Lantern Power asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)

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A Friend Where You Least Expect It

The roar of the Batmobile engine echoed in the cave as Batman, Robin, and Bat-Butler, who was Alfred in disguise, headed out into the city after getting the call from Commissioner Gordon about the Joker and his men causing trouble. Along the way to the city, a familiar motorcycle pulled up alongside and the rider, Batgirl, nodded to them and they returned the nods, pulling into the city of Gotham. "The Commissioner said that Joker has a hideout somewhere in the middle of the city," said Batman.

"That sound pretty brazen of him," Batgirl commented. "Joker's usually one to hide on the outskirts or underground."

"She's right, Batman," said Robin. "If Joker is hiding in the middle of the city, maybe he's not working alone this time."

"A good deduction, Boy Wonder," said Bat-Butler. "Perhaps Joker has his gang with him?"

Batman nodded. "Then, we must be careful. Joker might have rigged his hideout expecting us," he said.

Batgirl had gone up to inspect the outside and saw a window that had a large board over it, but there was a crack in the wood that she was certain would make a peephole, as it was wide enough for that at least. "Robin, please give me a boost," she said, pointing to the window that was just a little above her head. Robin immediately crouched down and Batman helped the female crime fighter to stand on the young man's back and as she carefully balanced so that she wouldn't fall, both Batman and Bat-Butler placed a hand on Batgirl's back to help her stay balanced. "Thank you," she said politely before peeking inside. While the peephole didn't allow her to see a whole lot, she did hear more than one voice and listened for a bit before nodding. "Sounds like Joker's gang is all in there," she said.

Batman took out a device that would make the voices travel up to an earpiece in his ear as they listened carefully before Batgirl carefully jumped down from Robin's back with Bat-Butler's help and the Boy Wonder stood up. "What are they planning?" Robin asked.

"To rob Gotham's biggest bank," said Batman. "What's worse is the whole gang is going to be in on it."

"What should we do, Batman?" Bat-Butler asked him.

"We have to foil their plot, but how?"

Batgirl looked thoughtful and then smiled. "What if one of us hid in the vault and surprised them?" She suggested.

While a good one, Batman shook his head. "Too dangerous," he said. "More than one of them might head for the vault."

"What if we used the knockout gas?" Robin suggested.

Another good idea, but Batman had another concern. "We might accidently knock someone else out with the knockout gas," he said gently.

"If I may, sir?" Bat-Butler said. "Perhaps combining both Batgirl and Robin's ideas?"

The Caped Crusader thought about that and agreed. "Everyone make sure you have your oxygen masks on and heat-vision goggles," he said as they headed for the bank, where the manager was more than happy to cooperate with them and let them into the vault where the four took up their positions, ready to get the drop on their enemies. They thankfully didn't have to wait long, but to their shock, Joker and his gang were ready for them.

"Trying to get the drop on us, eh?" Joker asked with a cruel laugh as he revealed he and his gang were wearing gas masks so that they'd be safe from the knockout gas. The four dropped the gas pellets anyway, using the gas clouds ton confuse their enemies and to cover their moves, which was their plan B.

Batgirl did backflips and somersaults in the air, launching kicks out as she did so and Robin mimicked her moves until they were back-to-back and working in tandem with each other. Batman and Bat-Butler did the same. Joker's gang was quick to retreat, using the now-dissipating cloud of gas to make a quick exit, but where all taken down by the crime fighters, who turned to face Joker, who just grinned. "I'll make my exit now," he said and went to run, but he bumped into a stack of gold bars that he hadn't noticed were behind him and stacked rather precariously. As he backed away a moment grumbling and trying to again exit with a flourish, several of those gold bars came crashing down, making the villain duck and cover his head, but quite a few of the bars landed on his left leg and a crunch that echoed in the vault sounded out, and Joker's scream quickly drowned out anything else.

Seeing the gas cloud finally had dissipated, the four crime fighters moved over to Joker and their eyes widened in horror at what they saw and Batgirl covered her mouth with one hand. Joker's left leg was bent at an impossible angle as he writhed in pain, gritting his teeth. They could see the bone was looking ready to puncture a rather bloody spot on the Joker's left pant leg at his thigh and another bone in his lower leg had broken through the skin and the material of the pants. "Oh, my," Bat-Butler said softly in horror.

Robin swallowed. "That…looks really bad," he said.

Batman nodded. "It is, old chum," he said gently. "Joker's leg is badly broken in two places. He needs a hospital."

Joker was in too much pain to even talk and Batman made a decision. "I'm going to push the bones back into place," he said. "Robin, I should have some planks in the Batmobile. Bring them here so I can splint Joker's leg for the trip to the hospital."

As Robin did so, Batman checked his inventory but saw he had no rope or string to hold the splints in place. Batgirl saw the problem and took off her cape, quickly tearing it into shreds and handing some to Batman while she used the rest of the shreds to act as bandages to stop the bleeding. "Thank you, Batgirl," he said. "But, I'm afraid this will permanently ruin your cape."

"I have others at my hideout," she said casually. "Right now, I'm more concerned about Joker losing more blood if the bleeding isn't at least slowed down."

It took all four of them to lift Joker into the back seat after Joker's leg was splinted and Batman saw the rest of the gang had escaped before the police arrived, but chose to worry about that another time. Bat-Butler got in the front seat and Robin hopped on the back of Batgirl's motorcycle when she pulled up. "We'll run ahead to the hospital and inform them about the situation," she said.

"Thank you," Batman said. "Be careful."

Seeing Joker was mostly unconscious at the moment, Bat-Butler looked at the Caped Crusader. "Sir, may I ask why you are personally helping the Joker instead of turning him over to the police?" He asked curiously.

"Joker once helped me save the city long ago, old friend," Batman answered. "I haven't had the chance to return the favor until now."

The rest of the trip was quiet and the emergency doctors met them at the door, quickly taking Joker to the x-ray room to examine the damage as the four heroes waited patiently to hear the report. Harley Quinn snuck into the hospital, alarming some of the staff until they saw her walk up to Batman and she looked worried. "Where is Joker?" She asked.

"He's still in x-ray," the Caped Crusader told her. "His leg is badly broken."

She actually looked terrified and Robin gently guided her to sit down. The hospital staff, seeing the four had the villainess covered, relaxed and continued their work. The emergency doctor soon came out and he looked at the heroes. "Well, thanks to you setting his leg and slowing down the bleeding, you four saved his life," he said.

Harley stood up when she heard that. "Is he okay? Is he awake?" She asked worriedly.

The doctor was a little taken aback, but nodded. "We're putting his leg in a cast now and he'll need to stay off of his leg for quite a while, possibly three months," he said gently. "We also did a blood transfusion, so he'll need to take it very easy. Movement only when absolutely necessary and for only a very short time."

Batman looked at Harley, seeing her looking very scared, something that would normally not be possible. "Can…Can he at least come home?" The villainess asked hopefully.

"Yes, but he'll need someone there constantly until his leg is healed," said the doctor.

Robin stood up. "Batman, why don't you go check on Joker and Batgirl, Bat-Butler, and I will take care of Harley?" He suggested.

Batman nodded and watched his fellow crime fighters gently escort Harley out to their vehicles and Harley asked Bat-Butler to drive the clown car to the hideout and asked Batgirl and Robin to follow. "No tricks or traps," the villainess said softly and they took a chance, seeing she was not in the mood to be up to her usual antics.

Meanwhile, Batman found Joker in one of the rooms with his leg in a cast, which was almost dry. The villain turned to him and sighed, but he did have a grateful look in his face. "The doctor told me," he said. "I'm going to be out of commission for a while."

Batman nodded silently and then signed the release papers, helping the nurses put Joker in a wheelchair and taking him out to the Batmobile, carefully sliding him into the backseat before securing him and getting into the front seat. "Hold on, Joker," said the Caped Crusader. "I'll have you back home soon."

Joker looked at him in confusion. "Batman, why are you helping me?" He asked.

"You once helped me, Joker," Batman said truthfully. "Sometimes, a greatest enemy and a hero have to look after one another."

Joker gave a true smile at that. "Thank you, Batman," he said honestly.

"You're welcome," the hero said, smiling in return.

When they got to Joker's hideout, they found that Batgirl, Robin, Bat-Butler, and the rest of Joker's gang had fixed up the hideout so that it would be safe for Joker to move around as he recovered. As Batman helped him out and got him set on his crutches, Joker looked at his gang and the heroes in both gratitude and astonishment as Batman helped him into a reclining chair and Harley gently put up the leg rest so that he could rest his left leg comfortably on it as the others brought over some 'Get Well Soon' gifts for him. Touched by this, Joker glanced around and cleared his throat. "In recognition of the Caped Crusader and his colleagues helping us, there shall be a truce between them and us for the time I am recovering from my injuries," he said and turned to the heroes, holding out a hand. "I ask humbly that you accept the truce, my friends."

The four accepted the truce and Harley brought over several colorful permanent markers. "Come on, guys. Let's all sign Joker's cast and make it really stand out," she said with a smile.

With all of them doing so, they turned the cast into a work of art that would surely win a prize at an art fair. Bat-Butler moved towards Batman after signing the cast and they watched the others set to work on adding their signatures and colors to the cast. "I'm very proud of you, sir," the faithful butler said to his master.

"Well, he is my greatest enemy, so it is my responsibility to make sure he's okay," Batman responded.

Four months later…

Joker was grateful to all his friends and the heroes who helped him with everything he needed as his leg healed and after the cast had been removed, Joker couldn't part with it, deciding it deserved a place among his collection so that he would always remember the memory that came with it. But while his leg was healed, it took about another month before his leg muscles and foot muscles were strong enough to support weight and Joker was comfortable with walking again. Harley had instantly suggested a party to celebrate Joker's recovery and it was met with unanimous agreement and it was just twenty minutes later that the party was in full swing.

And of course, Joker couldn't help playing a prank and threw a cream pie in Batman's face playfully, but to everyone's surprise, didn't run off as Batman cleaned the pie off his face. "Well, is Joker perhaps getting braver?" Batgirl said with a teasing smile.

He gave her a playful scowl. "No, I just don't want to break anything else," he said without heat.

The others wisely decided not to rib him about that because they too didn't want that. They wouldn't wish broken bones on anybody, honestly.

Batman, having cleared the pie away from his face, now gave Joker a look. "I did miss your 'Joker Quirks'," he admitted, but then got a devious glint in his eye. "And now, pay the price, Joker."

Seeing the Caped Crusader coming towards him in a non-threatening, but playful manner, Joker gulped, backing up and looking a bit scared. "Now, Batman," he stammered a little. "I-I'd rather n-not risk an-another injury."

Batman smiled. "Far from it," he said before suddenly rushing at Joker, making him yelp and quickly run, thankful the path was clear as he raced down one of the hallways, but the hero was right behind him. The others watched as the two disappeared from sight, but then a moment later, heard laughter that made them all smile.

"Guess Joker's getting 'punished' for throwing a pie at Batman," said Robin.

"A fitting punishment from the sounds of it," Batgirl said, smiling.

In the hallway, Joker was his back on the floor as Batman mercilessly delivered the ticklish punishment to him, tickling the Joker's sides, stomach, and underarms, making him go crazy with laughter before the Caped Crusader turned and focused on Joker's feet, which turned out to be the villain clown's most ticklish spot and the huge grin on Joker's face became even bigger as he was relentlessly tickled by the hero, who chuckled as he continued tickling the Joker to pieces.

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