They know.
After Red Hood's encounter with the General the night before, the Batman family may finally know what the Joker is striving towards. After Nightwing's encounter with Harley Quinn, his suspicions have been confirmed.
Some part of her, small or not, still loves him. And he isn't about to give up on her. With the knowledge of the Joker's plans, Batman is two steps closer to bringing the clown prince's reign of terror to a close. And Nightwing is one step closer to saving Harley Quinn.
Damian walked silently up the grand staircase, and then his fingers traced along the wall as he slowly made his way toward Dick's room. His hand hovered on the handle before he pushed it open, his eyes suddenly adjusting to the dark. The only light in the bedroom came from the open window where Dick sat on the window seat, enjoying the cool breeze blowing in. Dick didn't look at Damian as the door closed behind him. The smaller boy watched him, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Do you plan to spend all day up here?" Damian asked. Dick glanced at him, an eyebrow raised.
"It's six in the morning. It's not even day yet."
"My day starts an hour ago," Damian quipped, his nose turning up in the air. "Join us in the Batcave."
"Is that what Bruce wants?" Dick asked quietly, finding it hard to believe that Bruce would want to see him at all.
"Father hasn't requested you." Damian said seriously. "But he hasn't forbidden you."
"I'll pass, Damian, thanks," Dick sighed, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them. Damian turned to the door and pulled it open.
"Todd is here with news, also, if you're interested," he said offhandedly over his shoulder, and then disappeared into the hallway. Dick looked up, and then quickly followed him. Damian was waiting in the hall, and they both came down the elevator together.
The talking that had been going on immediately ceased when Dick stepped off of the elevator. Bruce sat in his chair with his back to the computers, his fingers laced together, and Barbara leaned against the desk by his right shoulder. Jason stood in front of them, and Selina leaned against the other side of his chair. Tim was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his Red Robin mask pulled back away from his tired face, and his cape was spread out in a fan behind him. Damian advanced casually toward the group, but Dick stopped a ways off, not sure if he was welcome any closer.
"Dick." Bruce cleared his throat. "Glad to see you're looking better," he said flatly. Dick didn't respond, still afraid to get anywhere near Bruce. He stepped a bit closer, standing near Tim.
"Are we done with the awkward staredown, or can I start?" Jason asked, crossing his arms.
"No one is stopping you, Todd," Damian sneered, crossing his arms.
"You know, me sharing my intel is a courtesy," Jason warned. "Sometimes I get the feeling I'm not exactly trusted here."
Dick looked down, biting his lip. Barbara rolled her eyes, but spoke gently. "Quit playing around, Jason." She smiled a little. She looked as tired as Tim and Bruce did.
"Fine. That fun little explosion last night was the General," Jason told them. "Harley was there to talk to him, so I took an interest."
"I interrupted their party. Harley wasn't too pleased. She ripped my uniform and everything," he added casually. "But I managed to capture the General at least. The two of us had a nice little talk about what she wanted." Jason smiled to himself.
Bruce leaned forward in surprise. Dick breathed a sigh of relief, and shot Jason a grateful look. Bruce pulled his gloves off. "What did she want? What did you find out?"
"Well I know what the Joker wants with all the inmates." Jason scratched the back of his head. "Turns out he's having Harley recruit them. He's trying to form his own 'Injustice League'."
Barbara audibly gasped as Bruce sat back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. Tim whistled slowly. "Shit," he muttered, looking up at Jason. He glanced at Bruce.
"I was afraid that that was the endgame," Bruce muttered, shaking his head.
"You suspected this?" Damian demanded.
"It was one hunch of many," Bruce said calmly, turning to his computers and pulling up the list of inmates released from Arkham.
"Who's been recruited?" Barbara asked, watching him. "How can we know what we're going to be up against?"
"Harley Quinn has spoken to Man-Bat, Scarecrow, and the General. That isn't counting the ones that the Joker and his men may have been in contact with. We only know of the three, but we can assume everyone that he broke out of Arkham was a target for his group."
"Two." Jason corrected. "Harley got to two."
"Two?" Bruce repeated, turning slowly in his chair.
"Don't look at me like that. We all knew I wasn't exactly a saint."
"Jesus, Jason…" Barbara shook her head, and Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.
"You could have just handed him over to the police!"
"Yeah," Jason muttered looking pointedly at the ceiling. "When I asked him why he blew up the building, he didn't have a good enough answer to make his life worth it." He shrugged. "He got what was coming to him."
Damian smirked in approval, and Bruce shook his head slowly. Tim, Dick, and Barbara all watched Bruce for guidance, not saying a word. "I told you. We don't kill. You are a member of this family, Jason, as long as there is a bat on your chest, you've got to stop killing people," he finally said.
"I love getting the whole family speech again, by the way," Jason hissed.
"Cut him some slack, Bruce," Dick said quietly. Bruce pinched his eyes closed.
"Sweetie," Selina purred, running her fingers through his hair. "We have bigger things to worry about right now."
Bruce nodded.
"Well, in that case, I'm out of here," Jason said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Wanna come beg food off of Alfred?" he asked Dick, flashing him a smile.
He shrugged listlessly and turned to follow Jason to the elevator.
"So we agree never to talk about this," Jason whispered. "He would skin us both alive."
"Agreed." Dick nodded, glancing over his shoulder.
"So," Jason glanced at him as the stepped into the elevator. "You and Harley Quinn looked pretty cozy last night."
"Jesus, don't…" Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, a hand in his pocket. "...don't start with me, Jay."
"You had a thing with her?" Jason asked wickedly.
"Yes," Dick told him, exasperated.
"With her?" Jason asked again, an eyebrow raised.
"Yes," Dick snapped.
"I'm sorry. I just can't believe that you had a thing with her."
"Shut up Jason," Dick advised.
"Oh no, no I'm proud. Good for you. Way to get out of the dating slump."
"I am not afraid to beat you."
"Why? I'm on your side!"
"There is no side." Dick muttered, watching the elevator doors impatiently.
"So," Jason asked. "How was she? Like, between the sheets?"
"That is none of your business!"
"Ha! So you did sleep with her!"
"Jason back off," Dick warned.
"Were you safe? Or should I start calling you Papawing?" Dick took a swing at him. "Grandbat will be so proud."
"Why does everyone keep bringing this up?"
"You protect the city, did you protect your willy?" Jason chanted like a commercial.
"I am still not having this conversation!"
"If you used your night stick, I hope you wrapped it up quick!" Jason replied. Dick caught him by the throat, his cheeks burning, and then hurled him out of the elevator as the doors opened. Jason tumbled into the library and crashed into a suit of armor.
"Master Dick, what is going on here?" Alfred demanded, appearing around a corner. "Oh, I see. Master Jason what have you done?"
"Hey! He attacked me, okay?" Jason defended, picking himself up off the ground.
"Clearly you didn't hit your head hard enough to shut you up," Dick snapped, crossing his arms; his cheeks and ears still burned red.
"Did I strike a nerve?" Jason taunted.
"I said shut up, you little-"
"-Master Dick," Alfred warned. Dick closed his mouth, glaring at Jason.
"You don't see me bring up June's older sister, the girl from the carnival," Dick muttered.
"May?" Jason asked incredulously. "Oh I got out as soon as I found out they had a sister named April."
Dick rolled his eyes, his arms falling to his sides. "What about Poison Ivy?" he sneered, smirking at Jason, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh yeah that's an interesting story," Jason scoffed, but a blush crept across his cheeks. "A girl who the slightest touch would kill me. Try again." He cleared his throat.
"Ha!" Dick exclaimed triumphantly, pointing at him. "I knew it. She's like fifteen years older than you, you're nothing more than a kid with a crush. At least I got somewhere with mine."
"Well at least mine's not shagging the Joker," Jason snapped before immediately regretting it as the smile slid from Dick's face. "Shit. I'm sorry."
Dick bit his lip angrily, looking down, the redness returning to his face. "No you aren't." He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to walk out of the library.
"Okay, I'm not sorry I said it," Jason admitted quietly. "But I am sorry it's true."
Dick stopped, and Alfred looked between the two of them. "You know, I am good for more than cleaning up after you. Whenever Master Bruce had troubles with romance, I'd fix him something to eat. Tea always clears the mind, boys," he smiled a little.
"And tea fixes things how?" Jason asked.
"You'd be surprised." Alfred smiled and headed back toward the kitchen. Jason and Dick looked at each other and then shrugged, following him out of the library.