Batman: Tomorrow Knight

Batman © DC Comics

Note: Long time writer of Sonic the Hedgehog taking a stab into the Batman universe. This story is an alternate reality version to the former Batman Beyond, which has just been made into its own comic series. Most of the stuff that makes Batman was good, but I've always felt that more could be added to improve the series. And, in my opinion, I didn't think that the villains really lived up to Batman's standards with the exception of Inque and Shriek. I plan on bringing back some classical characters with some original characters of my own and hope to receive your approval. The series starts from the conclusion of Batman: Arkham Asylum and will continue from there. Enjoy.

Season One: Never Again

Arkham Asylum has always had a reputation of being the one true 'Hell on Earth' in a sense, home to delusional murders, ill-tempered psychopaths, and anyone that fell under the category of a 'super criminal'. But after tonight's events, Hell would be a more preferable place to be at the moment. After a complicated plot outlined by the Joker – Gothem's number one criminal – the island had literally been torn apart in more ways than one. Medical vehicles were burned or tipped, dead bodies of security and inmates littered the ground for miles, and few strains of plant life remained from Poison Ivy's earlier mutation. This was one night that had changed everyone's lives and would affect the lives of Gothem City – forever. Flying over from the distance borders of Gothem City, radio news helicopters bravely crossed the boundaries into Arkham territory. Sentinel spotlights flashed across the grounds in their search for the main attraction.

"Arkham Asylum remains under lock down at the mercy of the ramping inmate!" News reporter Jack Ryder announced over beating of the chopper blades. "Just ten minutes ago, we received this tapes message!"

"Greetings, Gothem! Joker here! Arkham is mine!" The Joker's voice announced exuberantly. "Soon, I will unleash madness untold onto the streets of Gothem! But first, direct your eyes to the rooftops and witness the final destruction of your dear Dark Knight!"

"We've been circling the tower since…" Jack Ryder continued, suddenly drawn away by a flash of fire appearing from the roof of the penitentiary. "Wait, there! Joker's making his move!"

Almost immediately, the group of copters altered their course towards the direction of the flare as something large began to emerge from a hole in the steel grates. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before and that's saying something. The Joker ad finally made his appearance to Gothem, but his insanity finally forced him to reveal the monster within. The deranged psychopath now stood ten feet tall with his once porcelain-white skin now blotched by infected scabs, broken sinew, and small trails of blood running down his sides. The interaction with the Titan chemicals had forced bone fragments to stretch past his elbows, his spinal cord was perfectly visible, his nails had extended by several feet, and his ribcage was exposed through his developed muscles. As if a super powered Joker wasn't bad enough, the hero of Gothem – Batman – was being lifted by the abominable clown like a rag doll. His ghoulish grin was wider than humanly possible as the helicopters circled the makeshift arena, leering down at his prey excitedly.

"Show time, Batman!" Joker said in a maniacal tone, throwing the Dark Knight into the floorboards. "Let's give the rubes somethin' to talk about! Two freaks in a fight to the death!" As the Caped Crusader attempted to push himself up, Joker displayed his unsportsmanlike attitude by literally kicking him when he's down. "And for one night only, please welcome our special guest referee!"

A spotlight ignited over to the side of the cage, displaying Commissioner James Gordon strapped to a makeshift chair. But given Joker's mania, there was no way he was going to let the old man off that easily. One of the Joker's clown-faced goons flipped the switch to a nearby circuit breaker, forcing was seemed to be five-thousand volts through the commissioner's body. Batman would have tried to save him, but he had his own problems to deal with. The problem in question stomped loudly across the arena – splintering the wood with each step – and once again held the Dark Knight within his grip.

"Come on!" Joker demanded. "Change! Get Crazy! It's the only way to beat me!" He brought his arch-enemy closer, whispering to him in a low, sinister tone. "You know you want to."

"Never." Batman growled.

Earlier, Batman had been infected with the same chemicals that had transformed Joker into his monstrous state. He had been able to resist the change so far, but the effects were becoming stronger with each passing moment. And the Joker's sadistic torture wasn't helping any. Though he had planned to use it on Titan-enhanced clown, the Batman was forced with no other option. The Dark Knight pulled the needle containing the anti-Titan serum and stabbed it directly into his own chest. The effects were made instant as the antidote began to circulate through his bloodstream, eliminating any trace of the Titan's mutagen.

"You wasted the antidote on yourself?" Joker cackled victoriously. "Now that's funny!"

The Clown Prince of Crime swatted his arch-enemy clear across the arena, throwing him into the electrified fence that surrounded them. Thankfully, his suit managed to absorb most of the blow. The thunderous footsteps of the Joker moved closer and Batman spotted the titan-enhanced lunatic before lifting himself skyward. His fast reflexes pulled the Dark Knight to roll safely away before the sadistic clown crashed landed into the floorboard, creating a large crack between them.

"Hysterical." Joker giggled insanely. "But you still spoiled my fun. And for that, I'll paint Arkham with your blood."

"You won't win Joker." Batman forewarned, shrugging off the stabbing pain in his arms. "No matter when or where, I'll always be there to stop you."

"We'll see about that, bats." Joker smiled in a devilish manner. "Let's get ready to tango!"

Batman never was much for dancing, but it looks like he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. With his already impressive reach, the Titan-powered Joker swiped his clawed hands across the air, barely passing over the Dark Knight's pointed ears. The Batman rolled under the clown's arms and pushed himself upwards, raising his fist in the process for a powerful uppercut that would force any normal person into submission. But the Joker was never normal to begin with. His head bounced back from the initial contact, but Joker's new strength made him too powerful for any standard form of attack. With his signature cackle, the monstrous clown closed his claw over Batman's outstretched arm and tossed himself aside with minimal effort. The Caped Crusader landed on his side, rolled a few feet under the shadow of Gordon's chair. The commissioner struggled against his binds, wanting nothing more than to beat the Clown Prince of Crime with his own bare hands. But his actions earned him another quick jolt from his torture machine. The Batman raised himself to his knees with his view on Gordon, but more increasingly focused on the wires connected to the chair. He started pulling out his signature batarang from his utility belt when the Joker grabbed him around the waist from behind, lifting him back into the air. The Batarang clattered uselessly on the floorboard.

"Naughty, naughty." Joker said in a cruel joking tone. "We wouldn't want to spoil the fun now would we? Hey, boys, how 'bout another round for the old coot! I think he wants it!"

The goons once again flipped the switch, sending another surge of electricity through the aging officer. James Gordon was stronger than most men on the police force, but even he had his limits. And based on the fact that he was barely keeping his eyes open meant he was reaching his breaking point. Acting out in blind instinct, the Batman raised his foot and crushed his heel against the Joker's lengthy nose. It would seem that some parts of the clown's body was still vulnerable to regular attacks as the Titan-enhanced Joker dropped his arch-enemy and staggered backwards with his hands over his face. At the moment the Dark Knight touched the floor, he rolled forward to retrieve the dropped batarang and released a wild shot to the fence. Amazingly enough, the weapon snapped through the wires and disconnected the power to Gordon's torture machine – he could breathe easy again. One situation out of the way, the Caped Crusader turned back to a very pissed Joker – a trail of blood leaked from his crooked nose.

"You'll die for that, Batman!" Joker exclaimed furiously. "When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna rip your freakin' head off!"

"I'm not afraid of you, Joker." Batman proclaimed coolly.

"Well, ya better learn fast." Joker said threateningly. "Because when I'm done with you, you'll be beggin' to die."

The Clown Prince of Crime lunged forward with his claws stretched out in front. The Batman quickly jumped over his arch-enemies hands, pressed his heel into the clown's head, and flipped over to land safely on the Joker's spine. The wood splintered under the impact of the titan-enhanced lunatic and briefly restrained the Joker's claws in the floorboard. While the sadistic monster struggled to break free, Batman roped his zip-line around one of the spines before shooting the other end away with his bat-claw. The Caped Crusader activated the retracting function of his bat-claw before jumping away, watching the Joker being pulled towards the fence. The impact was more powerful than the Dark Knight expected as the Titan-enhanced clown dropped out of sight through the makeshift barrier. Batman watched and waited – Joker wouldn't be taken down that easily. His prediction soon came true in the form of a stone block flying over the fence and dropped in the area when the bat was standing. The Batman, however, swiftly dived to his right and allowed the broken slab to fall through the floor, exposing the multitude of power generators hidden beneath. Those could come in handy later. In the meantime, Joker emerged from the gaping hole in the arena – his eternal smile was no longer present.

"You are really starting to piss me of, bats." Joker proclaimed. "Why can't you just stand still and die like a man."

"Who says I'm a man." Batman retorted.

"Funny guy." Joker muttered; Batman continued to remain impassive. "You know, I've always been sick at that gloom attitude of yours for years. It wouldn't kill ya to smile once and a while, bats. Then again, it might. You never know."

"You're as deluded as always." Batman said disappointedly; Joker sneered. "All these plans and schemes – they're all just cover-ups for the real reason you keep coming back."

"What are you talking about?" Joker growled monstrously.

"It's a pipe dream, Joker." Batman proclaimed. "You were never my equal."

Whatever the Caped Crusader was talking about seemed to leave its mark on the deranged harlequin. The titan-enhanced clown rampaged across the arena, swinging his claws wildly for the Dark Knight. Batman had gained an upper hand over his old enemy by blinding him with anger. Now all that remained was the finishing blow. The Dark Knight ducked and dodged around the Joker's swipes, never revealing that he was attempting to back the clown into the exposed hole in the floor. When the clown prince's back was facing the opening, Batman quickly reached into his utility belt for the triple grappling line for the bat-claw. But in that one moment of distraction, Joker managed to snare his claws around both of the Caped Crusader's shoulders and raised him off the ground. The Dark Knight was still holding the grappling hook, but couldn't gain a proper angle from this height. The Clown Prince of Crime brought himself closer to his arch-enemy – his smile once again stretched against his disfigured features.

"Go on, laugh for me, Batman." Joker whispered dangerously. But when the Dark Knight remained mute, the Titan-enhanced clown pushed his enemy into the electric fence for a brief jolt. Batman tried to resist the pain and refused to show relief when the Joker pulled him back – he wasn't happy. "Laugh for me, damn you! I want to hear it before you die! Laugh!"

"Never." Batman said in a final tone.

Without warning, the Dark Knight lifted his foot and smacked against the Joker's jaw. The Clown Prince of Crime staggered backwards in surprise, unconsciously releasing his grip over his enemy. The Batman wasted no time shooting the triple grapple around the Joker's ankles. The Titan-enhanced harlequin only had a chance to look down out of curiosity before the Dark Knight pulled back with all his strength. With his legs pulled out from under him, the Joker fell backwards into the opening and crashed landed through the cluster of generators. Listening to the crazed twitched and electrical snaps taking place, Batman realized that it wouldn't be long before Joker came back for more – weakened, but still able. As a final precautionary step, the Dark Knight used the last remains of his explosive gel and applied it to his right gloves just moments before the Joker began to claw back to the surface.

"I can take it." Joker stated certainly, dragging himself back to full height. "I can take anything you throw at me, bats. No matter what you do, I'll always keep coming back!"

"And I'll always be there to stop you." Batman said certainly. "I will never let you win."

Snarling like the crazed animal he was, the Clown Prince of Crime charged for one last desperate attempt to succeed over his dreaded enemy. But the Caped Crusader proved himself victorious in the end as he managed to slip through the Joker's claws and pressed his gelled glove into the madman's jaw. The sudden friction between them ignited the gel secreted on the Batman's glove and produced a minimal explosion that shot the duo in opposite directions. The Dark Knight flailed against the electrified fence once again, landing precariously on his right arm. The deafening crack ringing in his ears signaled the shattering of his bones. At the same time, the Titan-powered Joker skidded across the arena, splitting most of the wood, and coming to a halt at the base of Gordon's chair. The police commissioner himself looked down over the defeated form of the Joker and shifted his attention to the hero of the night, standing strong and victorious.

"Dad! Thank god, I was so worried."

"I'm fine, Barbara."

Little to over a half hour later, Commissioner Gordon was safely out of the Penitentiary overlooking the police raid. Thanks to Batman's efforts in defeating the Joker, all the escaped criminals had willing surrendered in fear of the Dark Knight's wrath. All routines connecting Arkham to the mainland had been opened and the S.W.A.T. teams have successfully infiltrated the asylum grounds. Gordon stepped back as three armed officers were directing a group of Blackgate prisoners back to their designated cells and two S.W.A.T. members strapped a straightjacket over one of the crazies.

"The GCPD finally has full control over the asylum." Gordon informed his daughter over the radio. "The doctors are treating the injured, but it'll take some time. All super criminals are back in custody – quite a mess in there. And the venom-enhanced inmates are returning to normal, but the process can be quite painful for some."

"Dad, how are you feeling?" Barbara asked worried.

"I'll survive." Gordon answer, looking up as the Batman approached. "See you tonight, Barbara." He disconnected the signal, facing the Dark Knight. "Shame about what happened to your car. Can I give you a ride?"

"Thanks, Jim." Batman nodded respectfully. "But I've got my own ride."

"Uh…Commissioner, sir." The duo looked over to find one of the medical staff standing next to them. "We just got word about the Joker's condition, sir."

"What happened?" Gordon questioned. "Is he not turning back to normal?"

"The Titan process was reverse successfully." The orderly informed with a regretful tone. "But the explosion from earlier attacked the brainstem and disconnected quite a few cranial nerves in addition to shattering the jaw structure."

"What does it mean?" Gordon asked confused; Batman looked down mournfully.

"After all these years…" The orderly said softly. "The joker's finally dead."

The Batman, now under the persona of Bruce Wayne, stared pitifully at the newest addition to the Bat Cave. It had been nearly an hour since the reports of the Joker's death started to appear – Jack Ryder was naturally the first one to make it. But while the city of Gothem celebrated the Batman for ending the Clown Prince's reign of terror, Bruce Wayne decided not to join the festivities. He always knew that the Joker would pay for his crimes one day, but he never would have imagined it would be by his own hands. The Batman had broken his only rule. Even now, Bruce looked through the case that displayed the mannequin garbed in his own costume – still ripped and frayed. The rich philanthropist was so distracted by his own thoughts that he never noticed the young man in black and blue unitard silently take his place at the Dark Knight's side. Nightwing was a long way from his hometown of Bludhaven, but there was little doubt that he would have shown up sooner or later. The former Boy Wonder joined his former mentor in his stupor, taking notice of the damages it had received in Arkham.

"I heard about what happened." Nightwing said after two minutes of silence. "About the Joker."

"I'm not surprised." Bruce said monotonously.

"It was a freak accident, Bruce." Nightwing said sympathetically. "You shouldn't blame yourself."

"I don't." Bruce responded swiftly; Nightwing turned wide-eyed at his former partner. "For years, I've always imagined what would happen if I had looked the other way and ended him right there. I came close to finishing him so many times, but I always took the high road because I knew that if I killed him, the Joker would have the last laugh."

"But…you didn't mean to." Nightwing said hopefully.

"Somewhere deep down, I did." Bruce proclaimed seriously. "And you know what: I don't regret it." Now the former Boy Wonder had to do a double take, not being able to comprehend the Dark Knight's words. "After everything he's done – crippling Barbara, killing Jason – I'm actually happy to see him die."

"Bruce, you can't mean that." Nightwing said convinced.

"I do mean it, Dick!" Bruce snapped, using his former sidekick's real name. "After all I've done to distance myself from the criminals I face, it turns out there's no difference between me and them. I killed the Joker – his blood is on my hands…and I'd do it all over again." He eyes settled on the Batman costume once again. "That's why I can't continue."

"What do you mean?" Nightwing asked, having a vague idea.

"I can no longer be the Batman." Bruce replied solemnly; Nightwing's fears were confirmed. "I don't regret killing the Joker for all the things he's done over the years, but I can't take the risk of losing control with someone else. If I keep going with the thoughts of Joker's death in my head, it won't be long before I lose myself completely. I've taken the first step down a road that I will never be able to come back from."

"So you're just gonna quit?" Nightwing shouted outrageously. "After everything we've been through, you're just gonna give up after one accident! This isn't the first time someone has died because of a mistake! Jason for instance!"

"Yes, but I've never deliberately killed them." Bruce said calmly. "I'm sorry, Dick. I made the choice and Joker's dead because of it – looks like he finally wins."

"But you can't give up." Nightwing continued; his moral was quickly dropping. "Heroes like Green Lantern, the Flash, even Superman – they all come and go. But the world will always need Batman."

"You're right." Bruce agreed; a sense of hope started to rise in Nightwing. "The world will always need a Batman, but it doesn't need Bruce Wayne." He placed a sympathetic hand on his former ward's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dick."

The tone in his voice meant that Bruce had made his final decision. Dick Grayson stared at the floor of the Bat Cave, refusing to meet his former mentor's eye. Though they had their differences in the past, Dick had always viewed Bruce Wayne not only as his teacher and idol, but also as a father figure – someone he could always look up to. To see him surrender the cowl so easily was unbelievable, like a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. Bruce patted his adoptive son gently before walking past him towards the stairway. Along the way, he took one last look at all the mementoes he had collected from his past adventures: the sword of Deathstroke, Two-Face's giant coin, the puppet Scarface, the giant animatronic dinosaur, and even an oversized playing card courtesy of the Joker. The former Robin and Batgirl suits belonging to Jason Todd and Barbara Gordon were settled side-by-side with the newest addition: The Batman suit. Nightwing hadn't moved an inch from his spot even as Bruce reached the top step of the stairway.

"Never again." Bruce said finally.

The former Dark Knight flipped the switch, shrouding Nightwing and all existence of the Bat Cave into fathomless darkness.

Again, this is my first time with the Batman, so I'd like your thoughts. Generally criticism and maybe some ideas for the story are welcomed, but flames are unacceptable.

Please, read and review.