The shrill laugh of the Joker sounded in the distance. I ran across the rooftops, panting as I looked down at the red dot on my tracker. I leapt across the buildings one by one and finally stopped as the tracker started to beep on my wrist.

I looked down to see that I was not far from it, but I looked up to the sheer horror. In a abandoned building stood Batman, carrying an injured Jason Todd out the window. But suddenly, another shrill laugh sounded from inside and the Joker's figure appeared. Joker grabbed onto Batman and strangled him against the wall.

Jason flinched at the incoming Joker. He grabbed onto the window railing and heaved himself out. He was floating from the air and grabbed something from his jacket. Batman's grappling hook! He fired the weapon and zoomed through the air, into the night.

Batman reached for something in his belt and frowned. He looked up at me and squinted his eyes. He then moved his gaze down at the floor, defeated.

I heard a ticking noise and screamed. "No!"

I leapt from the edge of the building and flung myself to Batman. A orange blast of energy came from the window and I felt myself fly back. My back collided with the window of a building and I fell to the floor. I sputtered and coughed. I felt my lungs fill with smoke and rock. Shattered glass lay at my feet. My costume is cut up and I tore off my mask. I rubbed the soot from my eyes and moved into an army crawl. The building was poor and rugged. The carpet was black with orange stains and the chairs were ripped.

I heard a door open and close and heavy footsteps approached. "I see your night isn't going so smoothly is it, Dick."

"Jason." I said.

"In the flesh." Jason spoke. "I knew Bruce wouldn't kill that mad man. The Joker had to do it for him. Well he went out in a blaze of glory."

My gaze turned under the couch next to me. There lay a black metal rod. I had to get Jason to look away first before reaching for it.

"You see Dick, Bruce loved you, he cherished you. He trained you to your full potential. Did I get that?" Jason shook his head. "You see, he didn't trust you. What were the most common words he said to you? That's correct. I don't need your help. Isn't that right? It is right Dick. The first sidekick." Jason shook his head and turned around. "But the last to die."

I reached for the stick with one motion. I cupped my fingers around the stick and hit the red button. The top turned blue with electricity and I swung with all my might. Jason fell to the ground and dropped his gun from his belt. I picked up the gun and stood wobbly.

"Go on now old Robin. Shoot that gun. Start yourself on your own path. Different from Bruce's silly path. Choose my path. We could be partners Dick. Two vigilantes against the world. It doesn't end with you firing that thing on me. Start it with me, start it together. Not killing just got your father figure killed Dick. Will you let that happen again?"

Jason had a point. I would still have Bruce if only he had killed that madman when everything first started. I wouldn't be holding this weapon right now if it wasn't for Bruce. Jason wouldn't be here either. But would we still be who we are today? If Bruce had killed, he may have stopped the criminals that killed my family. Jason wouldn't have been beaten to death and become the Red Hood. But those may be wrong. Maybe our own fate would be tied from the start. Maybe we would be better off as sidekicks and not alone, on the streets. Killing people seems so wrong though. What if those people were innocent and didn't deserve the cards dealt to them. They have a chance to be cured. If I pull this trigger, I set myself on a new path. A path that I may never be able to change. I dropped the gun on the floor and stared into Jason's eyes. "I won't kill you Jason. I won't remember Bruce's death by killing my friend. I'll give you a running start, because today is not my day to fight. Now get out before I change my mind."

At that Jason left. I watched his figure leave. Someday I will find him, and bring him to justice as Bruce had done.

Three weeks later.

I threw the newspaper down on the coffee table. Headlines everywhere read: Bruce Wayne the Batman? The Wayne family hasn't seen this much publicity all around the world. "Shall I start up a cup of coffee, Master Grayson?" Alfred asked from the doorway.

"No thanks Alfred." I said.

Alfred had been heartbroken at Bruce's passing. The day he died he spent a long time in his room. I hadn't shown up to his funeral. We tried to tell the press that the death of the Batman and Bruce was a mere coincidence. The streets were chaos without Batman there to stop crime. Criminals roamed free, stole things, and vandalized. I felt I still owed something to Bruce. That I need to finish what he started.

Alfred and I had mourned for weeks now and something had to be done.

"Alfred." I said.

"Yes sir."

"We need to get to the batcave."

We entered the damp cave that Bruce had isolated himself in. It was what molded him, made him into who he was. I entered onto the circular platform, hanging above the rocks and water below. I passed glass containers with memories all too familiar. My old Robin suit, the Nightwing suit, a various amount of Batman's suits. Until I faced the replica of the one he perished in. The black body armor shined through the glass. The dark logo burned a cold memory in my brain. I opened the glass container and pulled the uniform out. I slipped the suit on and pulled the boots on as well. I stripped the cape from the costume and ripped off the mask. "Uh, sir can I ask why you're doing this?"

"I don't want to BE the Batman. I want to be something like him. A faster, more agile model of the Dark Knight." I then handed Alfred Batman's gloves and grabbed my Nightwing gloves instead. Alfred looked at me, confused. "Too heavy." I said.

Lastly, I placed the mask on my face and turned to Alfred. He smiled for the first time in two weeks. "You look just like him." He said.

I placed my escrima sticks in the side holsters and hopped on the bat bike. "Why sir, where are you going." Alfred asked.

"I'm not all too sure about the Joker being killed. And wherever Joker is, that's where Harley Quinn is." I said as I started the engine and road out into the rainy night.

I raced through the streets of Gotham, crime happened everywhere but I didn't have time to stop. GCPD police cars raced past me and the driver looked shocked as he saw my appearance. I looked everywhere for Joker goons but none were in sight. I realized something. The old amusement park that was abandoned a month ago. I raced to the entrance and stopped. There stood two muscular guards standing in front of the entrance. They were dressed as clowns and both held guns and bullet-proof vests. I used the shadows to my advantage and sneaked along the side of the fence. I was a few yards away when I pulled out my escrima sticks. I lodged them together and they molded into one tall staff. The clowns were startled as they noticed the figure in the darkness.

The one closest to me raised his weapon and I leapt into action. I jumped through the air and flipped my body so my legs were twirling fast enough. I came down on a goons head as he fired into the sky. My foot colliding with his skull made a cracking noise and I focused on the other enemy.

The goon was startled and he raised his weapon. At the same time I raised my staff to collide with the barrel of the gun. My hit was successful and the electricity shocked the gun out of his cold hands. I spun around and brought my staff with me as I caught his right jaw with the weapon I held. Another crack occurred and he fell to the asphalt.

I entered through the gate and snuck around a bit. There was no sign of the Joker but a suspicious looking building was heavily guarded by men. I scouted the building and found a way in with the least goons to get past. On the highest floor was a window with a clown standing in it. The window was broken so I could see very clear. I made my way to the top of the building and grasped a bar hanging above the window. In a sudden motion I flung myself in the air and came back, just to crash through the window. The clown was knocked down in a crumpled heap, and of course to just my luck, there stood five more clowns with guns. I leapt through the air again as they all fired at once. Holes were punctured through the floor and ceiling, and wood shards were thrown everywhere. When I was right over two goons I grabbed both their heads and smashed them together. The foot soldiers staggered a bit and both fell in the same direction. I landed behind the other men and pulled out my staff. I charged through the gap with my staff flying in every direction. I swung through from a clown's head to another clown's chest. They both fell on their backs to join the other two. The other man was stunned as he looked behind him and in front of him, looking for his mysterious attacker he fired at a moment ago. I shoved all my rage and strength and raised the staff up, colliding with the clown's lower jaw. He seemed to jump through the air and fall onto his back.

I heard crying from the floor above me, from the attic. A tone of voice that was rather familiar. Harley. I trudged up a set of stairs the led to the attic, and there stood a thin woman in a red and black costume, with a jester's hat. She was hunched over a table and crying into her hands. I reached my hand out to grab her shoulder and the figure spun around, wielding a small knife. I stepped back but it was too late. The knife skimmed my skin and I felt a sting in my lower, right cheek. She turned off a small device that looked like a voice recorder and said. "You walked into my trap, little bird. I know you're not Batman. You would know better!" She paused. He went down with my Mr. J!"

I saw a tear flash in her eye and she went to wipe it. "Joker's dead?" I asked.

"Yeah he's dead! He's gone. But something big is going to happen in his memory! Something that will put his name in the history books!" Harley exclaimed.

"What is it?" I asked.

"That's for us to know and for you to find out." She said cheerfully.

On the desk I saw a letter. It was stamped with the letter: R. "Who is R?" I asked.

"I think the bigger question is who is that behind you." Harley giggled.

A shadowy figure loomed over me and I spun around to a man in a brown jacket with a batman sign on it. On his head he wore a red mask. "Ja- Red Hood. I knew we would meet again."

"I do hope this is not our last reunion young bat." He said. "For it will be your most painful one."

He swiped with his fist at my head. I saw the attack coming and ducked over it. I missed identifying the next blow and it sent me flying through a large window.

The glass cracked and shards of it were sent through the air. The building seemed to get taller as I fell. Eventually I hit a surface and my breathing was harder to do. I got up and coughed at the roof of a small building not to far down from the previous one.

Two feet landed hard in front of me and a red helmet fell to the ground. I felt a kick to the stomach. I coughed once more and rolled on my side. The two feet were in front of me and one was winding up to kick again. I met the foot with my hands and twisted it. The figure fell to the floor and I was looking at Jason. I got up from my dazed state and faced my old friend, who had got up as well. "You're foolish now Dick, an easy opponent." He said.

He threw the next punch, and I blocked it with my wrist. "Who is R!" I exclaimed.

I kicked at his stomach and he staggered backwards. "You won't get that kind of information from me." He threw more furious attacks at me, which I blocked each one. "I know who you are, I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me."

I was caught off guard by his next attack with his fist and I reached up with my hand to block it. "What makes you say that." I said. I caught his fist in my hand and threw another. He caught my fist as well and he stared into my eyes. "Because you're just like your old man. You won't kill anything that breathes. And that's what got him killed. I'll give you one more chance Dick. Join my side."

My mind filled with anger and I kneed him in the stomach. He staggered back, I dashed forward and landed several hits on him. Left, right, left, right. We found ourselves at the edge of the building. I grabbed him by the jacket and hung him over the asphalt below.

"Who is R!" I exclaimed

Jason didn't answer. "You wouldn't kill me Dick."

He smiled a bit and put his hand on my shoulder. Maybe he's a good guy after all. I thought. Suddenly, his smile turned to anger and he threw another hit across my face. I struggled to keep my balance. Not long after that he landed another hit to my stomach and I felt myself fall forward. I felt Jason's hands hold me by the arms. "Now, I must go young bat. Adios!"

His hand motioned to his jacket and he pulled out Batman's grappling hook and fired next to my side. I felt the metal skin my side, and I fell off the building. I reached out for a bar holding a flag, with a Joker card on it. I screamed as my hands grasped the metal, and I hung in pain for what seemed like hours until I found myself a way down.