Jack floundered about for three days straight. He hardly ate, though that was nothing new; drank coffee in liters and forgone sleep all together in his drive to find Kats' missing baby. It wasn't so much saving the baby, as winning the game. There was nothing he loved more then a challenge. Of course Kat's nightly visits in his sleep deprived, schizophrenic state had nothing to do with it. She was dead and hence what was the point to try and appease her? Not that he ever had to try. That last thought made him sad, as he once more remembered what he lost. Angry at his own light heartedness he turned dark eyes on his shuffling henchmen, narrowing them in contempt.

"Ok who has bad news?"

Not one of the ten men dared to pick up their hand. Joker randomly shot one down.

"Ok who has good news?"

Everyone put his hand up as one.

Jack sighed.

"I thought so. I think we better extend our search boys, you have until the end of tonight before we play Simon Says…my way."

The men immediately rushed from the abandoned warehouse like rats from a gas chamber. Joker reclined in his old, torn, office chair and propped his feet up on top of a broken desk. He was revising possible alternatives for the search when a loud crash broke his trail of thought. Like a bat out of hell. Great. Just what he needed, Batman in all his glory when he was down on his game and so exhausted he had to resort to second grade puns.

"Hi Batsy. Long time no see."

"Give it up Joker. I'm taking you back to Arkham."

"Sorry no can do. I'm a man on a mission in search of justice. Surprised yet?"

Bruce growled.

"Ok not up for a chat. Just listen then. I want a baby. You're gonna help me get one."

Batman's eyes stretched several sizes, hands clenching and unclenching into fists.

"...what?"

Jay sighed and smoothly pushed of with one foot, spinning himself around; and really, why did Batsy have to be so thick?

"I said…"

"I heard what you said. Stop playing games Joker and come along quietly."

"Yeah I don't know about that, see I kinda like kicking and screaming…in the right circumstances," damn he was falling for the game. No, bad Joker, stay on track!

"Damn it Bats, cut with the flirting! I have a serious problem. I need to find my ex-cellies baby bef…"

"You killed your 'cellie' Joker. You raped and beat her bloody. Do you really expect…"

Joker abruptly bought the chair to a complete stop. Eyes narrowing into onyx slits in vibrant rage. No joke here. He was pissed.

"WHAT…did…you…just…SAY?"

Bruce remained stoic but inside he felt strangely tense. Joker leapt to his feet and circled the desk like an agitated predator. He walked purposefully towards Bruce until they were but a foot apart.

"I…NEVER…touched her!"

"I…"

"You want to know what happened to Kat? Why I give a shit about this baby? Fine! Take me to Arkham!"

"O…k" Batman staggered out, grabbing the killer's upper arm.

"Gonna have to ah cuff you?" he stuttered in apprehension, unconsciously making the statement into a question; and really why was he loosing his nerve? It was just like the Joker to surrender willingly only to play some diabolical game on him along the way.

"Ohhh kinky. I like."

Batman scowled and quickly cuffed the psycho; forcing him into the passenger seat of the Batmobile. They drove in silence all the way to the asylum, Joker occasionally releasing a theatrical sigh but otherwise not moving a muscle or speaking a word. Before they could approach the driveway Joker casually removed one hand from behind his back and reached over to shut down the engine. Bruce flinched.

"How did you…?"

"Skill. Come on we have to walk the rest of the way or else they'll catch us."

"I don't know…"

"Look, desperate times call for desperate measures, I think it's in the bible or something," Batman didn't bother to correct him, "and believe me I'd rather be stripping for Lt. Gordy then going back to that place. But you're all about justice and what's going on in there is about as far from the concept as I am from priesthood."

Batman nodded, not caring to believe a word from the lunatic's mouth until he saw something even resembling evidence. From the front Arkham looked like any average facility for the criminally insane; a garden and big stately gilded gates. In every sense a proper introduction for people who ate their own feces and cut themselves into ribbons with pieces of sharpened, plastic cutlery. They walked around the building until they came to face a wall about ten storey's high. Built flat with no windows and no evident way up or down; an obvious deterrent with out stating so.

"Ok Bats. Let it rip!"

"What?"

"You know the bat-web or whatever it was you used to catch me that night."

Batman nodded and quickly pulled out the mechanic grip-hook, shooting for the metal fencing around the roof. Jerking to test the hold he looked at the Joker, suddenly nervous with the idea.

"Oh come here lover boy," Jack made an exaggerated arm gesture, rushing forward to bear hug his favorite bat. Bruce winced but wrapped one arm around the bony rib cage and shot them up. Joker stage whispering just before they took off, "up, up and away!" Crackling madly all the way up.

Bruce slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up", he hissed when they landed on the roof. Joker licked the offending palm. Recoiling as if burned, Bruce slapped him upside the head.

"Don't worry Bat-boy, they won't hear us above the screaming."

"Screaming?"

Joker just laughed.

"You'll see lover, you'll see…"