Warning: Progress in this fan fiction will be slow. I have actual books to write.

And before anyone makes any clever comments about discrepancies in comparison to what happened in the actual comics or in a specific TV continuity, such as the location of Titans Tower, I'd like to remind you that this is a fan fiction.

(Gotham City: Years ago)

Wayne Enterprises was hosting a fundraiser for Autism Awareness. Everyone who was anyone was there to support the cause, so naturally, the recently escaped Joker saw it as an opportunity to make some fast cash. The Joker and his men wasted no time gathering up the money and everyone's valuables, fearing that Batman might burst through the window at any moment. What they didn't know was that Batman was one of the hostages being held at gunpoint.

"Of all the villains, I'd have to deal with on my own, it had to be the Joker."

Dick Grayson, Robin, stood on the roof of the building owned by Wayne Enterprises where the hostage situation was unfolding. He counted at least a dozen armed thugs, including the Joker himself. Right now the hostages were being forced to empty their pockets. He didn't have much time.

"Stop me if you've heard this one before!" laughed the Joker. "There once was an old lady who got mugged. As the thief ran away, she pulled out her late husband's service pistol and shot him six times. Later, while she was detained by the police, her lawyer asked her why she shot the man six times. She responded, I only had six bullets! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Robin had read Batman's files on the Joker multiple times, and they still sent a chill down his spine. No one knew who the Joker was before he became what he was, he just seemed to appear out of thin air. He was a sadistic sociopath who delighted in causing chaos, destruction, and human suffering, and no one knew why. Now Robin had to take him on all by himself.

"Master Dick, have you formulated your plan of attack?" asked Alfred over the comms.

Robin thought he was ready, but then he remembered what happened the first time he and Batman went after Two-Face together, and the Joker was a lot more unpredictable than a man who needed to flip a coin for every decision he made.

"They're almost done collecting the loot. It's now or never Al… Kill the lights on my mark."

"Why is Three afraid of Two?" asked the Joker. "Because he killed every One!"

Before the Joker could move, the lights went out. A moment later, several canisters crashed through the windows, filling the room with a thick cloud of tear gas. As Robin crashed through the ceiling, he hurled several shuriken to disarm the hostiles. As he fell, he brought all of his weight raining down on the nearest crook. He then quickly dispatched the next thug and moved onto the next.

"Nine… ten… eleven…"

Click!

Robin froze as the gas dissipated, and was greeted with the sight of the Joker pointing a gun at him.

"Bird Boy! Seriously, what do you people have against windows? Either you've never heard of a door, or you just really like pulling glass out of your asses! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Where's your boss?"

Robin slowly circled the Joker, who kept his weapon trained on him.

"Bruce's files said that Joker likes to talk… so do I."

Robin had been preparing for a confrontation with a Joker, but not without having Batman as backup, and Bruce Wayne couldn't afford to look too brave in a situation like this.

"He thought I could take care of you by myself."

"What was that?!" snapped the Joker.

"He doesn't take you seriously anymore," replied Robin still moving slowly in a circle. "And can you blame him? There are only so many times you can listen to bad jokes and stare at that ugly mug."

"Maybe he'll take me seriously when I clip your little wings!"

"Before you do that Pagliacci, would you like to hear a joke?"

"What's that?! Does the Brat Wonder thing he can mix it up with the mogul mountebanks himself?! Sure, what the hell?"

Robin stopped circling the Joker, leaving the clown with his back to a window. All he could do now was pray his plan worked.

"Two ice cream sandwiches are sitting in a freezer. One looks at another and says, 'It's kind of cold in here.' The other says, 'Ah! A talking ice cream sandwich!'"

There was a long silence, and the Joker frowned.

"You are the worst comedian I've ever heard, and I've had Batman try to tell me a joke."

Robin's smile didn't fade from his face.

"Yeah, well at least I'm smart enough to get out of the way of an incoming drone."

"Wait, what?"

Joker turned to look out the window, giving Robin just the distraction he needed. He hurled the prototype glue grenade from his belt and it struck the Joker in the back, encasing him in a gel-like adhesive and causing him to fall flat on his face. The lights came back on, and Robin struck a pose.

"La commedia è finita!"

Robin got a big standing ovation from the hostages. He looked around and saw Bruce. There was no doubt in Dick's mind that Bruce was going to scold him for being reckless and tell him what he did wrong, but that didn't change the fact that he just outjokered the Joker without anyone getting hurt. He walked over and turned the Joker over.

"How does it feel to be upstaged by the worst comedian you've ever heard?"

"You better kill me Bird Boy, because if you don't, I'm going to kill the person you love most…"

"You're going back to Arkham, and this time you're going to stay there."

"Oh, like I haven't heard that before…"