"Hm, I wonder why your team never came to find you?" Joker rambled on. "Or find me? Oh well, one lost is just another to replace."

Looking up at the sky Robin realized it was nearly morning, the sky was grey and preparing to turn blue. "Why so casual Joker? Tired of nobody laughing at your jokes?"

"If I wanted people to laugh I'd just give them some venom," Joker snapped, "and I'd watch it because I do have that on me. . . . I was just thinking about who your team will replace you with when you're dead . . . and more importantly if old Bats will get another sidekick."

The Joker's nonchalant tone was actually creeping Robin out, he had been so used to the man's abrupt mood swings and psychotic behavior that this was just bizarre.

"Maybe his sidekick won't be a kid this time," Joker continued, "maybe the sidekick who replaces you will be called something like Crow or Dove. . . . No, how about Batman and Tweetie Bird! He could really scare some villains with that one!" Joker began cackling at his own joke, while Robin hoped he'd fall out of that tree.

"What, villains like you?"

"No! I've got it," Joker ignored his comment, "they'll call him Robin and they'll all pretend as though you never died. Just replace you completely like a dead pet! I wonder how many Robins I'll have to kill till they change the name?"

"What are you going on about?"

"You're going to die, kid."

Although he'd deny it, Robin felt his heart drop at that. Thinking for a moment, he began to feel bewildered. It was like this moment was the only moment he'd ever live in his entire like, like he was stuck in this one memory. It suddenly felt dreamlike and unreal.

"You look a little lost, Bird Brain,"

"I'm going to die huh?" Robin smirked, trying to prove that it wasn't true. "Well, you got the chains and the insane mind, why don't you kill me already then?"

"I'm not going to kill you," Joker shook his head, "but the coma will."

"What?"

Joker smirked hopping down from the tree, obviously Robin's shock had sparked his sick fascination, "You're in a coma, and you are going to die because of it."

"You really are insane!"

He looked off in the distance, "Everyone knows you are, I only wish I could see Batman frantically try to save you just to fail in the end."

Robin thought for a moment, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that has happened and that would explain his dreamlike state. Or it could be the Joker trying to get inside his head. . . . Then Robin realized it, the Joker is already in his head.

"The toxin . . . you did this," Robin spoke breathlessly, he began to wonder how long he had been in a coma. The realization made extreme déjà vu come over him.

"Want to know the one way to come out of a coma?" Joker slowly slipped his long fingers inside his purple coat, and soon the end of a gun was sticking out. The wind stirred slowly around them, leaves rustled, and the silence was nearly lethal. "You die in your coma state and you'll wake up in the real world."

He held the gun up in the light, a half grin slowly peeling up his face as he eyed the gun with the most sinister look Robin had ever seen.

"So you're going to shoot me?" Robin mumbled.

"No, you are going to shoot yourself. . . ." Joker held the gun out.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Robin pondered. "I won't end up killing myself all because I took the word of a clown."

"You don't know whether I'm lying or not," Joker chuckled under his breath, "maybe I am lying, hell, maybe I don't even know if I'm lying or not! Maybe you'll die for real or maybe it'll be the thing that saves your life. Only one way to find out." He tossed the gun in front of Robin.

"Put the pieces together, kid," Joker told him, "and pull the trigger, simple as that. . . . And to see the Boy Wonder kill himself, well, you know how much it'll please me.

The Jokers laughter slowly bubbled up from his throat and he let loose his wild laughter, it sent chills up Robin's spine and froze the air. Robin's head pounding and his limbs feeling heavy as he gazed at the gun.

Teams POV:

"That's a situation you got there," Green Arrow told Batman, "I'm sorry to hear."

Everyone was still drifting around medical room, but Batman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow went to the other side of the room to whisper privately. Batman was explaining his earlier situation, he didn't necessarily want to talk about it, but he felt it was important to let them know how urgent it was to get Robin out of his coma as soon as possible.

"We'll do whatever we can to help," Black Canary assured him.

"Thank you," Batman nodded, "I had so much on my plate I forget to insure Robin's identity, but I never thought they'd think I was abusing him. . . . And if this gets out, it jeopardizes my reputation, the reputation of the Enterprises, and my reputation as a father. And as some Justice League members made it perfectly clear, they already doubt my skills in that department enough."

"The public isn't going to know a thing," Black Canary told him, "just keep it discreet. No one doubts you take good care of Robin, you've got to remember, just because we fight for what's right doesn't mean we'll all agree on what the definition of 'right' is."

Robin's POV:

"JUST KILL YOURSELF ALREADY!"

Robin had the gun in his trembling hands, and as the Joker came at him with his switch blade Robin suddenly pointed the gun at the Joker.

Joker abruptly stopped and began laughing hysterically, his hair now a complete mess and his jacket wrinkled up.

"Kid, you just get better and better, I swear," Joker forced the words out through his laughter, "you want me to back up? Let me guess, come near you and you'll shoot!"

"Whatever you're planning-"

"Guess I better back it up a little then!" Joker yelled as he took a couple of steps back, being over dramatic with each one. "Wanna see something kid?" Suddenly Joker flipped out his switch blade and, to Robin's shock, he slit his own throat. Blood came pouring out, Robin's stomach turned and his heart nearly stopped in his own disbelief. The Joker was still standing there, bleeding and laughing, as he felt the cut across his neck.

"It's your coma, it's like I'm invading your imagination," Joker shrugged, "I can't die if I don't really exist? Physically that is, of course! Mentally I'm all here and my mind is twice as powerful as yours if not more, in fact, my whole knowing of everything that is going on-"

"Joker, stop-"

"-just makes me that much more powerful," Joker went on, "imagine your mind as a television show and we're just the actors. Well, when I told you that you were in a coma it's like me stating that were in a television show. I broke the forth wall, I changed all the rules and that gives me all the information."

"What do you mean?" Robin demanded, sweat now gaining on the sides of his face as he held the gun tightly at the Joker. "And how is it you can't die and I can? How do I know any of this is real?"

"Want to know if it's real?" Joker shouted. "Well, this is real blood is it not?" Suddenly the Joker smeared his hand in his own blood, "Wanna check and make sure it's real?"

Then he came at Robin so quickly that the boy panicked and pulled the trigger. With a loud bang the gun went out and hit the Joker in the chest, it made the man back up a few steps. Suddenly the Joker looked up with hate in his eyes, and finally he dug his fingers into the wound and with all his strength yanked out the bullet.

"That was the only bullet. . . ." Joker whispered, "it wasn't for me. Now it looks as though you're stuck here forever. Worry not! To keep us from going mad from the boredom I'll just torture you and keep you half alive until the coma kills your body, good going, Bird Brain."

"If my body dies in the real world, then what happens with me mentally?"

"Well, you stay here with me, of course,"

Teams POV:

"I think you all have waited around enough," Batman told the Young Justice team, "sitting around waiting will not wait him up. Occupy yourselves, and I'll tend to Robin."

"Excuse me for being persistent, Batman," Kaldur stepped up, "but Robin is our teammate and we'd like to stay just a while longer."

"Fine, but don't get to loud," Batman sighed, "I've got work to do."
Batman went back to work while the team sat around some more, eventually Zatanna was sitting by his bedside holding his hand.

She was just thinking for some time, until she decided to let someone else sit with and she got up. As she stood up she saw blood on the palm of her hand, she paused in confusion. Looking back at Robin there was blood trailing down his arm.

"Batman! Something's happening to Robin!" she screamed.

Batman rushed over with the Young Justice team right behind him, "What is – he's bleeding."