Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. "The Hollow Men" was written by T.S. Elliot, and the use of passages to open each chapter is done with the utmost respect for one of the English languages best craftsmen. Thank you, and enjoy.

Titans Broken

Chapter 13: Showdown

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow

…For Thine is the Kingdom

- T.S. Elliot's "The Hollow Men"

Everyone in the monitoring room had gone quiet as the events had played out. Raven was visibly shaking where she sat between the two of them, her eyes filled with tears. She could feel the waves of anguish and rage coming from Dick.

She knew it wasn't real, but she also knew that if it had been, she too would have been broken on the street in tears. There wasn't anything that approached the threat that the damnable clown had come to represent in Robin's psyche.

There were Gotham villains, and then there was the Joker.

In her lap, Garfield tried desperately to comfort her in his small feline form. It'd been a long night monitoring them, and now it had turned into an even longer morning.

Barbara Gordon sat with her head in her hands at one of the tables, tears running down her cheeks as Wally stared at the monitors with a grim set on his expression.

Cyborg was plugged into the system doing direct monitoring and stared out into space blankly for several long moments. "This... is bad."

"No kidding..." Raven groaned as she glanced at her two best friends. "I've never felt anything this intense from him before... he's really angry."

"It had to be the Joker..." Barbara said quietly. "The one bastard that's killed a Robin... knocked me off the streets, and done everything in his power to get Batman to kill him."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Do you think he's watching?"

Barbara's hands were clenched into fists. "I know he is."

Bruce Wayne stared at the monitor in the Bat-cave, his jaw was set in a hard line as he lifted a mug of coffee to his lips. Slowly he took a sip then set it down and let out a sigh.

He brought up another screen, one filled with typed notes he'd made on the situation and what had happened thus far in the simulation. Already, he was stunned by how long the two had lasted in the scenario and hard far they'd come on the route that Bruce had laid out for their recovery.

Starfire was clearly far different then the creature she had been when thrown into the scenario, she was lively, emotional, and fiercely loyal to Richard. At some level Bruce wondered if he could consider it a success already since he had managed to reawaken those dormant traits.

But then this situation had been thrown in the way of any progress. Joker, the wild card of any situation in Gotham had struck.

Dick Grayson narrowed his eyes as the familiar white-faced figures of Joker, Harley Quinn, and their goons turned to face him as he walked toward them flanked by his motley team of former Titans and villains.

Joker guffawed at the group that was before him. "My... my... my... Red, Bane, and Ice Man, you're all here to see me?" He chuckled. "And Bird Boy, it's great to see you again... We should go out for drinks some time, catch up on old times."

He lifted a magnum revolver toward Dick and grinned. "Remember this old chum? I think you got a scar from it... years and years ago. Old Bats was so upset he threw you out." He started laughing. "As if that did any good!"

"Joker..." Dick growled as he came to a stop. "Let them go."

"Why should I?" He asked.

"Let them go, or we'll tear you limb from limb." Dick stated flatly, as he tapped the center of the Red-X utility belt.

"You're welcome to try!" Joker said before lifting the revolver and firing.

Dick wasn't there, he'd disappeared with a shimmer as the pistol had come into line and dropped through the air high over Joker's head. He snatched the wire from which hung the hostages and bobbed in the air dangling beside Starfire.

Her green eyes focused on his and she smirked as Joker yelled. "Where'd he go?"

Dick grabbed a bat-a-rang from his belt and sliced down through the restraints she wore with one hand. Starfire bobbed in the air beside him and smiled as he handed her the bat-a-rang. He whispered to her. "Free the others. I'll handle Joker."

"Of course Richard." Starfire said and Richard grinned at her.

He let go of the wire and tumbled through the air before landing in a crouch atop a taxicab's roof just behind Joker. He hurled two explosive-shuriken from his belt and grinned as the Joker was cast down onto the concrete with a startled yelp. His revolver clattered across the ground. The clown spun to face him a manic grin on his face.

"Nice trick Bird Boy." He said before laughing.

Harley Quinn danced into view and slammed a baseball bat toward Dick. Dove away and tumbled from the car, grabbing a concussive X from his belt and tossing it straight into the woman.

She shrieked as the explosion hurled her from the top of the cab and she bounced against another car before crumpling to the ground.

"Oh... that's just not nice..." Joker growled. "Where did you learn to treat women like that? You're almost as bad as me!"

"I have a bad track record myself Joker." Dick bantered back. "At least I know when I'm wrong."

"Please, there's no right or wrong... Just rules and rules are meant to be broken!" Joker charged forward laughing and pulled a crowbar. Dick dove under the first swing before smashing his fist into Joker's cheek, knocking him into the side of the cab. The Joker kept laughing, enjoying the pain apparently, as he slid to the concrete.

"You really think you'll bring me down so easily Joker?" Dick asked as his voice hardened.

Starfire bobbed over to the limp form of the blond girl in her purple costume. She chewed her lip before slipping the bat-a-rang into the coils that held the girl and then slashed downward.

The bloody form toppled into her arms and Starfire swallowed as she stared at the girl's dead weight in her arms. She couldn't tell if she was breathing and swallowed before glancing down. Her gaze fell on Cyborg, firing sonic blasts into the Joker's henchmen.

"Steph?" The older boy's tormented voice asked from where he hung. "Steph!"

Starfire shut her eyes and swallowed, blasting through the air and dove down to Cyborg. He looked at her in surprise as she hit the pavement in front of him. "Starfire?"

"Watch over her... I shall retrieve the others." Starfire said before leaping back into the air. She soared over to the older boy and slashed his ropes, carrying him back to Cyborg before returning for the last of them.

Damien was light and easy to carry, though he was cursing and snarling as she took him to Cyborg. He wanted to fight, to rip the Joker's head off.

When she set him down, Starfire took a deep breath. "I will go assist Richard now." Then she leapt back into the air.

"You used to be so much fun... where's the bizarre metaphors and random vocabulary comments Old Chum? You're getting boring!" Joker said before stumbling to his feet. "Come on... one last time?"

"Holy fuck, no!" Dick snapped before grabbing the Joker by the scruff of his neck. "I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Aww... I'm so underwhelmed, Boring Bird..." Then acid shot from the flower on Joker's lapel and Dick jerked away, barely avoiding it. Then the clown grabbed him by arm and Dick screamed in pain as the Joker's joybuzzer sent thousands of volts through his body.

"Richard!" Starfire yelled and a green starbolt shot down from the air above. Joker pushed Dick away and stumbled out of the path of the bolt before glaring up at the floating form of the Tamaranian.

"Never interrupt another man's murderous rage..." Joker snapped before drawing another pistol and lifting it toward Starfire. The fully automatic pistol hurled nine millimeter rounds through the air as Starfire dove down and dropped behind one of the cars.

Dick dropped to his knees and gasped for breath he saw Joker slowly lower the pistol and snort. "Well... you managed to free my hostages, so it's time for round two!"

"Round two?" Dick muttered as he stumbled to his feet. "You're beaten Joker!"

"Let me check... nope, still got a pulse. You'll have to kill me! You think Arkham can hold me in this hellish world?" Joker laughed and tossed the Glock pistol to his feet and spread out his hands. "I'll give you a free shot... hmm?"

Dick glanced down at the machine pistol.

"Come on! One time only, you know!" Joker chortled at his own joke and shrugged. "I've been dead already; it's very liberating. You might think of it as... therapy."

His glared at the pistol, considered it for a moment. Then a starbolt flashed over Dick's shoulder.

The Joker dove out of the way cackling. "I wasn't talking to you, Little Miss Star... I guess you just have to try to save his soul, don't you? Is it because yours is broken?"

Dick stared at Starfire, her fists blazing with green fire. "The others?"

"Cyborg is watching them." She said before focusing again on the Joker. "I warned you, that I would kill you to save the wound on his soul..."

Dick stared at her, his eyes wide with shock. "You..."

"Well, isn't this touching... the broken bird killing in your name, eh Old Bird?" Joker stumbled to his feet and grinned. "Can you love something that broken? I mean... I'm so broken I can't love anybody." He chuckled. "Oh, but I can hurt them... Oh yes... I can hurt them, isn't that right Harley?"

Dick spun as Harley Quinn leapt from where she'd lain and swung the baseball bat toward Starfire. Koriand'r snarled and slapped the bat aside before firing a starbolt into the woman's chest. Harley was knocked back, a smoldering crater in her chest. She blinked and stared down at the wound. "It... hurts... Puddin'..." Then she dropped to the concrete and went still.

Joker stared, his smile twisting into a snarl. "You! You treacherous little Twinkler, you killed my Harley!"

"Star..." Dick gaped as Starfire stood and glared at the Joker.

"Well, then I guess it's time for the gloves to come off!" Joker snapped and charged toward her, his crowbar in hand now. She ducked his first swing and grabbed the Joker by the throat and hurled him into the side of the building.

With a groan the white faced man slid down to the street and wobbled for a moment. "Aww... You like my gift, Twinkler?

There was a bang and cloud of green gas enveloped Starfire. She stumbled from the cloud coughing and glared at Joker. Then she snorted and clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes going wide.

"Smilex!" Dick shouted as he ran toward her. "Star?"

As he stopped by her side, her body began to glow with brilliant green light, and her expression hardened. Slowly she lowered her hands from her mouth and snarled. "I am not human Joker, do not expect me to succumb as easily as those you prey upon."

"Aww... It's not fair!" Joker yelled as he stumbled upright. "You cheated!"

Starfire glared at him as the glow began to fade and lifted her fist toward the Joker. "You are broken, as broken as I was... but you have no hope for healing... The world will be better with you gone."

"But... but... It's not supposed to be this way. He's supposed to do it!" Joker griped. "He's supposed to be the one to... deliver the punch line. You'll ruin the joke."

"That joke, is not the funny." Starfire stated and hurled a starbolt toward Joker.

The clown's eyes went wide and he shrieked a laugh as it struck his chest and cast him into the wall. He fell forward and lay still, smoke rising from his purple jacket.

"Star..." Dick asked quietly as she lowered her fist and closed her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes... I am sorry Richard, but I could not help myself... he wanted you to break. He wanted you to kill him. If I let you... he'd win." She gasped for breath. "I am a murderer now." She said.

"Someone had to do it eventually." Dick said quietly.

"You, you are not angry?" She asked, sounding surprised.

"No... I wanted to do it myself." Dick admitted. "Thanks for... saving me from doing it."

She blinked at him for a long moment then nodded.

Bruce Wayne stared at the monitor, his face a mask as he watched the situation play out. Behind him, Alfred set out some coffee and watched Bruce in the corner of his eye.

"She killed him." Bruce finally said. His voice was taut. "She killed the Joker."

"Master Bruce, can you blame her in that scenario? She is fighting for her life, for Master Richard's life and perhaps even his soul." Alfred observed.

Bruce glared at him for a long moment. "We don't kill."

"Perhaps not, but I doubt any of those who are monitoring the scenario beside yourself are concerned over her actions. Yes, she used lethal force, but the amount of stress she is under, the entire situation should be taken into account. Moreover, consider why she did it." Alfred said.

Bruce scowled. "She killed him, so Dick wouldn't."

"Would you be more upset if Dick did it then?" Alfred asked and Bruce shuddered. "I see... and you are surprised by what has occurred?"

"No..."

"Then, you are merely upset because she does not follow the same rules as you do." Alfred said.

Bruce sighed. "I guess you're right Alfred, but still... can we trust someone that is capable of killing so easily?" He pointed to the monitor. "Joker and Harley both went down without a thought, don't you see how dangerous she is?"

"I see that she is capable of killing, but I don't see her as being what you fear Master Bruce." Alfred said as he picked up the tray and sighed. "Miss Koriand'r is loyal to Master Richard, even after all that has happened. She will do as he asks, so the question is, do you trust Dick to keep her from doings something morally questionable?"

Bruce furrowed his brow and glared at the screen. "Is that really the way it is, that they must work together as a team?"

"Master Bruce... if you did not believe that, why did you create this scenario?" Alfred asked and Bruce fell silent, unable to refute his statement. "I see... Lunch will be ready shortly."

"Thank you Alfred."

Dick stumbled over to where the others had gathered and stopped. Overhead the sky had darkened and the familiar rain of a grim Gotham day beat down on him. Cyborg knelt beside the bloodied and pale form of Stephanie, who was cradled in Tim's arms.

Her breath came in rasps and Dick stared, his heart clenching and he glanced at Cyborg. Their eyes met and Victor Stone gave a single shake of his head.

"Steph..." Tim murmured and the girl's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Tim. "Steph."

"Tim..." She croaked before letting out a wracking cough and gagging sound. Dick swallowed at the sound. She lifted a gloved hand and brushed the side of Tim's face. "I... I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Tim asked.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she gasped for breath. "I... it doesn't matter anymore Tim..." She opened her eyes again and stared up at him. "It was... good... to see you again."

"Steph?" Tim shook. "Don't do this to me!" He yelled as she closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. "Fight it! Stay with me!"

"I'm sorry..." She choked out then went still, her head lolled, and Tim froze. Tears began to fill his eyes and he hugged her limp body.

Dick put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I'm sorry."

"We need to get moving... the aliens will begin their advance again, we should meet up with the others." Freeze said.

"Give him a minute." Dick said before kneeling beside Tim Drake. "Tim?"

"Everyone's dying..." Tim choked out and looked up at him, tears in his eyes. "Everyone..."

"I know." Dick said quietly. "Tim..."

"It hurts... it hurts so much." Tim said before shutting his eyes.

"Tim..." Dick let out a sigh and glanced at Stephanie Brown, the girl that had gone by the name Spoiler and Robin. "I'm sorry..."

"It's my fault... Cassie's gone, Steph..." He shook like a leaf. "Everyone is gone... it's all my fault."

"Tim, don't blame yourself for this... this was Joker, these aliens, not you." Dick said immediately.

He froze as Starfire put a hand on Tim's other shoulder. The teen looked up at her in surprise and she smiled kindly at him. "Tim Tim... the fault is not yours."

"But..."

"You blame yourself, I once did as well... for many things, but most were not the fault of my actions or inactions. I merely took the blame for others that were more deserving." Starfire knelt beside him. "You will miss her?"

He nodded and swallowed. "I... I didn't realize how much until..." He glanced down at her body and burst into a fresh set of tears. "Gods... how do we live like this Dick?"

Richard felt the raindrops roll down his cheeks and shut his eyes. "I've asked myself that more than once..." He squeezed his shoulder again. "You know how many people I've lost... and it never gets easier. Maybe that's a good thing."

"I... I'll miss you Steph." Tim said before slowly closing the girl's eyes and gingerly laying her body on the pavement. Then he stood and wiped away his tears, took a deep breath, and brought his chin up.

Dick stared at the teen, a hint of pride flashing at how Tim was handling himself. The kid was hurting, he was sure... and glancing at Raven only confirmed that pain was rolling off the teen, but he was pulling himself together. He had made a great Robin.

Starfire glanced at Dick and asked. "You are the okay?"

"Yes, I think so..." He gave her a faint smile before turning back to look down the street. "Lets go, we've got to get to Wayne Tower."

They headed out, moving through the streets following the elevated train tracks toward Wayne Tower. Overhead the occasional boom and burst of smoke and flame told how fighting continued overhead. Dick wondered how much of the military was left.

"Richard..." Starfire said as they made it to within just a few blocks of the tower. "I am worried... we have lost the Cassie and Steph in just the last few hours. We must rest and refit for the next struggle, but how many of us are still able to fight?"

Dick glanced at her and arched an eyebrow. "You think Tim shouldn't be fighting?"

"Perhaps we should consider it... I know that if I had lost you, I would be most dangerous to both our friends and our foes. I am not certain how you humans respond to such things however." Starfire closed her eyes. "I am rather worn out already... There is not much sun in this city."

As they came to the base of the tower Dick stopped as Barbara met them, leaning back on her motorcycle. "Dick..."

"Babs..." He groaned and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. Spoiler bought it."

Her eyes widened and she swore. "Steph? Steph is dead?"

"Bled out... internal bleeding and the like... It's amazing she lasted as long as she did." Cyborg said from beside the entrance to the lobby. "We tried Barbara."

"God damn it!" Babs swore, spun, and kicked her bike which toppled onto the pavement. She stared at it for a long moment before clenching her fists. "How?"

"The Joker captured her, Damien, Starfire, and Tim... he killed Cassie." Dick said quietly. "I freed Star and she got the others free before helping with the damned clown."

"Where is he?" Barbara shouted. "I'll kill the bastard myself."

"He is dead." Starfire stated. "As is his lieutenant."

Barbara glanced at Starfire. "You... you killed him?"

"He wished for Dick to end his life... I took the responsibility for him." Starfire stated coolly. "Killing does not disturb me as it would him."

Barbara stared at her for a long moment then sighed. "So... he's dead?"

"Yes." Dick said flatly.

"About damn time someone killed him." Barbara grumbled as she turned toward the building. "Come on, we can get a pretty good view of the city from the roof... Then we can plan our next actions."

Dick followed Barbara to an elevator in the darkened building. As the doors opened and they stepped inside, he arched an eyebrow. "Really... the elevators still work?"

"Bruce... he has most of the essential systems in this place on a seperate power grid, with a reactor all its own." Babs said as Starfire shifted between them looking uncomfortable.

"Makes sense... his panic room and penthouse still full of his toys?" Dick asked.

Babs snorted. "Of course it is..."

After a few minutes, the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slid open. They stepped out into an ornate lobby with a set of curving stairs that led up to the private part of the penthouse. Straight out from the elevator were a set of double doors that lead to an empty helicopter pad.

Barbara led them out the doors and pulled a set of binoculars from her utility belt. "It looks like they're massing to the west, just beyond Trigate Bridge. Koriand'r... do the Citadelians use any sort of... umm... bridging equipment?"

Starfire shook her head. "No, it is more efficient in most situations for them to simply use a troop transport to move past the obstacle. They will need a clear spot in the city to use as a landing zone... either by using one available now or create one through the destruction of the buildings."

Dick scowled as Barbara handed the binoculars to him. "So, they'll demolish a city block or two and move the troops into the waste ground cleared by it." He lifted the binoculars and watched as a group of Okaaran transports skimmed just above the remains of the Trigate Bridge. "What about the Gordanians or Okaarans?"

"The Okaaran ships require less space to land, but deploy fewer opponents." Starfire stated in a rather flat voice. "The Gordanians can fly across the river on their own. Together they will probably be used to protect any Citadelian assault."

Dick pulled out his comlink and flipped it on. "Bruce, its Dick... what's your situation?"

"Fine, running short of munitions but nothing I can't handle at the moment. It seems they're waiting for something." The black silhoutte of his plane roared across the sky and Dick followed the plane as it headed back to the north. "I'm RTB for the moment... Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Wayne?" Alfred's formal voice crackled across the airwaves.

"Situation report."

"Black Mask's gang is engaged in heavy fighting near the East Docks. From the monitoring cameras, I've observed Cobblepot evacuating his people to a secure dock at the end of southern docks. Wait a moment... Cobblepot is asking for contact through his secure line."

When Starfire glanced curiously at Dick he shrugged. "Penguin has a secure line to Batman for contacting him in an emergency... It was part of the deal he made with Bruce to work as an informant."

"Oh... so, this Cobblepot is the Penguin then." Starfire said.

"Yes."

"Master Bruce... Southern Dock feeds." Alfred suddenly stated.

Dick spun toward the south and stared as a black shape slid from one of the secure docks that Alfred had called as being where the Penguin was moving. Lifting the binoculars to his eyes, he studied the ship that had sortied and gaped.

"Is that?" Barbara murmured.

"That's an Akula-class Submarine." Dick said, his eyes widening. "Damn... that's an improvement over the old diesel boat he used to have."

A blast of smoke and flame rose from the ship and a missile roared into the sky, spun around and streaked toward the collection of Citadelian troops by the Trigate Bridge. As they watched the missile dove down and smashed into one of the Citadelian transports. Then it exploded, tearing apart the transport and sending a fireball up into the air.

As the rumble of the explosion washed over them, Starfire glanced at Dick. "Perhaps we can ask this Penguin to lend us some assistance?"

Bruce's voice crackled through the communication line. "Already on it... I provided the launch coordinates."

Dick stared. "Bruce..."

"I'm still not the one firing the missile."

Dick rolled his eyes. Apparently, that single difference was enough for him. "Right... send Cyborg the info, he'd be better at getting that fat bastard launch coordinates."

Starfire stared across the Trigate and took a deep breath. "They will attack now, to sit and wait will just encourage another strike. They will attack."

"Guess we're not getting that break." Dick said quietly. "Let's go."

Raven hugged Garfield, still in his cat guise, to her chest and let out a long sigh. Around her, the rest of the group gathered around screens and monitors watching the readouts. Cyborg sat at one of the terminals and let out a long sigh.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Barbara suddenly asked from where she sat and the others turned to face her. Raven swallowed on seeing the woman's blue eyes focused on her.

"Depends on what you mean by alright?" Raven said quietly. "They're surviving... in fact they've survived so long, that they're watching everyone else begin to fall around them. That's hard..."

"It's what caused the first use of the Fail Safe scenario to be such a disaster." Black Canary's voice cut through the air as the door slid shut behind her. She stared at the two prone figures on the table. "I remember... every single member of the Young Justice team that went into that scenario needed counseling... and unfortunately, I was all they had." She let out a groan and stepped over to the table and brushed aside some of Dick's hair. "For him to go through it twice... with so many more friends involved... family even, I don't know what this will do to him."

"He is strong..." Raven said quietly, but her gaze flicked to the floor and she hugged Garfield tighter.

"But no one is that strong." Cyborg said as he glanced back at the display and scowled. "I need to start them on an IV drip... this is taking far longer than we expected."

Barbara Gordon closed her eyes and hung her head. "What about us... I think I'm going to need counseling after this."

"Barbara... you already did, you're part of the Bat Family." Barbara observed and gave her a faint smile. "Anyway... What's the strategic situation?"

"Bad... and getting worse." Wally said from where he sat staring at the map. "They've kept them mostly out of Gotham itself for now... but there's more and more aliens arriving by the moment, and once they find or make a place to land... well, they'll be absolutely flooded with aliens to fight."

"At least Joker's gang is out of the way." Barbara said quietly.

"What about the civilian population?" Black Canary asked.

Wally sighed. "Mostly holed up in their homes and basements... I mean, there are people looting for food and so forth but mostly they're just trying to hide. I almost expected more of them to try to defend their homes. It is Gotham after all... people own guns there."

Cyborg stood. "Fightin aliens isn't the same as fightin thugs trying to steal your ma's china Wally."

"I know, I know..." Wally shook his head. "It's a pity the local National Guard was totally destroyed already... Dick could use the help."

"I almost wish they'd just die and get it over with... the longer this drags out, the worse it'll be." Black Canary said quietly.

M'gann nodded from where she stood. "I am almost tempted to try and force them out, but that can be dangerous."

"Poor Dick... I wonder if real Tim Tim knows how much Spoiler likes him." Barbara said quietly.

No one could really follow that up and silence built in the room. Then one of the terminals chirped and Wally swore.

"They're moving... looks like a ship is headed for the football stadium. I guess they think they can put down there." Wally said as he stared at the displays.

"So... this is the start of the endgame, nowhere to run... nowhere to fall back to..." Wally stared at the displays and shook his head.

Raven took a deep breath, fighting to keep control as she cuddled Garfield trying to get as much comfort as she could from the small green furred cat.