Chapter 1: A Death in the Family

It was a dark, stormy night, a somber, chilling mood that reflected throughout the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham city. Inside, laminated by a single, flickering lightbulb sat a lone man, one who was slowly growing more and more impatient. His partner had been gone too long, and he was growing anxious to know if she had completed the mission he had sent her out on. If she had failed him, he would have to show her the error of such a grievous mistake.

The door was suddenly flung open as a flamboyant woman clad in a red and black jester costume came waltzing into the light. She had her signature large mallet in one hand, and an unconscious body over her shoulder.

"Puddin!" She called cheerily. "I'm home!"

The man rose to his feet, a twisted, grotesque smile on his face. He stepped into the light, revealing the demonic visage of the notorious villain, the Joker. He clapped slowly as he approached his partner, none other than the lovely Harley Quinn.

"Harley dear, wherever have you been?" Joker greeted in a flamboyant and almost endearing manner.

"Sorry I'm so late," she apologized, dropping her captive on the ground. "But this little one puts up a fight."

Joker looked down at their 'guest', his ever present grin growing larger at the sight of the ever familiar red and yellow costume. With a gleeful kick, Joker forced the captive to roll over, revealing the masked face of Robin, young partner to the Dark Knight, and Joker's long-time nemesis, Batman. The boy was pretty beat up with cuts on his lip and cheek and bruising across the side of his face.

"A Red Robin, just what I always wanted!" Joker exclaimed embracing Harley. "Harley my dear you know me so well."

"Glad you like it Puddin." Harley responded before the two shared a kiss.

After they pulled away, Joker knelt down to take a closer look at his captive. He grabbed the boy's face, making his meet his eye.

"I hope your trip here wasn't too rough." Joker inquired.

"Nah it was great." Robin responded, facing his clownish captor with as much courage as he could muster. "You should try it sometime… 'Puddin'..."

Joker's grin shrank a bit as he stood up. For a moment, it looked like he was about to walk away, but instead, he spun around and kicked the Boy Wonder in the face. Robin went skidding a few feet, spitting a bit of blood as he came to a stop.

"Little brat." Joker snarled. "You'd think that the Bat would have thought teaching manners would take precedence over Batarang practice. Harley, fetch my things."

"Sure thing Mistah J!"

Harley then went off, leaving Robin and the Joker alone. Once more, Joker loomed over Robin, his grin returning in spades.

"If the Bat won't teach you some respect, then I'll just have to beat it into you."

With that, the Joker let out one of his infamous maniacal laughs. Robin flinched at the sound, knowing all too well that all he could do was lay there in fear.

Meanwhile, on a far off rooftop, a thug was running for his life. His heart was pounding out of his chest, sweat pouring down his forehead, and his lungs felt like they were about to burst. Behind him, the shadow of a cloaked man was quickly gaining on him. The thug just kept running, praying he could somehow outrun his pursuer. He looked behind him, surprised to find that he wasn't being followed. For a moment, he dared to hope that he had lost him. That hope was quickly dashed when he ran headfirst into a familiar, and forboding, body. The thug looked up to see the towering figure of the Batman, looming over him like the devil himself. Fear instantly gripped his heart as he tried to back away.

"Where is he?" Batman questioned, his deep, gruff voice laced with more anger than the thug would have thought possible.

"Look man, I-I don't know anything." He stammered. "I was just a drive-"

Before he could finish, Batman kicked him in the stomach, launching him to the edge. The thug looked up to see Batman slowly closing in on him.

"You were a driver for the Joker and his goons." Batman practically shouted. "You know where he's hiding."

"No! I was just a getaway driver! I never saw the place!"

Once Batman reached him, he picked the thug up by the collar and hung him over the edge. The thug was panicking profusely; sweat falling from his face like raindrops.

"I'm only going to ask this one more time." Batman snarled as he pulled him closer to his face. "Where is he?!"

Back at the warehouse, Harley had returned, a large golf bag full of various objects slung over her shoulder. She placed it next to Joker, who immediately began rummaging through it like a child on Christmas.

"Let's see what we have here." Joker said, his fingers wiggling as he plunged them into the bag. The first tool he pulled out was a baseball bat covered in red and black diamonds.

"Too ghetto." He said, tossing it aside. He then pulled out a golf club, the end of it covered in a dark brown crust that could only have been dried blood.

"Too sportsmen like." He commented, also tossing it aside. He then pulled out an axe, the handle covered in what looked like purple and green streamers, and the blade covered in that same brown crust.

"Too medieval." He once again commented, tossing it aside like the others. He then pulled out a rusty crowbar.

"Ah here we go." Joker gleamed as he turned to Robin.

Robin's eyes widened at the sight of the crowbar as he tried futily to get away. Harley quickly stopped him, kicking him over to Joker. The mad clown stomped down on Robin's chest, eliciting a choked gasp of pain from the boy

"Now, time for that lesson in manners we were talking about." Joker taunted, raising the crowbar. "Listen carefully."

He then struck the boy. Then again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Over and over he struck him with the crowbar, relishing in the crunch of bones and the grunts of pain. As blood began to spray across the warehouse, Harley giggled like a schoolgirl, enjoying the show.

Elsewhere, Batman was racing down the streets of Gotham in his signature vehicle, the Batmobile. The thug he had encountered finally gave up the Joker's location after being dropped a few stories. Once he had it, he wasted no time. It had already been 30 minutes since Robin had vanished, and Batman knew from experience that Joker didn't need that long. He floored the gas pedal, weaving in and out of traffic, praying he would get there in time to stop the psychotic clown and save his partner.

"Hang on Jason." He muttered, even though their comm link had long ago been severed. "I'm coming for you."

Joker finished up Robin's 'lesson', wiping his face with his sleeve. As he did, he checked his watch and his eyes widened as he saw the time.

"Whoopsie." He chuckled. "Time sure does fly when you're having fun."

Discarding the crowbar, Joker turned to Harley, who was munching away on a small tub of popcorn.

"Harley, time to go!" he called out.

Harley jumped to her feet, the popcorn falling to the ground and mingling with the bloodsplatter. She grabbed her mallet and smiled.

"All set Mistah J."

"Good. Now it's time for us to leave. Hope you find the accommodations to your liking."

Robin just laid there silent.

"Great. Tell the Bat were sorry we missed him. But he'll love our little surprise."

With that said, and one more signature laugh, the two cruel clowns in crime left. Once they were gone, Robin slowly tried to get to his feet. His entire body screamed in pain, and it was obvious that his legs were broken. Grunting in pain from even the smallest movement, Robin crawled over to the warehouse door. Miraculously, he made it to the door, but only to realize it was locked from the outside when he tried to open it. Defeated in that attempt, he rested on the door, hoping that Batman would reach him in time. As unconsciousness began to claim the boy, he was unaware of the bomb hidden beneath the warehouse, strong enough to destroy the building and all its contents.

When Batman finally reached the warehouse, he didn't even bother bringing the car to a full stop. He jammed his finger on the autopilot button before opening the roof to jump out. He got within inches of the doorknob, his glove brushing against the handle before-

KABOOM!

The warehouse exploded in a fiery blaze. Batman was sent flying back, just barely coming to a stop a few feet away. His face became a mask of horror as he stared at the burning wreckage.

"JASON!"

Undeterred by the still burning flames and the rain of debris, Batman ran into the wreckage. He began sifting through the remains, desperately searching for any sign of his partner. As he moved a rather large piece of debris, he spotted a familiar pair of green gloves. Batman ran over, quickly unburying Jason.

"Jason, hang on. I've got you."

As he pulled Jason out, Batman's face fell. Jason was motionless, quiet, and completely devoid of any life. He looked down at the boy, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face.

"No…"

For the first time since his parent's death, Batman, no, Bruce Wayne, cried.

After that night, Bruce Wayne withdrew from the world. He abandoned the Dark Knight, feeling that if Batman couldn't even save his own comrade, how could he save Gotham. He swore to never don the cowl again, nor would he ever take a partner again. The pain was too much, and he wouldn't let another innocent soul fall pray to his foolish crusade.

The Joker disappeared as well, feeling that his homicidal antics were worthless without a symbol of good to corrupt. As he put it "Without Batman, crime has no punchline."

Little did either of them know that forces greater than either of them could imagine would force them both to step back into the light and duel again. Maybe for the last time.