Summary: Return of the JokerAU. After Tim is captured and tortured by the Joker, he is rescued before Joker can brainwash him. Not by Batman, but rather a more sympathetic member of the Dark Knight's rogues' gallery. The circumstances of his rescue lead to even more complicated unforeseen events, and Tim must now live the rest of his life with a condition that is irreversible. Fortunately, his family and friends are there for him until the end.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. DC has the pleasure of owning the characters in this story.

*Sumac: A species of small trees sporting flowers that usually come in red, white, or pink. Despite their beauty, they are highly toxic and cause allergic reactions.

Bruce sighed in exhaustion. Sitting in his bed, he stared at the laptop detailing the latest police report. The Joker's body, or what was left of it, had been found shortly after Bruce, Dick, and Jason took Tim home. Alfred immediately escorted Tim to the infirmiry to have him looked at, and the poor boy was down there for hours. Eventually, Tim fled to his room, locking himself there for hours despite Dick and Jason's attempts at trying to comfort him. Bruce could still hear the poor boy sobbing.

Looking at the picture, Bruce saw that Ivy really did a number on the clown. There was a permanent expression of horror and agony on his face as a multitude of vines penetrated all around his body. One particularly large vine was shoved violently up his rectum and came out of his mouth. A multitude of thorny twigs were protruding from where his eyes used to be, and his arm had been completely ripped out of its socket. An autopsy had revealed that the Joker's body had been injected with some kind of organic toxin that stimulated his physical health so that he would remain alive even while enduring such horrible tortures. Ivy wanted him to die slowly.

Harley Quinn had apparently been involved with Tim's kidnapping, but when police arrived at the crime scene, she was nowhere to be found. Bruce had no doubt Ivy had something to do with that. He would ask her the next time they saw each other.

Bruce growled when he had realized what the Joker had planned for Tim. Blood samples taken from Tim had shown the Joker, amidst a number of grueling tortures, had injecte Tim with a unique form of the Joker venom. Unlike most forms, this venom carried traces of the Joker's DNA, and slowly transformed whomever was injected with it into an exact replica of the Joker's likeness.

The Joker wanted to corrupt Tim, change him into something horrible and turn him against his family.

When Ivy had found Tim, the toxin had nearly overtaken him; seeing no other option, she took Tim back to her hideout where she recreated the same experiment that had given her her powers and appearance. Tim's transformation made him turn green and plant-like like Ivy, and also gave him her immunity to poison, causing the Joker venom to become harmless. Even now, his mutation was slowly eating away at the Joker venom in his body. As far as Bruce knew, Tim would continue developing powers just like Ivy. Bruce grimaced. Despite all of his attempts to keep his youngest son away from metahuman powers, he now had a meta for a son.

Bruce could barely suppress his sigh. He was far from okay with what Pam did. Tim's life would never be the same, and he had lost practically any chance at ever being normal. But at the same time, he was grateful to Ivy for saving Tim for what would have been an even more horrific fate.

"Damn it, Pam," Bruce growled, shaking his head.

Bruce blinked in surprise when a potted plant on his nightstand suddenly started shaking in an almost agitated-like manor. Then Bruce registered the smell of cut grass and fresh fruit.

Looking up, Bruce's eyes softened when he found Tim, clad in a gray tanktop and shorts, standing in the doorway. His eyes were teary and he had his arms wrapped around his body, shivering slightly. His green eyes shone beautifully in the dark, glowing like bioluminescence. Bruce immediately closed the laptop and put it on his nightstand.

"B-Bruce..."

"Come here, Tim," Bruce commanded gently.

Tim made his way over to the bed, his steps clumsy as he nearly fell a few times. He soon reached the bed, and Bruce pulled back the blankets, letting his youngest son slide in and cling to him tightly, wheeping and hiccuping.

"It burns..."

Bruce sighed, his strong arms pulling his little boy closer until he was settled against his chest, crying silently not making a sound as the shivering left him.

"It's alright, Tim. I'm here, and I promise we'll get you through this."

"I, Br... Dad..." Tim whimpered.

Bruce shushed Tim lightly, running his hands through his hair, which calmed Tim down. The potted plant ceased its movements as well. Bruce suppressed a chuckle. Well, that confirmed the powers theory.

Their moment of silence was interrupted when the door to the bedroom was suddenly thrown open, and the two eldest Bat brothers were both crammed in the doorway, looking terrified.

"Bruce!" Dick said frantically. "Tim's not in his room, he-"

Dick shut up, lips tightening shut when he saw his little brother curled up against their father's chest. His outburst had agitated his drowsy brother, who was shivering again. The potted plant was shaking as well. Bruce gave his sons a warning glare, and they both sent silent apologies.

Nodding in forgiveness, Bruce went back to calming Tim down.

Dick and Jason carefully entered the room so not to scare their little brother, and Dick sat at the edge of the bed. Tim had drifted away by that point, his crying having died down into soft snores.

Jason remained standing. "How's he doing?"

"He'll live," Bruce said, his eyes not leaving Tim. "I... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. This is going to be difficult. For all of us, but mostly for him."

Dick, always the positive one, gave a smile. "Hey, come on. Timmy's a fighter. He'll get through this. Who knows? He might even be able to put this to good use."

Jason gave a snort, but even he seemed a little intrigued by the idea. Bruce wasn't sure. He just looked at Tim in contemplation.

There was silence again, and Dick and Jason still hadn't left. Bruce looked up at them, quirking an eyebrow. They shuffed nervously under his gaze.

Bruce gave a sigh. "Would you like to stay here tonight?"

Jason was about to deny it, but Dick quickly nodded and crawled into bed so that Tim was sandwiched between him and Bruce. Jason rolled his eyes but couldn't resist climbing in as well. They all formed a protective barrier around Tim, and Dick pushed some hair out of his face and tucked it behind his ear.

He got a good whif of Tim, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe.

"He... smells really good."

Bruce didn't comment, while Jason guffawed. Dick glared at Jason and thwapped his head, which started a brief thwap-off between brothers.

Bruce eventually got them to settle down, and about an hour later, everyone was sound asleep. Tim was finally calm after the horrific events of the past week and dreampt peacefully.

They were all unaware of the activity brewing from the potted plant, and in the morning, everyone but Tim would find themselves ensnared in a multitude of vines.

Alfred had never put the hedge clippers to such good use before.

Oh, the batfluff. Thanks for reading!