"Batman. Batman, do you read me. Batman, come in."

"I'm here."

"We have a missing person. I need the entire league's help."

"Who's the missing person."

"Bruce its- its."

"Who is it, Clark."

"It's Diana."

"Watchtower. Now."

"Bruce…."

Connection lost….

Bruce was sitting at the conference table on the main deck. He was spinning a coin. A coin with two sides, one side of the coin was blackened as his heart was.

"Bruce," Oliver broke the silence of grievance in the room. A chair on the side of the table was empty. The group tried not to notice the other two. The two chairs where Arthur and the Martian would sit.

"Not another one," Bruce said as he rose from his chair and leaned against the table. He stared at the other members that were seated around the table. Hal Jordan, Clark Kent, Oliver Queen, and Barry Allen. The Martian was taken in the night, along with Arthur. They were holed up in an abandoned warehouse, caught fire by a stray cigarette.

"Who are the suspects?" Bruce muttered quietly.

Barry looked down at the tablet in his hand. "Lex Luthor, Darkseid, and Braniac."

"No, it's none of them. They aren't as precise. They would leave tracks and signs that they were there. The way this happens is so maniacal. Without reason. Or care. The only culprit is the Joker."

Superman immediately spoke up. "Bruce we need to think of the rational explanation here. The Joker is dead."

"He's not dead." Bruce snapped. His eyes glared at Superman. The gray hairs on his neck bristled. His eyes softened and he looked away, sitting back down.

Hal stood from the table. "I'll call John and we can scout around."

Superman spoke, "That's a good idea, I'll check Metropolis. Everyone scout around and see what you can find. Bruce- Bruce?"

Batman had disappeared to the lower platform where he was already beaming out of the watchtower.

Bruce saw a bright light as he beamed into the darkness of the batcave. The bats hung from the ceiling of the cave, sleeping. His cape dragged behind him as he stepped up to the main platform. His eyes hung low, he felt as lonely as ever. Wayne Manor had blown up a year before. Bruce was too late, running to the house. He was 20 feet away when he was thrown backwards by the orange blast that erupted from his home. It exploded like a volcano. The three people inside were killed. Instantly.

Bruce could hear that maniacal laughter. He could feel it in the walls. Along with the screams that echoed in his head, all drowned out with that same shrill laughter. He stared into the dark water below. "All the people I killed, by letting you live," He muttered.

He examined the DNA he gathered from the clown's body. He hit the enter button again. Deceased. He did it once more. Deceased. "NO, NO, NO!" Bruce slammed his fist into the computer and began to beat down on it. His rage had gone haywire. He stopped for a moment and sighed. He turned around and walked down the stairs to the platform which held the batmobile. He jumped into the car and drove off. As he entered into the pale moonlit forest which surrounded his once humble home, he glanced at his house. It was gray, the ceiling had collapsed into the ruins. Columns rose high, but they were all uneven. It was a combination of crushed rubble and hope and happiness.

He drove off toward Gotham. His radar started beeping. He stared at the holographic view of Gotham. A purple dot began to flash on the screen. "No. It can't be."

Batman swerved quickly, dodging the heavy traffic of the city. His teeth clenched and his neck strained as he hurried to Ace Chemicals. He heard that laughter still echo in his ears. After 2 years it had never disappeared. He spotted a bodily figure and he was speeding toward it. Batman swerved to the right quickly, but too quickly and he rolled. Batman felt his body leave his seat. Everything was in slow motion. He could see his warm sweat flying through the air and the shattered glass that had just been punctured by his back. Bruce hit the brick wall of Ace Chemicals and he felt his spine tingle and pop as he hit the dirt ground.

Bruce stayed down for a moment. He couldn't hear and couldn't think. His thoughts were drained out by laughter, the laughter of a woman. His vision cleared and he was facing the batmobile that had hit gasoline tank. The batmobile was on fire and Bruce realized he had to clear out fast. He reached his feet as fast as he could, only to pop his back once more. He cried out as an explosion threw him to the side. He felt pain in his side. He realized he was bleeding, the red liquid covered his black gloves. He could taste it too. He finally realized the body that he almost hit. It was limp and lifeless. It looked like… "No. No!" Bruce rushed to his feet and over to the body of Diana Prince. She was face down on the ground. Bruce turned her over and gasped. For it wasn't Diana. It was the body of another poor woman. Her mouth was cut open and her face was black and burnt. This was too psychotic, even for the Joker. She was dead, with many signs of struggle.

Batman trudged to his feet as he heard the laughter coming from inside. The laughter grew shrill and long. It wasn't in his head anymore. It was real. The ceiling was lit green from the chemicals. Bruce climbed the stairs to the platform that hung above the chemicals. His eyes were bloodshot, from the lack of sleep, and the explosion didn't help either. Bruce was grasping his side, trying to cover up the blood that was oozing from his stomach. He heard something snap and he felt weightless for a moment. He slid down the slide of the platform, the acid was closing in. Bruce outstretched his hand at the last second, and grasped the railing of the platform. "AGH!" He felt a sharp pain in his side.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA," He heard the laughter once again. The last he heard that in person was when Bruce was beating on the producer of it.

"Oh, do I love family reunions! Who else is here? Oh just us? No mom or dad? Butler? Where are they at? BRUCEY? Oh I'm sorry! Too soon?" The Joker giggled as his silhouette came into view.

Batman struggled to climb back up. But he felt so weak. He saw his face. It was burned and cut. His green hair was half gone. All that remained were a few strands. "I do quite love my new look. Makes me look younger. Don't you think. Hehehe."

"No. You're dead. You died."

"Why I thought so too. But sadly. I can't stay dead! HAHAHAHA! But you'd like to think I was dead wouldn't you. But you forgot one thing Batty Boy. If I'm going down, you're going with me. HAHAHAHAHA!"

He pulled his knife from his back pocket as he leaned over the railing at me. Before he could do anything a scream echoed through Ace Chemicals. "Oh, I forgot one more thing."

The lights flicked on. There, on the other side of Ace Chemicals was Diana Prince, hanging over a vat of chemicals. "Diana!" Bruce screamed.

He let go of the railing and reached for his grappling hook in a flash. The hook left the gun and soared to the rafters above. He heard his cape sizzle, but he flew away just in time. His side strained as he floated through the air. When the time was right he let go of the grappling hook and grabbed Diana out of the air.

Bruce's shoulder hit the platform hard, sending a jolt of pain through his body. "Bruce!" Diana cried. Batman heard gunfire as the joyful face of Diana turned to sheer terror and shock. She froze for a minute, and the color drained from her face. "NO!"

Bruce leaned over Diana. He felt like that little boy in the back alley all over again. He felt like he was leaning over the body of his mother and father. Bruce was rocking back and forth, holding her. He realized he was crying. His tears turned to rage and he turned back to the laughter.

Bruce rose toward his feet as he walked toward the man in purple. The Joker was barreling over with laughter. "Well that ended with a bang! HAHAHAHA!"

Bruce's walk turned into a sprint as he swung at the Joker. Batman screamed in pain as his side ached. He missed the blow and immediately struck again but slower this time. He cried out again and the Joker laughed once more. Batman grunted and he crumpled to his knees. He was spitting blood all over the platform. The Joker kicked him in the side, sending a large jolt of pain through his body. Another blow made him see red. And the next blow faded everything to black.