Glass shattered upon impact with a Kevlar covered back. The man tumbled head over heels to the edge of the platform, underneath a steel bar held up by a flimsy stick. The Joker kicked the stick out and straddled Batman's chest.
"We really should stop this fighting or we'll miss the fireworks!" he laughed, a wide grin stretching the puckered scars marring his face.
Rendered helpless by the steel bar across his shoulders and wrists and the Joker's weight on his chest, Batman could only glare up at his arch-enemy.
"There won't be any fireworks!" he rasped. The Joker ignored him stared gleefully out at the bay where the two ferries floated like corks in a pond.
Tick-tock, tick-tock! The scarred man thought. Any second now… Gotham City was silent as the grave as the clock towed midnight. Nothing. No burst of flame, loud explosion, or even the sight of water rising along the hulls as the ships sunk. No screams… Nothing at all.
The Joker's face was emotionless, a hint of something quite like confusion hinting in his brown eyes.
"What were you trying to prove?" snarled Batman.
The Joker swung his gaze to a clock hanging haphazardly on a pole. Midnight. On the dot.
"That deep down, everyone's exactly as you!" The Joker blinked. Baring his teeth and snarling, he threw away the crowbar clenched in his fist. "You're alone!"
The full weight of the words came crashing down on the Joker's ice cold heart like a wrecking ball, igniting a burn. Alone… The purple-clad man kept his face stoic.
"Can't rely on anyone these day's ya gotta do everything yourself. DON'T WE!" The Joker fished around in his pocket for a few seconds before pulling out a small, device that looked a bit like a videogame controller. "That's okay, I came prepared." He flipped a switch and the device beeped once. "It's a funny world we live in," he whispered, almost to himself.
Batman shifted his forearm so the underside was facing the Joker.
"Speaking of which do you know how I got these scars?" the painted man grinned and pointed to his face with the antenna of the detonator, undoubtedly having cooked up another gruesome, albeit slightly heart wrenching, tale.
"No," hissed Batman. "But I know how you got these!" He clenched his fist and out shot three batarangs, two embedding themselves in the Joker's chest and shoulder, the other slicing his jaw as it flew past.
The Joker gasped, momentarily dropping his guard. Batman took advantage of the situation and threw the Joker over his head and off the building.
Sharp cackles echoed out of the Joker's throat as he fell to his death. In their last moments, people show you who they really are. A pang of sympathy gnawed at Batman's heart and he leaned over the edge, aiming his grapple gun.
Soft groans could be heard in time with Batman's pulls as he hoisted the madman back up to eye level.
"Ohhhh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an…immoveable object." He gasped slightly for breath as Batman tied up the rope. "You…truly are…incorruptible…aren't you?" His tongue licked at his lower lip. "Huh?"
Batman, panting heavily from exertion, stared at the ground far below them.
"You won't kill me out of some…misplaced…sense of self-righteousness…and I won't kill you. Because you're just too much fun." The Joker held out his arms a chuckled. "I think… you and I are destined to do this forever."
Batman glared. "You'll be in a padded cell forever!"
"Maybe we could share one! You know they'll be doubling up at the rate this city's inhabitants are losing their minds!" The Joker's voice rose an octave at the last three words. Batman bared his teeth.
"This city just showed you that it's full of people ready to believe in good!" he hissed slowly, making sure the Joker could understand every word. His nemesis grinned and held up one finger,
"Till their spirit breaks completely!" Batman let out a breath and hung his head in realization. The Joker wasn't stupid by any means. Batman had underestimated him, and he knew it would cost him dearly. "Till they get a good look at the real Harvey Dent. Ha! And all the "heroic" things he's done."
Batman stared at the slightly flailing man in shock. The Joker laughed softly.
"You didn't think I'd…risk losing the battle for Gotham's soul…in a fistfight with you?" He shook his head. "No…you need an ace in the hole. Mine's Harvey."
Batman fought hard to keep his face stoic and check his rising anger. "What did you do?" he whispered.
"I took Gotham's White Knight…and I brought him down to our level." Batman stared. "It wasn't hard. See madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little PUSH!"
Batman fled, dread crushing his soul as SWAT closed in on the cackling madman.
Blood, sweat and running greasepaint mixed and stained the Joker's purple trench coat as he sat, handcuffed, in the back of a police cruiser. Ha! Now all I need is tears, he thought, giggling. And I'll be set. All jokes aside, the Joker found himself fight back the salty liquid stinging his eyes as a voice murmured in the back of his mind.
Alone…alone…alone…
Ha ha it's better that way.
Alone…alone…alone…
No really, it is. No one weighs you down.
Alone…alone…alone…
Better…better…better… the Joker mimicked.
Alone.
…Isn't it better?
He was startled by the front door of the car being opened and a tall, burly figure climbing in. The Joker smirked and laughed softly, pushing his thoughts aside.
"Evening officer." The other man glanced over his shoulder, a look of disgust on his face.
"Crazy clown." The Joker's smile dropped off his face.
"I'm not."
"Sure."
"I'm not."
The policeman started the car and flicked on his lights. "You just keep telling yourself that."
'Not crazy' was whispered the enitre way to Arkham Asylum. What was I trying to prove? The scarred man pondered amidst his mumblings.
Chaos! No. Everything becomes chaos. No. I'm not crazy. No. His train of thought was lost in a desperate attempt to convince himself of that once fact. Not crazy…
Men in white coats came charging out to extract the Joker from the back of the police cruiser when they arrived.
"I'm not," the Joker said flatly as they pulled him out. "I'm NOT CRAZY!" The last words were screamed at the top of his lungs, voice pitching higher than any grown man should be able to reach. The madman thrashed his arms and fought in vain to escape his fate, however not for the sake of freedom, but proof. In the midst of the struggle, a single, salty tear joined the messy smear on the faded purple lapel.