Doomed To Fail #248

Batman had a blank expression as he rode his bike, speeding through the snow-caked dirt road toward the warehouse in front of him. He couldn't help the sinking sensation in his stomach as he drew closer and closer to his destination.

Suddenly the bike hit a pump hidden by the snow and flew into the air, causing the caped crusader to grunt as he somersaulted to the ground and ran towards the warehouse entrance.

Every step he took filled him with dread, but he did not stop, running as fast as his legs could carry him until he reached the entrance. Batman's eyes turned to the lock, and before he could do anything, he heard a loud beep from within the building.

The caped crusader's eyes widened. "Jason...!" He muttered as he reached for the lock, only for a loud, fiery explosion to tear through the door and send him flying back into the snow.

Despite feeling disoriented, Batman quickly got up, and his expression instantly froze as he noticed the warehouse, torn apart by the explosion, as the flames consumed what remained of it.

Batman's expression faltered as he rushed into the ruins, his eyes darting all over the place as he searched for any traces of his student until he noticed a red cloth sticking out beneath a pile of metal and rocks.

The caped crusader threw himself into the ground and quickly began digging, his desperation giving him unusual strength as he swiftly moved the rocks and heavy sheets of metal.

However, his newfound strength quickly failed him as he immediately fell to his knees upon finding what he was looking for; his student's body, bloodied, unmoving, lifeless.

"No..." Batman rushed to Robin's body to inspect his vitals, and what he found didn't make him feel even better as his student's heart lay dormant, un-beating.

The caped crusader spent fifteen minutes applying every technique he knew to breathe life back into his student's body and only stopped when they all proved futile, forcing him to accept reality. chocked

"Jason...!" The caped crusader called out. His tone was sad and full of tremors as tears ran down his stoic visage and the hands holding his student trembled.

He sat there for a moment as he held on to Robin's body, not knowing what to do before he let out a bitter sigh and stood up, walking away with his student's corpse.

...

"Shit..." I couldn't help but curse as I watched a report about a specific warehouse north of Gotham going up in flames on my television. The reporter said there were no casualties, but I knew better.

It all matched perfectly, the timing, the place, and the fact the Joker recently escaped custody, but I still didn't see it coming, not so soon, at the very least.

Crazy and demented as he was, I didn't think the Joker would go after Jason Todd as soon as he escaped prison, not with a missing hand and several injures and burns.

I honestly thought the Joker's first move would be to hunt me down, or "Guardian Angel," as the media called my alter, alter, ego as it was the reason for his most recent failure.

It's why I chose to leave him be for the meantime to focus on other tasks. I assumed he wouldn't do something too crazy. Had I known he'd be gunning for Jason Todd, I would have tried to prevent it.

I'm not the biggest fan of the edgiest Robin, but no one deserved to be beaten within an inch of their life with a crowbar only to die in a massive explosion.

Though Talia Al-Ghul would later resurrect him, it wouldn't magically erase the experience from his mind, and he'd turn into a trigger-happy lunatic full of spite and anger.

'Yeah... looks like I'll have to do Batman's job... again...' I bitterly mused, sighing as I got off the couch and headed for the hideout's exit with a determined expression.

The Joker had a habit of outdoing himself, and I didn't feel like waiting for him to burn down the city now that he's taken out Jason Todd. I already made a mistake by ignoring him once.

I don't intend to repeat the same mistake.

...

Sherman Fine, better known as the broker, couldn't help but curse at his luck as he ran for dear life, panting for breath. His hideouts were dismantled one after the other by angry, heavy-handed vigilantes until they finally found him.

He had survived so far by flying under everyone's radar, operating on the side as he provided hideouts, lairs, gadgets, and intel to various super villains and career criminals for a reasonable price.

However, his latest venture, which involved dealing with the Joker, was his greatest mistake as the clown prince of crime did the unexpected and killed one of the Bat's sidekicks.

He didn't even get the time to process the situation before countless reports came from his goons asking for backup against the Bat Family members and various Gotham vigilantes tearing down the city in their hunt for the Joker.

They finally found him, and it was the worst possible person to show up at his doorstep. He couldn't help but shiver as he remembered the dark shadow running around the hideout and breaking his hired muscle's bones left and right from the safety of his office.

Ultimately, Sherman was not a fighter. He quickly decided to flee through a secret tunnel as soon as the caped crusader took out five of his men, but little did he know there was no escape.

As he ran, looking behind his back, Sherman suddenly fell flat on his ass as he hit something that felt harder than a brick wall. He winced as he looked up to see what caused him to fall and immediately froze as he noticed a cold pair of red orbs staring into his eyes.

"You... you're Grayson Whitlock..." Sherman said, but the young man before him didn't bother to turn to him as he seemed occupied looking at something behind the broker.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Grayson said, his tone blank, to which Sherman couldn't take it any longer and turned to look behind him, freezing all over again at the sight of the caped crusader.

Batman only grunted in response and approached the broker, greeting him with a kick to his ribs. "Where is the Joker?" The caped crusader asked as he picked up Sherman and harshly pinned him against the wall in one smooth motion.

"I'm not telling you anything..." Sherman said with a resolute expression that didn't break even as Batman punched him in the face. "You can beat me all you want. It's nothing compared to what the Joker would do to me," he added, firmly shaking his head.

Unlike many who had been in his position, the broker meant every word he spoke, and he intended to stand by them, try the caped crusader to dissuade him with physical abuse as he might.

The broker might fear Batman, but he feared the Joker even more. The caped crusader had a fine line that he would not cross, while the latter would not stop until he had what he wanted regardless of scruples.

It's why Batman was forever doomed to fail. The caped crusader's best weapon was the fear he inspired in criminals, but they would always fear someone like the Joker more than him.

Still, Batman didn't seem to care as he beat the broker until his face was a barely recognizable mess, prompting Grayson to intervene as he could no longer watch in silence.

"Easy there," Grayson said as he held Batman's wrist before he could resume punching the broker. "The guy clearly fears the Joker more than you. You're not getting anything out of him," He added as he let go of the caped crusader's arm, earning a blank glare for his effort.

"If you want to know where the Joker is, I can get it out of his mind..." He said with a sigh, scratching his head. "Unless you want to take your anger on him, then by all means..." He added with a shrug, gesturing towards the broker.

Batman let out a grunt of annoyance but said nothing else as he let go of the broker and stepped back, crossing his arms and giving Grayson a blank stare.

"This would only hurt if you resist, so don't," Grayson said as he kneeled next to the broker as the latter slid across the wall. "Or do. I don't really care," He added with a chuckle as he reached for his forehead.