Fan Fiction ❯ The Game We Play ❯ Anger Management ( Chapter 22 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Dark Jester 
"That went well," Alfred remarked - almost a little aggressively.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Angst / Drama / Psychological / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.18.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 248 | Status: Completed
"That went well," Alfred remarked - almost a little aggressively.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Angst / Drama / Psychological / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.18.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 248 | Status: Completed
Chapter 22 - Anger Management
"So he hasn't emerged from the Cave in days?" Dick asked, his expression incredulous. "You have GOT to be kidding me, Al." His hand reached out for the grandfather clock.
"I'm afraid not, Master Richard. . . well, except for a brief respite up here to call you." Alfred replied. "There's perhaps something else you should know. . ."
Alfred cut himself off as the clock swung away and a dark, caped form could be seen racing up the stairs.
Dick glanced over his shoulder at Alfred... and then at Batman as he approached. "Hey, Bruce," he greeted in a fairly light-hearted tone.
"You've taken to routing your home number to a cell phone?" Batman responded icily. "You couldn't have gotten here all the way from Bludhaven this quickly."
Alfred sighed.
"Sorry," Dick answered humbly. "I just thought you could use some company, y'know? Maybe... help setting up the Christmas tree?" He couldn't help but glance over Batman's shoulder. It felt like he was... hiding something...?
Batman relaxed a little. "You could have let me know you were on your way."
"Where's the fun in that? C'mon, Bruce! Don't tell me you've lost your sense of adventure!" Dick tucked his hands into his jeans and glanced at what looked like a loose clasp on Batman's belt.
Batman glared at him.
"I don't like surprises." He said harshly. "You should know that by now. Wait here: I'll go change."
Dick and Alfred exchanged quick looks.
"Bruce? Are you okay? You're acting kinda umm... uptight." Dick scratched at the back of his neck and smiled disarmingly.
Batman stopped mid-turn and looked over at him.
"You just figured out that I'm uptight?" He asked with surprising sarcasm.
"Ha... yeah, well... no?" Dick shrugged it off and coughed into his hand. He watched Batman start to retreat, and moved to follow him.
Batman whirled around. "I said wait here."
Dick blinked a few times... and then narrowed his eyes, his brow lowering a little. "Why?"
As though on cue, a crash sounded from downstairs... followed by a choked laugh. Apparently, the medical table didn't make for a good seat.
"What was that?"
Alfred shifted uncomfortably in the background. "THAT was the other thing I felt you should know, Master Richard."
Batman straightened himself up to his full height, and calmly. . . at least outwardly. . . addressed Dick.
"The Joker trashed your motorcycle." He said flatly, then whirled around and headed downstairs to see what the Joker had broken now.
"Wh-!" Dick started, his eyes bulging as the information settled. "Wh-WHAT?!" He spun to stare in horror at Alfred. The look on the butler's face was MORE than enough convincing than Dick needed. He chased after Batman, his mouth running. "What do you MEAN he trashed my bi-nevermind. What is HE doing in the BATCAVE?! Br-BATMAN! Wha- ohhhh my god." He stopped speaking when he was met with the sight of the Joker, prancing around the Cave like he OWNED the place.
"Company?" Joker inquired. "Of the stripping sort?"
Bruce pulled off his cowl, tossed it away, and started rubbing his temples.
"Dick, why don't you ever listen to me when you're not wearing the mask?" He muttered.
He was surprisingly calm. Numb, almost. He knew this was going to be bad, but what could he do? The secret was out.
He almost felt relieved.
"Listen to you?! Bruce, there's a PSYCOPATH standing ten feet away from you!" Dick pointed for emphasis, a sort of strange anger boiling in the back of his throat. "Is THIS where he's been the past few weeks? You've been harboring a lunatic? Have you gone MAD?"
"No. I've gone sane." Bruce said calmly. However, there was a pleading, a desperation, in his eyes. "He's still destructive, granted, but he's not murderous anymore. I figured it out, Dick. It was so simple, and we've been chasing our tails and screwing up for so many years. Things are better now."
He sighed and reached out for his 'son'.
"I'd never tell you anything that would put you in danger unwittingly, Dick. Please trust me."
Out of Bruce's sight, Joker folded his arms and stuck out the very tip of his tongue in a taunting fashion. He and Dick met eyes for a brief instant.
It was enough.
Dick felt like his world was crashing down around him. What was going on?! Everything he thought he'd known about Bruce... about the way his mind worked... all for nothing? "I'm not sure I CAN trust you," he said lowly, each word measured. His eyes were ensnared, unable to tear away from the green ones he'd found.
Bruce followed Dick's line of sight, hurt but hiding it. He probably deserved that response. As he turned around, he realized that Dick was staring at the Joker, and the Joker was looking rather smug.
He put two and two together.
"Damn it, Jack, you're not helping." He snapped.
"Wasn't trying to," Joker muttered.
"I'm sorry... Jack?" Dick interjected. "What? Jack? Who's Jack? Joker? You're calling him Jack? What is that? A pet name?" Dick came down a step and glared.
"Mister Jack to you!" Joker grinned and walked over to the computer, settling himself very comfortably into the chair.
Bruce's eyes flashed at the Joker violently.
"Ignore him." He told Dick. "He's just trying to rile you. He gets jealous if I pay attention to anything but him."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Dick gestured wildly and glanced at Alfred for support. He found the butler quite unwilling to get involved. "Bruce. Bruce, listen to me: You're talking like you KNOW him or something. Like you're friends. He's a KILLER, remember? Do I have to remind you of Babs? Jason? Sarah?" He pushed by Bruce on the way downstairs.
Joker tapped his fingers on the armrests and put on a sweet look. "Loosen up, birdboy. Go pluck someone else's feathers."
"You-" Dick threatened, his face turning a darker shade.
Bruce raced down to get in-between them.
"I'm aware of that, Dick. ALL of it. And let's not mention too many names, okay?"
He put his hand on Dick's shoulder and looked at the younger man intently.
"Listen to me." He said. "You're not going to like what I'm about to say, but listen, alright?"
"Do I have another option?" Dick folded his arms and stood rigid, his eyes smoldering with momentarily checked rage.
Joker put a hand behind his left ear and smiled.
"You know there's ALWAYS another option." Bruce said sternly, then lashed out and smacked the Joker's hand down without even looking behind him.
Joker whimpered and nursed his hand, glaring up at the back of Bruce's head. *How dare he?* "Jerk," he hissed. "I thought we were over with the abuse. Delicate skin, remember?"
Dick took in a deep breath and held it.
"And I thought you cared." Bruce grumbled over his shoulder. "This is hard enough. Stop making it worse."
Joker fell silent and averted his eyes.
Bruce sighed, set his jaw, then looked back at Dick.
"Alright. You just heard part of it. I'll spare you the gory details, but basically, I've had my eyes opened."
He smiled sadly and squeezed Dick's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Dick. For everything. I hope it's not too late for us. . . to. . . have something."
"Have something?" Dick gawked at the Joker as he took a step backward, shrugging off Bruce's hand. "You... had your eyes opened? Don't tell me... you..." He choked and a crack of a smile quickly turned back into a scowl, revealing the unease in his mind. "You... Bruce... the Joker? The JOKER? THE Joker?"
"Jack," a quiet voice corrected.
There was a moment where everything seemed to stop. Dick wasn't even aware he was moving until his hands were buried under the pale chin of the one man he hated more than anyone else. He pulled back one arm to deliver a fistful of pain, quick and more eager than he'd been to hurt someone in a long while. Joker choked under the hand still around his neck, eyes wide and staring up at Bruce.
Bruce lunged at Dick and grabbed his coiled fist, while his other hand attacked the elbow of the arm throttling the Joker.
"Dick. Please. Don't." He said, trying to control his panic. "Don't do this. Try to understand."
"WHAT IS THERE TO UNDERSTAND?!" Dick raged. His eyes were tearing up, making his vision cloudy. "There is a MONSTER sitting in the Cave and you're telling me to understand!" He dug his fingernails into the Joker's throat, pinching off his bloodflow.
Alfred hurried down the stairs, but lingered in the background. He fidgeted nervously.
"No!" Bruce screamed as he heard the Joker choke. Without thinking, he brought his knee up into Dick's unprotected kidney. It was a feral response - a desperate attempt to stop the two people he cared about more than anything from seriously hurting each other.
Dick's eyes widened. In a heartbeat, the hand around Joker's throat was flying toward Bruce's face.
Bruce dodged it JUST in the knick of time. The attack came so close, he felt the breeze created by Dick's fist on his face. Without thinking, he countered with a shot to Dick's stomach. All he could think was, *Stop it! Just stop it!*
Dick doubled over in pain and stumbled to the ground. Alfred was there to protect the boy immediately, his hands spread over the young master's back. "Bruce!" he scolded.
Joker coughed and took in a few sharp breaths, a hint of blood seeping into the cracks of his lips.
Bruce looked at Alfred murderously, but his attention was diverted when he heard the Joker cough. He looked over and saw the blood.
"Oh my god. Jack." He whispered. He rushed over and grabbed the Joker's chin gently, trying to see where the blood was coming from.
Pathetically, Joker winced and drew back a tiny bit, the fragility of his body becomming painfully apparent now. He coughed a few more times, the red of blood on his teeth and pooling on his lower lip.
Dick glared up at his mentor and pushed Alfred's hands away. "That's right. Pay attention to your little pet. Your experiment. That's all he is, Bruce, and you know it." He climbed to his feet and stood defiantly behind the other man. "I'm leaving."
Alfred tried to protest, but it stuck in his throat as Dick marched off toward the stairs.
Bruce ignored Dick as he examined the Joker's throat. Already, blue marks were visible under the pale skin.
Joker wanted so badly to say something remarkably insulting... but was more concerned with the way Bruce was inspecting him. He choked a little and coughed into his hand, pulling it away with splattered dots of red.
Dick ascended the stairs quickly, not even waiting to hear if there was anything further Bruce or Alfred had to say. He left the grandfather clock open, and stormed off out of sight.
"That went well," Alfred remarked - almost a little aggressively.
"Get out." Bruce snapped menacingly. His voice calmed when he spoke to Jack. "Can you breathe?"
Alfred squared off his shoulders. "Well," he spat, turning to follow Dick's footsteps. "I'll let you two waste away together down here. Be sure to call for me should you need ANYthing." His words were laced with a vicious dose of sarcasm.
With a choppy sigh, Joker frowned, shrugged... and then suddenly hacked up more blood. "I..." He was interrupted by an abrupt tightening of his throat and lungs. "...still don't like him."
"Lie down. On your side so you don't choke." Bruce instructed.
*He might need surgery.* He thought to himself. *His windpipe is likely damaged.*
Bruce fought down panic as he guided the Joker over to the bed, since he'd broken the medical table earlier.
"You had to antagonize him, didn't you?" He muttered.
"Shut up," Joker hissed. He made a 'not again' groan as he was forced to lay down, and shook his head. "I'm fine," he wheezed. Already, the sheets soaked up the moistness on his lips.
"You're not fine." Bruce insisted forcefully as he retrieved his cowl and pulled it on. He remote-started the Batmobile, then headed back over to the bed to collect Joker.
"I... I don't want... hospital..." Joker lifted a hand to keep Batman at bay.
"It's not a hospital." Bruce insisted, easily outmaneuvering the Joker's weak resistance and pulling him into a fetal position.
"Good." Joker wheezed and coughed again, closing his eyes as he was moved around.
Batman carried him over to the Batmobile and settled him into the passenger side. Erring on the side of caution, he put an oxygen mask over the Joker's face. That done, he got in the driver's seat and sped out of the cave.
*
"So he hasn't emerged from the Cave in days?" Dick asked, his expression incredulous. "You have GOT to be kidding me, Al." His hand reached out for the grandfather clock.
"I'm afraid not, Master Richard. . . well, except for a brief respite up here to call you." Alfred replied. "There's perhaps something else you should know. . ."
Alfred cut himself off as the clock swung away and a dark, caped form could be seen racing up the stairs.
Dick glanced over his shoulder at Alfred... and then at Batman as he approached. "Hey, Bruce," he greeted in a fairly light-hearted tone.
"You've taken to routing your home number to a cell phone?" Batman responded icily. "You couldn't have gotten here all the way from Bludhaven this quickly."
Alfred sighed.
"Sorry," Dick answered humbly. "I just thought you could use some company, y'know? Maybe... help setting up the Christmas tree?" He couldn't help but glance over Batman's shoulder. It felt like he was... hiding something...?
Batman relaxed a little. "You could have let me know you were on your way."
"Where's the fun in that? C'mon, Bruce! Don't tell me you've lost your sense of adventure!" Dick tucked his hands into his jeans and glanced at what looked like a loose clasp on Batman's belt.
Batman glared at him.
"I don't like surprises." He said harshly. "You should know that by now. Wait here: I'll go change."
Dick and Alfred exchanged quick looks.
"Bruce? Are you okay? You're acting kinda umm... uptight." Dick scratched at the back of his neck and smiled disarmingly.
Batman stopped mid-turn and looked over at him.
"You just figured out that I'm uptight?" He asked with surprising sarcasm.
"Ha... yeah, well... no?" Dick shrugged it off and coughed into his hand. He watched Batman start to retreat, and moved to follow him.
Batman whirled around. "I said wait here."
Dick blinked a few times... and then narrowed his eyes, his brow lowering a little. "Why?"
As though on cue, a crash sounded from downstairs... followed by a choked laugh. Apparently, the medical table didn't make for a good seat.
"What was that?"
Alfred shifted uncomfortably in the background. "THAT was the other thing I felt you should know, Master Richard."
Batman straightened himself up to his full height, and calmly. . . at least outwardly. . . addressed Dick.
"The Joker trashed your motorcycle." He said flatly, then whirled around and headed downstairs to see what the Joker had broken now.
"Wh-!" Dick started, his eyes bulging as the information settled. "Wh-WHAT?!" He spun to stare in horror at Alfred. The look on the butler's face was MORE than enough convincing than Dick needed. He chased after Batman, his mouth running. "What do you MEAN he trashed my bi-nevermind. What is HE doing in the BATCAVE?! Br-BATMAN! Wha- ohhhh my god." He stopped speaking when he was met with the sight of the Joker, prancing around the Cave like he OWNED the place.
"Company?" Joker inquired. "Of the stripping sort?"
Bruce pulled off his cowl, tossed it away, and started rubbing his temples.
"Dick, why don't you ever listen to me when you're not wearing the mask?" He muttered.
He was surprisingly calm. Numb, almost. He knew this was going to be bad, but what could he do? The secret was out.
He almost felt relieved.
"Listen to you?! Bruce, there's a PSYCOPATH standing ten feet away from you!" Dick pointed for emphasis, a sort of strange anger boiling in the back of his throat. "Is THIS where he's been the past few weeks? You've been harboring a lunatic? Have you gone MAD?"
"No. I've gone sane." Bruce said calmly. However, there was a pleading, a desperation, in his eyes. "He's still destructive, granted, but he's not murderous anymore. I figured it out, Dick. It was so simple, and we've been chasing our tails and screwing up for so many years. Things are better now."
He sighed and reached out for his 'son'.
"I'd never tell you anything that would put you in danger unwittingly, Dick. Please trust me."
Out of Bruce's sight, Joker folded his arms and stuck out the very tip of his tongue in a taunting fashion. He and Dick met eyes for a brief instant.
It was enough.
Dick felt like his world was crashing down around him. What was going on?! Everything he thought he'd known about Bruce... about the way his mind worked... all for nothing? "I'm not sure I CAN trust you," he said lowly, each word measured. His eyes were ensnared, unable to tear away from the green ones he'd found.
Bruce followed Dick's line of sight, hurt but hiding it. He probably deserved that response. As he turned around, he realized that Dick was staring at the Joker, and the Joker was looking rather smug.
He put two and two together.
"Damn it, Jack, you're not helping." He snapped.
"Wasn't trying to," Joker muttered.
"I'm sorry... Jack?" Dick interjected. "What? Jack? Who's Jack? Joker? You're calling him Jack? What is that? A pet name?" Dick came down a step and glared.
"Mister Jack to you!" Joker grinned and walked over to the computer, settling himself very comfortably into the chair.
Bruce's eyes flashed at the Joker violently.
"Ignore him." He told Dick. "He's just trying to rile you. He gets jealous if I pay attention to anything but him."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Dick gestured wildly and glanced at Alfred for support. He found the butler quite unwilling to get involved. "Bruce. Bruce, listen to me: You're talking like you KNOW him or something. Like you're friends. He's a KILLER, remember? Do I have to remind you of Babs? Jason? Sarah?" He pushed by Bruce on the way downstairs.
Joker tapped his fingers on the armrests and put on a sweet look. "Loosen up, birdboy. Go pluck someone else's feathers."
"You-" Dick threatened, his face turning a darker shade.
Bruce raced down to get in-between them.
"I'm aware of that, Dick. ALL of it. And let's not mention too many names, okay?"
He put his hand on Dick's shoulder and looked at the younger man intently.
"Listen to me." He said. "You're not going to like what I'm about to say, but listen, alright?"
"Do I have another option?" Dick folded his arms and stood rigid, his eyes smoldering with momentarily checked rage.
Joker put a hand behind his left ear and smiled.
"You know there's ALWAYS another option." Bruce said sternly, then lashed out and smacked the Joker's hand down without even looking behind him.
Joker whimpered and nursed his hand, glaring up at the back of Bruce's head. *How dare he?* "Jerk," he hissed. "I thought we were over with the abuse. Delicate skin, remember?"
Dick took in a deep breath and held it.
"And I thought you cared." Bruce grumbled over his shoulder. "This is hard enough. Stop making it worse."
Joker fell silent and averted his eyes.
Bruce sighed, set his jaw, then looked back at Dick.
"Alright. You just heard part of it. I'll spare you the gory details, but basically, I've had my eyes opened."
He smiled sadly and squeezed Dick's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Dick. For everything. I hope it's not too late for us. . . to. . . have something."
"Have something?" Dick gawked at the Joker as he took a step backward, shrugging off Bruce's hand. "You... had your eyes opened? Don't tell me... you..." He choked and a crack of a smile quickly turned back into a scowl, revealing the unease in his mind. "You... Bruce... the Joker? The JOKER? THE Joker?"
"Jack," a quiet voice corrected.
There was a moment where everything seemed to stop. Dick wasn't even aware he was moving until his hands were buried under the pale chin of the one man he hated more than anyone else. He pulled back one arm to deliver a fistful of pain, quick and more eager than he'd been to hurt someone in a long while. Joker choked under the hand still around his neck, eyes wide and staring up at Bruce.
Bruce lunged at Dick and grabbed his coiled fist, while his other hand attacked the elbow of the arm throttling the Joker.
"Dick. Please. Don't." He said, trying to control his panic. "Don't do this. Try to understand."
"WHAT IS THERE TO UNDERSTAND?!" Dick raged. His eyes were tearing up, making his vision cloudy. "There is a MONSTER sitting in the Cave and you're telling me to understand!" He dug his fingernails into the Joker's throat, pinching off his bloodflow.
Alfred hurried down the stairs, but lingered in the background. He fidgeted nervously.
"No!" Bruce screamed as he heard the Joker choke. Without thinking, he brought his knee up into Dick's unprotected kidney. It was a feral response - a desperate attempt to stop the two people he cared about more than anything from seriously hurting each other.
Dick's eyes widened. In a heartbeat, the hand around Joker's throat was flying toward Bruce's face.
Bruce dodged it JUST in the knick of time. The attack came so close, he felt the breeze created by Dick's fist on his face. Without thinking, he countered with a shot to Dick's stomach. All he could think was, *Stop it! Just stop it!*
Dick doubled over in pain and stumbled to the ground. Alfred was there to protect the boy immediately, his hands spread over the young master's back. "Bruce!" he scolded.
Joker coughed and took in a few sharp breaths, a hint of blood seeping into the cracks of his lips.
Bruce looked at Alfred murderously, but his attention was diverted when he heard the Joker cough. He looked over and saw the blood.
"Oh my god. Jack." He whispered. He rushed over and grabbed the Joker's chin gently, trying to see where the blood was coming from.
Pathetically, Joker winced and drew back a tiny bit, the fragility of his body becomming painfully apparent now. He coughed a few more times, the red of blood on his teeth and pooling on his lower lip.
Dick glared up at his mentor and pushed Alfred's hands away. "That's right. Pay attention to your little pet. Your experiment. That's all he is, Bruce, and you know it." He climbed to his feet and stood defiantly behind the other man. "I'm leaving."
Alfred tried to protest, but it stuck in his throat as Dick marched off toward the stairs.
Bruce ignored Dick as he examined the Joker's throat. Already, blue marks were visible under the pale skin.
Joker wanted so badly to say something remarkably insulting... but was more concerned with the way Bruce was inspecting him. He choked a little and coughed into his hand, pulling it away with splattered dots of red.
Dick ascended the stairs quickly, not even waiting to hear if there was anything further Bruce or Alfred had to say. He left the grandfather clock open, and stormed off out of sight.
"That went well," Alfred remarked - almost a little aggressively.
"Get out." Bruce snapped menacingly. His voice calmed when he spoke to Jack. "Can you breathe?"
Alfred squared off his shoulders. "Well," he spat, turning to follow Dick's footsteps. "I'll let you two waste away together down here. Be sure to call for me should you need ANYthing." His words were laced with a vicious dose of sarcasm.
With a choppy sigh, Joker frowned, shrugged... and then suddenly hacked up more blood. "I..." He was interrupted by an abrupt tightening of his throat and lungs. "...still don't like him."
"Lie down. On your side so you don't choke." Bruce instructed.
*He might need surgery.* He thought to himself. *His windpipe is likely damaged.*
Bruce fought down panic as he guided the Joker over to the bed, since he'd broken the medical table earlier.
"You had to antagonize him, didn't you?" He muttered.
"Shut up," Joker hissed. He made a 'not again' groan as he was forced to lay down, and shook his head. "I'm fine," he wheezed. Already, the sheets soaked up the moistness on his lips.
"You're not fine." Bruce insisted forcefully as he retrieved his cowl and pulled it on. He remote-started the Batmobile, then headed back over to the bed to collect Joker.
"I... I don't want... hospital..." Joker lifted a hand to keep Batman at bay.
"It's not a hospital." Bruce insisted, easily outmaneuvering the Joker's weak resistance and pulling him into a fetal position.
"Good." Joker wheezed and coughed again, closing his eyes as he was moved around.
Batman carried him over to the Batmobile and settled him into the passenger side. Erring on the side of caution, he put an oxygen mask over the Joker's face. That done, he got in the driver's seat and sped out of the cave.
*