A/N Yes yes I know I just put up a new story. But hey, this idea hasn't left since I read Black Friar's 'Hood stories Volatile and Scars. Anyone who notices, I usually like to do before-pit Jason, because of my initial hatred of what he turned into as Red Hood. BUT looking at it from a new angle thanks to the urging of the awesome, schway cocopops1995, I decided, like Damian, to give Hoodie another shot XD.

No one needs to tell you that i hate continuity right now, so blech. Nightwing is in Bludhaven so there! XD On with the fic!

"Little birdyyyy"

Nightwing started. He had not heard or seen the Clown in a very long time. Heck, he wasn't even stationed in Gotham anymore!

"What hurts more, number one or number two?"

He sat up, instantly aware of his surroundings. He was in his apartment in Bludhaven, and from the sunlight streaming through the window, he gathered that it was midmorning. A wave of pain coursed through his body, as if someone had struck his ribs with a blunt, metal object. He winced, puzzled. On patrol last night a mugger had gotten a lucky shot in, and had knifed him in the leg. As far as he knew, that was the only injury he had suffered.

Sitting up, Dick Grayson began to puzzle over the strange happenings. The odd visions that haunted his early waking moments for the past four days disturbed him. One instance, he actually thought the Clown Prince was on top of him, laughing gleefully as his body convulsed as blow after blow was landed on his already-broken body. The fits came and went as they pleased, always leaving him confused or shaken.

Dick was many things but he was not an idiot. The visions, he knew, didn't really belong to him. In fact the eerie voice he had heard earlier confirmed his hypothesis, as the Joker had only uttered those words as a taunt, a sick joke, on his broken, bleeding victim A victim that, had Dick had been willing to stay Robin, would never have even been there to begin with, and could not have possibly suffered such a cruel, unfair fate.

While he was sure about the owner of these images and visions, he was not sure about why he was experiencing them. As the Former Boy Wonder stretched and got ready for another Saturday in Gotham with friend and family alike, he was startled by an urgent knock on his door.

Cautious as always, his nerves and muscles tensed to ready himself for an attack, he slowly opened his door.

And gasped as a hooded figure fell into his arms, clutching him as if he were the last person on the planet, tearing his hood off to reveal a domino mask and an exhausted, pale face beneath.

"Help me..."