Batman: All Good Things

by Kevin Carroll

Long after the last sighting of the Batman, an aging Bruce Wayne is called upon by his inner demons to face a new threat in Gotham. With the newly appointed Mayor Richard Grayson (Bruce's apprentice) and Commissioner Barbara Gordon, they'll have to work together in this not too distant future to stop whatever plans the Joker's twisted mind has summoned.

Batman:

ALL GOOD THINGS

Bruce Wayne's Memoir: "All I am, and all I ever will be is empty. I've loved and I have lost and at the end of things it's all a show. I lived a life of pain, misery, and hopelessness. I used to dream that one day the sun would rise and the Batman would be no more, hope that the city could take care of itself when I'm gone. That the friends I've made and the enemies I fought would one day be gone from this city. Forty years ago I made a vow to my parents that I would avenge them. That I would show criminals fear and disrupt their world just as they did mine when my parents were gunned down in an alley right in front of their son's eyes. I would become a wraith, a nightmare to my enemies, something that would keep taking away what they hold dear. Drugs, money, and whatever else they cherish I would crush without mercy. My father, Thomas Wayne built in the Great Depression, Wayne Tower. My dad was raised in a wealthy establishment but he always told me something his father used to say to him, "All good things come to an end, and in that end you find your symbol. That's something that can't ever be taken from you." So he created a legacy in Gotham, and was never forgotten because of it. My mother, Martha always spent time with me when my father was working. She was a very smart woman and gave me joy in learning new things. I don't feel the pain anymore, because my time is short. The cancer is growing and I want nothing more than to see my old friends and say good bye, unfortunately I've made more enemies than friends, and now more than ever the scars are starting to reopen.

Outside Gotham City

Wayne Mansion

2:00am

A storm cracks and roars outside the mansion as the lightning shows how empty and dark the building is. Atop a cliff rests Wayne Manor a hundred million dollar mansion which has seen many faces come and go, family, friends, and even Presidents have been a part of the historical home of the Wayne family. Now cats, birds and rodents take shelter and hunt each other inside. The house moans and creeks at night creating an uncomfortable atmosphere to be residential. But one man finds solace in this mansion of darkness, Bruce. In the dark dining room sits a man with a cake in front of him and the candles glowing giving warmth on his aged face. In the distance a spider crawls in its web watch the light of the candles intensely.

Bruce: "I'm fifty years old today, father."

Suddenly before his eyes the room lights up and candles and guests appear through thin air. Bruce's' parents sit on his sides as a tuxedo forms over his grey robe and he grows younger.

Thomas: "How old are you now son, fifty? Fifty one?"

Martha: "Tom!"

Bruce: "I'm eight, dad!"

Thomas: "Dad? What happened to Daddy?"

Martha: "Little Bruce is too old to call us mommy and daddy, right Bruce?"

Bruce: "Yes."

Thomas: "Well wait until you see this, little guy! Okay Alfred!"

A group of three people including Bruce's best friend and butler of the house Alfred Pennyworth carry in a replica stage from the original Mask of Zorro with Zorro fighting his nemesis on a rooftop. Zorro was a hero to Bruce that showed him right from wrong and gave him a strong sense of peace. He always gave Bruce a comforting idea that there are people who fight for the right thing, and they'd give their lives for the ones around them. Thomas leans forward and kisses Bruce's head as a smile of a child's joy shines in the room. Thomas then whispers,

Thomas: "Don't grow up too fast, Bruce."

Alfred: "Happy Birthday Master Bruce."

The people start fading back into shadows as his mother and father smile in their chairs looking at little Bruce whose age is growing back into the present. His mother and father slowly fade and the candles burn to the bottom as they slowly flicker out into smoke.

Martha: "We love you, Bruce."

As Bruce sits in his chair, in the corner of the room stands something. Someone in a cape scowling at Bruce whom sits at the table tearing. Bruce looks up feeling the entity of another presence. At first is anger that hits him, then a feeling he hasn't felt in years. Fear.

Bruce: "What do you want from me? I'm not YOU anymore! I've done enough! The city is quiet, the police are at the top of things! I AM NOT YOU!"

The figure slowly walks over to the book case in the next room never revealing who or what it is. Bruce follows it as it stands again in the shadows of the giant library. It slowly puts its hand on the book Hamlet and pulls it downward revealing a secret elevator that waits for a retinal scan. The shadow man disappears.

Computer: "Please identify yourself immediately, the police will be alerted in thirty seconds if you fail to comply."

At first Bruce is reluctant wondering if he should let the alarm go off and have the police and all of Gotham in on his secret he's been keeping all these years.

Computer: "You have fifteen seconds to comply."

Bruce enters his identity with a smirk on his cheek.

Computer: "Welcome, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce enters the elevator that screeches and roars after not being used or touched for a decade. As the door closes a cloud of bats soars down from the ceiling of the library screaming and chirping as the fly around the circular room. After two minutes the elevator finally reaches its destination deep underground in the cave. The door opens.

Computer: "Have a nice night, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce: "Always. Computer, ON!"

The cave sends a loud boom through the walls and the computers and lights all activate along with the Batmobile that automatically turns on by voice recognition. From all cracks and crevices of the cave come herds of bats as the fly in fear through a single hole that leads to outside. Thousands fly out as a few older one stay being used to the sounds of his arrival. His jet boat rises from an underwater cargo block, and all of his suits start to reveal themselves from underground. A scuba suit, temperature adjustment suit, flying suit which has been in prototype for years. Then finally the bat suit locked in a twenty inch thick cell the light above it shows the suit Bruce hasn't seen with his own eyes in almost five years. The suit is a metallic light weight Kevlar colored dark grey with a bold bat symbol across its chest.

Bruce: "Hello, old friend."

Bruce suits up and leaves his cowl off as he sits in his old computer chair turning on his unmanned jet that rests atop Wayne Manor.

Bruce: "Computer, launch Knight Wing and give me all police scans and known criminal cell phone feedback and tell me what's new in Gotham."

Computer: "Launching Knight Wing. Scanning for crime activity in Gotham."

Bruce smirks with a small feeling of joy he's been missing for years. The thrill of being the watcher, the protector. For years he trained and bled for this life and it has changed Gotham in so many ways. Some good some unavoidable. Bruce has made peace with his enemies as they used to mock him by saying he made them. To him they made their own choice, but for one criminal a choice was never an option. A petty criminal who never did more than owe loan sharks money, Jonathan Napier. After owing a crime lord in Gotham money known as Black Mask Jack, a failed comedian, concealed his identity and robbed a bank in connections with Wayne Enterprises. When a frightened employee hit the emergency button under her desk little did she know that months before Bruce had equipped all of his family partnered companies and banks with a private alarm on his father's watch, which Bruce never removes, and tracked Jack to a secret place called Axis Chemicals. A building now condemned used to be under the ownership of the Cobblepot family. Oswald Cobblepot, the lead successor of the family fortune through an unexplained fire of his family's estate gained everything they owned in one night.

Gotham City

Axis Chemicals

20 years ago

A young man in a red suit and a red ski mask smokes his cigarette and fidgets and trembles with a briefcase as a black car pulls up to his knees with the windows tinted, Jack tries to make out who it is in the vehicle intimidating him. The driver comes out with his Uzi aimed at Jacks head.

Driver: "Who the hell are you?!"

Jack: "My name's the Red Hood I'm here to speak with the Mask!"

The driver shoulders his weapon and looks to the back door when his boss creeps out of the car. His mask is a black skull that looks almost as if its' been sealed onto his head. Jack is terrified at this moment, he has stepped into the wrong business with the wrong people.

Black Mask: "Names Black Mask. You got one?"

Jack: "Hood. My name's the Red Hood!"

Black Mask: "You think this is a joke guy? You think we parade around here dressed like this because we like to! What's in the case?"

Jack: "Money. You said you'd let her go if I gave you the money."

Black Mask: "I recall. The blonde bitch, right?"

Jack: "Her name is, Harley."

Black Mask: "Don't get smart. So you're telling me there is twenty grand in that briefcase?"

Jack: "No more, no less."

Black Mask: "Did you get more than that?"

Jack: "The rest is my business! So are we doing this? You told me I would see her!"

Black Mask snaps his finger and from the other side of the car stumbles out a young blonde girl scrapped up and bruised with her mouth taped shut. After her a short man with a cigar and snarl to his voice comes out.

Penguin: "Let's make a deal!"

Jack: "Inside."

They all walk into the chemical factory as the temperature inside makes everyone start sweating.

Black Mask: "Christ. You couldn't meet us at the harbor, Hood?"

Jack: "Alright, you are business men. Don't screw me over it's not worth anything to you if you kill me!"

A dark figure looms on a catwalk above the group watching the deal slowly wind downhill.

Batman: "Barbra. I'm here."

Barbra: "Good, all these scum have been talking about is how they're holding some chick for ransom and how they're going to ice them both after the deal."

Batman: "What is it with everyone wearing costumes these days?"

Barbra: "Everyone but me."

Batman: "You'll get yours when you graduate."

Batman moves down the walk slowly stepping over a sniper he previously knocked out while he adjusts his sonar ear to listen in on the deal.

Black Mask: "If you ever meet a business man you should know one thing about them. When they say they're going to do something, they will not go back on it."

Penguin: "Like you said Hood, we gain nothing if we don't do what we say. So let us be civilized."

Jack: "Okay give her to me and I'll toss the money over her head."

Black Mask: "Okay Hood. On a count of three. One. Two."

Suddenly the Driver looks up to the catwalk and sees something that strikes him as a creature, something he's never seen before. He slowly raises his gun.

Black Mask: "Three!"

Before anyone else realizes, Penguin pushes the girl toward Jack, he tosses the money to Black Mask as he holds his arms open. Then a noxious dart takes down the Driver as he fires off shots surprising everyone. Black Mask looks up to the walk and sees a giant bat like figure descending down to them. Mask looks to Harley and pulls out his 1911 .colt and fires a shot that enters and exits through her head. Jack catches her as she stumbles into his arms. The Penguin has his eye on the Bat and uses his concealed umbrella rifle to fire at him. Batman dive kicks Cobblepot silently. Before Black Mask can turn to make out what's happening behind him Jack pulls out a .357 snub nosed revolver and empties it out on Black Mask, screaming for his loved on he just watched get gunned down. As the dead Black Mask falls down towards the Dark Knight he fires a shot at Jack in the face. Now disoriented and in extensive pain Jack tries taking off his mask and falls off the walk holding onto the bars.

Batman: "Hold on!"

Batman lunges to Jack and just in time grabs his hand before plummeting into the concrete ground below. Batman can hardly hold Jack the way he's lying on the walk.

Jack: "Please…"

Batman: "I can't…!"

Jack slips through Batman's hand and slowly falls to his doom sixty feet to the ground below. Batman stands up looking down at Jack who is spread out on the ground in a small pool of blood. For a moment pity's Jack for the life he chose, and how he could have avoided all this death. He picks up Harley and carries her out of the building.

Batman: "Barbra. Call the police."

The building swarms with GCPD outside and all around the factory. Commissioner Gordon waits behind all the cars as they start clearing up the building. The Penguin is being impatiently stuffed into a cruiser as Black Mask is carried out on a stretcher along with Harley Quinn who is severely wounded but alive. Batman startles Gordon from behind.

Batman: "How's the girl?"

Gordon: "She'll make it. Barely."

Batman: "There's one more."

Gordon: "We swept the place three times, Batman. There was blood where you said there would be but it was covered in some dissolving powder so we can't identify them."

Batman: "His name was Red Hood."

Gordon: "Yeah well I never heard of him, you?"

Batman: "Never. He fell sixty three feet, Jim. Even if he got out alive why conceal his identity if he's severely wounded?"

Gordon: "Wouldn't you? Besides maybe he had help. Like Black Mask you said he hired a gunman to watch the deal?"

Batman: "Floyd Lawton. Code-named Deadshot in Vietnam for hitting targets with ricocheting bullets. A war vet with no criminal history.

Gordon: "Well maybe these guys are just getting started, like you."

As Gordon turns his head to face his old partner Bullock, Batman disappears into the night. Axis chemicals is still being raided by the police as Red Hood slips through the sewers and crawls onto land chuckling as he watches the bat jet soar through Gotham Cities buildings. His quiet giggling slowly rises into a screaming chuckle similar to a wild laughing hyena. However the jet roars across Gotham harbor concealing the joy of a mad man from the police.

Gotham City

Batcave

4:30am

After recalling his first stumble unto organized crime Bruce is alerted by his computer that has been searching for an hour.

Computer: "Crime in progress, crime in progress!"

Bruce throws his cowl over his head adjusting his mask, wiring his earphone to the computer frequency.

Batman: "Show me."

A blip activates on Bruce's computer screen showing a sonar vision scope of the abandoned apartment complex.

Computer: "Gottfried Street, three armed hostiles. Identified as James Burge; wanted for murder in the first degree and drug dealing. Suspect 2 Donald 'Don' Vanzetti; wanted for three counts of murder, two racketeering charges, and multiple weapons dealing. Suspect 3 Al Debris; wanted for murder and drug dealing. How would you like to act, Sir?"

Batman: "Send a juggernaut GCPD unit in. I'm looking for something big."

As the computer sends a heavy duty squad to the complex the 'wing' soars over the streets of old town Gotham looking for crime through its sonar protruding the decadent buildings and streets.

Computer: "Scanning. Alert! Crime in progress, Swan Avenue! Apartment complex 113. Seven hostiles armed and dangerous, all gang members of the late Falcone family surrounding the building with heavy weaponry planted by the windows. It's a stake out, Sir."

Batman rises from his seat flipping his cowl over his face walking over to his high tech Bat-Bike.

Batman: "Computer alert all GCPD it's an overnight demolition project, and alert Gotham residence to stay clear of the area until further notice!"

Computer: "Negative. Juggernaut units already inbound!"

Batman: "DAMN!"

Old Town Gotham

Apartment 113

4:42am

As the S.W.A.T units surround the building, patrol cars and dozens of officers exit their vehicles and aim high at the apartments' upper floor. One cruiser pulls up last behind the firing squad and from the car exits Mayor Grayson and Commissioner Barbra Gordon.

Grayson: "God damn. Where's our heavy squad?"

Gordon: "We're working on it, Dick. You know how long it takes to suit up."

Grayson: "Call me Richard."

Gordon: "Why? Are we all grown up now?"

Grayson: "Please Barbara, we're not kids anymore."

One of the S.W.A.T officers brings over a blue print schematic of the entire building and a loud speaker for negotiations placing them on the Commissioners' hood.

Grayson: "Talk to me."

Commissioner: "Talk to me."

Lieutenant Trask: "You're not going to like this. We got two 'hollows' across the street on the roof and they say they're seeing some scary shit."

Grayson: "Hollows?"

Commissioner: "They're undercover cloaked agents. They're technically invisible."

Grayson: "When and who funded that?"

Commissioner: "When, three years ago. And who do you think?"

Grayson: "Oh great."

Commissioner: "Talk to us, Trask who's in there and what do they got?"

Lieutenant Trask: "We count five armed hostiles and two .50 caliber heavy machine guns in each window."

Grayson: "Jesus."

Commissioner: "Yeah, Jesus. Well let's get a squad of eight to secure the first floor and get one of your men to start taking out those guns with WTAJs'."

Lieutenant Trask: "Yes sir."

Grayson: "What?"

Commissioner: "Wayne Tech Arsenal Jammers. They're little grenades that latch onto weapons and melt the inside to make the gun obsolete."

Grayson: "Old man paid for everything, huh?"

Commissioner: "He did so much more than pay, Richard. He gave us back our city"

MEANWHILE INSIDE…

Five of the goons barricade the windows leaving a gap for their mounted turrets facing the officers down below. Meanwhile one of the goons separates from crowd to downstairs each of them wearing black skull masks.

Goon 5: "Hey, Roman. Its time."

Roman: "Light 'em up, and let me have a word with Gotham P.D."

Goon 5: "Yes, sir."

The auto turrets lock onto the cops and cruisers down below. Roman grabs his headset and adjusts the volume.

Roman: "Good morning Gotham! And good morning to you elected official Mr. Dick Grayson! As you know we are heavily armed and house six of Gotham's' most nasty on the streets! And myself, son of the late Black Mask. You can call me, Roman. Boy do I have a show for you all! TONIGHT GOTHAM…"

(STATIC)

Batman: "This is the Batman. Throw down your arms or be disassembled. I have created a kill stroke that will annihilate your pour judgment on the illegal purchase of black market weaponry and the arming and abetting Gotham's' most wanted. As for you, Roman. The police can take your friends…I'm coming for you."

(Transmission end)

Grayson: "Jesus he's going to take 'em! Move, move, move!"

Commissioner: "Alpha team, first floor take the second floor!"

(INSIDE)

Squad Leader: "Alpha team is moving…"

Before the squad leader can finish his sentence a small metallic ball pops through the front door window and rolls quietly to his foot.

Squad Leader: "GET OUT NOW….!"

The ball lifts into midair and bursts into light and smoke in a defining bang disorienting the officers as they fall to the floor in pain. As Dick and Barbra watch the top floor with the turrets the windows are both simultaneously hit by EMP rockets, taking out each gun and the goons behind them. As Mayor Grayson watches from the opposite building he sees with a smirk Batman's cape gliding off the roof, diving into the left window. Now inside he showers off the glass from his shoulders as the thug on his left starts to bring his gun up to aim, the Dark Knight grabs his wrist and dislocates his elbow with a loud crack, before the thug behind him can react in his state of shock the crusader spin kicks him across his face knocking out most of his teeth. While most likely incapacitated, Bruce in his age leaving certain things to chance and being shot multiple times because of it, leaves nothing to chance now and chokes the downed thug out with his two hands. He stands atop of the blood, and unconscious goons and dusts his cape back.

Batman: "Two down. Here I come, Roman."

Batman enters the room Roman was said to be located, before him sits someone in a white suit and black skull mask with his back facing the Dark Knight. The room is so dim Bruce can hardly identify whom it is.

Batman: "Hands up. Actually don't move, I'm here to end you."

The body stays seated as the Detective loses his patience he spins the chair around and sees a red smile painted on the mask and a ticking time bomb in his hands counting down from 00:05. A screaming laugh cracks through the speakers on the bomb, however the Crusader has found himself in situations like this numerous times its just difficult for him to maneuver like he used to. Now he's a walking tank, all power but less speed he still chances a run from the bomb and makes it mere inches from one of the windows the turrets were aimed out then BOOM the explosion thrusts him through the window out into the street that's covered with Gotham P.D. He crashes across the street on fire trying to put it out on the pavement as the officers try detaining him. Dick and Barbara watch in awe as their friend and guardian is in agonizing pain but they remember they mustn't reveal they're past.

Grayson: "Jesus, Barb call them off!"

Commissioner: "He's broken the law, Dick. He has to answer for it like everyone else."

Batman: "BIKE! HELP!"

The World's Greatest Detectives' bike is alerted to the call and begins firing flares at the officers down below, blinding them for enough time to make it to its owner. The Batbike leaps off the building to the street where the police and officials are blinded and disoriented and drives over to Bruce who has put the fire out and removed his cape and cowl. Without another action taken he hits the throttle fully and roars down Old Town back to his cave outside city limits escaping the law and old friends. Driving through the waterfall that leads into the cave the cool crisp water eases his pain marginally. He doesn't take the time to park or turn the bike off he is in too much pain to worry about little things.

Bruce: "Med table!"

From underneath the center of the cave a white table rises with two mechanical arms offering assistance. Bruce removes his gear and utility belt and lays down grunting in agony.

Computer: "You have suffered from second degree burns on your lower neck and shoulder."

Bruce: "No kidding. Apply Fries' ointment."

The arms turn him over and slowly spin him in midair applying an ointment Dr. Fries aka Mr. Freeze created back when he was a doctor. His wife was killed by a hit-man named Zsaz who worked for a company that was dealing under the table and Victor had refused to grant them his knowledge and medical products. He later became a vigilante looking for the men who took his wife from him. Killing all but one, Victor Zsaz, Batman intervened understanding Freezes' vengeance but nonetheless knowing he had to uphold the law, even in our darkest moments. Zsaz was sent to Arkham Asylum and committed suicide last month by stabbing himself to death in the cafeteria. Freeze rests in Blackgate prison awaiting release in ten years. He's found God and peace in his heart and has been on exceptional behavior in his thirty year sentence. Bruce is lowered to the ground as he walks over to his mainframe computer hunched over its keyboard.

Computer: "Sir, this is your second week of ignoring your brain tumor located in your left lobe. Shall I arrange for a Dr. Appointment this week?"

Bruce: "Oh my God that's better. Thank you, computer. Show me Old Town. What are the cops up to?"

Computer: "Sir. The fire department is currently extinguishing the fire."

Bruce: "What about Mayor Grayson, and Commissioner Gordon? Were they harmed?"

Computer: "Due to limited options and the pressing situation, flares were fired upon the officers of Gotham, including Commissioner Barbara Gordon and Mayor Richard Grayson. Temporary blindness was a logical defense mechanism to create confusion and escaping."

Bruce: "Fine. Computer, upload video feed from the Batbike hard drive and give me an in depth play through on what the hell happened in there."

Computer: "Downloading. Sir a phone call from Dr. Lin of Arkham is coming through."

Bruce: "Answer."

Dr. Lin: "Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce: "Still rich! Who's calling?"

Dr. Lin: "I'm sorry for calling you at this hour but I was told you don't sleep much. I have a patient here named Harvey Dent, who is on his death bed and refuses to eat or drink anything unless he sees you first, he's already spat in the priests face before he could be read a passage from the bible. Is there any chance you could come down here and visit him at Arkham? I and the other doctors would be in your debt."

Bruce: "I'll be there."

Dr. Lin: "Thank you so much, Mr. Wayne. We appreciate it. Goodbye."

Bruce: "End call."

(BRUCE'S MIND)

"Harvey Dent, my old friend is dying. Years ago he was Gotham's' greatest district attorney. I set up the thugs and he locked them away, Me, Gordon and Dent. The cities greatest heroes were just men don't a job they promised to put before themselves and protect the ones they loved. Dent and Gordon were better men then me, they didn't wear masks or make enemies like I did. They could be found, and Dent was. One night was known as the Brightest Day in Gotham. The three of us had stopped crime 100% on that night, the cities criminals were so afraid of being beaten and locked up that no crime was reported in Gotham for one day. However unknown to most citizens there was one, there always is. A homeless sibling of someone Dent had put away broke into his house one night and poured acidic acid on the left side of his face tearing away the flesh from Dents bones. The reason that day isn't remembered and we still celebrate Bright day is because it happened at 12:22am. Dent then became broken losing his fiancé and his job and took on a life of petty crime, knocking up stores with the number two incorporated in their name. I found him in an alley one day, he painted one wall white and left the other wall bear. He had become divided, a man of two sides. Like me and every other thug in the city he joined the circus."

Computer: "Sir your video feed download is complete. Would you like a playback?"

Bruce: "Show me who was in that chair."

The computers video was recorded from the Batbike that was facing the opposite building where the Black Mask thugs were held up. It creates a 3D image of inside recording the Dark Knight's movement frame by frame following him to the lower part of the complex to the room where he found the Black Mask with the bomb in his hands. Bruce sees the smile on the mask fearing the worst of his enemies has come back somehow.

Bruce: "Identify."

Computer: "Sir. The person in the chair is deceased, it is a female by the name Pamela Isley. A former Arkham Asylum patient who went missing three days ago. Would you like a background check?"

Bruce: "No. I know her. But how did the Joker escape…"

It could only be him because this is how he plays with the Batman, this is his game, and Gotham is his playground. But Bruce can't shake the fact that he escaped an impenetrable Arkham cell. After many escapes from the Asylum Bruce had enough, and with his old partner Dick Grayson as Mayor they passed a bill that Wayne Enterprises funded to lock the Joker away and treat him as an outsider to Gotham but would give him the treatment as the city's most notorious criminal with the hundreds of lives he's taken. Bruce and his technical department that have given him the tools to fight for Gotham designed the blueprints for Jack's imprisonment which is almost a hundred stories below Arkham Asylum called Cell Zero. You have to have a background check that takes a lot of time and money done to work under Cell Zero and the pay is substantial. Even down there the Joker is tied to a strait jacket and placed into an iron maiden that is then locked with his eyes and mouth covered by a leather mask. As the two doctors chain the clown to his confinement he scowls at the two guards at the elevator with automatic rifles both locked and ready to fire. Finally locking the maiden up the shut off the light in the very small room with no more than a plastic chair and desk with a book rested on its top corner. Macbeth by Shakespeare whom Jack believes he was made to be. The two Level Zero guards aim the rifles down their sites as the back into the elevator door as the doctors follow one stands before the Joker.

Doctor: "See you soon."

The Jokers maniacal laugh muddles through the leather mask as he laughs himself hysterical. The second doctor follows into the elevator and the door slowly closes giving the other doctor and guards a sickening freight knowing the laugh of that man has echoed through Gotham for years and years and for many it was the last thing their poor souls would hear. Pulling up to the front of the Asylum is the famous Bruce Wayne, aside from pulling up in a downtown Gotham cab he is always dressed for an occasion, however today is a painful day for him because it may be the last day he sees his old friend whom he would gladly give his life for so Dent could go back and make peace with his demons. Wayne always put others before him, not making him a saint, put to condemn himself so others could enjoy life peacefully without organized crime in the city. Bruce is not a saint, he's just lived his life protecting others and using his anger and pain to cripple injustice and cripple those who bring that pain to others.

INSIDE ARKHAM…

Nurse: "Good evening, Mr. Wayne! You have a scheduled appointment with Mr. Dent? Correct?"

Bruce: "Yes that's right. I'm here to see an old friend."

As the nurse asks Wayne to follow her they walk down the hall to the criminally insane wing. Housing all of the Dark Knights rogues gallery behind clear indestructible cubes they all seem very alone and old to Bruce now that none of them recognize him. He looks upon them as a grown man looks at a bully he used to know in elementary school. No commitment for vengeance, just the knowledge that everything is finally justified and they may have found peace. But to Wayne these were people so beyond saving they only know pain now, a pain the Batman knows, emptiness. Reaching Dents cell, his door wide opened, Wayne excuses the nurse and sits beside his dying friend.

Harvey: "When I was a boy my mother would always pinch my right cheek, the side that isn't scarred, and say how handsome I was."

Bruce: "That sounds like a really nice memory, Harvey."

Harvey: "I'm struggling with something Bruce, something I can't wrap my mind around. And I feel like once I know I can finally rest. A rest no doctor or priest can provide for me, a last rest to end the fight."

Bruce: "Let me help you, Harvey."

Harvey: "How many people have I killed?"

Bruce's' heart flutters in fear of the truth being released to Dent. Maybe he thinks he didn't kill anyone, maybe he can only sum up a small number and Bruce should lie and say it was a very small few. But he knows it's all Harvey can have now is truth no matter how hard or painful it may be Bruce knows everything there is to know about secrets but secrets carry weight.

Bruce: "Harvey Dent you killed two people. After your fiancé left you one night she was walking down a street with her child, Sebastian. After you had become scarred you lost everything, your work as Gotham's' greatest district attorney, and your soul. You fell upon her that night and tried to speak to her, but the one thing most painful to you was people being scared of you. She screamed and you covered her moth squeezing too hard her son backed up from the sidewalk and was hit by an oncoming tractor trailer. According to the autopsy they both passed away at the same time, two twenty-two in the morning. I heard your scream from across the city, and I'll never forget it."

Harvey: "Oh."

The scarred and broken man reaches for his paper cup filled with cool water but can't find the grip. Bruce watches him struggle for what may be his last drink with tears swelling up in his eyes. Seconds pass but he can't bring himself to help Dent pretend he didn't hear what he just heard. The cup finally falls to the floor as Harvey gives out a deep sigh covering his face with his hands, a face that is now complete, the scars are now meaningless after all these years and all the pain now it means nothing.

Harvey: "Oh Jesus! Oh lord please HELP ME! Please bring them back! Please Christ I'll give you my soul! Just please, please bring them back God."

Bruce: "I'm sorry, Harvey."

Bruce stands as Harvey struggles to free himself from his bindings while a heard of doctors gather to his attention holding him down and relieving him with a sedative. The front desk nurse stands next to Wayne watching Dent trying to fight the sedation.

Nurse: "What happened?"

Bruce: "I told him the truth. Now I have a special request for cell zero."

Nurse: "Oh sorry I almost forgot about that one, Mr. Wayne. Usually we get the occasional visitor who comes by requesting to see him but the always have to file a packets worth of paper work and be escorted by a guard."

Bruce: "I spoke to Dr. Amadeus for a private meeting with Jack Napier for a book I'm writing."

Nurse: "Oh really? I read your last book, A Knight to Remember about the two brothers who fought over a kingdom in England. What's your next book called?

Bruce: "It's called 'What I Did with all My Money.'"

Nurse: "Oh. Well the code for the elevator is…"

Bruce: "2115743."

Nurse: "How did you know that? We change it every day."

Bruce: "Well there's a pattern to the numbers, every day they go up by two from their original code and reset after the number 9."

Nurse: "Even I didn't know that!"

Bruce: "That's one of the things I spent a lot of my money on, key coding."

Bruce is old at this game but he remains undefeated still. He enters the code and slowly steps into the elevator watching Dent as the doors close and feels maybe now he can find his peace at least in his mind. On the inside panel the number zero flashes in red as there is only one place it goes to and that's down. After a good fifteen minutes Bruce approaches the bottom he then pulls a stocking out of his inside jacket pocket and adjusts it looking at his very blurry reflection in the elevator wall. The doors open and Bruce enters the cell seeing the iron maiden in the center of the room, a char and desk, and three white walls.

Joker: "I smell only one."

Batman: "There is only one."

Joker: "Oh goody. My old friend, how is the world doing?"

Batman: "Better. How's hell?"

Joker: "Lovely this time of year!"

Bruce undoes the maiden with a hurried pace and pulls off Jokers leather mask revealing his aged face looking more maniacal than ever grinning at his nemesis with his eyes almost popping out of his head. Wayne then sits the mad clown at his desk.

Joker: "So what brings you to these parts, you old bastard?"

Batman: "You."

Joker: "You just can't live without me can you?"

Batman: "I can't live a life with you in this world."

Joker: "Are you here to kill me?"

Batman: "No."

Joker: "Damn. I was really hoping you might have cracked by now. Or is it that you've cracked long ago and can never commit to the one deed that would stop me from slaughtering the people of Gotham, killing me!"

Batman: "I've never killed anyone and never will."

Joker: "Oh but you've crippled countless men! Some say they live a fate worse than death now. Not being able to walk or screw again, never recalling what it was like to walk in sand on a beach. No Bats, you're worse than a killer…you're pure evil."

Batman: "Anyone who stood before me in opposition made their choice, don't you know Joker how easily I could kill a man? I could kill you right here right now and nobody would give a damn!"

Joker: "But they would, they would know just had finally done what was right then society would crumble because they would think everyman is above law and life. Now we can play cat and mouse like the old days but I'm just telling you the facts, kill me and you win, let me live however and I swear you'll regret it."

Batman: "The other night I was hunting, small game. Black Masks son was held up in an apartment complex ready to unleash hell on Gotham P.D. I took them out and found Jr. Although it wasn't Romans' son, it was a former doctor from Arkham named Jaquelin Napier then a bomb went off."

Joker: "Oh happy day, I have kids!"

Batman: "Don't play games with me! You set those charges! I've been to countless scenes of crimes before I met you and I know your methods! Now you want to sit there and tell me it was someone else? You led me here you maniac!"

Joker: "It warms my heart that you would think of me, and still be afraid of me in these old days. But how could I leave here, Bats? They watch me 24/7 on cameras and even when they don't this cell is impenetrable! Don't you think I've tried to escape?"

Batman: "No."

Joker: "Ah you know me too well, rat for brains. I just wait for things to go bad because they always do, it took years and only disturbing thoughts of butchering lovers in the Gotham streets to occupy my mind. And now I've got you! I may or may not know who's up there setting up bombs for you and even if I did, and I love this part, there is nothing worse you can do to me. You can't hang me off a building or even submit me to ancient Chinese torture methods to make me yap one word! You're why I live, and I'm you're reason for existence. We will do this until we're finally dead and buried. Who knows maybe hell has a city we can run amok in and torture each other in!"

Batman: "This is hell, Joker. This chamber you live in. Because once I find out who's doing this I'm going to break them, you'll never see me again."

Joker: "Maybe in the next life."

Batman: "THERE WON'T BE A NEXT LIFE! I will have revenge on you Joker! I will keep you down hear and make sure you're treated well so you can have a good twenty something more years down here. Why do you think you never got the death penalty? I bought the judges and paid hundreds of thousands to keep you buried alive!"

Joker: "You did this?"

Batman: "I'll never let you down, Jack! Now tell me whose doing this or I'll make this hurt."

Joker: "Hundreds of thousands you say?"

Batman: "What?"

Joker: "Well you just told me you spent hundreds of thousands to keep me down here and buy off judges, which is extremely illegal, and all's I can think of is Bruce Wayne!"

Bruce pauses but remembers his painful and rigorous training to keep him from making any kind of facial expression to give the Joker any incentive.

Joker: "You're either him or…Harvey? You faked it all didn't you Harvey? You pretended your face was scarred and put yourself in a mental asylum so nobody would think twice, you dog!"

Batman: "I'm neither."

Joker: "I'm going to call you Harvey Wayne Bruce Dent from now on! Hahaha!"

Batman: "What did I do to you, Jack? When I let you fall? Why did you make me your only true enemy?"

Joker: "Because I knew you could keep up. If you want a clue I'll give you a riddle, like our old pal! Who was Macbeth's lover? That should get the party started! Hahaha!"

As Napier continues his laugh he pops his blood vessels in his eyes not being able to control his joy. Batman suits up Jack in his straight jacket and locks him back into his cell wondering what the Joker meant. Of course Macbeths' lover was his wife, Lady Macbeth. Suddenly Bruce looks to the desk in the cell and on it lays the book of Macbeth with a bookmark in its pages. Bruce opens the book up and finds the bookmark to be a picture of Harley Quinn. He recognizes her from all those years ago, short and blonde with her cute smile.

Batman: "This poor girl? She couldn't have done this."

Joker: "Find her for me, guano. Find her and begin your investigation. Then bring her to me!"

Batman: "You see this picture, Jack! Let this be a reminder because I'll give my life so you never see her again!"

Batman sticks the picture into Jacks visor inside the iron maiden and enters the elevator hearing what sounded like a sobbing laughter as the doors closed. Wayne tears off the stocking and pulls a compartment out of his dress shoe that contains several pills, he takes four even with the knowledge he should only be taking two but now he's having a breakdown and has to pull himself together to prepare for the doctors and nurses of the Asylum. Bruce always has a mask to put on, even after he's taken them all off.

Bruce: "God, I can't do this anymore!"

Looking in front of him he sees his reflection murky in the elevator door, but it's not him, it's the Batman.

Batman: "You'll never be finished."

Then Bruce sees a crowd of bats fly up through a hole in his front lawn, flapping their wings rapidly they zoom past his window casting shadows of their fury bodies over his face.

Batman: "Your parents, Bruce! You've forsaken your parents! What about Chill? You didn't let him get away! Five years ago he died and never lifted a finger to oppose others because he was afraid! Scare her! Scare Quinn and let her know WHO IS COMING!"

Bruce: "Quiet."

The doors open and Bruce has come back to normality brushing his grey hair back and adjusting his tie he sees the doctors crowding Dent down the hallway. Some are sobbing and the others are writing down the time and date. The front desk nurse approaches Bruce with tears in her eyes holding his hand.

Nurse: "I'm sorry, Bruce. He's gone."

Bruce: "Wherever he is, we're all headed there."

Exiting the asylum approaching his cab he hands the driver two hundred dollar bills.

Driver: "Sir this is too much, you were only in there for an hour!"

Bruce: "Feels like a lifetime."

Wayne walks off to the city streets, into alley's many have lost their money and lives. But this man built his whole adult life around fear and following his late years fearing his demons, the bat. A creature that traumatized Bruce as a child would be his reckoning to Gotham's underworld. It's his home, his cave, and soon his resting place. He no longer has a fear of pain or death because it has already dawned on him for some time, cancer. But nothing in Bruce's' life can shake the thought of his work being unfinished, his hold on Gotham was slipping until the other night when he made his return. Old, and brutish Bruce can only wish for a deserving death and with all the years of defending Gotham from small to large crimes he can't retire himself. It's as if every crime and riddle he's solved has only built on the next never ending and never resting. Sometimes he thinks it's just unwinnable, and has to fight the thought of losing especially to the Joker.

Gotham City

Mayor's Office

2:30pm

Hard at work trying to sort out the return of the Batman while watching his previous interview on TV, Dick Grayson scatters papers of the world's greatest detective and wonders what brought him out of hiding. All's that runs through Richards head is the thought of the infamous Clown Prince of Crime, Joker. Only he could drive Bruce to continue even in his old age and weariness. As Dick recalls his history being guided by Wayne to channel the loss of his parents from anger to committed anger or vengeance he looks at his childhood as Robin as misguided by a madman.

In Grayson's later years he created a separation between Bruce as the cities renowned Nightwing, going much easier on criminals with less brutality than the Batman is used to Gotham praised Richard as their savior, suddenly the Dark Knight fell into the shadows and was never heard from again. Now as Mayor of Gotham with his identity still unknown to others besides Barbra Gordon, the new commissioner and secret love interest of Dick, the two work together as law abiding officials hanging up their vigilante days. Entering Mayor Grayson's office is Barbara to talk about their old, mutual friend. She knocks with the door opened being instantly identified with her radiant red hair and lipstick and glasses.

Grayson: "Come."

Commissioner: "Hey babe! What're you doing?"

Grayson: "Uh…working on this bat thing. You?"

Commissioner: "Same. Can't imagine how my father handled it, he was there when he first appeared. Now he's back and everyone's talking about him, loving him or hating him. He's given so much to this city and no one even knows why or how. It's sad."

Grayson: "Barbra, we have a problem."

Commissioner: "Okay."

Dick moves past his desk and gently shuts his door and closes the office blinds by his window. He guides Barbra to a chair in front of his desk and activates a small device from inside his cabinet.

Commissioner: "Rich, honey I'd rather not be recorded if you don't mind."

Grayson: "It's not a recorder, it creates an invisible sphere that lowers our voices on the outside speaking at a normal tone."

Commissioner: "Wayne tech?"

Grayson: "Yup."

Commissioner: "Hypocrite."

Three buildings over the Batman tries listening in on the conversation but hears muddled cracking in their voices. "Wayne tech." He utters as the Dark Knight glides off the building soaring down at an incredible speed suddenly expanding his cape outward to glide along the next building closest to Mayor Grayson's office. He never goes out during the day but this is an invisible operation, one where he doesn't have to touch the ground or be seen by outside parties. Taking cover behind a ventilation system the resourceful hero pulls out a black stem that projects a transparent computer image and deactivates the voice modifier in Dick's office with neither of them noticing. Now he can listen in on his old friends who he is paranoid will become his new enemies.

Grayson: "I'm scared for Bruce, Barbra! Ever since he took off his mask he was never the same. He wished for death. You should have seen the training he was doing last I saw him, it was something he said he learned from four monks up in these hidden mountains that is said to be so painful two out of three people die in training."

Commissioner: "God. Well the papers are right, he's one in a billion!"

Grayson: "It's not funny, Barb. He's going to die and we get left with what he drops."

Commissioner: "What do you want me to say, Dick? You and I used to help this man fight crime! Yeah we got hurt but he was our guardian, Gotham's guardian."

Grayson: "Why can't you see it the way I see it? He's like a father to me, Barb. If something happens to him I don't know what I'll do."

Commissioner: "You're not afraid of what he'll leave behind, you're afraid of him leaving you behind. Oh Richard I'm sorry."

Grayson: "The Riddler set up these containers around Gotham called trophies one year, remember? He called it the 'Olympics of Gotham' and me and Bruce went out all night cracking there codes and deciphering their riddles because they were all set to explode. We got to the last one and it was a plain green box, I went to open the door because I was young and eager and had arrived on the roof before he did. He yelled 'Dick NO!' and the door triggered a revolver inside the box and put one in my stomach. On our way back to the cave he held me in his arms and I could see for the first time fear in the great Batman. He started tearing up as Alfred plugged the round out of me and I knew then he looked at me as a son and that maybe thought I could save Gotham and he could rest."

Commissioner: "Richard."

Grayson: "I only ever asked one thing from him in my life, and that was when we went our separate ways."

Commissioner: "What did you ask him, Rich?"

Grayson: "I said…"

From the opposite building the Knight watches as he trembles with his binoculars in hand. Listening to two people who were huge parts of his life for years that brought great joy to him when he thought there was none, then he finishes Dick's sentence quietly to himself. "I never want to see you again." As Dick and Barbra hold each other Richard lets out his pain and sadness in her arms, his love, someone he thought would never enter his life. Barbra reassures him to stay strong and that she'd see him tonight, she departs. About an hour later Bruce knocks on Mayor Grayson's office door gently.

Bruce: "Got a minute?"

Grayson: "Jesus, Bruce. Of course, sit down."

Bruce shuts the door and takes his seat before his old friend, someone who light up his dark days. A son to him that he knew he could never have. In a calm pace Dick takes the voice modifier off his desk.

Bruce: "Those are in recall."

Grayson: "It doesn't work?"

Bruce: "Not recently."

Grayson: "I thought you said you'd leave private lives out of the job."

Bruce: "I did and I do. I've never spied on you or Barbra, this however is not off the books."

Grayson: "How did you know we're seeing each other? Never mind, I just asked you how you know who I am and for a man like you that was never difficult."

Bruce: "Funny."

Grayson: "So what's up? Don't tell me you need money."

Bruce: "Actually I'm usually the one who says that." (Smiles)

Grayson: "So what is it?"

Bruce: "I have a lead on something."

Grayson: "Oh does it have to do with Jacqueline Napier?"

Bruce: "Very good, boy."

Grayson: "Being engaged to a Commissioner comes with many perks, and I'm thirty three."

Bruce: "Engaged, huh? Yeah I never considered settling down."

Grayson: "I know. What the hell were you thinking the other night? You nearly got yourself killed! I saw you on fire dammit!"

Bruce: "As an old friend once said, 'I'm a resourceful son of a bitch.'"

Grayson: "Alfred?"

Bruce: "Gordon, smart ass. Besides I don't need anyone worrying about me I've trained myself for days like this."

Grayson: "Days like this? Bruce, these are the old days all over again! I mean why did we fight then if it was going to lead to this?"

Bruce: "We fought because we were required to, now we fight because we're asked to."

Grayson: "Right, so who asks you to fight?"

Bruce: "Him."

Bruce pulls a joker card out of his coat pocket and snaps it onto the Mayors desk.

Grayson: "No. How?"

Bruce: "Rule number one of investigation, learn your who's, what's, where's, when's, why's, and how's. Right now I can tell you who, when and what. Joker, the other night, and a God damn maniac."

Grayson: "Shouldn't you know the how?"

Bruce: "I have to figure out how a man escaped from an inescapable prison hundreds of feet below ground to make me chase him back to his sell which he would have to reenter and all along cover his tracks. He's good, but he is not that good."

Grayson: "So someone is helping him get in and out."

Bruce: Jack gave me a clue, he said 'Who is Macbeth's lover?'"

Grayson: "Lady Macbeth."

Bruce: "Glad to see your private school paid off. (Smiles) I checked his copy of Macbeth and inside was a picture of Harley Quinn, his lover."

Grayson: "He thinks he's Macbeth now? We're really getting to old for this, Bruce."

Bruce: "I think the bigger question is whose 'Lady Macbeth'? Do you have anything on her?"

Grayson: "Bruce if you're asking me to join your crusade I have to say no."

Bruce: "Understood."

Mayor Grayson stands up and after him follows Bruce as the shake hands, Richard walks to his door as if to escort Mr. Wayne out but locks it shut and in doing so activates a small filling cabinet that rises up from the tile floor containing all files and documentation of their gallery of killers and psychos. Dick looks through it shortly passing files of Killer Croc, Bane, Deadshot and the like finally finding Harley Quinn's file.

Grayson: "Last I heard Harley isn't the Harley we remember."

Bruce: "You've done enough for me and this city, Richard. I promise, no more."

Grayson: "Last time you said that I had a guy with a ventriloquist doll holding me hostage."

Bruce: "That was your first year, give me a break kid."

Grayson: "I'd say it's good to see you but it seems every time we meet people start dying."

Bruce: "Not this time, Dick. I'll stop this one way or the other."

Richard stares in a calm fear at his mentor who would give his life to end organized crime and the psychopaths of Gotham for peace. As Bruce walks out the now Mayor ponders whether or not he must carry the weight of being a vigilante once more, wanted by every gangster and cop in the town but reluctant to stop the fight. The price of commitment as a hero and wanted man are heavy but in the end, Bruce and Dick both know the pain of loss and that is enough to fight to protect others from it.

Outside Gotham City

The Cave

2:10am

At his computer mainframe, Bruce analyses Harley's location and recent crime activities. Looking at the folder he acquired from Dick he sees a track record of teaming with Jack in multiple robberies and hostage situations involving murder and chaos across the city, Gotham had its own Bonnie and Clyde rampage for years once the Dark Knight showed his face. However once Napier was locked up Quinn was put on trial with Harvey Dent as her defendant and was diagnosed with a psychosis that was enabled by Napier cause her to act out around the supposed love of her life.

She was sentenced eleven years in Arkham Asylum and rehabilitated after three years of good behavior and now she runs a floral business made famous by the popular Pamela Isley who used to visit old Mayan temples looking for a rare flower called the Boney Barley known by the villagers believed it had the power to restore youth. But once she came in contact with the raw flower it dug itself into her pours and would poison her skin for the rest of her life. Her life of crime in Gotham was made famous on the bodies of the politicians and government officials she hunted down and assassinated, believing they were withholding funds to third world countries she cared for and even provided a small fortune of charity to. Pamela, the rose that grew from concrete.

Bruce: "Computer, give me schematics on Quinn's apartment and workplace."

Computer: "Accessing. Blue prints for Ms. Harley Quinn's home and work environment have all been downloaded and filed into your personal record, sir."

Bruce: "I'm too old to be stalking the people of this city, but he's forcing me to. He wants me to fail and crumble under pressure. Joker wants me to kill."

Computer: "Sir, crime in progress! Eminent threat is being procured matching Jack Napier's description!"

Bruce: "Show me!"

(Bruce)

Finally, he's shown his face so I can break it. I can once and for all end this rampage and bury him in the deepest hole where he will receive no attention from the outside world. Maybe I should let the police handle him and pray to God they shoot to kill, or maybe that's too easy and what if I'm cursed to fight Joker forever? I'm so old now what if when I die he's still around to continue his rampage on my city. Whatever his plans and no matter how long he lives I must always be there to stop him, always.

Computer: "Sir, the drone has picked up the location of the possible Joker's location."

Bruce: "Where is he?"

Computer: "Red Rose floral department, south of Washington Street."

Bruce: "Keep your eyes open, Richard."

Bruce gears up into his armored bat-suit to face his nemesis, gathering all of his batarang daggers and gadgets taking no chances to face his rival, he's a gladiator ready to face certain death and tackle it to the ground with vengeance. A vengeance no one should ever know, revenge on death. From the table he grabs a small device which he aims to the ceiling of the cave and activates a giant aerial craft resembling a government issued stealth fighter. The jet lowers from a crane to a helipad by Bruce's feet. Tonight it's no hold bared, it's going to be the darkest night Gotham's seen in years. The jet is turned around and set on a launch path that shoots though a waterfall and out of the cave taking flight in mere seconds. The jets crack in the thick of Gotham's foggy city as thunder and lightning pierce the night sky.

Bruce: "Computer, by the way what's the crime?"

Computer: "Sir, your personal alarm system for the Red Rose was activated do to a break in, before being disabled, the cameras picked up and almost identical likeliness to Jack Napier and a match for a Pamela Isley."

Bruce: "Is she hurt?"

Computer: "It seems Ms. Isley was experiencing a form of distress."

Bruce: "Of course. I'm approaching Washington now. EJECT!"

The jet shoots the Dark Knight into the air as it continues its flight in auto pilot. Soaring hundreds of feet high he slowly begins his descent to Red Rose plummeting almost two hundred mile per hour Batman waves his cape upward bringing him to a nearly complete halt but still at a fast and heavy speed he crashes through the glass sun roof crumbling the wooden floorboards of the store.

Bruce: "Night Jet circle back to my location and send out some flares, I want them to know it's me."

The jet follows his orders and lights up the building as the citizens watch in a cringing fear as its dark knight has truly returned to face injustice and crime against his people he swore to protect, others are alerted such as Mayor Dick and Commissioner Barbara Gordon reminisce on the old days fighting crime with Bruce as the flares sparkle in their eyes knowing he was back but also that there was a new threat. Back in the building the Caped Crusader trudges through the room looking at all the flowers that have withered and deceased a clear indication of Jokers toxic nerve gas, a chemical so potent it shrinks the longs as the victim fights for air is overwhelmed with a suffering laughter that seems like their being hysterical when their fighting for air. Part of the reason Bruce designed his cowl with an eye shield gloss and nostril ventilator that keeps him immune from the gas as long as he keeps his mouth closed, for him that's the easy part. With the jet hovering over the building he searches for clues.

Unknown voice: (singing) "You're just too good to be true! Can't take my eyes off of you! You'd be like heaven to touch, I want to hold you so much! At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive! You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you!"

Batman notices a drawing of a smile on the floorboards he stands on but before he can react they collapse with a mild explosion beneath him. Luckily his cape has a fiber in it that tightens as air passes through it, gliding him gently down maneuvering around a bed of spikes he stands atop them with ease. His years of rigorous training by dozens of teachers he still in his old age can hone his agility to near perfection.

Batman: "You must not know me that well. You've set YOURSELF a trap! If you were one of my old nemesis's you wouldn't have opened your mouth which my Bat Ears recorded and profiled no previous history. Also if you're going to set a death trap the spikes should be taller and sharpened. As soon as I walked in I smelt cordite and gunpowder giving me the hint of a quite juvenile bomb rig. By the way I noticed you're drawing up there, the Joker is it? Stop being so damn theatrical and FACE ME!"

Then the Knight is given proof of his enemy, shown in a spotlight and tied to an electric chair his old rival Poison Ivy cries as she struggles to undue herself from certain doom. Before she became the infamous criminal of Gotham she was a scientist who teamed with Wayne Enterprise to fund and create homes for endangered species of plant life that could serve medical treatment. She and Bruce even shared a lite but happy relationship years and years ago. Now fate has brought them to this place, where they will both face trial by a man in a white suit, green hair and a transparent face mask showing the makeup of the Joker underneath.

Joker: "Bravo! Bravo! Pamela, Batman. Batman, Ms. Ivy."

Batman: "We're acquainted. You and I are not."

Joker: "Not true. Actually quite the contrary, Bats! We are most acquainted you and I. Hahaha!"

Batman: "You're not the Joker!"

Joker: "True, but what does the Joker have that you don't have? That's the question of the week Dark Knight! Because I have a plan to finally fulfill the great Joker's wishes to ruin Gotham! Permanently! Hahaha!"

Batman: "Why?"

Joker: "Why? Gee I never thought of it that way. I guess I just like blood and chaos! Hehe! Oh and that little pep talk you gave me a second ago about not knowing you. I know everything I need to know to beat you and you do NOT know everything. For instance there is a timer on this electric chair that has been counting down for some time, but before you jump to save this red headed bitch just know those spikes you're so elegantly standing on are connected to pressure plates and when the feel the weight sore into the night sky Pam here will be fired. Isn't that what you do, Bats? Leave the suffering out to die with the rest!? Hahaha!"

Batman: "How did I make you suffer?"

Joker: "All in good time, I think one of my favorite stories is how the Riddler used to play with the World's Greatest Detective's mind, so I thought I'd give it a shot."

Batman: "What does the timer say, Pam?"

Ivy: "It's counting down from five minutes! Please help me Bruce!"

Batman: "PAM!"

Joker: "Fear not Dark Knight I know who you are, why would I go through the trouble to drag this whore here and have her face death if she was just another rogue? How do you think I got Harvey?"

Batman: "I'm going to kill you!"

Joker: "Unfortunately that's not your game either. But we'll still have a fun week together, you and I! Hahaha!"

As the false Joker steadily fades into the dark he is gone in the blink of an eye. Batman unable to move watches Ivy in terror as she watches him, awaiting help she wonders if he's contemplating on saving her. Through all the people she's hurt is she redeemable even in a situation such as this?

Ivy: "Bruce…I'm sorry."

Batman: "Don't worry, we have to figure out how to get you out of here."

Ivy: "No. I'm sorry for hurting you years back, I was young and thought I could get away with little things but you can't escape the little things, can we Bruce?"

Batman: "We can't. But neither can Joker. Is there anything you know about him?"

Ivy: "I don't know who he is. I just know he kept saying that the Mommy's coming. Bruce…"

Batman: "Yes, Pam."

Ivy: "Am I going to die?"

Silence fills the air in the basement of the flower shop as dust from the broken floor boards swims through it glistening in the light above Pam. Bruce is not contemplating on if she's worth saving rather he is using is incredible knowledge of the cause and effect his gadgets will bring if he tries to alleviate the pressure plates. Due to the countless times he's saved Joker from certain death Batman has always believed he wasn't above the law and that a trial and hearing for the men and women he brought in over the years would be good for the people to think they're in control, but he never allowed anyone to die because they weren't worth conviction. No one but the Joker has tested his ultimate patience on whether or not to kill. But he always remembers his parents and how fiercely he will fight to protect that oath made years ago.

Batman: "I can save you Pam, but it will hurt."

Ivy: "Just do whatever it takes, Bruce!"

With zero hesitation he knows there is no time to waste. Batman unbuckles his grapple gun and fires it into Ivy's shoulder blade with its incredible pressure it pierces her flesh and the wooden chairs back. Pamela screams in agonizing pain while the spear tightens up and stabs into the chair creating a bind. He then assures her the pain isn't over as he pulls the trigger on the guns it winds the cord up dragging Ivy still in her chair closer to him. Soaked in blood she tries to remain calm as he defuses the chairs current.

Batman: "I had to avoid any organs or main arteries, I'm sorry but you must be calm."

Looking at the spine of the engineering it seems as though it's an antique, Batman considers it to possibly not be active or maybe even a practical prank. He turns the chair and examines the timer that has been screwed into Pam's wrist as it count's down to merely 40 seconds. He takes his utility belts bomb diffusing case out and opens the machine. As Pam cries in pain with only seconds to spare of her life Batman opens the case and unknowingly releases a laughing gas toxin, as the smoke permeates a recording of the real Jokers voice sings "You're just too good to be true." Impervious to its effects and no other options to protect his old love, Bruce covers her nose and mouth but knows the toxin will stay airborne for several minutes and her knots keeping her in the chair are to elaborate and tight to undue.

She faces certain death, and places her hand softly on Bruce's arm. He knows it's an extremely painful death and she has already suffered so much pain through the years. He strangles her with one hand covering her nose and mouth and the other wrapped around her chest to hold her still. Batman roars out a scream as he ends the life of someone he always pitied, even in a mercy killing it is against the way he's followed for so many years. When he trained in the mountains he was taught how to preserve life and how precious it is to live which gave him the strength to fight for others. He slowly releases Pam and climbs out of the basement sobbing in an utter misery of what he had done.

Batman: "Knight Jet…go home. I think I'll walk."

Outside Gotham

Outside Gotham

Batcave

5:25am

A trail of Bruce's equipment leads to his mainframe where he sits holding the grapple gun he tried saving Pamela with, covered in blood he examines the gadgets looking at its craftsmanship and wondering what he could have done different to save her. Bruce's face, filled with dried tears, looks up to the ceiling of the cave and notices one of the thousand bats looking back down at him. A small flame of rage rises as he remembers strangling Pamela and how her body jerked and reacted to her lack of oxygen keeps replaying in his mind after all he's never killed anyone before. Finally he exerts the rage letting out a frightening roar at the creatures as they awaken and panic in fear they swarm Bruce flying around him disoriented by him screaming, some bite others scream a deafening screech that can't be overpowered by Bruce.

Bruce: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! I HATE YOU! YOU COULDN'T SAVE HER COULD YOU! YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY STRENGTH! SHE DIED IN MY HANDS BECAUSE OF YOU! You bastards…!"

In crippling pain he collapses to the ground while being awakened as himself when he was a boy in his parent's garden. Young Bruce rises with dirt stains on his knees and the summer sun shining warm and a comforting a cool breeze blows his thin hair past his forehead, Bruce is reliving a memory long suppressed in his mind to make him more unforgiving and ruthless. Looking to his father's mansion it looks almost brand new shining in the sun you can almost see every crease and crevasse in each brick supporting the building, it's a beautiful sight Bruce remember like the back of his hand. In an unknown location he hears his mother call him for lunch, he runs to the staircase leading to his mother's call just hoping to see her once again, Bruce's almost forgotten what she looks like, suddenly the ground gives way as he stops waiting to be consumed by the inevitable fall to the bottom of a deep dark well he would never leave. Hours upon hours pass as he lays in a puddle knee deep with a broken wrist and ankle he tries to get up but cries in pain.

Hearing on the surface his parents and other relatives calling for him he identifies his mother's sobbing voice trying to find her lost son as they walk past the small hole they look everywhere but where little Bruce is as he tries yelling but his chest restrains him as it tightens due to the impact. Then out of a small hole at the bottom of the well crawls out an adult brown bat, it hangs on the rocky surface looking upward at Bruce who is absolutely terrified thinking it was intending to attack or kill its prey. Bruce is unable to move his body in the small space of the well away from the bat but every time he moves it's too painful, he's helpless. The bat releases itself from the stone and plops down onto his knee above the surface of the water, using its tiny hooks and feet the bat continues climbing up his leg and rests on Bruce's shirt looking up at him with its tiny black eyes it screeches. Bruce tries to look away but the creature stays put gazing upon his face. Bruce: "I'm scared, please don't hurt me." The bat expresses a face Bruce would remember for the rest of his life, something that could never be discovered in a life time, the creature showed empathy to Bruce.

Soaring to the top of the well the bat clapped its wings and circled the hole above the well chirping and screaming it was so loud the search party including Martha and Thomas Wayne look to the bat finding Bruce and reassuring him they'd get him out soon. Suddenly he awakens back in the cave, the fury beasts have calmed themselves as they rest on his computer screens and vehicles throughout the cave. Bruce slowly lays on his back looking into the ceiling which casts a darkness that seems almost infinite and from that darkness an adult brown bat glides down from the top straight down to Bruce's chest. The creature stares at him looking directly into his eyes identifying him, the other bats almost seem to chant with their chirps echoing throughout the cave. Bruce: "I remember."

Gotham City

Grayson's Apartment

6:05am

Lying in bed together, face to face, Richard and Barbara stare into each other's eyes deeply in love they smile each time one blinks. Richard's apartment overlooks the city in a view that would awe even the wealthiest of the world. After years now of peace it's less dark at night, with the Grayson act the pollution has dropped significantly since he took office. The smog and must of the busted warehouses producing illegal drugs to the chemical waste of the now abandoned Axis Chemicals, the city shines at night and in so many ways it was due to Grayson and Gordon's relationship.

However on rare occasion the two team up to identify and dismantle any night crimes that may damage their city long term. The once young Robin learned all of his fighting styles and approach to fighting crime through the Batman and the two changed Gotham at an early time when it was so hard to make a difference, young Barbara Gordon was even known to team with the duo under a mask known as Batwoman, disregarding her age of seventeen she always strived to be identified as a woman capable of anything, and their relationship grew. Now the duo have made many other achievements without masks, but the mask never comes off once you put it on in the Bat Family.

Barbara: "Why don't you go see him?"

Richard: "Who, Bruce? He doesn't want to see me, you know him just as well as I do, he likes to do things alone."

Barbara: "It must be hard for him with all that weight on his shoulders."

Richard: "He can take it, that's all he knows."

Gordon's pager starts vibrating…

Richard: "What's wrong?"

Barbara: "Pamela Isley was found dead in her old flower shop. Signs of the Joker were spotted throughout the building."

Richard: "Oh great, not another goddamn copycat."

Barbara: "Rich, I'm going to ask you something and I don't want you to get upset."

Richard: "You think its Bruce."

Barbara: "I know it sounds crazy but I know he had a relationship with Pam years ago."

Richard: "Everything about Wayne 'sounds crazy' but he would never…"

Barbara: "What…?"

Richard: "The other day he came to me asking about his old enemies."

Barbara: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Richard: "You want to suit up?"

Barbara: "Well it'll still be dark out for another hour or so."

Richard: (Smirks) "Computer, on!"

All of a sudden Grayson's room transforms from a high class apartment bedroom to a high tech office of investigation and monitoring as computers rise from inside his work desk and several shelves appear from inside the walls containing medical equipment and a variety of nonlethal gadgets used for gaining the upper hand on the less sophisticated and clumsy. The mattress separates sending Richard to the right side of the room and Barbara to the other as his new and highly improved suit comes up from the floorboards in between them. It's almost virtually identical to Bruce's armor Grayson's is much more elaborate in performance.

With an all-black matte design and armor convenient enough to stop a passing bullet but fitted so the wearer can have greater mobility it is a high-tech piece of equipment with a cloaking device, Taser knuckles, steel toed boots, magnetic system, underarm retractable wings and a weapon jammer developed by Wayne industries. Topping it off is a dark blue bird on the center of the chest that can be activated as a UV light source for crime scene investigation. His identity is however less concealed on account of him fighting crime very sparsely Richard uses his old Robin mask which is a basic all black bandanna tied around his head similar to Zorro's mask which both him and Bruce shared a strong passion for. Barbara is a little less equipped but equally effective strapping on her flak jacket and badge arming her .9mm.

Nightwing: "Ready to move?"

Starting his black crotch rocket motorcycle in the apartment garage Nightwing leads the way as Barbara follows in her red mustang as the two engines roar through the city streets tearing up the silence of the city morning and night time curfew that started a few years back they both know it's still illegal to work with a vigilante or aid a criminal. Gotham takes masked people much more seriously in present times with headlines always highlighting Richard as a brutal inhumane crime fighter, breaking bones and even putting a few people in comas comparing him to the much more unrelenting hero of Gotham the Dark Knight is what the city started referring Batman as in his later years condemning him a 'man who doesn't give law a chance' once he had cleaned the city of most of its organized crime they lost respect for him, what little they had. Making it nearly impossible for Richard/Nightwing to make a positive impression on the unforgiving city.

Too many people have died at the hands of its criminal organizations and more often psychopaths who tried to match the Batman in symbolism and create identities that made them feel like they had a place in the world. Gotham remembers the graves but they look past the crusade. Now with Gotham P.D. equipped with the means to shut down any and all crimes it is irrelevant to take to the skies and city rooftops anymore, but something is wrong, and Wayne, Barbara and Richard know it. Has the once strong and truthful Caped Crusader finally turned on himself and the people he swore to protect? Or is there more mystery and darkness to follow them to the end of all good things? Coming up to the building the two arrive at the location. Nightwing looks upon the building, dark and foreboding, as they cross the police line.

Lieutenant: "Commissioner what's he…?"

Barbara: "Lieutenant! File a report! He led me here so he's going to help me catch whoever did this. Got it?"

The two enter the flower store as the reserve officers hold back…

Nightwing: "Lights."

Grayson's chest plate activates the UV light to examine the interior as Barbara knocks her old worn out flashlight on her hip.

Nightwing: "There! Signs of distress in the floor boards."

Barbara: "Just say hole in the ground, Dick."

Nightwing: "I'm just going to ignore you said that."

Barbara: "It's a death trap. See the spikes, and there's Pam. It looks like a torture device I'm going to call it in…"

Nightwing: "Wait!"

Nightwing slowly hangs off the edge of the hole and jumps down avoiding the pressure spikes. His light shines on the now deceased Pamela Isley whose lips are pulled back in a reaction to the Joker's laughing gas. He examines her wrist with the metal container and watch booby-trap that was bolted through her arm and the hole through her shoulder caused by a grapple gun.

Barbara: "Anything?"

Nightwing: "It's torture alright. But not for her, for our mutual friend."

Barbara: "I'm coming down."

Nightwing: "No! Those spikes are pressure plates, I'm not sure if their active or not but I won't have you risk it."

Barbara: "Well someone has to get down there besides you to investigate."

Nightwing: "No one can. The ceiling is cemented post production of this building. Whoever did this made it impossible to locate this place unless you stood somewhere specific. I noticed the boards down here have the Joker's face painted on them. He wouldn't make that mistake."

Barbara: "Who, Wing?"

Nightwing: "This was a torture device for Batman. He analyzed it all, he stepped right where he was supposed to intentionally. Joker made him kill Pam."

Barbara: "He wouldn't."

Nightwing: "He would, given no other choice or way out. It was a mercy killing. But there's a stitch on her chest…"

Barbara: "Murder by another name, I'm calling an APB on him! Lieutenant! Come in Lieutenant!"

Suddenly gun shots parade the police cars and officials by the second turning the outside of the building into a warzone. Barbara runs out as Nightwing screams for her to wait, he uses his grapple gun, ejecting himself out of the basement then remembers the stitch he found on Pam's chest, from the inside of her belly a small flame ignites her entire body burning the evidence the flames incinerate the once beautiful Isley. Grayson wishes he had time to put out the flames and analyze what he could but outside the shop are more pressing matters, Nightwing identifies the shots as .50 caliber semi auto sniper turrets, he knows how fast it takes to fire a round and re-chamber and that it's impossible to shoot it that quickly. Barbara takes cover beside the front door of the flower shop trying to spot the shooter, her and Richard both notice four mounted .50 caliber rifles auto targeting the outside S.W.A.T and policeman. Nightwing: "Deadshot! Follow me!" As Richard uses four weapon disabling devices to disarm the turrets. A mile off in the distance the lone gunman Deadshot uses a state of the art camera to navigate the four turrets from a secluded area as he picks off one by one Gotham's finest.

He's outfitted with two mechanical arms each that can fire rounds similar to a Gatling gun the inside wrist rotates to create a spinning motion that ejects the round at an almost impossibly fast rate. His right eye was taken in battle when he fought in the war years ago, he was given a new one by Amanda Waller who recruited him for the Suicide Squad years before Batman started. The eye can zoom in on a shot miles of and has the accuracy to decapitate. Deadshot giggles as he fires from afar using the analogs on his camera, it's his hobby, and it's his favorite thing to do. All of a sudden a gun cocks itself from behind the psycho shooter. It's a man wearing all black militarized gear, a flak jacket, and equipped with six different firearm and two knives on his back big enough to rival Rambo's. His identity is concealed by a thick crimson red shell with two white eyes beaming down on his captor.

Red Hood: "Knives are more fun, prick!"

Deadshot: "Ah. So you're the pansy ass kid who's been stirring things up for my boys down in Bludhaven, huh?"

Red Hood: "I relocated. Those boys you're talking about, they all screamed they worked for you when I took their lives."

Deadshot: "Well you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs, huh kid?"

Red Hood: "Call me a kid again and I'll make this take a lot longer."

Deadshot: "Okay, Jason! I'm going to have fun with this, you get to use whatever weapon you have, vs. my two arms!"

Red Hood: "That's what I like about you Deadshot, always letting your foes choose their weapon before shooting them in the back."

The Red Hood turns his back to Deadshot and puts his hands up on his head as if to surrender to a cop. Slowly he pulls one of his knives out of his sheathe as Deadshot's wrists turn inside out ready to fire. He then connects a long chamber filled with bullets from his waist to each arm loading them both. They each countdown to commence the duel as they reach one Nightwing grapples to the top of the opposite building and the bullets from Deadshot start firing. Red Hood dives to his left behind a vent as the bullets tear the metal apart he has no option but to keep moving to the roof exit door for better cover but he needs a distraction from the hail of bullets. Rolling out of cover Red Hood throws his knife to Deadshot implanting it into his leg. Deadshot screams and stops firing as Red Hood unsheathes his second knife and one of his pistols.

Red Hood: "I'll ask you once, WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?"

Deadshot: "If you think you have the upper hand for negotiations YOU'RE MISTAKEN!"

The shots continue to empty into Red Hood's barricade as Deadshot moves slightly to the side to pin the Hood once and for all, Red Hood fires off several rounds to distract Deadshot which fails however he notices his movement by using an old military technique of a reflective mirror he takes out of his pocket but one of the bullets shatters it to bits. Now Deadshot has Red Hood in his sights and seizes firing due to reloading. Deadshot: "Now you're dead kid!" before he can get out another line Nightwing's grapple pierces both Deadshot's mechanical arms and pulls them to his direction for close quarters. Richard cracks Lawton's face with his Taser knuckle and knees him in the belly forcing whatever food he had in his stomach out of his mouth, now Floyd is completely unable to fight back.

Nightwing: "You can come out! It's safe."

Red Hood: "You can imagine how many times I've heard that and been shot or stabbed."

Nightwing: "Well I'm no gun tooter, and mom told me not to play with knives."

Still cautious the Hood comes out of his completely shot up cover that would have only held for mere seconds more before crumbling and exposing him to certain death, he aims his nearly empty pistol at Grayson who is plenty used to it. Red Hood: "I had him." He claims switching his aim to the beaten down Deadshot. Nightwing: "Yeah, you were great." The Red Hood reveals an explosive underneath Lawton blinking red.

Red Hood: "No. I had him. What's to stop me from taking you both down?"

Nightwing: "You ever kill a man?"

Red Hood: "Not nearly enough."

Nightwing: "Then you learn nothing."

Red Hood: "He's equipped with new tech, he's funded by someone with money. So now I go after whoever makes money."

Nightwing: "That's how you work? Killing gets you right back where you started."

Red Hood: "Then how would you go about it? This isn't a game bird guy! Its survival, and I'm at the top of the food chain!"

Nightwing: "Watch and learn, pal."

Richard takes a transparent sticker out of his pocket and places it on Deadshot's neck. It reveals his heartbeat is steady and he's alive but unconscious as Nightwing wakes him up from his slumber the heartbeat stays steady even though he knows it's the end of the line he's been here all too many times before.

Deadshot: "What the piss do you want now?"

Nightwing: "Tell us why."

Deadshot: "What's the magic word…?"

Red Hood: "Screw this, I'll kill him!"

Nightwing: "No! Wait! Is it Joker?"

Deadshot: (Laughs) "Ah you kids got no idea what you're getting yourselves into."

Nightwing: "Enlighten us then!"

Deadshot: The message is for you, Robin and you alone! (Whispers) Sins of the father."

Nightwing notices the Hood is gone and the bomb under both him and Deadshot begins beeping, he quickly throws Floyd off the roof along with himself as the bomb blows he lets Deadshot take the fall onto a news truck breaking several bones in his body as Nightwing releases his wings gliding him past the police and Barbara who escaped the gun fire detain the now crippled assassin. Richard wonders if the Red Hood is really the Joker, he did once use that alias before he became the Joker but he seems younger and less insane. Did the Joker and Quinn ever conceive a child, and if so, what is their goal?

That following night…

Gotham City

The Slums

2:00am

A desperate half creature half man criminal, named Waylon Jones runs down the hallway of his apartment in sheer terror locking himself into his apartment room. Waylon Jones was abandoned as a child to a circus because of his rare skin condition known as Harlequin Iychthynosis, which turns an infant's skin inside out, while turning grey through the years his skin made Jones accustomed to dark and damp places such as sewers. He developed a sideshow name Gotham's Croc, after massacring the allegedly abusive circus owner, Gotham gave him a new name, the Killer Croc. Living in his harsh environment always chased by police and people sickened by the look of him Croc grew twice as strong and fast as the average man and fitted himself a makeshift razor blade jaw to look even more menacing and kill when he deemed necessary. Now trying hard to catch his breath, James slowly looks through the key hole of the room to see if his pursuer is still on his tail.

The slums of Gotham offer little accommodation to the poor and needy, in fact long ago the slums were used to expend certain citizens of the city who couldn't pay their bills or worse became addicted to a drug. When Bruce's father started funding multiple hospitals, orphanages, schools, and police departments there was always someone making money and rising to power. These entrepreneurs gained reputations for back stabbing and tax fraud which led to the slums, which gave men power over life, thus creating the cities organized mob. Something that took the Batman years to dismantle and overcome was never going to be easy, by like a reptile's severed tail when you cut one off, another grows back. Croc backs away from the door and bumps into the Batman's chest.

Croc: "What Bat want from CROC?!"

Batman: "Jones, I'm looking for the Joker. Do you know where he is?"

Croc: (Grunts) "Waylon Jones died. Now only me Killer Croc!"

Batman: "We all lose ourselves, Jones. I'll help you find your family if you help me find Joker."

All of a sudden Croc's ferocious demeanor starts to calm, the last time he thought about his parents was when he was a little boy crying in the dark and lonely sewers. Slowly he takes a picture from his pocket, it's warn and stained green due to the wretched smell and atmosphere of the sewer, It's a picture of the Jones's. Looking at them smiling together can almost bring a tear to his eye, but the sewer flashbacks come back in a time where it would be unwise to run into Croc, he cursed the city and promised blood to be spilt. As the rage builds in him he knows now there is no going back to his family, the ones who abandoned him leaving him for dead. Killer Croc: "No Batman. I bring you to YOUR parents!" The words almost tear Bruce in two, how could Croc know his identity? Croc was never anything more than one of the thousand lost souls of Gotham, they've rarely ever spoken before, the reason marginally being Croc is no talker.

Batman learns that first hand as Croc lunges atop him biting him in the shoulder blade with his razor teeth he nearly tears the Dark Knight's meat from bone piercing the armor. Batman: "GAHHHHHHHHH!" Thinking quickly he takes a small capsule from his belt and quickly shakes it. Shoving the pill into Crocs mouth it creates a combustion freezing his metallic jaw shut as Batman stands in desperate need of healing. Suddenly crashing through the window of the room is Nightwing, he roundhouse kicks Croc across the face, almost dislocating his neck. Batman: "You shouldn't have." Nightwing: "Oh please, Bruce be grateful for once!" Shaking his head Croc breaks the now shattered ice that was keeping his mouth sealed. Batman: "No. I mean you shouldn't have!" Killer Croc tries grappling Nightwing but rushes to soon as the agile Grayson leaps over his head and stands side by side with his old mentor who is healing himself with a plant vine that instinctively binds his gash back together like an organic stitch.

Nightwing: "Did that belong to Ivy?"

Batman: "Lots of things I have belonged to my enemies, mostly scars."

Nightwing: "Can you through a punch?"

Batman: "Better than you, kid!"

Running into Croc with a right hook, Batman crushes his cheekbone with a pair of iron knuckles.

Nightwing: "Hey, that's contraband!"

Batman: "It's working! Now help me!"

The two side by side through a fury of punches and kicks that could easily break bricks. They can't throw punches on Croc, he's too durable and built it takes everything they can throw at him and then some. As Croc tries to crush Batman's face with his jaws, Nightwing fires the grapple into his back and connects it to the ceiling sending Killer Croc at a speed of 40mph he crushes his skull several times to end the fight. Batman: "We need him to talk." Grayson continues to hold the wire in place as the World's Greatest Detective asks for answers.

Batman: "Croc, how do you know who I am?"

Croc: "Croc…hurt."

Batman: "I'll call an ambulance, just answer my question. Who told you?"

Croc: "Laughing man…"

Nightwing: "The Joker?"

Croc: "Joker…"

Batman: "Dick, call 911. Tell them to bring a S.W.A.T unit."

Nightwing gently releases Jones from the cable and rests him on his couch. Hearing the sirens the once Dynamic Duo climb their way out of the window and repel themselves to another rooftop looking down at Croc's apartment. Batman removes his mask to air out his sweaty grey hair and massages his shoulder.

Nightwing: "Bruce. Barbara and I found Isley. I'm sorry."

Batman: (Sits down) "You must have a million questions. Well detective, ask away."

Nightwing: "What happened?"

Batman: "A little to forward. You should…"

Nightwing: "Always ask the 'What' first I remember. Was it you?"

Batman: "I was looking for him all these years and I didn't even realize it sometimes. But the man I found in that basement was not the Joker. He made me kill, Pam."

Nightwing: "How?"

Batman: "The laughing gas was activated on her wrist, I thought it was a bomb because I could smell cordite in the air, it released the gas and I stopped her from breathing."

Nightwing: "After you left, Barbara and I went to the scene. He put a bomb inside of Pam and it incinerated the entire basement. Why is the Joker hiding like this? We know his identity! But if it's not him who the hell would think of this!"

Batman: "It's not Joker. Something sinister is coming to Gotham soon and this man knows everything about it, and he's laughing at us because he's two steps…Oh my God."

Nightwing: "What is it?"

Nightwing tries to counsel his friend but something has just spiked in the Dark Knights mind. He pulls his mask over his face and prepares to cast himself off the building. Nightwing: "I ran into Deadshot and somebody wearing a red helmet. Deadshot said Joker told him it was the 'Sins of the father' what did he mean by that, Bruce?" Batman: "Something terrible. I'll keep in touch. Sorry to pull you into this all over again, Rich. I wanted you to leave all of this, to do something I never could…" Nightwing: "What…?" Batman: "Forget." Batman leaps off the rooftop gliding over the city streets cascading a shadow over the buildings and roads below he almost feels like he's come back full circle to who he was all those years ago. The pain and thought his parents always wanted something peaceful and true for him tears his heart in two knowing he can never go back for another life, the thought that this is it. He thinks about all the enemies and friends he made over the years and the passing of his longtime friend Alfred Pennyworth that broke him completely. But the mourning is over, it's time for answers and Bruce thinks he knows the answer to a horrible truth.

Gotham City

Arkham Asylum

6:15am

The taxi pulls up to the Asylum with Bruce and his personally/unofficially hired cab driver. Bruce steps out of the cab adjusting his healed but still aching shoulder from last night's rumble with Croc. Still maintaining his billionaire alter ego Bruce always had the looks and charm, even though his body looks like a war veteran who's served more times than he could count. He empties two fresh hundred dollar bills from his pockets and hands them to his cabby with a soft smile.

Driver: "You know, Mr. Wayne you should by a wallet if you're going to carry money like this around. A lot of crazy people still out there that would kill to have what you have."

Bruce: (Smiles) "They can try."

Driver: "You know I'd hate to sound like a 'two bit cab driving philosopher' but an old friend told me something once I'll never forget."

Bruce: "What's that?"

Driver: "Don't take what you can't give back."

The driver holds his hand out of the window with the money still intact giving it back to Bruce.

Driver: "I think you've done enough for this city Mr. Wayne and giving an old, honest, beat up cabby like me more than I make in a week is something I must decline. I think you've got something dark looming over you that won't let go, and I'd hate to see you get hurt the same way your father did. I won't sit here and preach but whatever it is, end it, because sure enough it will end you, son."

Bruce: "Thank you. But I haven't given everything, yet. Goodbye…I don't think I ever got your name."

Driver: "Just call me Fox."

Due to his old age and slight dementia Bruce even forgets the name of one of his old friends and allies, Lucius Fox the lead director of Wayne Enterprises Applied Science division who built and had designed dozens of Bruce's gadget's he's used over the years. Lucius slowly drives off as Wayne starts to recall his face in quick flashes. Bruce: "Wait…! WAIT! Lucius, please!" Limping with his cane and trying to catch up to the cab, Fox eyes him in his mirror but continues to drive off in tears knowing that it would have to be the last time Bruce saw him. The old friend he was referring to was Bruce's father Thomas that also helped rekindle Wayne's memory because it was something he told everyone. Bruce can't pursue old friends now, anyone he brings into this mess could be in danger. Right now he needs answers to hopefully prevent a city wide pandemic, because if the Jokers involved its cause for multiple deaths.

Heading into Arkham for what could be the last time Bruce walks past Harley Quinn's cell and notices it's empty. Bruce: "Excuse me, Dr. Lin. But what happened to the person who was in this cell?" Dr. Lin: "Who, Harley? She was released earlier today after years of good behavior." Bruce: "Not a word, impressive." Dr. Lin: "Yeah, on occasion she'd laugh maniacally but other than that she was very organized a proper." Bumping shoulders with a young male trainee Bruce grunts in pain feeling the effects of Croc's handiwork, expecting a reply the man keeps walking but turns his head to smile slightly back at Bruce. Joker: "Mrs. Lin, the Doctor is in the house!" Turning around the crazed trainee reveals an aimed revolver and shoots Dr. Lin in the chest as she falls into Bruce's arms. Joker: "Ahahahaha!" Quickly Wayne checks her pulse and sees she's deceased so he feels little regret using her to protect him from the next two shots that helps him close in on his nemesis. He disarms Joker by breaking his forearm and smashes his head into the ceramic wall as Arkham goes on lockdown. He cuffs the menace to a door handle and examines his facial features. Bruce: "I've analyzed Joker's face to dead accuracy so that if he ever wound up dead I could identify him. You're not the face I'm looking for! Where is Joker?" Joker: "He's in here, with us."

Bruce nearly forgets about the man in Cell Block Zero and never had the chance to examine his face because of the mandatory mask he had to wear 24/7. He knocks out the impostor with one strong punch to the head and makes his way to the end of the hall leading to the Cell Block Zero elevator, hoping and praying this isn't as elaborate as it's turning out to be. The numbers stop counting at ground level and the 'ping' from the doors shoots adrenaline through Bruce's old body reminding him who he's about to meet. The green eyes opposite of the room stare back into Bruce's and he knows now it's somebody else. Without hesitation he marches over to the Guillotine and pries it open with a miniature blow torch and lock pick, then he removes the mask. A face stares back at him, but it's not the Joker, it almost seems more terrifying because it expresses a smile of knowledge, showing Bruce it isn't who he thinks it is.

Joker: "Remember me, BATS?"

Bruce: "Harley Quinn?"

Quinn: "Oh sure it took years of surgery and blood transfusion and a sex change. But having your own son work the day shift to pull you in and out is priceless!"

Bruce: "That's your son? That means the real Joker's been pretending to be you all these years? Jesus, Harley what have they done to you?"

Quinn: "We had two sons, one took after the father and the other took after me. A son after my own vengeful heart. I'm born again, as some say, I am the Mother of Gotham and my husband and sons are my legacy! But you know all about legacy don't you, Guano Man! Remember all those years ago when you let Jack fall off of that balcony? That was something of my plan, I practically set the whole thing up so you would be running in circles like a deaf and blind dog! I made you chase ghosts!"

Bruce: "Why?"

Quinn: "Why? WHY!? Because of your legacy! We figured out early who you were, the guy that iced your mommy and daddy was tied to Black Masks syndicate. Your father just like you made demons from this city, even with the right intentions you both stepped on the little guy, the less fortunate. Jack and I were in the slums together and couldn't find work or the slight conscience of hope. One night I came home and had been violated and boy Mr. J was furious. I told him the men who did it were Oswald Cobblepot and Roman Sionis, who honestly had nothing to do with it, well actually they had everything to do with everything! Oswald's family was made rich after your father funded the Cobblepot foundation, he couldn't get his own hands dirty so he had Penguin use his henchmen to take out various board members who opposed his wishes to make Gotham 'a better place' and Roman well let's just say Jack and I worked for him here and there torturing an mauling various customers that owed him money, but we got selfish, Mr. J and I borrowed some of the money we were supposed to give to Roman, then you came along in your fancy cape with your toys and cars to change Gotham! But you so failed the people, Bruce. Isn't it funny, the sins of the father?"

Bruce: "You still haven't answered my one question."

Quinn: "Oh and what's that, Orphan?"

Bruce: "Stop me if you think you've heard this one before…?"

Bruce covers his mouth and nostrils with his handkerchief as he shoves a distilled capsule of Joker's laughing gas into the back of Quinn's throat. Bruce: "Its Joker's laughing toxin that I engineered to perfection so it doesn't have the same lethal potency, but you'll be laughing hysterically and uncontrollably for the rest of your life. I was saving it for him, but he isn't going to have the last laugh." Bruce retreats into the elevator as the doors close he watches a broken soul truly break forever. One thing that has separated him from his enemies all these years is the fact that he doesn't share equal means of torture they use on the innocent, and that he can never kill. However times are changing and as long as he stays the same he'll never win, he'll never end this once and for all. He still can't get over the fact that his father used the Cobblepot's crime syndicate to wipe out members of the Wayne board. Bruce contemplates his father's deeds and the more he thinks on them the more they come to life, he's always believed his father was 100% good and true but he was the same kind of crime boss Bruce's been fighting all these years, the elevator door opens revealing chaos, he looks around concealing his identity with his cloth around his mouth and tied to the back of his head.

Arkham belongs to the psychos as they roam the building running straight into gunfire but ultimately overwhelming the police and guards in the building. Bruce makes his way to the now empty handcuffs that held Joker's son by fighting the inmates and breaking several of their bones to stop them from moving including knee caps, dislocated hips, and broken feet. He's almost conducting an orchestra as he heads directly towards the bloody cuffs throwing the psychos around like weightless punching bags. Bruce wipes the blood off of the cuffs onto his finger and makes a crude Joker face on the wall and begins punching it as the ceramic splinters and cracks he zones out imagining its Joker he's fighting and his knuckles begin bleeding. Bruce: "I…will…STOP THIS!" His last punches of anger leave the wall bear, standing before the wall he looks down and sees written very finely in blood…

"Wayne Tower, come alone or Gotham will suffer!"

-Mr. J

Now with all the mystery unveiled and his mind cleared Bruce trudges to the exit while police swarm in past him he knows it's all on him, every man's family, every child must be protected one last time. With all of the weight for once in his life slowly lifting off of his shoulders he feels a vibration in his pocket, it's a clock revealing how much time he has to live due to the aggressive cancer spread in his body soon he'll reach a point where he can barely walk. Bruce: "My kind of night." Pulling up in front of the occupied asylum is Barbara Gordon in her red mustang. Barbara: "Need a ride?" Bruce enters the car without hesitation to inform his late friend's daughter of the doom that will follow tonight.

Bruce: "As soon as your men clear out Arkham you need to pull them back. Wayne Enterprises has been breached by the Joker, I want you to set up snipers at the bank opposite the tower to occupy the 30th-40th floors. But before you do any of that…"

Barbara: "You want me to tell Dick."

Bruce: "Yes. You know I'm not so sure the saying should be 'like father like son' what about a father's daughter?"

Barbara: "You ever think Bruce that Gotham has too many sons?"

Bruce: "Recently."

The car speeds towards Wayne Tower as the sun shines over Gotham for what could be the last time. Bruce knows that whatever the Joker has planned it's going to get messy and the body count is always high on his radar. Repetitiously Bruce checks his monitor on his phone as the hours count down and he can feel it in his body a burning that's attacking his organs, there isn't time to say what has to be said. Barbara: "Bruce, why do you keep on checking that damn phone?" Bruce: "I need another favor Barbara. I have cancer and I need you to not tell Richard I died like this." Barbara: "Oh my God! How far along is it?" Bruce: "Far. No remember he can't know that cancer was the thing that killed me." Barbara: "Bruce, what are you trying to tell me?" Bruce: "He has to believe the Joker killed me so he won't feel sorry." Barbara: "Sorry for what?" Bruce: "I lied to a boy when I didn't have to and I'm learning now more than ever the truth sometimes is too heavy and UN-cheerful. I told him only my enemies could kill me, well this cancer is no enemy in fact I synthesized a temporary antidote that could give me approximately eight years more but I had it sent to the Gotham Hospital. I never got to say goodbye to my parents, and I think it could do some good even when you know death is eminent, it's always after us and I want to spare him that truth. Even if it's for one night when all good things could come to an end."

Bruce requests she stop the car at a garage two miles from Wayne Enterprises. Barbara knows now what to do for Bruce and especially for her lover, Richard. She peels out and calls in a tactical sniper unit to report to the City Bank just as Bruce instructed. Bruce enters an empty garage unit and slams the door shut while a scanner analyzes and confirms his identity. The floor begins descending as a second one takes its place to avoid suspicion in the off chance the door is breached, the elevator stops and reveals all of Bruce's gear and some things never tested that remain in prototype stage. It's early in the day yet, however he suits up nonetheless in his armor and starts up the Batbike. Nothing amps Bruce up like the idea of a night out with his enemies, he almost loves the thought which drives him enough to stay seated on the bike awaiting nightfall.

Gotham City

The City Bank

7:01pm

Barbara stations her snipers all across the rooftop and tells them to fix their sights on floors 30-40 as they ready themselves as they chamber their rounds. Barbara: "Okay, you know the shots! Joker is no citizen of our city or anyone else's so if you see him take his head off! If you see hostages hold fire, if not take down any man holding a gun! Also…" Sniper #11: "Commissioner! I got something on floor 37!" Barbara equips herself with a standby rifle and scopes out the window. Its Nightwing zip lining into the building from out of nowhere, watching in amazement they hear a roaring engine coming from the other end of the street but behind the sound of the bike is a repeated beeping. As the officers watch in awe Batman approaches Wayne Enterprises with a horde of brown bats tailing him covering the streets in darkness.

Before nearly crashing directly into the building the Dark Knights bike morphs itself into a mechanized Batsuit giving him a boost in midair with the ability to climb to the 37th floor. Two .50 caliber grapple guns fire from his back at the concrete gaps in between the floors giving him leverage to climb with his excessive weight. The snipers watch with their jaws dropped knowing who not to fire at some even cheer their names knowing the game has changed. The snipers try to pick off the thugs inside the building but their rifles are all jammed. Barbara picks two of them up to see what's wrong with them as she realizes they were given prop weapons. Barbara knows Bruce is against killing and knows he did it to keep the police out of his way, trying to prevent anyone from dying tonight. Barbara: "Stubborn bastard."

Finally reaching the floor, Batman props himself up as the gears wind and squeal adjusting to his movement. He sees through walls and distances greater than the average 20/20 vision with his helmet identifying targets coming up stairs and which of them have firearms. Nightwing has already dispatched dozens of the armed thugs and psychos recruited over time by Joker's son. While squaring off against two giant sized gang members Nightwing fails to realize three pursuing gunmen on the opposite side of the room who are shocked by Batman's ginormous appearance, as they take aim at Grayson, Batman loads his rubber bullet gauntlets and proceeds firing rounds into the armed thugs dismaying them from firing off one shot.

Batman walks over to Nightwing who is now being choked up against the wall while the Dark Knight clubs them both in the head with his metallic knuckles knocking them completely out. Nightwing: "Thanks, I needed that!" Batman: "Don't mention it." Suddenly a bomb detonates as Batman tries catching Nightwing from falling, he drops a level below and is introduced for the first time to one of the Joker's sons. Batman: "Hang on, Richard! I'm coming!" suddenly two rounds from a high powered rifle blast into Batman's mechanized armor. Deadshot: "Oh no you're not! You're staying right there." Deadshot looms over the Caped Crusader who's trying to get his suit to respond to movement but has been dismantled.

Joker: "Oh it's you. I'd prefer the Batman but his 'a little old to be playing dress up' squire will do just fine!" Nightwing darts several razor sharp batarangs into Jokers torso and kicks his chest sending Joker through a door into the next room. Nightwing: "He and I are a little different, I'm less clean." Up on the floor above Deadshot uses his mechanical hands to pry the Batman out of his suit which was a mistake for Floyd since now he's really in a state of rage, the Dark Knight sends a straight punch into Deadshot's face breaking his nose on impact. He follows up with several elbow and knee hits slowly crippling Floyd he decides up close and personal is a bad choice when facing the Knight. Instantly four .50 caliber turrets reveal themselves in the office as Deadshot steps back using his remote controlled targeting system, the shots fire loudly and rapidly knocking down walls and shattering windows. Batman makes a dive behind a desk and moves through the shadows trying to turn the odds in his favor knowing that this is a game Floyd doesn't know, stealth. Batman: "You want to know the most important thing about being a gunman?"

Deadshot begins to panic firing of random shots at various desks hoping to find his target with his mechanical eye looking for signs of heat. Suddenly he's startled as Batman slowly begins choking him out from behind with his bone crushing arms. Batman: "Always watch you're six!" The now unconscious gunman falls to the floor as Batman breaks Deadshot's remote with his knee. Then a laugh is heard throughout the city, a broken scratch chuckle that could almost make one nauseous, it's the real Joker and he's on the rooftop of Wayne tower waiting for his beloved rival. Batman takes a running start and dives out of the window to fire his grapple gun to the top of the building without going through anymore of Joker's hired thugs, this one is personal. Below Nightwing and Joker's son continue fighting, but with Grayson's long time training and disciplined mind he counters and delivers fierce body shots to his enemy. Now bloodied and beaten to a pulp, the Joker stands before one of the many windows in the office and looks at a news helicopter reporting the scene.

Joker: "My mother never hugged me…do you think that's why I'm crazy?" Nightwing: "I think you need help, and unlike some people in this city, you can be granted it." Joker: "But…that would be no fun!" Joker turns with a pistol aimed at Nightwing but before he can get off a shot, two bullets hit him first. Then out of the shadows stands the Red Hood, Jason Napier, revealing his scared face to his brother. Red Hood: "Remember what you said, Jack? 'This won't hurt'." A third shot hits the Joker's son in his belly and sends him out of the window that became weakened by the bullets. Nightwing: "NO! You killed him, we had a deal! You said you wouldn't kill anyone, that you'd just disable the cop's rifles!" Red Hood: "Go look." Nightwing keeps his eye on the Hood as he approaches the edge of the window with his long black hair being blown back by the propellers of the news helicopter as he looks down he sees a trail of blood leading into an alley and no sign of the Joker. Red Hood: "You think I'd kill my own blood?" Quickly Richard turns to the office but the Red Hood is gone, and hopefully out of Gotham.

On the rooftop Batman reaches the edge and climbs to the top standing before his nemesis Joker who is barely recognizable due to the fact he had surgery performed on him to pass as his wife Harley. Joker stands on the edge of the building risking his life enjoying the high altitude breeze blowing in his hair. He still has his orange Arkham shirt and pants on with his iconic purple jacket, meanwhile the thought of pushing him off the roof passes through Bruce's mind. Joker: "How easy would it be for you to kill me right now?" Noticing multiple mounted rocket launchers across the edge of the roof the Batman grows worrisome, Joker is staling him and these missiles are locked on their individual targets, without answering the Dark Knight pulls Joker back from the edge throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him onto the ground.

Batman: "Tell me what all of this is, you have ten seconds!" Batman breaks one of the Joker's fingers but instead of a scream he laughs at the feeling, he continues breaking each finger counting down by ten but each break results in a harder laugh. Joker: "Oh you can't break me anymore, Batman. I'm not as fragile as I once was!" Batman: "Why have you done all of this! This was a waste of my time?" Joker: "Was it? I recall the papers referring to you as a man of 'vengeance' so you really shouldn't be asking that!" Batman: "Why not? What did I do?" Joker: "You let me FALL!" Releasing the Joker from his grip Batman remembers the night he tried to save Jack. Joker: "Of course that was only the first piece of the puzzle, Harley came up with the rest. Why, you ask? Vengeance, Bruce. The depths ones willing to go through for a little sweet revenge." Batman: "I let you fall…" Batman checks his wrist that's keeping count of the time he has left while he and Joker stand before each other.

Joker: "I know you did, but there is something you can do for me and I'll forgive you for everything! These guided missiles are armed to locate each and every one of Gotham's finest family members, you should know Bruce, your science division had it built. The catch? My heart has a monitor on it and as long as it keeps beating the rockets stay armed, if by some off chance it stops however…" Batman: "You want me to kill you…?" Joker: "Yes! So you can become the man your father was, a killer through and through!" Batman: "My father was no killer." Joker: "How do you justify that? Those gunmen I hired down below us, they were hired to kill by me! I'm a killer, Bats!" Batman: "But I'm not. Disarm the weapons!" Joker: "No! This is the game you win or you lose! Now choose!" Batman: "I won't kill you, Jack." Joker: "Then the innocent will die." Bruce thinks long and hard about his options, but he has less time now than when he had to kill Pamela who was already doomed.

Batman: "You've ruined my life and I ruined yours. Not long ago I headed into the mountains thousands of miles from here, there I met a group of three monks each destined to die in the harsh landscape. I trained with them to find a way to kill myself, but it didn't kill me. Instead they taught me something called the Rukasho, it stands for 'a fate worse than death'. This is my gift to you, Joker, in a time when we made each other there could truly be only one winner and you're wrong about my father. He fought the depression of Gotham long before you and I were born, he made enemies that sometimes tried to kill me and my mother so he took precautions that seemed viable at the time to protect us. I'm going to kill you Joker because it will protect others!"

The Dark Knight preforms the fatal move known as Rukasho on the Joker, it's a series of bone breaking, nerve pinching blows to the body that will leave the person in an excruciatingly painful state which paralyzes its victim before killing the heart. Joker doesn't laugh, instead he falls to the ground in silence for the first time as Batman watches him take his last breath he feels finally accomplished. The missiles all deactivate and shut off signaling the Joker's heart has seized. Kneeling next to him Batman takes a transparent sticker from his belt and places it on Jack's chest while using his small defibrillator to resurrect Joker. Batman: "You're wife will be hysterical until the end of her days, your son will be hunted down by my friends and beaten until he can't stand it anymore, and you will remain paralyzed from your head to your toes until fate decides when you should die. You lose, Joker!"

Standing back up Batman slowly walks to the rooftop exit while his alarm goes off indicating his amount of time is expired. Before dropping to the ground he removes his mask and tries to remember his parents and the happiest day of his life, a day that would affect his life forever. Bruce finds himself at the bottom of that well he fell down all those years ago as his father uses a latter to reach him and carry him up and out from the cold and damp hole.

Bruce's mother kisses him repeatedly on the fore head as his father holds him in his arms his family surrounds them. Alfred: "Dear boy! Brave boy! You can go cave exploring when you're a man!" Martha: "Bruce we missed you, are you hurt?" Bruce: "No. It doesn't hurt now." Thomas: "I'll never let you get hurt again Bruce, I promise." Being carried into his old house he notices the bat that saved him watch as he gets carried away. Still on the roof with his eyes open wide and glistening, Bruce shouts "Mother!" before falling to his knees and ultimately to his death. Barbara and Nightwing breach the door on the roof as they and dozens of officers secure the building, Wayne's legacy. Nightwing removes his mask, in tears he falls to his knees as Barbara remembers what Bruce asked her to do for him, to lie and say he died saving the city, to tell him a truth within a lie.

Weeks later…

Gotham City

Arkham Asylum

3:00am

In his cell the Joker lays down unable to lift a finger while he watches for amusement a fly buzz around the corner of the cushioned room. In its rapid thinking the fly decides to land on his toes causing an unbearable itch he can only try to moan to scare it away but the black insect continues to crawl up Jack's leg all the way to his chin tickling with every step it takes, he tries breathing hard to blow the fury creature off his lip as it looks with its big red eyes into Jack's eyes twisting its tiny head. It's achingly uncomfortable as the bug wedges itself into his mouth crawling down his throat causing the once notorious and unstoppable Clown Prince of Crime to choke.