Chapter Text
“Come on Batman, we need to go faster!” I yelled over the sound of our motor bikes. My name is Vera Wales, and I am Hummingbird, Batman’s other protege. Currently we were racing to a warehouse that the Joker was keeping Jason, Robin, in. I was terrified of what the Joker was doing to him. I kept trying to go faster on my motorbike, just trying to get to Jason. He was my best friend, my everything. I don’t know what I would do without him. And I couldn’t bear him being in the hands of that psychopath. We finally got to the warehouse. Without even letting the bike stop, I jumped up and started running towards the warehouse as fast as I could. I prayed Jason was alright.
And then the warehouse exploded.
My eyes widened and I froze. I heard nothing but a ringing in my ears.
“JASON!!!” I screamed, running full force into the ruble of the warehouse. No, no no no no, he had to be ok. He HAD to be. Adrenaline fueling my strength, I threw pieces of rubble away, until I came upon a body.
Jason’s body.
I headed someone screaming in agony. Everything felt so far away. I cradled Jason in my lap, trying to feel a pulse, a heartbeat, a breath, anything. I realized the person screaming was me. I was crying out to him. I was crying out in agony that my best friend was dead. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I kept screaming for Jason. I didn’t make it in time. I wasn’t fast enough. I failed him. I hugged Jason’s body close to me, his blood staining my uniform. My voice felt hoarse from screaming so hard. I felt Batman pick Jason up from my arms. I didn’t see him cry, but I knew he was heartbroken.
Back at the manor, I had locked myself in my room. I wouldn’t let anyone in, not even Alfred. I sat on the floor, in tears. I kept wiping my uniform, just trying to get the blood of my best friend off. It was too much. I couldn’t handle this. Jason was my life. He had found me, he had saved me. I was alive because of him. And without him I didn’t know how to survive. I glanced up at the picture on my nightstand of me and Jason when Bruce has taken us to a carnival once. Jason was smiling and giving me bunny ears. I screamed and threw the picture at the wall, shattering it. I sunk to my knees again, gripping my head.
It’s your fault.
If you were faster you could’ve saved him.
He would still be alive if you were good enough.
You failed him.
“Shut up!” I screamed at no one. I had lost it. I had snapped. I had failed Jason, my best friend, the person most important to me. I wasn’t going to fail him again.
I knew what I had to do.
Sneaking out of my room, I went down to the Batcave where Batman kept all the confiscated weapons at. I grabbed a semi-automatic from the stash and marched out to my bike.
I was gonna kill that son of a bitch.
“Vera, what are you doing?” I heard Bruce say from behind me. I turned to look at him with the most furious face I had ever seen.
“I’m gonna avenge my best friend.” I said, before speeding off on my bike. I knew where the Joker would be. He had a main warehouse that he and Harley spent most of their time in. If he was anywhere, it would be there. I sped there in my motorbike, rage blinding me. I didn’t give a shit about Batman’s no killing rule. That rule died with Jason. I got to the warehouse and jumped off my bike. I used some scaffolding on the side of the building to climb up to a window near the top. Sneaking inside to the rafters, I saw the Joker on the main floor with his goons. Seeing him made my vision go red and before I knew what I was doing, I had jumped down to a storage container in plain sight, right in front of him.
“Well what do we have here?! Another one of Batsy’s birdies? Whatever are you doing here? And where’s Batsy?” He asked, looking around for Batman. I glared at him darkly.
“You killed Robin.” I seethed at him, pulling the shotgun out from behind me and aiming it at his head. He backed up slightly and put his hands up.
“N-Now hang on there, I thought Batman had a no killing rule?” Joker said laughing nervously. I pulled back the safety trigger.
“Fuck Batman.” I seethed. I was about to pull the trigger when the gun was knocked from my hands. Before I could even understand what was happening, I was knocked to the ground on my stomach and my hands were restrained behind my back. I looked up and saw Batman.
“I had him!” I yelled. I struggled against my mentor but he held on tighter.
“You were going to kill him.” He said. I struggled more.
“That’s the goddamn point!” I screamed. I heard the Joker laugh.
“Now this is getting interesting!” He said. I growled and pulling against Batman.
“I’LL SEND YOU SIX FEET UNDER YOU HEAR ME?!” I screamed at him. Batman pulled us up and started pulling me out of there. “You’re just gonna let him get away with this?!” I yelled darkly at Batman.
“The police are already on their way. He’ll be detained and sent back to Arkham.” Batman said monotonously. I scowled.
“That’s not good enough! He killed Jason! He deserves even worse than death!” I screamed at Batman. He stopped at looked me in the eyes sternly.
“We. Don’t. Kill.” He said sternly. I spit in his face.
“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT!” I said. My rage fueled me and I broke away from Batman’s grip, kicking him in the stomach, throwing him back.
“I’ll kill him and I’ll avenge Jason! And no one’s gonna stop me!” I yelled, before throwing down a smoke bomb and running off into the night. I didn’t care how long it would take.
I will kill the Joker.