Who You Really Are - Batjokes

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A few days later, Bruce found himself within the Batcave, sitting in front of the batcomputer, studying the security cams of Joker's chambers from the last two months in hope to find clear evidence that could achieve Joker's release. He was still at the beginning of his research and just by the end of the first day where he momentarily watched Joker jumping around on his bed, giggling like a little kid on a playground as Alfred announced himself by the beeping sound of the elevator. He stepped near his master and presented a tray of tea of which he poured him a coup. Bruce turned to receive the cup and gave Alfred a thankful nod as the butler suddenly raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like he's fallen asleep, truly like a child", he hummed astonished while pointing at the clown curled up like a ball on his bed between the messed up sheets.
Bruce turned back to the screens with a slight smile and pressed the skip button.
"Then let's let this day rest and-"
He stopped abruptly, suddenly seeing something move within the screen only three hours later. He let the recording run and watched at first curious how Joker began twitching and moving a little to the side.
"He appears to be having either a wild dream or-"
"-a nightmare", Bruce finished his butler's sentence, watching as the clown squirmed and even kicked a few times while a faint sniffling was to be heard from afar.
"No", he whispered.
"No. No.No", his voice became louder until he'd scream , "No! No, leave me alone!"
Bruce stared at the screen in disbelief, did not dare move and even Alfred was too stunned to speak.
Joker's helpless screams soon filled the whole Batcave that the bats would screech in distress. Bruce was still frozen, even as the situation seemed to have calmed and Jokers screams muffled more and more until even the sniffs were gone.

"Good lord", Alfred spoke as the first one to recover from what they'd just witnessed.
"That poor guy must've had an awful nightmare"
"I'm not sure whether that was just a nightmare, Alfred", Bruce muttered in response and skipped the tape until the next night where to his misfortune, the exact same thing happened again but way more violently. Joker started kicking and punching the air, holding his hands out as to protect him, crying and screaming that Bruce felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.
"No, not again", the clown whined and eventually curled more into a ball.
"Get away from me! Leave me alone, don't do it again! Get out! No.. No!"
What followed was the most gut wrenching, heartbreaking scream a human being could ever witness. It was one of the kind Bruce remembered screaming out too while standing above the bodies of his dead parents. He knew that kind of pain Joker was expressing here and it was more than just a nightmare. However, soon again, the clown calmed down until all that was left was a sleeping man with a reddened face, puffy cheeks and teary eyes.
The following days gladly went without any of those incidents until they'd get more frequently, permanently for a whole month. The day they stopped was when Joker left his room for the first time and returned with a smile so wide Bruce has never seen it before: The date night. Though he would've loved to smile at that just as much, Bruce's face was now only filled with worry and distress.
"What could cause such a long lasting series of flashbacks?", he asked more himself than anyone else, though he knew better than not to assume the worst.
"I'm afraid we both know the answer to that, Sir."
"Arkham Asylum", he growled hoarsely while clenching his fists so tight he nearly felt his fingernails pinch through his skin.
Whatever happened to Joker, whatever they've done to cause this extreme type of ptsd was enough to raise a rage within Bruce he didn't know he could feel.
It was something that couldn't just be meditated away, forgotten.. forgiven.
That facility was meant to help the helpless, cure the ill and rehabilitate people who couldn't get back on their feet on their own.
At the same time, he blamed himself for sending Joker there over and over again but.. how should he have known? He never lost a word about it, not in the past and not even with him living under the same roof as Bruce. And yet, the world's greatest detective never noticed on his own for months, despite the traumatic response to Arkham's treatment showing right under his nose.
He was so angry, being almost certain Joker wasn't their only victim, they probably made things only worse for him and still do for the many patients remaining under their wing to this day. He needed to stop this as soon as possible for this wasn't right. This wasn't justice, this wasn't healing, it was monstrous. Unforgivably terrible.
Bruce needed to get out of here, he needed to think while at the same time focus on the actual matter at hand being that Joker has proven exemplary behaviour and a more sane appearance than ever which is why Bruce couldn't but eventually discuss his release with the necessary authorities such as Jim Gordon.
He knew this was the last step to cut the wires between Joker and that inhumane institution once and for all and he was so glad that even only making himself on the way to meet Jim would make his heart already feel lighter.