The moon shines its dim light on Neo-Gotham, fluttering down as two as two figures zig-zag between the gaudi buildings. The figures would be the Batman, and the newly donned Robin, in his new suit and all.

Robin flies ahead, ever excited for his third huge adventure since Payback or the new Scarecrow. The boy swooped and swayed, and hooted happily. "Don't go too far ahead," says Batman, "and remember what we really came out here for." The two had actually gone out to investigate the odd deaths springing from within the ranks of the Jokerz gang. Robin stopped and perched on a rooftop, waiting a second for his teacher, his brother, his quote on quote "boss."

"I know Terry, I know." Robin replies to the earlier statement, curling his lip in a boyish fashion. Batman, or referred to as Terry, lands next to Robin, cuffing his brother over the earpiece.

"Stop it you two." comes a voice from both of their earpieces. "I can hear the feedback from Matt's headgear."

"Sorry Bruce." the two reply in unison.

"Whatever, just get to the bottom of this, and hurry back." Bruce instructs, in real time, leaning back in his chair in front of the Batcomputer. Eagerly, Matt flapped his Robin wings and jumped down from the rooftop and to the ground below.

He heard an eerie chuckle echo before him. The boy shudder, not for the dampness of the dark alley, but from fear. It took him a few seconds to register his brother dropping down next to him, until he had laid a hand on him. "You okay? You seem a little jumpy… ?"

Before Matt could reply, a feminine voice squeals from in front of them. "Speaking of jumpy-!" the voice said, being followed by a thin, painted faced woman with blonde pigtails. The woman leaped in front of them, the pigtails bobbing as she did so.

Other members of the Jokerz gang closed in around them with wide eyes and equally wide smiles. Of course, thus far, this situation wouldn't be anything new to the Bat, and the newly hatched Robin could handle himself. Simply put, when the Jokerz lashed out, the duo swung punches causing bruises and cracked nose bridges. All was looking out well, but the chuckle rang out once more and louder this time. "To the side children, brethren, and friends o' mine! Ho, ho!"

As the Jokerz parted, Terry scrunched up his face as he tried to recognize the voice. "Terry! Matt!" Bruce shouted into the communication links. All the Jokerz looked in once direction as a slender figure steps into viewpoint. He held another Joker by the nape of his neck, forcing him onto his knees.

The man on his knees would be none other than J-Man. His white face paint was smeared revealing caucasian skin beneath, and in some areas on his face the paint was caked with blood. Preceding upwards would be the real Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker himself.

Terry, Matt, and Bruce all knew the Joker had been out in Gotham somewhere ever since the events after the time bending, Brother Eye invasion. The Joker never made himself blatant, until this very moment.

"Well itsy bitsy Batsy. I see you've gotten yourself a baby bird! Congratulations." The Joker says, glowering with a large grin. Terry clenches his jaw and slanted his eyes. "You didn't want to converse about Robin, didja? Cut to the chase Joker."

Without waiting for a reply, Terry continued to talk. "Doesn't matter what you're planning anyway, in one life I took you down, and I could do it again."

Matt remained still and unintentionally tensing up, not knowing what to say or do. Bruce said nothing to instruct them, only silently analyzing the situation back at the cave.

"Oh please…" snorts The Joker, "Don't make me laugh- oh too late!"

He guffawed, causing the clowns around him to join in on the supposed joke, as if they were a twisted laugh track. They stopped when their boss put up a hand to cut them off, as he was about to do something. He tosses J-Man closer and further to the ground, and crouches next to the shivering form and drew up a knife.

J-Man looked up hopelessly and in a hoarse whisper he uttered, "Please… don't…"

Petting the imposter on the head, The Joker ignored his statement and turned to Terry and Matt with a smirk and a faint twinkle in his eye.

"Stop him!" Bruce yells from his seat, watching the feed.

But before either could react, Jokerz swamped them, too many to break free, even with the suit's enhanced strength. Their eyes were forced to watch.

"I just wanted you to witness a new era.." coos The Joker, beginning to carve a smile into J-Man's face. The victim screeched, making more blood gush from his mouth. The Joker continued to speak, "watch as the new ways of crime fade-" at this time he finished the smiled, J-man panting in short frantic breaths. "-and watch as the old fashioned way trumps all!"

The Joker made a swift slash to the young thug's throat, spilling more of his blood onto the damp concrete. The Joker let J-Man's body plop onto the puddle of blood seeping into the ground, and wiped the knife on his pants. "Hoo hoo, the cheap knockoff is dead."

Horrified, Matt screamed and bit the nearest hand that held him, kicking and screaming some more. The poor boy just wanted to get free, "Matt stop! You need to calm down!" the familiar yet not very calming voice shouts into the Robin's comm' links.

Jokerz holding Terry let up a bit, putting their focus on Matt. This allowed Terry to break from their grip and push a few to the side. He attempts to help Matt, but the hyena hybrid Joker named Woof gnawed on Terry's leg with sharp teeth, pulling him away. "Gah- you stupid mutt!"

Terry stabs a batarang into Woof's shoulder, drawing blood. The female Joker from earlier took this chance to leap onto Terry's back.

Ugh, thinks the Bat, why does it always resort to this?

While Terry presses the middle button on his utility belt to trigger the suit taser, Matt was being gagged and dragged away by The Joker's inner circle: Dee Dee, Dee Dee, Scab, Chucko, and Ghoul.

Making his plan full proof, The Joker breaks Matt's headgear, so that Bruce would not be able to see or hear what Matt Bruce did notice the feed going offline and notifies Terry.

"There's too many of them… can't seem to get out…" Terry grunts, struggling.

"Use your rockets and fly out of there, and hurry!"

Terry obliges, and does exactly so. The act did just the trick and the mangy Jokerz were left far below him.

Flying above, looking for any signs of his brother below him, many thoughts swam in Terry's head. Many too grim to dwell upon. Nothing… nothing… damn! He's gone! This is exactly was Terry was afraid of when Matt first became Robin. But at that point, Matt had too much ambition to not let him become the sidekick. Now, not so much.

While he searched, Terry remembered the story of Tim Drake, Barbara had told him once (which was relevant for the first time he seen Joker, and not Jason Todd's story). The story entails Tim getting tortured by Joker, and with Joker dying as he should have. But of course the whole event of Brother Eye, time travel shit and whatnot, that was reversed. But no time to dwell, Matty was in danger.