Robin's Shadow (Batman OC)

Chapter 20: Joker is Dead

My phone rings after I've been here at the café for a little while. "Ana, where are you?" Bruce asks me immediately when I answer the phone.

"I'm at a café on Fisher, why?" I answer casually, the bustling sounds of the café around me is probably heard plainly on his end.

"I'm sending Alfred to get you, I need you to come home. I have news." He says seriously.

"Ok." I respond just as seriously and hang up. I leave a tip on the table and leave to stand outside a few minutes later, and get into Alfred's town car that he always picks me up in. Since I'm technically only 15 still, I am not allowed to drive around Gotham as Ana. 

"Mistress Anastasia..." Alfred greets me in a worried tone as I get in the car, moving as casually as I can but feeling the minor injuries I sustained in my fight affecting me. My knuckles are the worst though, and the fake skin putty I have on them right now stings like all get out, but it was needed since I cut them up so bad.

"What's going on, Al? Bruce sounded... even more serious than usual on the phone. Is it Dick?" I ask with concern, going to the only other person I speak to these days. I haven't even seen or talked to Roy since the funeral, he's been going through some problems of his own.

"Master Dick is fine. There has been... another development. I will let Master Bruce tell you at home." Alfred answers seriously. I just nod to him firmly, and stare out the window blankly as we head home quickly.

"Ana." Bruce greets me stoically as I walk down to the cave.

"Bruce, what's going on? You're kind of freaking me out." I say nervously to him, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Joker is dead." He says bluntly to me. I stall in my movements, stopping mid step. My hand slowly falls from my neck as my mouth hangs open.

"You finally killed the Joker?" I ask him in a hopeful whisper.

"No." He replies immediately. "Nightingale murdered him. I couldn't stop her."

"He's really dead though?" I ask him hopefully, a hint of desperation in my voice. With Gotham, I learned not to trust too many things, even blowing someone's head off.

"Yes. Not much left of him after she blew him up. Almost all the evidence was destroyed too in her explosion." He growls out angrily.

"He's really gone then." I breath out in relief, and then collapse onto my knees, genuine relief showing on my face. I feel myself start to cry, only this time they are happier tears, tears of relief. I feel Alfred move to my side and place a hand on my shoulders.

"It seems this nightmare is over." Alfred says consolingly to me, then helps me stand back up after a minute. "I think it is time to move on. For all of us."

"Never forget, but move forward." I say to him sadly, but I see Bruce is seething still. I walk over to him and gently take his hand in both my sore hands. "I know you don't like killing, but please see this as a good thing. You didn't go over the edge, you didn't kill him." I reassure him as I squeeze his hand.

"He died in my arms, Ana. He was in my custody, and I let her kill him. I knew she was still armed and angry." He says seriously to me, his voice full of guilt. "Maybe I let this happen..." He adds in a whisper. At this, I wrap my arms around him, and hold him in a hug that he needs. Failures of any type cut deep for him, and I'm genuinely sorry I caused this current grief.

"Sometimes fates can be changed." I tell him softly. "I know you think you and Joker were fated to battle each other forever, but maybe destiny had a different plan. Don't let this weigh on you, Bruce. You're still a great hero." I tell him honestly. He slowly wraps his arms around me too, and holds me close, giving me the hug I knew I desperately needed right now. We stay there like that for a moment before he pulls away.