He Told Me He Was Hollow

Chapter One: Why Drowing is As Painful As Heartbreak

Okie dokie y'all... here's a new one! It's very... OC? I guess? No OC characters really, it's just not exactly following the comics perfectly... not that any of my other fics do lol...

This, kinda like some of my other fics that I'm writing; includes my own twist on Batman/Bruce. Yeah he's still a kick-ass crime-fighter, but he also has an... emotional side I guess? Yes there will be tears from him, and in my opinion, it doesn't make him any less manly or cool.

He's grieving.

So please, (the people that have a problem with a kinda emotional Batman) chill and give him a break. If you lose/lost someone very dear to you; I'm sure you would either cry or cope in similar ways as well. (Maybe not as similar because I'm gonna make some of his coping mechanisms kinda unhealthy, but I hope y'all get the point.)

With that all being said please,

Enjoy!

-S.O.M.

Chapter One

The phrase, "the strong protect the weak" had come to mean nothing when one of the world's strongest men became weak himself.

Weak can be used to define many things, or people; many types of people to be exact.

Possibly a young child, or maybe someone who is physically ill; weak. Simple as that. Though when the mentally ill are brought into the question; that's a whole other story.

Physically just as in the Joker's case, they may be as strong as an mighty tower; standing alone, proud and tall for all to see. Mentally, their tower crumbles. There aren't enough support beams to help them remain standing when even the slightest gust of wind rolls through; that's how they could be defined as weak.

It all comes down to emotions.

Bruce Wayne had never been evaluated; but when Superman killed the Joker, he knew that his tower was in shambles.

The Joker's lifeless body laid there on the floor, bleeding ever so slowly now. The blood around the madman's mouth had dried, his smile marked with the substance permanently now.

The Joker most likely wouldn't even be allowed a proper burial; that thought crushed Bruce even more.

The now murderer known as Superman had been taken into custody minutes after the murder had taken place, do to Bruce's small stash of Kryptonite that he always had stashed in his utility belt; specifically in case of any occasions like this.

Bruce always knew that he'd have to use it on Clark someday, but not like this. He had always pictured it having to be used because of a death match between Superman and him.

Not with... Not with his unadmitted bestfriend bleeding out on a dirty warehouse floor. The clown was a murdering psychopath, but he didn't deserve to die like this. He deserved to die of old age, just like everyone else... and now he would never receive that luxury.

His last moments would be remembered of him having his beating heart ripped from his chest, by a man that barely knew him.

Bruce shared the pain of his heart being torn violently out of his chest with the now dead Joker. The Caped-Crusader would never admit it aloud, not that he would have the chance to now; but he had loved the maniac.

He still loved him; even as he bled out and took his final breath...

Even now.

Besides Alfred, the Clown Prince was the only one that had every truly understood Bruce... and he didn't even have to see under the mask to know him.