Chapter Two - Rat in the Alley
The next night found the Batman at the scene another of Joker's failed pranks. The said clown lay trapped within his own card. Encased in wood. Basically, the prankster was stuck inside a giant joker playing card.
Having spent a few hours at Arkham that day, Batman wasn't feeling too keen on making sure that Joker got there safely, but: work is work. Being the protector of Gotham isn't always the best choice of career, but if you're going to do something, do it properly.
But seeing as the police department wanted him arrested, he'd better make himself scarce until they get the clown into a vehicle, when he could follow them to the Asylum in his Batmobile.
Batman left the building, and the fifty people inside it, then called his car via his utility belt. Two minutes later, the Batmobile came speeding down the road silently. Batman jumped into the drivers seat and drove it into an alleyway, from which, he could watch the police breaking Joker out of his wooden fortress, and take action if the clown attempted to get away.
It was slow progress; they had to make sure that they didn't harm Joker; his facial muscles were paralysed, but that didn't stop him from giggling hysterically, through his teeth.
"Do you think we'll need to call the fire department?" asked Ellen Yin, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. Her partner, Ethan Bennett shook his head and continued to hack into the wood.
"No way. I got you out of this, didn't I?"
Ellen frowned, but continued, nonetheless. A minute passed, and they had managed to break off the top section of wood. They handcuffed Joker, as a safety precaution, then set about working free his legs. Now they had half of the wood removed, it was easier to pull off the second section. Once Joker was hauled out of the 'card,' he was led to a grey van, which had the words 'Arkham Asylum' written along the side in black ink. His facial muscles still frozen, all he could manage in protest was a roll of his eyes and an annoyed grunt.
"Don't say you didn't bring this on yourself, Joker." Commissioner Gordon said, as the Arkham personnel closed and locked the steel door. One of the men from Arkham approached Gordon and shook his hand. He bore a badge which read: 'Butch Perkins - Arkham Official'
"Thank you, Commissioner Gordon. We'll make sure Joker remains locked up in Arkham and an incident like this never occurs again."
"You'd better see to it. Fifty people could've drowned tonight."
"It won't happen again, sir." With that, Butch made a last minute check to see if Joker was still in the back of the van.
He was; still grinning at the wall.
Meanwhile, Batman was growing bored with watching the group of people. He was resting his chin on the steering wheel of the Batmobile, still keeping an eye on the grey van.
"Come on!" He muttered, impatiently. Then he heard something. Something behind the Batmobile. He turned and narrowed his eyes at the darkness of the alley, that seemed ready to pounce upon him. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed exasperatedly. "Just a rat."
Batman turned back to face the street. The van was gone. Batman started up the engine of his vehicle the Batmobile roared into life for a few brief seconds before giving up. "Not now…" He checked his gas meter; it was empty. "What… impossible!" He always had a full tank. Batman cursed and got out of the vehicle, taking out his secondary vehicle remote: the Batcycle. As he pressed the button, he heard another noise. It was very soft, but his radar signals picked it up. Batman faced the darkness and stared into it for a few seconds. No. It was probably just that stupid rat, again.
Then the Batcycle entered the alleyway; lights illuminating the darkness. Batman's eyes widened as he saw what he had heard only moments before; a figure standing in the middle of the alley.
"No!" He jumped onto the person, pushing them out of the way of the vehicle. When the Batcycle had stopped right next to the Batmobile, Batman stood up and looked down at the figure clothed in an emerald green costume. They looked up at him. "Yoru? What are you doing here? You could've been killed! You… I don't have time for this." He made to turn, but Yoru passed him and blocked his way.
"Where do you think you're going?" Her face was void of expression.
"Get out of the way, before-"
"-you punch my lights out?" She threw her head back and laughed an evil laugh. "I think it's the other way around, darling." Batman glared at her.
"I don't have the time for your petty games, Yoru. Just move out of the way."
"Yeah?" She raised an eyebrow, "And who's going to make me? Besides, I'm not leaving until I get what I want."
"Maybe some other time. Now, if you would excuse me…" He walked past her.
Yoru smirked. "It was me who broke your Hot Wheel."
Batman frowned and turned to her. "What?"
"I drained the petrol from your tank. You need a better safety mechanism if you ask me."
"Why, Yoru? I thought you were a theif, not a… wait." He gave her a look of exasperation. "You're working for The Joker, aren't you? That's why you're trying to stop me from making sure he gets to Arkham. You've got a plan to break him out, haven't you?"
Yoru laughed. "You think too much, Batman. All I want is you."
"Huh?" She walked to him; her face was an inch from his. "What are y-" He slumped to the floor as Yoru reapplied her black lipstick.
"Not just a pretty face, am I; Batboy?" She took her eyes off his unconscious form and placed her gaze upon the Batcycle. The engine was humming patiently; waiting for its next command.
A smile crept onto Yoru's face. This was too easy.
---
On the other side of Gotham, the van, which contained the clown prince of crime, was nearly at its destination of Arkham Asylum.
Joker's facial muscles had finally relaxed, but he still wore his trademark grin. The only way the Arkham personnel could tell that he had recovered was due to his incessant heckling.
"Do they pay you to wear that awful outfit? I know I'd demand compensation to look at it. Bwahahahaha!" The personnel looked at each other, worriedly. They hated Joker's laugh; it sent cold shivers down their spine.
When he finally stopped laughing he bounced up and down on the bench. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there- WOO! Speed bump!"
The van drew to an abrupt stop and Butch got out, taking a torch out with him. The two men inside looked petrified.
"Did we hit, anything?"
Butch scanned the road. The van definitely hit something solid, but it didn't make too much of an impact on the van's velocity. He shone the torch out further and…
Butch's heart started pounding like a jackhammer.
"Oh no…" He moaned. There was a woman lying in the middle of the road; and she wasn't moving.
He turned back to the van, feeling sick. "Rod, Nick! I'm gonna need your help!" The two men left the van, terrified and inspected the body with Butch.
Joker poked his face out from the bars of the van. "Ooo… you're in trouble!" He started sniffing the air. "I smell a demotion!"
Butch took the lady's wrist and felt for her pulse. It was weak. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. "She's not dead yet. There's still some hope left. Nick, call 911!"
"I'm afraid I can't allow that."
Yoru kicked the phone from the man's hand and smashed his face with the heel of her boot. The other two men were used to sudden behaviour in Arkham, so they weren't taken by surprise. They grabbed her arms and legs and tried to restrain her, but Yoru managed to free one hand and strike her sharp fingers into the soft flesh of the man nearest to her. Blood oozed from the wound as the last man gaped in open-mouthed horror. He hadn't prepared for that. He dropped Yoru's legs and made for the van.
But before he could make it, she jumped on his back and smashed his face into the concrete.
He was finished.
Yoru looked at her right hand, which was shining with blood. It was so beautiful… she admired the crimson liquid running down her palm before licking it off. She grimaced: the blood tasted sour. It had been in the open for too long. She wiped the remainder of blood, in disgust on the grey tunic of the man whose face was split open.
Yoru's attention was brought by the maniacal laughter of Joker, who was rattling the bars of the van as though what she had just done was the greatest comedy act on the planet. Upon seeing this sight she remembered what she followed the van to do. Re-coating her lipstick, she took the keys from the man below her, and walked away from the van.
"Hey! You're not just gonna leave me here, are you, Yoru?" Joker shouted at her back. She ignored him and dragged the unconscious form of Batman off the Batcycle, which she had hidden behind a dumpster. She pulled the vigilante towards the van, where Joker was fuming at this new sight.
"I thought I told you to stay away from Batman! I am the one who will vanquish him! You hear!"
"Yeah, yeah: I hear." Yoru muttered, indifferently. She took the keys from her pocket and undid the lock on the door. She peered through the bars. "Now; when I open this door, you promise not to run away?"
Joker frowned at her. "I'm not promising anything." He said, darkly.
"Well, you can stay in here then." Yoru locked the door again and dragged Batman to the passenger seat. Her stomach growled. She looked at Batman, whose head was now leaning on the window. His neck was obscured by that damn cowl.
"Come on, Yoru. Quit playing games and let me out." Joker teased. Yoru had stopped, key in the ignition.
"I guess you're right." She sighed, opening her door and getting out the keys. She closed her eyes while she was unlocking the door, breathing heavily. Then the lock clicked and she opened her eyes again, opening the door. Joker was watching her, with a raised eyebrow. He looked like he was ready to run out from the van, but he sat on the bench again, still watching her.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, as she climbed into the van and sat beside him, gasping for air.
"I…" She turned to him and saw that his neck was vulnerable. Excellent. "I don't know, Joker." She put on the waterworks. "I've been so confused lately!" Yoru threw herself into his arms; Joker flinched as though she had just hit him. He didn't like contact with other people.
"I'm sorry to hear that… but I've really got to go… now." He held her wrists and took her arms from around him.
"Don't go!" She cried.
Joker shook his head, incredulously. "What now?" He said impatiently, but before he could comprehend what her next move was, Yoru's lips brushed against his and he fell to the floor.
Yoru wiped her lipstick off and crouched next to Joker's body, tilting his head back so she could see where his veins were. When Yoru caught sight of one, her teeth struck into his pale flesh and the warm blood seeped into her mouth.
To be continued…
NB: Sorry about the abrupt ending!
