Disclaimer: I do not own Batman

Gotham Nights

Gotham City. A dark hive of corruption, drugs, murder and vice. However, in recent months it had improved due to the arrival of the Batman. So far, he had foiled an attempt by Ra's al Ghul to destroy the city, defeated Scarecrow, captured Killer Croc and had defeated the Joker, and Two-Face. He, along with Jim Gordon, had cleaned up the city a considerable amount. The mob had been beaten back and was close to being destroyed. As former DA Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face had said 'the night is darkest just before the dawn'. The dawn was finally coming.

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Arkham Asylum was dark and quiet. After the climatic battle three months before between Gotham Police and the Joker, it had been quiet as the grave. The Joker was in the highest cell imaginable, guarded day and night by SWAT commandos.

A few levels below, Jonathan Crane, also known as the Scarecrow was also incarcerated, though did not have such stringent security measures. Two armed policemen stood outside his cell as he sat there in the dark, contemplating.

Batman. The Batman. The defender of justice and the meek in hard, corrupt Gotham City. He had nearly had him with his fear toxin. But the bat had gotten away, and had killed his employer, Ra's al Ghul. As such, he was trapped inside the place he used to rule, and without his payment from his former employer. All because of the Batman.

"Hmm. One day Batman." he promised sinisterly.

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In the lobby, a short, blonde woman had arrived. She had brown eyes and perfectly done nails, and a kind face. She looked like someone's ideal mother. She smiled flatteringly at the two guards who were on the other side of the metal detector. One was large, burly and bulky, with a cropped haircut. The other was a thin, sallow man with a weedy look about him.

"Hello boys. Doctor Harleen Quinzel, psychiatrist. I'm here to analyse the Joker." she said sweetly.

The burly guard with the cropped hair snorted.

"Good luck with that headcase. Killed hundreds of people few months back. Step right through madam."

She did so, and as soon as she stepped through, the detector shrieked alarmingly.

"Excuse me lady." the other said and felt her.

He stopped short at her waist.

"What the…?"

She gave a wicked smile, pulled out a massive shotgun and fired a round into the man. As blood geysered from his chest, she calmly turned to the other and fired at him before he could raise the alarm.

She grinned as blood seeped across the floor.

"That went well." she said happily.

She then proceeded to the lift.

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Tim Kane, leader of the SWAT team guarding the Joker, reached for his walkie-talkie.

"Entrance, what's going on down there?" he asked.

A second before there had been two large bangs from it.

"Hudson, come in!" he yelled into it.

He frowned at the others.

"Something's wrong. I'll check it out." he said.

He holstered his rifle and headed for the lift. It suddenly chimed, and opened to reveal a woman with a shotgun.

"Hey." she said, and fired.

As Kane dropped to the floor, the other three opened fire. Sidestepping back into the lift, she winced as shots banged against the metal doors of the lift. She shot around the corner, and heard a scream, letting her know another one was down. She then rolled across the floor and pumped off two more shots, dropping the two other guards.

She casually strolled out of the lift into the bloodstained corridor.

"That was fun." she said gleefully.

She walked to the door they had been guarding and fired another bullet into the latch. The door slid open, to reveal the Joker.

He was still in his purple suit, still covered in his white make up with the red lips. His hair was still the sickly yellow-green colour it had always been.

"Hey hon." she purred.

He gave a wicked smile.

"Harley Quinn. Knew you'd come. We getting out?"

"Yeah. Come on honey, we're made."

She pulled another gun out of her bosom and handed it to her lover.

She had met him in Washington, where he had murdered two dozen policemen during an hour. When they had sent him to her for analysis, she'd fallen for him at once, and had busted him out. Since then, she'd had to go around a city behind him, dealing with the messes he had made in his exploits.

"I missed you." she purred and kissed him.

He hit her hard.

"Later. Now, we go!"

He led the way out and sniffed as he passed over the dead guards. He then entered the lift, and dragged her in. Pointing his gun up, he fired.

The lift plummeted to the ground.

"Jokey!" Harley Quinn cried in terror.

He gave an insane laugh and took her in his arms.

"Come on!"

He jumped out of the open lift as it crashed to the bottom of the shaft. They were in a corridor where two policemen were watching the door.

"Call the Commissioner! The Joker's out and he's got a hostage!"

This time Harley gave an insane laugh and blew the man's head off, before blowing the other's stomach apart.

"Why we here honey?" she purred, like an eager pet.

"I want someone to help us." he said cheerily.

He opened the door they were supposed to be guarding, and found Crane.

The bespectacled, handsome man looked up with his dazzling blue eyes.

"You're the Joker." he said breathlessly.

"Yep. And you're the Scarecrow, eh?"

"Correct."

"Then come on!" the Joker said with a manic grin.

Scarecrow quickly got up, and followed them out of the corridor.

"Where to?" Harley asked, as sirens pierced the air.

"Damn it girl, you forgot to disable the sensors!" the Joker yelled and punched Harley in the stomach.

Scarecrow grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't blame her. There's a silent one in the metal detector. We can get out. This way." he said in his soft voice.

He led them to a stairwell and they dashed down it. Coming out into the lobby, they saw six policemen storm in and observe their dead comrades.

"We can take them!" Harley said excitedly, and the Joker dashed out firing, her backing him up.

They all dropped to the floor as blood poured everywhere.

"Impressive." Scarecrow said.

"Cheers." Joker said with a smile, and they left the asylum and entered a parked police car.

"Drive." Joker said as he strapped in, cackling manically.

Harley gave a delighted grin, and they shot off.

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Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy was having a night off from being Batman. Since he'd had to take the fall for Harvey Dent's descent into insanity and his crimes as Two-Face, he'd been doing very little of his crime fighting duties. He was also mourning the death of his great love, Rachel Dawes, who the Joker had had murdered with the help of corrupt cops. In fact, the only good thing to have come from the Joker's reign of terror was the fact that James Gordon was now Commissioner of the police. He was a good man, and the city had been further cleaned up with his presence.

"Master Bruce, I advise you to change to the news channel." Alfred said as he entered the room.

Bruce looked at his old friend, but his face betrayed nothing.

Bruce did so, and saw the headline:

Joker and Scarecrow Escape!

Bruce stared at the TV in shock. The Joker had challenged everything he had ever known and believed in, and had killed Rachel, and had managed to turn Harvey Dent into Two-Face.

Bruce ran a tired hand over his black hair.

"How Alfred? How?" he asked wearily.

Alfred put down a steaming cup of coffee beside him and sat down.

"They were busted out by an accomplice of the Joker's seemingly. I've taken the liberty of activating the Batpod master Bruce."

Bruce smiled as he got to his feet.

"What would I do without you?" he asked.

Alfred chuckled.

"Not much. You'd have fallen apart by now." he said.

Bruce shot him a mock glare and headed for the panel that would take him to the secret part of Wayne Towers, where Bruce Wayne was left behind and Batman was picked up.

"Here I go again." he said as he reached it.

"Master Bruce?"

He turned to his old friend and mentor.

"Yes Alfred?"

"Remember, Batman is still an enemy of the public. Also, I know the Joker brought about the death of Miss Dawes, but don't turn Batman into something he's not meant to be." he said wisely.

Bruce nodded solemnly.

"Thanks Alfred."

"And Master Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

"Thanks."

And with that, he was gone.

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Harley weaved the car in and out of traffic, the siren blaring as they passed through the city.

"So, what's the plan lover?" Harley asked.

"Get out of here!" the Joker crowed happily.

Scarecrow, who was sitting beside the Joker, and looked quite apprehensive of this arrangement, suddenly turned around in his seat.

"Batman!" he hissed.

The Joker gave a maniacal laugh, and grabbed both the guns.

"Keep driving!" he said as he stuck his head out of the sunroof.

Batman was coming up on the Batpod, and was arming his tyre busters.

"Hello Batsy!" the Joker cried, and fired.

Two cars blew apart on either side of the bike, showering Batman in shrapnel.

"Take that!" he said, cackling as he did so.

Batman narrowed his eyes. The Joker could blow up a lot of cars as he made his escape. Time to take the fight to him before more people were harmed. As the Joker fired at him, he accelerated towards him. The Joker was still laughing, but then suddenly stopped as Batman shot off the bike, expanded his cape and crashed down to the top of the car, denting it slightly.

"Hello Batman! Miss me?" the Joker asked evilly.

"Not really."

Batman punched the Joker in the face, making him drop the two shotguns in fright. The Joker then slammed his head into Batman's stomach, and Batman wheezed and doubled over. The Joker aimed another punch at Batman, but he was quicker, catching his adversary's hand and slamming it into the roof.

Below them, Harley was having trouble steering with the fight going on on top of the car. She veered around a corner.

"I need them off!" she cried.

Scarecrow picked up one of the guns.

"Keep driving!" he snarled, and turned in his seat.

The two enemies were having a major brawl on top of the car, when Batman suddenly forced the Joker down onto the bonnet of the car. He slammed down after his nemesis.

"For Rachel…" Batman said and raised his fist.

"Going to break your own rule Batsy?" the Joker cackled.

Inside, Harley shrieked as the two slammed down in front of her.

"I cant see!" she yelled.

Scarecrow fired the gun.

The bullet pierced the windowscreen and embedded itself in Batman's back. He was thrown off the car with the impact, where he crashed to the road, and was then hit by their escape car and flung like a rag doll to the gutter.

The Joker was laughing gleefully as he struggled back through the sunroof.

"Good shooting!" he said happily as he sat down.

Scarecrow nodded, pleased with himself.

"Police!" Harley screamed as three cars veered around a corner after them.

Scarecrow smiled, and raised his arm to pull a small canister off it.

"Watch this." he said.

He threw it out of the window, and as it hit the road, green gas flared up, causing a large screech of tyres and slamming noises as the cars veered off course, their drivers blind and seeing their worst fears. The three cars ploughed into the wall, and they were home free.

"We did it!" Harley shouted in delight, and the Joker joined her laughter. Even Scarecrow managed a smile.

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Batman winced as he climbed back onto the Batpod. The Joker and his confederates had gotten away, and he was bleeding rather heavily from the bullet wound where Scarecrow had blasted him. Two people had came up to him and poked him, but as soon as he'd stood up they'd run off. He gunned the engine, and the Batpod shot off through the dark streets of Gotham.

The Joker had escaped. Perhaps he should have killed him when he'd caught him, but that would have meant that the Joker had won. He had turned Harvey Dent into Two-Face and had killed Rachel, and had causes a reign of terror that still had people scared. He didn't need to transform Batman into a murderer too. However, Batman had taken the blame for the murders Two-Face had done, so the Joker had won again.

He was the greatest enemy Batman had faced. He was a total murderer, without conscience and he knew no bounds. And now he had escaped, undoubtedly with more murder and mayhem in mind. The problem was, Scarecrow had joined forces with him. With the climate of fear the Joker created, and the fear toxin belonging to Scarecrow, Gotham would be in very grave danger very soon. And there was also the one who had busted them out. Where did she fit in?

As he drove through a streetful of cars, earning many shocked and enraged glances as he did so, he felt his back. He felt the warm blood gushing from the wound. This was serious. Scarecrow may have damaged his kidneys. And then he would be in trouble.

He wheeled away from the Narrows, when he heard two police cars coming after him.

"Not good." he muttered.

The police wanted to catch him to make him pay for Two-Faces crimes, after he had taken the blame. Now they were after him.

He gunned the engines, and activated the smokescreen that Lucius had built in and shot off into the night.

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Two hours later, Harley Quinn pulled up at an abandoned factory near the Docks, after twisting and turning through many sidestreets and going around the freeway.

"Real fixer-upper you've got here." Scarecrow said sceptically.

Joker laughed, and they went inside, to find it full of guns and explosives.

"Just like you ordered lovvie." Harley said fondly.

Joker laughed manically.

"What's the plan?" Scarecrow asked as Harley vanished into another room.

Joker smacked his large lips.

"I'm not a really complicated person. I don't have plans, per se, I just…make em up as I go along."

Scarecrow snorted.

"You don't have a plan?" he asked incredulously.

"See my boy, I don't use plans. Plans are for folk like Batsy, you, Gordon, those sorts. I just like to introduce a little anarchy." he said gleefully.

"So do I."

Scarecrow turned to see Harley Quinn re-emerge from the room.

She was now dressed in a jester suit, black in the top left and bottom right, and red in the other two locations. She had a jester hat on, and her face was made to look white like the Joker's, with a black thief's mask surrounding her eyes.

"Ah, there's my girl!" Joker said, and kissed her again, to which she happily responded.

Scarecrow smiled. Studying these two would be fascinating.

"So, you just want to cause trouble?" he asked.

"Yep."

"May I suggest we have a plan?" he asked.

"Alright, to keep you happy only." Joker said.

Scarecrow sat down on a crate of weapons.

"Batman is our main problem. So, if you resume your reign of terror, it will mean that people will demand that he give himself up again, thus further stirring the brew he created when he took the fall for Two-Face's murders. We will neutralise him as a threat, as we will offer millions of dollars to whoever kills the Batman."

Joker shook his head adamantly.

"My life would get boring without him."

Scarecrow grinned.

"Ah, but you would win. If they work together, and trap him, he will end up having to kill people to escape. Thus, he will break his own rule and more people will lose faith in him. His reputation will be slowly destroyed, and he will be neutralised as a threat. While we do that, you two will resume your reign of terror on Gotham, and my fear toxin will drive people to the edge of madness. The entire city will be crippled, and it will be open to whatever you want to do to it." he explained.

Joker and Harley Quinn exchanged glances. Then they smiled manically.

"I like it. You do your plan. I introduce a little…anarchy, and that will defeat Batsy and Gotham." Joker purred.

Scarecrow grinned evilly.

"I told you I'd have my revenge Batman." he said under his breath.

He watch as Harley pulled out two massive shotguns from a crate.

"Here we go pudding!" she yelled gleefully, and the Joker laughed.

Gotham would soon know what darkness was.

Hello there.

I fancied writing a different story from my usual culprits, and though of Batman, after seeing Dark Knight and buying it for £10 in Morrisons. :P

So here we are with a new story, which I will write more of if I get any more reviews.

Thus far, the Joker and Scarecrow have escaped, Harley Quinn has introduced herself and Batman has been shot. Im away to finish plotting out the rest of the story just now, so feel free to review if you want more!

Bye for now!