The warehouse smelled like blood, rust, and old rain.
Water dripped steadily from somewhere deep in the ceiling, each drop echoing faintly through the abandoned structure. Gotham's storm still raged outside. Thunder rolled over the city while dim yellow light from the single hanging bulb swayed gently overhead.
The Joker sat tied to the chair beneath it. His bloody bruised focused on the two of us.
His vile constant smile was broken. And for maybe the first time in his miserable life... He was afraid.
His swollen eyes locked onto me while blood dripped from the corner of his carved grin. Even beaten half to death, there was still madness in those eyes. That horrible endless insanity that made people like Batman hesitate and monsters like him survive.
But now there was something else there too. Fear. The real genuine fear Batman could never make him feel.
And Jason noticed immediately.
Then he laughed when he realized it. A genuine laugh that echoed throughout the warehouse.
"Well I'll be damned," Jason muttered while leaning back in the chair slightly. "That's the second time I've seen him speechless this week. No witty crack or rebuttal. He's genuinely speechless."
Joker's eyes flicked toward him hatefully. But it only made Jason's grin widened.
"My God you've gotten cold, Cai. You can say you did something Batman never did. You shut the Joker up, and made him feel genuine fear."
I leaned casually against the nearby support beam with my arms crossed.
"Seems we both have. Just goes to show how the much the adults in our lives suck. " I said my eyes narrowing to Joker.
Joker slowly swallowed. And the room stayed quiet for a second.
Then I looked back toward Jason with complete seriousness. Now that I think about it, I've always wondered something when I read how Jason spent those five years in the coJoker.
"...Actually. I got one important question before we continue."
Jason raised an eyebrow and blinked. He was confused.
"What is it about my partner?"
I stared at him with absolute sincerity.
"No...So how's Talia in bed?"
Complete silence filled the room. Even Joker looked confused.
Jason stared at me like his brain temporarily stopped functioning.
Then a moment later the realization hit him. And he burst out laughing.
Jason bent forward gripping his stomach while laughing so hard he almost dropped the pistol in his hand.
"Oh my GOD," he wheezed. "How the HELL do you know about that?!"
I grinned shamelessly without saying a word. I was genuinely curious is Talia was that good.
"Is now really the time for this conversation?" Jason asked between laughs.
"Of course it is." I smirked.
Jason shook his head while still laughing. "I swear to God, Cai, you've always been insane. You know things that you shouldn't know. It's like nothing really surprises you."
I pointed toward him casually. "Thats not completely true. Plus if you didn't realize it, you and Bruce both slept with her."
Jason blinked. "...Please never say that sentence again."
I smirked harder. "At least your first time with her was consensual. Can't say the same for Bruce." I muttered.
Jason narrowed his eyes slightly. "...What was that muttering part?"
"Nothing."
Jason stared suspiciously, then sighed. "You are never beating the weird allegations."
I pointed at him again.
"I dont really care about what sheep think. So how was it?"
Jason immediately grinned smugly. And said absolutely nothing.
My eyes widened slightly."...Damn."
Jason barked out another laugh.
Then another thought hit me."....Wait."
Jason looked over to me.
"How's Damian?" I asked.
Jason blinked once. "...Who's Damian?"
I immediately sighed. So he doesn't know that he exist. Which is fine.
"...Never mind."
Jason stared at me for a second. Then he pointed accusingly.
"Okay seriously. What the hell is going on with you?"
I crossed my arms calmly. "I already told you. But if you want you could take the answer I told you when we were kids."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're from another world where we're comic books. Yeah sure."
"I was serious."
Jason pointed at himself. "Yeah right and I'm Batman."
I nodded thoughtfully. "...Technically in another universe you were."
Jason stared and I continued casually.
"A really insane Batman but still Batman."
Jason rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"I forgot how annoying you are."
"Missed you too bitch." I smiled winking at him.
Joker suddenly chuckled weakly through broken teeth. "Actually..." he rasped. "Now that I think about it..."
Both Jason and I slowly looked toward him. Joker's bloody grin had widened slightly.
"...I think I remember you."
My expression went flat instantly.
Jason eyes narrowed. And Joker laughed weakly again.
"Your Batsy little bird boy all grown up now." Blood dripped down his chin. "But I can see you still rude as ever. "
The warehouse atmosphere shifted instantly. Jason's expression darkened with bloodlust rage.
Mine got colder.
Joker kept talking anyway because of course he did.
"Look at you both." He wheezed painfully. "One came back from the dead and the other beat me half to death before puberty. And yet your still acting like batsy second hand bitches. Tell me bird boy how did you get your skin to look so good. Was it the dirt nap six feet under or was it the crowbar, and explosions to the face. "
Jason immediately stepped forward and slammed the pistol across Joker's face hard enough to crack teeth loose.
Blood splattered across the concrete.
"Say another word," Jason growled while pointing the gun directly at Joker's knee, "and the next leg gets a permanent limp too."
Joker laughed through the blood anyway. " Thats nice then I will have a matching pair, from Batman's but boys."
Then I moved.
"No."
Jason looked toward me. I stepped forward slowly toward Joker.
"We're not doing this game tonight. Those will be the last words you ever say."
Joker's smile twitched uncertainly for the first time. I grabbed his jaw violently with one hand and forced his mouth open.
Joker's eyes widened immediately. Then golden energy flickered across my eyes.
Jason's expression changed instantly.
My TTK vibrated through my optic nerves as heat built rapidly.
Then.... two thin beam of glowing golden-red heat vision sliced directly through Joker's tongue.
The smell of burnt flesh filled the warehouse instantly. As Joker screamed in pain. Or he tried to.
Blood exploded from his mouth while he convulsed violently in the chair. The restraints rattled hard against the metal as he thrashed in agony.
I released him immediately. We both watched Joker collapsed forward choking on blood and mutilated flesh.
Jason stared at me for a second. Then slowly whistled. "...Look at you Cai."
I flexed my hand slightly. "NO. I hated doing that."
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
I looked toward Joker coldly.
"Yeah, but he's a monster. So Im ready to make exceptions."
Joker twitched violently in the chair trying to scream through blood.
"And everything that comes out of his mouth is poison. Plus his jokes suck."
Jason stared at me thoughtfully for a moment after that. Then leaned back against the table nearby.
"...You really have changed."
I looked toward him.
"So did you."
Silence settled between us again except for Joker choking quietly in the background.
Then I sighed. "Jason listen."
His eyes shifted toward me.
"Bruce isn't going to kill him."
Jason's jaw tightened instantly. "If he cared about me he will."
"No," I said more seriously. "You know it deep down already after all this time and everything. How much if this is you and how much is the pit?"
Jason looked away slightly. "I'm not even surprised anymore at what you know at this point. Yeah. The Lazarus Pit messed me up."
I nodded. "Yeah I know."
Jason rubbed both hands across his face roughly.
"Talia warned me about the side effects." His voice lowered slightly. "Pit madness. Rage. Violence. Bloodlust. Obsession."
His fists tightened.
"Homicidal insanity."
And the warehouse stayed quiet. And Jason laughed bitterly.
"Honestly?" He looked down at his hands. "Sounds pretty fucking accurate."
Then his expression darkened again.
"But killing him..." Jason looked toward Joker. "...is the clearest my mind's felt since I crawled outta that damn grave."
I believed him. Because the scary part was... He wasn't wrong.
Joker deserved death a hundred times over. Not prison, or Arkham, but death.
A part of me agreed with Jason completely. And maybe that was the dangerous part. No there was a reason Jason was always my favorite Robin when I was kid.
Not only did we share the same name, but he was the black sheep of the Batfamily. And he killed the people that needed killing.
But I will say his new 52 version was so much more chiller. That was my favorite DC character. Thats why I stand by Jason and support him. Because I understand him and respect him.
"I know," I admitted quietly.
Jason looked surprised hearing that.
I leaned back against the wall again. "But what your doing in Gotham. Trying to control crime through fear and murder won't work."
Jason scoffed immediately. "Why not? Im just taking the step Batman wont. I thought you told me Wonder Woman doesnt have a rogues gallery because she knows when to kill her enemies. "
"I did, but those are gods, demons and monsters. Were talking about human here. And humans don't work like that."
Jason pointed toward Gotham outside.
"Well excuse me but crime will ALWAYS exist." His voice hardened more.
"As long as people are selfish. Cruel. Greedy. Violent. Power hungry." He gestured around the warehouse. "Crime will always exist. At least this way only the worst people suffer."
I stared at him carefully.
"... But for how long? How long until your rules change and get innocent people hurt or killed."
Jason frowned slightly.
I continued.
"We have literal thousands of years of human history proving that doesn't work."
Jason crossed his arms immediately.
"Oh so now you're the righteous one?"
"No. Not one bit"
My voice stayed calm.
"I'm your friend Jason."
That made him pause.
I looked him directly in the eyes.
"Jason... I'm going to outlive you."
The words hit harder than I expected.
Jason blinked.
I continued quietly.
"I'm gonna watch every human on this planet die someday."
The warehouse suddenly felt heavier.
"In five hundred years..." I looked down slightly. "...this entire lifetime will just be a memory to me."
Jason stared at me silently now.
"But right now?" I pointed toward him. "You're my brother."
The anger in my voice softened slightly.
"And I want you to understand something before you do something you can't take back."
Jason looked away but I stepped closer.
"Killing Joker?" I shrugged slightly. "Honestly? Thats fine."
Jason looked surprised again.
"But controlling crime through murder?" I shook my head. "That part won't work."
Jason frowned harder now.
"Then what DOES work?"
I answered immediately.
"Destroying the systems that create people like him."
Jason froze slightly.
I pointed toward Gotham outside.
"The corruption. The politicians. The trafficking rings. The governments. The billionaires funding private prisons and destroying our peace. The systems profiting off desperation and poverty of the people its supposedto protect."
My voice hardened.
"Joker isn't the disease, Jason." I pointed toward the mutilated clown bleeding in the chair.
"He's a symptom."
Jason stared at me silently now.
"Killing him matters." I admitted honestly. "But it's still just one drop in an ocean full of problems."
The rain outside intensified harder against the warehouse roof. Jason leaned back slowly against the table behind him.
"...You really thought about this."
I laughed once bitterly.
"Jason I spent five years angry at the entire world."
That shut him up immediately.
"I had a lot of time to think."
The warehouse stayed quiet.
Then Jason sighed heavily.
"...So what now?"
I crossed my arms again.
"First?" I glanced toward Joker. "We deal with him."
Jason looked uncertain suddenly. Not with hesitant exactly. Just conflicted.
I noticed immediately. "...You still want Bruce here for this."
Jason's jaw tightened.
"No."
"Yes you do."
Jason looked angry now.
"I want him to understand."
There it was, the pain.
Jason's voice roughened slightly.
"He replaced me."
The words sounded smaller than I expected.
"He didn't kill Joker after what happened to me." Jason looked toward the floor. "Then he just moved on."
My chest tightened slightly. I stepped closer again.
"Bruce would break his rule for someone like evil god, but not him."
Jason looked up.
" Or if Gotham got nuked and everyone he loved died."
I shrugged slightly.
"But if you put a gun in his hand and make him choose?" I shook my head. "Bruce chooses his code."
Jason laughed bitterly. "Yeah."
"But its not because he doesn't love you."
Jason looked away immediately.
"He's terrified."
That got Jason's attention again.
"Jason. Bruce is psychologically terrified of crossing that line." I said quietly. "Because deep down he knows once he starts... he won't stop. But even when thats not the case, if you put a gun in his hands he will be that little boy in crime alley that saw his parents die in front of him.
The warehouse stayed silent again. Then I placed a hand on Jason's shoulder.
"But if you kill Joker?" I said honestly. "Bruce probably never fully lets you back into the family."
Jason's expression darkened. "I made peace with that."
I nodded slowly. "...Maybe."
Then I squeezed his shoulder slightly.
"But you'll still have mine."
Jason looked stunned for half a second. And for the first time since I found him tonight... The anger cracked slightly.
Not completely. But enough.
I smiled faintly.
"You think my family gives a damn if you kill Joker?"
Jason barked out a rough laugh. "...Honestly? Fair point."
I stepped back slightly.
"But right now?" I pointed toward Gotham Harbor mentally. "We got bigger problems."
Jason blinked.
"...Bigger than Joker?"
"Alien invasion that will turn earth into a breeding camp."
Jason paused.
"...What?"
I nodded. "I'll explain later. But imagine Kryptonians mixed with Spartans and Nazis."
Jason stared blankly. "...What the fuck happened while I was dead and way?"
"A lot but I will catch you up on the details later."
Jason rubbed his face tiredly."...Jesus Christ."
I nodded sympathetically. "Yeah."
Then I continued. "After Joker dies we deal with Black Mask. Then eventually the Court of Owls."
Jason blinked. "...The what?"
I immediately froze.
Right. He wouldn't know about them yet.
"...Never mind what I said."
Jason pointed at me. "No no. You absolutely don't get to say creepy cryptic shit like that and move on."
I sighed heavily. "Trust me. Gotham somehow gets worse."
Jason stared at me. "That sentence should be impossible."
"And yet its so accurate."
Jason leaned back again slowly." ...You really wanna clean up Gotham that badly?"
I looked toward the rain outside.
"Of course It's my home."
That answer surprised him. Then Jason sighed. "...I still don't know."
I looked toward him carefully.
"About what?"
Jason glanced toward Joker. "...Pulling the trigger."
That surprised me slightly. Jason laughed bitterly.
"I know he deserves it." He looked genuinely exhausted suddenly. "But part of me still wants Bruce here so he finally sees I can do what he couldn't."
There it was again. The pain.
I thought about Alfred for a second. Then I smiled faintly.
"Remember what Alfred used to say us?"
Jason blinked slightly.
I repeated quietly. "'A wise warrior understands the difference between the right action and the only action.'"
Jason stared downward silently.
"You're angry." I said honestly. "And you want Bruce to prove he loves you."
Jason clenched his fists.
"But don't confuse that with needing his permission or love to be whole. Jason you are loved and have a family. "
The warehouse stayed quiet. Jason slowly walked toward Joker.
The clown weakly lifted his blood-covered head while gagging around the ruined remains of his tongue.
Jason raised the pistol slowly.
Joker actually looked afraid now. Real fear.
Jason stood over him silently for several seconds.
Then he finally spoke. "You don't get to hurt anyone else anymore."
Joker whimpered through blood.
Jason's voice cracked slightly.
"No more kids."
The pistol trembled slightly in his hand now.
"No more families."
Tears slowly formed in Jason's eyes despite how hard he tried stopping them.
"No more taking people away from us."
I stayed silent behind him.
Jason swallowed hard.
"I'll protect Gotham and my family from you. I will protect Bruce from you."
Joker stared at him with wide terrified eyes.
Jason's breathing shook once.
Then....BANG.
The gunshot exploded through the warehouse. Joker's body jerked violently backward in the chair.
Blood sprayed across the concrete wall behind him.
Then silence.
The clown prince of crime slumped motionless against the restraints dead.
He was finally dead.
That horrible carved smile remained frozen on his face even now.
The warehouse became completely still. And Jason stood there breathing unevenly while staring at the body.
Then quietly... "...It's done."
I stepped forward immediately and pulled him into a hug again. Jason didn't resist this time.
"It's over, your nightmare is over" I whispered.
And suddenly Jason broke. Not physically, but emotionally.
His entire body shook violently as years of pain finally collapsed inward all at once.
I held him tighter. And Behind Jason...
For just a second... He saw a fourteen-year-old version of himself standing there.
Bruised and tired. But then he smiled softly. And then he faded. Jason buried his face against my shoulder while years of grief finally tore free.
And he cried.
I held him tighter while the storm raged outside.
"I got you brother," I whispered quietly.