The Joke Was On Me

Prologue:

They have been at it for hours now, the argument was nowhere nearing the end anytime soon. Jason paced from one end of the Batcave to the other ranting and flailing furiously while Bruce followed slowly behind him every step of the way.

"I just don't get it," Jason said. "Why don't you just kill him?"

"It's not that -"

" YES IT IS! How many times have we locked him up for him to just escape again and again and again?"

Bruce heard wisdom in those words coming from the mouth of an 18 year old, yet they still did not align with his moral compass: the Batman nor the Bat Family kills. There have been many times where it seemed like the simpler solution, but he felt it would make him no better than the man who gunned down Thomas and Martha.

Bruce furrowed his brows and inhaled sharply, "Jason, you must understand that this is not what we stand for-"

"Then what do we-"

" Let me finish Robin," his voice grew sterner.

Bruce only called Jason by Robin when he was either being professional, frustrated, annoyed or furious, this time seemed like a bit of the latter.

"You must understand that this is not what we stand for. We do not take judgement into our own hands, we deliver criminals to justice and from there what happens to them is out of our hands."

Jason's mouth was agape, "How can you say that? How can you fucking say that?"

"Language, Jason!"

"You're a hypocrite Bruce," Jason shoved him, "I've seen the way you look at him, don't tell me that you don't agree with me. That...that thing is not human Bruce. He deserves to die."

Jason stared blatantly at Bruce waiting for an answer.

"I don't agree with you," Bruce turned his back on him keeping his posture.

Jason was completely dumbfounded, his emotions were stirring in a pot of smoldering hate and anger making it harder to control his impulses to cuss Bruce out for his monumental hypocrisy.

"So the people...last night?" Jason's voice was breaking, "they didn't deserve a chance?"

Bruce, back turned to Jason, lowered his head in visible regret."

"There was nothing we could've done..."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

Bruce was silent.

"Let me ask you something Bruce," Jason bared his teeth, "if the Joker was the one who gunned your parents down, would you had killed him then?"

Bruce lifted his head slowly and with a mere whisper, "Jason, leave."

"What?" A hint of disbelief could be heard in his voice.

"Leave. Now. Right. Now."

Jason's mind was now swirling. So many things to think, so many thoughts to put into words, but nothing came out. He could not believe the way his master and father figure was acting, it only proved his theory that Batman and Joker's relationship goes further down the rabbit hole. They're not just enemies, it's something more than that. Jason so wished he could put that thought into words, form a cohesive sentence to it, but it was impossible with so much hate flowing within him at the moment.

"Fine, be that way," Robin was very dissappointed, "guess I'll have to finish what you started."

Bruce turned to face a now masked Robin, "No. You will do no such thing."

"I'm done with you Bruce. Good bye."

Robin's parting words left Bruce unscathed. Jason is young, bold and brash, he will act stupid and learn from his mistakes, that's what Bruce told himself. He will be back within a few hours.

As Robin gathered some of his equipment from the Batcave, Bruce proceeded to remove the rest of his batsuit. Jason took several glances at him feeling hurt that he didn't even try to stop him, knowing full well the crusade he was about to undertake. Or so Jason believed.

All equipment on back and accounted for: retractable staff, shurikens, smoke pellets and grapnel gun; Robin was good to go. He requested for the R-Cycle from the automated garage system as he slipped on his red helmet with a tinted visor; ironically the world before him now seemed just as dark as he felt within. The vehicle came to and as Jason saddled on it he took one last look towards Bruce, with the suit fully removed. His words had offended him more than he had thought. There was nothing that brought him anymore sorrow than the death of his parents and Jason's analogy had only deepened a scar and made him question his own morals and rules with the thought of what if; what if the Joker did kill his parents? Would things be any different? Would he had killed him a long time ago? This wasn't new for Bruce as Jason thought. These are question that have plagued him since the first time he met that vile human being.

Bruce felt Jason's cold stare on his back, but his ego has been damaged and feelings have been hurt, he would not accept an apology just yet. He stared into a picture frame of him and his parents during happier times. The R-Cycle revved out of the Batcave leaving a loud echo and a trail of dust as Jason left angrily. Bruce turned as the hidden entrance behind the waterfall closed; he knew Robin's threats were idle, the boy is too smart for his own good Bruce often thought.

"He'll come around..." He said softly to himself.

It was one of those nights were he ended early due to company meetings in the morning, they have become increasingly frequent which only meant he'd head out on his nightly crusades earlier. That night was no different. His share and Robin's of vigilantism for the night was enough so he dimmed all the lights in cave and headed to the manor via elevator to get some well earned rest.