Chapter 14: The End

It would have been nice if there were mountains.

Maybe even a lake—The sky, light blue and stained in yellow sunshine against the picturesque horizon. The soft lap of water flowing over silver rocks thrust out of the silky blue waves of an endless river could have filled the fresh air with the subtle echo of nature. Bushy green trees with rusty brown branches would have ventured out at all directions, outlining the white fluffs of cotton candy clouds.

Maybe with that scene, he could have let his mind escape deep into its beauty, in awe of the picture perfect glow. He could have abandoned the regrets, the memories of blood and the deaths of the night and just let his mind graze over the sloshing waters as an eagle soaring over the Pacific.

"Di—Robin," Wally self-corrected, realizing that the two teenagers were still in 'hero gear'.

Dick startled, subsiding his vivid day dreams but careful not to tear his eyes from the freshly shined window. He heard Wally, who was previously standing at the door, walk closer the rusty magenta-colored window seat and settle beside Robin. There was something about the nine footsteps rattling about in Dick's brain that sounded odd—maybe the 'clink's of crutches against a marble tiled floor or the faint dragging noise of a shoe against the ground. Of course, he could have only hoped a miracle occurred that in some way it was possible for Wally's injured leg to be fine, the Team was all safe, Batman had never been shot…

Wally rested his crutches against a panel of the powder-white hospital room wall. His eyes rolled across the scene of the brick siding of an industrial factory and a street blocked off by striking yellow caution tape.

"Nice view," After a moment, he sighed at the lack of response from Robin, "but what can you expect from a hospital room anyway?"

Robin looked around the small, dark room filled with medical equipment and uncomfortable beds. "It's better than looking inside." He didn't realize how hoarse and raspy his voice would sound, but it didn't bother him.

Silence fell upon the two for what may have seemed like hours for Wally. He searched his mind for something to say, but somehow he couldn't find the right words. Luckily, though, it was Robin who spoke next.

"I'm sorry," he apologized through a soft whisper, "I shouldn't have left you or the Team. But the Joker's games… they're—"

"Do you really think, Rob, that if any one of us were in that situation that we wouldn't do the exact same things—if not worse—than you? I would," the speedster admitted.

"So what happened?" asked Robin, "What happened to you and the Team and Batman?"

Wally tilted his head to the right as if looking at a memory playing in the corner of the screen. "A couple minutes after you and I had left Arkham grounds to find Joker, the Team followed, realizing that there was no way to hold off the goons. They retreated into the asylum. Then they found me and I told them what happened—or as best as I could half-conscious at least. Miss M and Artemis stayed behind to help me while Aqualad and Superboy left to find you," he squinted his eyes in concentration for a moment, but must have given up because he shrugged and continued, "The rest was a blur."

Robin ended the story in monotonous tone.

"And then Superboy got shot, I left to find Batman in the parking lot of Gotham Academy, and brought my half dead mentor to the local hospital. Figured even Alfred couldn't fix him this time." He rubbed his sore broken fingers over the palm of his right hand. "I know everyone keeps saying it's not my fault, that I couldn't have changed anything that happened last night, but I just keep thinking… If only I had chosen the Team instead of the civilians, half of them died anyways… If only I could have secured Batman in a safe position instead of leaving him on the docks…If only I could have been more strategic in my decisions, maybe I could have saved some lives."

It was a long moment before Wally could articulate anything into words. He wasn't used to the serious atmosphere between the two friends. But then again, they play in a very serious game.

"If you went back to the start of the night and changed everything about what you did, you would still find yourself with regrets. You out of anyone should know that Joker's games aren't designed to end with a fairytale ending." Wally waited a moment before remembering something. "How did Joker pull this whole scheme off anyways? A radio system and a gun in his possession inside a highly guarded insane asylum for Gotham's most notorious criminals?"

"Apparently he had inside guys in the Asylum security. At his signal, they released a gas that knocked out the guards. Harley took care of them. The other prisoners, though, were still locked in the cell for that night, so none escaped. ..

Clutching his crutches and swinging it over his feet, Wally stood and walked towards the hospital doorway. "Come with me."

Robin, most resentfully actually, suppressed a groan as he got to his feet and followed Wally down the long white hall. As he inspected the endless hallways of the large, slightly chilly, building, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. Why, he thought, were hospitals always so plastic-white? It seemed like they went through thirty tons of bleach each year.

Suddenly forcing his focus back into reality, his mind flooded with questions that were previously fogged with confusion.

"How's Superboy? Aqualad?"

"The shot wasn't deep for Superboy. He may have been under Krypto-gas, but he's he has 'super' in his name for a reason. Not used to pain, though. Docs say he'll be as good as new by Friday."

"And Aqualad?"

"Atlantean, remember? Thick skin…or was it thick bones? Not sure. Something thick about them," Wally smiled, still slowed in speed by the crutches and the cast encasing his right leg. "Broken arm, but you must have figured that out. You are the world's greatest detective's protégé and all."

"Artemis and Miss M?"

"Minor wounds for both. They're waiting in Superboy's and Kaldur's room," Wally waited a moment to see if Robin was about to ask another question, then realizing Dick's silence, he added, "I'm fine too. Thanks for asking."

"Oh," Robin stammered, "Your leg?"

"Broken."

"Not ideal for a speedster."

Wally groaned dramatically, "Flash already talked to me. Out of commission for three weeks."

"You must have lost a lot of blood. How did the doctor's let you leave so fast?"

"Oh, well… they're not completely aware of my absence," Wally quickly changed the subject as he turned a corner and halted. Turning, he tilted his head to indicate where to look.

Robin didn't need to look to know what lay beyond that cold door.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

Wally gave a half nod.

Then rethought his answer, "He's not dead exactly…"

"But he's not alive either," Dick finished.

"Who says he won't wake up?"

"Who said he's ever going to wake up, KF?" He took a step to the right so that the door was farther behind him, "The doctors? They're just giving us—you, me, the Team, Gotham—fake hope. And maybe one day he'll open his eyes. But that's all he's ever going to do, isn't it? Open and close his eyes. His heart may be beating, Wally, but he's not alive. He'll never be alive. The legacy—the Batman legacy—is over. And it's all—"

"Not your fault, so don't even start," Wally interrupted, stepping closer to the door and pushing Robin aside. "He's Batman, Rob. He may be in a coma, but he's Batman," He placed one hand on the smooth surface of the door. "Which means one day he'll put on the cowl and become Gotham's Dark Knight once again."

Robin avoided looking through the small oblong window for several minutes, standing in complete silence. Wally's last comment seemed to slowly pervade through the halls of the hospital. He could see Wally staring at him in the corners of his eyes, but he was determined to avoid the cruel window. It wouldn't show him what he wanted to see. Eventually though, (Wally's stare had grown into a comical glare at this point) he let his view slowly slide over to the small square peaking into the hospital room.

One look and Robin was through the door, standing beside Batman's hospital bed.

Bruce wasn't the kind of person that would show fear. There was never a reason to show fear. He was Batman. And Batman was never supposed to be beaten. No one was supposed to win against him.

And yet, on the hospital bed in front of Robin lay the so-called legend, the Dark Knight, the Batman, connected to wires and blinking machines that gave off loud beeps every other second. The heart monitoring screen next to him showed signs of life, but Batman's eyes were too cold even for his worst bat-glare.

Robin heard Wally enter after him.

"So this is how it ends?" Robin asked as he surveyed his dying mentor. The red smile had been washed from Batman's face and his gun shot had been patched up.

"Who are you kidding?" asked Wally, "When does it ever really end?"

It was the true. The game was over, but the effect had just begun. And maybe Robin had won the battle, conquered the game, but even weeks later he would wake in the middle of the night screaming for the clock to stop ticking, wondering if maybe the Joker had gotten the last laugh after all.

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A/N: THE END. I'm sorry I took so long to update, but now you no longer have to wait long sporadic periods for a new chapter ;). I can't believe it's over! Good thing I have a new fic about to be posted in the next month (and maybe this one I'll update on a weekly schedule) I hope you enjoyed reading Last Laugh! REVIEW! XD