About a week ago, the Joker once again escaped from Arkham, this escaped was planned. There was a car waiting for him, Batman chased the car for 3 miles and when the car crashed into the wall in a tunnel, there was nobody in the wreckage. Batman, Nightwing and Batgirl spent a week looking through maps of Gotham for a possible Joker hideout and searched the tunnel for a hidden door. Batman "spoke" to the Joker's allies, nobody knew of an escape plan, though there was one person everyone mentioned and it was not surprise to Batman, he was quite surprised he hadn't already thought of her: Harley Quinn. Obviously,
it would be her, why hadn't he thought of her? Was it because, last time he saw her, she said she was putting the Joker behind her? Spending most of her time with Poison Ivy, who she made a promise to never have anything the do with Joker again. Yeah, that was probably it, she seemed so convincing, but why lie to Poison Ivy?
Batgirl finally found a possible location that the Joker could be using, not Laffco, or the abandoned theatre but and abandoned warehouse, just on the outskirts of Gotham City.
"I'll go alone." Batman said. "No, Bruce you need us!" Nightwing exclaimed. "Yes, you're right. I do need you." Batman said, Nightwing's eyes lit up, "I need you to stay here and search for other possible locations in case we're wrong." Batman said, Nightwing sighed. "Alright fine." He sat back next to Batgirl at the Batcomputer, "Switch your cowl cam on Bruce." Batgirl said sternly, Batman nodded, climbed into the Batmobile and sped away. Batgirl and Nightwing watched the footage from Batman's cowl cam and listened to the sound of the engine as it sped through Gotham.
Arriving at the abandoned warehouse, Batman fired his grappling hook and climbed in through a vent in the roof, he had studied the warehouse blueprints, he knew where every window was, every door and every turn. They had decided that if the Joker was going to be anywhere, knowing Batman, the GCPD and his enemies would be looking for him, he'd be underground.
Finally, when he reached the basement, he heard noises. "I don't care!" Joker, Batman recognised his voice, he was angry. "Get it here at once! And don't let the Bat or the cops see you!" He slammed the phone down. "God dammit! Remind me to find more decent henchmen, Harley!"
No reply, no 'Ok Puddin'', just silence. Batman snuck in through the basement door, the Joker had his back turned, he saw Harley lying on the ground.
"We need to call the cops! Get them to stop the henchmen!" Nightwing exclaimed. "Already on it!" A voice came through the radio, "Well, stopping the henchmen part anyway."
"Red Hood?" Batgirl asked. "I'm on it Batgirl!" Red Hood exclaimed, excitedly. "Just, no killing, Red, ok." She asked. "Ha, sure thing." He laughed. "Seriously, Red Hood. No killing." Nightwing said sternly, Red Hood sighed, "Oh alright."
"I've got the cops sorted." Batgirl said, picking up the phone. "Commissioner Gordon, this is Batgirl. I heard tell about the Joker's henchmen, they're in Gotham and approaching the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Red Hood is on his way but he will need back up. Send as many cops as you can, I am unaware of how many are en route."
The Joker approached Harley, "Please Mister J, don't!" She cried. "Oh, Harley, if you had gotten me out of Arkham sooner, rather than playing around with that crazy plant lady, I wouldn't have to!" He raised a crowbar into the air. Batman threw a baterang and knocked it out of his hands. "BATMAN!" The Joker exclaimed. "That's no way to treat a lady, Joker!" He pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger, a rope shot out and wrapped around the Joker, weights on each end held the Joker down.
"Harley, are you alright?" Batman asked, she nodded. As he got closer to her he noticed bruises and cuts on her body. "He was gonna kill me for spending time with Pammy. Thank god you came Bats!" She cried, throwing her arms around him. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Joker lying on the floor, struggling under and restrain of the rope, she averted her eyes. Catching the crowbar out of the corner of her eyes. Pammy would be proud if you did Harley. She told herself. Get away from him once and for all.
She released Batman and crawled over to the crowbar. "Harley, don't." He said, knowing her coming actions. She held the crowbar tightly in her hands. Do it Harley.
"Don't do it, Harley." Batman said. "You can't stop me, Bats." She said, "All week, he's kept me down here, torturing me." A tear escaped from her eye, rolling down her cheek into a cut. "I told Ivy I was going to get some fresh air, whilst she worked on her chemicals. I betrayed her!" A sob escaped. "You can't do it Harley." Batman said, "It will stay with you forever."
"Yes Harley, listen to the Bat, but what he's really trying to say is you don't have the guts to do it!" The Joker snarled. "Ignore him Harley. I'll take you to Ivy." Batman said. "What, and put him in Arkham so he can escape and try to kill me again?" She snapped.
"Oh, I'm not going back to Arkham." He replied, smiling. Suddenly, he jumped free from the ropes, "I always have something up my sleeve!" He laughed holding a knife in his hand. He ran towards Batman, pushing Harley out of the way. Batman punched him, the Joker swung his knife. Batman punched him again, "No fair!" The Joker cried.
He swung his knife again, this time it tore through Batman's gauntlet, he swung again, tearing a hole in the suit, Batman punched him, again. The Joker swung the knife, one more time and stabbed Batman's upper arm. "AGGHHH!" Batman screamed. "HAHAHA!" The Joker laughed.
He swung the knife again stabbing Batman's shoulder and his other arm. Then he stabbed his leg, Batman fell to the ground, the Joker jumped on top of him, holding the knife to his neck. "Say hello to Mommy and Daddy for me, eh Batman!" He laughed viciously, then he screamed. Blood dripped down his mouth. "Harley!" Batman cried.
Harley stood above them, the crowbar in her hand, the other end in the Joker's back. She pulled it out, the Joker jerked and fell onto the floor. "Leave. Him. Alone!" She screamed as she beat the Joker, blood splattering over the floor and onto the walls. "Harley no!" Batman cried, mustering the strength to stand up.
BANG
Harley screamed as the bullet hit her leg and she collapsed. "Batman, you ok?" Red Hood asked standing in the door way. "What did I say about using guns, Red Hood?" He snarled. "A simple response would be 'thank you Red Hood, I'll excuse your guns use on the account of you stopping a murder.'" Red Hood said, his voice filled with sarcasm. "You son of a bitch!" Harley screamed, "I'll get you for that!"
Batman sighed, "Thank you, Red Hood. You're right, you did stop her." Red Hood sighed too, "But I wasn't going to." He said, "I watched, I came in just as she picked the crowbar up and stuck it in his back. I would have gladly let her kill him."
"I know, but you didn't, you took control over the vengeful urge. I'm proud of you." Batman said. "Thank you." Red Hood replied. "I'm proud of you too Red, now someone get me to a God damn hospital or I'll kill both of you!" Harley screamed.
"So, he uses a gun and Batman lets it slide, but he won't let me drive the Batmobile?" Damian asked, angrily. "There's a bit of a difference, you're ten." Nightwing said. "And probably the only ten-year-old in Gotham who knows how to drive." Batgirl said. "Please, Miss Gordon, don't encourage it." Alfred said.
"How is she?" Poison Ivy asked Batman as she entered in the hospital waiting room. "She'll be fine." Batman said. "No, serious damage, but maybe a few stitches."
"And him?" She asked, "Joker?"
"He'll be kept in for a few days, guards inside the room and out. Once he's recovered he'll be back in Arkham." Batman said. "You should have shot him not her!" She snapped at Red Hood. "Hey! I stopped her from murdering him!" He snapped. "He did the right thing, if she killed him, it will have stayed with her forever, there's no coming back from that." Batman said.
"Thanks a lot Batman, we'll take it from here." Commissioner Gordon said. "Thank you, Jim. I'll be back tomorrow to check on him." Batman said. "How are you doing Miss Isley?" Commissioner Gordon asked. "Very well thank you Commissioner. Thank you for going easy on my Harley." She replied.
"Father, can I drive the Batmobile?" Damian aske at the dinner table. "Damian, we've had this conversation many times." Bruce said. "But you let Jason shoot Harley Quinn!" He whined. "He's been on about this all evening, Bruce." Dick said.
Bruce sighed, "Alright, you can drive." He said, Damian's eyes lit up. "But not the Batmobile, one of the cars in garage." Bruce said, Damian groaned. "Are they just as good as the Batmobile?" He asked. Jason, Dick and Tim laughed, "Nothing's better than the Batmobile!" Tim exclaimed.
"I got an idea, Red." Harley said, when they arrived back from the hospital. "What is it, sweetie?" Ivy replied. "When Joker is scheduled to go back to Arkham, we disguise ourselves as nurses, and we kill him." Harley said, smiling. "Kill him?" Ivy asked. "Yeah! Why, you always wanted him gone anyway, Red." Harley said. "Oh, I know, I do want him gone, but are you sure this is what you want, you've been with him so long, and it's not going to affect you is it?" Ivy asked. "Jeez, you sound like Batman!" Harley whined. "I'm with you Harley, I'm just checking you're making the right decision." Ivy said.
"I am Red. I want him out of my life for good. I'm ready to kill the Joker."
