming be any different?" He ran his hand through his hair.
"Cool your jets, stud. Someone's a little touchy. Something back on between the two 'a ya that I don't know about? Feelin' guilty?"
"No, it's not like that, Harley," he sighed.
"Well that's not what you were acting like earlier, in real life," Barbara scowled.
"Look, something important is going on, something I'm trying to figure out- I don't exactly want to be doing this stupid arguing back and forth over which one I'd choose thing, okay!?" he practically shouted, running his hand through his hair again, the other holding the sheet around his waist. "That's… Choosing isn't what's important here. There's something I've forgotten, something I'm trying to remember-"
His words were lost in a scream when he suddenly tumbled forward down a sharp decline in the dark, landing in the dirt at the bottom of the drop. He groaned and coughed, spitting dirt out of his mouth, and he looked up. "Babs? Harley? Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, are you?!" Barbara called back from above him, glancing worriedly at Harley. Dick looked around. He felt like he was still in the tunnel, surrounded by darkness.
"Yeah! just be careful coming down, it's pretty steep-"
He caught Harley as she tumbled into his arms, crying out in shock at the abrupt stop. "Gotcha," he smiled, and then put her on her feet to help Barbara down.
"You're about ta have two options here," Harley said as she untangled her feet from her sheet. "Either find me some clothes or I walk around naked."
"Come on, Harls," he ignored her, grabbing her hand. Something about the tunnel was starting to spook him, and Barbara quickly followed.
"If she takes her clothes off I am not keeping this up," she muttered.
"Fine then trade me," Harley snapped. She studied Barbara. "Ya know, you could really make that sexy." She tripped on the hem of the sheet. Dick caught her arm and sighed, swinging her onto his back to carry her.
"Yeah, but unlike you, I don't have to use my body to get attention," Barbara rolled her eyes.
"If ya got it, flaunt it!" Harley sang and giggled. "You don't know how handy it is as a villain ta be able to stop a guy in their tracks. So yeah, I use my body ta get attention, but it's only one 'a my many tricks." She pulled Dick's head back and kissed his forehead. "Just ask this one."
"Stop it you two," Dick told them, but he smiled at Harley in spite of himself. Barbara groaned.
"Jeez you two are sickening," she muttered.
"You're… sickening," Harley mumbled. She rested her chin on Dick's shoulder. Barbara glanced down at her nurse's dress and then self consciously unbuttoned the top button.
"Stop..." Dick sighed, wiping a hand over his head. "What's happening?" His chest felt compressed, and before he knew it he was on his knee, planting a fist in the dirt to steady himself. "Harley- Babs- I can't- breathe-" Harley quickly climbed off his back and scrambled around him.
"What's wrong?" She lifted his face with both her hands. "You're the one wearing a nurse's costume. Do something," she told Barbara.
"I can't do anything about it," Barbara knelt next to Harley to study him. "Besides, what's the worst that happens? He wakes up?"
Dick looked at the two of them in front of him, still struggling to pull air into his lungs, his head starting to feel light.
"It's not like 'if he dies in a dream he doesn't wake up. That's not a real thing… right?" Barbara asked.
"Yeah— but where does the dream go when he dies?" Harley asked. "Ever think about how creepy that'd be?"
"You're not helping," Barbara snapped.
"Harley," Dick coughed. Barbara was suddenly yanked backwards into the darkness by her hair, screaming as she went, so fast that Dick could hardly react. He grabbed Harley's arm and pulled her in to his chest, staring in horror into the darkness. His vision was starting to blur. He held tighter to Harley, scrambling to his feet.
"A lot creepier," Harley muttered. "The answer is a lot creepier." She looked back at Dick and did a double take. "Are you okay? What do I do?"
"I don't know," he gasped, forcing himself to his feet with her and running down the tunnel. Suddenly Harley was torn from his grip by the sheet she was wrapped in, dragged backwards in the opposite direction and out of his arms. He tried to scream, but couldn't. He tried to run after her but fell, his head slamming on the stone floor. Trying to blink the stars out of his eyes, Dick stood up, coming face to face with the Joker, who held Barbara with a knife to her neck.
"Stop," Dick breathed. "Don't do this."
"I won't," Joker spat, his expression blank. "As long as he gives me her."
Dick turned to see where the Joker had pointed with the knife, and he saw Batman with Harley in handcuffs.
"Bruce let her go. Just go-"
"-no," Barbara cried, and then closed her eyes as the Joker pressed the knife into her throat again. "Dick if you give her to him, she dies."
"If we don't, he kills you," he choked, his lip trembling. Barbara stifled a sob.
"I'm not the one you love anymore," she smiled a little.
"Give her to me," Joker hissed.
"I'll be fine," Harley assured Dick. "Just make the trade." She looked up at Batman's stoic face. "Make the trade. You won't let him kill Batgirl."
"It's not my decision to make," he said gravely.
"Joker, please- you're not unreasonable, mostly-" Dick bit his lip. He knew he was lying. He wanted to make excuses, but it didn't matter. He couldn't not choose Barbara… right?
"Let her go," he whispered. Batman released Harley, and the Joker waved her over As she passed him, Dick caught Harley's hand. God, he didn't want to let go. She looked back at him in surprise, still leaning towards the Joker.
"I'm not part of your world, bat boy," Harley breathed, fear behind her shining eyes, but she tried to smile reassuringly. "She is. Take her, I'll be okay." Dick hesitated a moment longer before he nodded, pained, and released her hand.
"Give me Barbara," He said weakly. Joker let out a cruel laugh as Harley hurried over to him, and in one swift motion, he pulled the knife across Barbara's throat. Dick screamed in anger, lunging for the Joker as he brought the knife up to stab Harley next, and suddenly Barbara was on top of him, holding his hands down, shouting at him to stop. Dick struggled against her hands less and less as he slowly realized he was back in reality. Pain flooded his system in waves and he coughed hard, seeing stars. He dropped back onto the bed and pressed a hand to his chest.
"Babs?" he gasped, staring up at her in the dark of his room, his hair stuck down to his face with sweat. It took a moment for his eyes to focus on her.
"Dick," she commanded. "Don't move; you might've ripped your stitches again."
"Is this real? Are you real?" He panted, voice barely above a whisper as he closed his eyes against the pain.
"Yes, I'm real." She squeezed his hand. "You need to slow your heart rate."
"Okay," he took a shallow breath, and that alone sent a wave of pain from his chest. He grit his teeth and breathed deeper the second time. "Okay…" Barbara checked him over as he calmed down.
"What was that?" She asked, looking down at him.
"Just a dream." He shuddered, remembering the gory details. "This is real life… right?" He asked again, biting his lip.
"Yeah." She sat back in the chair beside his bed that she'd been camped out in for the better part of the last few days. "Last time I checked, this is real life. You haven't consciously come back to it in a week, but… yes." She brushed her fingers over his forehead with a small smile, checking his temperature before dropping her hand. "Harley again?"
"...Yeah." he murmured, his blood chilling hearing her name out loud. "How did you-"
"You were in and out all week. Sometimes lucid, sometimes… not. You talked about her." Dick tried to sit up with a groan, wincing at the thought of what he might have said.
"I literally just told you to not move," Barbara reminded him coolly.
He laid back and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Babs." He said with a deep shaky breath. She watched him sadly. He'd improved greatly over the last few days, but he still looked gaunt and pale. Still, she'd kept an upbeat attitude as he'd been recovering, and she wasn't about to quit now.
"It's okay," Barbara assured him, reaching up to squeeze his hand. "Whatever it was, it was just a dream."
"It was," he agreed, pushing the nightmare from his mind, but he still gnawed on his lip. She studied him.
"You feeling okay?"
"I've been better."
"Then lay back," she told him. "You need to rest."
"I think I've had enough rest," Dick shook the heavy hearted feelings away and steeled himself. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to sit up carefully.
"Dick, please." She protested and checked the bandaging over his stitches again.
"Barbara, I'll be fine. I just need to clear my head," he sat up carefully, taking another deep breath. He winced at the pain, but took a hair tie off of the nightstand to pull his hair back.
"None of you ever take the time to let yourselves heal," she muttered. "It's a miracle you're all still functioning."
"I don't disagree," Dick muttered, throwing the blanket off and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He winced as he pulled on a t-shirt over his bandages. Barbara stood up. The pain was already burning in his chest, his breathing shallow, but he hid it well.
"You almost died. What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
"If it's been a couple of days, I'll be fine. I just need to get my feet under me again."
"No you won't," Barbara insisted. "It's only been a couple of days. I'm not going to just sit here while you re-injure yourself all over again."
"Then come with me," he smiled and grabbed his pants off of the floor. The sheer effort it took just to move was staggering, and he second guessed himself for a moment, before pushing the thought from his mind.
"You're supposed to be on bed rest, Dick. Don't make me sedate you."
"Come on, Barbara," Dick begged. "Just for some exercise." She pursed her lips. "Please, Babs. Just… I want to do this. Take a little walk, clear my head; and then I'll stay in bed as long as you want me to. Please," he took her hand, and after a moment's hesitation, she helped him up. He'd been in and out of it all week, but it was starting to come back to him; how much she'd been there for him. Dick squeezed her hand tight. "Thank you."
Since he'd been shot, she'd stayed close to his side. He'd wanted her close. She slept in his room, took care of him, made sure he ate, and he couldn't protest; the groggy recovery after his near-death experience made something in him switch. He'd been clingy and dependent, and he didn't want to let her go. Dick paused to tuck her disheveled hair behind her ear.
"Yeah yeah, fine," she sighed, snatching a bottle of pills and a water bottle off of his cluttered bedside table. She wordlessly dumped a couple of pain pills into his hand. "A short walk. Then you rest."
"Thank you," Dick kissed her cheek, and took the medicine, the cool water waking him up more than ever as he drained the bottle. It was so familiar, being close to her. She clumsily helped him get dressed in the dim light, making sure he didn't stumble. "Is it cold out?" He smiled, gingerly pulling his jacket on. The sun was setting outside the windows.
"It's not bad out, but it'll probably get chilly tonight." She went to pull her jeans on and tried to locate her jacket in the mess of clothes on the floor. Dick nodded, zipped up the old Gotham City Police Department blazer over his chest, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He felt better already just being upright, taking another deep breath. The bandages were tight enough and he was medicated enough that he hardly noticed the stitches or the wound. The dull pain was a low ache deep in his chest that kept his lips pressed together in a thin line, and the dizziness the medication caused numbed his heart and his mind. Barbara finished pulling her shoes on and stood up, running her hands through her hair.
"Do you just want to walk around the tower? I don't know how much you should be out in Gotham in your condition." They were still trying to get everything cleaned up and sorted out, and there had been plenty of Infected spotted in Midtown. Until they found and sealed whatever entrance Joker had used, no one would let their guard down. Dick smiled.
"Couldn't we go outside? It's supposed to be a full moon tonight," he begged. She stared at him incredulously.
"You really want to push your luck don't you?"
"I really do," he smirked, guiding her out of his bedroom, grabbing his utility belt and clipping it around his hips on the way out. "Thank you for letting me do this."
"Don't thank me when I'm doing something I shouldn't. When I'm letting you do something you shouldn't."
"Yeah well. That sums up an entire childhood relationship right there, doesn't it?" He laughed a little as they got on the elevator.
"That sums up our entire dating relationship too." Barbara hit the button before turning back around to face him. Dick bit his lip and watched her face. He was never sure what she was thinking, but even less so now. His relationship with Harley had damaged their friendship, and she and Barbara hadn't even crossed paths.
"Pretty much," he finally agreed with a shrug. It was awkwardly quiet for a moment, and the nightmare he'd had crept into his thoughts again.
"So… What is this death march I'm taking you on?" Barbara asked. "Once around the block? What's the plan?"
"What day is it?"
"Thursday."
"...So I'd normally be on Arkham duty," he hedged, glancing at her. "I want to help, Barbara, but I can compromise… how about we take a quick, leisurely drive up to Uptown and back? we can take it nice and slow, I'll be sitting, not exerting too much energy; We can watch the rest of the sunset from the bridge…"
Barbara narrowed her eyes at him.
"What? With cleanup after the attacks in Downtown and the explosions here at the tower, I'll bet no one is in Uptown. It's not very lively there anyway, and if we steer clear of Arkham…" he trailed off at the look on her face.
"You don't need to help, Dick," she sighed. "No one thinks that you aren't helping enough."
"It was my mess," his jaw tightened. "I recklessly risked the lives of everyone I love for a fling." Dick crossed his arms, wincing at the dull pain in his chest, watching the numbers tick down as they descended in the elevator.
"Stop it." She stared sternly at his profile. "We've all made mistakes. No one blames you."
"No way that's true, but thanks," he sighed, and the doors opened. He followed her off the elevator.
"Okay, correction, only you blame you."
"You're telling me that you don't fault me at all for not seeing this coming?" He pushed the front doors open, walking out into the night. He paused to savor the crisp air, on his face breathing deeply. Dick glanced back at her with a smile.
"No," she insisted, pulling her jacket around her. "They were going to attack for supplies eventually with or without your information, and it's just incredibly 'Dick Grayson' of you to get your heart tangled up in it."
"Why doesn't that make me feel better?" He looked down and smiled a little, shoving his hands in his pockets. The medication numbed the heartache, too, and he was grateful for it. Barbara fell into step beside him as they walked toward the street entrance to the garage. It was a slow gait, the burning in his chest growing steadily.
"Well, not listening to any of us and bending over backwards for her didn't help…" she teased, tucking her arm through his as they walked.
"Now the truth comes out," he rolled his eyes, and then laughed a little. "I don't know what I was thinking." He said quietly, not meeting her eyes. "At least now my head is telling my heart that what I'm feeling- it's not right. Right? That logic wasn't there before."
Barbara watched his downcast face sadly, remembering Bruce's words after Dick's surgery. He loved so easily, and her heart ached at the thought that he might believe that that was a flaw. Still… she was relieved when he said he regretted it.
"Well then your heart affects your hearing too, because you didn't want to listen to that logic before," she reminded him with a teasing smile, "so, you know. I told you so and all that."
"Yeah," He sighed, the crisp night air filling his lungs again, and Barbara couldn't help thinking about when he was struggling to breathe at all. "Something… clicked, I guess. I don't know what I was thinking but…" he hesitated, closing his eyes to steady himself. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now, anyway." He sounded impassive, but he looked… heartbroken. Barbara frowned.
"Good," she pulled him closer and laid a hand gently on his chest over the bullet wound, looking up at the tower and back at him. "Because I'd be really pissed off if you died."
"Same here," he laughed, and then winced with a soft gasp, reaching for the wall of the tower to steady himself. "I've got it, I'm okay. Though, maybe we should grab a bike and go," he said, straightening up.
"Or maybe you should go lay back down," Barbara pressed.
"I'm alright, Babs," he smiled. "Let's go."
"This better be quick," she groaned and walked with him, close to his side in case he needed support as they walked into the garage.
Dick smirked at her and grabbed helmets off of the wall for them both, and their masks. Dick handed her her Batgirl cowl. "How long has it been since you've done something like this? A year? I feel like you're the liability here," he chuckled and put his mask on. The garage had been cleared of the debris from the explosions, but it was dark and still smelled heavily of gunpowder. The remaining vehicles that weren't at the tower when the bombs went off were lined up along the far wall.
"Ha ha." She rolled her eyes. "I could make you cry in one hit."
"Because you know where to hit, cheater," Dick smirked at her. She wouldn't even have to hit hard, the pain was starting to make him want to cry, but he hid it well. Something in him urged him to soldier on.
"You know where to hit too, you're just too nice to use them," Barbara taunted, getting onto the bike and pulling her helmet on. Once he was seated behind her on the bike and out on the open roads, Dick allowed his eyes to close, and he tried to catch his breath. They were still a couple of blocks away from the bridge, but he seemed to be holding out okay. Then again, he also could have been trying to break his record for how long he could hold up without anyone noticing he was in pain.
Barbara had to admit, the wind in her hair felt good. She sped along carefully, turning her head to call back to him. "Ready to turn back yet?" she asked when the bridge came into view. The number of guards on the bridge had doubled since no one was patrolling Uptown.
"I'm not quitting till you do," he grinned, squeezing her waist. It was less to pull her closer, and more for some support. He felt like there was a weight on his chest, pushing him down..
"Well then I quit. Let's go back." She smirked at him.
"Batgirl? Quit? I've never heard that before in my life," he smiled at the officers and waved as they sped across the bridge. "Besides. We're totally safe in zombie Arkham territory."
"Ah yes, let's just waltz into the territory of the people who just tried to kill you, shall we?" She pulled the bike to a stop just at the edge of the bridge, turning it off and removing her helmet. Dick did the same.
"Come on, with you by my side I can handle anything," He smirked at her. A cool breeze blew the flyaway hairs out of his face.
"Your smooth little moves aren't going to work as well on me as a crazy pigtailed blonde," she warned. She brushed her own hair back behind her ear. Dick laughed self consciously, unwrapping his arms from her waist as he carefully stood. Every movement he made was slow and deliberate, so as not to jostle the bandages.
"They didn't really work on her, honestly." He sighed, stretching his arms back. Barbara rolled her eyes.
"Of course they did. Sure she was following the Joker's orders to sleep with you, but she wouldn't have done it so… enthusiastically if she hadn't… wanted it." She grimaced and crossed her arms. "You really know nothing about women, Dick Grayson."
"No, sometimes I just hope I don't," he sighed. Something clattered in an alley ahead of them, and Barbara grabbed Dick's arm. He pulled her behind him. A stray cat leapt out of the alley, and disappeared into a storm drain.
"Don't be so protective of me," she scolded over his shoulder as he relaxed. "You're the hurt one. I should be protecting you."
"Yeah well. You didn't spend two days a week in Uptown for the past year." He ran a hand over the back of his neck. They started walking slowly along the road on the bank of the river, the sun blazing bright orange, behind them.
"I also didn't skip two patrols a week for the past couple months," she countered.
"Ouch, thanks for that," he glanced at her with a frown.
"What?" she laughed. "It's kinda hard not to bring it up. You've been unconscious, I've just been stewing on it all week. "
"I know, I just…" Dick looked up at one of the security cameras, the light blinking red. "Huh," he frowned.
"What?" She asked, following his gaze.
"Something's wrong, the sensor's been tripped on that one..."
"Why are your subject changes always so reasonable?" Barbara muttered.
"Because I'm reasonable," Dick handed her his grapple gun, and then smiled, gesturing for her to take it. "Come on, I know my limits. Just flip the switch on the side of it."
"If you knew your limits, we wouldn't be out here." She shook her head as she aimed the gun.
"Just shut up and do my job," he chuckled, and then took his utility belt off, looping it around her waist, pulling her closer to buckle it and cinch it tight. He smirked playfully at her, his light, tired eyes shining. Barbara cleared her throat to regain her composure and fired the grappling hook above the camera. It pulled her up and she braced her boots on the wall, stopping it short. The gun clipped to the belt and she fastened it there, looking the camera over. It had definitely been tampered with.
"Turn off the alarm," Dick called up to her. "Can you see what's wrong?"
"Stop being so bossy!" she called back. "Someone messed with it." She turned the alarm off and tried to find the problem. It was angled up further than normal, and jammed from moving.
"You're the bossy one," Dick laughed.
"I'm trying to get it pointed in the right direction," she told him, ignoring his comment. "Who would move it?"
"They get knocked loose by birds sometimes," Dick waved his hand dismissively. With Barbara not looking, he leaned on the wall, bent over his knees. He spit, and when it hit the ground it stained the pavement red. He looked up at Barbara and quickly wiped the blood from his lip. She couldn't know. He had to be here.
"No it's…. stuck." She tried to work it from its jammed position.
"Be careful," he shouted up to her.
"I am!" Barbara worked it until the jam popped and she nearly fell against the wall. She peeked down at Dick before adjusting the camera back to where it was supposed to be angled.
"Where was it angled away from?" Dick called up to her. There came a rustling noise down the street again, and then a window smashed somewhere amongst the hollow buildings. "Hurry up, we've got company," He called. Barbara quickly grappled back down and unclipped his utility belt. She handed it back to him as she looked around.
"It just points at the street," she muttered. "Right around here."
Dick walked over and examined the area, putting his hands on his hips. "Is there anything…" He kicked the loose manhole cover in the middle of the road. "Here. They tilted the camera so we wouldn't see them… going into the sewers?" Son of a bitch. She'd even messed with the cameras. Probably used the grapple gun I gave her, too… Dick took his mask off and rubbed his eyes. He groaned in frustration, walking back to Barbara. "This couldn't get any worse."
"Hey," she moved to him and grabbed his cheeks to make him look at her. "It's okay. I mean… You screwed up royally, and I can't pretend to know what you're feeling, but… we've got this. Batman's got this. Nobody blames you, and everything's gonna be okay."
"Yeah," he looked between her eyes, and then nodded. "Yes. You're right, of course. I just wish I didn't feel so damn guilty about it. Every time I turn around there's yet another consequence of my stupid decision to… to trust her at all." He took her hands away from his face and looked down. "How you still put up with me, how any of you do; I'll never know. But I'm grateful for your forgiveness."
"You know how, so stop it." She smiled sadly at him. "How can any of us blame you for having a big heart?"
" I fucked up pretty bad this time, Babs." Dick said quietly.
She hugged him. "We're your family, of course we forgive you."
His heart clenched and he pinched his eyes closed, burying his face in her hair. After a moment, he spoke again. "You'd feel differently if you knew how I still felt about her," he whispered. "I know it. God help me, Babs, I… I still love her. I shouldn't, I know, but I feel like I missed something. I just can't believe she'd do what she did to me."
Barbara stepped back from him, one hand lingering on his cheek. So that's what this was about; he was trying to find Harley. Of course he was. "I guess it was too much to hope you'd just let it go," She breathed.
"That doesn't mean I won't." Dick looked her in the eyes, his brow furrowed in anguish. He was sweating a bit, his cheeks flushed. "I just have to know what happened. I can't figure out why." He shook his head, pained, trying to dispel the fog from the pain meds and make sense of his own feelings. "I don't want to feel like this, but… Oh Babs… why couldn't it have just been you? It was always you." Meeting her gaze again, he leaned into her hand on his cheek.
"Dick, we aren't in love," she smiled sadly. "We haven't been for a long, long time. But hey, friends forever, right?"
He returned her melancholy smile, his voice cracking. "Couldn't we try? Just one more time?" He was grateful for his mask hiding his eyes, wet with tears. He was silhouetted against the burning orange sunset as it faded into night. A gust of wind blew his dark hair around his face, and Barbara's heart skipped a beat. She would give anything to be with him again, but it wouldn't- couldn't work. Too much had changed. That didn't mean she didn't want to try with every fiber of her being.
"I don't know," Barbara took a shaky breath, looking in the eyes of his mask.
Dick leaned forward and his lips brushed hers hesitantly. Barbara hesitated, and then she closed the gap between them, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. Her hand slid from his cheek into his hair, and she kissed him again. It was as sweet as it had ever been, but it felt like goodbye. Dick's hands rested on her hips as he pinched his eyes shut, wishing he felt something more than nostalgia.
Barbara suddenly yelped in pain, and Dick gasped in panic as she was yanked out of his arms. He opened his eyes and scrambled to grab her as she tumbled to the ground with Harley on top of her. Barbara angrily rolled over and shoved Harley to the ground, but Harley kicked her over her head. Dick barely had time to react.
"What the- Harley stop!" He cried. "Babs- wait!" He rushed forward, too shocked to do much else than grab Harley's arm and pull her away. She yanked it away and stood up, turning away and brushing herself off. Her motion pulled painfully in his chest as he let her go, and he opened his mouth, trying to keep from crying out.
"Jesus Christ, bitch!" Barbara yelled, straightening her cowl on her head as she glared at Harley, panting as she did. "What the hell was that?!"
"Oh go to hell, whore," Harley snapped back. She adjusted her jacket back onto her shoulders and returned Barbara's withering look.
"Yeah, right, I'm the whore," she cried angrily. "I'm the- What are you even doing here?" She shoved Harley back. "Come back to finish him off?!"
"Batgirl, Stop," Dick's arm shot out in between them and he grimaced.
"I'm…" Harley trailed off, breathing heavily. "Oh fuck this." She shouldered past Barbara.
"That's right, walk away," Barbara shouted after her, taking a shaky breath. She'd really caught her by surprise. Dick grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.
"Babs, calm down!" He urged, shaking his head and letting go of her.
"She jumped me!" She cried, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Just wait here," Dick begged, a hand up to stop her. He pursed his lips, and Barbara's face fell. Dick set his jaw. I'll be right back," he promised, and then set off down the street. "Harley, wait!"
Harley shook her head when he called her name, but she didn't stop; she hurried away faster. Dick hesitated, looking back at Barbara before following Harley around the corner.
"Please, I just want to talk! Harley!" Dick tried to catch up to her, a hand on his chest. It was burning wildly now, his breathing growing labored. His legs were heavy, and he was getting dizzy. She ignored him, not even looking over her shoulder as she stormed away. "Stop!" he begged weakly behind her.
She cried out when his grappling line suddenly wrapped around her waist, zipping her back where he caught her in his arms. "Please," he panted, sweat beading on his face despite the cooling night air.
"Ow," she hissed and stepped away from him as she tried to unwind herself. "Don't do that," she muttered.
"I'm sorry. I can't…" He panted. "I have to talk to you," he released the cord, and it retracted into the grappling gun in his hand.
"How bout ya just go keep your lips busy with Batgirl," she snapped venomously.
"That wasn't what you think Harley. I don't love her, not like that-" he bit his lip, still catching his breath. "-if I'd have known you were-"
"No, ya know what? You couldn'ta known. So why don't ya just go back to her and pretended like I never showed up." She turned away.
"I don't want to do that!" he cried and caught her arm. "I want you to answer my questions. How could you betray me like that, Harley?!" he snapped angrily.
"How?" She turned back and glared at him. "Try why! I had to! It's not like it was easy for me. And if you even thought for a second that I wanted to, you'd better let me walk away cuz…" She yanked her arm away as she trailed off. Dick hesitated. He had thought that she'd wanted to.
"You… You shot me in the chest. You laughed! And I'm supposed to believe that that was the lie, and everything else was real?" He glanced down at his hand, and gasped when there was blood on his fingertips where he'd grabbed her. "Harley-"
"You think I-" she cut him off. She stared at him, her mouth hanging open. "You really think I…" Harley shook her head. "So that's how you remember it," she laughed bitterly. "Fine." She couldn't look at him, turning away. If that was how he remembered it, then there was no point even being out here.
"Please talk to me, Harley, I know I'm missing something, I just don't know what. Hold on a sec- are you bleeding?" He tried to catch her arm again, but she pulled it away.
"It's nothing. Just consider it part of what you're missing." She moved away from him again, her voice thick. He groaned angrily.
"God damn it, after breaking my heart you could at least tell me why!" Dick cried, spreading his arms.
"Why what, Dick?" she demanded. "If that's really all you think a' me, what more could you possibly want from me?"
"Harley, that's not what I think of you!" he insisted. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still furious that you used everything I trusted you with against me, but I don't- I can't believe that you could fake what we both know you felt! I think I'm missing a lot of vital details that are making this a whole lot worse than I think it is-" he winced a bit, putting a hand on his chest before straightening up, determined not to let his injury stop him.
"Yeah well, apparently I was missing a lot of vital information too." His pain hadn't gone unnoticed. "So why don't ya just run back to Gotham with your little girlfriend before someone here decides ta shoot you without emptying their gun first. I'm sure you two'll be very happy."
"No!" he shouted suddenly, shocking himself even. He stepped back, lowering his voice. "It's not like that. Why didn't you tell me what he was making you do, Harley? I could have helped you."
"What do you want from me!?" she demanded. "What do ya want to hear? Cuz there's nothing I can say that's gonna make you feel better. So what do you want? For me to finish breaking your heart? To actually shoot you? You have Batgirl back home, so clearly I've just been here to fulfill some sick danger fantasy of yours."
"I don't love her like I love you!" Dick shouted back. "I can't just forget about a girl like you. Even if you nearly killed me-" Dick choked on his words and gasped a little, suddenly short of breath, unable to keep himself from pressing a hand to his chest in an attempt to stop the pain again.
"And nothing's changed, huh?" Harley asked drily, stepping closer to him. "You're still going to tell me you wanna sweep me away to Gotham… Let me be civilized, with all those innocent people I already hurt? Still gonna tell me ya trust me?" She stood practically chest to chest with him, her eyes peering through the lenses of his mask. "Are you always gonna be wondering if I'm with you to forward some twisted end for Joker? Hell, have you even forgiven me?"
"I can't lie and say I've forgiven you, or that I trust you, because I don't know." He said forcefully, tried to steady his breathing, to little avail. "I'm not sure if I trust you. I'm not sure if I forgive you. I'm not even entirely sure of what happened." Harley nodded and stepped back. "I want to, though. Even if the truth hurts."
"Exactly. Like I said. Run back to the girl you really love, pretty boy, before you get yourself hurt."
"Harley," he breathed, looking like she'd just kicked the air out of his lungs, and then his face twisted angrily. "I gave you the benefit of the doubt!" he shouted. "I've been defending you! For so long, against what everyone had to say- I trusted you! You were-" he choked a bit, the exertion taking its toll, and a short breath gasping past his lips- "you were supposed to be- my new home-" he coughed, stumbling to the side, his hand grasping at the wall. The other went to the spots of blood appearing on the chest of his gray t-shirt.
"And how did you think that would go?" she demanded, pointing at his chest with her bloody hand. Dick pulled his mask off, looking up at her and fighting to focus his vision again.
She'd hurt him, she knew, but she didn't think she'd have to face him. There was cold, furious sadness in his eyes. Dick looked down again, pinching them closed as he steadied himself against the wall. "Really. How did you think that would go?" she enunciated slowly. "I'm crazy, remember?" She put her hand to her chest and left a streak of blood. There were other spots and streaks on her clothes. "So what if I tried to kill ya now? I think you like to pretend I'm not crazy," she laughed, "but we can't pretend forever. What would you have done if I'd done something weeks from now? Or months? Or years? I don't trust myself, so why should you?"
"I don't have to trust you," he breathed weakly. "I love you. We could have figured it out. Selina is on our side. Ivy's there. I could have been your new home." He looked up at her again, trying to stand.
"And what?" She chuckled bitterly. "I just sit around and share you with Batgirl? I may be crazy, but I'm not a moron."
"Batgirl is- Just give me another chance. Isn't that what you'd want? A chance to redeem yourself for what you've done?" He pushed himself off of the wall carefully, a hand still pressed to his chest. "Please. There's nothing I can say to convince you besides promising we can work this out together. Please."
"You're right." Harley nodded and pursed her lips defiantly. "There is nothing you can say that can convince me."
"So that's it?" His eyelids fluttered closed, and he looked down. "Just like that. We're done. It all meant nothing," his voice cracked. He took his hand away from his chest, his breath shuddering past his lips at the blood on his fingers, hers and his. Dick clenched his fist and looked up again, stepping toward her weakly. "You're hurt. At least let me help you."
"No, I…" Harley froze, realization dawning on her. "Oh my God. I'm…" She stared at him, wiping her clean hand across her face. "Shit." She glanced toward Arkham before back at him. "I shouldn't be out here. It's just going to… make it… worse. You shouldn't be out here." She stepped back away from him. "Shit." Her face was panicked. "Shit."
"Harley, whatever it is, I can help you," Dick pressed, his hand outstretched to her. "Please just come with me."
"I… I don't…" She looked at his hand; her face fell. "There's nothing you- you can't stop-" she choked off.
"Breathe, Harls," Dick whispered. "I can and I will help you. Just let me. Trust me," he pleaded. A sudden wind burst up, blowing the hair away from his face. She burst into laughter.
"Yeah because stumbling upon you macking on Batgirl really makes me want to do that." She covered her face with her hands. Dick bit his lip.
"I know, God damn it!" he snapped in exasperation. "Harley, whether you trust me, forgive me, hate me, or not!" his voice cracked again. "Please." The pain in his chest was a constant reminder of just how twisted this was. That he should be furious with her. That he shouldn't trust her ever again. That he should just let her walk out of his life right now and never think about it again. "I am begging you."
"You're begging me?" she laughed, but when she pulled her hands away there were tears in her eyes. "'There is no one else.' What was the other line? 'It's only you,' or even 'I'm not using you' or some bullshit. I never lied to you. Despite all my faults and the betraying you and getting you shot, and at least you knew all that going in. I told you from the start." She shook her head and crossed her bleeding arm across her stomach. "And ta think, I came out here to-" She looked up at the dark sky as she shook her head and blinked her eyes. "I really am crazy. And so are you, Dick." She leveled her gaze at him, sucking in a breath. I'm beggin' you. Go back to Batgirl. Maybe she actually wants your help."
"No. I don't want to lose you," he choked desperately, his hand trembling as he grabbed hers again.
Down the street, echoing through the buildings, Barbara screamed. The sound ripped through Dick's chest and he gasped, his hand slipping away from Harley's; he turned to look back the way he'd come, his eyes searching desperately among the dark buildings. He could hear the scuffling, sounds of fighting, and Barbara's cries of pain. He took off toward it. When he rounded the corner to the noises, he could see the mass of bodies and smell the rotting flesh, but he couldn't see Barbara in the mix.
"Babs!" he screamed, unholstering his gun and firing it into the horde. They whirled on him, hissing and growling, and he continued firing, backing away as he drew them towards him. He couldn't breathe. His throat was closing, and when his gun clicked empty, Dick switched to live rounds and started taking the Infected down one by one, his hands shaking. "Barbara!" he shouted again, but there wasn't an answer.
He reloaded his gun and surged forward. One tried to grab his neck but he fired just in time and knocked it back into the others. He forced his way through them, and kicked a zombie's head away from Barbara's arm as he lifted her up, sprinting away from the Infected, who surged after him.
"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay," he assured her as he ran, firing a grappling hook into a nearby laundromat roof. He didn't stop till they were safely to the top of the low building, his voice growing more and more desperate. "You're okay…" he tripped, crying out when he landed on the rooftop with Barbara in his arms. He could feel the wound pull in his chest, and pain burst through his chest. "It's okay," he gasped. "Please be okay." His vision blurred, the bullet wound burning so badly in his chest that he could feel it down to his legs. Forcing himself to his side, he retched blood onto the roof.
"You can-" Barbara coughed, "keep saying that." When he looked, there were bite marks and scratches down to the bone on her chest and arms, and deep gashes in her stomach that she kept covered with her arms. Dick's blood ran cold. Barbara groaned and dropped her head back before refocusing on him, a scratch on her forehead dripping blood down along her brow. "You're okay?" she gasped. "She didn't… You didn't…"
"No," he choked back a sob, trembling as the tears spilled from his eyes without hesitation. "Just be still okay? Just don't- don't move-" his voice had dropped to a whisper, his hand shaking violently as he tried to push her bloodied hair out of her face. He took her cowl off carefully. She looked at his bloody hands.
"Don't you dare get Infected because of me," she warned and met his eyes, her teeth gritted through the pain.
"I… I w-won't," he stuttered, reaching into his utility belt for a rapid painkiller. He pulled the cap off of the needle and injected her with it, and then searched in the pockets for his backup comm. "Hello?" he pressed it into his ear. "Someone- help us, please," he choked, cradling Barbara tighter in his arms.
"Dick," Bruce replied instantly. "Where are you?"
"What's going on?" Steph asked.
"Uptown- Babs and I w-went for a walk-" his voice finally cracked, and he let out a sob. "She's hurt really bad…" Dick smoothed her hair back again, making her look at him. "Please stay with me, Babs, come on… Oh God, what have I done-"
"Stay put," Bruce ordered.
"Please don't let me turn," Barbara whispered. Her shirt was soaked in blood as she continued to try and apply pressure to her own wound, her arms growing weak. Dick pressed down on her hand, trying to help.
"We can help you then. We can cure you. Like Tim," Dick choked, looking in her eyes. His face was smeared with blood, his mask long forgotten somewhere in the streets below.
"No." Barbara shook her head, tears streaking down her face. "Not even the-" She coughed, choking up blood. "Not even the Infection could- keep me alive long enough- like this." Her eyes flicked over to where she could hear the Infected below them, trying to find a way up. She blinked her eyes lazily. The pain wasn't so bad, not compared to what she'd thought it'd be, but she knew what happened once she finally closed her eyes.
"Please, no," Dick sobbed, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes pinched shut, as if he could somehow make this nightmare go away. "Don't leave me, Babs," he breathed. "Not you." She jumped a little at the loud clang of an Infected hitting metal on the side of the building below. Barbara gasped for air as she stared up at him.
"It hurts," she whimpered. Her breathing was ragged as she tried to compose herself, but her focus was slipping. "You need- need to get… out of here. You won't last much l-longer, Dick."
"I don't care," he choked. "I'm not leaving you." He took a shuddering breath before breaking into sobs again. "B-Besides, Bruce said to stay put," he gasped, stroking her cheek. "You hear me? Batman is coming, just hang on." They could hear the scraping on metal of the Infected on the fire escape as they tried to climb. The absence of their groaning made the noise deafening, and Barbara reached up and grabbed onto Dick's shirt, clinging desperately to it.
Four shots rang out in the night air. Dick jumped and looked over, thinking Bruce had shown up, but Harley was standing by the top of the fire escape, and she slowly lowered her gun as she stared at Dick and Barbara. Dick met her eyes and exhaled sharply, tears pouring down his face. He ignored her and looked back down at Babs, pressing his forehead to her's.
"Please," he whispered. "Babs? Hey. Are you still with me?" He cupped her face, making sure she kept her eyes open. His hand shook violently. "Bruce is coming, just hang on!"
"She's going to pass out soon," Harley whispered, standing above him. "It's amazing she's lasted this long."
"No-" Barbara's body was wracked with sobs. "Please don't let me turn into a zombie-"
"They're not zombies," Dick reminded her softly, stroking her cheek as he cried.
"Dick- please-," she begged.
"I can't," he sobbed. "Please- please don't make me-" he swallowed hard, cradling her head with a shaking hand. Barbara lifted her own weakly, coated in blood, and touched his cheek to make him meet her eyes. She was already fading, he could tell, and pleading silently with everything she had left. Dick couldn't breathe. His blood was rushing so loud in his ears he could hardly hear his comm, the whole weight of the dark sky above crushing down on his senses. His jaw clenched.
"Okay. Okay…" He trembled, slowly pulling his gun out of it's holster. Barbara was bound to pass out from the amount of blood loss soon; she and Dick were soaked in it, and it pooled around them on the rooftop. With her hand on his cheek her stomach was exposed, the severity of the wound more obvious now. Her skin was shredded along with a bloody mass of organs, the blood already thickening and turning black. No one could survive it, and she was right; even if she did turn, she wouldn't last long enough for a cure to come, anyway.
Harley watched in horror; her stomach twisted at the sight of Batgirl's mangled body and at the broken look on Dick's face, and she covered her mouth. She glanced away toward the dead Infected behind her. Each one was cleanly shot through the forehead, with black blood clotted on their throats from their cut vocal cords. She turned to face Dick again and took a step back from his pain.
"I'm so sorry, Babs," Dick cried, his body racked with sobs. "I love you- I'm so sorry-" he kissed her head gently, coughing a bit. Dick pressed the gun to her head, and Barbara struggled to lift her hand over his, helping him hold it steady.
"I love you too- Boy Wonder-" Barbara whispered, trembling. "And th-this isn't- your fault- she assured him, closing her eyes tight. "This world n-needs your smile m-more t-than ever, Dick." She could almost pretend she was laying in his arms back at the manor, so long ago when they were safe and together, before any of this had ever happened. "Thank you," she sighed, already slipping away.
"Forgive me," he sobbed, turning his head away as he pulled the trigger. Fast. As if haste would make it less painful, like a band-aid. It was fast; the deafening crack of the gun, the gut-wrenching splatter on the rooftop, and then it was over. His ears rang in the silence, cold horror washing over his body. The gun clattered to the ground. He didn't dare turn his head back as he burst into a fresh round of sobs.
"Oh, Dick," Selina whispered, her voice thick. He'd left his comm on the whole time, and he could hear the Batmobile roaring in the distance. Dick tore his communicator out and lifted Barbara to his chest, bawling into her hair. Her blood smeared on his face and on his chest, but he held her tighter. She'd been there as long as he had. She'd always kept him going; a bright light at the end of the cold, dark cave he was raised in. No matter what happened, Barbara was there. It started with just the four of them in the Batcave, Bruce, Dick, Alfred, Babs; now she's gone too. Dick heard the engine of the Batmobile cut off somewhere below them, and the sound of a grappling hook retracting as Batman leapt up onto the rooftop, slowing to a stop a few feet away. He didn't say anything as he took in the scene in front of him. Dick screamed and clung to Barbara's lifeless body, her eyes rolled back where her head hung limp from his shoulder. Bruce dropped heavily to his knees beside them without a word.
"Dick…" Bruce put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off, rocking slightly as he wept. Bruce tried again, and when Dick shook him off a second time he yanked him away from Barbara's corpse and into his arms. Dick screamed and sobbed harder, trying to reach for her again, but Bruce held fast. "She's gone, Dick, we have to go," he growled, his voice cracking. Dick stopped fighting and went limp against Bruce, every piercing wail cutting straight to his core.
Bruce slowly stood, and Dick crawled to Barbara again, lifting her body as he struggled to stand, but he overestimated his strength. The pain in his chest stopped him in his tracks, and he collapsed again, Barbara falling out of his arms. Dick burst into a fresh round of sobs and Bruce caught her, helping Dick stand.
"It's okay." Bruce steadied him with a firm hand on his shoulder. "I've got her… I've got her."
"Bruce, do you need help?" Selina asked over comms.
"Yes." He replied, and moved to stand in front of Dick. "Let's go. Let's take her home."
He choked back his tears to no avail, summoning what little strength he had left. "Okay…" He followed Bruce to the edge of the roof, his vision tunneling as he walked. Still carrying Barbara, Bruce had to catch Dick before he stepped off the roof. Dick glanced at the arm that had stopped him, and he fumbled for his grappling hook to swing down. Bruce was trying to tell him something, but the words sounded like a bad speaker played underwater, garbled and far away. Dick clumsily fired the hook and dropped over the edge of the building, hitting the pavement a little too hard and stumbling forward before falling onto the sidewalk, just barely catching himself.
The pain in his chest was excruciating, and spreading now, but it wasn't just the bullet wound any longer. Numbness flooded his limbs as it really sank in, what had just happened. She's gone.
Bruce landed behind him. He desperately wanted to comfort him, but this wasn't the place. They needed to get out of Uptown quickly before anything else could happen, and he… he was going to have to tell the Commissioner what had happened. Bruce gingerly placed Barbara in the Batmobile, his lip trembling as he gently laid her head down in the seat, and then he went back for Dick.
Bruce hauled him to his feet. Infected were already coming down the street, following the scent of blood; it stung their nostrils, sharp and metallic, and somehow- it smelled strangely like her. Realizing suddenly why the scent was there, all over him, and realizing that he would never, ever see it's owner again; Dick's eyelids fluttered and he gasped, stumbling to the side as he retched on the pavement.
"We need to go," Bruce said firmly. "Now."
Dick wiped his mouth with his sleeve, sobbing again. "Then lead," Dick cried. "It's what you do, isn't it?" He coughed, stumbling towards the Batmobile. Bruce surged ahead. He made sure the doors were open for when they got there and rushed back to Dick, who'd fallen behind in the street. He finally dragged himself to the car and got into the passenger seat, closing the door just as an Infected slammed against the window. Bruce hastily got into the car after him, the engine roaring to life. They tore away from the Infected gathering around the vehicle, leaving them behind as they headed for the bridge.
Dick felt numb. He turned his head slowly to look at her in the back seat; he could just see her lifeless legs draped over the leather, and for a moment, it reminded him of when she'd been paralyzed. She was so frail then, but so strong. It was difficult to believe that she couldn't be strong anymore. That she never would be again. She'd always kept him going, even when they were apart; somehow, he always relaxed knowing that when he saw her again, she'd scold him for giving up. For being so reckless. The Infection hadn't changed that. They'd been each other's secondary conscience, a shoulder to cry on when they needed it, and they'd supported each other through it all. At least, right up until the end. He thought, choking on his guilt. Without her, he would have lost his mind ages ago.
Dick started to cry again, burying his face in his hands. "I… I tried t-to…" He trembled, his breathing ragged. Bruce didn't look at him, but his voice was thick. Pained.
"I know, Dick. Nobody ever means for things like this to happen. I know you did your best." He pressed further down on the gas. He couldn't tell if Dick was bleeding or not through Barbara's blood coating his chest, but the color in his face was fading to a frightening shade of white.
"I… tried…" He choked, his head slumping against the window, his vision tunneling again, and somewhere down the darkness Barbara called his name.
I tried to save you, he thought, losing his battle with the dark, crashing down on him as everything went black.