A Few Days Later

The funeral was understated. Bruce, Diana, Alfred, Barbara, Dick, Tim, Damian, and Helena were all there. A few others came, but that was all. At the end Bruce threw the first clump of dirt into the grave and disappeared. Everyone else stayed to help bury him. Helena and Diana were invited to the manor for tea and to reminisce, Helena politely refused.

At the Manor Alfred brewed some tea and they all sat in silence for a while before the stories began. Muted laughter punctuated some of the stories, tears others.

"I think I'm going to go check on Master Bruce, he should really join us." Alfred got up and headed toward the cave. As he descended the steps he heard the unmistakable sounds of the Dark Knight training.

"Sir, tea has been ready for a while now. We all request your presence." No response. "Sir, I have told you this before and I'll tell you again, you are not strengthening yourself by refusing to face your grief. If you refuse to confront your grief it will weaken and overtake you."

"Leave, Alfred." Came from within the darkness accompanied by a slight pause before a return to the sounds of training.

"Perhaps you might join us out of the selfless desire to comfort others?" No response. Alfred sighed and returned to the group shaking his head.

Damian saw Alfred shaking his head first. "Stubborn old man, even I can see what he needs to do."

They all looked at Diana, she shook her head. "I'm afraid I would only make it worse."

Dick shrugged. "It's worth a shot, can't get much worse in my opinion."

Barbara slapped his shoulder derisively.

"What? It's the truth."

"That doesn't mean you have to say it."

Diana stood and descended into the dark, hearing the sounds of a punching bag as she went. "Bruce?"

Silence. "What?"

"Please." More silence.

"Don't come near me, Diana."

"Oh, Bruce." She drew closer.

"I said get away from me!" He threw the punching bag at her, it just inertly fell to the ground. "Don't you see! I killed him! I gave Penguin the opportunity to shoot him! I let the Joker turn him into a vengeful man! All I can see is him getting beaten by that crowbar and shot, over and over again."

He turned slightly and Diana saw his contorted face, racked in misery. Then his eyes went wide realizing he had let her get too close again. "Get OUT!"

She obeyed, but slowly, hoping for any change in his composure that she could use as an invitation, but there was none. She went back to the mourners and out of the darkness.

A Week Later

The Joker sat in a straight jacket facing a corner in his padded cell, chuckling at a joke he had undoubtedly just told himself before he became aware of the presence in the room.

"Oh batsy, you really oughta find a new psychologist, I'm unlicensed, but I can recommend a pretty good one. AhahahAAHahaAHa!"

"He's dead."

Joker was in the Batman's face with unnatural speed. "And which bird would that be? The flightless one or the psycho one, oh wait that doesn't help does it? HAHaha. Oh I've got it, what's black and white and red aaall over? Hmm, Batman? Wait, no that doesn't work either, because you let Penguin live and little old Robin died...again! AhaHahAHAHAHaHAAHAHAhahAhAHA! I guess we have to change it. What's black and made Red over? You're not laughing? I always forget how little fun you are when I'm not trying to kill everyone you love."

"You heard."

"Why of course I heard, Bats. I care about you! You're my best pal in the whole wide world! I've gotta keep tabs on you!"

"So the Penguin succeeded where you failed?"

Joker frowned. "Now that isn't funny, Bats. Why are you being so mean to the pal who just wants to help you out." Joker smiled so broadly his gums showed. "Don't forget, Bats, I'm the only one who understands you. Who understands your relentless crusade. I'm just you a few steps down the road, you'll see it one day."

"You're right. About all but one thing, your not me a few steps down the road, your me after a wrong turn. A turn that I would have made today in killing Penguin if someone hadn't stopped me."

"Who?! Who ruined my joke?!"

"It wasn't your joke. It was Penguin's." Batman disappeared, and Joker banged his head against the cushioned wall laughing hysterically.

…

Bruce walked amongst his past, his trophies and his reminders. He stopped at the newly placed Red Hood mask, enshrined within glass along with a single bullet. He began to walk away, but something was out of place, something caught his eye. He turned to see a single star laying on a cushion between a crushed detonation timer and a piece of hardened, clay-like material.

He removed the earring from the case and looked at it silently. Then he clasped it tightly and fell to his knees, finally mourning for Jason, he wept. "Diana. I won't fail you like I failed him." It was a while before he moved from that spot.

To Be Continued…

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Thank you to everyone who has gone on this journey with me. The next one is already in progress. You can find "Agape Vigil", the sequel, on my profile.

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