The clouds were dark in the sky, darker than usual, which was saying a lot. I took my typical spot on the roof top with Nightwing diagonally behind me to my left. Neither of us was speaking; we were only staring out over Gotham. I remember the two of us were patrolling because Batman was busy elsewhere. Which of course left Bludhaven unattended and unsupervised, and I couldn't help but wonder what sort of condition it was in at that moment, or what the morning would bring. I could only imagine the thoughts running through Nightwing's mind as the city was his responsibility after all.

My trailing thoughts were interrupted by the swift movement of a shadow traveling in the streets beneath us. It was incredibly fast, too fast to be human, let alone the Joker. Perhaps it was a cat or a stray dog. Whatever it was I let it escape my concern for there were more important matters to focus on. We had to find that psychopath that had once again out-smarted the security at Arkham. If IO were to set up security then we wouldn't have this problem every other day.

I could fell Nightwing shift his position next to me, and immediately the atmosphere of our environment turned into a denser and unsettling one. I could almost feel the presence of another lingering in the shadows around us, but I did not see anyone or anything. Somehow, though, I still knew he was there, watching us, waiting to make his move.

Nightwing placed his hand on my shoulder, "Stay alert." He said it only loud enough for me to barely hear it. I nodded and kept my gaze locked on the streets below me. For quite some time all that could be heard were sirens of police cars and the moaning of the cool breeze, you know, the normal sounds of Gotham. The part that worried me was when the eerie sounds and busy streets grew unnaturally silent. Something was off, but I couldn't quite figure out exactly what it was. The air felt colder and thicker as it warped and twisted, encasing us in a cluster of suffocation.

Before I could speak or react, Dick had grabbed my arm, pulling me away and out of Joker's special gas. I should have seen that coming. "Be careful." He released his hold on me before pulling out his eskima sticks and cutting his eyes at the building next to us. The Joker must have been over there, keeping his distance. Smart move on his part, but still not good enough. Though I had to keep in mind, he was still unpredictable, and most likely had a reason for his carelessness, but what was the reason? What kind of an advantage could he possibly be gaining by doing this? All sorts of scenarios began racing through my head and not a one sounded very pleasant in my opinion. I fact, I hoped that they were all wrong, but we were never that lucky.

"Well, well, if it isn't two of my favorite people in the world." The Joker casually stepped out of the shadows and into plain sight. "But I must ask where the old bat is? Our game would be much more intriguing if he were here as well. I suppose you two will have to do though. What should we play first? How about badminton; I'm awfully good at hitting the birdie." My body tensed at the sadistic enjoyment that was clear in his voice.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we're not interested." Nightwing stepped in front of me, as if protecting me. I instinctively retrieved two of my bird-a-rangs and held them, ready to throw them at any moment if need be. The temptation to set them free immediately was almost overpowering, but I found the strength to hold back and keep my composure intact.

"Feeling a little compulsive are we? All I want to do is have a decent conversation for once, or perhaps even come to equal terms. That's all I want, but you guys never want to cooperate. All I do is 'borrow' some things, maim a few, and maybe kill a couple if I'm in a bad mood, and all of you act as though I am such a horrible person." He picked up his crowbar which was lying next to his feet. "Now ,how about we discuss our little game." His voice broke off into a fit of laughter. As his cackling grew louder he lunged off the rooftop towards us with his crowbar raised high above his head.

The clanging of metal against metal could be heard echoing off the buildings around us. Nightwing was blocking with one of his eskima sticks while the crowbar was mere inches from his face. I could faintly see his arm trembling from the strain of holding him back. The jagged edge of the crowbar was creeping closer and closer to my mentor, threatening to make contact any second. I had to do something to help. Then I remembered that I was holding two lethal weapons in my hand already. Without hesitation I thrust one towards the enemy, which was aimed perfectly at his chest.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion from that point. The Joker saw the projectile coming towards him, and prepared for it. In that split moment he grabbed Nightwing's shoulder, catching him off guard, and pulled him closer. I saw what he was doing. There was no way he could evade the attack himself, so he was going to take what little advantage he could of the situation. Since he couldn't avoid it he was going to take another down with him.

The next thing I remember is a minor explosion and smoke flooding my vision. I couldn't see any hint of the other two, until I saw a figure approaching from the grey cloud. I got ready to throw my other bird-a-rang until I could make out who it was. "You really have to be careful with those things." He wheezed out the words as he stopped, standing in front of me with a layer of dust covering him. There was a trickle of blood trailing down the side of his face. "Are you alright Tim?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But, what about you? And what of Joker?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll live, and, as for Joker, I don't know where he is. We have to find…" His voice trailed off and he began to mumble to the point that I couldn't understand. This must have been the effects of being at such close range to the explosion. "We have to get down from here and search the streets for him before we lose track of him completely."

"I don't think that's a very good idea. You look like you need to sit down for a moment."

"We don't have time for that." Before I could protest he was jumping off the ledge of the building, gracefully swinging down to the depths of the city. I swiftly followed order, struggling to keep up with his surprising speed. Corner after corner we turned, coming across no trace of the man; almost like he was never there in the first place. We were practically chasing shadows in the moonless and unlit night. Basically, it was pointless. Still, you must admire his determination and will power. As I was lost in thought I didn't notice Nightwing's acceleration begin to plummet until I ended up passing him. By the time I realized he was behind me he was on his knees and massaging his temples. His eyes were closed tight, most likely trying to block out the painful ringing that follows explosions.

I stood there for a little while, trying to give him some time to recover, but it was taking too long. Uneasy thoughts began to swarm my logical thinking. Something was clearly wrong. The thought that he might have a concussion was the worst though. If that was the case then there wasn't much I could do other than try and keep him awake. I crouched at his side, "Can you hear me?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but can you lower your voice please? It's a bit overpowering."

"Okay." I said much more softly, almost inaudible, "Look, I need you to stay awake."

"Tim, there is no need to state the obvious. I understand the situation perfectly fine. If I lose consciousness then there's no telling when I'll wake up. But, I'll tell you, the risk sounds almost worth it right now. I can hardly see a few feet in front of me." His words were slurred together and his voice was weak. It was obvious that speaking was becoming more difficult for him to manage. Very slowly his breathing began to waver, slowing down rapidly to a startling pace. He was still there, but he couldn't hold on much longer and his clarity was slipping out of his grasp.

"Hey, come on, stay with me. Keep your eyes open." It was of no use. I don't even think he could hear me anymore for he had no reaction to the sound of my voice. The flow of my blood through my veins ceased as his hands dropped to his sides and he collapsed onto the hard surface of the ground. A lifetime passed before I could fully comprehend what had just happened. I tried reaching Bruce immediately, but had no luck; all I got was static. I desperately kept trying until I heard the familiar sound of the bat.

"And you know the rest from there."

All was silent until Dick spoke up, "So, what you're saying is, it's all your fault."

"No! Well, kind of, but it was an accident, reflex, if you will. It is like my defense mechanism and it cannot be helped."

"Yeah, it's your fault. It wasn't on purpose, but your fault nonetheless."

"You are both at fault. You, Dick, for being so reckless. And you, Tim, for being so careless. You both made simple mistakes and they are inexcusable." This was it, I was prepared for the incoming fury. "Despite it all, it was acceptable." What?! "No one is dead at least and there is no catastrophic damage to the city." I believe the two of us were in shock after what had just been said. "Richard, I would appreciate it if you stayed tonight at the manor after Alfred looks at you. I don't want you going home like that, it's too dangerous."

There was no argument, which was very unusual. Even from the back seat I could tell that his breathing was still slightly off, like he was fighting to stay awake. "You okay up there?"

"Mmhm, just a little tired is all, and sore. Nothing major." The rest of the time we rode in silence. Not a word was spoken as we were left to our thoughts.