Gotham

Normally night descends in Gotham with people feeling safer, knowing vigilantes patrol the streets. Now the city was barely functioning as civic government tried to wade through crumbling infrastructure in creating a new life for those who had lost everything in the Scarecrow and Riddler's attacks. Jim Gordon struggled to be Mayor, knowing Ra's al Ghul and the League were coming for him. Poring over his papers, he thought that maybe God had punished him as much as the city he lived in and loved. He had been in Chicago before Gotham, and only got transferred on the back of his reputation for honesty. Within a few short years, thanks to his own integrity, and his acknowledgement that the city wasn't normal, and needed someone like the Batman to protect it, Jim had risen to the rank of Police Commissioner. Now he was the unelected Mayor, declared a traitor by the government for ousting the Riddler of all people from a power he didn't own or deserve. If that made him a traitor for protecting the people of Gotham, then Jim Gordon was the proudest traitor on the planet.

Now Harvey Bullock was probably dead, and that poor Grayson kid might have to be mourning Alfred Pennyworth, who had been like a grandfather to him. Jim liked Dick. He'd known the lad since he was a boy, and he meant what he said when he told Barbara she couldn't have married a better person. He wasn't always honest with her. He knew he'd take the fact he was her blood father to the grave with him, having slept with his own brother's wife one night when she came to stay with his parents, running away from her husband's abuse. Jim was only a cadet and he'd started an affair with Thelma which only lasted a couple of months. When she went back to Roger, she had found out she was pregnant not long after and told Jim it couldn't be anyone but his. Jim was a young man and Thelma was his ex-girlfriend from high school who had broken his heart to marry his older brother with a job when they graduated and Jim went off to police academy. Thelma was planning to tell Barbara when she grew up, but that was cut short by Roger at the wheel of a car one night. When Jim took his 'niece' in and adopted her, he decided he'd wait a little longer to tell her. Not that Barbara had any love lost for his brother. She never seemed to mourn either of her parents and was glad to have a good man like Jim raising her. Still, Jim had interrogated enough people to know that some hurts can be buried deep, and you can break people by exploiting those sub-conscious thoughts. He wasn't going to do that to his own child. He eventually elected to tell her one night and had even asked that she come home early from 'gym' for the chat. That night, however, before she could go to gym the Joker paralysed her and put Jim through hell. With everything she'd been through, Jim decided to never tell her, as it would only bring back his own trauma from that night. Still, she probably knew anyway. She was the smartest person he'd ever come across after all.

Barbara Gordon's thoughts were not on her father as she and her husband spoke with Selina Kyle and Kitrina Falcone, who had just arrived out of the blue to inform them of Ra's al Ghul's activities at the GCPD lockup. "So, Ra's hasn't killed Harvey or Alfred?" Dick queried as he awkwardly sat on top of his wife's desk. "Just taken them," Selina confirmed, "I've a bad feeling he's going to use them against you guys." "Well, it makes sense," Barbara mused, "Harvey for my dad and Alfred for Dick. That's who Eiling has issued a warrant against, not anyone else here." "All of this still makes me feel like I don't have any control over this situation," Dick said, moving his face over his hands exasperatedly. "You don't, honey," Barbara replied, holding his hand, "I mean we both know I'm the real head of the family right now. The Sons just look up to you because…well you are pretty badass." "Darling, this is not a time to compliment my rear end," Dick laughed. "Oh, shut up, Corn Wonder," his wife smirked.

"You and Kitrina should stay here, Selina," Dick nodded, "I have a feeling we need to keep our forces together." "Agreed," Babs said, "We've already got a ton of tough guys here but we could use your talent for…stealth and procurement to maybe handle Ra's when push comes to shove." "He's already shoved," Selina shouted, "and now he's going in for the kill. He's coming here tonight." "We know," Dick said, smiling, "But as usual Ra's underestimates everyone else." Selina shrugged her shoulders before saying, "Fine. Probably not going to live much longer anyway, so may as well help the good guys when they need it." "That's the spirit," Dick told her. Selina and her niece walked out of the office then as Dick looked at Barbara. "Why are you so hot when you tell everyone else what to do?" he coyishly asked. "And why are you inexplicably smoking when you're being cheesy?" she replied as they kissed passionately.

The night whiled on. It was 1:00am when Selina and Kitrina had a little chat after being given a room by Harper Row. "Why did you come back, Kit?" Selina asked her niece worryingly. "Because I wanted to save my city from that fucker, Nygma, after everything he did to us," was the earnest reply. "But you were safe, upstate," Catwoman shook her head, "Batman ensured your tuition was taken care of." "I know Selina," Catgirl nodded, "But you've never given up on this place and neither will I." They hugged a little before Selina bit the bullet and said, "You do know I'm your aunt, right?" "Yeah, kinda' figured," Kitty shrugged, "Uncle Mario used to always give out about your mom. Said she was a no-good two-bit hustler." "Did he now?" Selina said angrily, "Well, your side of the family might be a bit more psychotic than mine." "Ain't that the truth?" Kitrina laughed as they continued embracing.

Around that same time, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain were playing Uno while Jason Todd sat across from them chained to a railing. "Take four," Cass said as Steph angrily began picking cards up from the pile. "You know he's coming, right? Coming up to destroy us" Jason noted. "So, we better get this party started?" Steph asked sarcastically. "Funny," Jason sardonically scoffed, "But there's nothing funny about Ra's al Ghul surrounding you on all sides." "I know," Steph said, "but when you've lived like we have for the past month you've got to laugh, don't you?" "You sound like the Joker," Jason said, then bit his lip, "Sorry, that was unfair. I get you're coming from a good place saying that." "An apology from the big bad Red Hood," Steph said. "Once in a lifetime event," Cass giggled. "I just have that effect on men," Steph smirked pushing her hair up in a pretentious fashion. "Or just Robins," Cass remarked.

"That must be it. I mean Damian couldn't shut up about my chest, Tim and I were a couple and now I've got Jason Todd apologising to me. Still waiting to see how it affects Dick."

"He already has a Batgirl to turn his head."

"Of course, that explains his immunity. I'll leave Jason to you, Cass. Think I'm fine with the other two."

"You're hilarious as ever," Jason scoffed, "I notice you refer to the replacement and the Demonspawn in the past tense." Steph just focused on playing her game with Cass, not giving Jason the satisfaction of reacting. "You don't have anything witty to say back to that, Bimbogirl?" Red Hood scoffed, "Figures." "Well, how would you like it if some asshole mentioned your boyfriend was probably dead," Cass butted in. "He's not her boyfriend anymore," Jason cruelly smirked, "Just an asshole trying to copy Bruce. He should take a leaf out of me and Dickhead's book. Being like a brooding man in a bat costume is not good adulting." "And shooting thugs to cope with your own trauma is?" Black Bat shook her head, "I'm going to tell you something about me, Jason. You've heard all about my…childhood, yes?"

"Bits and pieces. Sounds rough, I'll give you that."

"My father trained me to be a weapon, not a person. And when I found my own mother as Batgirl, all she wanted…for our…relationship…was me killing her. She was no better than the man who had me take a life when I was eight. I knew then I should never kill. I learned to love the Batman. He doesn't kill. When I finished with my mother, I felt empty. And my new family was broken too. We'd all lost Steph, and Tim had lost his dad and Conner, who was special to me once too. On top of that, Bruce was broken knowing you had come back from the dead and were killing. Slade Wilson captured me, drugged me, tried to make me his new Ravager. It drove me mad. I became a killer again. And I've hated myself ever since I stopped being one. I hated that I insulted Batman. My father."

"Batman never let you die and didn't have the respect to avenge your death on a psychopath who's hurt a lot more people than you and had it coming long before he did what he did to you!"

"Stephanie died failing him. And she would never break his trust in our restraint like you did. If it's true, and the Joker does have Tim and he's alive, we all know there's not a chance in hell that if what happens to you happens to him, he'll become anything like you."

"You're right there. He won't be anything like me. Because the Joker doesn't like to repeat himself. He's like an artist, constantly trying to refine his craft. He's going to make what I went through look like a walk in the park for the replacement. And you know something? That actually breaks my heart. Not because he's his prisoner, but the fact that that fuck still breathes to do something like that to another teenage boy, let alone Tim!"

"What are you saying?" Steph asked, regaining her composure before Cassandra could respond. "I'm saying we spring him," Jason suggested. "We're about to be attacked by the League of Assassins," Cass curtly reminded him, "We can't afford to abandon Dick to them." "He's got Bane and Catwoman and Arrowette and God knows who else," Jason replied earnestly, "The three of us can make it to Arkham when all this shit's going down and make sure Tim and Damian get out alive." "No!" Steph shouted, "This is our family. We're making our last stand here. Dick and Barbara need us!" "No, they don't," Cass acknowledged solemnly, "They have an army. Tim and Damian have no one." "Not to mention," Jason continued, "if the League is out in full force here, the asylum isn't going to be guarded particularly well."

"There are people here who can't fight and will need to be evacuated," Steph reminded the Red Hood. "Who's to say we're the ones able to do that?" Jason shrugged, "We can do something about the replacement and Demonspawn, and if we can't we come back here and surprise Ra's. Help Dick out. And if they've lost, we try and find any survivors we can and get the hell out of this city. I can convince Eddie you guys are harmless and let you join his Teen Titans project…" "Not a chance!" Steph bellowed "We need all hands on deck here and both of us would rather die than work for Thawne." She then picked up the Uno cards and leered at Cass. "I can't believe you'd even suggest letting these people die," she said with great disappointment to her best friend.

Once Steph had gone, there was a moment of silence between Black Bat and Red Hood. "Is she really not going to take this chance to save her boyfriend?" Jason wondered aloud in disbelief. "Steph has always cared about one thing more than anything else," Cass told him frankly, "And that's proving herself to this family. And that could mean her dying again to help people live. Innocent lives matter more to her than her own life or death, so why should Tim's not be the same?" "Wow," Jason said looking to his feet in shock, "That's pretty badass. I was wondering why she replaced a tank like you as Batgirl. Now I get why…" "Being a girl, a child if you will, as opposed to a woman, an adult," Cass began, "means having to prove yourself. Barbara proved herself by overcoming not being Batgirl and being Oracle. I proved myself when I came back from the brink and brought my father to justice, finally feeling happy with who I am. Steph has made more mistakes than Barbara, not as many as I have, but she'll always hate herself a little for what happened with Black Mask and the War Games. She already felt like she wasn't good enough for the rest of us when she was Spoiler, and that came to a head when Bruce disappeared and Tim told her she shouldn't be a vigilante. Made her realise she needed to prove herself. Bruce told me to make her Batgirl because he saw that she'd be the person who needed to show her worth to the city just as much as Dick would when he was gone. Because of her past, Steph will always put the greater good before what she wants, and even if that's not the purest motivation it makes her a good hero. Do you get that?"

"Yeah, I think I do. You...you guys are not what I thought you'd be."

Cullen and Harper Row were getting to know Duke Thomas and his cousin, Nell Little over a few cups of coffee. "Yeah, that Batgirl sure is something," Harper said to Nell as she tousled her hair. "Your cousin is so adorable, Duke," Harper noted. "Yeah, Nell is when she ain't being a little rascal," Duke laughed, "So anyway, Harper, how'd you two end up here?" "Well our mom's dead," Cullen told him, looking at his feet awkwardly. "Yeah, and Dad's never around," Harper continued, "Which makes life not all that easy. And he wasn't around when the shit with Scarecrow and Riddler went down. Not fun. So, we went out looking for help and we ended up at Dr Thompkins' clinic. I'm good at fixing things and Cullen and I like taking care of people, so we put our talents to good use with her. When we moved to City Hall, Nightwing and Barbara just let us continue, I suppose. Dunno' if Dad's dead or alive. Still, I don't even know do we care." "Don't say that," Cullen muttered as Harper put her hand on his arm. "It's okay for us to hate him," she gently reminded him. Her brother didn't reply to that, so she turned back to Duke.

"Anyway, Leslie reckons we can get emancipated when this is all over if Dad's still around. I think we'd both be better off. She's promised me a reference to see could I get an apprenticeship in the city somewhere with an electrical engineering place."

"Aw, that's cool," Carrie Kelley said as she came in, "And I don't mean to break the mood with this, but Nightwing wants us all to start coordinating an evacuation." "An evacuation?" Cullen stumbled out, "But the tunnel's not done yet." "Turns out that masked wrestler dude is really good at drilling," Carrie threw her hands up in a shrug, "Nightwing thinks Ra's is attacking tonight and the tunnel leads to the port so we can get a boat across to the mainland." "But I want to fight!" Harper shouted as her brother put his hand on her shoulder to calm her. "And leave your brother and all those people you've been taking care of with Leslie for the past month in the lurch," Carrie replied, "Not to mention you're not one of the vigilantes or part of the Sons. They risk their lives all the time. You're going with the civilians, Harper, whether you like it or not." "Duke, please," Harper said, looking into his eyes knowing he was as passionate about fighting as her from prior conversations, but he just shrugged. "I'm sorry, Harper," he frowned, "I've gotta' get Nell and my parents to safety. I'd love to help Nightwing out too, but I can't. We can't." Harper sighed and hugged her brother as Carrie beckoned them all to follow her and begin the evacuation.

While the evacuation occurred, Dick lay in bed with his wife, Barbara after a spur of the moment bout of lovemaking brought about by fear of the ultimate and just the simple fact, they wanted to be alone and know one another in ways only they could as lovers should. "Are we gonna' die, Babs?" Dick asked. She wanted to say no. Answer her husband with a certainty that all they believed in hadn't crumbled and now they were both facing the end. So, she didn't say a word. "Stupid question, I suppose," he admitted after a while, "I know you're the brains of the relationship, but you're not pre-cognitive. Still, we've gotten out of tough scraps before. Every one of us here has. And I do feel a little relieved knowing a tough cookie like Bane is with us. I mean he grew up in a prison. He's been in worse places than this." "You don't trust him, do you?" Barbara asked, worried Dick had lost his edge. "No," he said without certainty, "I don't know. He tends to be genuine when he works on the side of light. He's not that duplicitous. Still, who can we trust? I trusted Bruce and he left my wedding to let his city collapse in the next couple of months. Real dependable father there."

"He loves you so much, Dick."

"He does. But that doesn't mean he's perfect. I dunno' what I'm going to do next time I see him. If I do see him."

"Well, the first thing you do is demand the most expensive honeymoon imaginable. I think he'll be guilty enough to do that."

"Honeymoon?"

"Well, you're talking about seeing Bruce again. The possibility of us honeymooning is just as remote."

"Yeah, we'll do a Caribbean cruise."

"Oh, Dick, you're so basic. We're going rock climbing in the Andes, then the Himalayas and checking out all the active volcanoes we can. Then a nice week in Corto Maltese fighting arms dealers and sunbathing."

"Then we'll get back here and buy a house. A house, jeez. Imagine me as a homeowner? My parents would kill me. We're circus folk, we go with the road."

"I'm sure you'll get over that having been settled since you were twelve."

"True. I just don't think about it, I guess. I'm sure my Dad would have had a few words to say, and his mom if she had been alive. They didn't like homeowners at Haly's. Called 'em rubes. Bruce and Alfred used to hate me calling them that when I first moved in. My mom's family weren't circus folk. Well her mom and dad weren't. Her uncle and grandpa were, so she ran away from home to be with them at Haly's. My dad's dad was a foundling at Haly's and his mom was Romani, born in Bucharest and came to America when she was twelve. They're both gone. As to my mom's family, I think I have cousins or uncles and aunts in Metropolis who I used to send Christmas cards to. Bruce sent me to my granddad's funeral once when Grandma Lloyd got in contact to say he was dead. Only met the man once and he wouldn't look me in the eye. I guess Grandma must still be alive. No one ever called me to say she wasn't. Could be either way."

"It's funny, isn't it. Thinking about the family you had, whether they're still around. I never see any of my cousins on Mom's side. And I haven't seen Aunt Barbara since before I died. And James, well he's a whole other kettle of fish. I didn't really like my mother and father. Roger was always drunk, and Mom was too scared of him to even have friends. He used to beat her, and hardly paid attention to me. Dad and Aunt Barbara as well as Grandma and Grandpa Gordon when they were alive paid for my stuff for school and everything. When Roger and Mom died, I wasn't happy, but apart from moving it didn't affect me all that much. Jim's my Dad as far as I can see. Apart from you and the rest of our little quirky gang of urchins to Bruce's veritable Fagin I don't have any family."

"I'd like to have a bit of a nuclear family. I never really had that. We were always moving. I was an only kid with no Grayson cousins, because Dad was an only kid and his parents were dead. Not to mention all of Mom's family didn't speak to us because of her. The circus was my family. Next thing I know Mom and Dad are dead and I'm being raised by a rich dude who thinks he relates to me because we're orphans, when he's never known anything close to my life apart from that, and his butler."

"Alfred's more than just a butler."

"No, he's basically the grandfather all of us never had. Only much more badass."

"Totally."

"But yeah, I'd like to have a family that's a bit more normal. Parents and children. You and me bringing the kids round to see Alfred and Bruce like they're grandparents. And they'd have plenty of uncles and aunts with Tim, Damian, Steph and Cass. Maybe, Bruce'll marry Selina someday and she can be a grandma to them. I know that might seem a bit out of the ordinary, but it's more ordinary than anything I've known. And I think everyone wants their children to live a better life than them. I think it was Tom Hanks who said there should be war in my time so my children can know peace."

"Thomas Paine."

"Ah, what's the difference?"

"Remind me why I didn't marry Jason Bard again?"

"You know what I mean, Babs. I hope that this is the greatest crisis this city or the world will ever face, so that our kids will be happy. They can live like me and Bruce did as Batman and Robin. Fighting the good fight and being able to smile at the same time."

Barbara then moved up and gave her husband a big wet, sloppy kiss. "That's why I married you," she told him, "The kindest, most selfless man in the world. Even better than Bruce or my Dad, and that's saying something. I love you, Dick. And we're going to have Bruce pay for that honeymoon, then we're going to make a gorgeous baby. They're going to have that family you dream about. I promise." "I'll have to hold you to that," Dick said kind of nonchalantly as he gave her another light peck, "It's good to see we've both come this far. Remember when you wouldn't go out with me because you wanted to prove your independence?" "Yep," she proudly acknowledged, 2And you were such a jackass respecting that instead of just trying to get with whoever you wanted and living up to your namesake." "Yep. That's me," he laughed, "Such an asshole for respecting someone I love." Dick kissed his wife one last time and promptly got up from bed to begin putting on his Nightwing uniform and trench coat denoting command.

Outside City Hall, Jim Gordon stood on a balcony as the garrison of the Sons of Batman stood to attention. The evacuation through the tunnel was being guarded by Bane and Scandal Savage at this point until they got to the other end escorted by Scarlet. Batgirl, Arrowette, Black Bat and Catwoman, who were all awaiting orders from their Mayor as some of the Sons held torches standing on the barricades. "This isn't a good night," Jim began, taking a drag from his cigarette, before continuing, "Today, our allies in the GCPD were attacked and most of them were killed. Ra's al Ghul and his allies in Washington want to kill us all. We're not going to let that happen. We're defending our city from that genocidal madman and living up to the example of the Batman!" The Sons began whooping at the mention of their eponymous 'father'. Everyone seemed positive as Jim continued his speech, when a more sinister voice amplified itself over a megaphone. Oracle wheeled behind her father to hold his hand as they heard this voice begin its monologue and Dick went across to the battlements to see what was outside. Hundreds of the League with police tanks and other armaments at their doorstep, with three figures lying tied up in front of their leader. Damian Wayne, Harvey Bullock and Alfred Pennyworth. The speaker was none other than Ra's al Ghul.

"We do not wish to kill you all despite what your treacherous Mayor says. You are however, currently not doing yourselves any favours by harbouring Richard Grayson and James Gordon, two enemies of the state! We will allow you all to live and give you safe passage on the condition that they are both handed over to us. And to ensure that they both comply: I have Alfred Pennyworth and Grayson's brother here who will be shot if he does not surrender to me. Likewise this goes for Commissioner Gordon and his friend, Harvey Bullock if he does not leave. You have two minutes."

Dick motioned to Jim not to move but Barbara continued to hold her father's hand tightly. Before an argument could occur, Nightwing had already jumped ahead of his father-in-law from the ramparts down to Ra's and walked through the mud before City Hall, with the light of Ra's' stolen police lamps shining upon him. "I'm here, Ra's," Nightwing told him, remaining defiant, "I'm here. Let's finish this, you and me. No Thawne, no Bruce, no Jim. Just you…and me." "Never!" Ra's shouted back, "For this act of impudence, you are going to pay." Ra's withdrew a pistol, a weapon not commonly used by him, and fired a bullet through the back of Harvey Bullock's head. The detective was dead by the time he hit the ground. "I am sorry it had to come to that," the terrorist lied, "But you aren't surrendering and Gordon has signed his own death warrant by only handing you over. You're only guilty of aiding and abetting. You're his Eichmann." "And you'd know all about that having let your daughter and her entire family rot in Auschwitz," Dick scolded him. "What happened with Nyssa and her family was an unfortunate consequence of geopolitical reality," the Demon's Head dismissed him, "Like the Detective before you, Richard, I do not expect you to understand. Or know how I wept for my blood that day." "Funny, I can't imagine that," Nightwing bit back, "Let alone understand it." "I am not without a heart." Ra's then pulled a blade and removed Damian's bonds, "For one thing, I am not going to murder my own grandchild again, having seen what happened to his cousins in the camps."

Dick was slightly relieved seeing Ra's do this. Damian stood up and walked over to Dick without betraying a hint of emotion. Overcome with joy, he went to hug him. "Damian," he smiled, not willing to believe Ra's was capable of such mercy, "Thank God you're—" Dick was cut short by a punch in the gut from the Boy Wonder. Damian was still in costume as Robin and looked filthy, clearly having not washed since his captivity. The boy just kept pummelling Dick without saying a word and Dick took it. "Damian, what's—" he struggled at one point only to be put down again. Another blow. And another. And another. "Ra's" Dick managed to say to the boy's grandfather, "Why is he—" "Fulfilling a promise he made to me, is all, Richard," the Demon's Head informed him before looking up to the ramparts, "If anyone makes a move to interfere my men will kill Pennyworth." Barbara put her free hand to her mouth in shock, while the others stared on in terror. Steph tried to move to attack Ra's, but then felt a hand on her shoulder. So did Cass. They were at the back of the ranks. "Dickhead's had it, girls," an escaped Jason whispered in their ear, "Now we've gotta' save Tim. You'll prove nothing dying here, come on." Steph was about to protest when she saw Damian kick Dick in the face with great force. Jason was right. It would be better to save Tim now than watch one brother kill the other here with no way of stopping them. So, they left with no one else the wiser and headed straight for Arkham Asylum.

In the tunnels below, Scarlet, Duke Thomas, Carrie Kelley and the Rows led Leslie Thompkins and all of her patients through the thoroughfare. It was dank and musty in this tunnel Bane had only drilled this evening. Bane and Scandal had taken up the rear until they had heard Ra's al Ghul on the megaphone and turned to help their allies at City Hall. Scarlet thought of the night her father and her had been taken by Professor Pyg. She thought of how Jason had saved her. And now she was going to be a hero, like every child in Gotham wanted to be, growing up with suffering all around them. She smiled to herself slightly as they came out the other end and found themselves at a marina. It was quiet. Far too quiet. Except for one man standing there. A man in an awkward, patchy suit flipping a coin. "Hey kids," a throaty voice emanated from the lone figure, "Name's Harvey. Ra's says he doesn't want you all dead. But that if you're feeling lucky you can try taking this boat. But I'm gonna' have to…weigh all of your souls with a coin toss if you want to take one. Bit like paying the ferryman, 'cept I've already got the money. Heh heh."

Scarlet moved to throw a projectile at him when her arm was grabbed by something emerging from the shadow. A hand in black. One of the League. Ra's really did have all of his bases covered. Duke and the others had swords placed against their necks when this was happening. Everyone gulped heavily. "Now, who's first?" Two-Face looked into the crowd and saw a small child of about five and his deformed half smiled. "Her." The child was dragged before him kicking and screaming as Leslie pleaded, "No, don't!" "Now, be fair, Dr Thompkins," Dent tutted sarcastically, "She's getting as much of a chance to live as the rest of you. She should count herself lucky, showing the rest of you how fair I'm going to be with you all tonight." The girl was brought before him by one of the assassins and Dent placed his gun against her head. "So, girlie?" he asked, feigning kindness, "What's your name?" "Uh," the child shuddered, "Debbie." She was a cute little thing. Brown haired, blue eyed and so very innocent. Like she still had so much to see if she made it out of here. "Well, Debbie," Two-Face tousled her hair while keeping the gun to her head, "Do you wanna' live and sail away to safety? Or do you want to die and go for a little swim over there?" He indicated the boats and the surrounding water.

"I wanna' live," she lisped a little through her tears. Dent bent down before her. "Now, I'm going to make this really simple, little one" he told her, pulling out his double-headed coin. One side scarred and the other not. He showed her the plain side first. "You live." Then the scarred side. "You die. Understood?" The little girl just started crying then which caused Dent to shout in his more demonic voice, "UNDERSTOOD?!" She nodded frantically as Leslie was pulled back again by one of the League. "Understand this, folks," Dent began, "I do this because the Demon's Head and I share a little philosophy that life is not as precious as we all think. At the end of the damn day, it's just a game of chance. You could die at ninety in your bed or get stabbed in a mugging tomorrow pissing yourself. Ra's feels the need to cull the herd. And I agree with him. So, I'm giving you all a fair shot at escape. Now, Debbie. Do you feel lucky?" "No," the child cried. "Ah, preparing for failure," Dent smiled, "Never a bad attitude."

Two-Face flipped his coin then. He moved his left hand away from where it had moved from the top of his right hand covering the descended coin. "Ah!" he said, not exactly keen on this move, "Not your lucky day, Debs. Still, I never knew my kids. They're probably dead like their mom. And your mom, I'm guessing, since only Dr Thompkins was crying over you. Aw, you're too cute with your crying. I'm gonna' make this quick." He didn't have a chance. As he cocked his gun pointing it at the toddler's head, Scarlet ran, grazing herself on the blade and going at lightning speed to intercept him and save this child's life. She wouldn't stop. She wouldn't slow. She didn't care if Dent and the assassins hacked her into pieces. She was not letting this psychopath kill a child. Sasha probably should have been more strategic in her thinking. She didn't stop Two-Face pulling the trigger. Instead she just felt a bullet enter her chest. And another. And another.

"No one defies the toss!" Dent screamed firing a fourth bullet into the vigilante. She stumbled. Slowly, but surely, Sasha Finger bled to death and fell into the water below. Lifeless. She died not knowing she had really saved a life. "Well, I am a fair man," Dent informed the stunned crowd, "She gave her life for yours, little Debbie. The binary notion of sacrifice. I respect that. You get to live, little Debbie. Boys! Let her on the boat. This little birdie's gonna' see another dawn." Debbie was brought crying to the ship, as the others wept for the laconic vigilante who had saved Duke and Nell's lives.

Back at City Hall, Nightwing managed to finally deflect a blow from Robin and hold both his fists. Dick was bloodied now and weary, but he wasn't going to hurt Damian. Only try and stun him. But the boy knew how to hurt people better than he did. "Damian, please, what's gotten into you," he pleaded, managing to stand up, "Stop this!" Robin replied with a knee to the groin. With that, Nightwing fell to the ground. Ra's laughed maniacally. "I knew it, Damian," he chuckled with pride, "I knew I had made you my blood again. Now, finish your baptism of fire, so you don't have to relive my lessons." Ra's tossed him the gun he had killed Harvey Bullock with. "Kill your brother, with the weapon that took the lives of your grandparents," Ra's surprised them all, "Nygma gave it to me when he took the Batcave. I thought it fitting that the Detective should lose a child in more ways than one to the machine which took everything he cared about from him."

Dick just started panting and saw Damian was now hesitating with tears in his eyes, barely holding the pistol up. "Come on, Damian," he defiantly told his brother, "Impress him! Prove to your grandfather that you're everything Bruce thought you didn't have to be. A murderer." Dick then shouted out louder so everyone could hear him. "I don't care what you think, Ra's," Nightwing turned to his old foe, "Damian is better than you. He's one of us. Even if he kills me, he'll be a better man than me when he grows up. Come on, Damian." Dick pressed the gun against his forehead, helping Damian to angle it properly and cock the gun as the child was weeping. "I don't want to," Robin sobbed. "It's okay, Damian," Dick reassured him, "We love you. That's why I'm not going to hurt you, even if you deserve it. You're a kid. This isn't good, but I still love you. Just do it." Dick had closed his eyes at this point while Damian shut his own through the tears and Ra's laughed. "Well go on then, boy!" his grandfather impatiently demanded, "Finish him!" Robin opened his eyes, now full of anger and malice unlike the upset he had just shown. He turned and fired a bullet into each of his grandfather's kneecaps.

"Gah! You little twerp! Stay back, men, I will handle my own blood. You little worm, I was going to give you an empire. An empire greater than Alexander's!"

"I don't need an empire. You don't need to rule people, Grandfather, if you're better than them. Just help them."

"Your father's poison still runs through your veins. I had thought—"

"You thought nothing! I stroked your vanity by beating Grayson, knowing he wouldn't hurt me. But I meant those bullets for you, Grandfather! I will not kill you, though. You don't deserve it. Least of all from a weapon as bound with destiny as this."

Damian tossed the gun aside and helped Dick recover himself. They hugged warmly. "I missed you," Dick told the boy. "Don't embarrass me in front of Grandfather, Grayson," Damian appeared uncomfortable. "Oh, screw him," Nightwing laughed. Ra's giggled a little in turn. "How touching," he derided the display, "Kill them both!" The Demon's Head was escorted away by his ninjas, as Nightwing and Robin tensed themselves for battle. Damian picked up an iron rod for combat and, using a Batarang, severed Alfred's bonds. Dick picked up the old man. "Go, help them defend City Hall!" he said, helping Alfred back to his feet, "This is the fight of our lives, Al! If it's breached get everyone through the tunnel. Steph, Cass, Barbara, Jim, anyone you can." "Master Richard," Alfred implored his charge, "I am not leaving you and Master Damian to die!" "You're not," Dick said as he pulled a flare gun from his holster and fired it into the air, sending out a makeshift Bat-signal, "I'm the Son of Batman. I'm never alone."

A large drumbeat echoed all around Miagani Island and a rumbling issued as ululating voices came from all corners to converge on the League of Assassins at City Hall. Every single garrison of the Sons of Batman throughout the city was making their way in a charge towards Ra's' entire army. Alfred scaled the battlements as Nightwing and Robin prepared to meet the assassins who were surrounding them. "Admit it, Damian," Dick said as they fought through the ninja hordes, "You've missed us as a team." "How can I miss you when you never leave?" was the glib retort from Robin. "Yeah, but just us," Dick added. "Yes," Damian freely admitted, "I have." The former Dynamic Duo leapt out and parried each blow that they could. The majority of the assassins became focused on scaling the walls as the Sons guarding City Hall fought them off.

Bane burst from City Hall with a machine gun and let fire at all the Assassins. Dick didn't care. He wasn't going to kill himself, but Kate was right. This is war. They were going to die and hundreds with them, so he wouldn't intervene with what someone like Bane who wasn't his responsibility did to ensure they might make it through this day. Ra's had fled despite his injuries but left a trail of blood behind him. As he was trying to flee in a tank, the Sons of Batman surrounded it, jostling the vehicle. "So, Grayson thinks he can call in reinforcements," Ra's muttered, "He's not the only one." Pressing a button, Ra's alerted his allies in the sewers. The insane rejects of Gotham still left standing. Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Firefly, Mr Freeze, Clayface, Killer Moth and so many others as yet unaccounted for burst from their hiding places and set a course for City Hall, to get a chance to finally destroy the Bat Clan.

At Arkham Island, Red Hood, Batgirl and Black Bat found the whole place unguarded as Jason had suspected. "Ra's cares too much about taking Dick down to leave a loose cannon like the Joker he regrets working with guarded," Red Hood told the girls, cocking his gun as Steph glared at him, "What?" "We're here to save Tim," she told him in the fashion of a disapproving school teacher, not kill anyone." "Sorry, Princess," he scoffed, "But the two ain't mutually exclusive. Remember who we're dealing with." Going through Arkham, they found it as deserted and eerie as Tim and Damian had prior. Except they could hear voices on the intercom. Spliced voices which sounded scarily familiar. "Tim failed the test, Alfred. He's not fit to be Robin anymore." "That's Bruce," Steph whispered to herself. Another familiar voice came saying, "Replacement is a weakling. Thinks he's better than me. Well he's not better than me. I showed him when I kicked his ass." Jason looked to the others and said, "I may or may not have said that."

"Master Tim is the weakest of all your Robins, sir," Alfred's voice echoed disjointedly around the corridors. "I know, Alfred," Bruce seemed to reply, "If only his father wasn't dead, I could offload him more easily. Tried to do it by bringing Stephanie in. She was only happy to. Said she hated him. Didn't you, Steph?" "Of course, that stupid nerd. Thinks he's so cool. He's just a piece of meat," Batgirl's voice replied just as disjointedly, "Am I right, Batgirl?" "Yes," Cass' younger voice simply said. "I do not miss Tim at all," Dick's voice seemed to say. "I am glad he's gone," Barbara's said even more unconvincingly. "As am I," Cissie's voice was heard in a monotone. "Holy heart failure!" the Dick voice cried.

"None of us said any of this," Steph angrily shouted as she threw a Batarang in frustration at one of the intercoms. Cass held her hand tightly. "We know that," she comforted her friend, "But I think Tim might have been hearing this for a while now." "Maybe it's my imagination," Jason butted in, "But something about those voices didn't seem quite right...some sounded real but like they were patched together and others were just...impressions." "It doesn't matter!" Steph shouted, "This could have been going on for a long time." "Ooh not that long, only about a week," a sinister, familiar voice announced throughout the room, "I'm afraid you won't find me here, Red Hood. Timmy might still be here if you're quick enough. I do so love my impressions. I think I got Boy Blunder the First down to a tee. Now, if Tim Timothy needs saving, you all better get down to the basement." They ran like the wind. Straight down every flight of stairs they could, all the while with Jason cursing the Joker's name, "I'll get you, clown. I'll get you. Make you wish you'd never been born, if you've killed another one of us!"

They found the room in question. Before a light was an empty chair with blood leading away from it and by the wall were two rotting corpses distinctively female but barely recognisable and leaving an unbearable stench. "Jesus, who were they?" Jason shouted putting his helmet on to block out the smell. Steph looked at both of them. "I think I can hazard a guess," she said shedding a single tear, "I don't know them, but he made them look like two other girls...Two of Tim's exes. Fucking Joker…" "No," Cass said softly as she cried a little too, thinking of all the pain her brother must be feeling. Jason punched the wall with his fist. "Damn it!" he shouted, annoyed at their failure. A giggling noise they then heard from the other side of the room. In the shadows.

"Hello?" Steph said quietly, "Is someone there? Tim?" A foot emerged from the shadows in a broken boot and Tim's cowl was tossed before them. A black-haired young man, giggling inanely, slightly pale, and drooling at the mouth walked out before them. The mania didn't give his identity away, but the skull and swords tattoo on his chest did and the fact he had a leather boot on even without trousers and a pair of boxers with little bats on them with a yellow waistline. Batgirl put her hand on her mouth as he laughed at them. "Why are you laughing?" she shouted through tears. "Because he's been conditioning him," Jason shouted, "Probably pumped him full of Joker toxin." "No, no toxin," Tim replied, "He just showed me what you all think. You all hate me." Jason could see he was bleeding a little from his side being pierced as there was a pair of scissors still sticking out of it. He nodded to Cass who went and picked up some cloth to use as a bandage. Steph followed her to get some disinfectant while Jason held Tim in an embrace.

"Why Jason?"

"I know I've never been nice before, but it's okay for me to hug you, alright? Sorry, this is going to hurt a bit…"

Red Hood pulled the scissors out of Tim's side and the blood began pumping from him. "Tim, shit!" Jason concernedly shouted at the sight of the blood, "You hit an artery!" Red Robin collapsed a little as Jason held him in his arms. "Hey, hey hey," Jason began slapping his brother's face lightly, "Don't pass out." "Why are you being nice to me, Jason?!" the younger man cried. "Because," Jason hesitated before telling the truth, "I know what this clown does to people. And everyone else seems to really like you back with the family. I thought maybe you deserved a second chance." "No, you thought you could use me as a way to get a second chance for yourself," Tim dismissed him aggressively, "Well, it won't work Jason. They all despise me." "Shh," Red Hood held his brother to him tightly, "Hey, none of them despise you. They didn't save you because this place was armed to the teeth until tonight. They love you. I'm always being compared to you and Dick for being the good Robins."

"Funny. I felt the whole time I was Robin I lived in your shadow."

"Yeah, I can see why that might be. Bruce doesn't move on well. But hey, Dick does care about you. You're like his favourite human in the world after Barbara. He made you his best man."

"Because he had no other friends apart from Wally."

"Bull, that guy is really popular," Jason said as Steph handed him the disinfectant and he rubbed it in Tim's wound. "Ah!" Red Robin screamed. "It's either this or you get sepsis," Jason told him, "Sorry." Cass began bandaging Tim then and kissed him on the cheek at the same time. "Don't talk like this, Tim," she whispered in his ear, "We love you." "You don't," he screamed, tears flooding down his cheeks, "You can't. I'm nothing!" "You are not nothing!" Steph shouted as she began crying again. When Cass was done bandaging, she went over to Batgirl and held her hand. Jason lifted Tim up into his arms and they began making their way out of the asylum. "See, you've got the girls all upset," he spoke to keep Tim awake, "Talking about yourself like that. They love you, man. I've gotta' admit I'm jealous. Two hot broads like them never cared enough about me to listen to some asshole about abandoning their posts and coming here to help you. I'm gonna' level with you, Timbers. I didn't come here for you. I don't want you to die or anything, or for the clown to hold you prisoner. I came here to kill him. But seeing you like this…it's more important I get you out of here." They were walking out to see the dawn as this happened. "Ha!" Jason said with hope, "The dawn. See man, it's like Alfred always said. Night is darkest just before the dawn. You're gonna' make it. Timmy? Timmy?!" Tim was passed out, looking paler and feeling cold. Jason shook him and then ran to his stolen motorcycle and drove it off island not waiting for Steph or Cass to catch up.

At the regatta, Two-Face had already killed about ten people, thankfully none of them as young as Debbie had been. Likewise, ten people were on the boat now, two of them Cullen and Nell. Harper was being dragged before the demented murderer for judgement now as well. "Ah, you're the sister of the boy who pissed himself, then," Dent mocked the young woman, "Harper, ain't it? You're not as brave as your friend, Sasha was. Still, no harm done. You just respect the coin. But that isn't saving your life, just yet. Do you want to die?" "No," Harper told him defiantly, "I want to live and start a life away from here taking care of my little bro and never seeing the likes of you again." Dent smiled at her honesty and flipped the coin. It landed scar side up of course. "Sorry, darling," he dishonestly apologised, "You know the drill. Can I just say I dig the blue hair, though?" "Just get it over with," Harper said, closing her eyes. Dent moved to pull the trigger as his gun was now placed at her forehead. Duke struggled against the assassin holding him back as Cullen held Nell back from seeing this, himself crying and Carrie seething with anger. As Dent pulled the trigger, a Batarang landed in the barrel of his gun and the shot backfired.

The sound of a large Canary Cry deafened several of the assassins before they could move, while a flit of yellow and red saved all the kids and put earplugs in them before that could happen. Then two very tall women in armour burst onto the scene and knocked out some more of the assailants. A blonde girl with a lasso stopped any of the assassins from moving on the boat when she landed there, looking formidable. "Who the hell are they?" Carrie asked. Duke was in total awe. "They're," he stumbled, not believing their luck, "Big Barda, Kid Flash, Black Canary, Wonder Girl…" An arrow hit one of the assassins and stunned him. A girl in a purple uniform with a crossbow punched out a few assassins too with a man in a green and red suit who seemed to vanish as soon as he appeared. A man with a grey helmet and red armour descended too and fired blasts of light at the attackers. A woman then uttered "nerdlihc eht tcetorP" as an assassin moved to attack Duke and a few others, trapping them in a bubble. "Zatanna!" Duke added with glee. A man in a trench coat smoking a cigarette fired a burst of hellfire on some fleeing assassins. A large, cowled figure then descended from one of the sails and kicked the last of the assassins in the face standing tall over him. "Batman!" Duke shouted and ran up to hug the Caped Crusader. "Um, I don't really do hugs," the hero replied. "Let the kid have his moment," Dinah told him. Bruce then summarily hugged the boy back.

Carrie had snuck off while Duke had been giggling like a child at all these heroes in front of him. She picked up the gun Two-Face had dropped and saw him sneaking away not far from her. She cocked the gun and pointed it at him with the killer stopping in his tracks. "Remember me, asswipe?" she asked. "Can't say I do," Two-Face said with genuine ignorance as he turned around with his hands up. "Conchetta Maroni," she said through tears. "Salvatore's daughter," Dent realised why the child was pointing a gun at him. "When I was five years old, you hunted down my family," Carrie spat, "All because of who my grandfather was and what he did to you. You found me and my mom in a car at a supermarket. You flipped a coin on her and took her life. You did the same with me, except I got lucky. Bad move, Dent." "Well, this was always going to happen eventually," Dent admitted to himself, "No, Harvey, you idiot! You should have had more stomach." "Any last words?" Carrie asked her mother's killer. "I regret nothing," Two-Face shrugged, "Your grandpa made me who I am. Exterminating his family made me feel big. Like I could get a revenge on him, that killing Sal would never satisfy. Go on, then, little girl. Make my day." Carrie squeezed the trigger only to have a Batarang land in it as it had for Harvey and backfire.

"Ha!" Dent laughed as Batman landed before him and punched the man out. Carrie regained herself and stood up. "You had no right!" she shouted at Batman. "I had every right," the Dark Knight informed the teenager, "You're not the only person in the world Harvey's hurt. His crimes don't give you a right to inflict the same pain on him. That makes you no better than him." "So, I'm not better than a man who shot a woman in front of her five-year-old child?" Carrie scoffed. "Only no more than he's no better than a man who would throw acid in someone's face for following the law," Batman rebutted, "I understand your angry, Carrie. And I like to think I can help you with that anger. But not now, I've got a family to save."

Back at City Hall, the Sons of Batman had overturned Ra's' tank while Bane had thinned most of the League's initial ranks. Dick and Damian withdrew to City Hall as some of the League had broken through their lines. Everything seemed to be going well, and Nightwing smiled at the realisation Jason, Steph and Cass had gone to save Tim when Alfred told him they weren't there. But somehow the League kept replenishing itself. Cissie was staving off attacks with some of her arrows, but the League were popping up from the shadows and killing the Sons. "We can still win this, Al, I know it!" Dick shouted, "We've beaten Ra's, he's getting desperate." "But Master Richard," Alfred struggled to be heard through the din after firing a shotgun at one of the ninjas, "They still outnumber us!" Deadshot then picked off several assassins surrounding Cissie from his sniper's nest. "No, we're not!" Dick shouted. Then they heard the drumbeat. That interminable drumbeat arising from out of nowhere as Bane was ambushed by of all people, Killer Croc. Firefly flew over the Sons of Batman reinforcements and began dousing them with flame as Killer Moth poured pitch over them to help the fire spread. "Idiots!" Ra's shouted as he escaped his tank, "You could have killed me!" "Part of the job description boss," Firefly replied as he continued incinerating Nightwing's followers. Dick could only look on in despair. Barbara, meanwhile, was able to successfully defend her father from some of the League who had infiltrated his office using escrima sticks and her various martial arts skills.

Bane was pounding on Killer Croc repeatedly. "You reptilian oaf!" the luchador tossed the monster off of him, "Who do you think you are, Waylon Jones? You are an idiot, not worthy of my attention, but I will crush you if you continue to fight me. I am Bane! I am the Man Who Broke the Bat! You are a gigantic crocodile he has beaten at every turn!" Croc then bit Bane on the shoulder, sinking his teeth in deeply, enough to tear off so much flesh that part of Bane's bone was exposed. "Gah!" he screamed in pain, throwing another punch at the beast. Deadshot fired some shots to help his comrades, but suddenly he heard music. Music that told him it was teatime. The music of the Mad Hatter. Damian walked up to Dick, having taken out some of the assassins, solo. "I believe that's fifty-three to your forty-nine, Grayson," Robin boasted. "Night's not over yet, Damian," Dick said, only for Damian to point towards the rising sun. "Like Pennyworth always says," Robin smiled, "The night is darkest before the daw—" Damian was felled by a bullet from Floyd Lawton right through his stomach. "No!" Dick shouted, grabbing Damian instantly and running with him into Jim's office. Most of the Sons had heard the music for teatime as well and were now surrounding Catgirl, Catwoman and Scandal Savage.

"What's happening?" Selina asked. "I think it must be him," Kitrina pointed to the Mad Hatter standing aloft and giggling as he played music through a speaker system. "A veritable Cheshire cat, I am," he said, sneaking away. Kitrina forced her way through the Sons and followed him on foot. She tripped him with her whip and managed to smash the speaker system, but not before a bullet went right through her neck. A sniper bullet fired a split-second before Lawton had been freed from mind control. "No!" Selina screamed as the Sons began returning to normal. Kitrina lay bleeding out when Scandal and Selina arrived by her side, the former kicking Jervis Tetch unconscious. Lawton felt sick knowing what he had just done under the Hatter's control. He had just shot two teenagers. Not much older than his own little girl. He violently vomited in his own helmet and began crying in a foetal position.

"Come on, little Kitty. You're going to make it," Selina said, cradling Kitrina as she coughed up blood. Kitrina just put her hand on her aunt's face and smiled so happily knowing that she finally had a family member who loved her in Selina. Then the life left her eyes. "Ah!" Selina screamed angrily as she left the body below and jumped into a gaggle of the League of Assassins who had arrived for battle. Meanwhile Bane found himself being bitten in the torso by Killer Croc and wailing in agony. Cissie King-Jones saw the villain suffering and so fired a trick arrow at Croc, which poured tear gas on the beast forcing him to lose his composure. Bane then recovered and landed an ultimate blow of retribution and anger on the stunned beast. "No one eats Bane!" the luchador triumphantly proclaimed. He looked up to Arrowette and simply nodded as a show of thanks.

In Gordon's office, Alfred was trying his best to get Damian to survive his bullet wound. Dick was crying in the corner while Barbara held him. "It should have been me who dies tonight, not him," he said, all composure gone, "I can't lose him, Barbara. I'll never forgive myself." "I know, Dick, I know," she soothingly spoke, kissing him on the head while crying herself with her old man putting a hand of comfort on her in turn. The League was splintered and limited in their remaining forces but Firefly was still burning as many of the Sons as he could and laughing like a maniac all the while. Arrowette had managed to get right behind him while he stood in midair gloating and fired an arrow into his jetpack. Garfield Lynns then crashed out of control into the building right in front of him. Cissie punched the air in celebration. "Still got it," she jumped in the air, with pride. As Ra's al Ghul struggled to make his way away from here through Firefly's inferno, he found his cape being gripped from under him by a large hand. The hand of Bane. "You killed my friends, Demon's Head!" the behemoth pulled Ra's closer to him and grabbed him by the throat with all his might, "And made many good people's lives a misery. Unfortunately for you, I am not a good man. I'm not going to kill you, Ra's. But I am going to make the rest of your existence a memory. In memory of Catman, Ragdoll and Black Alice. This is the truth of Bane." For the first time in a long time, the Demon's Head screamed in fear as he was dragged away by the hulking brute in the direction of Arkham Asylum. Selina Kyle, meanwhile, began to accept her fate now that Scandal was knocked out and some assassin was going to run her through with a blade. Then a Batarang stopped her assailant and a black-haired teenage girl in a purple outfit came out of nowhere and gave her a hug. "Mom!" the girl said excitedly, with Selina completely baffled.

The League were nearly after overwhelming the Sons, who were either injured or dead from the last attack. The last five of them advanced with machine guns on the door of Jim Gordon's office. "Grayson," Damian said as he beckoned Dick closer. "What is it, Dami?" he asked using a pet name he knew his brother despised, "Eh? What do you want? You know I'd do anything for you." "Tell my father," the boy managed through the blood in his throat, "I died a hero." "You're not dying, Damian, Nightwing insisted through his tears " "He's lost a lot of blood, sir," Alfred shook his head, "Without Dr Thompkins he won't make it." "No, you're not dying!" Dick shouted, slamming his fist down on the table. Damian held his hand. "It's okay, Grayson," Robin said slowly, "Everything will be-" Damian then passed out from the lack of blood. Dick started crying thinking the kid was dead already. Jim heard a kick on the door as if to knock it down and pulled his gun. "Well, I guess this is it," he told the others, "It's been nice knowing all of you. I'm glad we could all be with who we love at the end." "Me too, Dad," Barbara acknowledged as she held a crying Dick. She then nodded knowingly, accepting this was the end. Jim cocked his gun and shed a tear of mourning. The door was kicked in again as Alfred picked up a shotgun. "It would be my honour to stand by your side, James, and die like a soldier," the veteran said to the cop. "Likewise, Alfred," the former commissioner nodded. The door was then kicked down only for the Batman to walk through it with Leslie Thompkins. "Damian," she shouted, "Oh no!" She took Alfred's first aid kit and began treating the young boy while outside Cassie Sandsmark, Conner Kent and Bart Allen were scared to see the Red Hood carry a comatose Tim Drake in with Batgirl and Black Bat not far behind him. Batman looked at his family who all had a look of disgust on their faces seeing him. "What's wrong?" he asked as Dick stood up and punched his father full in the face, knocking him out.