Otay! Well, here's the second installment. At first I was gonna make two chapters long, but I'm kind of going to make it four. I don't know for sure. I have to thinkz! But for now, I have somewhat an I dead of what's gonna happen wif Alastrina :)

Rule number 22 of how to save a life: Cry

Jason was after something. I knew it. Why else would he be murdering and taking control of Black Mask's territory? He was after something. And with the bug that was still on the bottom of Black Mask's desk, I was intending to find out what Jason was really after. I turned the knob on the keyboard up, trying to drown out the sound of the crane that Bruce was using to dig up Jason's grave.

"Son of a-! Are you telling me that scumbag stole my guns again!" Black Mask shouted.

"No sir," His assistant denied, "He destroyed them. The truck, the drivers…."

"Dammit…. Dammit!"

"Previously, he was just enlisting anyone under our province to come work for him. Now he just seems to be…. Killing them."

"Oh! So now we have another Batman! One who doesn't mind the blood!"

I narrowed my eyes at his statement.

"He's no Batman, sir. He's still taking huge cuts from off the streets. But now he seems to be eliminating the competition. He's coming after you." She concluded. I gripped the knob. Suddenly, there was a huge crash, the sound ringing in my ears. I assumed he flipped the desk.

"You wanna tell me why this guy ain't dead!" Black Mask exclaimed. I heard a crunching and grunting sound with every sentence he said.

"We're trying, sir. We sent the Fearsome Hand of Four after him."

"Four? Guess they're gonna need a new name!" Another crunching a grunting sound entered my ears. "Why hasn't Batman wiped this little smear off the face of the earth!"

"Maybe he doesn't want to. Maybe he's letting you and the Red Hood war it out. And he could be waiting-."

"To take on the winner! What do you think this is! A tennis tournament!"

"I'm just saying-."

"You're an idiot." Black Mask growled as his foot steps began to echo throughout the room, "And you don't know Batman. He's not letting this lunatic just run wild! He can't catch him either!" He stayed quiet for a couple of minutes. "Or it's something else. Can't you feel it? We're stuck in the damn cross fire."

I gripped the head phone that was at my ear and bit my lip. Cross fire…..He was planning something…. And Black Mask was only part of the scheme.

"Sir?" I heard.

"Oh, hell." Black Mask muttered. I then heard him run. A few seconds later, an explosion filled my ear drums. I screamed and dropped the headphones to the floor; breathing heavily.

"Jason…."

After I had blacked out, I woke up an hour later only to find out that Bruce had rented a crane to dig up Jason's body. I needed to go after Jason. Find him. Bring him home. Make him remember that he had a home. A family. Just as I was about to go towards the small little cubbie that held my Blue Jay uniform, I heard Bruce and Alfred walking down the steps.

"Master Bruce, please don't blame yourself." Alfred convinced.

"It was stupid and careless!" Bruce shouted.

"Body made of High-end latex!"

I widened my eyes, "What!"

"If I'd bothered to look inside when I brought him home!"

"Please, sir! Remember how distraught you were! Even I found it hard to-."

"Stupid and careless!" Bruce shouted a she appeared out of his changing room, putting on his cowl.

"Bruce!" I called as he was heading toward his jet.

"Where are you going, sir?" Alfred asked.

"To talk to the man who did this."

I quickly grabbed Bruce's arm before he got in the jet. "Don't…. blame yourself." I said as I felt tears flood my eyes. "I….. It was my fault, too. I-I let him do whatever he wanted. I wasn't hard on him like you. It's my fault that he got in this situation. If only I had been more-."

Bruce cupped my face in his hands. "Don't blame yourself either, Ali. You treated him like any good mother would treat her child. You loved him and cared for him. It's my fault for not teaching him the real way to be Robin." He leaned down and kissed my forehead, "I'll be back."

"Be safe."

"Always am."

Jumping from roof top to roof top was always very tiring. When I flew through the air, I felt exhilarate, but when I landed on my feet, the impact would cause my legs to crunch. Then I'd run as fast as I could to jump onto the next building. The night air would whip at my face, legs, and arms. I didn't think it was that cold. It was only August. It should be at least seventy to eighty degrees at night and during the day. I jumped on top of the largest building in Gotham and stared downward onto the town. I sat on the ledge and sighed. Jason was a Crime Lord. He was going to eliminated anything that was bad and kill anyone who'd get in the way. But what did he want with Black Mask? He sent the Fearsome Hand of Four; which, according to their website, they charge over eighty grand. The Black Mask must have been pretty desperate to get them to go after Jason. If he was desperate enough to get them, who else would he get…..

And that's when it hit me. I stood up on the roof top, my body trembling. If the Black Mask was desperate enough, he'd get The Joker. He was the only one who had those types of connections. The Black Mask could get into just about anything. And Arkham was one of them. He could easily break The Joker out with no problem. Then Jason would make his move. I was shocked that Jason could come up with such a devised plan. But it was too much of a shock to know who he was really after. We were all pawns in his little game of chess. And all the pieces were flying into place. I tightened my hand into a fist.

I jumped off the roof and landed on another, repeating the movements over and over again as I jumped from roof top to roof top. I sighed, knowing that I'll never find Jason. But if I couldn't find Jason, then I'd let him find me. Digging into my pocket, I pulled out one of Batman's little bombs. I looked around, finding an abandon building. When I went inside, I planted the bombs all over the walls of the bottom of the building. Just because he didn't play hero, doesn't mean he don't know how. I ran out right when the bombs went off. I didn't think that it would go off that fast. I screamed as I felt the flames from the fire, engulf my right arm. The bricks from the building flew out and slammed into my side and face. I suddenly felt a wire wrap around me and pull me away from the flames. BINGO! When I slammed into a body, I yelped. The pain coursed through my body.

"Are you okay?" I heard a deep voice ask.

I looked up to see Jason standing above me. His shiny red mask covering his face and the Motor Cycle gear wrapped around his firm body. I smiled, "Never better."

"Your arms burned." He said.

"Yeah," I looked back down at my arm. The burns are going to leave a scar, that's for sure.

"Do you need help?" Jason asked.

"Nope. But you do." I got up from the floor and brushed myself off.

"What?" He asked.

I smiled, "I just wanted to see you. One last time. But with out the mask." My voice cracked. "It pains me to see you like this. But I'm just happy you're alive."

"Who are you?" He asked dangerously.

I was going to ask him, "How could you not remember me?" But then I remembered that I still had my mask on.

I reached up and pulled it off; taking my hood down as well. I could see his eyes widen behind his hood. "I honestly can say that I'm proud that you became your own person. But I'm disappointed that you've become like this."

He tightened his fist, but didn't speak. So I went on, "I love you, Jason. Me and Bruce both did-do love you. I want you to stop this and come home with me." I held my hand out.

"I can't." Jason finally said. "It's too late for me."

"It's never too late. I'm trying to save you. That's all I ever tried to do." Tears spilled over my eye sockets and drizzled down my face. "I want you to come home; with me."

"Bruce…." He looked down.

"Bruce won't do a damn thing. I'll make sure of it." I promised. "Please, come home."

"I will." Jason said. "But not now. First there's something I need to do."

"I know what you need to do." I said as I stepped forward, "I know your plan. And I want to help."

"No," He took a step back, "I don't want you in this situation. I don't want to see you hurt. Ever again." He suddenly slammed a smoke bomb onto the ground. Smoke clouded the air. I coughed and swiped my hand through the thick air. "Jason!" I called. No answer. "Jason!" When the smoke cleared, he was gone. I looked up into the sky and threw my hands up.

"Are you happy!" I shouted to Zeus, who I knew was watching my demise. "I'm miserable! I've been suffering for centuries! Now are you happy!" Before I knew it, I was crying. "You say you want every child you have to be happy, but here I am suffering from you!" I sighed and looked down, tightening my fists, "But that doesn't mean I'm letting you win."

"Ra's did this!" I shouted as I carefully placing my bandaged hand on the desk while looking up at Bruce who was heading back to Gotham. I had just got the news of who was behind Jason's return.

"Yes. He tried to bring Jason back for our sake." Bruce confirmed.

I looked down at my burnt hand, "And look what he did," I mumbled, "to my baby."

"Sir, please take this to heart," Alfred said as he walked up to the monitor, "who Jason was before, how we lost him...and this dark miracle or curse that has brought about his return...I know you view his death as your greatest failure but-."

"His life and death are my greatest failure." Bruce interrupted. "Do you remember how I found him?"

"Who could forget?" I mumbled, gripping my wound.

"Of course," Alfred nodded as he turned toward the monitor that held pictures of Jason as a young boy, "Fearless, arrogant, brash….. And gifted."

"Yes." Bruce agreed, "Different than Dick in so many ways...but still so full of potential and power. But I knew, even from the beginning, he was dangerous. If hadn't made him into Robin, he would have grown to do wrong. Then I got him killed."

I winced at that last part. He had such hatred in his voice. No, it wasn't hatred. It was pain. The same pain I feel everyday for not being there to help him…. I wished that I was there to help him. To save him.

"My partner. My soldier. My fault." Bruce continued. "I'll carry that like everything else. But now there's this: He's taken everything I ever taught him and turned it against me. It's a hell of my own making, Alfred."

"Sir," Alfred intervened. "This is not your doing. You loved him, he knows that. It should be enough."

"But it's not."

"Yes it is." I protested. "Alfred's right, Bruce. It's not your fault."

"What makes you say that?" He asked coldly.

"There's no such thing as a bad teacher, Bruce. Just a bad student." I stated as I placed both my hands on the table.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the teacher can put his heart and soul into teaching that one student. But it's up to the child to actually take in everything." I stated as I look up at Bruce.

He looked down at me and smiled. "Thank you, Alistrina."

"Anytime, Brucey." I smiled.

"Reporting live form Gotham Bay Bridge.."

"My word!" Alfred said as he raised the volume. "Sir! Patch into the media!"

I pressed the escape button and it pulled up the situation that was happening on the bridge. The Joker, who was out of Arkham, was on top of an overturned truck. According to the news caster, Black Mask and his "employees" were inside that truck. He seemed to be pouring oil into the trucks opening. I narrowed my eyes and turned the volume up.

"Who's that?" I heard someone ask.

"Get a light on him!" Another voice demanded.

The camera panned over to the top, were the light landed on Jason; who stood proudly on top of the bridge. I tightened my hand into a fist.

"Hey! Look at you! Mr. Hood! Or do you prefer Red?" The Joker asked with a sly little smile on his face. "You know, I used to wear an outfit like that! Mine was more flashy maitre d' than motorcycle fetish. You kids today!" He looked down and began to play with the lighter, which wasn't sparking. "I'm sorry! Could you hold on! I was just about to set fire to your gang!"

"Go ahead." Jason shrugged. "You think I care if that scum dies?"

"Don't know," Joker admitted, "I just wanted your attention."

"Oh, you've always had my attention. But what I really wanted, was an audience with you." Jason stated.

"I'm sorry, that seems to imply that you organized this little clambake?"

"I did. Sure, I had a lot of plans. But the end game was getting Black Mask so desperate, that he'd cut a deal. He was the only one with the connections to get into Arkham, and get you out." Jason revealed.

I slammed my hand on the table as Alfred gasped. "I knew it." I whispered as I looked down.

"It seems I've been bamboozled." The Joker smiled, "Oh, my."

"I wouldn't undersell it." Jason warned. "It took a lot of work to bring about our reunion."

"Reunion? Have we met before?"

"Yes," Jason said dangerously. "We have."

"Well," The Joker said as he extended his arms. "Here's to warm memories!" He lit the match up and dropped it into the truck.

"Shit!" I shouted as I spotted the flames quickly rising.

Suddenly, Bruce came in his jet and dropped the fire extinguisher down. The white foam covering everything. A hook also came down and grabbed the Joker, pulling him from the truck. Jason then jumped and cut the wire that held the Joker. They both fell in the water. I quickly switched from the news back to Bruce's jet.

"You want him?" Jason asked through the jet. "Meet me at crime alley."

"Fuck!" I shouted as I kicked the chair back.

"Mistress Ali," Alfred said, "What are you-?"

"I'm going after him, Alfred." I stated as I walked into the changing room, "Don't try and stop me."

"I never do, Ma'am."

Two.

That's how many explosions led me toward Jason and Bruce's little fight. But I didn't get near the fight. Bruce didn't need my help. Instead, I tracked down Jason's bike. It was parked right outside an abandon apartment building. I ran inside, going up the thousands of steps that eventually led me to the tenth floor. I kicked the door opened and looked inside. The whole place seemed dirty, destroyed, and too old. I bit my lip, hoping that this was the right apartment number. But then again, this was the only room that didn't have yellow tap crossed in the front. I heard moaning, and then it suddenly turned to whistling. I looked at the small door that was held on the side of room. I opened the door slightly to see The Joker. His head was down and he seemed a bit injured. I slowly closed the door. I walked toward the windows at the end of the room.

A crash.

Punches.

Stuff breaking.

It all came from the bathroom. I turned toward it; scared that they were fighting there. And they were. I could tell by Bruce's voice.

"You say you wanna be like me!" I heard Bruce shout. "But it won't happen. Not like this!"

The next thing I knew, Jason came crashing through the wall, tumbling till he finally stopped. I gasped as I looked down at him.

"Jason…" I whispered.

He looked up at me in shock, "Ali…"

I could see his face. And I felt my eyes tear up. I took a step forward, but then Bruce came in front of my and gently pushed me back, "What are you doing here?"

"Jason…" I answered.

I could feel him tense up in front of me. He then looked at Jason, "I know I failed you."

"We failed you." I corrected.

"But we tried to save you Jason. We're trying to save you now." Bruce said in a pained voice.

Suddenly, Jason pulled a gun up from behind him. I gasped and took a step back, "s that what you think this is about?" Jason asked, "That you let me die? I don't know what clouds your judgment worse? Your guilt or your antiquated sense of morality." He paused, standing up. "Bruce, I forgive you…for not saving me. But why? Why on God's earth.." He kicked the closet door open to reveal the Joker. He brought his head up and laughed. "Is he still alive!"

The Joker laughed loudly. "You gotta give the boy points! He came all the way back from the dead to make this little shindig happen!" He praised, "Who's gotta camera! Ooh! Ooh! Get one of me and the kid first! Then you and me! Then the three of us! Then one with the crow bar-!"

Suddenly, Jason smacked him to the floor. He bent down and placed the tip of the gun to The Joker's head, "You'll be as quiet as possible or I'll put one in your lap first."

"Party pooper!" The Joker whined, "No cake for you."

"Ignoring what he's done in the past! Blindly, stupidly, disregarding the entire graveyards he's filled the thousands who have suffered, the friends he's crippled. You know, I thought- I thought I'd be the last person you'd ever let him hurt. If it had been you or Ali that he beat to a bloody pulp, if he had taken you from this world, I would've done nothing but search the planet for this pathetic pile of evil death-worshipping garbage and sent him off to hell." Jason shouted.

"Jason…" I started, But Bruce shook his head.

"You don't understand. I don't think you've ever understood." Bruce said.

"What? Your moral code just won't allow for that? It's too hard to cross that line?" Jason growled.

I could feel myself trembling. Tears were trickling down my face as I watched Jason stand before Bruce and I.

"No. God Almighty, no…" Bruce started, "It'd be too damn easy. All I ever wanted to do is kill him. A day doesn't go by when I think about subjecting him to every horrendous torture he's dealt out to others and then…end him."

I looked at Bruce in shock. I had never heard Bruce talk that way before. I looked back at Jason and gave a soft hiccup as more tears flowed out my eyes.

"Awww," The Joker said, "So you do think about me!"

"But if I do that," Bruce continued, "If I allow myself to go down to that place…. I'll never come back."

"Why?" Jason asked, "I'm not talking about killing Penguin or scarecrow or dent! I'm talking about him! Just him! I'm doing it because…." He lowered his gun and looked at me. "Because he took me away from you."

I took a step forward, Bruce grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, but he held a tight grip. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Aww that's so sweet." The Joker giggled.

"Well you won't have a choice." Jason growled as he broke the chair the Joker was attached to and held him in a head lock then reached behind him and tossed a gun out.

I quickly slapped the gun to the floor. "Stop it!" I shouted, "Stop this, Jason! Please! I'm begging you!"

"Alastrina!" Bruce shouted.

"Please! Jason!" Bruce grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back.

"It's too late now!" Jason cried, "This is what's it's been about! You Bruce! You, me, and him! Now is the time! You decide! Him or me!"

"Ja…Ja.." I dropped to my knees. He had turned into a psychopath. My Jason, My baby. I put my hands to my face and cried. I could feel Jason's eyes on me.

"Jason, I won't. Stop this." Bruce warned.

"I'm going to blow his deranged brains out." Jason threatened, "And if you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to shoot me! Right in my face!"

I dug my nails into my scalp and slightly screamed.

Jason was a killer.

I raised a killer.

He was going to kill someone.

Someone that had killed him once.

My baby.

My love.

I loved him.

I didn't want to see him this way.

I never wanted to see him this way.

This is what I was trying to prevent!

And I failed. We failed!

"It's him or me!" Jason exclaimed. "You have to decide!"

He was using guns.

Something Bruce and I taught him to never use.

He had grown to be psychotic.

It was Ra's fault!

The Lazarus pit!

"You have to do it!"

I couldn't believe it!

I wouldn't.

It was a nightmare!

A horrible nightmare!

When I wake up, Jason will be in my arms again.

I just wished it would happen.

"HIM OR ME! DECIDE!"

Suddenly, a gun fire went off. I looked up; Jason and the Joker were still standing. Things seemed to move in slow motion as Bruce threw a Bat-a-rang at Jason. The end of the blade getting lodged into the gun hole just as Jason motioned to pull the trigger once more. The gun exploded in his hand. Blood flying everywhere. A bit splattered across my face.

"NO!" I screamed as the Joker laughed.

"I can't believe you got him!" The Joker exclaimed. "You-expert-rooting-tooting-eagle-eye-Goth-loving-marksman! I love it! You manage to find a way to win! Yet everybody still loses!"

Jason settled down on the floor and pulled out a small button. He pressed it and a ticking sound went off. I turned to see that there was a bomb in the fireplace. I looked at Jason, who smiled at me. I crawled towards him and cupped his face as The Joker and Bruce fought. I smiled behind my tears and leaned forward, kissing him. Suddenly, Bruce grabbed the back of my collar and threw me back. I flew out the window. And fell into the Bat-jet, which swopped under me to catch me. I covered my face as the building exploded; the rubble and flames flying toward me. I laid in the seat and cried.

That, and shout, "Jason! Bruce!"

I sat there and just cried afterward. I hated Crying.

But it felt good to let emotion out.