Robin's Shadow (Batman OC)

Chapter 61: Epilogue, Part 2

"Yes, please. I need to see my family." I plead desperately, and a screen forms, just like the last time I died. 

This time, the screen shows me the moment directly after my death, and I can see the whole scene playout.

~ 3rd Person POV in Gotham~

"Bomb!" All the Bat Family members hear in their ears from Ana. "Get away from the building!" Batman grabs Robin and Red Robin who were closest to him and leaps away from the building they were about to enter. Nightwing grabs Red Hood and does the same, though Red Hood is desperately trying to get inside the warehouse.

"Ana!" Red Hood screams out desperately along with all the other brothers and Batman as the building explodes loudly. 

Jason watches as the building goes up in flames before collapsing in on itself. Fear rakes through every one of their veins when they don't see Ana getting out of the building. Jason spots movement in the side of the rubble though, and shoves Nightwing off of him, running to the person limping out of the destroyed building. He hopes and prays it's his twin, but has he get's closer, he sees a different red and black uniform.

"You." Jason growls out dangerously, grabbing Harley by her neck and choking her. "I'm going to kill you." She only chokes and gags in response.

"Red Hood, stop, we need to find her, now! She might still be alive!" Batman runs up behind him, and Hood reluctantly shoves Harley into Batman's custody, his focus only on finding his twin in the still burning rubble. 

Batman holds on to Harley, who is muttering deliriously to herself, alternating between being quiet and laughing maniacally in his grasp. All four brothers tear their way through the rubble, searching desperately for any sign of their sister. 

They keep searching until finally, Jason finds her first.

"NO! ANA!!!" His gut wrenching scream echoes loudly, shattering all hope the family had. The only thing that could break Jason enough to scream like that could be her death. He rips his helmet off and screams once more, the sound harrowing to all who hear it.

They all gathered around her body, Dick hesitantly reaching to check her pulse and finding none. He tried to resuscitate her, but nothing was working. He tried everything, CPR, electric shock, adrenaline, but nothing was bringing her back. Jason, who had dropped to all fours upon finding her body, watched with bated breath as Dick tried to save her. He eventually grabbed her hand, pleading with her body to come back to him.

"I can't be here without you, Ana. Please, don't leave me. Come back, please." Jason pleaded through his tears, desperately holding her hand and praying she would wake up. "I need you."

The sound of Harley's ever growing maniacal laughter drew not only Jason's, but all the brothers' attention to her. They all stood slowly, murder in each and every one of their eyes as they turned towards the psycho who took their sister from them. 

Bruce looked into each of their heart broken, hate filled eyes, then looked down at Ana's body. His daughter, his soldier, his fault. She laid there dead in the burning rubble, just like her brother had almost 10 years ago exactly. He looked again at his sons, and then finally at the cause of all this pain. 

Harley was still laughing, looking at Ana's body with glee. She was happily holding her hands out together, ready to be handcuffed and sent to the Asylum, satisfied in the pain she caused. She was safe in Batman's arms, and there was nothing anyone could do to her now.

What she wasn't expecting was for Batman to release her and shove her towards his murderous son's. 

Batman just pushed her forward, leaving her to her fate, and walked over and lifted his daughter's body into his arms, tears of grief and loss in his eyes as this looks so achingly familiar, to be walking away from an exploded warehouse with one of his children dead in his arms.