small time skip after this chapter and the beginning of season 2!

"Please tell me you have a plan this time. Because after Louisiana, I don't think I trust you with half of a plan anymore."

"Of course I have a plan! I've been planning this since Louisiana."

"And suddenly that scares me more than anything I've ever faced before." Dick shuddered and sat next to me on the bedroom floor. "Walk me through it."

"We're getting away with murder." I said and he nodded.

"Sounds fun."

"I got word that he's still in Gotham, just hiding. He's always by Crime Alley, watching and waiting for me. So that's we're we'll start."

"And Bruce?"

"Away in Germany for a week. Tim decided to stay so he's with him and Alfred on the plane as we speak."

"Where are we gonna drag him out?"

"I spent all morning hacking the security cameras all over the city and made this." I grinned, pulling out a box from under the bed to reveal a red and black leotard with a red hood.

"Not following, babe."

"Before he became Joker, he was called Red Hood. To prevent being homeless, he made a deal with some thugs who forced him to wear this. His only problem? One bad step and he fell into a pit of acid... he lost his sanity soon after and became the Joker we know today."

"So this is-"

"An homage to his beginnings. I didn't have time to either find or make the actual helmet he used to wear, so this will have to do. But it sends the message across. The purpose of both masks is to hide my identity as much as possible."

"So no Domino?"

"No Ace either."

"And where does that leave me?" He asked as I pulled another box from under the bed. "And why do you have so much space down there!?"

"You're not Nightwing tonight, or Dick Grayson. You're gonna be a regular old thug who has a vendetta against Joker."

"I do have a vendetta against him, Mae."

"Which makes this part much easier." I smiled and opened the box to reveal a black full body suit and a mask that covers the lower half of his face. "You have an out, Dick. I won't hold it against you if you want to take it. You can stay here and watch TV or whatever while I'm out."

"Last three times I left you alone with Joker he cut up your smile, had you dangling close to a put of acid and tortured you for a week. Not to mention he killed someone in the family." He pointed out, taking the suit and walked to the bathroom and I took it as a cue to change as well. "So no, I'm not taking the out."

"Dick, I-"

"Won't be yourself? You'll do things that breaks Bruce's rules? I'm prepared for that."

"No... I'm not avenging Jay's death only. I'm avenging the years he took from me... And all the murders I let happen because I didn't kill him when I had the chance."

"I thought I promised you eight years ago that I'd protect you from him, and I intend to always fulfill that promise, Maeve."

"I know, I know... and I'm grateful for that, birdie." I sighed, tightening the belt when Dick whistled. "I take it that you like the look?"

"If we weren't about to go commit first degree, I'd suggest we stay and have some fun." He smirked, reaching out to grip my hips and pull me flush against his chest. "Can this one make an appearance more often? I'm loving the hood."

"No, but I changed the other suit and added a hood... and changed the symbol to an ace of spades. I'm tired of the fucking birds and bats."

"I'd love to see it... but why am Ace of all things?"

"Time I embraced my roots... new death, new me or whatever the saying is."

"And what about my other offer?" He whispered and lightly bit my shoulder.

"Maybe I'll take you up on it. We'll see when."

"Can't wait."

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"I've come to make a deal, Pyg!"

"Oh... and who is this!?"

"Someone who's very angry and has come to bargain." I said and placed a duffle bag full of money and jewelry on the table next to Pyg's operating tools. "This is my payment."

Thank you Joker for not changing the locations of your shit.

"It's a big payment." Pyg snorted, glancing at the bag and continued to work. "And what is the deal?"

"I bring back Joker's body. Word on the street that you've been wanting to... work with him for a while." I swallowed the vomit watching as he removed some organs and held Dick's hand behind me. "He's all yours."

"Alive?"

"Dead. All yours to bring back to life and kill him as you wish."

"And why would I take in a body that's of no use to me dead?"

"Because I have records saying that you've been dying to experiment on a dead body to try and bring them back to life. You tell me where he is and his body's all yours."

Lies. I already know where he is.

"His body is far from perfection, girl." He said and tried to remove my mask but I stepped back.

"Neither is mine, trust me... but you can make him perfect, Professor."

"And what about him?" Pyg asked, pointing at Dick and I moved to shield him. "His body looks perfect from the outside... makes you wonder if he's just as perfect on the inside."

"Not for sale."

"You want the Joker or not?" Dick asked, his voice distorted from the voice changer of his mask. "Because we have Dollmaker on speed dial and he's more than willing to-"

"You have a deal." Pyg quickly interrupted and I nodded, shaking his hand. "How long do I have to prepare?"

"Until the end of the night. I'll deliver the body before first light."

"I'll be waiting."

"Bastard." I grumbled under my breath, dragging Dick away from the warehouse and took a deep breath. "You alright?"

"He's always scared me." Dick shuddered and I nodded. "We're doing something about it tomorrow right?"

"Tipped off the GCPD when we arrived. Batwoman should be here soon as well." I shrugged, standing next to a manhole. "Help me lift this before we're seen."

"Next stop?"

"The abandoned amusement part... he'll be there... inside the circus tent."

"You ready?"

"No."

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"Joker! I believe you owe me a death!"

"And who are you? I don't recognize you, or your voice."

Here we go. No turning back now.

"No?" I asked, switching off the voice changer of my mask. "How about now, daddy?"

"Acey!" Joker exclaimed, his voice a mixture of shock and terror. "Y-you're alive!?"

"I'm too stubborn to die, remember?" I snarled and pointed the crowbar at him. "You owe me a death, and I've come to cash in."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Why were you hiding? I thought that with Robin's death, you'd be parading the streets."

"That's where you're wrong, sweets. I've been waiting for you." He grinned and snapped his fingers.

The lights turned on revealing tons of hanging mannequins all dressed in a copy of Jason's suit and a smile on their faces.

"That's low, even for you." My voice cracked, making his smile widen.

"But I got you right where I want you."

"You forget she's not alone!" Dick called out from the lower part of the trapeze bars and jumped down, now fully dressed in his Nightwing gear. "You owe the family a death, Joker."

"Hey, how about a joke!?" Joker asked taking a step back when I pulled out a gun. "Acey, you start!"

"There were these two guys in the lunatic asylum..."

"Oh, my favorite." Dick grinned, holding out his escrima sticks.

"One night they decide they don't like living in the asylum anymore. They decide they're gonna escape." I started, hitting Joker with the crowbar across the face. "So, they get up onto the roof and there... just across this narrow gap they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moonlight the other side of town... stretching away to freedom."

Another hit, this time on his ribcage.

"Now, the first guy, he jumps right across with no problem. But his friend, his friend did not dare make the leap. Y'see... Y'see, he's afraid of falling."

This time, I pulled out one of my guns and shot his shoulder, just underneath his clavicle and swung the crowbar at his mouth, breaking a few teeth in the process.

"So then, the first guy has an idea... He says 'Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I'll shine it across the gap between the buildings. You can walk along the beam and join me!' B-but the second guy just shakes his head."

Joker desperately tried to crawl away, but Dick stepped on one of his hands to keep him in place while I used the crowbar to make him look up at me.

"He says... He says 'Wh-what do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off when I was half way across!'"

"I don't get it." Joker wheezed and I let out a near maniacal laugh.

"That's the thing, Daddy." I smiled, leaning down. "If you have to explain the joke, there is no joke."

"Kid, you've done your papa proud."

"We had this conversation almost two years ago, Joker." I rolled my eyes and used the crowbar to force him on his knees. "You took ten years of my life... I've come to take what I'm owed."

"Killing me won't give you your childhood back, Ace."

"No, but I can make you pay for it." I shrugged, dismissing the crowbar and punched him across the face. "All the people I've murdered by letting you live."

Another punch.

"All the hell you've put me and Mom through."

Another.

"Killing me."

Another.

"Taunting me."

Another.

Just a few more.

His life is on my hands.

"Killing my Robin."

Another.

"Taking yet another month of my life."

Hit after hit, I could hear Joker gasp for breath but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"I'm getting my life back." I spat, grabbing the other gun and pointed it at his head. "Even if it means I have to kill you to get it back."

"I won." He managed to say and I raised my eyebrows. "I made you lose control. You... you gave in."

"I don't care." I sneered and delivered the final blow, a laugh and a loud crack were heard before a deafening silence.

He's dead.

The debt's been payed.

"No pulse." Dick whispered, gently pulling me from Joker's body and removed both of my masks as well as his own. "It's done... you're free, Maeve."

"I'm free..." I sighed, finally letting myself cry.

Eighteen years later, I'm finally free.

I'm finally free.

"You're free, baby." He repeated, cradling me in his arms as my entire body shook with sobs. "No more nightmares... no more torture. You're finally free from him."

"I'm free."