[IN THE END] - DICK GRAYSON - YOUNG JUSTICE

CHAPTER 15C

As promised, the conclusion to chapter 15.  Comment and keep reading.  Thanks!

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The Joker slapped the speedsters face which jolted him awake.  "Where am I?"  He asked quickly, looking around.  The Joker just laughed waiting for the boy to regain his memory.  "The side effects always crack me up."  He said aloud.  Wally just gave him a solemn look now that he understood what was going on.  "When will you set me free?"  Wally pleaded.  "Oh don't worry..."  The Joker started.  "I will release you by the end of the night."  Wally almost smiled.  'Thank god.'  He thought to himself.  At least he wouldn't wake up the next morning stuck in this hell.  He waited all day, sitting there like a good captive would.  And today, he didn't ask any questions.  Simply because he didn't care.  He just waited and waited...

And waited for the clock to strike eight.  Richard had been counting down the hours to go on patrol and the time finally came.  He went down to the bat cave and began to change.  "I'll see you back here at twelve."  Bruce said reminding him.  Like he had every night.  "Yes Bruce.  At twelve."  He got on his r-cycle and began to speed off into the night.  He arrived at the building he normal patrolled at a few minutes later, and began to climb his way to the roof.  It had been the kind of night where nothing happened, so he awkwardly crawled up into a ball and sat like that for an hour.  And like he had for the whole day, he pondered life, and just thought.  A while later he dangled his feet over the edge and leaned back a little, gazing into the starry night.  Little did he know, someone had been watching from afar. 

The clock struck twelve and Richard was about to leave when the sky was filled with smoke, as the ground rumbled from the side of a building exploding.  Robin stood up quickly and began descending to the street level.  He ran towards the building as the smoke rose.  Luckily the building wasn't on fire, even though part of it did collapse.  He made his way through the large opening, eyeing the rubble.  He looked around the vaccinate premise searching for who he knew had to be responsible.  But all his eyes could see was an abandoned desk, chair and water machine.  He then turned back to the debris, to find a hand sticking out from one side.  He quickly began to move the rubble out of the way, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

It was then that the Joker made an entrance, and Robin desperately wanted to kill him.  He was breathing very deeply and trying to take control of his anger.  But he couldn't help it.  He marched up to the Joker and began throwing punches.  Most of them weren't even hard because he was so frustrated, lost and confused.  But soon it didn't matter.  The Joker sent a hard blow to Robin's lower left abdomen, knowing that was where he had been shot.  All the air was sucked out of him as he fell to his knees.  He brought his hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath.  He was in so much pain, though his heartache had nothing to do with the physical wound. 

He turned to face Wally.  Then he closed his eyes as he hit the ground hard, collapsing from feeling so weak and vulnerable.  He could hear the Joker walk out, now that he had gotten what he wanted.  Deciding to give up on the Joker, for the time being, Richard opened his eyes as he slowly tried to push himself of the ground.  But the second his eyes landed on his damaged friend, he couldn't find the strength.  His heart almost failed, watching Wally struggle to even open his eyes, for they had been flickering.  And then, for a brief second they opened and met Richard's.  And the silence of the room allowed Richard to hear Wally mumble.  Despite how soft and raspy his tone was.  "We had... a... good run..."  A tear ran down Richards face, though he could not accept this.  'This can't be real'.  He thought to himself.

In spite of his pain he stood up and wobbled over to his friend kneeling down next to him.  "Wally please stay with me buddy, help is on the way.  Everything is going to be okay.  I promise."  Richard couldn't tell if he was saying these things to reassure Wally or himself.  His cries became heavier as Wally didn't respond.  "WALLY STAY WITH ME PLEASE!"  He yelled.  He looked behind him hoping an ambulance was on the way.  And when he turned back around, Wally's eyes were completely shut, and no longer flickering.  Richard panicked, though he wiped his tears and tried to help Wally stand up.  "Come on Wally we're going to go home, and everything is going to be alright..."  He acted like nothing happened.  He was in complete denial.  And suddenly Batman entered calmly walking towards Robin.  It wasn't until Batman grabbed him an began to pull him away that he understood the reality of the situation.  "That should of been me..."  He cried as he was being dragged away.  He watched as the emergency services came to take him away.  "That should of been me."  He said one more time, as the sobbing now prohibited him from speaking.  Batman picked him up and forced him into the car so he didn't have to see anything else.  After a few minutes of crying, Richard finally spoke.  "Bruce?"  He said in the weakest tone.  "I didn't even get to say goodbye."       

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