Batman had arrived to the GCPD as quick as he could. The slaughter at GCPD was something he never thought he would see. He had seen a great deal of terrible things in Gotham but he never expected to find James Gordon and all these officers dead how they were. The police and paramedics were already there but there no one left to help. All the police men and women looked on at the scene in horror as many of their friends and their Commissioner were taken from this world.

Batman looked down at the dead Commissioner and was in utter disbelief that he was staring at the body of James Gordon. Jim had been put through many tough situations over the years while being on Gotham's police but he always made it out. For police men and women in Gotham City it only ever takes one time. Just one time and they were swallowed up by the darkness that manifests within this dark city. Gordon had survived many years in this city with too many close shaves to count on both hands and now it finally caught up with him. Dick's heart was broken as he saw his friend on the floor and it was even worse since his death had been turned into a joke.

The smile drawn on his face angered Batman because James was an extraordinary man and he deserved much better than this. He deserved to die peacefully from old age after all that he had done for this city. James deserved to see his daughter continue on her life and to see any grandkids he could have in the future. This wasn't what James deserved. Dark times like these were why this city was viewed in such a negative way. No matter how hard Batman and his family fought to save this city, it always fought back and twice as hard sometimes. Barbara ran inside the police department stressed out of her mind. Batman walked up to the doorway before she could run in.

"What happened?" she asked frantically on the verge of tears.

"I'm," he started but felt terrible about giving her the news, "I'm sorry Barb."

"No," she said letting the tears fall from her reddened eyes. "No don't you do that to me! Tell me he's okay! Tell me he's in there alive!"

"Barb I-", she pushed him hoping to get through.

"Let me in."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Let me see my father!" Dick was on the verge of tears himself after seeing her so distraught and he knew she'd force herself in regardless so he stepped aside. When he stepped aside she saw her father in plain sight. "No," she gasped as more tears slid down her cheeks. She collapsed onto her knees. "Oh god no," she sobbed. Barbara slowly crawled to him then her cries increased when she held him in her arms. "Dad," she sobbed. She held him close to her as she wept. Dick wanted nothing more than to hold her but he couldn't so long as he wore the suit. One of the officers walked up behind Batman.

"Batman," he said sadly then Batman turned to him, "we finally got the footage from the cameras if you wanna take a look." Batman nodded then the two of them walked to the back of the building. There were two other policemen inside the room and had the camera footage paused. Batman nodded then the officer pressed play. They all watched The Joker kill them all single handedly then when it finally came to Gordon's office, all of the policemen turned away while Batman stayed watching without a flinch. He saw Joker yell at him with a rage he never seen before then they heard him call Batman a phony. Dick finally understood why he did all this and it was because he donned the cape and cowl of Batman. His hands were balled into fists as anger surged through his entire body. He was beginning to only see red and imagine The Joker's beaten face in front of him.

The angry voices were yelling in his head but amidst the chaos he heard one familiar calm tone. It was the sound of Bruce's voice which was always abnormally relaxed. He was remembering this particular thing he was told by him. It was long ago when he was a kid and the Boy Wonder alongside Batman. He remembered it clearly as if it only happened yesterday.

"I've seen a lot since I've been doing this," said Batman to Robin. "I know your first instinct with all that I've taught you are to use your new skills to exact your revenge on the man responsible for your family's death but I'm here to tell you not to."

"Why?" asks an obviously annoyed young Dick Grayson. "I thought that was why you were helping me in the first place?"

"I'm helping you because I know how you feel. I see myself in you when I was that age too but you're going to learn differently than I did. We're going to bring that man to justice but we're not going to end his life."

"But he killed my family."

"Would killing him bring them back to you?" Dick looked down in disappointment realizing Bruce's point. "Monsters come in many different shapes and sizes. The criminals in this city are no different than any other kind of monster we encounter somewhere else. However if we kill every monster that this city throws at us then we become monsters ourselves, Robin. We stoop to their level because we can't be better than them but we have to be better than them. It is when we're better than them that we become what this city truly deserves." Robin looked up at him. "Heroes."

Dick returned back to the present and his fists were now unclenched as he stared at the monitors. Bruce's words stuck to him, removing the anger. A murderer is no hero.

Batman walked back to see Barbara storm out the front doors of the department so he immediately ran after her. On the outside of the building he grabbed her arm and whipped her around to face him.

"Where are you going?" he asked. The tears continued to slide down her face but her face was full of anger.

"You know what I'm going to do," she said angrily. Batman grabbed her by the waist then the two zipped up to the rooftop. He pulled back the mask so now he can talk to her as her boyfriend instead of Batman.

"You can't do that, Barb."

"Dick please; don't make me fight you."

"You understood the rule, Barb. You can't turn your back on it."

"Yes I stood by you when Jason wanted to kill him but now that son of a bitch has killed my father, Dick!" She began to weep again. "My dad, Dick. He killed my dad. Joker has to pay for that."

"Vengeance isn't justice, Barb. You know that."

"He doesn't deserve justice! He's long past justice!"

"Let's go home and talk about this okay?"

"There's nothing to talk about. The Joker dies. Tonight!" she yelled before running off the roof.