II. The Impossible Choice

Six days after meeting the girl in the hotel, her prophecy had began to come to light. The Joker had sent the entire city into an uproar by interrupting a public service announcement, stating his threats to level every school in Gotham until his erratic and insane demands were met, just as the stranger had foretold. Batman held the files in his hand. The ones the Commissioner had received in the mail days ago, as promised. He tried to wrap his mind around the concept of blowing up the schools in Gotham (as the stranger had suggested) to prevent the Joker from... Blowing up the schools in Gotham. It made no sense, and too much sense at the same time. Either way, the schools would be demolished. There really was no way to save them. The Joker wouldn't let the evening end any other way. The difference between the two scenarios was that in the int the first, with Batman in control, the children could be saved. In the latter, the Joker would see to it that this was not the case. But surely there had to be another way. Blowing up the schools could not be an option, could it? And what did the stranger mean when she said that they should 'need only one'? One bomb? One school? If that were the case, how could she possibly know which one? And why would she have put bombs in EVERY school? A backup plan, maybe? His mind raced with questions again. He knew what he HAD to do, but it's not what he wanted to do. It's what he secretly feared to do.

Batman glanced up at the monitors he sat in front of, looking in on all the children who had been evacuated only moments before, to an underground holding cell that no one knew existed. Not even Batman knew about it. The principal told him in secrecy when Batman demanded to get the kids out. The children were lead down a long, blackened tunnel to this cramped, underground room before the Joker even realized that they were gone. The entrance to the tunnel was behind 30 years of clutter, and a false wall, so even Batman was reassured that they would be safe there.

Batman let the files fall loosely between his fingertips onto his lap. There had to be something he could do to wrangle the Joker, distract him from his work, and thereby not only save the children, but the schools as well... Oh, how he wanted to believe that. But deep down, he knew the Joker too well. The whole force did. And they knew that this was not the case. To save the schools now would mean that they would have to be in several places, all over the city, at the exact same time. Not even Batman was capable of that. The bombs, being linked to a remote timer somewhere in the Jokers control, would be going off in some sort of order. Or, disorder, that is, in the case of the Joker. Not knowing in which order that would be put too many lives at risk. Schools could be rebuilt, but once lives are lost, they are gone forever. In good conscience, Batman knew he could not ask the Gotham police to go in and try to disarm the bombs. There were too many, in too many locations, and not knowing when the Joker had planned to set them off was far too risky for even an expert. The schools were empty now. No one would be hurt if they were destroyed, but these men still had families to go home to.

Batman studied the recording of the Joker's threat, lost in thought. He was not even aware of what he was staring at anymore. Not that it mattered anyway, the Joker always managed to make his feeds untraceable. Leaving no identifying marks to be seen on film. That said a lot for someone who spends as little time "planning" as the Joker said he did.

"Bullshit." Batman thought aloud "I have never seen so much careful and tedious planning before in my life."

Part of him did not want to give such a cruel fiend so much credit. Yes, he planned things very thoroughly, but the things he planned were still malicious and evil.

"If only he could have put that mind towards good instead of evil" Batman lamented, realizing only moments after saying it that whatever trace of a 'mind' the Joker may have once had, was long gone by now.

Batman realized he was currently playing the Joker's favorite game of all. The waiting game. But this time it was not under the Jokers terms. In fact, it was completely opposite of anything the Joker could have been expecting. If Batman knew the Joker... And he did... The Joker was waiting on the roof somewhere for Batman to show up, expecting a confrontation to ensue, and then bombs would begin to light up the night sky behind them, leaving Batman feeling defeated before him. The Joker reveled in such a thought. Humiliating Batman. Taking him down a notch or ten to his own level. But the Joker was in for a surprise this time, though. This time, the bombs would be going off before Batman even arrived. Joker would be cornered by the blasts, and when Batman arrived at the scene fashionably late, the Joker would be hauled into custody. Something was troubling Batman, though. How did this stranger know which bombs to set off and in what order? How did she know where the Joker would be, and when, to pull this off safely? Or did she even? Was it even possible to predict the Joker's next move before he made it? The entire Gotham police force had been trying unsuccessfully to do so for years... Or was this whole thing just going to turn into one big mess of casualties and destruction? Only time would tell...

"9:22" Batman spoke again to himself, "Showtime."

He held the detonator in his hands thoughtfully, still trying to roll over any other possibilities in his mind, unwilling use it. But he knew in his heart that the consequences for not doing so would be devastating. He gave it one final thought, and then he pushed the button that would begin a chain of events neither he, nor the city of Gotham could have ever prepared for. He descended the stairs of the building with a heavy heart before climbing into the Batmobile and speeding off into the darkness of the early night.

As he flew down the ever busy city streets, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the city was not aflame, crumbling around him. He glanced in the various directions of all the schools as he passed, and saw no signs of towering infernos and screaming onlookers. The people in the surrounding buildings as well as the children and faculty had long since been evacuated, just for precaution. One can never have enough precautions when dealing with the Joker. But something was amiss... Of all the schools in the city, why was this stranger sending him to the smallest one? The Joker never did anything 'small'. If he was going to blow something up, it would be the biggest thing he could get his hands on. The thing that would make the most impact on the community. Cause the most chaos. Radio silence broken by the Commissioner answered the question. Various explosions from within had leveled Gotham High, right down to the faculty parking garage. Not a single stick of furniture remained intact.

The Batmobile cut the last corner and screamed to a stop in front of a smoke laden heap where a school had once stood. The police had already made the scene, as directed by the stranger. They were scouring the rubble for any trace of the Joker, but without even getting out of the car, Batman knew he wasn't there. He let out a sigh and leaned his head back on the headrest. What the Hell was going on? What was the point of this? Who was responsible for the Joker's absence? Was this his work, or that of the stranger? Either way, something was definitely wrong. If this evening had gone according to the Joker's plan, every school in the city would be in ruins with the children inside, not just this one. The smallest. Empty. It didn't add up at all. But if things hadn't gone according to the Joker's plan... Then who's plan was it? Who could possibly come up with a plan devious enough to outwit the Joker? Who would even be stupid enough to try? Thoughts raced through the head of the Dark Knight like lightning. The only conclusion he could come to is that the two were working together, but then why stage this whole thing? Unless there was no point at all. Perhaps it was pure madness. Certainly not unlike the Joker's usual MO.

With defeat hanging heavily in the night air, and the Joker not around to witness it, Batman headed back to his cave. Back to the waiting game. Waiting to see who would make the next move, or if the Joker is really gone for good...