The End of Knight
"Good Evening. I'm Snapper Carr, and here's our Top Story…"
Inside of Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson sits on the couch in the main Living Room, attentively watching the huge-screen TV in front of him. There's a news report on, and he's trying to find out any and all information he can about a recent disturbance at Arkham.
"Just last night, several inmates at Arkham almost literally brought the Asylum down to the ground as they made their escapes. Major repairs will be needed for the Asylum, but it is still functional enough to hold the remaining prisoners. Those who escaped last night include Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, The Mad Hatter, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, and Gotham's most dangerous psychopath, The Joker. We now actually have footage of the self-proclaimed Clown Prince of Crime leading the charge as the villains make their escape."
The footage runs on the TV and Joker's maniacal laugher blares through the speakers, as Dick just watches with a stone face, much like his father figure, Bruce. "Hysterical." He says, not amused by any of Joker's actions.
"Of all the criminals to escape, the Joker & Harley have keep the most quiet; not being involved in any criminal action since their breakout. But we will have the up to the moment report if any of that changes."
"Honestly Master Dick, you are almost becoming as obsessed as Master Bruce." Alfred says, grabbing the remote and changing the channel. "A young man your age should watch different programming. Isn't that new drama on right about now? What is it called…the C.O?"
Dick laughs as he stands up off the couch and turns to him. "Nah, there showing reruns. But I'll find something else." He goes to flip through the channels when he hears footsteps coming down the stairs. He turns to see Bruce, wearing a serious & cold look on his face, ready for action. Dick immediately recognizes the look and walks over to him.
"We're going on patrol?" He asks.
Bruce nods his head. "The Joker must be planning something big. He usually strikes right after his escapes from Arkham. To wait this long, he must have something planned on a city-wide scale."
The two turn and walk toward the Grandfather clock that covers the secret entrance to the Batcave, when Bruce's Cell Phone rings. He stops and takes it out of his pocket, and answers the call.
"Bruce Wayne here."
"BRUCE!! YOU…YOU GOTTA…ESCAPE!!!"
It's Barbara Gordon's voice. She sounds injured, and half-conscious. And her voice also has a somewhat gurgling sound to it, as if blood was trying to pool up in her mouth. "Barbara! What's going on? What happened?" Bruce asks her.
"It…It was…Harley…& Joker." She says. "They…raided my computer files…THEY KNOW THE TRUTH! THE JOKER'S COMING AND HE KNOWS THE TRU—…"
"Barbara? BARBARA!!!" The next thing Bruce hears is the dial tone, and it chills him down to the bone. "Dick, get in the Batcave!"
"What? Bruce what's going…?" Before Dick can finish his question, a pair of headlights shines through the front window of the mansion. They shine brighter, and brighter, until a large Armored Purple Cadillac crashes through the window, sending shards of glass everywhere. Dick covers himself up as Bruce covers Alfred. The car comes to a stop right in front of the three, and the first one to step out is the Clown Prince of Crime himself.
"BRUCIE, I'M HOME!!!"
He walks around the car as Harley stands up from the passenger side. "Love what you've done with the place, Bruce." He says. "Although your taste in curtains is just completely dreadful."
"Martha Stewart you are not." Harley adds, jumping out of the car.
"Look, I don't know what you want." Bruce says, trying to put up his rich guy's façade. "But you can take anything. Just please don't hurt…"
"Oh, cut the spoiled, pampered, playboy act, Bruce." Joker says, before landing a hard punch into his gut. As Bruce keels over, Joker starts whispering in his ear. "I know everything. Lovely Barbara was only to glad to share your true identity, Bat-Boy." He straightens up and smiles widely as he turns to Harley. "And to think, I have my best girl Harley to thank for all of this!"
Harley grins and giggles, flattered by his words. "Aw shucks, Mr. J." She says. "I was just looking for some good internet porn."
Joker turns back to the three. "But what she found was a hidden file, containing her information on Batgirl, and information on where she received her weapons. And it all lead to you." He walks up close to Bruce again, who's holding his gut. "You would've been proud, Brucie. She held out so long from my torture without screaming. But one quick gunshot to the spine…and she was screaming just as much as her blood was spilling."
Joker begins to laugh. The same maniacal, horrific laugh Dick heard on TV moments ago. The same laugh Bruce has heard countless times. And finally, Bruce decides to stop hiding. He rushes Joker and spears him into his car, before looking back at Dick. "Get to the Cave! NOW!!!"
Dick doesn't question him this time; instead he runs over to the clock and sets the time to 10:47pm. It slides open to the left and Dick runs down the long, winding stairs, leading to the legendary Batcave. Meanwhile, Harley is trying to pull Bruce off of Joker. "You get off my Puddin' you big rodent-loving freak!" She keeps pulling, until she feels something metal smack the back of her head. She falls onto the car, as Alfred is seen holding a Frying Pan.
"Terribly sorry, miss." He says. "But I believe you've overstayed your welcome."
"Heh…that's funny for amateur hour, gramps." She says. "But leave the good jokes to the professionals!" She hops up to her feet and performs a spin kick, nailing Alfred in the jaw and sending him flying into a nearby wall. At that moment, Joker nails a groin shot to Bruce, finally getting him off of him. He follows up with a right cross, before turning to Harley.
"Pooh, do you mind attending to Bird-Boy?" He says.
"No problem, Puddin'." She says, reaching in the car and pulling out her trademark giant wooden mallet. "I'll be his loving play date!" She joyfully dashes off to the opening, then down the stairs and into the Batcave. Once she reaches the bottom, she sees no sign of the Boy Wonder. But his suit isn't in the case, and there are weapons taken from the vault. "Come out, Robin." She says, playfully. "Harley wants to give you a big kiss!"
"KISS THIS!!!" Robin leaps out from the shadows and hits her with a flying kick in the chest, sending her stumbling into a glass case holding the Ventriloquist's Dummy. He charges in for another attack, but Harley recovers just in time to see him. She lifts the mallet up, swings it, and nails him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He lands & slides against the ground, and holds his chest in agonizing pain.
"HA! IT'S A HOMERUN!!!" Harley says. "Barry Bonds ain't got nothing on me!"
Robin slowly climbs to his feet and starts backing away as Harley stalks him like a lioness stalks her prey, mallet raised on her shoulder, ready to strike. He keeps backing up, until his wall is up again a broken glass case. His eyes wander downward and he sees the fallen sign that the case belongs to. It reads, 'Freeze's Freeze Ray.'
"Pucker up…cause this one is a killer." She says.
Robin waits for the right moment, as she pulls back on her Mallet. He then takes action; and in one move, he leaps backwards, grabs the gun, and fires it at Harley full blast. Almost instantly, Harley is submersed in a block of ice up to her shoulders. She drops the mallet onto the floor, as Robin breathes a deep sigh of relief. But it only last a moment, as he remembers Bruce might need his help. He gets up and dashes up the stairs, still holding his ribs. Once he reaches the top, he sees Joker getting in a cheap shot to Bruce, and sending him to the floor. Joker then pulls out a gun and aims it at Bruce.
"THE GRAND FINALE, BRUCIE!!!" Joker says. "It's time to bid a Goodnight…to the Dark Knight!"
"NOOO!"
"POW!!!"
The sound of the shot echoes through the entire mansion, and even through the Batcave. Bruce looks at himself to see if he's hit, but there are no wounds. He then sees Alfred lying on the ground in front of him, a pool of blood expanding under him.
"ALFRED!!!"
He goes over to check on him. There's a gunshot hole dead center through his heart, and the blood keeps pouring out. "Master…Bruce…it was an honor…to serve you…"
"No! Alfred!" Bruce tries to keep him awake, but it's of no use. Within short moments, his eyes close, and he passes on. Robin looks from the Batcave opening in pure shock, but Bruce look turns to that of the cold, hearted Batman that criminals have nightmares about.
"You know, it's just so hard to get good help these days." Joker says, laughing maniacally. Bruce just stands up and charges him at full speed. He leaps into the air, and Joker lets off another shot.
"POW!!!"
The shot grazes Bruce's arm, but does nothing to slow him down. He lands on top of the Joker and wraps his hands around his neck. As the Joker struggles to get free, they tumble & roll closer to the Batcave entrance. Robin ducks out of the way as the struggle leads to the entrance. The two roll and fall down the stairs, until they finally hit the bottom. They slowly climb to their feet, with the Joker just beating out Bruce. But before he can grab his gun, Bruce attacks him with a flurry of punches, knocking him around like a body bag. After dozens of shots, he lands a Haymaker that sends Joker flying to the ground. Unfortunately, it also sends him landing right by his gun. Joker picks it up and points it at Bruce, who quickly grabs a Batarang and flings at him, deflecting his arm upward.
"POW!!!"
The gun goes off, and the Bullet strikes against a stalactite, causing it to crumble from its base and teeter over the two. Before Joker can fire off another shot, Bruce jumps him and tries to wrestle the gun away. As they struggle for power once more, the stalactite breaks from its base and plummets downward towards them. Robin sees it and warns them.
"BRUCE!!!"
Bruce notices the shadow the stalactite is emitting growing on the ground. He quickly grabs Joker and dives out of the way. But the force of the stalactite hitting the ground sends them further than Bruce wanted…and over a nearby cliff. Robin quickly rushes down the stairs to save Bruce. As he runs towards the cliff, he sees a hand grasping the ledge, hanging on for dear life. It's the Joker's hand. Robin slowly creeps closer, on guard from any of Joker's tricks. Once he reaches the ledge, he sees Joker hanging for his life, and Bruce hanging on to the Joker by his waist.
"NNNGGHH! Come on, son. Why don't you help up Uncle Joker?" He says. "Besides…if I fall down, Bats takes the ride with me."
Robin's reluctant to help, but he realizes Joker has a point. Bruce is in a position where the only way to stay up, is to hang on to Joker. He shuffles closer, and Joker lets out his hand for Robin to grab and hoist him up. Bruce looks up at them, and notices something frightening. The Joker has his trademark Joy Killing Buzzer in the hand that's stretched out. It packs enough Voltage to eliminate even Bane, much less the Boy Wonder. The last thing he wants is for Robin to go down…and Bruce makes his decision.
"NO!!!"
He delivers a solid punch to Joker's gut, causing him to lose his grip on the cliff. A split second later, Joker screams and they both start to fall.
"BRUCE! NO!!!"
Robin runs over to a glass case as fast as he can, hearing Joker's screams fading. He grabs a Bat-Grapple out of a nearby broken glass case. Activating it, he runs back over to the cliff and aims it downward, in hopes of snagging Bruce. But as he's about to fire, he hears a sound. A sound he never wanted to hear. A sound that will remain with him forever. It's a sickening Thud, and it echoes throughout the entire Cave. His heart stops, and a look of pure horror fills his face.
"PUDDIN'!!!" Harley screams in horror, knowing the same fate as befallen her love as it has Robin's mentor. The Dark Knight, the man who took him in when his family was taken from him, has just been taken himself. Batman…is dead.