Chapter 9: Epilogue

Summary:

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Joker's Hideout 02/04/2012 8:00 AM

Harley woke up in her bed her two babies curled protectively around her legs and a faint pain in her back. She looked up to see Mr J caressing her cheek.

'I was scared Harle.' He whispered kissing her forehead softly.

'What happened? I don't remember... I was in a car and the water-' She broke off.

'Batman he kidnapped you. I had to kill another Robin of his to get you back. But don't worry he'll pay.' He spoke with an anger that colored his voice purple and green and red. He stroked her hair in effort to calm her. Why couldn't she remember anything. A giggle bubbled up from her lips.

'Yes. He'll pay...' She leaned up and kissed him giggling. He kissed her back and pulled her close holding her for the first time... gently.

'Can I get you anything Harle? You feel okay?' He was looking at her seriously.

'Nah, Puddin. I'm okay. Have the oddest urge to punch Ivy though.' He laughed and pulled her closer.

'Harle leave the driving to me, in the future.' She nodded into his shirt as he kissed her forehead.

Later, she leaned on the window watching the sun illuminating Gotham's streets. Mr. J's kiss was missing something, it was never missing anything. Mr. J was everything. Mr J was perfect. And yet, it was definitely missing something. Something she hadn't ever experienced before. Something she needed.

And it terrified her.

Wayne Manor 02/04/2012 6:30 AM

Bruce sat in his father's favorite arm chair at the fire. He would find Dick and he would bring him home. He didn't care what it cost him and if this 'Red Hood' had harmed one hair on Dick's head he might actually cross that line. The line Harley had all but warned him about, Knight or not.

He would watch the fire crackle for fifteen more minutes and then he would go into work. Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy philanthropist would invest several million in a cure of Schizophrenia that day. Later that year he would win a Nobel Prize for inventing a brilliant cure that helped treat millions of people all over the world with dementia and mental illnesses.

Gordon Residence 02/04/2012 9:00 AM

Barbara sat at her kitchen table facing her father. He was silent. She just wanted him to yell at her. Throw things. Anything. He was just looking at her with this mixture of pity and... disappointment.

'How long?' He finally said between sips of coffee.

'Since Junior High.'

'He recruited you in JUNIOR HIGH?'

'No. I recruited myself. Remember Poison Ivy? How she started? That was when I became... well Batgirl. I don't think there was even a Robin officially yet. I just wanted to make sure you were safe and I didn't trust the Batman to do it.' Her father was silent. He was remembering as was she. She had almost lost him that time. It was still her most terrifying mission.

'I remember. He kept trying to get rid of you. He insisted you weren't with him and then a couple of months later you were a full team member.' He paused. 'Oh god. Barbara I shot at you once. Barbara I could have killed you.' She scoffed and quieted quickly when her father raised his eyebrows.

'Not that you're not a good shot. But I'm in the Bat-family. He takes nothing but the best. I almost got kicked off the team for going out without backup. I'm pretty sure I'm on probation or something.'

'Really?' Her father was grinning from ear to ear. He held out his arms and despite the fact that she was a fully grown adult she ran into them the same way she did when she was four.

'Your an idiot.' She whispered into his jacket.

'I didn't want you to be a cop but I'm glad someone is looking after you Barbara.' She sighed.

'Yeah tell me that after he makes me train for eleven hours straight and I want to strangle him in his sleep. Alfred offered to help me once.' He laughed at that. They laughed and hugged for sometime when he grew serious.

'We'll find Dick, Barbara. I swear.' She felt her smile vanish. She hugged him tighter.

'Let's get breakfast dad. Remember that Diner? The one with-'

'The meatballs and Pancakes?' You're on! Anything you need to uh... do before we leave?' He jerked his eyebrows to her room.

'Oh, yeah. He wants to know what's inside. Lemme check. I'll grab my jacket and meet you outside in five.'

She ran into her room and pulled a smaller box out from under her bed. It was definitely lead lined. She cracked it open and was already dialing the Batcave when her whole room was immediately engulfed in a bright green light.

'FUCK.'

Blacksite in the South Side of Gotham 02/04/2012 10:30 AM

Dick felt like he had been hit by a truck. He groaned as he tried to sit up. On his right he had an IV in his arm, both of his legs were bandaged; as was his head, ribs, and right arm. He had two pillows propped up on the left side of the bed, that was just how he slept at home. Startled at the revelation he swept the room. It was empty except for someone hunched over in a chair with one hand protectively on the monitor reading his vitals.

'Babs' He breathed. Some new guy was working with Babs, maybe a boyfriend? His heart contracted painfully. It shouldn't still be this hard. The monitor spiked with his agitated heart and his hooded savior straightened up. Something about his posture was familiar but-

The box. Where was the box? The guy bolted up and to his side as the machine started to beep erratically.

'Breathe. You need to calm down.'His voice was stained.

'The trapeze. Imagine you're on a trapeze.'

He felt himself calm down his eyes not leaving the masked savior's. He raised his hands to his face and noted his mask was gone.

'Where's my mask?'

'You're safe. Don't worry.'

'Don't worry? I don't know you and I'm strapped to a bed. I'll be the judge of if I'm worried.' He snapped back at the hooded figure. The hooded figure didn't seem perturbed by his attitude. He just laughed and leaned back in his chair. He seemed to be thinking about something until he threw his hands in the air in a sign of defeat. He was pretty sure he heard him mutter what the hell as he reached up and carefully removed his mask.

Dick breathed in as the mask went over his head and he looked up his hair falling out of his face. He didn't breathe back in. He couldn't. He felt his world freeze and crumble around him. He tried but couldn't get anything to come out of his mouth. This wasn't possible. How was this possible. He saw the body. He knew. How could this be?

'What's wrong Dickie? Feeling whelmed?' His little brother looked up at him and smiled.

Whether it was because of the repeated shock or the fact that he was literally not breathing; Dick blacked out.