Chapter Text
A familiar autumn chill cut through the Gotham City air, frosting the breaths of passerbys.
The streets were busy, full of workers heading home and sellers taking advantage of the crowds. Those who worked... less savory jobs were just about ready to take to the streets, making it prime time for pickpockets and informants.
The streets were busy, crowded with shoppers and sellers trying to take advantage of the Halloween preparations.
The Diamond district was considered a "nicer" part of Gotham, which in comparison to other cities was still pretty poor, but meant it was less likely a Supervillain would crash through the streets trying to wipe out the city.
Sure you'd get a few robberies every week, but the villains generally went to the more densely populated areas to enact their life threatening schemes.
Unfortunately for the Diamond District, Batman was thundering across the rooftops in hot pursuit of the Clown Prince himself.
"Give it up, Joker!" growled Batman, feet pounding against the ground.
"Not on your life, Batman!" spat the Joker, peals of manic laughter cutting through the air.
Screams echoed from below as people too notice of the commotion above them. Batman cursed, knowing there'd be stampedes as people tried to escape whatever world ending scheme they thought the Joker cooked up.
Which this time, almost irritatingly, was a jewellery store robbery.
Barely a week after planting explosives beneath a highschool, the Joker strolled down to "The Glass Jewel" and requested the cashier empty the till. He's unpredictable like that.
The poor cashier had practically thrown the money at him in terror, making this a rather successful unarmed robbery.
Which led Batman to where he is now. Chasing a clown across rooftops at four pm on a Wednesday.
Thankfully, before Batman could contemplate his poor life choices any longer, one of the few good choices he'd made arrived.
A lean, muscled body, clothed in black and blue slammed into the Joker from the side, knocking him away from the rooftop he was about to leap off. The Joker wheezed as dollar bills fell from the comedically large money bag he'd slung over his shoulder.
(There had not been that much money in the till. Bruce did not want to think about where it had come from.)
"It's over, Joker!" growled Nightwing, leaping upwards as he began wrestling the money bag away from the the madman.
"Hey, that's his line," hissed Joker, scrambling to grab it back.
As dangerous as the Joker is, he's no match for Nightwing, especially not fresh off a week-long stint at Arkham.
Nightwing landed a strong kick to the Joker's stomach, doubling the man over in agony. He wrapped around him, yanking the bag from his loosened grip and flinging it out of reach.
Joker let out an indignant noise as he reached towards it, but was stopped as Nightwing pinned him to the ground.
Suddenly, a thundering helicopter approached the building. Batman tensed, preparing for Joker's backup. Nightwing eagerly looked up, expecting the Gotham Police. They were greeted by the Gotham Gazette Newspaper logo. It was Vicki Vale.
The eager redhead was practically hanging out of the helicopter as she urged the camera man to get a better view. Her mouth was rapidly moving, presumably narrating the events to her viewers.
Nightwing groaned in disappointment. That momentary lapse in concentration was all Joker needed.
He rolled over, throwing Nightwing off his back and sending him careening towards the edge. Nightwing rolled upright, but Joker pulled a gleaming silver gun from his bag.
Both him and Batman froze.
"Give it up, Joker! There's no place left to run!" ordered Batman.
"Jeez, come up with some new material," he dramatically sighs. "Don't make me laugh, my Batty friend," he giggled. "This is the pinnacle of my brilliant career!"
He reached into the money bag and pulled out a glistening diamond necklace. That probably upped the crime from "robbery" to "heist."
"Feast your eyes on these - the so called "hopeless diamonds" - the smile of death! A triumph I achieved alone, no henchmen to sully it's purity."
"There's nowhere to go, Joker, just let us bring you in. You know you're not getting a shot on either one of us," snarked Nightwing.
The whirring blades got louder, drowning out his voice as the helicopter lowered down, camera angling towards the necklace clutched in Jokers hand.
The man's smile impossibly widened.
"Never say never, Blunder Boy."
He pointed his gun towards the helicopter, where Vicki Vale was still leaning out.
Fuck.
Nightwing hurled himself towards her, but a loud crack rang through the air. Warmth bubbled in his shoulder as the momentum of the bullet whirled him around. He wobbled in place for a moment, before plunging off the edge of the building.
Fuck.
"Nightwing!" Batman screeched, throwing himself onto the Joker. The gun clattered uselessly to the floor as he slams his face into the ground.
"Ha ha HA! Well isn't this familiar!" guffaws the Joker, voice still muffled.
Batman slammed his face back down, rendering him unconscious.
He ran to the edge, desperately peering over to catch .
"Nightwing? My god, Nightwing..."
His eyes locked onto a bright flash of blue. Relief flooded his heart as he sighted Nightwing below, precariously clinging onto the horn of a gargoyle with his one good arm.
Nightwing was staring up at him. "I... I can make it! Batman, get him-!" his voice cut off as the gargoyle began to crumble.
A moment passed where it seemed time might have frozen, and it was only them, staring at eachother as the horn snapped off.
It was only Bruce, staring into his son's bright blue eyes as they slowly widened in terror, staring at his son's shaking hands as they scrabbled to find another hold, staring as they lost their grip.
But time resumed.
And Nightwing was falling.