The First Maddening Sounds of Laughter

by AJ RICHARDS

A new scourge is sweeping the city, the superdrug Smyly. Batman tracks it to its creator but after a furious battle and tragic twist of fate a new evil is born into the city. An evil that will torment Batman and terrorize the people of Gotham for years to come.

Tales of the Dark Knight

The First Maddening Sounds of Laughter

Act 1

Diana turned the old Honda civic into the parking lot of her apartment building. It loomed above her, the dirty grey structure hidden by the blackness of night. Pinpoints of grubby orange light marked the apartment windows on the towering block that was now Diana and her baby's home. The fight to cure Derek's cancer had left them broke and the funeral costs and hospice care bills had driven them into debt. After the funeral and medical bills, the only place she could afford was a run down apartment in The Narrows.

She pulled up the parking break and reached back to grab the groceries. The wind howled and whipped around her as she struggled to bundle the bags in her arms and lock the car. She kicked the door shut before pressing the lock function on the key. A heavy pressing rain had begun to fall, threatening to soak and weaken the cheap brown paper bags. Diana dashed to the entrance, pushing her way backwards through the doors to escape the downpour.

As Diana entered the lobby she heard an unpleasant sound. It was familiar…no it reminded her of something. Like the rabid cackle of a family of Hyenas she had seen on the Nature Channel the previous night as she had struggled to settle Molly at 3AM.

She looked up the stairwell to the source of the hideous laughter punctuated by profanity. The broken florescent strip lights flashed maddeningly, creating an unsettling strobing effect on the piss stained steps leading to the upper floors. She glanced back at the defunct lift. She hoped that the maintenance team had repaired the elevator but the tatters and shreds of yellow warning tape still hung from its shut doors.

She looked back to the stairwell. 'They were just kids,' she lied to herself....'Yeah kids high on that shit 'Smyly''

She started her way up and was relieved when she heard the unnerving laughter cease. She made her way up the next flight, only the buzz of broken lighting seemed to fill the dank air. She guessed they had got bored and moved on until she reached the next floor.

There they were gathered on the narrow landing, three of them. The Hyenas once again filled her minds eye. Her stomach knotted but she stared at each of them in turn. Their eyes were yellow and their pupils blown. The drug they took gave them a sickly pallor but the true sign of Smyly were the manic grins and inane laughter.

"Whooo! Pretty lady bought us dinner!" said the largest of them, a young thick set black man, no more than twenty wearing a tattered track suit and stinking of weed. He carried a splintered old baseball bat and tapped it unnervingly against the banisters.

"I want a dinner date with this girl!" Shrieked a gangly ginger teen as he reached with dirty finger nails to grope Diana's buttocks from his position kneeling on the floor at the top of the staircase.

Every fibre of Diana's being urged her to drop the bags and plant one on him but she just couldn't afford to replace them so instead she clutched them to her body and raged at them.

"Piss off you creeps I only live down the hall and my husband is gonna come out and kick your ass!" she threw as much conviction and venom into her tone as she could muster.

"Bullshit Aunt Di!" she knew this voice, it was tainted, sick in some way but he called her Aunt Di. "Your old man died of the big C, you and mom call it, like it's some sorta medal!" The words were bitter but were spoken in fits and bursts of boyish laughter.

She hadn't paid much attention to the third and smallest of the gang. From behind the dirty red hood she just saw yellow bloodshot eyes but as he jumped off of the banister he had been perching on the red hood fell back. It was her friend's son Jimmy. Diana and Jimmy's mom had lost their partners to cancer and had attended support groups together but she had recently met a partner and young Jimmy had not took it well at all. Now Diana saw that young Jimmy was gone.

"She ain't got no old man Alzo! Just a sweet piece of ass who looks after her bastard kid!" He sniggered and sneered, that deformed smile stretching across his face.

"You been lying to us baby?! We just wanna have dinner with you and your young sweet girl….We will make you smile just like we do!" Alzo, the weed stinking leader lunged towards her holding out his arms and waggled his rancid yellow tongue at her.

At the same time the red head that had been on his knees was now pulling himself up by Diana's Mac, groping at her legs.

Suddenly she was consumed by terror. The groceries smashed and splattered to the floor. Diana kicked out at the young ginger one and broke into a flat run down the corridor.

"Ah baby! Where you running too?! We just wanna have fun! You will have fun too, smile like us! Don't ruin our fun! Don't take our smiles! Warning you missy!" they shrilled and squawked after her.

Their voices were breaking and rasping as the hoarse laughter broke their words. Diana heard their sneakers slapping against the cracked tiles as they pursued her. She rifled through her purse to get her apartment keys. Her lip stick and cheap mascara scattered to the floor.

Diana reached the apartment and she rammed the key in. She saw the drug crazed gang just a few feet away as they ran toward her. The lock snagged as it always did. She frantically twisted it again and fell through the door as the gang almost reached her.

As Diana burst into the apartment, Martina, her sixteen year old babysitter leapt up from the couch. Popcorn and soda flew across the room splashing across the tired carpet.

"Get in Molly's room and pull the dresser across the door!"

"Diana, what's going on?!" Martina cried as she dashed towards Molly's room.

"Just do it!" Diana pulled the chains and locked the deadbolt in place but the doors were cheap and weak.

Then the junk heads began to pound and smash on it.

"We'll huff and we'll puff and we will make you blow us all!" came the sick taunts followed by a chorus of insane laughter from the other side of the door. They pounded the door again and it began to splinter and crack.

Diana tipped her bag onto the floor to find her cell phone. She snatched it from the haphazard pile and dialled 911.

"Please you have to help us! Its apartment one three six Kane Heights! They are drugged and crazy! Please I have a baby and my sixteen year old babysitter's here! Please!" She cried down the phone.

"Remain calm. A police response vehicle has been dispatched. Do not open the door….."

Diana stopped listening to the despondent controlleras the door began to give at its frame. She grasped the only thing she had to hand and bashed the coat stand hard against the corner edge of the wall, smashing away its base.

The door buckled and bowed as she heard their sick manic taunts grow louder. Molly began to scream from the bedroom.

Alone above the skyline of Gotham, nestled amongst the grotesques and gargoyles, hidden in the shadow Batman waited and listened. He had always started and ended his patrols here. It was a seething cesspit of the guilty and the vile preying on the poor and unfortunate as they hid from Gotham City.

The software built into the sharp ears of his cowl scanned the surrounding police and cell frequencies. He had been there only minutes when the signal sounded in his ear. An interruption of a 911 call, the voice of a young woman desperate with fear and then the transmission cut off. Then another voice filtered through the cowls comms device…

"The call was received ninety seven seconds ago by GCPD, sir but according to this the nearest squad cars are bloody ten minutes away! Doesn't sound she has that long! I am sending the coordinates to the cowls HUD system! You need to move now!"

"I'm on it, Alfred." The soft white glow of the HUD lenses snapped down in front of his eyes.

The Batman drew himself to his full height to survey the city like a silent brooding statue deciding to stir. Gotham's skyline appeared in high definition with holographic overlays laid across his retinas. Kane Heights was just a couple of blocks away. A red grid pattern overlaid its monolithic structure. When gliding, the white lenses relayed data on telemetry, air speeds and thermal shifts.

In combat and surveillance situations they gave him night, thermal and telescopic vision. They also protected his eyes from everything from chemical attack to flying debris.

It was too far to glide. The speed he would accumulate would kill him on impact but he had no time to reach the Car. The HUD lenses calculated a glide pattern across several thermal updrafts from the factories below where he could briefly touch down. Then with enough velocity and lift he would reach the neighbouring apartment block. Batman leapt from the gallery of the grotesques. His cape billowed around him as he began to freefall.

As the air pressure hit the sensors in his suit, an electrostatic charge surged through the veins of memory gel in the cape. With a sharp snap and a gut wrenching lurch it turned into the Batman's wing.

He soared upwards, following the heated air currents of the city's thermal generators. The building wasn't far now, just one more landing. His searching white lenses found the perfect point to penetrate the apartment and he dived down toward his target.

Diana screamed in maternal rage as the door finally broke at the hinges, only the deadlock and bolts held them out. Their deranged laughter and sick perverse taunts were loud enough to be heard in the room there was so little of the door left

Diana had made her decision, she will die here and now before they touch her baby girl! Or Martina for that matter!

She stood in a strange calm and turned the stand upside down. She pointed the stake tip toward the door, ready to impale the first who threatened what was left of her family. It was what Derek would have done.

The door smashed inwards as the thugs burst through.

"We told you we would huff and puff! You shouldn't have made us do that! Now you gonna be our party!" Sneered Alzo as he knocked away the crude weapon and grabbed her by the throat. "Now you're ours bitch!"

She instinctively raised her hands to shield her face from the hail of broken glass as the second storey window of her apartment imploded.

A massive black and grey shadow filled the room consuming the light like a dark fairytale. It was strong and fast but had no interest in Diana. As her eyes adjusted she caught flashes of a covered face and strange glowing eyes. The shadow wore a heavy black cape but it was fluid and moved like an extension of his body.

The ginger teen attacked it first with a crazed "Yeee ha! The Batman, man!"

Batman kicked out effortlessly catching the teen directly in his solar plexus. The force of his boot picked the boy up off of the floor and sent him hurtling back through the smashed doorway. He slammed in to the wall behind and slid to the floor barely conscious.

Diana had heard stories of the Batman but hadn't really believed them.

The leader in the track suit, Alzo, had used the ginger teen as a diversion and came up behind the Batman with his baseball bat swinging hard at the back of his head. Diana cried out in fear for her saviour. If he was knocked out or worse she would be at the teen's mercy but she stared in disbelief as the bat split into pieces striking across the Batman's broad strong shoulders and glancing off of his armoured cowl.

The Batman didn't go down. Instead he shifted his footing, pivoted on his left leg and swung the right in a high well placed arc.

Batman struck him in the jaw sending Alzo reeling across the room. He recovered quickly and came charging back towards Batman. Alzo threw punch after punch, hooking left and right, jabbing short and long.

Despite his intoxicated state and youth he still delivered accurate and strong blows. The Batman countered them easily slapping away at his fists and side stepping his wild lunges. He faltered and Batman ducked easily under another of the junkies punches. He bought his fist up, smashing him in the face and dazing him.

Then the Batman swiftly kicked him to the floor and crouched beside him. He grabbed Alzo's head and pulled his head up so his ear was barely an inch from Batman's lips.

"No, now you're mine!" growled the Batman.

Diana seized her moment and dashed to the bedroom where she heard her daughter screaming and Martina sobbing. "It's okay! Its okay now, pull back the dresser let me in!"

Batman had been monitoring the apartment on his descent and had heard them break their way in. When he saw the woman run to her child in the bedroom he went to get his answers from the junkie.

"Where's the supply comin' from?! Who's the dealer?!" He raged

"You think you scare me? Nothing scares me on this shit man! You're in trouble! This whole shitty city's in trouble, when every one gets a load of this shit!" Despite his obvious broken jaw he still spluttered bloody laughter.

"Is that so?" Batman grabbed the crazed youth by his tattered jump suit and clearly lifted him from the floor. One strong hand at his shirt and the other at his waist band, Batman swung him backward and then launched him toward the open broken window. Alzo screamed before Batman snatched his grapnel from his Belt and fired. The wire caught and snatched around the junkies legs in its high tensile noose and suspended him eighty feet above the parking lot

"Shit! Get me up man!" screamed the dangling hood.

"Thought you don't get scared." The Batman growled.

"It don't last long, man. Please! I ain't finding this fun man, please!" he pleaded.

"Tell me what I want to know!" the vocal amp in the throat of the cowl championed over the howling wind.

"They'll kill me!"

"I'll do worse!" pointed out the Batman with clear menace. He released a length of the tensile cord.

"I don't know man! I just meet up with a dude name Tygo, on the east side. He said there weren't no more 'til the chemist cooked some more tomorrow night!" There was the typical flare of neon blue as GCPD arrived. "Help me! It's the Batman help me!" cried the junkie down to the arriving squad car.

Batman hoisted him back up and hit him hard in the temple before quickly snapping his wrists together in a set of unfolding cuffs he had developed in the Cave.

He was also aware that there were three. He heard the footsteps behind him and in one fluid movement stood and swirled his cape, confusing and disorientating the third attacker.

He snapped his cape down and grabbed the business end of a broken hat stand. The Batman snatched it easily from the small red hooded hoodlum, quickly breaking it on his thigh. He went for the hoods throat with his left hand and drew his fist back ready to put him out ready for the police.

"No! Don't! He's just sixteen, he's just a kid! He just lost his dad, I know his mom. We went to the same counselling group. Let the police deal with him but don't hurt him!" The woman had returned from the bedroom, cradling a young baby in her arms.

The Batman relaxed his fist and snatched back the red hood from the kids face. He was high as hell but no mistaking the boyish features. He was just a young teen, no matter how corrupted by that vile poison.

"Woo, Batman! You taking me to fly? Don't have to…Am already highhh Batdude!" his face was sickly white and Batman had seen that unnatural contorted grin a lot recently, the new street drug Smyly. The boy was trying to laugh but could only coarsely cough. Batman threw him roughly to the floor and locked his wrists together. Something flew out of his pocket. Batman examined the small plastic vial and its attached micro-jet injector. There was a residue of the bright green drug Smyly. He tucked it into a pocket in his Utility belt.

"I can't leave him loose."

Diana took in the sight of the Batman. He seemed to fill the room. She was both fearful and fascinated. The expression was unreadable, apart from the sculpted scowl and the emotionless piercing glow of his white eyes.

The sharp points of his cowl and heavy cape only added to the imposing presence. At first glance it looked as though his powerful body was made up of thick grey muscle but she noticed seals, seams and weaves. A pitted and pock marked black metal plate in the simple effigy of a bat sprawled across his chest.

"Are you hurt?" he asked with more compassion than Diana would have expected. Molly's screams had fallen to a murmured grizzle now she was in her mothers arms.

"No, no I'm fine. Thank you. If you hadn't come…" her voice trailed off as she looked down at her precious daughter but she shook it off. "I can't say the same for my apartment, though."

She surveyed the gaping hole that howled with the cold November wind. Broken wood and shards of glass were strewn across her ragged carpet. She turned to look through the broken doorway when she heard heavy footfalls running up the stairs and a strong female voice announcing that they were police.

"The police will relocate you tonight. Go to your bank in the morning you will find your husband had a life insurance plan that has only just come to light. Get yourselves out of The Narrows." His voice was like rough stone and made her chest shudder

"What the hell's happened here?!" The police had reached the top of the stairs and spotted the unconscious bat-cuffed teen in the hallway.

Diana instinctively turned to face the voice and in that split second the Batman was gone.

The officer who had announced their arrival was a surprisingly young woman to have such a commanding tone. Her frame was small and slender. Her flame red hair was tied tightly behind in a severe pony tail accentuating her high sharp cheek bones and fierce blue eyes. She holstered her side arm as she secured the room.

"I'm Officer Barbara Gordon. Are you okay ma'am?" she asked urgently.

"Yeah, no thanks to you guys!" Diana spat back.

"Goddamn! It's these bat cuff things!" Called her portly older partner as he examined the youth's restraints. "He's been here!"

"Miss was the Batman here?!" Gordon looked toward the smashed window and down at the wrecked furniture.

"If he hadn't god only knows what would have happened to us! He saved us which is more than you could have done!" there was no disguising the anger in Diana's voice.

"We'll get you and your daughter somewhere comfortable tonight. Just gather what you need, you'll need to come down and make a statement but we can do that in the morning under the circumstances. I'll give you a moment while we get these assholes outta here. We'll give your sitter a ride home too. Take what time you need." Gordon skirted over the subject of the Batman and left the woman cradling her child as she helped Potts pull the injured thugs to their feet and reported what she had discovered over her radio.

Diana felt she may been a little hard on the young female cop as she turned to face the air rushing through the broken window and the looming moon as a swathe of dark shadow crept across its luminous face.

"So long stranger."

The rest of Batman's patrol had been fairly routine. No familiar faces, just street punks, a couple of foiled robberies on a liquor and jewellery store but nothing that had made him break sweat. The drugged up teens had given him his first proper lead on the source of Smyly and now he thundered back to the Cave in the Car so that he could follow it up.

The Car raced to the outskirts of Gotham. It left the city highways and navigated the winding roads that led out toward Crest Hills running around the cliffs that lined Liberty River.

It navigated the twisting lanes with the handling and agility of any top of the line sports car. High performance racing tyres with pneumatic technology gripped and tore into the road despite the vehicles massive weight. The Batman had known early in his crusade he could not patrol Gotham by jumping rooftop to rooftop so over 18 months he had built the Car. It had to have the speed and agility of a sports car, the armour of a tank and the manoeuvrability and practicality of a city roadster.

It had been a tall order and under the veil of Wayne Enterprises he had sourced experts from all over the world, from defence engineers and scientists to the Lamborella design team, setting up several dummy defence and automotive companies.

Different engineers and scientists from all around the world designed his Car, piece by piece leaving Batman to assemble it like a kit car. He had considerable engineering knowledge from his PhD's in Engineering and science enabling him to fit the jigsaw together.

The Car had the flattened sharp profile of many modern sports cars but was longer and wider than most to incorporate its titanium reactive armour, substantial weaponry and massive eight litre, quad-charged sixteen cylinder engine.

It was designed for speed and built for battle. The sharp chiselled exterior made it look like a predator. Its reactive stealth panels were matt black and the right and left wings of the car swept forward. Sat in between them was the turbine that fed the air intake for the hybrid thruster.

All that hardware and armour came at a price the Car had struggled to accelerate and manoeuvre under its own weight so a hybrid nitro-jet thruster was incorporated into its design, housed in its rear. Armoured tailfins protected the vulnerable jet engine housing from gun or missile fire as well as adding an imposing and dominating aspect to its design

The Batman turned the Car into a sharp turn off of the road and travelled far up a tired disused track. Any onlooker would have gasped in horror as the massive armoured sports car hurtled toward a broken barrier and solid rock face. Sensors in the ground opened up the stone wall allowing the Batman's Car to drive safely through before quickly closing again with split second timing.

Hidden under Crest Hills were the Catacombs, a stretching hive of natural tunnels and caves. Bruce Wayne's great grandfather had discovered them and used them to help black slaves escape their privileged Gothamite masters as he had hosted expensive and luxurious dinners to distract them.

Now the tunnels were used once more as the Batman's Car thundered through them. He had reinforced them himself over many months and laid sheets of steel plating, levelling out the terrain. In moments he reached the Pedestal, a circular platform originally built to lower the families of slaves down into the depths of the subterranean maze below.

The Batman had adapted it into a lift for his vehicle to reach the Cave and utilized it as an extra security measure. He had programmed the computer that controlled its ascent and descent only to activate when the exact weight of both he and the Car were measured on the platform. A pound less or more and the Pedestal would stay locked down.

The heavy wheels rolled onto the elevator, the computer made its decision and lowered the Car into the Cave.

The Console platform and forensic lab came into view as the Car descended and the elevator table locked in place. The canopy clicked and hissed as its magnetic locks and hydraulic seals released and the Batman jumped from the 'cockpit.

He crossed the short natural rock bridge from the Pedestal over to the platform. The Console platform had been his greatest challenge he couldn't entrust engineers or power companies and work crews. He had constructed it himself. Materials were imported into the docks and flown into Nolan Airport. Bruce Wayne would then pose as various construction workers, delivery men and truck drivers and transport the materials and equipment himself back to the Manor.

Over time he had constructed the steel platform and the rest seemed to grow organically.

The Batman stepped up onto the steel grate deck plates making them rattle and echo around the cavernous expanse. Reacting to his movements the floodlights lit the 'Cave.

The Caves AI came to life around him. The Consoles holo emitters projected screens around the Batman as his seat folded up out of the metal plated floor. Case files he had last been working on, forensic analyses and news reports that may be relevant to those investigations all filled and floated in the air around the Console platform.

"Computer, disregard." The light displays blinked out of existence leaving the more traditional bank of computer flat screens exposed.

The Batman took his seat as the monitors blinked to life. He felt a familiar presence behind him, clipped strides of equal measure, an indication of years of discipline and that typical weary sigh as he reached the bottom of the juddering and rusted cage-lift from the mansion.

"'Productive evening, sir?" Alfred stepped down onto the platform brandishing a large smoothie, which was a deep orange brown in colour. "You managed to reach the woman?"

Despite nearing seventy, Alfred had an impressive physique for a man of his years he still walked strong and tall. He was a good six foot five and his smart, immaculately trimmed black hair over the years had simply turned to grey steel. He still carried the thin military moustache his father and grandfather had sported before him in when they too had been in the SAS. He was smartly dressed in Saville shirt and tie with fresh pressed trousers at nearly 5AM.

"The woman and her baby are fine. Alfred, wire fifty thousand dollars into this account, use one of Wayne Enterprises Insurance companies." The Batman tapped the bank details inside a folder on the screen.

"Really, Master Wayne? I thought it was the Arrows job running around playing Robin Hood?" Alfred remarked dryly, carefully placing the sandy coloured smoothie onto a coaster at his workstation.

"Her late husband was Derek Powers, he worked for Wayne Enterprises. He was a low level legal clerk but his pay grade didn't make him eligible for full medical care. He had aggressive terminal cancer, Wayne Enterprises let them down. My father wouldn't have allowed that. Sometimes, Alfred, people just need a little help." The Batman explained already moved onto several different screens.

"Oh it wasn't a criticism, merely an observation." Alfred stepped forward beside Batman to observe what he was studying so intently. They were mug shots and police reports scrolling by more quickly than Alfred's eyes could adjust too. "Facebook not cutting it, sir?"

"I got a lead from the leader of the rape gang on the new street drug. I've only managed to bust bottom feeders too low on the chain to give me anything to go on. The junk head said he meets a guy called Tygo on the east side who told them the chemist has to cook up some more." Batman ignored his old friend's sarcasm.

"And that helps? It's just a name?"

"Not many called Tygo, in fact only one with a record. Tygo Torres, also down on the East Side is several chemical plants and pharmaceutical factories, positioned right on the river for easy disposal of bi-products." said the Batman.

"Needle in a haystack, sir?" Alfred pondered.

"Not necessarily." Batman took the one-shot vial he had found at the apartment and walked over to the forensic section of the platform. He broke the vial and placed it into a small compartment in a rather expensive and complicated looking machine that Alfred would never begin to fathom. Batman set the machine running.

Just seconds later the machine began bleeping impatiently, Batman punched more buttons.

He crossed back to his main computer, "There's several narcotic chemicals that seem to be bound and combined by using an artificial enzyme but one of the chemicals is rare, Azium. There are only three chemical plants in Gotham that takes delivery of it."

"Computer cross reference Tygo Torres against the employment records of the three listed Chemical plants searching for any known acquaintances, family or known affiliates."

"Confirm, working now, please wait a moment." Replied the smooth feminine AI.

It only took moments for the cutting edge quantum processors, advanced integral hack programmes and firewall cascades to deliver the information Batman had requested.

"I have found one known affiliate, Jack Napier: Junior chemist in the research department at ACE Chemicals.

He was previously the lead chemist of Gotham's branch of Star Lab Chemicals but his employment was terminated and was then arrested for trying to sell secret cutting edge formulas to the company's competitors in order to pay gambling debts to the Maroni crime family.

Tygo Torres, a close childhood friend of the young Vinnie Maroni, was orchestrating the sale but was never convicted in a court of law.

"Upon release from jail Napier was only able to secure a junior job at the somewhat rundown and cheap chemical processing plant, Ace Chemicals." The AI explained.

"So his debt to the Maroni family was never repaid?" asked Batman.

"No it was not."

"I take it back master Wayne, that sounded like along shot but he sounds like your man." Said Alfred.

"I would say so Alfred. Tygo will be taking delivery from the chemist around midnight tonight at Ace Chemicals and I intend to be there." Said the Batman with grim determination.

"Do you also intend to be at your meeting at the Juvenile Hall about taking custody of the Grayson boy?" There was no mistaking the disapproval in his tone.

"You don't approve?"

"Permission to speak candidly, sir?" Alfred asked curtly.

Batman smiled at the way Alfred still occasionally conducted himself as though he were still a military man and that Batman was his commanding officer.

"Always Alfred you know that. I always appreciate your point of view."

"He's a trouble sir and regarding your nocturnal activities a security risk. He is constantly fighting with the others and despises any sort of authority. The boy has no discipline." Alfred warned him.

"Gotta be tough in Juvy Hall with a name like Dick." The Batman trailed off lost in his own thoughts.

"Indeed, apparently the wards have taken to calling him Robin, a reference to the nursery song 'Fly away Robin as they can't keep him caged up." Alfred told him.

"Then maybe he needs some direction Alfred, like I did. He saw his parents, their friends and his siblings die in that fire." Batman said solemnly.

"Not all troubled youths turn out as noble as you, master Wayne" Alfred pointed out.

"That's why I want to help him Alfred." That was the last that Batman said on the matter.

"Here, sir, lunch and dinner with a hint of vitamin supplements blended with four egg yolks just the way you like it." Alfred said dryly passing the rather sickly looking smoothie to Batman.

The Batman popped off the lid and discarded the straw swallowing the pureed grainy cold mixture in several large gulps. In few seconds it was gone, bar the trailing dribble from around his lips.

"Marvellous, Alfred, my compliments to the chef." Batman said graciously but with Bruce Wayne's persona leaking from beneath the dark cowl.

"Well then by all accounts, Master Wayne has a busy day and Batman has a full schedule for the evening so whichever you feel you are right now, may I suggest both need rest sir." Alfred politely ordered in that same stern but paternal tone Bruce had remembered so much from his childhood.

"You're right, Alfred. I may even be able to get in my full 3 hours if I make my check on the Car a quick one." Batman said with a yawn.

"Just make sure you get some bloody sleep!" Alfred grumbled as he collected the empty smoothie container and headed back to the elevator before it lifted up into Wayne Manor.

Batman turned back to the computer screens looking at the mug shots of Tygo Torres and Jack Napier, both were small time but they could lead him to the man running the whole operation. He turned his attention to the Car before reluctantly taking Alfred's advice and retiring as Bruce Wayne once more.

Jack Napier woke naturally that morning. He smiled as he watched his sweet love stir in her sleep, her arm naturally cradling her swollen baby bump. Jeannie had worried at first having once been a glamour model but Jack had kept telling her how perfect she looked.

She hadn't taken to the pregnancy well. She had grown short tempered and cold but Jack just tried to be understanding, she was pregnant after all and she had put up with so much from him. The gambling then losing his job, even waiting for him while he was in Jail.

Those eighteen months had been the hardest in his life and he swore never to go back there ever again. He had cried himself to sleep much to the furore of the other inmates but knowing sweet Jeannie would be waiting for him got him through.

The Maroni's lawyers had got him out early, he still owed them and he had a brand new formula to blow the other street drugs away. Tygo had got him a deal with Vinnie Maroni if he came good with the new high and gave their chemist the formulas not only would it pay off his debt but they would throw in a few grand to get him and Jeannie out of the trashy trailer park they were forced to live in.

So they got him a job at a shitty chemical factory with shady owners producing experimental compounds for private pharmaceutical and defence companies. There he could have an honest job but produce their product on the side. Tonight was going to be the end of it all. He had nearly completed the second and last batch he had promised them and it was the biggest gig of his stand up comedy career later that night.

For years he had been trying to break the comedy circuit but he had got himself a place in an open mic night at the Iceberg Lounge. Apparently several big hitting agents would be there. He would do his show, stun the talent scouts, meet Tygo collect his money and then propose to Jeannie at last! It was a good day!

He reached over to stroke 'Bumpy', as he had nicknamed her pregnant belly. Jeannie suddenly stirred and snatched his hand away scowling through sleepy eyes and sweaty blonde bangs. She looked back at Jack and obviously noticed the injured look on his face.

"I'm sorry Jack. I didn't get much sleep ya know? Its not long now and he don't gimme much rest. I'm just uncomfortable." Jeannie apologised.

His expression changed and he shot back his trademark smile at her.

"Hey, forget about it pumpkin! I know you two didn't get much sleep. I felt you tossing and turning all night." Jack turned his body so he could speak directly to 'Bumpy' "Hey you in there stop keeping your mommy awake you hear me?" Jeannie cringed at the next bit, "Sorry Daddy, sorry Mommy!" he jiggled her belly back and forth

"Jack you know I hate that it's creepy!" Jeannie reminded him.

"What? Whaddya mean? Creepy? It's cute!" Jack argued back.

"Oh whatever, shouldn't you be going? Its gone six?" she said sullenly.

"What?!" Jacks alarm should have gone off by now, he looked down at his phone the battery had died in the night, he was late! "Shit! Honey I have to go!"

Jack bounded up from the bed and quickly showered and dressed. Jeannie was still lying in the bed, half asleep. He leant over and kissed her lips, he felt them move against his and she smiled thinly.

"Have a good day, hun."

"Oh I will baby, it's gonna be a great day! Remember I'm gonna be late tonight, got my gig at The Lounge. It would be great if you could be there pumpkin!" Jack suggested excitedly as he straightened his tie in the mirror above the dented steel sink.

"What and sit nursing a soda water all night?" she snapped before realising how sharp she sounded, "I'm sorry look I feel tired and sick all the time. You would only be worrying about me. You go and knock 'em dead and tell me all about it when you get home." She tried harder to smile at him.

"Course Baby, Look I really have to go. Try not to go bed before I get home I'm going to have a surprise." He beamed.

She had adored it once, that broad smile, ridiculously pretty cheekbones for a guy and flashing white teeth but now it seemed cheesy and irritating. She tried not to feel that way but under the circumstances she just couldn't help herself hating him. The worse thing about it was that it was all her fault and he didn't even know it.

"I'll try Jack. Don't work too hard and good luck for later." She turned over in the bed and pulled up the covers around her shoulders, "Will you turn the lights out I need some more sleep."

"Sure hun," With that Jack turned out the lights and dashed out the door.

Jeannie heard the door slam, waited until she heard his busted engine misfire and cough its way out of the trailer park. She dragged herself up to empty her bloated bladder, she just wanted to be rid of Jack and his constant pawing and cooing.

Jeannie pulled herself out of the bed and walked into the cramped kitchen area, for a moment her heart skipped a beat and she panicked. Jacks purple leather suit was still sitting on top of the microwave where she had left it after bringing it back from the cleaners.

Jack had slung his bag in the back of the car assuming she had packed if for him like she always did! He never did a show without it not since he had put them in even more debt by buying it.

At one time she would have called him on his cell and then at his lab or even got a cab and took it to him but she just didn't care anymore. It was ridiculous and had cost them a fortune. She looked at it with contempt and bundled it under her own wrinkled and faded dresses that no longer fit. Plausible deniability she thought. She couldn't take it anymore. She slipped her hand under the mattress pulled out her cell and made the call. Jeannie had no idea how much she would come to regret that one simple decision.

Traffic across midtown had been murder. Jacks old Buick screeched into the car lot and he rushed to the lab.

He no more had sat at his desk and booted up his laptop when Dr Childers burst into the dingy lab.

"Goddamit Napier! You're a half hour late!" He bellowed, Childers bloated belly wobbled over his disgustingly tight trousers, his thick unkempt moustache often held the crumbs of his breakfast or lunch and he was constantly dogged by the stench of stale cigars, "I'm the only mug who would employ you after you been in the slammer, least you can do is turn up to work on time!'

"And don't be spending all day writing down your crummy jokes! Those studies and toxicity reports of the new Vigraza formula are getting presented to EconoChem tomorrow so they better be on my desk by tonight or there'll be hell to pay!" Childers didn't wait for Jack to reply, he just spun on his chubby heels and stormed back out of the lab.

Some days his boss's constant abuse could get him down, that was when his note pad came out and he would write his gags and anecdotes for his shows but not today, yeah he was late but he had broke his back over the vigraza formula and all he had to do now was a little admin on the reports.

He could easily do that while waiting for the final stages of the Smyly chemical bonding process to take hold and have it all tied up by the time he had to leave for the show then be back for midnight to offload the last shipment and get his money! A fantastic day indeed!

Jack grinned happily to himself as he imagined how happy Jeannie would be when he told her he had a way out of their miserable life and that he had finally made good!

He worked feverishly that morning, putting the finishing touches on his reports for Childers. He set the centrifuge systems to run all at once and bounced from the consoles to his lap top. All the time keeping his eyes on the chemical processes of the Smyly tanks.

Jack had developed a bonding chemical to combine different aspect of different drugs to make one big super high! It had the invincibility of Crystal Meth, with the longevity of LSD and the euphoria of MDMA times a hundred.

The binding agent could have so many applications but due to Jack being struck off, its illegal development and the narcotic applications it would never see the legal market.

All the time he was rehearsing his opening lines for the gig at the lounge. He barely noticed the time as it passed, suddenly it was nearing midday and Childers once again blundered into the room.

"How are those reports coming on Napier?" Childers approached the back of the lab to the observation windows looking down onto the main processing plant. "What is this shit you got cooking down here?"

Jack felt a prickle of anxiety, Childers rarely took interest in the production he was a money man. Childers's was looking directly down at the vats that held the electric green mixture of chemicals that made up Smyly.

"It's the bi product from GothChem you instructed me to dispose of as erm discretely as possible, Doc. I have those reports ready but I'll still be here a little late I have to tank up that crap before I go. Don't want it hanging around for the FPCC Inspection." Jack thought quickly.

"No, good thinking Jack. Well done with those reports too, you just make sure all that green shit is out of the vats and tanks by tomorrow huh? And no paperwork." Childers grumbled.

"You can count on that doc!" Jack flashed his smile at his repugnant boss as he turned and left the lab.

As the doors sighed shut Jack heard his cell phone ringing, he had a flutter of excitement it might have been Jeannie but she never called him at work anymore, guess that just happens with couples after a while.

He saw the caller ID and it was Tygo Torres.

"Hey Jackie, you cool hombre?"

"What the hell, Tygo I told you never to call me here at work!" Jack snapped hotly, his eyes darting to the door to make sure none had heard him take a call. He didn't want to go back to jail!

"You told me 'ese?! Who tellin' things to who now, Jacky boy?!" came the angry response.

Jack realised his mistake. You didn't tell Tygo Torres anything he was second hand to Vinnie Maroni, though they were young and upcoming you still showed respect. Tygo and the Maroni's had got him the job at Ace, got him out of Jail, looked after Jeannie while he was in the joint. He owed them and they was letting him walk away not only outta debt but with enough cash to set him and Jeannie up some place else. He readjusted his attitude.

"No course not sorry Tygo! I just don't wanna screw this for us, any of us ya know?" Jack said quickly.

"Hey its okay Jacky boy, we understand Hombre! So long as we have the goods at midnight man we are all good, baby! Home dry, we get our shit and you and Jeannie can get outta that shit box trailer and go off into the sunset and have all the little bambinos you want man!" Torres assured him.

"It'll be ready, hey I even thought of a new way to administer it, it breaks down into a vapour! I have samples, tested and safe! Whaddya say worth a couple more grand?" Jack was on a roll. The cards were in his favour so why not push for a little more.

"Yeah sounds good Hombre I'll talk to my people see what else we can do about the cash." Torres said.

Jack remembered where he was.

"Look I have to go! I'll call you when I get away from the club." Jack hissed into his cell as a couple of lab techs entered.

""Oh Yeah your comedy shit good luck with that, always thought you were a funny guy!" Torres laughed and ended the call.

Funny Jack didn't think he had mentioned his attempts on the stand up circuit to Torres. He shrugged it off and got back to work.

The day had passed quickly but Jack had worked hard. Childer's reports were finished and Jack had crossed the catwalks above the processing vats checking their progress at the control stations, one by one.

Jack was impressed with himself. He went back to his office and took out his note pad to revise his opening lines for his spot later. His tired notepad was lit by the green glow from below.

The doors to Jacks Lab sighed open and Childers piled through,

"Napier, those reports!"

"Emailing them right now Doc," Jack pushed back from his workstation, swivelled on his chair to the station behind him and hit send on his laptop.

"Good Napier, good work. Make sure that green shit is outta my vats by the time those dicks from the F.C.C get here, huh?" Childer's peered again down at the vats below.

"'Course Doc! 'Easier to purge the systems after midnight, its less conspicuous know what I mean?" Jack gave him a flashy smile and knowing wink.

"Of Course you would know all about being less conspicuous Napier that's why your busted ass is working for me!" Childers laughed as he turned and headed back through the door.

"Asshole." Jack said to the empty lab, he glanced at the time on his computer. It was nearly time to leave for the big show!

The drums of Smyly had been sealed in unmarked containers and he had dragged them down to the store lockers in the basement of the building far away from the other stores of containers. Everything was ready. He checked the Emails had sent, shut down his computer and rushed down to the car. Just had to do one last check that he had all he needed in the car and off to the show.

Jack reached his car and as he opened the duffel bag on the back seat his heart sank. He felt his face flush red and a sudden sweat spread across his brow. The suit! His suit! His signature purple leather suit. It wasn't in his bag!

Jeannie had taken it to the Dry Cleaners and then she always packed it for him. Along with his towels, for the heat under the lights, a chicken mayo sandwich and a couple of bottles of mineral water with a mini bottle of scotch for nerves. All Jack found in the hold all was the empty Evia bottles and his acrid damp towels from the last show, an empty moulding sandwich bag and the unopened mini scotch bottle.

He had no time! Jack was a showman and he couldn't do that in a tweed shirt and grey trousers! He needed the purple leather suit, the cravat!

If he hit the gas, he would be able to get back to the trailer park and then to the Iceberg Casino for his shot at the crowds. Tonight he was gonna make it big at last! Get free of the Maroni's and the shady mob life. Who knows he might even make the magazines!

Jack had missed rush hour and sped across midtown. He was doing great for time. He rolled up to his usual parking space outside the trailer but was surprised to see Tygo's Pontiac sitting in it. It was Tygo's there was no doubt, the customised flame fire paintwork, the personalised plates. But why? Jack felt a rush of anger.

If Tygo was putting pressure on his girl, his Jeannie! Jack leapt from the car and raced up the little metal steps to the flimsy screen door.

What could he do? He looked around for something to hit him with but heard Jeannie's voice through the thin metal.

"I can't do this anymore, Tygo. Living in this shit box! Having him paw me all the time. Don't you love me? Our damned baby's nearly due!" It was Jeannie's voice but the words, the words were not hers, they couldn't be Jack thought!

"Hey Mi Cello! We just need to take delivery of this last shipment our chemist has enough to cook it up himself now! Then we don't need Jack no more. We all had to keep him sweet!

'We will pay Jackie boy a few grand and send him on his way. Then me, you and our little Bambino will be home dry baby!" As Torre's words filtered through the metal skin of the trailer Jack sank to his knees.

"And you think he will just take that?! He thinks we are getting married that this child is his!" acid tears began to well in his green eyes as he slumped on the porch.

"If he becomes a problem baby we just make him disappear. Trust me Cielo, I came looked after you when he was in the Slammer, real good! Now you just the play the game and I will again, you and our son!" Jack tried to stand, tried to stop the tears welling in his eyes and swallowed down the sickening sobs developing in his gut.

"I don't want him hurt Tygo! He doesn't deserve that! I just want to be with the man I love and the father of my son, you baby!"

A cold numbness fell over him. It wasn't the icy drizzle filtering through his cheap shirt but those words. The baby, Jeannie, Tygo, his happy ending it was all lies, all bullshit! No, he wasn't bull shit! Jeannie had strayed but had been all alone and that was Jacks fault! It wasn't Jeannie, it was that bastard Tygo! But she screwed him! She said she loved him! Jacks head felt like it was shattering into shards.

"I have to go baby, have to see the man in Red before I pick up Jacks shit from the chemical plant."

"It will be over tonight wont it and I won't have to break it to him? You will come get me and make sure he is ok for cash?" Jack would have almost thought thatJeannie still loved him if he hadn't already heard from her own poisonous lips how she had betrayed him!

"Hey, he just unlucky you met me baby! We will take care of him. You won't see him no more, mi Ciedo." Jack pulled himself to his feet as he heard Torres heading to the door he was slumped against.

Jack didn't know what to do or how to react he wanted to kill Tygo. To tear his lungs out but now wasn't the time. Jack made his quick decision from the murderous debilitating choking rage. He got to his feet and straightened his shirt.

He walked calmly down the steps and back to his car slowly reversing it under the canopy of a bare cherry tree. He watched as Tygo Torres strutted to his car, lighting a cigarette. He put it in reverse and tore out of the parking lot.

Jack sat in his car his hands shaking. He was paralysed. How could he go and do the best show of his life for her?! To risk going back to jail for them!

"Go and do the show you schmuck!" Joe was back in his head he tried so hard to keep him quiet "You gonna sit there and cry sissy, hmm?" That voice was so loud now, and it laughed and laughed, deafening his mind.

Jack looked at the time, only twenty minutes before his slot, "You need your suit Jackie boy! Ignore the cheating bitch. We wanna be the man in town! The man on the billboard!" Joe Cackled, "We can take care of Tygo later. We need the show! It's all about the showmanship baby!" The voice hissed in his head.

"You're right, Joe! I don't need that cheating bitch!" Jack shouted to the empty interior of the car. His knuckles grew cold and white as he gripped the steering wheel. "Just have to knock 'em dead tonight! Knock em all dead!" Jack laughed hard before swinging open the Buicks door and walking calmly up the steps to greet his cheating bitch with a flashy grin and warm embrace.

Jeannie spun around so quickly she almost fell over when she saw Jack standing in the doorway.

"Jesus Jack, you scared me! What are you doing home baby?" she smiled nervously and walked toward him raising her arms to hold him, "I'm sorry I was such a bitch this morning, baby. Our little Bumpy just kept me awake"

Her words ate into Jack like the corrosive acid he worked with. Each syllable dripped and stunk of bullshit or guilt or maybe both.

She took his hand and placed it on her fat misshapen belly. Jack just wanted to push it away but he smiled his winning smile straight back at her.

"Hey pumpkin, that's okay it's not a problem." Jack held her tight and she kissed him long and hard. "You do love me don't you?" he asked her tentatively.

"Of course my comedy king, I love you more than anything!" she lied blatantly.

Joe raged in his head but Jack kept him quiet.

"And I love you baby until the day you die." Jack said honestly.

"How romantic Jack, Oh shit! You're suit! Let me get it, don't think you'll have time to shower though hunny!" Jeannie turned and headed to the stack of dresses she had thrown over his suit. As Jeannie turned around Jacks smile fell as if the muscles supporting it had been cut.

He stared at her fat rear end with contempt until she turned back. Again he popped the smile back on, like a puppets master pulling invisible strings at his lips.

She bundled the suit in to his arms,

"Knock 'em dead baby!" she said with sickening superficiality

"I intend to." He said quietly.

"Jack, are you okay?" Jeannie asked, the guilt was obviously playing on her stupid little mind, Jack thought.

"Fine just worried about being late to the show. I better go." Jack tucked the suit under his arm and rushed out to his car. The door slammed on Jeannie behind him.

"Bye Jack." She said softly

Jack tried to force the tears back into his eyes. The harsh light from the headlights raced past and traffic lights rushed overhead making his vision blur and flare. He ran several red lights as he necked the mini bottle of scotch.

"Pull yourself together Nancy Boy! Don't waste your tears! We got minutes before the show. Now get yourself a large bourbon when you get there and make 'em smile hotshot!" It was Joe in his head.

"Not now Joe!" Jack blurted out trying not to sob.

"Hey you schmuck! You gonna be a cheap sideshow loser all ya life? No wonder she was screwing someone else you big cry baby! You listen to me and you will be okay. Forget about the bloated bitch and get on with the show, we can fix Tygo later!" Joe screeched in his head.

"How!?" Jack demanded the empty passenger seat with weeping bloodshot eyes.

"Later! Now move!" the dark voice filled Jacks mind and he no longer had the strength or will to refuse it.

Act 2

Jack had obeyed the voice in his head, swallowed down the pain and turned into The Iceberg Casino parking lot. He dashed past the backstage doormen ignoring their grumbles of greeting and ran into the cramped dressing room he had been allocated. He tore off his clothes in a fit of rage, Jeannie and Tygo screwing together in his mind! Tears were still rolling down his cheeks despite all his attempts to hold them back.

"Will you knock it off you bozo, you're embarrassing me!, us, whatever!?"

"What do you want me to do?!" Cried out Jack desperately.

"Get dressed, put on the damned suit. Get another drink down ya and I'll take it from there buddy boy!" Joe assured him.

"Shut up you're just a voice! Jeannie is real! Losing Jeannie is real! I don't need you! Just stop!" pleaded Jack to the mirror

"Fine! You're on your own but you wait and see what happens Nancy boy! Don't need me? See how far you get you snivelling little whelp!" Joe snapped and snarled in his head

"I just need the suit." Jack took a deep breath and stood in front of the grubby mirror, half naked. He used to wonder what Jeannie had seen in him, he was tall but sinewy and bony. His frame almost skeletal. Joe was right. No wonder she ended up screwing someone else.

He removed his pants and began to don his purple outfit. There was still another act to finish so Jack took his opportunity and headed quickly to the bar, pushing his way past the black jack tables and roulette wheels.

Usually he loved the Iceberg, Gotham's elite and the city's celebrities. The high ranking mob bosses and their gorgeous wives but tonight every smiling happy face just made him wanna puke.

He shoved through the other patrons to get to the bar.

"Large Bourbon, neat!" he snarled at the young man, who barely seemed old enough to buy a drink himself.

The boy turned to fix Jacks drink and no sooner had he placed it on the bar Jack necked the measure of liquor, "Another!"

The young barkeeper obediently served another and then another. In just ten minutes Jack had downed four large bourbons

"Sir, aren't you one of the entertainment acts?" The young barman asked nervously "Its just I saw you come from the dressing rooms outback and we aren't supposed to serve the acts before they have been on stage. Mr Cobblepot's strict instructions due to a nasty incident with a ventriloquist we had here once." He smiled apologetically.

Jacks hands grabbed the startled young man by the scruff of his fresh pressed shirt collars and almost pulled him across the bar.

"Don't you tell me what I can or can't do, you little schmuck! Gimme another!"

"Is everything okay here?" The large security guard Jack had ignored earlier had come to give him his two minute call and seen him grab the terrified barman.

Jack remembered where he was, the show, he had to do the show. Jack let go of his shirt and patted it down.

"We're just fine here, just getting carried away with my warm up." Jack flashed that grin. "Sorry, kid. Here's your tip!"

Jack tossed a twenty dollar bill onto the counter

"You're on Napier." Rumbled the doorman

Jack made his way to the stage, he would usually be soaking this bit up feeling that acid rush buzz in his belly, better than any high. All he felt now was a concrete block in his stomach and a hundred eyes peering right into his broken soul as they tipped overpriced champagne down their fat throats and stuffed expensive canapés into their greedy mouths! The lights burned down onto him, exposing him in the brilliant white glare. His mouth ran dry and the bourbon began to seep from his pores.

Every second ticked by like an hour. The audience ushered to a silence and waited for him to make their sides split. They waited for him to have them rolling in laughter and they waited and they waited.

Jacks lips moved but no sound came out. He looked from side to side like a scared animal surrounded by a pack of hungry predators. Joe would come soon, where was Joe?!

"Hey c'mon you bum! Cat gotcha tongue!?" came the first of the hecklers.

Jack tried to pull himself together and stammered a few lines of his opening joke.

"We can't hear ya buddy!" came another voice from the faceless crowd.

Jack started again, fiddling with cheap mic that had been slapped on him but he only succeeding in breaking its tired connection. His mic completely cut out.

"What are you? Some sort of pimp, man? In that purple get up?!" said a young drunk black guy sitting down in front with his equally inebriated girlfriend.

There was a round of laughter from the crowd. The crowd were laughing at Jack. Not because of Jack they were laughing at him!

"Why? You want me to get your girl there some work? She'd have to pay them!" he spat at the young couple, his words dripping with malice.

"What the hell!" the guy who had heckled Jack about the suit went to stand, defending his girlfriend but something in the crazy comedians eyes made him sit right back down.

"Asshole!" Called a stick thin blonde draped over a walrus of a man sweating like a roasting pig.

Jack spun around to face them, "That really doesn't surprise me hunny but let me buy you dinner first!"

The walrus threw a beer bottle at the stage, it smacked at Jacks feet but didn't smash. Jack snatched it up and hurled it at the blonde. Walrus man pushed her out of the way just in time before it smashed against the wall where only a second earlier her head had been resting.

Several men jumped up from the tables, including the walrus, scattering them and sending trays of drinks crashing to the floor. The club security got to Jack first lifting him clear off the floor and charging him head first toward the emergency exit.

Jack was thrown through the doors, he felt a crunch and crack as he slammed into the sidewalk, straight into an oily puddle.

"You're crazy man! Cobblepot gonna make sure you never work in this city again! You better get outta here before the rest of those sons a bitches you upset get out here! Go on git!" the doors slammed shut leaving Jack lying in the oily cold pool weeping in the darkness.

His phone scattered and scratched along the side walk, he dragged himself to his feet and stooped to pick up his I-Cell as it began to ring.

The caller ID read TYGO.

Jacks fingers fumbled in the cold rain as his chest heaved, He was paralysed with the feelings of betrayal grief and rage.

"See asshole! I told you, you needed me!" Joe was back.

Jack gripped the phone and ignored him.

"Answer it! You got weak so I got tough on ya, you snivelling whelp! Now we go and get tough on Tygo!" Joe's cheeky sassy voice had degenerated into a throaty growl.

"The show! You left me in the show! They hated me!" The cell phone rung out again.

"See you need me! Now we go take care of Tygo!"

"How?! What do I do against all of 'em!" Jack screamed to the darkness staggering around with the phone still bleating in his shaking hands.

"You're a chemist you idiot! With all sorts of poisonous and explosive crap! Jeez, do I have to think of everything myself!" Joe screamed in his mind.

Jack paused, of course. Joe went quiet as Jack thought quickly. The tanks ready for injection on the shop floor, Smiley already vaporising in the condensers. Yes! Yes that was it!

The phone stopped ringing. Jacks bony finger hit redial.

"Jackie, hombre! You was worrying me old friend! Are we ready to go ahead with our proceedings?" Tygo's Hispanic swagger made Jacks gut twist, how dare he call him a friend, a hombre?! He forced the smile in his voice and hoped Tygo didn't pick up on his voice trembling.

"Yeah course Tygo but you and your boys need to come to my lab this time. I couldn't move the shit on my own and want to show you my samples. Its all cool, security is paid off and the CCTV system is having software problems. We'll be all alone." Jacks eyes flashed in the pale moonlight.

"Okay Jack. Midnight hombre?" Tygo said after a moment's hesitation which made the hairs on Jacks neck stand on end.

"Until Midnight, my friend." Jack closed the call and hobbled into the car lot to find the Buick.

Jack arrived back at the Plant and dashed through the doors swiping his pass card.

"You're in late tonight Mr Napier." Dolores, the bodybuilder sized security woman, commented pulling up her bulk from behind the splintered security desk.

"Yeah Dolores, I got some couriers coming through the back Childers don't want on the security logs, late night paperwork an' all. Take a coffee or somethin'. Hundred bucks for a coffee break?" Jack grinned but couldn't help the sweat alcohol still sweating from his pores.

"Hell, Jack I would have just took the coffee break! I don't give a damn what you boys get up to back in those labs" Dolores snatched the clutch of notes from his hand and trundled to the deserted canteen.

Jack reached the dimly lit lab and checked the hissing and puffing condensers, the Smyly was already vaporised. He reprogrammed the production line to inject one of the gas cylinders with Smyly. He checked the time on the console as the gas injectors came to life to life wheezing and hissing. He still had an hour before Torres turned up.

"Now you're getting it Jackie boy!" Joe had returned and Jack smiled as his shaking fingers punched in the last commands to fill the container.

Jack paced the lab and each tick of the clock rung like bells in his head. The computer signalled that the canister was pressurised. Jack carefully took it from its steel receptacle and carried it back up the stairs to his office. He would rupture the tank releasing a lethal dose of the drug straight into Tygo and his goon's faces! Jack would knock em dead!

"That's what I'm talking about baby!" Joe approved in Jacks ear.

Jack looked at the weary old clock on the wall, it was nearly time. He thought he may

feel a sense of dread or fear but he was only caught in anticipation. Tygo had violated Jeannie, manipulated him, and humiliated him! Took everything from him!

He set the pressurised canister in his office before looking up at his own dishevelled and haggard reflection. Tygo would know something was wrong but Jack had his own solution for that. He pulled open the second drawer down on his cheap decaying desk and pulled the revolver from beneath his note books and shoved it down the waist belt of his purple leather pants.

As if on cue, Jacks I Cell began to ring. Tygo was here!

High up on the roof of the Ace Chemical Plant a tall shadow moved across the metal sheeting. Soundlessly Batman picked his way through the array of venting and air conditioning ducts and fans. Despite his heavy armour and large size his training with Rhaz Al Ghul had given him the ability to move virtually silently shifting his weight to various areas of the soles of his feet. Not that he would be heard above the thunderous drone of the chemical plants machinery.

Batman knew they wouldn't be picking up the shipment of drugs from the main parking lot so he made his way round to the rear of the building and looked down to find several dispatch bays. All were well lit apart from one at the end of the row where its security light had long since blown a bulb.

Batman's lenses zoomed in and he saw Tygo's fiery Pontiac sat in the shadows.

He touched a concealed stud on his gauntlet, "Alfred, I'm at the plant. What do our eyes in the sky tell us?"

"Standby, accessing Wayne Enterprises satellite network." Alfred's voice echoed in his ear through the comms in the cowl.

As Batman waited he remembered the layout of the chemical plant he had memorised before he had left the Cave. There was a series of catwalks criss-crossing above the processing plants and mixing vats with monitoring stations dotted along them.

They were at two levels, the upper network of catwalks were rarely used and had no functioning consoles, the perfect place to stalk his prey. The lower network connected to the labs where Napier's office and own laboratory was located.

"There are twenty one thermal human signatures in the plant, a dozen at key plant positions on the lower levels, there are three in various corridors moving slowly at the front of the building in the restrooms and cloak areas of the facility. The main reception area and security desk are abandoned and another signature is detected in the canteen…"

Batman thought that made sense. The twelve signatures on the bottom level were the plant operatives, the three in the rest room and cloak area would more likely be cleaners. Napier and his lab were in a completely different part of the building and Tygo and his crew wouldn't want to be wandering around attracting attention to themselves.

The security and reception area being empty but only a sole signature in the canteen indicated it was probably the security guard, paid off to take a break more than likely, he surmised.

"One signature in Napier's lab, which would be Napier himself I presume. Three more signatures moving quickly toward his office and two more just inside the shutter door of dispatch bay six."

"They're my boys. I'm going silent Alfred."

"Happy hunting, sir."

Batman had scouted a fire exit on the roof when he had pulled the architectural plans form Gotham's database. As he made his way toward it he reached down to his belt. Ten interchangeable copper plated Titanium compartments lined the belt. If anyone other than Batman touched them a charge of one hundred and seventy five thousand volts was dumped through the copper plating and into the curious foes nervous system. Three 9 volt batteries sent a charge through a series of multiple transformers within it, amplifying the voltage. The belt could carry any tools that Batman chose to equip himself with for the mission.

The fire exit was locked and alarmed but Batman withdrew the micro EMP 'torch' from its home in one of the compartments and twisted its base to activate it. There was a high pitched whine and the top of the 'torch' glowed an intense red. A localised electromagnetic pulse assaulted the security system, lights on the upper levels winked out and alarms sparked into useless smoking wall mountings.

The top of the torch then switched to green completing its function. He snapped another compartment open and unfolded a compact miniature plasma cutter. It only had limited a burn but adequate for the job in hand.

Within moments Batman had disabled the alarms, cut through the locks and was deftly making his way down into the bowels of the chemical plant and to his confrontation with Napier.

Jack watched Tygo approach through the glass doors his goons, Escobar and Martinez hulking behind him. His skin crawled and bile built in his throat. His hands still trembled on the hilt of the gun underneath the desk.

"Don't wimp out now Jack, remember Jeannie that spawn in her belly his hands all over her!" Joe taunted him.

"Okay just shut up! Enough!" Jack hissed back.

The glass doors sighed open and Tygo and his men entered. They looked curiously to the gas cylinder sitting before the desk and back to Jack sat behind it.

"Jeez, Jack you look like shit! You sick man?" the false concern in Tygo's voice made Jacks blood boil.

"That's nice, Tygo. Nice of you to notice." The words croaked from his mouth as he stared down at the blank computer screen, "But you always did take care of me didn't you? Took care of my Jeannie too."

"Hey course hombre! Didn't I say I would?" Tygo out stretched his arms as if to embrace Jack but when Jack looked up at him something made him stop.

"Stop gassing do it now! Kill 'em! Kill 'em all!" Joe raged in his mind until it was all Jack could hear, "Just think of them screwing in your bed! Sweating and moaning on your sheets! Kill them you pussy!"

Tygo slowly looked down and just caught sight of a silver flash in Jacks lap. Jack leapt up from the desk. He was pale, shaking and sweating in his purple suit and had a madness in his eyes that scared the shit out of Tygo.

"Shut up! Just shut up Tygo! I heard! Heard it all! Heard you and my Jeannie! She ain't my Jeannie now is she Tygo?! She's yours you bastard!" Jack felt like a pressure valve had suddenly ruptured, the words spewed out and tears streamed down his cheeks.

"What the? Oh man, lets talk man, c'mon…" Tygo stepped back as Jack flailed the gun around,

"You pussy! Don't stand their crying, having a heart to heart! Kill the bastard! Do it now!" Joe demanded.

He was right and Jack knew it. He pulled the trigger but in fury and fear his hand trembled. The shot went wide just clipping the canister. The valve split but only a thin stream of the green gas hit Martinez in the face. Escobar and Tygo dived clear. With speed surprising of his size Escobar pulled up his greasy t-shirt over his fat stomach and with one swing of his meaty arm hurled the hissing canister smashing through Napier's office window down to the level below. There were cries of alarm and panic as the night workers scattered away from the viscous green gas enveloping the lower floor. The factory's alarm klaxons screamed across the building.

Tygo lunged for Jack, snatching his arms behind his back and smashing his face down onto the desk. The monitor crashed to the floor in a shower of sparks and shattering light weight plastic.

"You do this to me and my friends over a woman?! A woman?!" Tygo slammed his face down again, into the keyboard. Blood exploded from Jacks split lips and busted nostrils.

"Boss! Look at Martinez!" Escobar called out.

Tygo pulled Jack up ready to slam him down again but glanced over at Martinez and stopped to stare. Martinez bronze skin had gone a sickly grey. His eyes bulged as if the life was being squeezed out of him but the lower part of his face was pulled back and contorted in a horrific grin. His facial muscles bloated and strained around his lips making his cheeks twitch and swell. He choked and slathered blood and spit as his body convulsed violently but the most disturbing thing was the deranged laughter. He screamed with a sick mad laughter as he chewed his tongue and gagged on his own bile. In seconds he stopped thrashing and let out one last bubbling gasp.

"What the hell you do, man?!" Tygo twisted Jack round and scrunched his purple leather lapels in his powerful tattooed fists.

Joe laughed in his face

"A little more of this, a little less of that, concentrate it a bit more! A little magic and poof! What a ride! At least he went with a smile!" Sniggered Joe through Jacks bloodied bruised lips.

Tygo pulled a bone handled switch blade from his jacket pocket and stuck it in Jacks face, ejecting the blade a hairs breadth from his eye.

"I'm gonna cut your face off!"

"Boss these alarms are gonna cause heat and we got a corpse here! We need to get outta here!" Escobar pointed out nervously.

"Why, did you do it?! You could have any girl you want?!" Jack was back and he started to sob.

"You gone loco hombre!" Tygo was getting confused with the changes, one minute he cried like a baby then looked like one of the scariest mothers Tygo ever came across, "Ya wanna know? You know why Jack? 'Cos she was there hombre and begging for a real man. First night you was gone man! One night and she was all over me, hombre!" Tygo roughly shoved Jack to Escobar as he cried out in despair and rage.

"Boss, the police wont be long!" Protested the massive henchman as he caught Jack. Now Jack had gone from crying his eyes out to chuckling and muttering to himself.

"Will you shut up?" Tygo snapped at Escobar, "We still need the merchandise and I'm teaching Jack here a lesson! Get him outta here!" Tygo raged taking one last look down at his dead friend.

Batman stalked the shadows of the upper redundant walkways. He had located the three other gang members but then a shot was heard. The alarms began to scream as a tank exploded through Napier's observation window.

Batman crossed the walkways and looked down at the ruptured tank below spilling its emerald cloud of toxic gas. He snatched a capsule from one of the units on his belt and threw it down below. It burst a few feet away from the tank, exploding in a rush of solidifying foam encapsulating and sealing the canister. Batman used it mainly for suppressing fires and minimising the damage of small explosives but on this occasion he improvised.

He moved quickly but didn't want to give away his position. He fired the grapnel and perched himself on a rusting rafter above the walkways that connected Napier's office to the observation stations. Giant green cauldrons bubbled and steamed below as Batman looked down to Napier's office and the laboratories.

His HUD lenses zoomed down onto the automated glass doors of the office. It wasn't long before he saw the chemist dragged out by a massive Hispanic leather clad goon. Tygo flew up behind in a seeming murderous rage.

"Jackie boy you should have just took the money and gone off in the sunset Hombre, but no, you have to get all 'Basic Attraction' an' shit!" Tygo shoved him against the railings. "Now you tell me where our shit is and maybe just maybe I'll let you live!" he shoved the blade to his throat, tracing the tip up to his lips.

"Live? What life?! You took my life! She was all I had! She was the only thing I ever did right!" Jack spat pushing his lips against the edge of the blade

"You snivelling idiot! You don't deserve her! Let em kill ya! Put us both out of our misery!" Joe screamed through his mind.

"You obviously didn't do her right, my friend cos she was moanin' and grinding when I climbed on top of her, mmm, mm." Tygo thrust his hips forward and swung his palms back in a spanking motion, "Said I was the best she ever had, hombre. She did say you made her laugh though!"

"Tygo we have to go brother!" Escobar urged.

"Where is it?!" Tygo pushed the blade against Jacks cheek.

"You silly bastard." Jacks face changed, his voice changed and he held Tygo in a dead stare, "I am going to kill every last one of you jokers as painfully as I can and then dance on your corpses." He followed the strange behaviour with a shrill freakish laugh.

Joe liked being in charge!

Jacks manic expression and strange voice sent a shiver up Tygo's spine but the ominous sweeping shadow that moved over head made it rattle.

"Let him go!" A voice boomed from the darkness.

From the inky black a projectile spun past Tygo's face and embedded itself into the wall behind him with a sharp chink. He had heard of them but never seen one. Those that had usually were only seen again in the courtroom and the slammer. It was a large shuriken fashioned in the simple effigy of a bat, matt black and made of some sort of super tough metal. The legendary calling card of the Batman.

Tygo reached for his cell, "GET UP HERE! GET UP HERE NOW!"

Batman jumped to the next rafter to see Torres men appearing at the top of the metal staircase, swinging around their guns.

"The Batman's here! Shoot anything that moves!" Tygo shouted to them, "Me and you still got business!" Torres hissed in Napier's ear and Escobar dragged the chemist deeper into the factory.

Batman dropped and glided from his purchase in the apex of the factory to follow. He was swiftly met by a shower of red hot lead as Torres' men peppered the air with semi automatic fire. Not a great idea in a chemical factory. The bullets flew in all directions, piercing tanks and pipes. More alarms sounded and the factory was bathed in the blood red hue of emergency lighting as dangerous gasses and superheated steam billowed across the factory.

Even for Batman's Hi-Impact gel armour a barrage of machine gun fire was too much. He fired his grapnel and pulled himself up out of the line of fire. He quickly moved his way above Torres' men using the rafters, girders and air conditioning units. He loosed a Batarang from the back of his belt and took out the lighting above the cat walk then dropped down using the momentum of his weight to crush the gunman. His cape enveloped the fallen hood making him fall silently.

Batman rolled forward and to his feet. Torres second gunman never saw the black shadow rise silently behind him but he sensed it. He griped the stock of his assault rifle and took a deep, unsteady breath. When he was prepared he spun around but the shadow twisted him by his gun arm. Batman drove his armoured cowl into the bridge of his nose blinding him in white hot pain just before he smashed the sweaty skinny junkie into unconsciousness.

The third snapped on his heel and went to duck into the darkness but Batman had pre-empted his move. He launched the last of his Batarang's at his gun hand, cracking its bones and allowing the weapon to skitter uselessly away. The gunman wailed and instinctively stooped over to inspect his broken fingers. Batman crossed the distance in a heartbeat and bought his boot up, catching the injured thug with such force he lifted into the air like a rag doll before hitting hard back down onto the grating. He went to lift his head and felt for the gun with his unbroken hand.

Batman pounced on his chest and drew his arm back to deliver a quick and powerful blow.

"Don't bother." Batman warned as the gun man slumped back to the floor.

"See Jack, you mess with a good thing this is what happens!" Tygo ranted as Escobar reluctantly dragged Napier to the railings. "Now, tell me where is our shit?!" he screamed and choked over the fumes.

Jack looked back at him and laughed in his face.

"It's down there, labelled 'Tygo's drugs' in big fancy letters!" Jack roared with laughter but began to catch his breath as the steam and chemical vapours in the air began to make it thick and heavy, burning the back of his throat. Flashing blue light permeated the red glare of emergency lighting as sirens blared outside

"Boss we have to go man! It's the five-oh man! This shits gonna kill us!" Escobar released his grip on Jacks arms coughing, holding his chubby hands over his nose and mouth.

"Batman one side cops on the other and still no merchandise! You're screwed now, smart ass!" Jack whooped and cackled as he fell against the rails.

Tygo lunged forward with his blade as Jack carried on laughing.

"So you think this funny, Mr Comedian?!" Tygo dragged him to his feet "You think this is funny?! I'm gonna give you a big smile! Gonna last you all time baby!" He glared into his eyes.

Tygo rammed the blade into Jacks mouth savagely ripping it back and forth through his cheeks.

Now Jack screamed and blood filled his mouth as Tygo slashed away at his winning smile.

Batman quickly came up on Tygo and his henchman to see him butchering the chemists face. He went for a Batarang only to realise he has used the last one. He fired the grapnel and swung high above them, momentarily distracting Torres and his accomplice. The meaty Mexican fired into the air after Batman but he successfully evaded the fire and landed on the catwalk opposite.

"Enough Torres! Its over!"

There were more explosions and the catwalks shuddered and groaned, calls from the police below filtered up through the smoke and flame. Batman saw Tygo through the shimmering heat and haze of fumes. He stared from left to right, his bravado gone just the terrified reaction of flight or flee. He pushed Jack bloodied and battered against the railings.

"Ya know I heard about you! Well you don't scare me Bat freak! You don't let people die! I heard about that too!" Tygo pulled his own gun and put it to Jacks head.

"Make up your mind buddy boy! Slice me or shoot me, ha ha ha!" Jack blurted through slashed cheeks and busted swollen lips

"So you got a choice, I throw this dickless puto over and you try and save him or you come after me hombre!" Tygo was shoving Jack until he was doubled over the rails.

""I'll do both! You're not getting away Torres!" Batman weighed up his options in seconds and decided on the course of action before Tygo had even reacted.

"Good luck with that man!" Tygo lifted Jacks legs and whispered in his ear, "Who's the fucking Joker now hombre!" then tossed him over. Jack clawed at Tygo trying to take him with him but only snatched the blade from his hand.

Batman was ready. He quickly withdrew the grapnel and fired. It snagged around the chemists ankles and Batman attached it to the rail of the walkway.

Batman wasn't sure if it was a scream of terror or delirious excitement from the chemist as he swung wildly over the chemical vats.

Batman only needed minutes to cross the catwalks and drag Tygo and his remaining henchman to justice. They were still stumbling through the flame and smoke. Batman had almost gained on them.

Tygo's gunman turned and fired erratically, trying to secure their escape. They had almost reached the bar-doors of the emergency fire escape. The bullets deflected harmlessly from Batman's chest plate but struck the flammable tanks running through the infrastructure of the factory.

Batman's world exploded around him and the catwalks fell away in a deafening shriek of tearing steel. He felt himself freefall and then crashed to the lower level with a bone jarring thud. The suit had a spinal reinforcement cage enforced with an opposable neck brace and an armoured protected cowl but it still hurt like hell. The wind exploded from his diaphragm.

It took a moment to orientate himself. He climbed to his feet, unsteady at first. The view in his lenses flickered and shimmered. Bursts of flame came from all directions as the chemical factory became a raging inferno. He had fallen to the lower levels of catwalks but was still high above the factory floor. He looked up to see Tygo and his oversized goon escaping through the emergency exit.

Every impulse in his body made him want to drive after Torres but then he thought of the chemist. He looked to where he had suspended him from. It too was torn from its moorings in the blast. Napier was still hanging by the grapnel but his weight was dragging the weakened remains of the catwalk down into the toxic vat.

Batman saw that he didn't have long. He abandoned his pursuit of Tygo and attempted to reach what was left of the catwalk above.

The heat of the flames was fierce and as well designed as his suit was it was still heavy and hot. With out his grapnel he had to scale the fallen scraps of the walk way to get to the upper level.

Batman began to choke on the thick black smoke and burning fumes. He reached down to his belt and detached a small respirator. Just like the plasma cutter, it had limited capacity but he hoped it would be enough.

The mini resp device snapped up into the 'nose' of the cowl and slipped in his mouth. Despite the equipment it was still a physical struggle. He hauled his weight up the precarious fallen metal grating as the intense flames burned around him and the factory began to collapse.

Batman reached the catwalk. Napier thrashed around making it lurch and groan, pulling it further down. Batman carefully made his way down the walkway.

"Don't struggle, Napier! You're bringing it down!" Batman shouted down to him.

"Ha, ha, try saying that to a worm on the hook, Batsy!" Napier cried back, "You hung me here you idiot! Whooo!" the chemist used his body weight swinging himself back and forth.

The catwalk suddenly dropped and swung wildly. Batman lost his footing and rolled downwards snatching his hands out to grab a solid purchase. He caught the torn metal walkway just seconds before plummeting into the vat himself.

The flames were so intense that they were making his lenses fail so he retracted them back up into the cowl. Sweat stung Batman's eyes and his muscles burned. He tried to reach down to Napier but the tether line had been snagged on the ragged steel and with the combination of heat and corrosive vapours it had weakened.

Batman reached down to try and pull the line up himself but another explosion rocked up from below. The catwalk failed and he leapt down to the lower level as the upper structures buckled inwards.

Once again he fell badly as blasts came from all directions. He climbed to his feet and dashed through the cascade of burning debris only to see Napier scream as he plunged down into the vat beneath him. The burning catwalks crashing down from above.

"No!" Batman watched helplessly as Napier splashed deep into the green chemical slick and the twisted metal wreckage soon followed after him.

Police officers were making their way through the carnage beneath and Batman's dark silhouette was highlighted against the intense orange glare. Again gun fire filled the air. Batman moved quickly but without the grapnel and the collapsing state of the structure he had to use his agility and judgement to make his way to the roof top and to his own escape.

As soon as the shooting started it was stopped by a booming commanding voice. Batman instantly recognised it. He and Batman had crossed paths before when he had been Captain Jim Gordon they had reluctantly helped each other out on the odd occasion. He was one of the good cops, one of the few and Batman was pleased that for once a good man had filled the role.

He pulled himself up and out onto the roof. His lungs burned and his whole body ached from his falls from the walkways. He had no time to reflect on his physical condition or the death of the chemist. The parking lot was lit like a Christmas tree by the various emergency services vehicles. He had to leave the area quickly.

The Car wasn't far but with most of his equipment gone and the glide function useless with his cape torn he had to make his escape the old fashioned way. He kept in the shadow and used his gymnastic abilities to cross the industrial rooftops until he disappeared back into the night.

"Will you bunch of idiots stop firing for Christ's sake this place is a powder keg! We can't lock up chargrilled corpses! Get everyone to a safe distance and get outta here! That's an order!" It was the new Commissioner, James Gordon. He was an imposing presence at six foot five and prided himself in keeping his physique. If he couldn't chase a perp down he didn't belong in the job. He dispensed with the royal blues of his official uniform and still wore the beaten brown mackintosh his wife had bought him when he made detective as a tongue in cheek gift, ten years ago.

"The Batman's up there!" A greasy barrel bellied officer called out as he trundled through the smoke and fumes.

"I don't care if the devil himself's up there, Bullock get these men outta here and wait for the fire crews!" Gordon shouted back at him.

"Yes sir, commissioner, whatever you say, commissioner!" Bullocks tone was bordering insubordinate but Gordon didn't have time to deal with his bullshit. He had a burning chemical factory, several bashed up perp's and god knows if any dead, to top that another mass sighting of the Batman. He was getting harder to keep a lid on.

Suddenly a new alarm sounded and a cool, feminine automated voice filtered through the chaos,

"Warning! Warning! Catastrophic incident in progress. Emergency purge in operation!"

"What now?!" Gordon shouted to one of the few technicians brave enough to stay and stop the factory from turning into a fireball.

"The automated safety system has responded to the multiple fires and determined its unsafe so its dumping the contents of every vat, tank and valve into our well, erm, emergency dumping facility…" the technician shouted over the screaming alarms and almost deafening explosions from above.

"You mean the river!" Gordon said angrily.

The technician shrugged with a defeated look on his face before turning his attention back to the console, flicking switches and turning dials.

Gordon watched as the vats drained their green, purple and red mixtures and Gordon wondered bitterly how much evidence was literally being flushed away.

The commissioner heard his radio cackle to life, "Commissioner, good news! One of our junior officers has apprehended Tygo Torres and Escobar Hernandez in the rear parking lot!"

"Who was the arresting officer?" Gordon asked curiously

"Lieutenant Barbara Gordon, sir, your daughter!"

"I know who she is damn it! I'm on my way!" Gordon snapped back and marched out to the rear lot.

"Goddamit Barbara! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Officer Barbara Gordon braced herself as she often had as a child when he had stormed up the stairs to grind her for a low grade on her school report. She grit her teeth and turned to face him.

His thick bristling moustache had started to develop a frost over recent years and the coarse dark hair at his temples had begun to whiten but other than that he had aged well.

As her father stormed toward her she saw a fury in his dark brown eyes, which only seemed amplified by his black horn rim gasses.

"I'm a cop, dad! It's my job." She said dryly anticipating her father's irritated response.

"Don't get smart with me! You're a beat cop, Barbara, What are you doing here?!"

"I made that bust! I got the info from the rape gang!" The young Gordon protested. "I knew they would be here!"

"You're a beat cop! You did some good work but this is MCU business! You have to work your way up. Not try and bring in a bust like some rookie show boating!" Gordon pulled her tightly by the elbow to his side as he tucked her into a corner by a fire truck that just parked up … "and it's Commissioner Gordon on the street."

"You know I am just as good as anyone in that unit and half of them are on Cobblepot's or Maroni's payroll!" Gordon's daughter argued back at him.

"You have to learn the streets Barbara! The long way!"

"You don't want me out on the streets, Dad you never have!" she spat back at him angry at her lack of professionalism. She played right into his hands.

"See this is exactly what I meant Barbara! This is a conversation for home not a damned crime scene!" Gordon hissed at her as several fire fighters rushed past.

"No you know what? It's not a conversation at all! I am going to book my prisoners in and file my report!"

Jim Gordon saw the same damned irritating stubbornness that had attracted him so much to her mother. It was both endearing and infuriating! His daughter stalked off back to the squad car and Gordon felt he may have been a little hard.

"Barbara wait!" He called after her.

"Sorry Commissioner I have to get back to my beat and its Officer Gordon to you!" She called over her shoulder not glancing back. Her father never saw the immature but smug smile as she turned her back, walking away from the most senior police officer in the city.

Several other officers chuckled to themselves before they saw Gordon's stone glare cut them down.

"You like your jobs?!" He shouted to them.

There was a rash of discrete nods and murmurs of apology as they busied themselves getting back to work.

The fire chief ran up to the Commissioner and shouted over the wail of more fire trucks arriving.

"Our men have evacuated the lower levels but according to the security guard, she was asked to take an unscheduled break by one of the chemists shortly before the incident occurred, uh." He quickly fished out a worn and charred notebook, "Jack Napier? We haven't found any sign but if he was on the upper levels…"

As if on cue there was a loud groan from the factory's chimneys and they came crashing down in yet more furious belches of flame.

"Well we could be looking at another casualty Commissioner as well as the one we found in the office. The look frozen on that guys face, that was damned creepy and I seen a lot of death!" He stated obviously.

"Okay." Gordon sighed, "Thanks for the update, get back to your men."

"Yes sir! Okay, you men get back! Position trucks five, seven and eighty nine directly in front of the building…" ordered the fire chief as he ran back to his crews hosing gallons of foam over the raging chemical inferno.

Great now another death, could tonight get any worse? Thought Gotham's Commissioner miserably.

Alfred waited in the 'Cave after seeing the bulletin on GCNN. He heard the heavy creak and grind of the platform lowering the 'Car. As it descended its massive engine still growled angrily. The jet turbine nestled between the right and left wings howled as it cooled down and rain still sizzled around its exhausts and jet burner. Batman had run her hard and fast.

The cockpit hissed and barely had time to slide forward before Batman jumped from the cockpit, his boots thundering against the metal decking.

Alfred observed that the suit was badly damaged. Several fresh bullet pocks dotted his armoured bat-chest plate. The cape was tattered and despite the flame resistant nature of the suit, large areas of the grey Kevlar weave were badly scored and charred.

Batman snatched off his left glove and stuffed his thumb behind the buckle of his belt. His biometric print disabled the charged magnetic clasps of his suit and its security systems.

He roughly pulled off the cowl and threw it through the holographic display which activated on his arrival.

Although it looked like one piece of the suit, the head piece of the cowl armour detached at the back of the neck leaving the neck support of the cowling in place. It gave him the ability to turn his head, a luxury he had not afforded himself with the first design.

The chair had barely time to fold up out of the floor before he slumped into it. He held his head heavily in his hands for a moment before Alfred approached him.

"It didn't go well sir?" he said sombrely.

"No it didn't Alfred. Not well at all. Two men died. I could have prevented one and I caused the other." It was Bruce talking now not the Batman. He wearily raised his head.

His dark hair was coarse, a rich oak brown like his mothers but he had the strong elegant features of his father, a strong jaw, understated hawkish nose and the characteristic Wayne blue eyes.

He was a striking man but he looked tired. His hair was slick back with sweat from the fire and the added heat of the cowl. His skin was pale and dark crescents cradled his eyes above drawn cheeks. The electric blue glare of the Cave Computer screens highlighted both. "It was my fault, Alfred" He finished.

"Are you injured?" Asked Alfred, evading his masters' statement moving to the surgical lockers on the east section of the platform.

"Just bumps and bruises. You don't sound surprised." Bruce arched his back wincing as the adrenalin ebbed away.

"There's already been a report on the news, Master Wayne." Alfred said casually as he pulled dressings and a flask of pills from the locker.

"Really?" Bruce ignored the growing pains in his back and limbs and tapped the search commands into the computer.

The main central monitor signified it was connecting and the bulletin appeared on the screen.

He recognised the reporter, a tall brunette hard ass. She was in her early thirties with the body of a catwalk model but a journalistic instinct as sharp as a surgical scalpel.

"This is Vicky Vale for GCNN, reporting live at the blaze of the Ace chemical factory! It's rumoured a drug deal went bad. Several known members of the Maroni crime organisation have been arrested on the scene but due to the blaze its hard to see any incriminating evidence being found!

'Its also reported that the Batman was on scene and reports of at least two deaths are filtering through!" She was soon cut off by the police commissioner barging through her camera crew and pushing his hand over the lenses. The image switched to GCNN newsroom that apologised for the 'loss of transmission'.

"Perfect." Bruce grumbled as he paused the recording.

"What happened master Wayne? Here, some anti inflammatory and a pain killer to help you get some rest." Alfred passed over the bundle of medical supplies and rested against the rail of the platform, he wore simple brown cord slacks and patterned shirt.

Bruce tossed them onto the console before telling his old friend what had taken place.

"It sounds as though you did everything to save that man. You risked your own life to try." Alfred's silver service tone dropped and Bruce caught the London accent his in his words.

"I put him in that situation Alfred. I hung him there because I was too concerned with catching every bad guy in the room and now he's dead." Bruce said grimly, looking up at the paused image of the burning chemical factory on the screen.

Alfred moved up behind Bruce's seat.

"When you decided to take on this quest or path or whatever you choose to call it. Its a war and in wars people die Bruce." He said plainly. "I explained that in the beginning."

"I know Alfred I have seen people die! You of all should remember that!" He snapped paused and took a breath, "I know this is the path I have chosen but never a death at my hands and not down to my actions."

Alfred ignored the outburst as he had done so many times before, "It wasn't your actions master Wayne, he put himself into that situation and Tygo Torres threw him over." He said coolly as he scratched at his silver steel moustache. "You ever considered, Bruce that there might just come a time you have no bleedin' choice!? When I served in the Falkland's back in the eighties…."

"Please Alfred I am not in the mood for your war stories!" Bruce jumped from his chair and turned his back.

"Okay then Master Wayne. I shall retire. There is cocoa on the stove and a salad sandwich in the refrigerator of the east wing kitchen." Alfred said briskly before turning and heading back to the cage lift.

"Alfred, wait!" He called out, Alfred stopped and turned but Bruce couldn't find the words. "Goodnight Alfred, it doesn't matter, never mind."

"I never do sir, never do. Make sure you get some sleep!" Alfred smiled as the cage gates closed loudly and carried him into the manor above.

Bruce sat alone in front of the console looking at the stills from the fire.

"Computer, off."

As the monitors darkened and the multiple humming servers whined down a flurry of Brown Bats, the largest of their kind in North America, screamed from the shadows and soared up into the vaulted craggy ceilings of the cave.

It was the same colony that had swarmed around him as a teen when he had discovered the Cave for the first time. He had been running from the grief and ceremony of his parents wake when he had found a deep hollow.

Bruce had just wanted to finally to cry alone without strangers cooing and weeping over him. That was when he had fallen. The bats had surrounded him, suffocated him and deafened him with their screams. They had terrified him.

He had embraced both the darkness and the fear since then. The same creatures that had terrified the boy now empowered the man. Bruce sat among them admiring their grace as they beat their powerful wings and retreated to their roosts leaving him to his solitude.

Act 3

As dawn broke across Gotham, a dark grey horizon melted into the city's yellow smog. Across the river's embankments a thick green sludge and foam spread across the shore line as the tide lapped in against the dirty brown silt.

A couple of hobo's gathered around a burning oil drum huddling from the Gotham winter morning. Barney picked through the slag and debris from the receding tide line when he saw the purple clad body washed up amongst burned metal canisters and a collection of broken plastic drums. A foul chemical stench hung in the air choking the rats and making Mack's dog whine.

"Mack, we gotta floater here man!" called over Barney as he cautiously approached the lifeless lump.

"It alive?" asked Mack as he drained the last of a discarded bourbon bottle to keep the cold off.

"It wouldn't be a floater in the gutter if it was alive! Oh he's dead, whiter than my grand mammys best plates and eyes wide open! He dead alright! Man! His face was cut up bad! That's a smile only a mother could love!" Barney chuckled through broken yellow teeth as he took a length of slimy driftwood and roughly shoved the body.

"Hey didn't grand mammy teach you its rude to poke and prod?!" the corpse came alive snatching the stick and throwing it away.

Barney screamed in terror before stumbling back over his drunken bare feet and splashing into the dirty waters of the city river.

The corpse climbed to his feet and then pulled a bone handled switchblade from the breast pocket of the purple suit and jabbed it several times into the hapless hobo's abdomen making him scream as each wound punctured organs, "There how do you like it?!" The white face laughed.

Barney cried out again as the blade jabbed into his sides.

"Oh will you shut up ya big sissy!" Barney screams were stifled by the boot that pushed him under the water. It only took seconds for the badly injured Barney to stop thrashing as his life bled away into the river.

Mack splashed through the muddy quagmire of the bank to escape the dead mad man. He tugged his faithful dog behind on its rope but the corpse rushed after him and pushed him into the mud.

"Tag! You're it!" he cried gleefully as he pounced on Macks back.

"You killed my buddy you asshole! You freak!" Mack screamed as he was twisted around. Blood and spit dripped from the monsters face and his yellow teeth glared through the wounds.

"What's with all this screaming and crying?! You live in the big outdoors, no tax penalties and great On River location! Why don't people like you just smile?!" His lips were twisted up into a sinister rictus grin and his yellow eyes with bloated black pupils drove through Mack's brain. That was before he pushed the blade into the defenceless old mans cheeks.

"Smile, funboy! Smile!" He howled.

He threw the dead husk of the man into the filthy shallow waters and tossed what was left of his dog after him.

"I'm gonna make this whole damned city smile!" He laughed, gagged and giggled as his shrivelled bony fingers clawed through the shingle and he staggered his way up into Gotham's back streets.

Childers paid off the officers securing the scene with a bunch of fifty dollar notes before making his way to the office levels that had been deemed safe by the fire chief.

"Ah man what a shit pile!" Though the fire hadn't reached the office levels, sprinklers and smoke damage had screwed up everything.

The lights were blinking on and off, several computer screens flickered as they fed on the last reserves from back up power lines and batteries.

He made his way to his office. The police had no reason to go through the offices, which he could only be grateful for. Two large cash pay offs, documents concerning off shore shipments not to mention his unregistered Beretta. He would rather they didn't find any of that.

As he was making his way through the dark stinking corridors he saw a light further down in the lab section and heard the whir of machinery. Childers thought at first that some equipment would be still functioning like some of the computers but he knew that the compressors and lab equipment needed commands and calibration.

A shudder went up his spine when he saw that it was Napier's lab. The sounds of machinery grew louder. Childers approached slowly and fear rushed up from his bowels. He peeked around the corner and saw a shadowy figure stood in the gloom over the equipment. Childers began to regret paying off the cops downstairs.

All he could see was a slender figure in a dark suit, purple or black. A tussle of messy green hair was lit by the computer screens that he was studying. Childers thought at first some street punk may have broke his way in but street punks didn't know how to use that sort of equipment.

Childers saw that several medical packs from one of their pharmaceutical customers had been broken open and large hypodermic needles were strewn across the worktop. The same bright green liquid he had seen in the vats the day before now sat bubbling and steaming in the chemical condensers. It was being pressurised into canisters of different sizes from an asthma inhaler to oxygen tanks.

Childers thought about confronting the trespasser but he had a shit load of money in his safe and no obligation to this shit hole, wasn't his problem. Carefully he turned to go quietly back to his office and get the hell out but his overweight stomach brushed against a magazine rack which crashed to the floor.

He went to run until a voice called out,

"Doctor Childers! You wasn't going to leave before saying hello? Surely!" it was the strange figure from Napier's lab.

Childers recognised it but didn't believe it. It was Napier's voice! It sounded sick, throaty but it was him. The voice of a dead man!

He froze, hoping no more words would come from the lab but he heard feet shuffling and a strange sniggering coming from down the hall.

Childers began to feel his heart banging in his chest and cold drops formed above his bushy brows. He dared to look back and his stomach turned. A shadow stretched up across the wall. Childers bolted back for his gun.

"Oh don't be like that, doc! Ol' buddy, ol' pal!" the sniggering turned to a twisted laughter that chilled Childers to his bones as it followed him up the corridor.

He ran to his office and slammed the door shut behind him. He ripped out his desk drawer, scrambling through the contents for his Beretta.

The door smashed open and Childers pushed himself back up against the wall.

"You really should lock up your guns." The intruder sneered "Ya know, you wouldn't have been such a bastard to work for if you had just laughed from time to time!" Childers just caught sight of the frightful white face before several of his own bullets exploded into his skull.

He stooped over Childers body and searched his jacket pockets, "C'mon tubby where's your car keys, least you can do is gimme a ride!"

Barnes started walking back to the rear lot of the dilapidated chemical factory. It was a quiet job and he just got a nice pay off for just grabbing a chilli dog and letting the good doctor get a few things from his office. Not a bad start to his morning shift.

He went to light a smoke, when he saw a tall figure crossing the car lot in the morning mist. He was dressed in purple and had a mop of dirty green hair. He carried a crate in his arms out to the Doc's Porsche. Barnes hadn't seen him! And where was the doc?!

"Shit, knew it was too good to be true," he muttered to himself as he withdrew his sidearm. "Freeze! Gotham P.D!"

The purple suit had its back to Barnes and was several hundred yards across the lot, he stopped but didn't turn.

"Turn around and put the crate down!" Barnes said more forcefully stepping closer, just like in his training. "You're trespassing on a crime scene!"

"Hey, do you know why the cop went to the parking lot?" called back the guy with crazy hair and suit.

"Just turn around!" Demanded Barnes.

"If you say so officer!" The man spun quickly and dropped the crate to the cracked asphalt.

Before Barnes had a chance to look up he collapsed to the floor with several smoking bullet holes to his chest.

"To see why his partner had just been shot!" he laughed walking over to the dying police officer. He tucked Childers smoking gun back into his waist band "Sorry still working on that one!"

Barnes struggled to raise his hands as he spat blood from his perforated lungs, gasping for air and clawing against the maniac's legs.

"Oh have some dignity man!" He spluttered through slashed cheeks.

He pulled the pistol back out, pushed it against the young officers temple and blast his head across the car lot. "There, that's better! Hush now!"

Powell heard the gunshot and ran back from the side of the building where he had been taking a leak. He pulled his gun from its holster when he heard an engine roar to life only to be tossed into the air as the hood of the sports car smashed into his legs throwing him into the air. He collapsed back to the drive with his neck broken behind his shoulders and a lifeless stare in his soft brown eyes.

"So long, asshole!" the driver of the Porsche whooped as it sped from the parking lot.

Her pregnant lump felt heavier than ever as she waddled up through the trailer park. Dogs chained to rail linked fences barked and snapped and children wailed as their parents swore at them. This wasn't what she had imagined two years ago she had been using her magnificent body to earn serious bucks. Now she was just a walking broke incubator that no man would like twice at now.

Jack was dead and Tygo locked up, she had hated Jack but now she just felt an inconsolable guilt. The fact he never knew about Tygo and the baby gave her a little comfort. She had no idea what to do now the baby was nearly due and she had no money. Tygo was gone and Jack dead, she was finished.

As Jeannie reached the trailer she thought about ringing Ma and Pa, they were ashamed of her career but they might not turn their back with a baby in tow. She climbed the metal steps and shoved the door open. She didn't notice the white Porsche with a smashed bloody hood parked under the shadow of the cherry tree.

The cramped trailer was dark as night, though it was lunchtime the tiny windows and dark winter grey sky snatched away any natural light. She went to hit the switch for the lamps but a soft orange glow came from the bed area hidden behind one of the flimsy partitions. The smell of burning candle wax filled the stale air.

She felt curiosity more than fear, and a little glimmer of hope. Maybe Tygo was out and he had surprised her. Still she gently put her purse down on the cluttered worktop and tread softly up to the bed and dresser at the rear of the caravan. The sick dread only set in when she heard the humming coming from the shadow dancing against the candlelit walls.

A nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill, the one that Jack had always said he would sing to the baby, that his mother had sang to him.

The humming grew louder and the chords strained, Jeannie had an overwhelming urge to turn and run but instead she was fixed to the spot, frozen by terror or held by a sick curiosity, she wasn't sure. She tried to angle her view through the narrow doorway.

"Welcome home pumpkin!" the humming ceased and the voice called from behind the partition.

Jeannie went cold, Goosebumps prickled across her skin, it was Jacks voice. It sounded different, hoarse but high pitched at the same time but it was Jack that unmistakable whine.

She tentatively peered into the bedroom and saw dirty chunks of matted green hair littering the floor amidst bloody cotton swabs. A primal feeling inside her pregnant belly told her to get out now but just like watching a car wreck she shuffled her feet toward the voice. The cheap rubber soles of her sneakers squeaked against the linoleum flooring.

Jeannie heard the snick, snick sound of scissors. Each clip sent a shiver up her back. She craned her neck, her breath coming in shuddering gasps.

It was Jack, that purple suit, the skinny back. He sat hunched over the dresser, his lucky cards spread across it with needles from her sewing kit that she had never used strewn amongst more bloody swabs. Candles burned and melted into the cheap wood, oozing white and yellow wax.

He had roughly cut his hair in spiky tufts and it was green and dirty brown. Jeannie couldn't see his reflection, she didn't want to.

"I thought candlelight was more romantic." It sounded like Jack but he drawled and chuckled

"Jack? Jack, I thought you was dead." She managed to utter through trembling lips, "Everyone said you are dead."

His white wrinkled, pruned fingers threaded the dental floss through the needle and raised it to his face, pushing it through his left cheek as Jeannie watched in horror.

"God Jack stop!" she couldn't look at the reflection couldn't look at his face but from standing behind she could see what he was doing.

"Ah, Jack, Jack, Jack!" He held the needle for a moment, blood dripped down from its sharp point and marbled in the wax. "Jack's dead pumpkin, he fell out with your new boyfriend and things got ugly." He said as he continued to push the sewing needle in and out of his cheek.

Jeannie's resolve began to crumble and tears began to flow.

"Jack just stop this you are scaring the shit out of me!" She screamed at him.

He held up his bony hand and wagged his finger before picking up the kitchen scissors and cut off another knot in his cheek.

"No, No, No, Jack is dead hunnybun but don't you worry I' here now and I am going to put a smile on that cheating lying face of yours!" He spun to face her, "Ta daa!"

It was like a nightmare Halloween mask of the man who had left the trailer yesterday. The skin on his face was bleached bone white and pulled tightly over his skull, his eyes were yellow and his pupils were like pools of dark chaos that chilled Jeannie to her womb.

Jack's mouth had been slashed from the corners of his lips up to his cheekbones. He had roughly stitched up his own cheeks in ragged tatters, bloody dental floss hung from the uneven stitches.

"My god Jack! What did they do to you?! Let me get you to a hospital! It's not too late!" she cried.

"Oh its far too late Pumpkin. You know what happened to Jacky boy? He got in a fight with your new lover after hearing about that bastard baby in your fat belly. As you can see pumpkin, things didn't go well for Jack." He spoke quietly as he slowly stood from the dresser and stepped toward her.

Her stomach sank and the fear was replaced with terror as it dawned on her that this monster was Jack once but no more. Jack had known! He knew about, Tygo, the affair and that the baby wasn't his!

She wanted to run but was transfixed by that savage evil smile slashed across his face.

"Oh Jack I'm sorry…" she whimpered as she was consumed by guilt and fear.

Jeannie weakly lifted her arms not sure whether to push him away or try to hold him.

"JACKS DEAD!" He exploded suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to the bed. She saw the sheer hate and madness in his eyes as she crashed down with her pregnant weight.

He suddenly paused took a breath, ran those dead fingers through his messy green hair and smoothed out the cracked purple leather suit.

"You're fucking insane!" she had meant to scream but the words only croaked from her closed dry throat.

"Indeed! And I feel so much better for it, like a massive weight has smashed up my mind!" He spread his arms out and whirled in the cramped room "Anyway pumpkin, no matter now." The chilling smile spread across his face stretching the stitches. "Me, you and junior are gonna have some family fun!"

Jeannie was sobbing with fear and regret. She pushed herself up to the top of the bed just to get a few inches further away from the smiling monster that was once her husband, her love.

"Please don't! The baby, think about the baby! Don't do this!" Jeannie pleaded feeling the baby kick and punch her stomach as she watched him reach back for the bloodied scissors steaming in the running candle wax.

"What do you think I was gonna do something with these?" The menace turned and snipped the sharp pointed blades together, before trimming another stitch in his bloody wounds, "What sort of monster do you think I am?" he sniggered, gathering up his lucky deck from the dresser.

He fished in his jacket and pulled out a long spinal syringe loaded with bright green liquid. "No I'm going to do something with this! Now pick a card, any card!"

Jeannie's screams were unheard over the manic laughter and the residents of the trailer park politely paid no attention to the trailer as it rocked back and forth.

Gordon leant back against the searchlight that had been installed after 9/11 and looked out over Gotham City as he savoured his Bradley cigar. The impatient horns and screams of the city streets were a low drone from the rooftop of the station. It was barely lunchtime and he had already had news of two murdered officers at the chemical plant and the guy who ran the place, Childers. There were two hundred murders in Gotham a day, give or take, and each one deserved to be solved and their killers bought to justice but when it was another cop it was like family. If they were dedicated to the job then any officer from a new recruit to the commissioner of the city feels that loss.

Barnes had only been on the force six months and Powell had a wife and three kids, damned shame. Gordon snatched off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose

Commissioner Gordon was contemplating that when the push bar of the door to the roof top banged loudly and it swung open to reveal Captain Maggie Sawyer.

She had been his lieutenant when he was captain of Major Crimes Unit and was a fine and honourable officer. The first thing he did as Commissioner was to make her captain. She wasn't especially attractive and hard as granite, her dry dark hair was tied in a loose pony tail, she wore no make up and had a build some of the guys in her department would be envious of. You didn't screw with Sawyer.

"Thought I might find you up here." She remarked stepping out onto the rooftop.

"Only damned place I can get a smoke in peace. Cant smoke in my office, the car lot, the bar, hell Barb's wont even let me smoke in the house no more!" Gordon explained sourly.

"I'm sorry to have to disturb you boss but I thought you should know." Sawyer had always called him boss.

"What's up?" Gordon looked down to the dwindling stub and at the pile of discarded cigar ends at the feet of the searchlight.

"There's been another murder, this time at the Happy Trails trailer park." She told him.

"Okay I'm sure you are perfectly able to deal with it, Maggie." Gordon assured her unsure of why she was involving him.

"Its not that sir. It's the wife of the chemist thought killed in the fire last night." Sawyer approached Gordon as she glanced across the cityscape.

"So, his boss, two cops and now his wife?" Gordon started working on the angle in his head.

"Its not just that sir, she was heavily pregnant. Boys are saying its not pretty." She told him quietly.

"When is it?" Gordon pondered, "Good call Maggie, lets get over there, I want in on this."

The city's commissioner threw the stub down and ground it into the floor before following Sawyer down to the lobby.

As the car pulled up Gordon saw that the sterile forensic tents had been raised around the trailer. Several curious onlookers stood around with hands over mouths and shaking their heads in disbelief. The rain had began to drizzle down from the black clouds above and he saw a young female officer crying in her squad car as he made his way to the scene.

A CSI officer dressed in white coveralls pulled back the white curtain and Gordon stepped up into the trailer. The place reeked of candle wax and dirty laundry and an acrid stench of ammonia and bile. Gordon had seen his first murder victim at just nineteen but still after all these years' women and children cut him deep.

"Ah Jesus."

She was stripped to her underwear and trussed to a chair in the middle of the cramped bedroom. Her face was daubed in thick make up, as if a five year old had been let loose with their mother's cosmetics. The black eyeliner scribbled around her eyes had run in rivers of black tears down into the blood and vomit still foaming around her mouth.

Her lipstick slathered lips were bloated and distended, pulled across her face caught in a sick sardonic grin. Her eyes were still open, glassy and full of terror.

Gordon's stomach turned as he saw a massive hypodermic syringe hanging out of her pregnant belly. The detective in him noticed the chunks of green hair, bloodied swabs and stained scissors littering the scene.

"Okay so what you got?" Gordon sighed sadly.

"Jeannie Goodlover, wife of Jack Napier. She was an ex porn star, kept the name for professional reasons, if you know what I mean. They fell on hard times when Napier went down and she fell pregnant." Sawyer told him.

"Dalton isn't it? What can you tell us?"

"What you see commissioner, it looks like she's been tied up and injected into the womb with some sort of toxin. Obviously I have to do toxicology's but judging from that nightmare smile and the body that was bought in last night with same risus sardonicus, I'm guessing it's a lethal overdose of your new street drug, Smyly."

"Rice what?" Gordon asked.

"Rictus smile commissioner, associated with a lot of poisons and bases for pharmaceutical treatments, it causes the muscles in the face to spasm in death, goes back as far as the Roman Empire," Stated Dalton as he snapped off his rubber gloves to fetch an instrument from his kit case, "As you can see the sick son of a bitch injected in the womb, killing the infant instantly but due to the blood transfer from the foetal sack the toxin would have been dispersed in her bloodstream in minutes. She suffered commissioner, knowing her baby was dead in her womb." He finished grimly.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Gordon said quietly to Sawyer.

"The chemist disappears then his boss and his pregnant wife end up dead plus two cops, in a matter of hours? Someone's tying up lose ends?" she offered.

"Or maybe our chemist is back from the dead? This all looks a little personal don't you think?" Said Gordon.

"What come and kill his pregnant wife?" Sawyer wasn't convinced.

"Who said she was pregnant by Napier?" Gordon said sceptically as he scanned the scene taking in every detail.

Gordon moved closer and crouched to look into the dead girl's eyes and the Joker playing card that had been pinned between them with a sewing needle.

"Mister Wayne, I commend your sentiment but I am not quite sure that going to live in lavish luxury with a billionaire playboy would be conducive to Mister Grayson's rehabilitation." Said the warden sourly as she sat across the antique pine desk with a stern scowl and wrinkled jowls.

"With all due respect Miss Winters I don't see how setting him up in a cheap apartment on the breadline in The Narrows surrounded by desperate criminals can help either." Bruce's words could have easily sounded confrontational but the charming lop sided smile and warmth from his ice blue eyes eased the tension. "I have a strict regime of education lined up for him and he certainly won be getting an easy ride." Bruce assured her.

"Its not just finances Mister Wayne, he is a troubled young man, have you had any experience at all of troubled teens?!" She leant forward over her desk peering over her glasses like one of Bruce's old school mistresses from his brief time in the UK.

"Some I would say." Bruce stood and pulled his coat from the back of the orange plastic moulded seat. "I was one." He smiled back at her.

Winters seemed to have lost the fire from her argument.

"Well then, Mister Wayne I won't keep you any longer I am sure you are a busy man." She said shortly.

"I always have time for The Foundation, Miss Winters." Bruce looked around at the dingy office, tired dog eared magazines and empty, broken vending machine. "I believe Foundation Juvenile Hall is due a refurbishment. You'll have a grant by the new year." Bruce said casually as he pulled on his jacket, making an effort not to wince as he stretched his bruised ribs..

Winters seemed a little taken aback, her demeanour changed and she smiled quickly.

"Well thank you Mister Wayne. Mister Grayson's review is next month so I shall keep you informed."

"I would appreciate that and if possible I would like to meet with him again." Bruce added.

"I'll make the arrangements, Mister Wayne." Winters said graciously as she unlocked the bolts and opened the heavy doors to the winter streets.

Bruce walked down the stone steps and looked back at the thirties art deco structure. It looked somewhat anachronistic amidst the modern glass and steel structures that had risen around it over the last fifty years.

He walked over to the classic black '43 Cadillac as Alfred sat in the driver's seat working at his crossword magazine. Bruce climbed in next to him slamming the door on the cold and wet November rain.

"How was your meeting sir?" he asked not taking his eyes up from the page.

"Productive Alfred, they have a few concerns but I think they'll come round. It looks like we may have to prepare for a house guest soon." Bruce said unbuttoning the long black jacket now he was in the heated Cadillac.

Alfred didn't respond just chewed his pen as he looked down at the magazine.

"Stuck on something Alfred?" Bruce asked as he settled out of the jacket and tie and buckled his seatbelt.

"Yes Master Wayne, seven across beginning with 'T' and ending in a big fat 'E'. I won't bother with the clue as you are the dark detective after all," He said dryly before tucking the magazine into the side pocket and turning over the engine, "Besides, while you were in there I was seeing what Gotham airwaves has to offer. I have a feeling you may want to hear this," Alfred touched a button on the converted '43's console.

A police wave band crackled across the fitted speakers. To most, the garbled reports of numbers and codes wouldn't mean anything but they did to Bruce.

There had been four deaths all relating to the chemical factory, Childers, two officers now the chemist's pregnant wife horribly murdered. A manhunt was being launched. Bruce's blood ran cold.

"When?" Bruce asked bluntly.

"That report went out over there networks twenty nine minutes ago." Replied Alfred as he began to back the car up onto the street.

"Get me back to the Manor, Alfred and cancel…" Bruce's mood had changed, his eyes were hard and jaw thickset.

"I have already rescheduled your meeting with the mayor regarding the festivities for the Gala tomorrow night." Alfred informed him as he pushed down on the accelerator and charged the Cadillac back to Crest hills and to the Wayne estate.

Alfred thought at times like this Bruce really didn't need the cape as he stormed into the manor, his black full length jacket billowing around his muscular frame. His mouth was grim and his eyes were like set stone as he marched into the main study and ordered the television on. His Edward Green Dover soles cracked against the polished oaks floors.

As Bruce suspected Vale was already reporting live for GCNN from the trailer park in a breaking news report. He only caught the tail end but the media had already linked the deaths up and the rash of murders had been dubbed the Ace Chemical Killer, also two homeless men had now been found murdered on the banks of the chemical plant where much of the waste and debris from the fire had washed ashore.

Alfred stood silently behind the leather sofa as Bruce snapped off the news report.

"That's takes the toll up to six Alfred, two cops a doctor, a pregnant woman and two hapless hobo's." Bruce's words were measured and calm but Alfred, knowing his young ward heard the rage underlying in his words.

"A serial killer in six hours? That even beats Zhas." Alfred remarked.

"Who is he Alfred? I saw Napier die, Tygo is locked up and it wouldn't make sense." Bruce stood and walked to the window the grey hazy light lit him like a wraith "None of this makes sense."

"Has Napier's body been recovered, sir?" Alfred offered.

"No Alfred that's my concern but nobody could have survived that. I watched him plunge into a vat of raw narcotics. I saw fifty tons of burning steel collapse down on top and then the systems were purged into the river. Nobody could have survived…" Bruce searched his mind, different scenarios, Napier couldn't be alive. It had to be someone else. "I'm going down to the Cave Alfred I need to look into this, monitor the situation until Batman can go to work." Bruce smartly pulled his collar up and turned to the antique grandfather clock he opened the glass face and set it to the time of his parent's murder, ten, forty eight, activating its bio scan.

The antique book case gave a wheezed moan before parting down the middle to reveal the cage elevator down to the Cave. Bruce didn't wait for Alfred to join him or say any more he climbed into the cage and the bookcase slid shut leaving Alfred alone in the study.

"What?! Released on bail?!" Gordon spat out his cigar as he glared over Gotham from the rooftop.

"Damn it Jim she arrested Torres and Hernandez on firearms charges, no drugs, no money!" Sawyer gave as good as she got, it was his damned rookie daughter who had rushed in like her first rodeo. "Maroni's lawyer had out them out in hours!"

Commissioner Gordon didn't turn back but bent over to pick up his cigar, he savoured the flavour took a deep breath and slipped the glasses off the bridge of his nose.

"I know Maggie, she's just trying to be a good cop but she screwed up." He conceded, "Could this put them in the frame for the other murders?" Gordon suddenly thought hopefully.

"No boss I came and told you straight away. They were only released an hour ago."

"Okay leave Barbara to me. Keep tabs on Torres and his gang." Gordon scrunched yet another stub into the pile by the searchlight and turned to face her.

"Ya know Commissioner. We all get a bit eager, especially making it up from the bottom. She must have a lot to live up to with her father being the youngest commissioner in Gotham's history. Maybe she just needs a good teacher." Captain Sawyer said with a little tenderness.

"Yeah I guess. You offering?" Gordon half joked.

"Maybe I am." Sawyer said with a smile.

"Thanks Maggie but I don't think she's ready for MCU yet. I'm going to put her on a babysitting detail for a few days, try and teach her some patience. Think I will add her to the Gala event detail." Gordon said resignedly taking another long burn on his Bradley.

"I hate to be a pain in the ass but Mayor Hill is trying to contact you about the Gala event and demands to know why you were out on a crime scene and not the press meeting for the security of the event tomorrow night." Sawyer told him, "Just thought I should give you heads up." She finished awkwardly.

"Ah Maggie, sometimes I wonder why I took this job. I'm no bureaucrat." He grumbled.

"No you're not! You're a good old fashioned, honest cop which is exactly why you have this job!" She said fiercely. "Christ knows who would be running this police force if it wasn't you, boss?"

Gordon smiled back at her, "You just reminded me why I made you captain, guess I better go give the mayor a call huh?"

"I'll get you a donut and a latte to ease the pain." Sawyer winked at him as she pulled open the fire exit to the rooftop and they headed back down to his office.

It was a frustrating and painful conversation with the mayor but after some negotiation and the importance of the Ace Chemical Killer were relayed he relented and agreed to meet in private later that afternoon about the security measures for the Gala Event. No sooner had Gordon got off of the link to the Mayors office his daughter burst in through the glass sliding doors.

She had the good sense to wait until the sound proof doors slid shut.

"Guard detail? Really?!" she fumed her mothers green eyes burning back at him.

"Now you just hang on! Your half assed arrest cost us that bust! We had to bail every single one of those assholes on basic firearms charges!" Gordon jumped up from behind the desk and almost fell over the coffee table pulling the blinds shut.

"What about the drugs and Maroni's men that the Batman caught?!" Barbara demanded.

"There were no drugs Barbara! No Money! And the Batman does not make our arrests! What you think some cloaked, caped crusader sails in and cuffs people up and we say Oh the Batman cuffed him for us so they must be guilty?! Jesus Barbara get in the real world, no evidence, no charges!" Gordon raged as both commissioner and father. "You can't take Gotham city on your own and neither can that damned vigilante you love so much!"

"Dad….." She began.

"No Barbara, conversation is over I have a god damned serial killer on the loose! A bunch of trigger happy mobsters just released and a high society event to protect tomorrow! Get back to your beat and report to the protection detail tomorrow! Dismissed, Officer Gordon!" Gotham's Commissioner stood from his chair and turned his back to his daughter to look out over the sick city below.

"Yes sir!" She spat bitterly.

He waited for the doors to sigh shut and went back to his chair. He pulled his top drawer open and took a cigar from its case before throwing it back down on the desk in frustration at not being able to light it. Gordon picked up the gold plated petrol lighter beside it and read the inscription on its case.

"To Detective Dad,

With love,

Barbara"

By the time he had pulled up the blinds his daughter had left the floor.

Hernandez pulled up at Sammy's Garage and Lock up as Tygo had told him too. Maroni's lawyer had got them out but there was some weird shit going down, dead cops, dead doctor even Tygo's piece of pregnant ass had been whacked. Tygo was scared and The Maroni's rattled. They that knew they were going to get this pinned on them eventually so they had ordered everyone involved in the chemical plant shit storm to lay low at one of their many safe houses scattered across the city. After doing a quick sweep of the yard, satisfied it was secure he pulled open the heavy steel shutter and disappeared inside.

Most of the chop shop equipment had been cleared out but the smell of aerosol paint, engine oil and body filler still filled the cold empty garage. Only an old LCD television sat in front of a tattered sofa. Its orange foam innards were spilling out of its many tears and worn stitching. A small hastily built mini bar sat in the corner next to a rusting refrigerator.

"Nice…" Hernandez moaned to himself as he switched the TV on and looked in the fridge for a beer. At least the TV worked and the fridge was stocked. He had settled his heavy rear end down onto the sofa and it springs squealed in protest. There was a rat tat tat on the steel door.

He wasn't expecting Tygo and the others for an hour. He was at the Maroni Mansion getting chewed out by Sal Maroni himself. Hernandez instinctively went for the shotgun he had bought along for company and cautiously approached the shutter.

"Hey Man, Albo's Pizza anyone here?!" came a voice from behind it. "Okay I'm leaving in thirty seconds…twelve large pepperoni for Hernandez from Tygo? It's got a message…Don't eat them all lard ass, dinner for the boys, T"

He pumped the fore stock of the shotgun and slowly pulled up the shutter half way.

"C'mon dude I get my pay ripped if I'm late on delivery!" Said a gangly teen from behind a stack of pizza boxes.

Hernandez discretely hung the shotgun on one of the key hooks by the garage door out of sight of the pizza boy. He went to take the load of fast food when the boy suddenly dropped to the floor desperately clutching at the vicious wound slashed across his pimply neck as cherry black blood pumped from the gash.

"Surprise!"

Hernandez heard a voice scream before his eyes were stung and his chest filled with a choking grey mist and the world went black just after a hideous vision of white.

Vomit threatened to rise from his stomach and his head felt like it was going to explode. White spots filled his vision and Hernandez thought he was hallucinating. A purple dressed monstrous clown was dancing in front of him but as his vision settled he saw the horrific clown was no hallucination. He saw the face and recognised it in a twisted mutilated way. His heart stopped and his blood ran cold.

"El Diablo!" Hernandez went to cross his chest as he saw the animated corpse of the man he and Tygo had murdered the previous night parade before him.

He realised his arms were tied to the chair that he was sat on, helpless before the vengeful corpse.

"Not quite but I'm working on it my fat friend." He strutted toward Hernandez with dramatic strides, "Now I heard on the grapevine you boys had been let out the slammer and were coming here. An old made friend a promise that I just gotta keep!" The crazed clown chortled. Hernandez tried not to look at the bloody ragged smile and dead yellow eyes.

He realised his arms were tied to the chair, helpless before the vengeful corpse.

"Congratulations, Big Boy you are guinea pig number one for my new little cocktail!" he hunched over and started fishing through a large case. Several gas canisters had been dragged into the garage while Hernandez was out

"How the hell did you know we were here, man?!" Hernandez blurted out. No one was supposed to know where they were holing up!

"The walls have ears my friend or at least your friends did." He fished in the breast pocket of the cracked leather suit and pulled out two bloody earlobes, strands of hair and flesh still hanging from the head they were cut from. He pushed them up against his own, "Think they're me?" he laughed before pulling what looked like a gas mask and air line from the large packing case and began attaching the hose to one of the canisters.

"What the hell is that shit?!" Hernandez demanded as his massive arms squirmed and writhed uselessly against his binds.

"Oh just a little something I knocked up. An accelerated barbiturate steroid, toughen you up a bit, a little Smiley and oh and my personal favourite, a little special mixture of my own to make you a little more ….shall we say agreeable to certain requests…" sneered the ghoulish figure.

"Get the hell away from me man!" Hernandez cried out as the gas mask was attached to his face.

"Now breathe deep Big Boy, those are some fat lungs we gotta fill!" manic screaming laughter filled the abandoned garage.

Tygo stepped obliviously through the delivery boy's slick black blood in the darkness his men followed behind. They raised the garage shutters and walked inside.

He expected Hernandez to have some smutty channel on cable and helping himself to the bar but the garage was dark and cold. A shadowy figure sat on the far side of the garage in front of a TV screen displaying nothing but snow static, the only illumination in the room.

"C'mon man you're suppose to be looking after the crib man! Why ain't the power on man?! You best not have passed out after drinking all the beers puto!" Tygo began to feel uneasy as the silhouette looked too light and skinny to be Hernandez.

"Wanna get the door for me Big Boy, there's a draft!?" called back the silhouette.

For a moment Tygo was confused, who was the stranger talking to but then he heard a grunt and moan from a well of dark shadow behind them and the steel shutters crashed down.

Tygo instinctively reached for his Glock '34 as they were plunged into darkness but only two of the other eight guys were armed.

"A little jumpy aren't we?" the skinny shadow stood, the rushing snow on the TV screen strobed his shadow against the wall.

There was something about the voice…it was familiar, the figure was familiar. Tygo just couldn't place it until a sick dread crept up his spine when he saw the purple leather suit flash in the light from the LCD screen and he caught an ugly glimpse of the bone white scarred face.

"Jack? Jack is that you?" he nervously called out to the looming shadow.

All that came back was a chilling evil chuckle, the sort only Tygo had in nightmares as a child or heard in horror movies.

"Screw you Jack! We killed you hombre, if you are some sorta sicko trying to scare my boys you're shit outta luck." He bravely shouted to the darkness panning his gun from left to right. "Jack Napier's dead!"

"Indeed he is Hombre," Called back the twisted shrill voice.

The armed men swept their guns through the shadows.

"So who are you Cabron?! Show your face so I can see it when I shoot you in the eyes!" Tygo called out as the shadow approached.

"Big Boy, relieve these gentlemen of their weapons before they hurt themselves." Suddenly the light cast from the snowy screen lit up the face and it was no shadow. It was Jack Napier once but his flesh was bleached white and had shrunk around his skull. The slashes that Tygo had inflicted were raw and bloody but roughly sewn together up to his cheek bones.

Tygo couldn't quite process what he saw before him. He almost didn't hear his companions being smashed to and fro until he felt a massive hand pull him back and hurl him to the floor.

"Enough Big Boy!" ordered the walking shell that Tygo had killed the previous evening.

"Jack what ever happened man we can figure this out!" Tygo pleaded.

"Stop calling me that!" The monstrosity raged before he took a breath and kneeled down to him a pensive little finger in his bloated lips. He quickly ripped Tygo's head back by his thick black braids, "Jack's dead! The Joker's here to play now and I am so much more fun! Now its time to die but don't you worry pumpkin I have a real special party for ya!" The Joker spat in his ear.

"You crazy puto! You a dead man walking!" Tygo protested as the hulk that was once his friend lifted him off of the ground and carried him to the crouch thrashing and writhing in his massive arms.

"Ya know livings overrated, now dying, that's a blast!" The Joker laughed. "Tie him to the couch! I want him to have a front row seat to the show!" Some of Tygo's men were beginning to stir back to consciousness.

Big Boy grunted in acknowledgement and after fastening Tygo to the couch with tow rope he proceeded to lumber over to the other semi conscious henchmen and began tying them together in a circle on the floor.

Tygo watched as The Joker took a gas mask and canister and dragged it to the centre of the room just feet away from Tygo's men humming a merry tune as he did so, the steel base screeching against the concrete.

Big Boy, once Hernandez, stood behind him with blank eyes and slathering jowls like a loyal dog waiting for commands.

"What you gassing us man? That the best ya got?!" Tygo taunted him.

The Joker stopped what he was doing and slowly turned. The bravado drained from Tygo as the twisted look on the maniacs face was set like a Halloween mask. His demonic eyes burned into Torres own.

"No I'm gassing them and they're gonna kill you, quite violently I would imagine." The Joker cackled, it was an evil unnerving noise.

Tygo said no more as he watched the Joker place the mask over his friends faces one by one. Each time he released the valve on the cylinder. He watched as they convulsed, choked and screamed in pain and laughter but instead of the vomiting and death he had seen in Napier's office, they settled and seemed sedated. They dribbled like babies, their eyes yellowed and their bodies grew limp.

"Listen up boys, you all listening to Uncle Joker? Listen to my words my ugly little dogs…" Joker repeated as he circled them.

They started to nod and slur in response and their yellow eyes slowly looked up and focused on him, the sick smiles spreading across their faces

"Good boys, you do what Uncle Joker tells you and the party never ends. Lets just do a little practice run shall we? Big Boy untie tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee over there." The Joker motioned to two of the guys, a skinny teen and over weight middle-aged lump.

"Skinny bite Fatty's finger off." The Joker said casually.

Fatty lifted his chubby hand to Skinny's mouth and Skinny sank his teeth into the index joint, he twisted his teeth through the skin, chomping and tearing. Tears streamed from Fatty's eyes but he just watched and giggled uncontrollably until Skinny finally wrenched the finger from Fatty's hand.

"Good Job Skinny! Took it like a man Fatty! Atta Boys!" The Joker clapped happily as Tygo recoiled in fear and revulsion.

The others laughed and whooped watching Skinny spit out the bloody finger.

"Well now you boys are in the party mood who wants to have some fun with Tygo!" The Joker cheered inciting his drugged dogs to do the same, he turned to Tygo.

"Ready to party, Hombre?"

"Wait don't! If you want money I can get you money! I will just disappear! Man, you can have everything!" Torres voice began to crack and tears of fear began to sting his eyes.

He watched helplessly as Big Boy began to untie his drugged crew, their yellow bloodshot eyes staring murderously toward him.

"You crying Tygo?!" The Joker asked incredulously, "You big Nancy boy!"

The Joker chuckled as he approached a dusty work bench. Hernandez had untied the gang and they rushed toward Tygo, still bound to the couch.

"WAIT!" The Joker ordered.

The snarling growling gang stopped dead in their tracks obedient of their master's voice but twitched and trembled barely containing their violent urges.

"I bought toys! Ta Daa!" The Joker said cheerfully before dramatically pulling a blanket from the worktop to reveal a collection of construction hand tools and a baseball bat, "Sorry I didn't have time for anything special, just had to get what I could find. You know how it is rushing to organise parties," he said apologetically "...but you got a sledgehammer there, pick axe, regular axe, one can never have too many axes…" The Joker said whimsically. "Anyway boys choose your tools and have fun!"

"God no! PLEASE LET ME GO!" Screamed Tygo as the collection of monsters began hefting the heavy hand tools and started toward him.

"Wait boys!" Called their master again holding up his hand, reluctantly they came to a halt.

The Joker slowly walked to Tygo, stroking his bony chin and narrowing his eyes as if deep in thought.

"Please." Tygo began.

"Uh Uh Uh," He wagged his finger back at him, "I'm thinking!"

Tygo shut up, a small knot of hope had formed in his belly and a warm wet pool in his pants.

"Ya know you're right, I will let you go!" The Joker said suddenly as if the thought had just occurred to him.

The goons groaned behind him and Skinny smacked the bat against the bench in frustration.

"Big Boy let him go." Said the Joker sounding defeated. He pouted those torn up lips and let his arms fall to his side like a sulking child.

Big Boy looked confused but did as he was told and untied the ropes.

"Oh thank you, thank you! I'm sorry man! Whatever you want man, whatever you need!" Tygo grovelled.

He was now sobbing, relief sweeping over him as he stood and shook off the ropes.

"Don't thank me yet." The Joker said dryly. "I just thought it would be more fun this way! Now tear him apart!" the stitched evil smile spread across his stony white face.

"No!" Tygo Torres spun to reach the shutter but barely made it a step before The Jokers Dogs had him.

The Jokers giggles turned into cackles and then degenerated into screams of mad hilarity as he watched the gruesome carnage unfold. Tygo's agonized wailing didn't last long and was never heard over the howling laughter of the Joker.

After an hour or so had passed the Joker wiped the bloody soles of his boots on the discarded blanket and ran his hands through his tufts of green spiky hair.

"Never let it be said I don't keep my promises!" He slapped Big Boy on his broad back catching his breath after enjoying a jolly jig on Tygo's remains. "Would you mind stopping them from killing each other?"

"No Joker," Big Boy slurred as he took the weapons from the other gang members as they began to turn on each other.

"Boys! Boys!" the Joker snapped. "Getting bored already huh? Me too! What's on the tube, Skinny do the honours!" The Joker slumped back down on the couch tossing the remaining ropes to the floor and picking up the still cold beer Hernandez had been drinking before he had arrived.

The gangly teen stooped over the TV and hit the standby button almost knocking it over. He stood in front of the screen grinning back at the Joker.

"Now move, Jack ass!" Joker snarled.

"Bullshit, crap, urgh revolting!" He flicked through the channels. Several children's films were playing. He stopped on GCNN. "Well hello dolly!"

Vicki Vale was on a news report standing in front of Gotham City Hall. Several large banners could be seen being put up behind her across the front face of the building.

"Today District Attorney Candidate, Harvey Dent gave a rousing speech on his ideas on bringing a new era of law and order to the city which has surely got him ahead in the polls but tomorrow City Hall has a more informal event taking place.

The Charity Gala planned for tomorrow night for Gotham City Orphanage funded by Wayne Industries is expected to have a bumper guest list from the cream of Gotham's high society.

"I shall be reporting live and it promises to be a fun night for all especially the fifty children representing the orphanage at tomorrow nights event…"

"Well, well, well ask and you shall receive." Said the Joker quietly, "A new era of law and order huh? More partial to murder and mayhem myself, pumpkin. Boys time for a makeover! We got a party to crash tomorrow night!"

Act 4

Rats scattered and trash karts shook as the Batman's Car rumbled through the streets of the Narrows. He had pursued his patrol more aggressively than normal. Several of the perpetrators he had rounded up would no doubt need a trip to the infirmary before a night in the cells. Batman knew every bone muscle and tendon to debilitate but even in the heat of combat with multiple enemies he knew enough not to cause any permanent damage. He knew Torres and his crew had been released and he had searched as many of their safe houses as he could but they had dozens and he had already decided to pay a visit to the crime scene of the murdered pregnant woman, Napier's wife.

Napier couldn't have survived but the rash of murders seemed directly linked to him. Batman easily distracted the two officers protecting the crime scene by letting off a couple of flashbangs beneath a car down the street. He knew it would only take a few minutes for them to realise that it was a false alarm, a few more to check the area and the same to get back. That gave Batman ample time to slip into the trailer and scour for any shreds of evidence Gotham's own forensics had left behind.

His white HUD lenses lit the area in several different spectrums. There was still dried blood on the dresser that had not yet been removed. Hair fibres could be seen all across the floor. Batman glanced around and saw several of the girls personal items still lying around and he felt a surge of pity. He quickly took a small simple forensic kit from his belt.

Batman scraped the surface of the dresser and carefully picked fibres from the carpet with a small set of tweezers before safely snapping the samples in sterile vials and back into his belt. By the time the officers had returned Batman had slipped back into the night.

Alfred was surprised to see the platform descend at just gone 4 AM as he checked the security protocols after several glitches.

As Batman exited the canopy and walked across the bridge Alfred noticed a purpose in his stride.

"Back early tonight." He remarked.

"Up late tonight." Batman quipped back, "I went to the trailer park, see if I could pick up any evidence the GCPD might have missed." He stepped up onto the steel grating of the platform and then up to the steps to the left to the raised forensic lab.

The displays and machinery whirred to life detecting his arrival. He approached the massive electron spectroscope that Fox had devised for NASA but had tweaked for Wayne's own uses. Batman unclipped the forensic module and placed the sterile vials into the scanning unit.

"Do you not think they might already be looking into it?" Alfred said dryly as he joined Batman up on the forensic platform.

"No doubt but my machines can do in two hours what theirs take two days." He said not looking up from behind the cowl as he punched in search parameters.

"If you don't mind me saying so sir, aren't you taking an unusually personal interest in this?" Alfred leant against the console, still in smart trousers but his shirt fastened loosely and without his customary silk white tie.

"Something doesn't add up Alfred. Napier's dead, he has to be but his nearest and dearest is murdered. Tygo was in jail. His boss and his pregnant wife killed by the drug he created and the homeless guys on the river bank cut up with those smiles. Too many coincidences to ignore." Batman turned from the scanning unit and walked back down to the main console.

"So what do you think?" asked Alfred following closely behind.

"I don't know yet, I managed to get hair and blood samples but the hair is green." Batman sounded frustrated and perplexed.

"Well some street punk then? A hit after it all went wrong at the chemical factory, maybe she knew more than we assume." Alfred speculated stroking his steel moustache.

"Then why the doctor and the torture of Napier's wife and that still doesn't explain the other murders. No, Alfred this isn't going to be as simple as that." Batman said grimly as he used the holo interface picking out police bands at the main console but nothing of note was coming up, it would be dawn soon. "I'll know more after the analysis is complete."

"Well sir, on another note it's the Orphans Gala Evening tonight and as Wayne Enterprises is funding it I believe it would be polite you attend." Said Alfred sternly.

"No Alfred, Batman is needed more than Wayne right now, so long as he signs the cheques and fills the champagne flutes no one will ask questions. I believe Wayne has a dinner date with the daughter of a British minister tomorrow doesn't he?" Batman closed down several screens with hand gestures, "Isobel Jones owes me one."

Alfred sighed wearily.

"Very well sir. I'll inform the appropriate people." He said stiffly.

"Thank you Alfred." Batman stood like stone in front of the flickering images and scanning different bandwidths.

"Bruce Wayne is just as important to this city as the Batman perhaps in the long term even more so." Alfred's voice echoed across the Cave as he turned to approach the elevator.

"Maybe Alfred, get some rest I will shut up down here and hit the sack myself." He unclasped the suit and detached the cowl.

As Bruce heard the elevator rise upwards he turned to the spectrometer.

"Who the hell are you?" he muttered to the darkness as the machines and supercomputer analysed the samples Batman had acquired.

Gordon sat across Mayor Hill's desk, the morning sun blazed through the panoramic windows, glaring against his glasses. A good job because he would have probably been fired if Hill saw the angry glare from Gordon's eyes.

"Gordon, I am not having a hundred officers babysit an overblown kids party! It's a PR thing, have a couple squads representing the city make it look good to the media and that's all we need. If we have a hundred cops at a party and voters start asking why their streets aren't patrolled it's a publicity nightmare!" Hill's young face reddened. He was only in his forties, but chubby and balding. He was a known political show boater who had charmed and paid his way to office. There were rumours he had ties to the Maroni's but they were drunken whispers in back street bars and sordid whispers on brothel pillows.

"With all due respect Mister Mayor, there were four connected killings yesterday, possibly six and they are all over the media. They already have a nickname for a serial killer. I think it would be exactly the right opportunity to send a message and not only that but this guy could be a real threat to public safety!" Gordon almost fell off the edge of his seat as he struggled to contain himself.

"Or cause a panic! No Jim, I want a minimal police presence and lots of smiles and photo opportunities with the kiddies and voters can you handle that for me? Don't worry about this whack job, you're not a detective anymore you are this city's commissioner!" Hill opened a cigar casket on his desk and handed Gordon a hundred and forty dollar Cuban handwrap.

"Thanks Mister Mayor but I prefer my own brand." Gordon stood without ceremony and turned to leave.

"I know I can count on you Gordon." Hill beamed after him.

"Asshole!" Gordon muttered to himself as the doors slid shut behind him.

"Commissioner!"

Gordon turned to see Sawyer rushing up to meet him in the marble corridor of the city halls. She clutched a tired brown file.

"I was hoping I might catch you. I was just putting in the paperwork for a warrant and knew you had your meeting with Hill. I dug up the file on Napier's prison record. Turns out he had two psych evaluations. He was referred to the duty Psychiatrist when exhibiting signs of dissociative identity disorder under times of extreme pressure." She read from the file.

"Huh?" Gordon was frustrated at his own ignorance.

"It's what they used to call multiple personality disorder, it's still a controversial diagnosis but the Doctor who made it is one of the leading experts in the field." Sawyer explained.

Gordon stopped now that could make sense.

"Who was the doctor?" He stepped to the side of the corridor that was growing busy now with the morning traffic.

Sawyer looked back down to the file.

"Doctor Joan Leeland, she's based at Arkham now but consults for GCPD."

"Get her to my office will ya, soon as she can." Gordon said quickly.

"Boss, you're..." She began.

"You say I'm Commissioner and not a detective I'm busting you down to traffic Sawyer!" he snapped at her.

"I wasn't! I was going to say you are in luck she has had two cases at GCPD this morning. I'll have her at your office by lunchtime." She said chidingly.

"Sorry Maggie, good work." Gordon smiled back at her.

The commissioner hadn't been at his desk long before he saw two smartly dressed women approaching the glass doors emblazoned with the GCPD logo.

The first was an older woman with reddish hair cut in a close bob. She wasn't especially tall and in her mid thirties, sharply dressed in expensive black trouser suit. She had a friendly disarming face but a sharp intelligence behind her green eyes.

The second was a younger woman petite and slim with ash blonde hair. She was only in her early twenties. She wore a red blouse and short red and black tartan pencil skirt. She hurried after the older woman, tucking a slim leather brief case under her slender arms.

Gordon waved at them to come into the office and got up from his seat to offer them both a seat.

"Commissioner Gordon, It's a pleasure to meet you I am Doctor Joan Leland." The sharp suited redhead confidently extended her hand.

"Pleasure, thanks for taking the time to come see me." Gordon shook hers firmly and moved back behind his desk.

"This is my intern Harleen Quinzel. I hope you don't mind, Captain Sawyer did say it was an informal brief meeting." Joan took the case from her young assistant.

"Not at all, Doctor. Pleased to meet you Harleen." Gordon said politely.

"And you commissioner!" Harleen's high pitched voice and strong east side accent took Gordon by surprise "It's a real honour I studied some of your cases in high school. You did some amazing work as a detective Commissioner, came across some real doozey's!" she squawked.

"That I did," Gordon wasn't quite sure what to make of the girl, she sounded more like a gangsters moll than a training clinical psychiatrist, the fact she popped a bubble of gum as she finished her sentence didn't do anything to endear her to him.

"Harleen! Remember what we talked about on the way over here please." Said Joan through a patient smile.

"Course sorry Doc, force of habit Commissioner Gordon, I know its not professional. I'm working on it." She took the gum from her mouth and neatly folded it in a handkerchief Doctor Leland had promptly passed to her.

"I'm sure you are." Gordon turned back to Doctor Leland, "Doctor, I saw you had several sessions with Jack Napier in Blackgate."

"I figured that's what you wanted to speak to me about, damned shame. I saw it on the news. He was a nice guy really." Doctor Leland leant back and unzipped the leather case her young intern had been carrying.

"The file said you noticed signs of some sort of multiple personality disorder with him?" said Gordon leaning forward to see what she was producing.

"Dissociative identity," She corrected him, "A warden heard him muttering to himself and there was an incident in the canteen so I was asked to do some sessions with him." Leland pulled a thin file and passed it to Gordon. "Before he got involved in the formula sale due to his addiction to gambling he was trying to break the comedy circuit. He had an alias, Joe King, I said he was trying to be a comic not that he was any good.

' When he was locked up he began to detach from Jack Napier and retreat into the persona of Joe but after a few sessions and as his release date came closer he let go of Joe and became quite rounded again."

"What and that was that?!" Gordon didn't think something like that would just go away.

"Commissioner, it's quite common for new inmates unaccustomed to incarceration to have a temporary psychotic break. It's well documented." Explained the psychiatrist.

"It sure is Commissioner, I had a case study who I did end up dating in the end which didn't end up great because he ate my cat but it made a great thesis, anyways he developed schizophrenia after being confined to his room by his stepmom and.." Harleen began jabbering.

"Harleen would you be a dear and run down to the parking lot to top up the metre for me? We can't get a ticket when having a meeting with the Police Commissioner that would just be embarrassing." Doctor Leland requested politely as she fished a dollar from her purse.

"Sure doc!" The young blonde jumped up and took the dollar before turning back to Gordon, "Nice to meet ya, Commissioner!"

"Where did you find her?" He tried not to watch her tight rear end sway out of the doors.

"Oh don't let the Brooklyn accent and bubble gum fool you, she came top of her class and the cat story? All true. She wrote a ground breaking thesis on it." There was a pride brimming in Lelands words. "She was also tipped to be a national gymnast in college but she chose criminal psychology. She had a tough upbringing in Brooklyn but worked hard and got a scholarship here in Gotham."

"Well if she gets her doctorate it really will be the lunatics running the asylum." Gordon teased lightly.

"She's being posted with me at Arkham so we'll see how she deals with real bad boys and girls." Doctor Leland smiled slyly. "I'm guessing you are wondering if this killing spree has anything to do with Jack aren't you?"

"Strictly off the record?" Gordon said cautiously.

"Of course I am a psychiatrist." She said uncrossing her legs and tugging her trousers tight.

"Nobody could have survived that but his wife and his boss now murdered and other deaths I'm coming up blank. Napier was a chemist with gambling problems not a murderer. Hypothetically speaking, if he survived could he have had one of your mental breaks or whatever?" Gordon couldn't quite believe he was entertaining the notion.

"Hypothetically speaking if he still had the disorder with a massive trauma it could, in my opinion, push him over the edge, yes but your question is Jim, could he have survived?" Leland stood and took the file back, slipping it back into the leather case.

"Nah, I'm just an old cop asking dumb questions. Thanks for your time Doctor." Gordon smiled and once again extended his hand.

"Anytime Commissioner and it was a pleasure meeting you." She clasped hers around his.

"Likewise." Gordon watched her leave and settled back into his chair, he pulled open his drawer and searched for a cigar, one left. He debated whether to save it for later but he had a lot to think about and a hunch that just wouldn't give. He took it and headed to the rooftop.

Wayne ate his lunch of bacon in maple syrup and sunny eggs at his study desk as he looked over the manicured lawns and pruned hedges of his family's Manor. He never ate in the dining room, too many empty chairs. It felt drafty and cold, like a tomb. He was far more at home in the Cave but he still had business matters to attend to. After returning several calls and emails he turned back to the task at hand. The computer down in the Cave relayed the incoming results from the blood work and hair analysis through a secure Wi-Fi link to Wayne's I-Pad.

He was so astounded by what he discovered he had to read the results again and cross reference them against his base line tests before running a diagnostic on the spectrometer. It was all right and correct.

It was Jack Napier's blood, the DNA was a match but the blood make up was corrupted, mutated even. Then Wayne realised what it was. The bonding enzyme Napier had created to combine the different aspects of various narcotics on a molecular level had been introduced into his own blood stream and fused with his own blood chemistry.

"Master Wayne are you sure you won't reconsider attending the gala evening tonight, after all Batman rarely leaves before eleven." Alfred strode purposefully into the room with a flask of Columbian coffee, still steaming in the cafetierre.

"No Alfred." Bruce said quietly not looking up from the thin screen. "Certainly not now."

"What have you found?" Alfred placed the silver service set down onto the antique desk and moved around behind Bruce's father's chair.

Bruce explained to Alfred the findings.

"So he is alive and his blood is permanently laced with a cocktail of narcotics?!" Alfred sounded as incredulous as Wayne had felt when he had studied the results himself.

"Not just that Alfred, I checked back over Napier's Prison record. He had several sessions with the prison psychiatrist for suspected Dissociative Identity Disorder. The combination of the trauma, his mental sate and the fusing of the chemical compounds in his bio-chemistry would make him a very dangerous man." Wayne said grimly. "If there is even any of Jack Napier left at all."

Alfred looked down at his young ward and the scowl sculpted into the Batman's cowl was now furrowed in Bruce Wayne's brow.

"Then you shall be hunting tonight, sir. May I suggest you have a high carb mid afternoon meal. Always good to hunt on a full stomach sir."

"Yes Alfred, I'll have one of your old SAS specials you are so fond of." Bruce tried to pull up his mood despite the black cloud spreading across the horizon through the window as the howling winter wind battered against it.

"Very well, sir. We have some damned fine Cumberland sausage in the main refrigerator. Another thing sir, that bloody corporate mogul from Metropolis has tried to contact you in every office around the globe. What's his name Luger? Luder?" Alfred had no time for greedy corporate types.

"Luthor? Yes, I know. He wants Wayne Enterprises to invest in a regeneration project on the lower west side of Metropolis. I don't trust him Alfred. The amount of wealth, property and businesses he has had acquired in the last six months at his age from nowhere, it doesn't feel right." Wayne finished the scraps of crispy sweet bacon, his eyes still locked on the growing dark skyscape.

"Me and you both Master Wayne. As my ol' dad would have said he's a wrong 'un." Alfred said as he poured the streaming coffee into the china cup on the silver service set.

"My thoughts exactly, Alfred, that's why Wayne Enterprises will be investing in the deal." Bruce said with a lop sided smile as he took the steaming coffee cup.

Alfred almost dropped the cafetierre.

"You what?!"

"I want to keep an eye on our Mr Luthor, he's only a stones throw away from Gotham and I don't like the idea of him in our sand pit. What better way to keep an eye on him than be a business partner?" Wayne said decisively as he drained the cup, stood and turned to the grandfather clock.

"Down to the cave already master Wayne?" Asked Alfred, clearing the lunch service away.

"I want to run another analysis on these results and do a check on the Car. I'll see you later Alfred." Somewhat subdued Wayne disappeared into the fire place elevator.

As Alfred heard the grinding gears seal the fireplace shut he was left alone in the silvery gloom of the overcast skies. He placed the cup back on the tray and took a moment to look back at his old friend's empty chair.

"I'm doing my best Thomas." Alfred said before turning and locking the study behind him.

The Final Act

Officer Barbara Gordon felt a frustrated twist in her gut as the squad car pulled up outside the garishly decorated Gotham City Hall. Wayne Enterprises logos and banners adorned the marble rendered walls but no signs of the man himself, typical. A host of the city's high society had already gathered on the red carpet. The elegantly dressed women stood and remarked on each others furs and designer winter dresses as their respective partners gave valets stern instructions as they handed over keys to expensive sports cars.

She saw the GCNN reporter Vale hustling the B and C list celebrities as they tried to rush into the hall out of the snow drifting down from the night sky. A lively brass band could be heard playing from inside.

She and the other officers gathered toward the back of the parking lot, stamping their feet and clapping their leather gloved hands together to keep warm.

They had been given strict instructions to keep a low profile which wouldn't be hard with only twelve officers for an event with over two hundred wealthy high flyers and fifty orphans.

"They can't be serious! We couldn't cover a little league game with this amount of bodies." She said sourly.

"What's the matter Gordon? You scared the kiddies might start a riot?" Said Peak as he joined the squad. He had been with Barbara at the academy and despite their jibes they were firm friends

"Not as scared as you of that little puppy dog at the domestic we got called to last week." Gordon said with a wry smile.

"Puppy dog? That thing was bigger than a horse, it looked rabid!" he protested.

"Yeah, yeah cut the horseshit kids. I'm no happier with this detail than you guys but here we are." It was Lieutenant Montoya. She was somewhat of a role model for Gordon. She was young tough and uncompromising. "You know your positions, keep it tight but keep it quiet, smile at the kiddies and be nice and polite to the fat cats, got it?" she said smartly.

"You got it lieutenant, protect and serve." Gordon said a little more sarcastically than she had meant to as she shoved on her cap.

Montoya shot a look at Gordon but gave a sly wink and a sexy smirk. It made Gordon blush slightly.

After that they entered the hall and took up their positions. The brass band had now been replaced by a young rock band, not Gordon's ideal choice but the kids seemed to love it. They frolicked and danced, shoving and jumping completely out of time to the frantic beat. They looked to be from about eleven or twelve to early teens.

The older ones thrashed on the dance floor in front of the stage while the younger ones gorged themselves at the buffet table laid on exclusively for the children. Piles of steaming cheeseburgers, cheesy nachos and giant pizza slices were spread across the massive table at one end and on the other were cauldrons of ice cream and jello.

Gordon watched carefully over the crowd from her post at interior of the main door. Vale was now inside the hall with her camera man nabbing any interviews that she could get from the minor celebrities. She looked frustrated, almost angry inbetween shooting pieces of mundane commentary.

The mayor wasn't due until later and he was only making a fleeting appearance to pacify the media, in the mean time Gordon and Peak stood at the doors and tried not to look bored or disinterested, smiling at the guests as they passed through the doors.

An hour or so passed and Gordon and Peak idly chatted as they watched the kids dance and Gotham's high society hobnobs compare and boast over their donations. Without warning there was an ear splitting crack just a moment before Gordon was blinded by an explosion of multicoloured smoke and smoke filled her lungs.

She heard the children and other guests screaming and struggled to climb to her feet. Her ears rung as she reeled from left to right, unsteady on her feet and her vision was filled with a painful glare.

The band fell to their knees as more multi coloured flashbangs exploded onto the stage. The teenage band dropped their instruments causing the speakers to screech with feedback only adding to the confusion and panic.

Despite the stinging smog and blinding glare Montoya pulled out her HK45 but she faltered, there were too many civilians, too many kids. She crouched and shut her eyes tight, waiting for the burn to fade from her retinas. That was when she heard that voice! It blared across the expansive hall overpowering the wails and cries of terror of the children and fearful socialites.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Gotham! I apologise for the rude interruption!" The voice was shrill and hoarse at the same time, like razors over piano wire. It boomed over the PA.

Montoya still couldn't see very well through the smoke but she began to see figures moving through the dispersing cloud of purple and green choking mist and the shadows were carrying firearms. She squeezed her eyes shut as they began to weep. Montoya tried to see through the stinging tears when she felt a massive hand grab her by the back of her tight afro curls and shove her to the ground. Her gun scattered away from her grip before her head was smashed into the marble floor and she lost consciousness.

Gordon was trying to locate a target through the chaos but her eyes were on fire and bright spots mottled her vision. Suddenly she felt two arms grab her from behind, she slammed her head back and felt it connect to a broad flat chest to no avail. She was caught in the vice like grip and dragged fighting down onto the dance floor. Several other officers were already either unconscious or tied together with bright bunting. She saw Montoya was worryingly bleeding from a head wound.

Gordon now had a better view of the intruders as her vision cleared, she recognised that they were Torres crew but there was something strange it wasn't just the white face paint and cheaply sprayed green hair.

They had sick exaggerated smiles as if their face muscles had been paralyzed into sick grins, their jaundiced eyes seemed empty and vacant. They were dressed in blood soaked clothes and slathered and slobbered from their twisted mouths.

She watched how easily even the skinniest of them manhandled the last of the disorientated police officers hurling one clear across the dance floor.

"Good Evening one and all!" The ringleader stepped out of the smoke and onto the stage. He raised his arms as if expecting an arousing applause.

Gordon went cold as she saw his chilling face. His cheeks had been slashed and roughly stitched, the same unnatural smile worn by his goons stretched around his face pulling on the gnarled knotted thread that held his cheeks together.

His face was bone white, the skin was rubbery and mask like but the muscles and veins that strained through the flesh proved it was no mask. His punkish green hair was roughly hacked and chopped. He was dressed in a garish purple leather suit that was cracked and worn spattered with dry dark blood.

"Well, well! What a show huh? Like the fire works kiddies?" he cackled looking down at the terrified crowd. They were now surrounded by a dozen drug crazed thugs, all of them pointing machine gun barrels at the captive crowd.

The gaggle of orphans who had been herded into the centre of the hall alongside the rich and wealthy hid their faces and cried out when the monster turned his evil gaze to them.

"Allow me to introduce myself I'm the Joker! I am Sagittarius, consider myself outgoing, have extensive extreme hobbies oh and I hate the rich, orphaned kids and stupid cops!" He sniggered; "Oh I'm going to have fun with you!" he looked directly at Gordon and the injured officers.

"This party was a bore people! I'm going to make it a real party! 'May get a little tough and it may get a little rough but we are going to have so much fun!" The maniac clapped his hands together, "Well it will might not be too much fun for you guys! Sorry, sad face!" His white withered fingers tried to pull that sick smile down.

Fury raged inside her, Gordon wanted to break her binds and take him out there and then. However, she knew if she made any attempts at escape now she would quickly be dealt with so she pretended to cower from his gaze careful not to make eye contact.

"Well let's get going party people! Now where is that pretty little news reporter?" The Joker jumped down from the stage.

His dirty leather shoes squeaked on the stone floor as he approached, he slowly cast his evil eyes across the frightened revellers.

Vale had hit the deck as soon as the smoke bombs had exploded, she had dived under the burger and pizza laden buffet table with her camera man, Alan. Vale had spent enough time in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Corto Maltese to know when to duck.

"Nope, no, not you." The Joker slowly checked the crowd one by one but couldn't see the reporter, "Okay pretty lady, here's the deal, come out, come out wherever you are or one of my boys will spray kids' brains across the bar." He said cheerfully. "Skinny, pick a kid any kid. Actually make it a little one! Little girl, that always gets the heart strings."

"Viki!" hissed Alan.

"I know, roll the camera we still got a live link?" She whispered.

"Yeah I think so, yeah we are still linked." Alan said looking down at the camera readout.

"Okay let's do this, if we can deal with the Taliban we can deal with this Psycho!" Vale said decisively as she clambered from under the table.

"I'm Vale!" She bravely announced as she stood, Alan followed after her pointing his camera directly at the crazed Psychopath

Skinny had already grabbed a young girl with red bunches, no more than eleven and was dragging her sobbing to the Joker, a few of the braver members of Jokers hostages cried out in protest. They were met by a spray of machine gun fire from Big Boy, screams of terror turned to pain as the hall echoed deafeningly with the sound of gunfire and hallowing screams.

"Yeah baby now we got a party!" The Joker cried jubilantly as several bloody bodies slumped to the floor. Others cried out in pain as bullets riddled their limbs and made tattered scorched bullet holes in expensive suits and evening dresses.

"Ah, Miss Vale!" The Joker said grandly, bowing graciously.

"Stop!" Screamed Vale, "I'm here you sick son of a bitch and you're on camera! You wanted me you got me!" she ran in front of the giant painted clown, the muzzle of the machine gun still smoking.

The Joker held up his hand to Skinny. The drugged up minion reluctantly dropped the girl to the floor.

"Let's save the best 'til last shall we?" The Joker winked at 'Skinny'

Gordon felt useless. She looked over at her fellow officers only her, Peak and a young rookie, Gibbons were still conscious. She saw Peak wrestling with his binds and could see his forearm getting loose. His face was twisted in rage and frustration, glaring at the Joker and his gunmen.

"You're live asshole! In a few minutes you will have the Quick Response Team here, what's your response to that!" She said hotly, her heart banging in her chest.

The Joker just looked at her cocked his head and slowly walked toward her.

More cries and moans came from the injured.

"Please! My wife needs a doctor! She's fucking dying!" screamed a well dressed fortyish Gotham socialite, tears streaming from his eyes as he cradled his young pretty wife. A deep red stain was spreading across her Versace silk dress from her shot abdomen as she grew pale and groaned in agony.

The Joker stopped in his tracks and turned slowly to look at the man and at the injured woman, two of his dogs stepped closer training their guns on the distraught husband.

"Hmm, Looks bad." he pulled the silver Beretta from his waist band, pointed it at the woman's head and squeezed the trigger. Her head exploded against her husband's tuxedo, "Not now she don't buddy." The Joker chuckled.

The wealthy socialite was silenced, he couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, his face was spattered with his wife's blood, skull and brain matter.

"There that's better! Anyone else need emergency medical attention?!" he screamed at the bound and injured, holding up the smoking Beretta. "Thought not! Now back to the party!" he whooped

The Joker turned to Vale, who was staring at what was left of the poor woman's head.

"Now Miss Vale, ready to go to work?" he said casually strolling up to her, he slapped each and every member of the party hard in the face as he approached her. Some wilted and cowered some of the braver ones held his stare and stayed sitting up defiantly.

"Ah brave little soldiers." He spat at them "I have a little message for the GCPD and I am sooo ready for my close up!" The Joker stood in front of the camera blowing a kiss through those fat mutilated lips flashing his yellow teeth.

Gordon saw Peak had almost gotten free but knew it was hopeless. She could see the unbridled rage in his eyes. She tried to get his attention to tell him to stop but he was already shuffling on his knees wriggling from the last of the bunting. The Jokers thugs hadn't seen him yet as they were busy guarding the traumatised injured and the weeping children scattered amongst them.

"People of Gotham, I am the Joker and I've crashed this grand little party because its time for all of you to realize what true madness can bring to your lives!" He said calmly and coolly into the camera. "A city without judgement, or jury, rules or regulations I'm gonna set you free Gotham!"

Alan found it hard to look through the view finder as he focused on the manic eyes and fiendish butchered smile

"I have to say one of my boys here got a little carried away so there might be a few guests who wont be collecting their party bags tonight, just body bags for them I am afraid." He gave a sad pout to the camera, "But don't you worry there's plenty more where they came from!" He said happily. "Tonight the people of Gotham are going to have real entertainment!" He punched the air and spun on his heels, "Oh a little word to the wise… before we start the party games, if my guys on the roof see a single cop within a mile of this place I'm going to start sending these weeping wretches straight back to their parents in hell. One at a time, here live on television all for your viewer's sick pleasure! " Suddenly he erupted into fits and bursts of laughter and ran forward to the camera pushing his monstrous face into the lens. "For every half hour you don't meet my demands, I'm gonna kill one of the rich bitches, any police turn up and the kids start dying and as for your pretty boys and girls in blue, well we are just gonna have a little harmful fun!'

"Welcome to my world Gothamites!" The Joker screamed, his twisted deranged voice echoed through homes, apartments and bars across the city

GCPD erupted into a storm of activity as the TV broadcast of the gala event took a horrific turn. Sawyer ran into the incident room of MCU, the spicy grilled shrimp she had just been sharing in the restaurant with her fiancée was still lingering on her lips.

"What the hell happened?!" She demanded, phones rang off the hook and officers ran back and forth across the office.

"You just seen the news, captain! Some nut job has just started a killing spree at City Hall live on fucking television!" Bullock blustered strapping on his gun and throwing his jacket around his back.

"What officers we got down there?! Damn it how could this happen?!" Sawyer fumed as she jumped behind her desk bringing up a replay of the news report on her computer.

"Apparently Hill demanded a small police presence so not to upset the voters, guess they are gonna be pretty pissed now that guy just executed Anna Chandlers on live television!" Bullock informed her

"Status of our officers?!" Sawyer watched and went numb as the carnage unfolded on the screen.

"Lost contact with all of 'em but this Joker nut hasn't killed any of 'em yet just a bunch of unlucky party guests." Bullock said checking his magazine clips. "Jerry Hennely and his team are mobilising now."

"No! Didn't you hear what this freak said? They see a police officer and the kids and everyone else are dead!" Sawyer said heatedly.

"So what do we do, captain? We just let him go on a rampage in there!? We need to take these guys out and now!" Bullock was a big thick set man and an old fashioned cop, all about muscle and guns.

"Bullock I'm captain not you! So unclip your weapon, sit your ass down and call the negotiation team in." She said quietly in his ear but her words were as hard as steel.

"Anyone contacted the Commissioner?" The various officers just shook their heads as they manned phones and checked surveillance cameras across the city looking for ways to get officers in without being spotted by the gun crew at City Hall.

"He's the Commissioner Captain, this ain't his business no more." said Bullock sharply, they had never got on.

"Oh really? You wanna tell him that? Barbara is one of the cops in there, Harv." Sawyer told him.

"Ah shit!" Bullock slumped back against the desk. His massive bulk shifted it back a few inches.

"Shit indeed! My daughter is not the issue here! Fifty kids and two hundred civilians are so stow the shit and give me options!" Gordon bounded through the doors, cigar still smoking under his thick steely brown moustache.

"I was just calling you boss!" Sawyer rushed to meet him

"It's all over the TV Sawyer! Gotham just saw Chandler had her brains blown out and a dozen people shot! How do we get in there?" He rushed to the TV screen mounted on the wall.

"I don't know! We can't at the moment, he's got guys on the roof, and two hundred and fifty hostages and he's already shot several of them. No word on casualties yet except that poor Chandler woman and no mention of our officers, except that threat. We haven't got any choice but to get a negotiator out there!"

The next few minutes of the transmission decided what Gordon had to do.

As the Joker finished talking to the camera, Peak bolted toward him, unarmed and full of fury. Several of the Jokers goons spotted him and rattled their guns after him. The floor exploded, cracked and sparked as the bullets riddled the marble floor but none hit Peak.

He had almost reached the Joker, his hands outstretched for his skinny white throat but the Joker turned and shot at his legs. Peak screamed and crashed to the ground at the maniac's feet.

"See now that's what I'm talking about! Silly stupid cops!" The Jokers voice settled into a low drawl as he slowly stepped to Peak. "You getting this Vale?"

"Every second you murdering bastard!" she snapped back using all the control and professionalism that she could. Every second that monster was on camera was just more evidence for the police and on the plus side it certainly wouldn't hurt her career.

The burning pain overwhelmed Peak as he watched the blood run from the scorched holes in his legs.

"Well I have to give you ten out of ten for effort but a big fat zero for brains, pumpkin!" The Joker mocked as he stood over the injured officer.

"Go to hell you fuckin' freak!" he hissed through clenched teeth trying not to show the agony burning up from his legs.

"More than likely Officer! But you're going first." The Jokers sniggers turned into full blown manic laughter as he pushed his boot heel into the injured officer's throat, a personal favourite of his and pointed the silver Beretta point blank between his eyes. "Tell the devil to keep a seat warm for me, you sorry sack of shit!"

"Wait!" Gordon hollered. She couldn't see her friend murdered like that, she had an idea.

"Oooh, brave girl! Sticking up for your lover boy?" The Joker turned his head but kept the gun directed down to Peaks forehead.

"You wanna make a statement? Use me, he's a nobody! I'm the commissioner's daughter, Barbara Gordon!" to her surprise her voice didn't shake or break she held his dead stare.

"You getting this?" Vale whispered.

"Yeah but I'm not believing it." He hushed back as Alan focused the view finder on the young police woman.

"Well, the commissioner's daughter. What sweet luck!" The Joker motioned to one of his drug crazed goons to bring her to him.

A bloated tattooed gunman dragged her to her feet and she stared defiantly shrugging him off, getting to her feet on her own despite the bunting binds.

The Joker began walking toward her, he stamped on Peaks injured legs as he passed, making him scream out in pain.

"Oops sorry, didn't see you there officer!" he cackled.

Gordon found herself face to monstrous face with the psychopath.

"The commissioners daughter eh?" His dead yellow eyes looked her up and down as he licked his savaged lips.

"It makes sense if you want to send a message, don't kill a no mark you wanna make an impression then use me!" she reasoned.

"Ya know what that does make sense…" The Joker grabbed her by her pony tail and shoved her in front of the camera, standing over Peak who was now doing his best to stifle his moans of pain as he grew pale and weak, "Problem is I don't make sense officer dolly girl, I make mayhem!" He chuckled into the camera lens as he swung the Beretta back down to Peak and blasted the gun into his face.

"No!" Gordon screamed as she saw her friends face explode into a bloody mess.

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance at martyrdom hunny and good ol' dad can watch!" The crazed clown pushed Gordon down onto her friends bleeding corpse. "So there you have it folks meet my demands or this happens every half hour. It's gonna be a real hoot! Ta ta for now!" The Joker waved at Alan's camera and then made a gesture across his throat to cut the feed.

"Um, Joker?" Vale said uncertainly.

"Yes Miss Vale?"

"You didn't make any demands." Vale pointed out.

"Yeah I know pumpkin, not thought of any yet might take me a few hours. I'm kinda new at this so if anyone has any ideas I'm all ears." He said holding up the rotting ear lobes he had cut from the hapless hoods who had given him the location of Torres safe house.

He took a seat at the kids buffet table and shoved a slice of pizza in his ragged mouth, "Mmm this is good!"

"Christ, what are we gonna do?!" sighed Sawyer back in the incident room, the busy hustle had fallen to a grim silence when they saw Peak brutally murdered live on the television and Gordon's daughter offer herself to the Joker.

Commissioner Gordon stood like a stone statue, the silence between the police officers was almost palpable and the phones rang unanswered

"He didn't give any demands! How can we negotiate with nothing to negotiate with?" Bullock raged.

"That's' the point." Gordon said gravely as he pulled himself up from the chair he had slumped into when he saw his daughter on the live feed.

"Okay get Hennely and his team as close as you can! Keep 'em out the line of sight from City Hall. Get barricades at every junction within a mile and secure the perimeter. Under no circumstances is any officer to engage or even be seen by that madman occupying the Hall." Gordon barked orders.

"Boss, I don't know what options we got right now." Sawyer sidled up next to him and said it gently holding his arm.

"I do. Give me a few minutes will ya? Keep this lot on a leash 'til I get back." Gordon had that hard edged iron glare in his brown eyes. It was the same look she had seen when he was going onto a big bust when he had been captain himself.

"Where are you going?" She urged.

"For a smoke." Gordon said no more and charged out of the office.

"Fine time for a damned cigar!" Moaned Bullock.

Jim Gordon ran down to the supplies locker, punched in the code and ripped the door open. He found a canister of barrier paint the traffic cops used and bolted up the fire escape to the rooftop.

Alfred hurried to the study, quickly set the face on the grandfather clock and descended down to the 'Cave. Alfred grew impatient as the steady heavy thunk, thunk of the ancient elevator system descended into the bowels of the caves beneath Wayne Manor.

When he reached the Platform he saw Bruce suiting up. He had pulled on the gel armoured leggings of the suit and was slipping into the gunmetal grey torso piece. He watched as Bruce pushed his shoulder blades back, forcing the magnetic clasps together. He attached the cape and was pulling the armoured cowl over his head as Alfred reached him.

"You've seen it then?" Alfred said quickly rushing up to the platform.

"Of course I've seen it Alfred, its all over the news!" The vocal amplifier in the throat of his neckpiece had connected. His words came as a throaty growl.

"Gotham City Hall is a little public for the Batman don't you think?" Alfred said cautiously.

"What do you expect me to do Alfred, let them die? I created this mess! This Psychopath!" It was no longer Bruce but the Batman. "It's my fault Alfred I dropped him in that vat. Those deaths are on my head! Maybe this crusade of mine is going to ultimately do more harm than good."

Batman stood and snatched the new grapnel from the work bench.

"You did no such thing! You are a good man and you are making a difference to this city. Batman didn't create him but the Batman may be needed to stop him." Alfred said calmly as he handed Batman the utility belt. "When I took on this post at your father's request I wasn't too pleased with being a butler but I found it was so much more than that. He saved my life in the Falklands. He was a wealthy man but still stood knee deep in shit and blood with the rest of us, patching us up and saving our lives. I owed him and I had nothing after the war but I came to serve and have been very proud to do so.

"There was a reason your father asked me. He was in trouble. He was a good man in a bad world. He knew his family needed protecting and I failed him. I should have been with you all that night at the theatre. You're father insisted on letting me have the night off after I learned that one of my old friends from the forces had been killed in Sarajevo. It was the only night I ever had off"

"I have carried that guilt and that shame this last twenty five years. This is why I vowed to protect and guide you the way your mother and father would have. I knew I could never have replaced them but I hope that I have at least in some way helped fill the chasm they left in your life. Your father was a brave and moral man. You have the same ideals, a different way in doing things but I know Master Wayne, truly know that your mother and father would be proud. The Batman is a force for good in this city where there is very little. It needs you."

Batman nodded sharply in his cowl as he fastened the 'buckle' of the belt and marched across the rock footbridge to the Car.

"I'll stay at the console to add any support that I can." The chair folded up out of the ground for Alfred.

As Batman reached the car and pressed the stud on his gauntlet to open the cockpit Alfred called out to him.

"Bruce you may want to see this!"

"What Alfred?!" Batman snapped as the Car hissed and groaned, opening the cockpit and starting her engine.

"See for yourself." Alfred relayed the image he had captured to the main view screen.

Shining against the silvery cloud and night sky was the crude effigy of the bat it faded out and came back again as the rolling clouds raced across the Gotham skyline but it was clear and there was no doubt it was the sign of the Batman.

"Where is it coming from?" Batman stepped back toward the Platform studying the image.

"Triangulating now sir." Alfred said quickly tapping commands into the console, "its GCPD headquarters."

"Gordon!" Realised Batman without another word he jumped into the cockpit of the car and as the platform began to rise its engine roared to life.

"Good luck Master Wayne." Alfred said sombrely as the elevator ascended leaving Alfred alone once again in the dank coldness of the cave.

Gordon stood on the rooftop looking at the crude paintjob of the Batman's emblem, from what he had remembered. He was on his second cigar. It was a stupid idea and a bad one.

"What am I doing? Stupid old man." Gordon muttered to himself as he shut down the search light.

"Nice Idea," the voice came from behind Gordon, the hairs on his neck stood on end.

"That was fast." Gordon said without turning he knew that husk of a voice from a few rare previous encounters.

"I have a fast ride."

Gordon turned and saw the Batman standing just a few feet away he had been looking that way only seconds before. Gordon wasn't intimidated by any man but standing in his presence was unsettling something was different this time. He didn't have those white lenses. He saw the Batman's eyes for the first time, they were a deep blue. His cape was caught and pulled by the winter breeze.

"How did you know it wasn't a trap?" Gordon asked bluntly surprised his idea had worked...

"It crossed my mind but I figured you had enough to deal with the Joker." Said Batman as he crossed the rooftop to the searchlight inspecting Gordon's work.

"So you've seen it then?" Gordon sounded surprised.

"Even I watch the news, Commissioner." Batman seemed to be studying the searchlight, looking at its framework and running his gloved hand around the rim of the main light.

"It's Jack Napier isn't it?" Gordon had a feeling the Batman knew more than he had said.

"It was." Batman turned back to Gordon, "I ran an analysis on the blood from the murder scene of Napier's fiancée. It was his blood but it was corrupted. Napier had developed an enzyme to combine the qualities of different narcotics on a molecular level but when he fell into that vat the chemistry some how combined with his own blood make, in short commissioner, his veins are pumping a permanent high. Jack Napier did die in that fire. All that's left now is the Joker and he's a psychopath in the truest sense of the word." Batman explained gravely.

"You did in two days what our labs would take two weeks!" Gordon was both astounded and frustrated.

"I have good tech support." He replied simply. "Why did you bring me here Gordon? I doubt it was for an analysis on Jack Napier."

Gordon struggled to find the word s but there was less than twenty minutes before the Joker would execute someone else.

"I'm desperate and out of options. If that Joker sees any cops, choppers or the Quick Response Team a lot more are gonna die. He hasn't made any demands for us to meet and I haven't even got a line of communication even if he did wanna negotiate!" Gordon blustered.

"He wont negotiate. He's just looking for excuses to kill" Batman told him bluntly.

"That's why I called you. Damn I hate to admit it but you can do some things that we just can't." Gordon puffed hard on his cigar

Batman saw Gordon was rattled, his voice was straining his eyes were welling with suppressed tears. Batman knew Gordon's record, he had dealt with death and murder since he was nineteen and had seen enough for two lifetimes. It was something else and he had a good idea what it would be.

"There's something else…isn't there?" prompted Batman.

"My daughters in there. I assigned her to the unit to teach her a lesson and now she just virtually sacrificed herself to that fuckin' freak!" Gordon conceded throwing his smouldering cigar stub into asphalt and stamping it out "I need your help."

"You got it but I want one thing in return." The Batman rasped.

"I knew there would be a damned catch…" Gordon snapped but the Batman cut him short.

"Your trust." He finished. "I'm not your enemy Gordon. We both want the same things, justice and order. If you trust me now then trust me in the future." Batman reasoned.

Gordon looked back toward the bat signal he had quickly created, "It's not that easy! You're still a vigilante, I can't take you off the wanted list even if I …." Gordon turned back to Batman but he was gone. He was alone on the rooftop. "How the hell does he do that?"

The Joker finished another cheeseburger and looked up at the clock,

"Dear oh dear, nine minutes until I have to shoot someone again…" He yawned before jumping to his feet and started circling the injured hostages like a grinning great white shark.

"Just tell them what you want!" Cried Vale, she was finding it hard to keep her composure, her voice cracked as she watched Victor Chandlers breaking down cradling the remains of his wife's head. Several kids had been hit by the barrage of gun fire from the armed drugged up clowns. The children cried out and sobbed in their pretty bloodied dresses and red spattered mini tuxedos.

"Hmmm, let me think…" He tapped the muzzle of the silver pistol against his sharp chiselled chin. "World Peace? A little grandiose don't you think? How about a shit load of money! Hmm… nah, now with my conspicuous good lucks might be a little hard to spend, wouldn't it toots?!'

"No, No, I will have to think some more. A little cold blooded killing usually gets my creative juices flowing, how about you miss Vale, what gets your juices flowing?" He tittered and turned to select a hostage.

Gordon had to act.

"Joker, I don't want trouble. I see you're the one in control here, my radio is there!" She pointed to the collection of radios cell phones and guns that the Jokers men had collected from her and her fellow officers. "It has a direct link to Headquarters just pick it up and talk. You got the cream of high society, fifty innocent kids and me the commissioner's daughter. You have very clearly made your point that you mean business. They will give you whatever you want, nobody else has to die." Gordon spoke in a calm and measured tone desperately hoping to get through to him and not to look down at the bullet hole in her friends face.

"Ya know what? You really are a chip off the old block aren't ya?! Trouble is lady I don't really want much more than to see people bleed, hear 'em scream and to show the small minded, greedy fools of Gotham that no matter how safe they think their tiny little lives are, there will always be a monster under their plush silk sheeted beds and a bogeyman in their over sized walk in closets!" he chuckled but their was no mirth in his words and no warmth from the dead smile, "Oops five minutes now.."

The Car had raged through the streets but a couple of blocks away he had parked it in an alleyway and activated its protective shielding. Armoured sheathing extended over the vulnerable wheels, exhaust ports and rear thrusters' as well as the shielding unfolding across the viewshield.

Batman fired his grapnel and quickly ascended high up to the rooftops of Gotham city. His lenses quickly mapped out his course and within barely a minute the Batman was soaring above Gotham Plaza and bearing down on the rooftop of Gotham City Hall.

"Vale get your little Nancy boy there to start rolling, it's nearly time for the first party piece!" the Joker gripped an elderly woman by her fur collar and roughly dragged her across the floor.

"You haven't even given the authorities a demand! No Damn it! At least give them a fighting chance! What do you want?!" Vale raged, all professionalism had left her, this was worse than a war zone it was like being in a live horror movie and this madman craved the camera. Vale figured it could be their only hope for now. "Alan, stop the feed!"

Alan's hands shook as his finger hit the standby button on the WIFI link.

Fatty and Skinny both shoved their guns into the camera mans ribs.

"Don't think I can do that Vik's." He croaked.

Batman saw four targets on the roof, all heavily armed. They were all Torres crew from the chemical factory but had been made up to look like punkish clowns.

Their thermal signatures were unusually high, indicating some sort of intoxication heating the blood stream and from what Batman knew about the Jokers knowledge of chemistry they were probably high on something.

It was too much of a gamble to take all four at once. He only had a couple of minutes before the Joker made good on his threat. He angled his shoulders to aim the direction of his glide and descended at breakneck speed straight down onto the largest of the rooftop gang, smashing him into the floor.

The gunmen were at the four corners of the building. Batman landed on the first knocking him unconscious, he had already pulled a Batarang with one hand and pulled the grapnel from its holster with the other. With the targeted aim of his HUD lenses he targeted the second Mohawk toting gunman's weapon perfectly. It was snatched from his hands by the Grapnel.

The Batarang was well aimed too. The third gunman, with hanging dirty green dreadlock's was struck hard in the forearm. Mohawk charged toward him and Dreadlocks dived for his gun.

Batman quickly calculated it would take a second or two more for the larger tattooed Mohawk to reach him and Dreadlocks was already on his knees. Batman dived toward Dreadlocks and rolled across the floor, scissor kicking as he reached him. The first kick launched the gun from the rooftop and the second connected with Dreadlocks face.

Mohawk quickly came up behind Batman throwing his massive arms around Batman's neck in a surprisingly strong choke hold. Batman swiftly bought his armoured cowl back slamming into his attackers face at the same time driving a powerful elbow back into his ribs. Batman was surprised by the Mohawk laughing it off and squeezing tighter.

Those blows should have repelled far stronger attackers but this guy just held on. It had to be the drug! Joker had adapted it, barbiturates, crystal meth, PCP all had similar effects.

Dreadlocks had recovered quickly too and was lunging toward Batman still caught in Mohawks crushing arms. His strength may be augmented with the drug but Batman knew he still weighed the same and his judgement and spatial awareness would be impaired too. He waited for Dreadlocks to get closer and then with all his strength Batman threw Mohawk over his shoulder straight at Dreadlocks, knocking them both flying like skittles. They were both still semi conscious so Batman did the sensible thing and smashed their skulls together finally knocking the drug crazed gunmen out cold.

"What's going on round there guys c'mon no fucking around or Joker wont give us no more this shit and this is good shit, feel like I could take on the whole GCPD on my own dude!" Claimed Sonny as he heard a scuffle from behind the air con.

"How about me?" Batman grumbled from the darkness snatching the muzzle of the semi automatic from the shadows, twisting it and wrapping the strap around the goon's neck and shoulders.

Batman wrestled against his unnatural strength but the average sized guy managed to lift Batman's weight and throw him across the roof top. Batman hit hard but quickly rolled back to his feet. The last of the rooftop gang had untangled himself and bought his gun to bear. Batman had already readied another Batarang and it whistled through the air. It caught him across his face and he flailed backwards dropping his gun. Batman leapt forwards, quickly disarming him and bought his knee up into his fat gut, winding him. Batman struck him left, then right and finally pounded the last gunman into the ground with a rapid succession of heavy blows to his face and head. He quickly cuffed the four unconscious gunmen together and turned his attention to the scene unfolding below through the skylight.

Batman could see the Joker pulling an elderly woman wrapped in furs across the dance floor. He could only see a few of the hostages from the skylight which was good. It was his only way down but was worried about the children being seriously injured by the falling glass. The adults could take it, better a few niks and cuts than a bullet in their brain. He could see the group of cops over to the left and after activating his thermal imaging was able to locate The Jokers men. He watched the Joker point his gun to the woman's head. Batman had run out of time.

"Well old granny grotbags looks like you're shit outta luck. Mind you I'm probably doing you a favour. After all that rich food you stuff into that fat stuck up face of yours you're a cholesterol bomb just waiting to go off. Just look at this as pre-emptive euthanasia." The Joker laughed and chambered the gun before pushing it to her skull.

That was when the skylight above the hall shattered with an ear piercing scream and an explosive cracking sound. It was enough for the Joker to release the wealthy old woman who subsequently scrabbled hysterically back to the group and to her husband.

The hostages, young and old alike pushed themselves face down to the ground to avoid the shower of broken shards. So they never saw the massive dark winged shadow descending through the hail of glass.

As Batman fell through the air his cape extended slowing his descent, in the time it took him to reach the floor he had lobbed several vapour bombs down amongst the crowd. They obscured any assailant's vision as well as smoke bombs but without the burning noxious smoke and eye watering fumes so the hostages wouldn't be affected.

"Hey! I don't recall asking anyone to drop in! That's just rude!" Raged the Joker as he lost sight of all his pretty play things. He began firing wildly up through the fog at the descending demonic shadow.

Batman heard the gunfire whistle and hiss around him which was exactly what he had intended. While they were firing at him they wouldn't be shooting at the hostages who were now concealed by the mist. Batman's enhanced imaging system made it easy for him to pick out the Jokers crew. He only had a minute maybe less.

He hit the ground running. He made out Gordon struggling with her binds as she rolled across the floor. He quickly ran to her side, he pulled the binding tights and snagged them on the bladed fins of his gauntlet.

"You!" She stated obviously, "So you are on our side then?" She demanded.

"No time!" Said Batman hotly. "We need to get the kids out, now! How many other officers are conscious?" Batman saw one of the goons emerging from the mist taking aim at random party members. He reacted quickly hurling a Batarang directly at his face it connected perfectly smashing him back to the floor. He loosed another 'Fog Bomb'

"Just me and Gibbons, but he's just a rookie, everyone else is out cold." She said quickly and quietly.

"Not quite, officer Gordon." Another hushed voice emerged from the cloud crawling on all fours.

It was Montoya she was still bleeding but lucid.

"I can take the Joker and his men but I need your help to get the hostages out, I can't take 'em all down and stop them from attacking the crowd." Batman conceded.

"Now this isn't nice Batsy! I wanted to be 'It' if we were gonna play hide and go seek!" It was the first time Batman had heard that dreaded voice, it burnt into his mind Batman didn't know it at the time but it would continue to do so for painful years to come.

"How? His men have locked the main doors and severed the control panel there's no way to unlock them!" Gordon told him.

"You'll have a way out trust me. Just get everyone to the doors I'll take care of the rest." Batman told her.

"Don't worry we can do that Gordon, start loosing the hostages, I will give you covering fire, injured kids first." Montoya said decisively, she had quickly collected two of the HK45s from the stash on the stage, she passed one to Gordon.

Gibbons had joined them and despite looking pale and terrified he had grabbed a weapon and was shoulder to shoulder with Montoya and Gordon.

"Just get the kids and the others to the main door." Batman said assuredly as he snapped a small blade from his belt and passed it to Officer Gordon, "Now go, move!"

Batman saw one of the Jokers goons crouching low sweeping the area with his gun as the fog began to clear. Batman covered the distance in several stealthy steps.

It was the same skinny teen he had confronted at Ace Chemicals. Batman came out of the mist just inches from his side. Armed with the knowledge that Skinny would no longer be a push over Batman came at him full force. He snatched the gun away, drove his fist into the side of his temple, kicked out behind his knees and smashed him full force once again in the nose. Blood spurted from the soft tissue surrounding his smashed nasal bone as Batman drove him to the ground.

Batman saw Gordon had reached the kids through the cloud of vapour and was furiously cutting away at their binds. It was time to make his presence felt. Batman fired his grapnel up to the frame work of the skylight he had smashed through and hoisted himself up out of the shroud of mist.

"Ah there you are!" The Joker hissed.

He fired his gun again and again but Batman had gained momentum and was high enough and had gained enough velocity to vault from the line and fire a second to one of the sturdy lighting fixtures.

"Tell me you're getting this!" whispered Vale as her and Alan hugged the ground.

"Getting what?! All it's picking up is fog!" Alan argued panning the viewfinder but unable to focus.

"Shit!" Vale exclaimed

Batman looked down and saw one of the gang was training their gun on Gordon and the running children. He smashed a Batarang down onto his skull. The punk meathead didn't go down but his attention was turned away from the fleeing children. Shots rattled out but they came from Montoya and Gibbons who were bravely blasting away at the Jokers goons positioned by the main door. Two more officers had regained consciousness and were now desperately trying to get the rest of the hostages to their feet. The vapour had now cleared and the Joker was ravenous for bloodshed. The hostages were at risk of getting caught in the frenzy of crossfire. It was time. Batman raised his gauntlet to his mouth pressing one of the concealed studs.

"Activate alpha control. Seek and entry." He said quickly.

Gordon jacked another clip into her sidearm as she held the children behind her. Montoya stood to the rear covering the rest of the orphans, none of them were seriously injured. There was a lot of blood but most were grazes and flesh wounds their small size had saved them from the Jokers onslaught. They were caught by the main doors, the vapour was clearing and the gunmen were getting a better aim. They were no closer to the locked main doors. Batman was furiously fighting two more of the Jokers men behind them and The Joker was spraying the clearing mist with gunfire.

"I don't know how much longer we can do this Lieutenant!" Called out Gordon.

"Where's this exit your Bat friend assured us of!" Montoya shouted back firing another clip at the clownish gunmen, the bullets pelted into the stone planters that they were taking cover behind.

As Montoya reloaded a tall young muscular punk clown popped up from behind the planter and fired his semi automatic straight at the group of orphans Montoya was trying to protect. She didn't think she just leapt forward. She braced herself for the inevitable but his shots went wild as he was thrown through the air amidst a hailstorm of broken steel, concrete and glass.

The main doors exploded inward. A massive dark shape smashed through the debris. Gordon thought that it looked like a cross between a sports car and a tank. Gordon and Montoya shielded the children as blinding white lights blazed from its powerful slit like headlamps through the ripped open doors.

It then rumbled and hissed as it backed out through the gaping hole it had created.

"Looks like that's our exit, C'mon kids, carefully but quickly just like we talked about now c'mon kids go!" Said Montoya managing to smile and talk calmly through the chaos and sobbing kids.

"Now that I got!" Said Alan excitedly right before one of the Batman's projectiles smashed into its hard drive. "Or not."

"Was that his ride?!" Vale said incredulously.

"That was some set of wheels." Alan agreed slack jawed.

Gordon dashed back to help Gibbons with the remaining adult hostages

Batman dropped from his position down onto the bloated clown whose head had just been caught by the Bat stylized shuriken. This one was covered in tattoos and had a broad fat belly. Batman noticed he was missing a finger and it still looked raw and bloody. He shrugged Batman off and grabbed his arms swinging him to smash him against the wall but Batman used his agility to spin and twist, tying Fatty's arms. Then he drove him into the wall, dazing Fatty before he spun him back around and spin kicked him hard in the face, once, twice three times. With a final powerful overhand punch he overcame one of the Jokers last goons. He turned to see the police officers getting the last of the hostages through the gaping hole the Car had smashed into the front of the Hall.

"Ooh guns! Guns! Guns! This is turning out to be a riot!" The Jokers manic laughter sent chills up Batman's armoured spine. "C'mon Bat freak, where are ya say hello to Uncle Joker!" The Joker having emptied his silver Beretta now reached for Skinny's semi automatic rifle and went to mow down the last of the fleeing party goers

The massive Hispanic that Batman had seen at Ace Chemical stood looming next to the Joker like some giant painted attack dog. Batman leapt to the air pulled higher and faster by the coiling high tensile line to draw the Jokers fire.

Batman swung his body weight so he was swinging directly toward the Joker, pushed his legs together and forced his weight down to the soles of his boots as they smashed into the Jokers chest sending him flying back crumpling against the stage.

"Whoa, now we're talking Batsy, better than those Lilly livered pussy's of the GCPD!" Coughed the Joker as he staggered to his feet.

Batman hurled his fist into the murderer's disfigured face. He pounded him again and again. Blood rushed from his pointed sharp nose and oozed from his scarred cheeks and lips as the stitches were pulled and torn. Batman knocked him flying against the bands drum kit. There was an explosion of noise as the Joker smashed through the bass drum scattering the Tom Toms, snares and cymbals across the stage.

The Joker quickly snatched up a cymbal and hurled it like a Frisbee at Batman.

"Fetch Boy!" he crowed.

Batman instinctively raised his armoured gauntlets up and easily deflected the useless projectile but it gave the Joker the time he needed to roll away from The Batman and get back to his feet.

"You're a mad man! You need to be stopped!" The Batman's voice was a low rough growl as he reached out for the Jokers throat.

"Right and right, Batsy. So let's duke it out! Put 'em up man, put em up!" The Joker taunted from bloodied lips as he danced around pulling up his purple sleeves, impersonating the cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz.

"With pleasure." Batman moved toward the Joker he drew back his fist ready to smash the psycho into the next hell.

"Ha, ha not me man I'm a lover not a fighter. I let Big Boy here handle any complaints or grievances to the management." The Joker stepped back, his dead sardonic smile made Batman's gut twist right before he was body slammed down onto the floor. "You boys play nice now! Well not you Big Boy, smash him into grey and black pulp! I got some kids to entertain up on the rooftop."

Batman felt Big Boys fat fist smash into his face. The structure of the cowl protected his eyes, nose and jaw but it was still a blinding blow. Batman struggled to see as white spots filled his vision but he had extensive training, not just in various fighting skills but in ways to control pain and injuries. He rolled from under the barrage of massive drug fuelled blows as he heard the Joker quip about the children on the rooftop.

"What?!" Batman gasped as Big Boy grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off of the floor.

"You're not a gambling man are you Bats?" The Joker sneered, "You never show your hand! What did you think I was expecting? Who else is going to play the white knight when the good ol' boys in blue can't do the Job! You! Well more of a greyish dark knight but hey, if that's the look you wanna go with!" He laughed, "It's not just Gotham I was teaching a lesson Batman, I'm taking you to school today too! Surprise!" He screeched as Big Boy slammed Batman to the floor again.

Batman roared with rage as he saw the Joker escape through a rear door on the stage. Big Boy effortlessly lifted Batman again ready to smash him back down but this time, with all of his strength, Batman bought down his elbows onto his assailant's collar bones with a satisfying crack. Big Boy yelled in pain, it was enough for him to drop Batman.

Now Batman took his chance and unleashed a bone splitting upper cut to the Mexican clown. He delivered a succession of agonising body blows to the more sensitive areas of his upper body and groin. Big Boy threw his giant fists but they swung wildly with no control or focus now his collar bones were splintered and cracked. Batman now countered easily. The sound of his fists smashing into Big Boys massive fleshy body was almost as loud the gun shots that had been ringing out just moments before.

They countered and cross countered but Batman's agility bested the goon's brute strength and Batman soon had Big Boy on the back foot. He finally felled him with a devastating bolo punch sending Big Boy crashing to the floor.

Batman followed The Joker through the rear stage door and dashed up the stairs to the roof of Gotham City Hall.

He burst through the door almost scared of what he would find. He saw the Joker standing on the edge of the rooftop. The wind blew and blustered the purple leather coat and the cold moonlight only accentuated his nightmarish features.

"There you are Bats! I thought you weren't gonna make it!" He laughed as if greeting an old friend.

"Where's the kids?!" Batman demanded.

"Right there safe and sound! For now." The Joker pointed to an area of the roof top Batman couldn't see due to a large air conditioning unit obscuring the view.

He cautiously stepped forward looking around the corner of the metal unit to see two young children no older than ten or eleven. A boy and girl, blonde and a little redhead. They were crying uncontrollably, tied together in a sick purple gift bow, nestled between them was a large explosive complete with detonator display but the most disturbing aspect was the nine inch nails surrounding the charge.

"You're sick!" The Batman began striding toward the Joker.

"Not a great idea!" The Joker held up his fist, a small remote trigger in his hand.

Batman stopped in his tracks.

"I'm not a complete monster, Batman. I'll give you a choice. Now, you can come after me, bring me to justice and well, leave the miserable little bastards to be blown to bits but stopping me from senselessly and horrifically murdering anybody else or you can let me go, free as a birdy while you concentrate on disarming that particularly nasty little homemade firecracker there. It's your choice Batman." The Jokers insane laughter reached fever pitch infuriating Batman.

The Joker puffed out his chest and imitated Batmans deep gruff voice. "Or 'are ya gonna do both?' Cos that worked out so well last time now didn't it, pumpkin?"

There was the heavy thwap thwap sound approaching through the air the unmistakable sound of an approaching helicopter.

"There is no choice Joker. Men like you always fall and I am always there! Run now if you want to Joker but I'll be waiting in every shadow you scurry and hide in! Every underground hideout, rat run or drug den! I will tear this city apart until I bring you to justice! This isn't over!" Batman raged as he saw the helicopter moving in closer. It was the Gotham City Hospital Evac. chopper. Hijacked or paid off no doubt.

"Fine speech, shame that little whore Vale wasn't up here to show the city what a big brave bat you are! I should thank you really. If you hadn't dropped Napier into that vat I would never have had my liberation! See what just one bad day can do Batman? I wonder what was your bad day to make you put on an rubber SandM suit and choose to face people like me!" The Joker glared into the Batman's white lenses

"You're not a person not anymore. You're a monster, less than human." Stated Batman.

"Then come get me! Come kill me for all the pathetic lives I wasted the last couple days, or take me in...whatever it is you do once all the pow, bang wallop is out of the way but they die first ya big flying rodent!" The Joker pointed to the sobbing children and held up the detonator.

"I will take you down Joker! And you will suffer!" Batman promised as he ran toward the children and the device. He crouched and tried to ignore the Jokers taunts as he concentrated on the arming device.

"Good choice Batman oh and I can hardly wait I just love a little pain and suffering! See I'm a man of my word!" He guffawed tossing the remote detonator to the rooftop, "Live to play another day! Just think of all the murder and the mayhem to come my friend, all the innocent blood I am going to spill and watch you mop up!" The Joker screamed above the roar of the rota blades as he stepped onto the Choppers sleds. "I can see us being buddies for a long time. You'll never be bored with me on the scene! I'll be seeing you round Batsy!"

Batman ignored the rage and disappointment in hearing the Jokers escape and concentrated on opening the small digital panel as the counter was now counting down from fifty seconds. Fortunately it was a simple device that had been quickly rigged up but it would still take time.

Batman disconnected the charge wires whilst bridging the detonation points and diffused it with only seconds to spare. All the time he raged inside as he heard the chopper disappear into the distance. The Jokers evil laughter was still carrying on the wind.

Batman jumped up and searched the sky for the chopper in the vain hope that he may catch it with his grapnel but it was too far off. He turned his attention back to the frightened children. He made sure the Jokers bomb was secure and walked them both back to the roof top door.

"Wow you're really the Batman?!" said the red headed girl excitedly.

"Yes I am and you are?" he looked down at the young girl, the streaks were still wet on her freckled cheeks but she was more interested in the hero who had saved her life

"I'm Betsy and this is Jake." She said proudly

Jake stared up at Batman open mouthed.

"Well Betsy, Jake, you were very brave back there but you're safe now. The bad men are gone. I want you to go down those stairs and find a police officer. Promise me, kids go straight to a police officer." Batman said sternly but with a soft smile from beneath the cowl.

"Sure Mr Batman we promise, don't we Jake?!" She elbowed her little blond friend in the ribs who manage to murmur a quiet 'uh huh'.

"Good off you go." He patted them both lightly on their shoulders.

"Nobody's gonna believe this!" Blurted Jake as the door slammed shut behind him.

"Damn it I don't believe this! 'Biggest story to hit the city in a decade and we gotta busted camera!" Grumbled Viki Vale as she watched helplessly other news crews arriving on the scene and paramedics running to the walking wounded.

"Oh I don't know about that Vik," said Alan as he fumbled with the smashed camera, "He may have totalled the camera but the memory card is right here! We got the car!"

"Really?! Alan I love you!" She kissed him hard on the cheek. She didn't wanna get his hopes up again that was just awkward.

"We can't just call it a car! We need something catchy!" Vales eyes lit up at being the only reporter with inside footage, the vultures were welcome to the follow up filler reports.

"The Batcar? Oooh, the Batster!" said Alan unhelpfully.

"No I got it!" Vale said suddenly "The Batmobile!"

"Hmm yeah not bad. I still prefer the Batster." He said sullenly.

"That's why I'm in front of the camera and you're behind it my friend." She teased, "C'mon not much we can do here now. I'll buy you a coffee."

"Coffee after that? Bourbon neat and large and you're buying!" He demanded playfully.

"You got it! Finnegan's isn't far maybe we can catch some more info from some off duty cops" Vales dark eyes lit up and her rouge lips curled into a predatory smile.

They packed the broken gear into the small mini van hence the lack of back up equipment and headed off to the bar.

Commissioner Gordon had been told by his daughter that Batman had headed to the rooftop after seeing the last two missing children dash from the exit door back into the Hall, crying out excitedly about their encounter with Batman. Gordon headed up the stairwell and with drew his gun once out of sight of the children.

As he expected the rooftop was empty. He had seen the Hospital Chopper nearing but there was no alarm raised as one had been ordered into the area. It had been hijacked on take off. Nobody knew it was the Jokers escape until the last possible moment. He swept the gun in all directions scanning the area of the roof top. No one, nothing.

"I had no choice the Joker had the kids attached to this." Gordon half jumped out of his skin. He was damned sure he did it just for kicks.

The Batman stood behind him and was holding out a rather ugly looking home made bomb.

"Do you really think he would have gone that far?" Gordon was still surprised by how brutal this maniac was.

"Do you really doubt it? The charge was live and those nails were set in the most destructive arrangement as possible centralised around a small charge of C4 it would have been a localised intensive blast designed to make mince meat of anyone within five metres and they were tied to it. It was no bluff." Batman explained grimly.

"He really is a murdering maniac, nine dead in twelve hours, possibly more. God only knows how many injured. So get him or save them, huh? I would have done the same. The Joker will have his time, I can promise you that!" Gordon said confidently.

"My thoughts exactly." Batman rumbled. "Casualties?"

"The kids all got out fine, some of 'em maybe in the hospital a few days. The wounds will heal but I don't know about the scars." Gordon said sadly, "We lost two of the hostages several are going to be in critical and of course Peak. It could have been a whole lot worse though if it wasn't for you. I guess I should thank you." Gordon admitted to the masked vigilante.

"There's no need Gordon like I said I'm not your enemy. We could make a good team if you'll just trust me." Said Batman as he offered his hand.

"I don't think that's really in question after tonight. Thank you" Gordon said with a dry smile, "But this is still my Gotham, don't get in our way and don't cross the line. There's still gotta be some law."

"Agreed." Batman nodded respectfully toward Commissioner Gordon as he took Batman's hand in a solid handshake.

It was surreal shaking the shadows hand, the living legend of the dark streets of Gotham and to feel the man's hand, flesh and blood beneath the rubbery leather texture of his glove. He turned as there were calls coming from the stairwell as other officers came to join him on the rooftop.

"You better go before I do have to arrest..." Gordon began as he turned back to face Batman but again he was gone. "Guess that's something I'm gonna have to get used to."

Moments later he heard an engine roar into the distance. It was a sound he would become to always associate with the Batman.

Epilogue

Alfred went down to the Cave for the second time that morning. He had gone to take Bruce his breakfast and he was not in his room, the study, the lounge or in the Cave. This time Bruce was down here under the Car amidst an array of tools elbow deep in oil.

"Have you slept at all sir?" He asked setting the brunch service down on the console.

"An hour or so, I had an errand to run this morning. I'm running some checks on the Car I didn't design her as a battering ram." Bruce words were muffled by the bulk of the vehicle suspended over him.

"Speaking of which have you seen the news today, master Wayne?" Alfred asked in his 'you really should watch the news' tone.

"I haven't Alfred but have a feeling I am about to." Bruce pushed himself from beneath the vehicle and climbed to his feet, instinctively wiping his oily hands on the black t shirt he wore when working with the vehicles.

Alfred had already turned to the console and was bringing up the media link.

Vale was standing outside GCPD Headquarters as the background was filled with bustling reporters and demands for attention from the Commissioner and Mayor as they were hit by a barrage of questions and accusations.

"…..and Police Commissioner Gordon and Mayor Hill are facing some tough questions today from the city's voters.

It seems the true hero of the hour was indeed the Batman, the urban legend, the dark myth of the street became very real last night when he virtually single handed took down the Jokers crew. GCPD was unsuccessful at apprehending the psychopath known only as the Joker but the Batman aided in helping just a few brave officers in saving all of the surviving hostages and we have footage of his vehicle, the Batmobile recorded live at the time of the incident."

"Batmobile?" said Bruce bemusedly.

"I think it's quite catching Master Wayne."

Footage rolled on the screen of the distinctive tapered left and right wings of the 'Batmobile' smashing through the walls. The image was shaky and grainy but he could easily make out its profile and the shadowy silhouetted fins at its rear before it reversed and disappeared out of shot. The image was then lost in a screen of static snow and it went back to Vale.

She wrapped up the report by praising the Batman's efforts and painting the GCPD in a less than favourable light which Bruce thought was a little unfair.

The media Link snapped off.

"How is the Batmobile sir?" Alfred asked with a playful tone.

Bruce smiled he did kinda like the ring of it, he had to admit it.

"The Car is surprisingly well, all things considered. She's tougher than I thought. The steering may need a little calibration, some minor body work, a few kinks and chinks but nothing I can't handle." There was a slight hint of pride in Bruce's words as he glanced back at the newly named car making his way across the rock bridge to the Console.

"And I can see from Miss Vales report the Joker wasn't captured." Alfred remarked as he handed Bruce a fresh towel and produced a bowl of warm soapy water. At times Bruce had wondered if Alfred was some sort of magician the way he anticipated and presented almost exactly what Bruce needed even before he knew himself.

"No, no he wasn't. He had two kids strapped to c4 nail bomb, there were two choices go after him or save the kids. The guy's a monster, a true psychopath, no remorse, no reasoning and no mercy." Bruce told his old friend and Butler plainly. "His time will come, Alfred." He wiped the thickest of the oil from his hands before lifting the silver service dish and taking a hungry bite from the cheese and ham bagel. He pushed his hand through his coarse brown hair and stroked his chin thoughtfully an expression so like his fathers.

"His type has a tendency to sir but they can do a lot of damage first too." Alfred said guardedly.

"I know Alfred but the Batman will be waiting for him. The Joker may have escaped but the Batman made a strong alliance last night and in the long run that might be just as important." Bruce said cryptically.

"You have a meeting at Wayne Enterprises at two o clock sir. You've rearranged it twice already. I think Dr Isley is beginning to take it personally she didn't sound too happy last time according to your secretary at the Main Office." Alfred told him.

"No you're absolutely right Alfred. Do I have a suit prepared?" Bruce began shutting down the Cave.

"You have about a dozen fresh suits prepared every day Master Wayne. There is other staff, ya know. I'm not washing your ruddy smalls!" He collected up the service tray after Bruce swiped the steaming coffee sipping at it as he followed after his ageing friend. He stopped for a moment and looked back toward the only source of light left in the Cave, the pool of light surrounding the Car.

"Batmobile, huh?" Bruce smiled and shook his head, "Batmobile it is." With that he shut down the power and the Cave was left back to the consuming darkness until the Batman was needed again.

"So tell me Gordon, how come the damned Batman is hero of the day and we're left looking like we got pants around our asses!" Hill blustered.

"With all due respect Mister Mayor if it hadn't been for Batman things could have got a whole lot messier." Said Gordon carefully.

"Messier?! Messier,Gordon?! How could it possibly be messier?! That reality TV dame, Chandler one of your own cops shot live on fuckin' TV! This Bat freak flying around doing our jobs! He's a damned criminal himself! There's rumours that you been having pow wows with this nutcase!" Hill paused for air.

"Damn it Hamilton! Don't you tell me who I have lost, I wanted a bigger team but you didn't want to make a scene! You wanna scape goat you look at yourself. As for the Batman he saved our asses out there!" Gordon shot back

"I want him shot on sight he's a damned outlaw!" Raged the mayor

"Not if I field deputise him he isn't!" Gordon shot back without thinking but it suddenly made sense, "As police commissioner I have the legal right to field deputise anyone I see fit! So anyone he brings in can be charged under a court of law and any evidence he presents admissible!" The words fell from his mouth.

"You wouldn't! You can't!" Spat the mayor growing a bright crimson

"You betcha ass I will! Now let me run this police Force and you run the city. You're not dictating police policy to me Mister mayor." Gordon didn't shout but he didn't have to. His words filled the room like an ominous thunder and he stood to his full height casting his tall powerful shadow across the short stout Hill "Now if you'll excuse me I gotta couple officers I need to talk to."

Gordon didn't wait for the mayor's dismissal he just marched smartly out of his office at City Hall with a satisfied smile under his thick frosty moustache, within half hour he was back behind his desk at GCPD HQ.

His wait for Barbara wasn't a long one. She was in civilian clothes as he had insisted no one involved in the incident to go back on duty, only to come in for debriefing.

She had a defensive scowl etched across her brow and her green eyes burnt fiercely.

"Dad if you have called in here to chew me out I'm really not going to take it this time! I know I put myself at risk in there but better that than…" She ranted.

"Detective Gordon will you just calm down!" He said softly.

"No Dad, I won't! I'm not your little girl anymore I'm…detective? What did you just call me? I must have hit my head last night or somethin." Gordon stammered with a confused expression.

Commissioner Gordon stood and opened his drawer pulling a gold shield in leather wallet he tossed it to her with a warm fatherly smile.

"You can use my old one until we get one struck of your own."

"Dad, I don't know what to say, what bought this on? Only the other day I got the whole long way and hard way lecture." She said cautiously looking down smiling at the shiny badge.

"I know what I said and I'm not saying I was wrong but you pulled off a helluva job not just as my daughter but as an officer of this police force. I'm so sorry about Peak, he was a good man as well as a great officer but I was damned proud of ya Barb's, furious and worried sick but damned proud and you were right. You are a fine cop and do good police work so I'm promoting you to detective. Third grade though! You'll still be a junior cop, same pay grade but lose the blues and report to Major Crimes Unit. You'll be under Captain Sawyer, she's assigned to the Joker case you will be assisting her and she don't suffer fools gladly so don't let me down, Detective Gordon" Gordon said to the younger Gordon with a wry smile.

"No sir!" She saluted smartly and smiled still looking down to her father's detective badge she could now wear with pride. "Dad, what about the Batman? What's the deal with him? Are we arresting him? Thanking him? What?"

"Off the record, I asked for his help last night Barbara and he really came through. He's on our side of that I'm sure. His methods, well they're questionable but he gets the job done. So you see him, you thank him. Now get outta here, you should be resting after that little showdown and you're gonna be doing some real police work when you come back." He smiled.

"Thanks Dad, not just for the promotion but believing in me. It means a lot."

"I've always believed in you hunny, I just missed a few of those communication classes I keep getting talked into goin' to." Gordon grumbled.

Barbara hugged her father and squeezed his hands, "You're fine just the way you are old man." She laughed softly kissed him on the cheek and left him in the office.

"I must be gettin' soft in my old age. I need a smoke." He muttered to himself rifling for his cigar tube and headed to his smoking spot by the searchlight.

He took in a lungful of the reasonably fresh air and took in the view across Gotham as he always did when he came up here. It was just past lunch time and the sun was high, it was an unusually clement day and sunshine made Gotham's usually dark dirty river look quite magnificent. He glanced back over to the spotlight he had painted the night before and saw a fresh tarpaulin draped over it.

"Damned maintenance crew, told 'em to clean it not just cover it over, lazy bastards." He moaned to himself as he snatched back the tarp' to confirm his suspicions and surprised to see a broad black metal plate fashioned perfectly into the Batman's Emblem grafted to the light. A slightly more sophisticated interpretation of the bat-signal he sent last night. Tucked behind the Bat sign was a simple printed card reading,

IF THE CITY NEEDS ME CALL ME.

USE THE SIGNAL.

YOUR FRIEND

BATMAN

"Well I'll be damned! Son of a bitch!" Laughed Gordon as he looked back toward the Bat Signal. He went to wonder how he had installed that on GCPD headquarters in the early hours and no one even knew he was there?! That was when Commissioner Gordon decided some things about Batman he just simply wasn't going to question anymore.

He chuckled as he pulled back the tarp and turned back toward the city as he puffed on his cigar and looked out over the skyscrapers and the ghettos, exclusive shopping stores and single street vendors. Gordon had a slightly more optimistic view for Gotham today and he wasn't quite so worried what tomorrow may hold. Now he had an ally in the shadows.