My take on the missing part of Young Justice, where the team looses one of their own. Mainly inspired by the 'cover picture' which I found on Tumblr. Damn thing made me all teary eyed.

AU for some parts, especially Batman. I think, honestly I'm not quite sure. But be warned.

One-shot.

Better or Worse

"Batsy won't save you this time Birdbrain. Not this time." Joker laughed as he plunged the crowbar into the side of the young man lying in front of him. The young man, more a kid, was only half conscious and blood was forming around him.

Joker kicked him one last time. "It's been a pleasure birdbrain. Give the angels my regards!" and with that the clown disappeared.

He spat out blood, and turned around ever so slightly. And he saw it.

A bomb.

He couldn't move, couldn't get away.

But it was okay. Batman would save him. He would save Robin.

..0.60

Robin had no doubt.

..0.45

He would burst through the doors any moment now.

..0.30

He wished he'd never gone against Batman's orders.

..0.25

Where are you?

..0.20

He should have stayed behind, waited for Nightwing or Batgir as Batman instructed.

..0.10

He wouldn't make it? Batman wouldn't make it. Not this time. Joker's been right.

..0.05

I'm sorry.

..0.01

"So sorry.."

..0.00

Nightwing and Batgirl stood in the briefing room of Mount Justice. The other members of the team were either training or relaxing. The two members of the batfamily were talking together while different criminals profiles were being pulled up.

Suddenly Nightwing's and Batgirls comlink went of. It got the attention of most in the room, since it wasn't the one used by either the League or the Team. It was the private bat link.

"Yeah?" the two bats listened for a few seconds, and then all blood seemed to vanish from the visible parts of their faces.

"We are coming."Batgirl was already on her way to the zeta tubes when Nightwing turned to Superboy. "Somethings come up in Gotham. You are in charged of until we return." Superboy nodded, not asking questions. It wouldn't help anything anyway if he did. They would never tell the team about the secrets of the bats.

Nightwing ran to the tubes, and his departure was announce.

"Where'd Nightwing go?" Garfield, Beast Boy, asked as he, M'gann and Cassie walked up to Connor.

"Gotham. Something came up."

"Aw man!" Beast Boy lamented, knowing there would be no training with their leader for the rest of the day. M'gann smiled, and put her hand on Garfields shoulder.

"You can train tomorrow." she looked at Connor. "Did he say what'd happened?"

Connor shaked his head. "No, and I didn't ask. Figured I wouldn't be told anything anyway."

"Then how about we find out? Maybe it's on the news!" Cassie chipped in, opening the computer and linking up to Gotham Central News.

He was close, so close. He could se the building. Only a few more seconds.

Only...

The building erupted in flames as the whole ting blew apart. Batman was knocked backwards by the blast, barely escaping the flying parts of the building. He grunted when a solid block of cement hit him, knocking the air out of him and breaking his armour. Dust and smoke filled his vision, pain clouding his thoughts for a momont. When he could finally see, the whole place was aflame.

"Jason!" he whispered before starting running forward.

"JASON!"

"As you can see behind me, nothing is left from the storehouse. It is believed to be the work of the Joker who escaped Arkham Asylum only a few days ago. Why the building was blown apart is so far unknown as nothing of value seemed to be stored here. Nonetheless witnesses claimed to have seen the Batman at the scene. He left shortly after, and the police have now.."

The Team listened to the news reporter telling the story as they watched the burning building in the background. It looked like ground zero. Then again, if it were the work of Joker, it didn't really surprise them.
"Think Nightwing and Batgirl teamed up with Batman and Robin to find Joker before he blew more buildings apart?" asked Bumblebee with her arms crossed.

"Maybe. But it does seem rather unusual for Batman call for help. Normally Nightwing would've picked up that bats needed help, this time Batman called him. And Batgirl."

A few minutes went by, until the Zeta tubes caught their attention.

"Regonized: Superman 0-1. Black Canary 0-8. Flash 0-4. Wonder Woman 0-3. Red Tornado 0-5. Martian Manhunter 0-6." the six members of the League entered the Cave, only to find all the members of the team waiting for them.

"what've happened?" asked Connor, watching Superman with unease. The man of steel rarely turned up at the cave unless it was something bad. The same thing for Wonder Woman and Flash. They were all busy protecting the world.

"Listen.." Black Canary began, then stopped unsure. "Something has happened."

"Does it have anything to do with this?" M'gann unmuted the transmission from Gotham. The leaguers shared a quick look. "Yeah." Flash answered, rubbing his neck nervously, his normally happy voice oddly flat.

Superman stepped forward. "Two days ago the Joker escaped from Arkham. Batman have been trying to locate him, and three hours ago he finally got something solid to go on. Batman ordered Robin to stay behind and wait for Batgirl to team up with him. And then he left." Superman ran a hand over his face, looking oddly tired and out of place. Not really comforting.

"Only Robin didn't stay behind. He went after Batman." The team shared a look. They all had their own uneasy feelings with the new Robin. He was talented, smart and worthy of the mantle left behind by the first Robin. But he was angry with a nasty temper. Nightwing and Batgirl could handle him, but he'd often gotten into fights, verbal and psychical, with his teammates.

"Robin didn't know that Batman had been called away on League business and had decided to leave Joker alone for tonight since he hadn't done anything yet." Black Canary put in. The leaguers paused, as if not sure where to go from there. Martian Manhunter stepped forward.

"Joker managed to capture Robin."

M'gann gasped and the rest of the team looked at each other, not liking where this was going.

"Joker held him for several hours, torturing him. We don't know how, but it seemed like Joker knew Batman found out what was going on and that he was on his way. So Joker left."

"Is Robin alright?" asked Garfield.

Superman shaked his head, looking down. Black Canary stepped in.
"There is no easy way to tell you this. But the place Joker held Robin is the warehouse you've all seen on the broadcast." The team turned their head all as one, looking at the burning building.
"No.." whispered Connor.

"When Joker left, he left behind a bomb. Robin never had a chance." Black Canary said gently.
"Robin died in the explotion."

Batman worked his way through the piles of burning building. He finally moved one last piece and sank to his knees, gently picking up the small body lying in front of him.

There was blood everywhere. The uniform had been torn and most of the cape had burned away.

Robin's eyes were open. The desperation of his last moments still evident in them. The cold, dead stare..
Batman lowered his head, his arms shaking.

"No.."

Robin was dead. Jason was dead.

"No no no no no.."

The team watched the League with disbelief.

"What?" gasped Cassie, taking a step back. M'gann wrapped her arms around herself, unable to speak as the emotions from everybody around her exploded.

"Batman found the body, and brought it back to the batcave. I am sorry, but there's nothing to be done. He is gone."

"Batman.." Connor whispered, cleansing his fists. "Why didn't he save him?"

"There wasn't enough time." Superman answered gravely.

They were interrupted by a lod ringing noise from the computer. Flash speeded up, answering the call. From the Watchtower.

"You've been told?" asked Green Lantern, as all of the present heroes turned their attention to the screen. The tears in M'gann, Garfield and Cassie's eyes were answer enough.

"I know this is very hard on all of you. But I just received a call from Nightwing. I need all of you to go to Gotham and help him and Batgirl locate Batman."

The team and the Leaguers shared a confused look.

"Isn't he at the Batcave?" asked Wonder Woman.

Green Lantern shook his head. "Nightwing said that he only dropped by with.." he paused unsure.

".. with Robin, leaving him to Agent A, before running off again."
"How can he do that? Robin is dead, how can he just leave.." began Garfield, but was cut of by M'gann who put a hand over his mouth.

"He is after the Joker, and we need to find Batman before he finds him."
"Why? And why can't Nightwing and Batgirl? We are not allowed to go to Gotham." said Conner.

"Hold on, I have an incoming call from Nightwing."

"Team!" Nightwing's voice all but yelled through the computer. He sounded like he was running and they could here car noise in the background.

"And League!" answered Flash.

"I need you to get your butts to Gotham ASAP and help me and Batgirl locate Batman. He ditched his utilitybelt at the cave and we have no way of tracking him."

"Nightwing, wait, what is going on?" pleaded Wonder Woman, expressing the uneasy they all felt.

"Come to Gotham. Now. We need to find Batman before he finds the Joker and do something he'll regret!"

"Nightwing, this is Batman. He.." began Flash but was cut off.
"Robin is DEAD!" Nightwing yelled, making everybody flinch. "If Batman gets his hands on Joker, then he'll kill him! Team, rendezvous at the top of Wayne Tower in exactly 2 minutes! Nightwing out."

The link went dead. Not that everybody heard that. The Zeta tubes had already announced their departure.

He'd found him not long after. The Joker was laughing at him. But not for long.

"It is time for you to pay."

The smile on the Jokers face froze a bit when the first blow hit him.

"We've looked everywhere. There's no sign of either Batman or Joker." Supermans voice echoed through the mental link.

They had divided up after meeting up with Batgirl on top of Wayne Tower. Nightwing was already on the move, leaving it to his co-bat to explain the situation.

She instructed them where to search. And which places you needed to go in as a group.

"Gotham is not safe, not even for superheroes." Batgirl stood with her back at the team, overlooking the city.

"You've been told this a million times, but there is a reason Batman don't want any of you here. So, while you search, it is at utmost importance that you maintain your cover. You must not interfere in any crime! Find Batman, that is Nightwings orders! Let's go."

And then the searching began. So far with no luck. They had overlooked the whole city, but with no luck so far.

"It's impossible to find Batman in Gotham!" Beast Boy lamented through the psychic link when Flash, miss Martian, Martian Manhunter and Superboy met up, no luck either in their search for Batman.

"It's not easy. But perhaps the problem is that we are searching for Batman." Manhunter said, overlooking the city.

"It is all but impossible to try and locate Batman. At the best of times it is hard. But this is his city."

"Guys, I have an idea." Bumblebee's voice ran through their heads. She, Wonder Woman and Batgirl was running along the lines of Narrows.

"That's reassuring." Conner mumbled, earning him a mental slap over the head.

"Shut it pretty boy! Batgirl, Wonder Woman and I agree, it is impossible to locate Batman. There is one thing I knows for sure and that is that Joker is never hard to find after he'd pulled one of his ...tricks." her voice sounded bitter.

"We are looking for Joker now instead? What are Nightwings orders?"

"He's out of range, but I think he'll agree. We don't have much of a choice on the matter."

"Guys." Green Lantern's thoughts interrupted them. "I've found the Joker."

"You.. still..wont..do..it?" Joker rasped, as he tried to raise him self from the ground.

Batman stood several feet from him. The blood was dripping from his hands, Jokers blood. Jasons. His own. He turned and faced Joker, who actually stopped smiling when he saw the look in the bats eyes.

Batman raised his fist, and crushed it into the Jokers temple. The clown sank to the ground, unconscious.

"Never."

"So, now we have the Joker. What of Bats?" asked Flash.

They'd all arrived in the abandoned warehouse. They found Joker just as GL had found him. Beaten to pulp, wired to a construction pole, unconscious. And sat in a pool of his own blood, and looked like something that'd escaped from hell. But alive.

"He.. he murdered Robin." Batgirl whispered, staring at the Joker. "He actually did it." she was shaking, when Wonder Woman placed her hand on her shoulder.

"We'll turn him in to the authorities. No punishment can level out his crime, but that is all we can do."

"Any idea where Batman will go, now that he has refrained from killing Joker. By a hair, I agree. But he didn't do it." asked Flash.

"Nightwing might know it. He's known Batman for the longest."

"There's no need guys." Beast Boys voice suddenly sounded.

"I've found him!"

He had failed.

Again.

When they arrived at the location given to them by Beast Boy they also found Nightwing. He kept his distance on the rooftop overlooking a dark ally. Beast Boy, in bird form, sat on his shoulder.

He happily transformed when the others arrived.

"I found him M'gann! Of course, Nightwing also kinda did, but it was still me who.." M'gann smiled, and hugged her younger brother. "You did wonderful Gar."

Batgirl walked over to Nightwing. "How is he?" she asked quietly.

Nightwing signed. "Not good."

They could all see Batman from this spot. Which was actually the only spot they could stand in and be able to overlook the alley at the same time. No windows, not apartments, nothing turned out to this alley. Only closed, as in closed down, doors from an old theater and shops. It looked awful, the whole place leaked of despair.

Batman stood in the middle of the alley, unmoving. He looked at the ground, head bowed. He didn't even acknowledged their presence. He just.. stood there.

It was creppy as all hell.

"I'll go talk to him." said Wonder Woman, stepping forward only to be stopped by Nightwing.

"No." he said. " Let me."

Nightwing jumped gracefully from the building and landed without a sound.

"What is this place?" asked Superboy as they all watched Nightwing approach Batman.

"This place is known as Crime Alley." answered Martian Manhunter. "It's a place of tragedy."

You failed me!

You failed us!

I did.

"Batman?" Nightwing asked, stepping out in front of Batman. The state the older man was in terrified him. Blood was dripping from him, being mixed up by the rain that had started to fall.

"I failed." the dark knights voice was nothing more than a whisper but it send shivers through Nightwings heart. It sounded so broken. He looked at the ground, and could faintly make out the markings made by the plastic paint on the pavement. The markings of two bodies.

Oh no.

"You didn't fail Batman. You ordered Robin to stay behind, and he disobeyed." how it hurt to say those words. How many times hadn't he disobeyed Batman and barely escaping with his life.

"He was my responsibility. And I failed him." Batman, with his back to the watchers, slowly raised his hands and to the shock of all the members of the league and the team, he pulled off his cowl. He sank to his knees, hammering his hands into the ground. "Again!" he half screamed, half cried. He just sat there, in the rain, falling apart.

Nightwing was shocked. He'd never seen his mentor break down like this. And yet he realized, the sudden need to be strong for Batman was all that kept him from doing the same.

He bowed his head, and sank to his knees in front of his mentor. He gently removed the mask from his face, revealing his sad blue eyes.

"Perhaps it is time for Batman to resign."

Startled, Nightwing straightened himself. What was this? No, he couldn't. He wouldn't!

"Bruce, please." he whispered, his voice cracking from all the emotions threatening to tear him apart. "Please.. listen to me."

I would never fail you.

Not on purpose.

The eyes of the league and team members threatened to pop out of their sockets.

"Did he? Did we? Just what?" stammered Cassie, shaking herself free from her mentors solid grip on her shoulder.

M'gann was crying. The raw emotions flooding from Batman and Nightwing were overwhelming. The intense grief, the loss of a loved one. It physically hurt. She hugged herself, and felt Garfield reach for her hand.

"What is going on?" asked Bumblebee. She was worried, like many of the others. She didn't know much about the bats, but she did know that Batman was the incarnation of calmness and assholious behaviour. To see him break down, like this. It was.. she just couldn't believe what was going on. Did Robin's dead cause this violent reaction?

Of course it did.

Superman and Martian Manhunter shared a look. They weren't exactly sure if the team or they for the matter was meant to see this. Batgirl saved them.

"This place.. something awful happened to Batman here. Many years ago. I think he is mixing it up with current events." she leaned forward, pain in her face.

"Is there nothing we can do?" asked Black Canary, concern on her face. Batgirl shaked her head.

"I can only think of one person who's capable of pulling Batman out of his own delusions. Nightwing knows the feeling." Batgirl ignored their shocked stares.

"They share it."

Please let me help you.

"Bruce, please look at me." Nightwing wasn't really sure if he was crying or if it was the rain. But at last Bruce lifted his head and looked him dead in the eye.

"Please don't leave." whispered Nightwing, reaching out. "Gotham needs you. The League needs you." He layed his hands on the shoulders of his adopted father.

"I need you. Alfred needs you. You are all that I have. "

"I lost Jason. Dick, I lost your brother."

Dick was crying. Unlike Bruce, he didn't have a hard time opening up to his emotions. He damned it all, and pulled the black crusader into a heart breaking embrace.

"You didn't loose him. Joker took him. There's a difference. We need you to keep him from taking anyone else." he whispered, wrapping his arms around his adoptive father and hugging him with all his strength. And, to his relief, he felt Bruce return the embrace.

"You can't quit Batman. The world needs him. But no one needs you more than me. And Barbara. Please just stay."

Bruce didn't answer, and Dick didn't say anything else. They just kneeled in the rain, clinging to each other in the unbearable grief.

This pain is nothing compared to what I have already endured.

I know. But you won't have to endure it alone anymore.

"I didn't know Batman was this.. human." whispered M'gann. The feelings were still overwhelming but tiny bits of comfort and hope had been mixed up with it, making it more tolerable.

They watched the two bats kneeling in the rain. None of them said anything. Batgirl looked worried, but remained silent.

It was finally Nightwing who pulled back, looking closely at his mentor. He narrowed his eyes.

"Batgirl." his voice rang through the heads of those connected to the psychic link. It sounded weak, but steady.

"Receiving." she answered, walking closer to the edge.

"Batman is hurt. I guess from the explosion. Radio agent A, he should be standing by not far from here. Ask him to meet us here."

"I could transport him. Or J'ohn could."offered Superman, looking at Batgirl who shaked her head.

"Nightwing wouldn't ask for agent A unless for a reason. He don't like bringing him in. Batman must be in need of medical attention." she walked a few feet away, talking through her communicator.

Another few minutes went by.

"Someone's coming." stated Flash, looking down the alley.

A black car, with no headlights drove slowly down the dark alley. It was hard to see, and as far as the league could see, it didn't have any registration plates. Also, it didn't quite look like a normal batmobile each of them noticed as the car came into view.

"That's agent A." Batgrl reassured.

The Team and the League stared at the car. It wasn't exactly the normal batmobile.

It was a Roles Royce. An elderly man emerged from the car, carrying a briefcase of what could be emergency kit. He wore all black, with a dark hat shadowing his face. He knelt by Nightwing and Batman, speaking lowly with Nightwing.

"Is he hurt bad?" asked Batgirl as the unknown agent A withdrew an injection from the case.

"He's been through worse. Agent A will patch him up back home, but he's lost a lot of blood due to a rather big wound in his side. He said he got hit by a wall and that is was nothing. The 'nothing' did however break his armour." the league smiled a little at that. Batman was never good in admitting that he wasn't above human feelings like pain and the ability to get hurt.
"Agent A will give him a sedative that'll slow down his heart rate, keeping him from loosing too much blood."

Agent A shot the injection in Batman and a few seconds later he slumbered forward, unconscious. Agent A stood up, and Nightwing gently lifted his mentor.

"We'll take him home and patch him up. Team, thank you for your assistance. Go back to Mount Justice. I don't know when I'll be back. League, thank you. Batgirl, please come with us."

Batgirl jumped from the building and help Nightwing lay Batman unto the cars back seats. They then both entered the car and it drove off.

The team and the league remained, looking after them long after the car had disappeared.

"Batman have too much money." breathed Flash.

"And yet I believe he would give it all up if he could bring Robin back." said Wonder Woman, looking at Superman. "We'll have to talk this over with him. It has gone too far."

The Team shared a an exhausted look. That didn't sound good.

Look at what I've become.

"Will he be alright?" asked Dick an hour later as Alfred closed the drapes to the infirmary in the batcave.

"The blood transfusion should do its work in a matter of hours young sir, bringing his heart rate back to normal. The wounds has been cleansed and closed." Alfred closed his eyes, opening them again and looking older than normal.

"Psysical, yes he is going to be all right master Richard. I am more worried as of how his mental condition will be."

Dick silently agreed. This was exactly why Bruce didn't let people into his life. He was terrified of loosing them.

"Where's Barbara?"
"I believe miss Gordon has gone to Mount Justice. She figured you would be here, and thought that the Team might need an explation."
Dick remained silent, but he smiled a small smile."She couldn't stand being here. I understand that."

Alfred didn't answer. There really wasn't anything to say.

Dick sank down on a chair, head in his hands.

"You think.. it'll be better to bury him before Bruce wakes up?"

Alfred looked at him.

"It would be better for everyone master Richard. But I'm afraid I have no control on these matters. Master Bruce was master Jasons legal guardian. Only he can authorize the funeral. And as for your team, do you think they should be invited too? To say goodbye?"

Dick felt his heart grow cold all over again. Oh god, his brother was dead! And the team.. and Bruce. All of them had lost a son, a brother, a friend, a teammate. They should be told, be invited. But, their identities. They couldn't jeopardize that. Not even now. But still..

"I.. I can't Alfred. I can't make these kinds of decisions." he whispered, head bowing forward, tears running down his face, his voice desperate. Alfred placed a hand on his young masters shoulder.

"You don't have to. When master Bruce wakes up, he'll take control of things. For better or worse."