Back at the Manor:
Harley and Dick's vehicle was hit by another, driven by a Joker goon in an attempt to kill them again, with the ominous message that he isn't through with the Wayne family. Bruce was hurt, but no one else was severely injured.
In fact, something may have been rattled loose in Dick's head. Concussed and tired, he drifts off- and certain things begin coming to light. The Joker is torturing the family. He's torturing him. But there's a different endgame in mind.
"So if your endgame is Bruce, why me? Is it- two birds with one stone?"
Dick leaned forward. He couldn't tell where he was, everything outside the circle of light where he stood was dark and empty. The red streak on his Nightwing uniform seemed to glow in the darkness surrounding him, but his mask was nowhere to be found. The Joker's voice seemed to whisper near his ear, and he turned, finding no one.
"Of course. It's always been him. Why would I bother myself with an ex girlfriend and a replacement?"
Dick frowned. "Well why call me a replacement if you don't care about her? If she's a toy?"
"Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"
The Joker. Name unknown, rumored backstory: failing comedian with a pregnant wife gets mixed up in something he shouldn't have, losing his wife and child, and then falling into a vat of toxic waste to make him into the 'Clown Prince of Crime'. Diagnosed with dozens of different mental illnesses, whether correctly or incorrectly, no one could be sure; from Antisocial Personality Disorder to Depression, to Schizophrenia, Psychopathy, and Narcissism. Murder rate nearly untraceable, estimated well into the hundreds.
"You. You're mentally ill. It doesn't matter what you do and how you do it, because there's no reason to do it. You need help."
The Joker was silent. Dick gasped as images flashed in the light before him, like computer screens.
"All this time, you've just been gunning for Batman. Literally and figuratively…" He lifted a hand unsurely and sifted through some of the images. Crime scenes, flashes of moments in time that he'd forgotten about, details highlighted and marked as important, and as he touched the unimportant ones, they disappeared. "This is a map."
"Very good," Joker purred, walking around him. Dick watched him for a moment, sleek and suave as ever, and then he returned his attention to the screens. "Now pay attention." One thin, white hand reached up and tapped an image and they were whisked off, standing at the scene in a matter of seconds. Dick looked around.
"This is… Gotham Theatre. Carrie… You and Hatter have been planning this since your team up, haven't you? This… siege on the Batman family."
"Ten points," Joker yawned. "That was obvious."
"You wanted to break us. From the beginning. That's what Harley said, you wanted to kill her, take our daughter, drive me insane and thus break Batman, but… it was more than that. From your initial escape- Barbara-"
"-yes." Joker grinned. "Think it through, Bird Boy."
"With Barbara hurt you knew how I'd act, getting clingy again, driving a rift between me and Harley. And then the constant attacks on civilians- civilians that had come into contact with all of us merely for a few hours at a time- just pushing harder. Jenny, and Carrie- Everything since your escape was to chip away at us- thus chipping away at him- and then you just stopped. Here." Dick looked around the theater.
"Very good," Joker grinned, clapping quietly.
"You fell silent after Carrie went insane. Without the Hatter's constant control, what else could have happened? She lost it, right here, and Batman got to watch his youngest, and arguably most level headed son get his heart broken for the first time. Just like I did."
"Well, Harley-Darling's little death stunts weren't part of my plan, but they did work nicely. That's what gave me the idea, really. Batman was falling apart watching you fall apart." Joker pocketed his hands, looking around the theater.
"You gave us a reprieve, to lull us into a false sense of confidence." Dick continued. "The wedding. Everything went perfect."
"Lovely ceremony, by the way, many a tear shed in joy," Joker laughed.
"You let us feel happy, and then you took her," Dick breathed.
"Yes, yes, I kidnapped her, and then everyone came crashing back to Gotham. Some things were just too perfect, by the way. I couldn't script all of it. Sure, crushing the current Robin with the loss of his elderly girlfriend, and torturing you with the loss of your fiancee was my idea of fun, but Red Robin coming running back from the Titans, further distancing himself from them? Do you have any idea how much trouble it's caused that he's always in Gotham and never heading his team? Or that leafy green whore, coming back and swooping Red Hood off his feet, carrying him away when his family needed him most? Do you know how guilty he feels? Twice he's missed something vital, and if he'd have been there, it could have gone a different way. Or the ruined honeymoon. Ohhh, Miss Kitty seems so nonchalant about it, but the truth is, she is deeply wounded. Very chalant. She and Batsy aren't even a week into their married life, and already they're having some major problems, maybe even second thoughts?" Dick stared at him, horrified, as the Joker grinned. "Sure, some things were planned, but some things you just can't write. I love it when a plan comes together."
"And now you're taking up your ongoing blitzkrieg again. Wayne Tower. The car crash…" Joker smiled like an approving father. Dick looked down. "So what's the final blow? You've broken us, and you're unrelenting; what will you do to finally shatter us to pieces? I may break, but Batman won't."
"Please. When you fall, and no one catches you, Batman won't be able to hold his head up high enough to see the gun to it."
"I won't let you." Dick's jaw tightened.
"Boy," Joker grabbed his face, staring him in the eyes, "When I take her from you, and you hit the ground without a net, you'll be on my side. You won't be a hero anymore, and it will be son against father." Joker sounded like he was stating a fact, simple and calm, and he released Dick to step back. Dick looked down at his feet where Bruce lay in a bloody heap, the Bat Symbol on his chest torn to pieces, and the silver dagger in Dick's hands.
"Fours?"
"Go fish," Damian taunted.
"Listen here you little-"
"Master Jason," Alfred scolded, his voice sounded like it was across the room. Dick rolled his head to the side, blinking his eyes open.
"Listen here you," Jason corrected lamely. "I know you have a four. I saw you draw it."
"Are you cheating?" Harley asked quietly. "I didn't think you could cheat at Go Fish. That's why we started playing this." She was leaning against the couch Dick was on, her head inches from his, but she hadn't noticed he was awake yet.
"It's not my fault you're all bad at poker," Jason argued in a whisper. "And it's not my fault Tim and Steph quit playing. How was I cheating? Was Mister Coma flashing me your numbers over-" he was gesturing to Dick when he saw he was awake. "Well welcome back Briar Rose," he said louder. Harley turned to face Dick; she set her cards down.
"Did we wake you?" she asked apologetically, studying him as he shook his head with a small smile. He looked better with some of the blood cleaned up and his cuts neatly bandaged, but he still looked a mess. His shirt was ruined, his hair was still sticky with blood, and his short nap hadn't done much to make his eyes look less tired. "Sorry, we were trying to be quiet."
"Alfred was reffing," Jason added. "Ten points for every smack to the back of the head."
"Todd is winning," Damian muttered. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders with a water bottle at his side and a half eaten bowl of soup by his box of tissues.
"What time is it?" Dick asked quietly, yawning. Despite it, he felt fully alert.
"Evening," Harley admitted. "Everyone moved in here when someone," she glared at Jason, "got kicked out of the Batcave."
"That was not my fault," Jason defended. "I was just trying to let him know there were options."
"There was a discussion about Bruce's arm," Harley updated Dick. "He didn't like the idea of Ivy healing it for him, then Selina told him he wasn't going out with a broken arm-"
"-Suddenly getting a shot from my girlfriend didn't seem like a bad idea."
"Shut up Jay." Harley threw a card at him, and it smacked him on the nose. "Selina told Bruce he still wouldn't be going out, so you missed lot's of fun. Jason got everyone shunned back up here when he tried to take sides. Both sides."
"I think Selina ended up winning though." Jason took the card Harley had thrown and used it to complete a match. "Her and Batsy went upstairs a while ago."
"I need to talk to him," Dick said calmly, standing up and walking towards the door. Harley jumped up and followed him. She pulled him to a stop in the hall.
"Are you okay though?" She checked his bandages. "How does your head feel? You were just in a car accident."
"I feel… better than ever," he smiled a little, glancing over his shoulder as if he'd just heard someone. Dick returned his gaze to her and smiled. "I just need to talk."
"About what?" Harley reached up and touched his smile with the tip of her finger.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it, Darling." Dick said quietly, kissing her hand and walking up the stairs. Harley's brow furrowed as she watched him go. She wanted nothing more than to follow him, but she didn't want to pry. He was already smiling more- so was she- and she didn't want to ruin it. She watched him for a second more before she headed slowly back into the parlor.
Dick knocked on Bruce's door. "Are you both decent?" he called, gripping the doorknob. "I'm coming in…" He pushed the door open. Bruce was propped upright on the bed by a pile of pillows, his arm across his chest in a sling. Selina was sitting crosslegged at the edge of the bed. They looked like they'd been in the middle of a conversation. "Sorry for interrupting, Bossman," Dick saluted. "I'd like to offer my services tonight, since you're bedridden and weak."
"I am not-" Bruce objected but was cut off by Selina.
"Thank you, Dick." She glared at Bruce.
"Yeah… I forgot to add whipped at the end of my last sentence. Harley and I will go out, since nobody trusts Jason, Damian is sick, and Tim really ought to get back to the Titans. I'd imagine they kinda hate him as leader for never being there to, you know, lead." Dick watched Bruce. "And we could use a night out."
"Are you sure the two of you are up for that?" Bruce asked. Even Selina looked doubtful.
"It's been a long day for you two," she said, "I could always-"
"-No." Bruce glared at her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Please." Dick held up a hand. "I am sure that we can handle it. We need it, actually. It would be a really really welcome change of pace." He looked between them. "I'm not asking, either. Are you two okay?"
"We're fine," Selina assured him. "Just stressed is all."
"Well…" Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know things are stressful lately, but we can't let that break us. Things'll work out. We just have to look at the bright side. You guys are married, and you should be happy. When all of this blows over, you have to take a honeymoon, okay? Promise."
"Are you okay?" Bruce asked, studying him.
"I'm fine. Just promise me that you'll treat Selina different than the rest of us. She's different, and she's special. Don't do this whole 'Dark Knight' persona with her." Dick pursed his lips, and then nodded as he went out into the hall. When he bumped into Tim, he caught his arm.
"And you. Go back to the Titans and make things right."
"What?!" Tim asked confusedly. "No, I… how did you know about that?!"
"Come back on Christmas Eve, but tonight- fix things." Dick stared at him earnestly, and Tim nodded slowly. Stephanie's hand tightened in his, pulling him along down the hall, leaving Dick alone.
"I don't believe in premonition dreams," Dick mumbled, glancing down the hall.
"You of all people don't believe?" Joker seemed to whisper in his ear. "The hero who banged a sorceress. Ecnedicnioc naht erom saw maerd eht, yob."
"Shut up," he hissed, and then walked back down to the parlor, assuring himself that the voices were just a side effect from the concussion.
"Jason. Come here, let me see you for a sec," he asked, but it seemed less like a request when he pulled him up out of his seat and dragged him into the hall.
"Hey- what-" Jason yanked his arm away from Dick.
"-it's not your fault. None of us have anyone to blame but the Joker. It's not your fault that you weren't there. Don't blame yourself, focus on the stuff that's important. Ivy is back and she really loves you, Jay. Okay? You've gotta look at the bright side." He smiled, a hand on his brother's shoulder. Jason stared at him incredulously. Hours ago, he'd driven his brother home from his child's funeral. And he was smiling.
"You're freaking me out," Jason told him, making the sign of the cross with his fingers.
"Come on, Jay," Dick rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, you- we all have a lot to be thankful for."
"And I'm just asking you to drink some holy water."
"Please," Dick scoffed and then turned away, walking back into the parlor. "Harley," he helped her stand. "we're on the clock tonight."
"Us?" she asked.
"Watch out," Jason whispered as he walked past. "I don't think that's Dick anymore. He's being possessed. Christo." He waggled his fingers at Dick like he was casting a spell. Dick rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, us. If Bruce is taking the night off, someone has to be in the field. I figured you'd want to get back on the horse."
"I'll go." Damian stood up.
"No." Harley turned on him. "You're going to bed. You didn't nap when Dick did, and I warned you."
"You two shouldn't be out on your own," he protested.
"Jason can be on call," Harley countered.
"What?" Jason cried.
"We'll be fine," Dick insisted, taking her hand.
"Good," Jason mumbled, "because I'm taking Ivy to the Botanical Gardens, so you can deal with her if you call me in." Harley rolled her eyes.
"Okay, but first you're eating," she told Dick. "And you." She glared at Damian.
"I have my soup," he snapped. Dick shrugged, pulling her out of the parlor and across the foyer to the kitchen.
"I'll eat something, but I'm not hungry."
"You're never hungry," Harley muttered, "unless it's to avoid work."
"That… is partly true." He threw together a sandwich and ate it hastily, downing a water bottle. "Is that better? Can we go now?"
"Just remember you can't go swimming for at least forty-five minutes," she told him, grinning. Dick smiled back and then grabbed her hand, pulling her away to the library.