Chapter Text
JJ POV
We spent the remainder of the day simply being in each other's presence. Dick was preoccupied with gathering leads and intelligence on The Joker and his gang, while I was settling into the guest room. Eventually, I emerged into the living area where I spotted Dick gazing out at the city, his expression grave.
“Is it really that serious? ” I asked tentatively.
He didn't turn to face me as he replied, “It's worse. ”
A flood of thoughts rushed through my mind, each one darker and more brutal than the last. “Just tell me straight, no sugarcoating. My imagination is venturing into some really dark territories right now.” I expressed my hope that he would feel comfortable enough to share the truth with me.
Dick glanced over with a fierce expression. I was relieved to see that his intensity wasn’t aimed at me but stemmed from a demeanor earned from years of receiving grim bloody news, eventually becoming desensitized to it.
“The Joker is completely out of control,” he said, “According to my sources, he’s grown more unstable over the past few years. There's a rumor he’s involving children in his operations now, and regardless, he’s making a move on Bludhaven. Gotham has too many players and he seems to want a place where he can dictate the rules. Most importantly, he's trying to draw Batman out of Gotham and hiding. Oracle believes he’s attempting to push Batman into a corner, making him desperate and careless, which would give Joker the edge he’s been seeking. ” He paused for a moment before whispering, “I need to see if I can reach Bruce. ”
When he didn’t take out his phone, I felt compelled to share my thoughts. “You know, The Joker and Batman have always had this obsession with one another. What makes this situation any different? Sure, The Joker has escalated, but I’m not surprised by that. ” I wanted to tread carefully, but something about his demeanor felt inconsistent. “What are you holding back? ”
Dick stood silently, fixated on his phone.
Then, something struck me as odd. “What did you mean by ’see if you can reach’ Bruce? And what do you mean by trying to 'bring him out of hiding'? ” I asked slowly.
His expression hardened, growing almost unyielding. “Gordon hasn’t heard from Batman in over a month—complete radio silence. He’s not responding to the Bat-signal, and the streets are in chaos. Gotham has no one to protect it now. There’s also a large bounty on my head—three million for Nightwing, and seven million if I’m still alive for him to ‘play’ with. He's also offering a hefty sum for anyone who can bring you back to him unharmed. ”