Richard was getting better as the days went on. But if someone asked if wanted to stay with Slade or stay with Bruce, he would end up silent for a while. He had several times in the day when he would cry and feel guilty about Alfred, and he would even wake up screaming at night from nightmares. So he had been getting better. He was finally mourning the people he killed. But he was losing too much sleep. His shoulder was healing nicely as well.

Currently he was with Bruce in the visitor's area, him playing checkers with Bruce.

"Damn. You're good." Bruce spoke softly as he smiled.

"Hehe, thank you." Richard smiled softly.

"Bam!" Bruce then smirked.

He picked his peice and jumped over all of Richard's checker pieces and made it to the other side, crowing winner of the game and king.

"What!?" Richard gasped and pouted.

"Haha. Can't be beaten." Bruce chuckled.

"Damnit." Richard face palmed. "One of these days. I shall beat you at checkers!" Richard acted out dramatically.

"Well, that was fun." Bruce smiled gently. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah. It was fun I guess." Richard pouted and then groaned and held his shoulder. "One of the nurses reopened my wound yesterday. It hurts like hell." Richard complained.

"Why did she do that?" Bruce looked confused and mad.

"An accident." Richard huffed. "Really she just pulled the skin on my back far enough to rip it's stitches."

"Hm, that sounds painful." Bruce sighed softly. "So, I have good news. West woke in the hospital yesterday morning. The first thing he did when he woke was ask if you were okay. Hehe, kid remembered everything the moment he woke up."

"Is he okay?" Richard frowned.

"Yes, he will heal fine." Bruce closed his eyes and scratched his scruffy chin. "

"That's good news." Richard smiled.

"So, how are you? Mentally?" Bruce looked at him with concern."

"I'm getting better." Richard smiled and tilted his head. "it's been a bit of a bumpy ride. But this medicine they put me on helps my anger and impulses. We played shoots and ladders in Canary's office. And the people in the cafeteria played duck duck goose. It was nice." Richard laid his head on the table.

"You seem tired. Have you not been sleeping?" Bruce asked.

Richard then fiddled with a checkers piece and looked at it with a sad look in his eyes, but he had a soft smile.

"I've been getting plenty." Richard lied.

As always Bruce saw through it, but he didn't say anything about. He only nodded and stood.

"I shall leave you be. Go back to your room and take a nap. Batman is coming later to talk with you." He winked and walked off, leaving something on the desk they were visiting at

Richard looked over at it and his eyes widened lightly. Resting on the desk was a very small pocket knife. Richard stared a bit before snatching it and placing it in his pocket.

"Thanks." Richard whispered before walking off to the door.

Once in the hallway Richard began to walk back to his cell. He looked around and then down at his feet, his shoes being bland and messed up as usual. His eyes then traveled upwards just in time as he ran into someone. With a grunt Richard made the pain in his shoulder noticable. He stumbled away from the male and opened his eyes and looked up to see who it was that he had bumped into.

He gasped.

"My my. It's not nice to bump into someone with injuries." Joker chuckled and bent over and eyed him." You know, what you did was the most painful experience of my life." Joker eyed Richard softly.

Richard felt his impulse spike but with the meds it was easily overpowered by his kid like fear at the moment. With his mind as shattered as it was, it was hard for him to be brave. And who could blame him after the things he had undergone?

"You are too close." Richard back up a bit and adjusted his clothes.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?" Joker got close to him before pressing a hand against the wall Beside Richard's head.

"..." Richard nearly whimpered but kept himself in check. "Highly."

"Then why should I back away?" Joker snickered. "With Mr. Bad guy Slade guarding you twenty four seven. The only time he doesn't like following is when you have visitors. And once done chatting it's right around three twenty, as it is now." Joker hummed. "You aren't the only one with friends here. I have my own system to run in this place. All of the staff likes me." He giggled and stood straight and placed a hand on Richard's shoulder and motioned forwards. "Let's walk."

Richard shuddered but listened and walked, feeling his posture want to straighten, due to training. But Canary advised him against it. So he relaxed his posture to where it wasn't painfully straight.

"This place is like a second home to me you see. Slade has everyone's respect. Yes. But he isn't really liked by everybody. Hell, most fear him. But everyone seems to enjoy my presence. I love to make them all laugh with funny jokes and mischief. As messed up as it sounds, people here look forward to me getting arrested and sent back here again." Joker looked forwards. "With this comes the ability to have eyes and ears literally everywhere. Which means I know everything you do when you do it. But I also know what Slade does when he isn't around you." Joker smirked.

Richard took interest. "Why are you saying this to me?"

"Because. Slade found a way out. My escape root he located. He wants to break out with you with him. But I also heard disturbing news. How he grabbed you, wanting to teach you lesson for talking down to him and shouting. He would have beat you. And now that I have seen the error of my ways. Due to that harsh torture. I want to help you." Joker chuckled. "But before that. I want you to promise me something."

"What?" Richard held massive distrust in his tone.

"Stay away from Wilson. He is a ticking time bomb." Joker hummed.

"As are you." Richard hissed.

"But who is smart enough to fool people? And to act well. Keep quiet. And lay low? Keep secrets from others even if they are the closest they have?" Joker asked. "He's never been caught. Or defeated Dickie. He is only here by making a deal with Bruce. And coming at his own will. Because of you. But he has plans on leaving with you. And training you further. He was giving you a choice because he thinks he trained you long enough for you to trust his choices and to like killing and the ways he lives by. That's why he's giving you a choice. Because he thinks you are already choosing him. Which is why he started going to your therapy sessions with Canary. It's why he is 'softening' his heart. He is luring you away by his own means of manipulation. Not a man to be trusted. Heh, well, neither am I. But at least I'm honest." Joker finished.

"What way does this benefit you?" Richard growled.

"To get back at him for letting you torture me. And for ruining my show." He huffed.

"You hurt me." Richard growled.

"And you got even. We are on the same level now. Except for the fact you walked on hot coals got electrocuted and shot. And I got disassembled and reassembled." Joker growled.

"You beat the shit out of me." Richard growled.

"Not as bad as you hurt me afterwards Dickie." Joker patted his head.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Richard looked at him.

"Why would I lie?" Joker chuckled and walked forwards and walked off.

Richard watched him and felt pain strike his chest. He looked down and held his head and sat down and leaned against the wall.

"....oh my god...what if he's right...?" Richard panicked. "Did...did he lie!?"

"Richard ?" Slade called and rounded a corner "there you are. I was worried- Richard what's wrong?", Slade asked.

Richard tensed and looked st him with anger. "Come near me and I will break you!" Richard spat. "Get back!"

"Where is this coming fro-" Slade was cut off.

"IM NOT STUPID SLADE! You were going to escape!" Richard pointed an accusing finger at him and stood.

"Yes. But I am bringing you with me.", Slade spoke softly and held up his hands.

"THEN WHAT!? GIVE ME A CHOICE!?" Richard growled. "You...you...were going to hurt me when I yelled. You were going to hurt me again. You were going to beat me again! I'm not about to go back into that hell! I was starved! I was deprived of sleep! You drugged me! Trained me! You changed me! Forced me to kill!" Richard broke down. "AND YOU ACT NICE TO ME JUST SO I CAN BE YOUR LAP DOG!?" Richard screamed.

Doctors along with Canary and others ran in, staring, seeing if they need to break something up if it erupts.

"This is no place to be having this conversation Richard. Whoever spoke these things to you were lying." Slade moved forwards slowly.

"I WON'T BE MANIPULATED BY YOU ANYMORE! IM NOT YOUR APPRENTICE! IM NOT A PUNCHING BAG! IM RICHARD GRAYSON! AND YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE MY STATE OF MIND. THAT'S. IT. THE MOMENT I SAY SO YOU ARE ARRESTED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH. BECAUSE YOUR CRIMES ARE PUNISHABLE BY IT! Once I press charges you are so dead." Richard giggled and eyes Slade. "Canary!" Richard whipped his head to face her. "IM PRESSING CHARGES! I want Slade arrested for murder of countless lives. Kidnapping me. Abusing me. And forcing me to be this way. I want him to be sentenced to death by the electric chair! So at least then it will hurt him just before he dies. I want it to be the last thing he remembers.", Richard sobbed out and covered his eyes.

Slade was then wrestled to the ground. Him in shock as he didn't fight back. He felt his chest ache as he stared at Richard in pure shock as he was then carried off.

Joker, who was just around the corner chuckled. "Kids are so fun! I might have to get me a child one of these days~!" Joker giggled into his hand as he walked off before erupting into a mad laughing fit.