Harper Isabel Todd

Chapter 17

The batcave, July 10th

Dick stared at the screen; he knew what the end result of the incident was, he knew what happened, but he couldn't tell Bruce, so he had to watch it. On the other hand he had the chance to see for himself if Bruce had intended to slit Jason's throat.

"I can't watch it with you on my shoulder," Dick said not too gently, "Damian's upstairs why don't you go up and help him with homework?"

"Call me as soon as you're done," Bruce left the cave reluctantly, Damian made it clear that he didn't want to spend any more time with his father than necessary. It's your own doing; it's entirely your fault.

"Here we go," Dick took a deep breath and pressed play on the video, he fast forwarded it to the ultimatum.

The footage played. It was old technology, 6 years old; the cowl's video lenses weren't as high definition as they are now. It was clear enough. Bruce and Jason were fighting, if Dick didn't know how it ended he might've enjoyed watching the fight to point out their mistakes like they all usually do; but no, this isn't a normal fight. This isn't a spar, this is Batman versus Redhood and it ended with a slit throat and a bombed building.

Jason had now a gun to Joker's head. Dick had to unmute the video and take it back a few seconds. Jason falls from a window and Bruce punches him in the face, then Dick guesses that Bruce kicks Jason in the chest. Batman stands over Redhood. Dick unmutes.

"I know I failed you. But ... I tried to save you, Jason. I'm ... I'm trying to save you now."

Jason appeared to be catching his breath and rolling over. Then there's a gun in Batman's face.

"Is that what you think this is about? You letting me die?" Jason said through labored breath, "I don't know what clouds your judgement worse; your guilt or your antiquated sense of morality."

Jason stands up, gun still pointed at Bruce.

"Bruce, I forgive you for not saving me," Jason punches a door open, "but why ... why on God's earth is HE still alive?"

Dick's blood runs cold. He knew it was going to be joker, he was waiting for the psycho to show, but he wasn't ready.

The Joker appears on screen, tied to a chair a laughing like he always does.

"Now we've got ourselves a party..."

Dick stops the video. He's not ready to watch the rest. He can't. Does Bruce have any idea how it ended? How does Bruce think it ended?

Dick restarted the video, but he zoned out the conversation. He kept waiting for the fateful moment. Then it came; a gun in Batman's hand. Dick went back a bit; there was something Jason said that got his attention.

"... I thought... I thought that killing me, that I'd be the last person you'd ever let him hurt."

Dick had tears in his eyes. Thinking back to when he had beaten the clown to death in Slabside. Bruce should've kept him dead; Dick would've done the time for it. The conversation between Jason and Bruce sounds too familiar now, killing would be too easy, you don't understand why I don't do it, blah, blah, blah, then Jason says something.

"I'm talking about him, just him. And doing it, because... because he took me away from you."

Jason was crying at this point, that's also when Dick noticed a little static on the screen, which would suggest the lens of the cowl got wet, which could only mean one thing; Batman was crying too. This was enough to make Dick sob out loud. He watched as Jason slid the gun on the floor and Batman picked it up, he heard joker cackling, he heard Jason's ultimatum then the countdown.