Chapter 23

Gotham; September 23rd, 22:50 EST

"Stay close to me," Red Hood instructed her, earning a nasty glower from the Amazon warrior at his left.

"Just because we are sleeping together does not mean you get to tell me what to do nor do you have to be protective of me," she snapped. "I am fully capable of taking care of myself and you."

"I know you are, Red, but you don't know Joker like I do," he countered with a huff of annoyance. "He's not like anyone you've ever gone up against."

"I know," she retorted with a roll of her eyes. "You've only told me a hundred times already."

"You just don't know what I know," he cryptically said, pausing by the side of the building to scan the area for any traps.

Finding an open window, Hood grabbed hold of the ledge, easily lifting himself up and crawling inside. Artemis followed him, her irritation with him still prickling hotly as she followed him through the dark lumber mill, her every sense on high alert for impending trouble.

"When will you finally tell me what happened?" she pressed.

"I don't like to talk about it," he curtly stated.

"All I know is that Joker killed you and that you were brought back to life," she continued on regardless of his obvious resistance. He had to let her in if this was going to work between them.

"Look, I promise I'll tell you everything someday, but now is really not a good time," he ground out, tightly clutching his weapons.

He still couldn't help the overriding belief that Joker should've been dead long ago. It nagged at him in the deepest, darkest corners of his mind especially in that moment when sleep was just beginning to grab hold of him, when he was just starting to drift off and his thoughts weren't his own. The memories would return with a vengeance, renewing his hatred for the psychotic clown and trying to stir the element of resentment that he still clung to.

He tried to ignore these darker emotions that consumed his soul, but it was difficult when the nightmares visited him like a deadly specter in his sleep. Thankfully, they had been held at bay with Artemis in his bed. She was turning out to be a calming presence in his life and he knew that he owed her by telling her about the worst time in his life.

Artemis glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She could feel the internal battle that was warring inside of him. She knew that it had been a horrifying time for him, but she needed to know if she was going to be able to help him eventually get past it all.

Despite how well Jason got along with his family, she had sensed a subtle, underlying current of tension at times. It wasn't overtly obvious by any means, and it wasn't something that she'd picked up on right away. It was more like an unspoken moment in time that no one wanted to revisit or discuss, an elephant in the room that no one acknowledged.

The problem was that trying to bury it without actually dealing with it could lead to festering bitterness and resentment that could eventually explode like a volcano of molten emotion. Things could easily turn ugly with the slightest spark. She feared greatly for that moment.

This family had become special to her, taking her by surprise. She never saw it coming but couldn't deny that the feelings were there. Of course, she wasn't exactly one to express her feelings nor was she a romantic at heart. Still, she knew she'd protect this family with her life. She had sworn her life to them when she'd first come to Man's World and that promise still held true…even more so now than ever before.

"I don't understand it," Red Hood softly murmured more to himself than to the Amazon.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"There should be more signs of Joker being here," Hood said as he shook his head. "I don't like it. It's far too quiet."

"What did you expect?" she asked. "A welcome wagon?"

"No," he stated. "If Joker went to Arkham with his gang to spring Harley, there should still be some of his gang around here…some sign of them being here."

"Maybe he decided to take them all with him."

"Maybe," he muttered as he looked around. "Something is off here."

"Do you think that Harley gave Nightwing the wrong location?"

"Could be," he replied. "But it wouldn't be the first time Harley betrayed Joker. It's like some vicious cycle between them. They fight, they break up and double-cross each other, they get back together. It's a twisted mess."

"Well, it doesn't look like anyone is here," Artemis told him.

"Let's at least look for clues," he decided. "Maybe we'll find something that will give us some idea about where they could be now."

They worked their way through the old lumber mill, finding only a handful of empty syringes here and there. Hood bagged them up for evidence, hopefully that they'd be able to find a way to counteract this crazy mind drug that Joker had created.

He just wanted to get through this building so they could catch up with the others. He'd wanted to go along to Arkham and get a few good shots in at Joker, but he'd relented to checking out the location Harley hard given up. He'd hoped that Joker had actually stayed behind this time, but that obviously turned out to not be the case.

The longer they spent in the lumber mill the more the nagging feeling in the back of Jason's mind grew. It was becoming relentless, causing his stomach to clench with growing dread. "We need to get out of here," he suddenly stated.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I have a very bad feeling about this," he told her, grabbing her hand as he stalked past her. "We need to leave now."

"But what—"

The sound of Joker's eerie, crowing laughter abruptly filled the air, reverberating through the building. "Run!" Jason yelled.

Dragging a protesting Artemis with him, they raced towards the door on the far side of the room. Jason knew they weren't going to make it in time. They had to minimize the damage as best as possible. He shoved Artemis towards a piece of equipment as a serious of explosions suddenly rocked the entire mill, causing the building to burst into a ball of flames.

Batcave; September 24th, 00:04 EST

"Bring him over here," Alfred urgently instructed Batman as they hurried towards the medical bay of the Batcave.

Batman solemnly carried an unconscious Robin towards one of the waiting medical beds, holding him protectively in his arms. His heart was in his throat as he glanced down at the pale face of his son, tears gathering in his eyes as his gaze settled on the blood staining his uniform. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't at all the way it was supposed to have gone.

Joker was supposed to be locked up with Harley Quinn right now, not running free with Tim as his captive. He hadn't known what to expected tonight when they'd left for this mission, but this had definitely not been it. It was so surreal like a horrible dream he wished he could wake himself up from.

He gently laid Damian on the medical bed before taking several steps back to watch as Alfred went to work saving his son. Although he didn't remember the Joker, he'd found a hatred for him that he wasn't sure that he'd ever known before. If anything happened to Damian or Tim, he'd never forgive himself.

He ripped his cowl off, tossing it on the ground in disgust. His gauntleted hands balled into furious fists bent on revenge as Alfred cut away Damian's uniform top, revealing the bullet hole in his upper left chest. He quickly began the task of removing the bullet, causing Bruce's stomach to twist with the knowledge that the Joker held no qualms about shooting a ten-year-old boy, firing his gun without batting an eye.

What kind of sick maniac was this?

The unexpected feel of a hand coming to rest gently against his back shook him out of his vengeful thoughts. He slowly turned his head to find himself staring into the tearful eyes of his wife. Without a second thought, he fully turned towards her, sweeping her up into his arms and holding her close.

"I'm so sorry, Bruce," she softly murmured in his ear.

He tightened his hold on her, burying his face in her hair. He had been filled with so much joy spending the day with his children only for it to all end with one son being shot and another being taken by a sadistic clown. The life that he had been so desperate to grab hold of was suddenly falling apart in his grasp.

He drew a shuddering gasp, refusing to give in to the terror that threatened to overwhelm him. He had fought too hard to get back here. He wasn't going to give up now. He was that much more determined to regain everything that Joker was trying to take away from him.

Bruce abruptly pulled away, averting his eyes. He didn't want her to see him appearing weak or vulnerable. He was the leader of this family. He needed to be strong and in complete control. They needed him now more than ever and he wouldn't fail them.

He folded his arms tightly against his chest, a sure sign that he was closing himself off to everyone. Diana laid her hand on his forearm, squeezing it gently. "He'll pull through this, Bruce," she assured him. "He's strong and stubborn…a fighter just like you."

"Bruce…Diana…"

The couple turned to face Dick coming towards them, just returning from Arkham as well. "How's Damian?" he asked as he removed his mask.

"Alfred is working on him now," Bruce stiffly stated.

"Everyone is back in lock up at Arkham," Dick replied. Despite his straightforward manner, the depths of his guilt and ire was more than evident in his eyes.

"Dick…" Diana began, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off, his gaze falling on Damian. "We may have more trouble," he revealed, swallowing hard.

"What is it?" Diana asked.

"I can't reach Jason or Artemis," he informed them. "They should've checked in by now. I've tried reaching them several times, but I don't get any response from either of them. I have Barbara working on finding them as well as Tim."

"Do you think Joker got them too?" Bruce questioned him.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck as he attempted to stretch out the stress and the kinks that had settled there. "I don't know," he admitted with a weary sigh. "I don't want to think about it, but I'm going to have to go to the lumber mill and look for them if they don't respond or show up soon."

"Let's not jump to conclusions until we know something," Diana replied. "You two stay here with Damian. I'll go to the lumber mill to look for Artemis and Jason."

"You're not going alone," Bruce adamantly stated in no uncertain terms. The fire blazing in his eyes bespoke of his obstinate determination that dared to be challenged.

"I'll be fine…really, Bruce," she insisted.

"You were the one that Joker really wanted," Bruce argued. "He only took Tim because he couldn't get to you."

"Now that he has Tim, we need to focus on finding him not on what Joker wants with me," she stubbornly countered. "I promise I'll contact you as soon as I find something. In the meantime, try to track Tim through his commlink. The sooner we can find him the sooner we can get him away from Joker."

"I'm going with you, Diana," Bruce stated. "Joker has already taken out two of us. We can't afford the risk of losing you too."

"Bruce, you need to stay here with your son," Diana insisted, her hand coming to rest on his forearm. "He needs you here with him."

"I don't like this," Bruce snapped, turning away from Diana. In his heart, he knew that she was right, but he loathed the idea of her going out there alone without back up.

"It's the best option," Diana told him. "You stay with Damian while Dick tries to track down Tim. I promise I'll check in frequently if it'll make you feel better."

"It doesn't," Bruce spat out before stalking back towards Damian and Alfred.

"That went well," Diana muttered under her breath, her gaze falling on Bruce standing at Damian's bedside, taking his hand in his while Alfred tended to him. She prayed to Hera that Damian pulled through this.

"It's been a horrible night," Dick told her. "Just give him a little time. I'm sure this has been overwhelming for him."

"I'm going to go look for Jason and Artemis."

"I know I don't have to tell you to be careful," he replied. "I don't want to lose any more of my family."

"Dick, none of this is your fault," Diana reassured him, being careful to choose her words wisely. She knew that despite Dick's jovial personality he tended to take losses like this one personally.

"It is, Diana," he stated, looking at Damian. "My mission…my fault. I should've been better prepared. I should have—"

"Don't, Dick," she sternly said, a grave expression adorning her face as she slowly shook her head. "Your father cornered the market on carrying all the guilt of the world on his shoulders a long time ago. It's still something he struggles with even now despite all the wonderful things that have happened in his life over recent years. Don't go down that same path."

"It makes me sick to think of what Joker is doing to Tim right now," Dick replied with a haunting tone. "Diana, you have no idea the full depths of his depravity. There is no low that he won't sink to if it means a chance to break Batman."

Diana visibly shivered with his words, fear clawing its way up her throat. She needed to get out there and find her son before Joker could hurt him…before Joker could destroy Bruce and their family. She refused to allow that to happen, swearing to herself she would protect all of them with her life.

"Stay here with Bruce," Diana told him. "I'm going to go after Jason and Artemis. Keep me posted on Damian's condition and if you find anything on Tim. If I need to, I'll go in there as Wonder Woman and get him out if I have to. It may be our best chance of saving Tim."

"It may come down to that," Dick reluctantly agreed with a nod. "Let's hope it doesn't."

"I'll talk to Kal about having the Founders on standby in case we need back up," she added.

Dick adamantly shook his head. "Bruce hates outside help, Diana," he reminded her. "We need to keep this in the family if at all possible."

"I understand that, Dick, but I refuse to sacrifice Tim just because of Bruce's pride," she stated. "If it becomes necessary, I will call in back up from the Founders. I won't risk Tim's life."

"I know," he decided with a sigh of reluctant acceptance. "We'll hold that in our back pocket as our wild card."

"That's all I ask," she replied. "Just keep it as option."

The sound of a motorcycle racing down the tunnel of the Batcave caught their attention, hope rising in their hearts. Bruce, Dick, and Diana ran towards the motorcycle as Jason and Artemis got off, Artemis immediately grabbing hold of Jason before he crumpled to the ground.

"What happened to you two?" Dick questioned them, moving to Jason's other side to wrap an arm around him to help support him.

"Joker happened," Jason spat out, slipping his mask off and tossing it aside to reveal the anger in his eyes. "He had the whole building rigged to explode."

"Are you guys okay?" Diana asked, appraising the pair.

"Just barely," Artemis informed her with a fearsome scowl.

Artemis was covered in cuts and scrapes, blood trickling from a wound on the side of her head. Jason didn't appear to be in much better shape, unable to place any weight on his left leg. A torn piece of cloth was wrapped tightly around his thigh, blood covering his leg.

"Let's get you two to the med bay," Bruce stated.

"What happened at Arkham?" Jason asked as Dick and Artemis helped him towards one of the medical beds.

"Joker shot Damian," Dick revealed. "Alfred's working on him now."

"Joker and Harley got away and took Tim with them," Diana added.

"What?" Jason nearly yelled, gritting his teeth as they helped him sit down on a bed. "We have to get back out there and find him."

"We have no idea where he is," Dick softly said. "His commlink isn't working and Barbara hasn't been able to track him as of yet."

"We have to find him," Jason growled as he attempted to stand up, crying out as his leg gave out on him.

Artemis caught him before he could hit the ground, helping him back up onto the bed. "Sit," she insisted. "Try to move again and I will tie you to that bed."

"You don't understand!" Jason yelled. "Joker will tear him apart. He'll do incomprehensible things to him."

"We'll find him, Jason," Bruce tried to reassure him. "You need to just stay here and rest."

"You!" Jason seethed, glaring darkly at Bruce as he pointed a finger at him. "This is all your fault!"

"What are you talking about?" Bruce demanded, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"If you would've killed Joker years ago, none of this would be happening now!" Jason accused, brushing off Artemis's hand on his arm. "You just couldn't do it, could you? You couldn't kill Joker even after he had beaten and killed me."

"Jason!" Diana angrily called his name as she took Bruce's hand in hers, lacing her fingers with his.

"Jason, I—" Bruce began, nearly shocked speechless by his furious outburst. His words were like razor blades against his skin, threatening to tear his heart open.

"Save it, Bruce!" Jason shouted. "I've heard it all before. Nothing you say will change the fact that you chose Joker over me…over your own son and because of that Tim and Damian are now paying the price for your lack of courage."

"Stop it, Jason!" Dick bellowed.

"No, I won't, Dick," Jason spat out. "You've always just blindly followed him, obediently doing whatever Bruce tells you to do. Well, I've held my tongue for a long time now, abiding by Bruce's rules and Bruce's way of doing things. I'm not doing it anymore. Damian could die and Tim's as good as dead all because Bruce refused to end this madness years ago."

Bruce felt ill to his core, confusion and anger swirling like a cyclone inside of him. Was any of this true? "I don't know what you're talking about," Bruce rasped with a deadly calm that sent a shiver up Diana's spine. "I would never choose anyone over my own family."

"Yah, you say that now that you have real kids of your own," Jason shot back with a venomous edge. "It didn't matter before because I wasn't really our son, but things are different now with Nicholas and Kaia and Damian."

"Enough!"

Everyone froze, stunned by the unexpected outburst coming from the most unexpected source. Turning they found Alfred standing there, his apron streaked with Damian's blood. His blue eyes burned with a fiery rage that shocked everyone into absolute silence.

"No one is to blame for any of this except for Joker and Harley Quinn," Alfred heatedly stated, his chest heaving with the extent of his own anger. "Pointing fingers and making false accusations will not save Master Damian or Master Timothy nor will it change the past. I suggest you put your differences aside and focus on finding Master Timothy before it's too late."

Alfred leveled each one of them with a stern look, making sure that they knew he was serious. "Master Damian is resting peacefully now. He should make a full recovery in a few days. Now, if Miss Artemis would assist me with tending to Master Jason, the rest of you can start trying to track down Master Timothy."

Jason lowered his head, his fury still thrumming through him like an electrical current, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to try to cross Alfred. He also knew he was right. They needed to focus on finding Tim before he suffered at the hands of the Joker and Harley.

Bruce pulled his hand free from Diana's before turning on his heel and silently stalking away. Diana's eyes momentarily fell closed, drawing a deep breath and releasing it slowly through parted lips in an effort to calm her emotions before following Dick to the platform to begin the search.

"How is Damian?" Artemis asked Alfred.

"The bullet was lodged near his collarbone," he informed her. "I was able to remove it and repair the damage. He should be his usually cheerful self in a few days."

"Alfred…" Jason began.

"Don't, Master Jason," Alfred sternly stated as he began to cut away the material from his leg to reveal the deep gash in his thigh. "We all know how you feel. Directing all your anger and hatred towards Master Bruce will not help the situation. Besides, he doesn't have any memory of the incident."

"That doesn't make him innocent," Jason bit out, averting his eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, he still has my blood on his hands."

"And killing the Joker will wash it all away just like that?" Alfred challenged him. "It'll erase all the bitterness, all the anger and resentment, the desire for revenge. It'll just be like the Joker never existed, never beat you or murdered you.

"What you don't know or understand is the absolute anguish that Master Bruce endured after your death. A day didn't go by that he wasn't condemning himself for failing to save you from Joker. You went through hell at the hands of that madman, but so did Master Bruce.

And don't you dare think for one moment that Master Bruce didn't want to kill Joker with his own hands for what he did to you. It would've been so easy for him to give into the rage and hatred that consumed him after your death, but he resisted because he didn't want to become what Joker was…what his parents' killer had been.

"It's because your father loves you that he didn't kill Joker. He didn't want you to have a murderer for a father, a man with no moral compass or self-restraint, lowering himself to become just like Joker. You may not see that as love now, but you will someday."

Jason's shoulder fell slightly as he looked to his left, watching as Bruce attacked the punching bag with a fierce vengeance. He knew in his heart that Alfred was right, but he wasn't ready to accept that fact or let go of all the anger that continued to consume him.

If Damian or Tim didn't survive, he'd never forgive Bruce for as long as there was breath in his body.

XXX

Bruce's fist slammed into the leather of the punching bag with all the fury and anguish that surged through his system at that moment. He couldn't begin to believe all that had happened since they'd left the cave on this mission to stop Joker, how everything had gone so incredibly wrong.

His mind stormed with thoughts that refused to be contained, wondering if everyone would've been better off if Diana had just left him down in the Underworld with Hades. What had happened when Joker had killed Jason? What had taken place between him and Jason after his return from the dead?

An endless string of questions barraged him, gaining momentum with every slam of his fist against the bag. There was so much of his life that he needed to recover. He needed to know everything now so he could find a way to get Tim back before Joker took another son from him.

Sweat began to trickle down the sides of his face, his neck and back. His chest heaved with the raw emotions coursing through him like a mighty river. It was all so confusing, overwhelming him and threatening to break him. He knew that he couldn't allow himself to succumb to the pressure when Tim's life was at stake.

It was more than difficult, though, knowing that Jason hated him…carrying this bitterness and resentment towards him this whole time. He would never do anything to harm any of his family. The thought alone that he had failed Jason resulting in his death was almost enough to crush him.

How many others had he failed that he had no memory of? How many times had he failed his children or Diana?

As desperate as he was to get his memories back, he was beginning to think maybe it was for the best that he didn't remember. There was so much pain that he had caused. He needed to go out there and make it right. He needed to fix this before Tim paid the price.

Bruce stalked out of the training room, fury fueling his every step. He didn't make it far before he was stopped by Alfred who was blocking his path. "And where exactly do you think you're going?"

"I'm going after Tim," he stated.

"You don't know where you're going," Alfred pointed out. "You have no memories of Gotham and no idea where Master Timothy is being held."

"Get out of my way, Alfred," Bruce insisted. "I have to try to fix this before I lose Tim."

Alfred closed the distance between them, his expression softening. "What happened with Master Jason was a terrible tragedy, but it was in no way your fault. The blame lays solely on the shoulders of the Joker and no one else."

"He's right, Alfred," Bruce growled. "I should have stopped Joker years ago. Then none of this would be happening now. Joker wouldn't have shot Damian, Tim wouldn't have been taken, and Diana wouldn't still be in danger."

"And what about the next villain who does the exact same thing as Joker?" Alfred asked. "What will you do then? Take his or her life too? Keep killing off every single villain who threatens your team? I know you don't have your memories, Master Bruce, but deep down you know that you don't believe killing is the answer. You never have before and you don't now."

Bruce's chin fell to his chest as he swallowed hard. He felt absolutely helpless to stop this and helpless to save his son. "What am I supposed to do, Alfred?" he softly asked, clearly on the verge of breaking by what had happened.

"You will find the answer, Bruce," Alfred replied with a fatherly tone as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You and your family will find a way through this no matter what happens. You always have and you always will. This family is strong, enduring more than your fair share of tragedies. This is a horrible setback, but you will overcome it."

Bruce nodded his head in response as his eyes fell on Damian sleeping soundly in the med bay, Jason sitting on another medical bed talking to Artemis. He knew couldn't let Joker break him. If he allowed that to happen, then Joker would truly win, and he couldn't allow that to happen no matter what.

Gotham; September 24th, 02:28 EST

Tim swallowed back the groan he could feel sliding up his throat, refusing to give away the fact that he was conscious now. He needed to play opossum for as long as possible, learning as much as he possible could so he could find a way to escape this nightmare before it actually began.

There was no way he was going to allow Joker and Harley to carry out their plans to hurt his mom or anyone else for that matter. He'd do whatever was necessary to take the Joker down. He just had to find a way to get out of the handcuffs that held him captive in this chair.

He couldn't help thinking of Damian and wondering if he was even still alive. Had he lost another brother to Joker's hands? They'd thankfully been able to get Jason back, but he had no idea if Damian would be as fortunate. It fanned the flames of his anger to think that Joker could so coldly shoot a ten-year-old boy, but he also knew that Joker had committed heinous acts just like it and even worse in the past.

His head was pounding mercilessly, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. His stomach churned, but he swallowed the nausea that threatened to overtake him. He needed to figure out where he was being held. He doubted that it was the lumber mill that Harley had told Nightwing about.

There was no scent of wood, no telltale smell of sawdust. Instead, the air was thick with the smell of grease, making him wonder where exactly he was being held captive. He absently wondered if Jason and Artemis were all right. If they weren't at the lumber mill now, then that meant that either Harley lied, or Joker moved his base.

"But, puddin'!" Harley cried. "I thought you didn't want me anymore!"

"You know I've been under a lot of stress!" he yelled. "This plan has to work if I'm going to break Bats."

"But we didn't get Batwoman," she pointed out.

"We're not giving up on that," he swore to her. "We'll start with Red Robin and have him bring her to us."

"Do you really think that'll work?"

"Of course, it will," he snapped. "Don't you have faith in me anymore?"

"Ya know I love ya, puddin," she pledged. "It's just that nothin' we try seems to work."

"This time it'll work," he promised her. "This plan is failproof."

"What are we gonna do about Penguin?" she asked. "He still wants revenge on you for killin' Bossworth by comin' after me."

"If you stay here with me where you're supposed to be, you'll be fine," he stated.

"So, I'm just supposed to stay in here forever?"

"Not forever," he replied. "Just until I can get my people in place. Once I get certain people under my control, I'm going to have them take out the likes of Penguin and Riddler. No need to have any competition around here."

Tim clenched his teeth, subtly trying the handcuffs that kept his arms bound to the chair. It was far worse than they had imagined. It was only a matter of time before Joker had complete control over Gotham, spreading his special brand of chaos.

"So, how soon are ya gonna start programming Red?" she asked.

"As soon as possible," Joker replied with a gleeful cackle. "There's no sense prolonging the inevitable. Besides, the sooner he's programmed the sooner we can get our hands on Batwoman."

Tim felt his stomach lurch with Joker's words, knowing that he was going to have to fight with everything that he had. He couldn't allow Joker to gain control over him. The thought of betraying his family or hurting his mom was a gut-wrenching thought.

He had to find a way to stop this even if it meant his life.

A/N: Whoa! Just when you think things can't get any worse for the poor Wayne family! Sorry not much Wonderbat in this update, but I promise it's coming!

UP NEXT: The search is on for Tim while family tensions continue to run high. Through it all, Bruce and Diana grow closer. :)