Protecting the Batbrothers

Chapter fifteen

Italics are flashbacks
_________

Jason wasn't sure what to feel. Glee that the Joker would finally leave this world? Anger, because of the hesitation in Bruce's eyes? Sympathy for his former father figure, because Jason knew far too well what it meant to cross that line? But one emotion was crossing all the others out: anticipation.
He got that Bruce hadn't killed the Joker when Jason gave him the ultimatum back when he had first revealed himself, but now, in this situation... Bruce didn't have a choice, right? It was either him and Dick or Bruce's own morals.

He didn't dare breath. Everything seemed frozen. He could feel Dick's unease next to him.
Jason knew that, if Batman did kill the Joker, he would be broken, falling into a darkness he couldn't escape from. And even if Jason wished more than anything that the Joker would finally meet his fucking end, he also knew that Bruce wouldn't be the only one broken.
Dick, Tim and Damian would lose their father, their hero and mentor.
He followed Joker's movements with his eyes, as the villain pushed the gun into Batman's hand harder. "Do. It."

"No." The gun slid across the floor and Batman shook his head. "I am not killing you."
There it was again, the cold laugh that send chills down the anti-hero's spine. "Oh, believe me, you will."
He took out two other guns. Where the hell does he hide all those things?!

He handed one to Batman once again, who was about to drop it, but hesitated as the Joker pointed the other gun at Jason's head. "I told you the rules, Batsy." His voice, so cold and emotionless made Jason shiver. He couldn't die, not again, Bruce couldn't let him die, not when he had the chance to actually save him this time. He wouldn't. He couldn't. (Please don't let him do this to me again.)
Jason couldn't bear the thought of having to crawl out of his own grave again, the feeling of suffocating and his fingernail splitting and the panic choking him... he didn't want to be lost in that eternal... darkness, he just couldn't!

He looked up at his father and gulped down a forming lump in his throat, blinking away tears. He was just glad no one could see him cry through the domino mask.

"Kill me, or they die." Joker's finger hovered above the trigger and Bruce strengthened his grip the weapon that had been forced into his hands.

Jason couldn't breath. He felt his heart squeezing painfully as he stared at the gun that was ponied at his head. He usually wasn't afraid of guns, or being held at gunpoint, but... this the Joker, he could deal with everything but the Joker. His breath hitched as he stared at the yellow teeth Joker's grin was showing. He knew that grin, remembered it clearly.

The crowbar hit his chin with a sickening crack and Jason bit his lip to stop himself from screaming, but he couldn't help the pained grunt that escaped his throat as he fell to the side, his weak knees unable to support him any longer.

It hurt. It hurt so bad. Where was Batman? Why wasn't he here, kicking Joker's butt and telling Jason that everything was going to be okay?

"Wow. That looked like it really hurt." Jason growled inwardly at the glee and satisfaction in his tormentors voice.
That sick bastard.
He felt like he couldn't breath, his lungs constricting inside his chest. He coughed and red stained his chin, dripping down his neck. He was bleeding internally.

Jason felt fear squeeze his heart tightly, holding it in an ice-cold grip. He didn't want to die, not now, not like this, not alone, but he wouldn't plead with the Joker, not in a thousand years.

He weakly glared up at the villain hovering above him, the bloodied crowbar firmly clutched in one hand. The Joker grinned, a grin that promised more pain, anguish and torture, a grin that would forever be seared into his mind.