Hello! Sorry for the long waiting! I had hw constantly. Anyway I saw some of you guys reviews. About the tenses! Thank you for telling me! :D No one has really bothered telling me about my tenses before and I'm barely adapting to 3rd person writing. I will try to fix it! If the problem proceeds I'll get a beta reader to look at it. I also will review some of my previous chapters and fix the common mistakes. Setting that aside who bought TDKR on Dec 4? I DID. XD
Chapter 4. Face off
" But I won't complain to you! I've driven down here by cold,
not either to amuse you, or enjoy your society," - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The taxi cab parked right outside the house that Selina remembered living for so long, it brought an abundant of mixed emotions. She took a breath and walked right in. She walked up the stairs to the room that used to be hers 8 years ago. She knocked once, twice, then once more before deciding to break in. Once the lock to the key clicked, Selina stepped inside. Where was Jen? she wondered as she looked around. Everything seemed like she hadn't touched it for a while now. Where was her friend? Selina crouched down to see a picture of a man having his arms wrapped around Jen. Selina frowned, she didn't like the gleam in the man's face or the smile of his. She turned the pictured around.
March 11th at the Stemrim building
2 months from now, Selina concluded. She came to the telephone, pressing the new messages button. Most were from men, especially from one called Tommy in particular. Finally though it came to a message that Selina found disturbing.
" Your lucky to runaway, before it's too late. Drop your cash at the laboratory, give everything I gave you to Pamela. Then leave or die"
Selina's eyebrows crossed. The message was definitely not a friendly note. She walked away from the telephone and started looking for clues. Anything that could possible help her find out where Jen was. Every little detail she paid extra attention to. For example the fridge had a stock of food in it and most of her clothes were here. If Jen left, she must've left in a rush. The whole place looked a mess. Selina decided to focus on what wasn't here then what was. Selina started looking for her passport. If Jen took her passport it is likely that she left Gotham already. Selina looked under the bed where a safe was hidden neatly tucked under a series of boxes to keep it from anyone else. She pulled the safe out dialing the combinations 5412384748. The safe snapped opened. Selina frowned. Jen passport was still in the safe along with all her papers. This could only mean one thing, Jen must still be in Gotham. A sudden glass break made Selina stiffen up. The glass shattering came from below. Selina stepped out, her breath caught. She saw a woman with a sort of clown face. Black lipstick on her lips and she was dressed sort of like a jester. Selina frowned, was there a renaissance festival in Gotham?
She skipped around waving the hammer around. Out of instinct Selina began following her. The strange woman broke into the house on the left. When she came out she had something wrapped in a bag. She was humming to herself as she dialed a number.
" Mister J! It's all taken care of...Ahm..the blue ones...What? Why not? I want to see you go against Batman,"
Selina eyes expanded. Now it was obvious that this woman knew about Batman. Who against Batman... Selina had her cat suit already in the suitcase she brought. She hurried to change into her sleek costume. She wasted no time in coming out to meet this strangely dressed jester. Thankfully she was still in the same place, she looked angry now as she kicked shattered pieces of glass.
" Letting your anger out like that isn't a good solution honey," Selina kept her distance.
The woman looked up. " So what? Mind your own business," she replied back her hand locking on the hammer.
" Just saying...What's got you mad?" Selina took a turned to the left, eyeing the hammer in her hands.
" Your awfully curious...Catwoman," a light smile came to her lips.
Selina kept her smile " So you know who I am, I'm flattered."
Her eyes locked. " You shouldn't. Everyone knows who you are, though it's weird that you would appear after missing for years...could it be that Batman is really back," she twirled her hammer.
" You should put that hammer down, you don't want to hurt yourself,"
That made her smile " You want to me to test it?" her eyes gleamed. Selina smiled herself, but she was hiding a worry from showing in her face. This woman was very strange indeed. Her appearance almost reminded her of...the Joker. Realization dawn at her..Mister J must be the Joker.
" I want to see you try," Selina replied, trying to see any weaknesses in the woman.
Police cars suddenly zoomed by. Something was happening at the corner. The woman turned around, her smile faded again. When she turned back to Selina she looked angrier.
" I'll finish with you then head over there, whether he likes it or not, or my name isn't Harley Quinn," she aimed the hammer at her.
Selina dodge the attack, her reflexes kicking in. Harley was fast on swinging her hammer, too quick. She almost hit Selina once or twice.
" Where's the boy!" Selina yelled when she had managed to gripped her hammer and slam her to the wall.
" Why do you want him? He's just some rich snob's son," Harley snapped back trying to break free of Selina grip.
Selina hands tightened. " Say that again and that hammer of yours will land in your face,"
" Oh really," Harley spun the hammer with a jilt to Selina's side. Selina pulled apart, holding back a grunt. " Haha what were you saying kittycat? Your precious Batman won't rescue you, he doesn't stand a chance on Mister J," Harley grinned.
Selina eyes narrowed as Harley aim to get the hammer ready to slam it into Selina's face. A shot rang out. Harley took the chance to run instead.
" Oh God...Are you okay?" a girl came in, not much younger than Selina.
" Nice shot," Selina stood up, her side hurting like hell. Selina realized the girl looked like a young police officer.
"..Who are you? Are you working for the Joker?" the girl still hadn't lowered her gun.
Selina smiled. " Don't worry kid, I'm not the bad guy this time and I have to follow that woman," Selina didn't wait for the girl to follow. She knew Harley was heading where the Joker was, and if she found her she found her son. The girl police officer followed close behind her.
Bruce felt back at home with the Batman gear on him. When they finally got to the location where they tracked Gordon call. Cops were all over the outside. Apparently they were a group of cops held hostage.
" We have to get inside, Robin you should entered through the west hall and I'll enter to the right," Bruce ordered. On their way over Blake had told Bruce to use his legal name when in costume to keep his secret identity.
Blake nodded " All right.. I'll go first,"
They both kept to the plan. Once Blake was inside the left entry, Bruce took the right entry inside. Everything felt silent. A sound that Bruce didn't like at all.
" They must be in the longer section. Henchmen at 3 ok," Blake pointed as 4 men with clown masked started shooting at them. Bruce pointed to end of the hall. Blake understood what he meant, he disappeared in the back as Bruce sneakily pulled out his batarangs to take care of the one of them. Blake came from behind knocking the other two down while Bruce helped take care of the 4th one. Bruce found that working with Blake wasn't too bad. He was a pretty good fighter. Finally the came to the bigger section. The hostages on the middle of the hall and right in front of them was non other then the Joker himself. Bruce felt his own blood go cold at the sight of him.
" Ah. So Hush was right...you did return. Do you know how long I waited? I was beginning to think Hush was fooling around," the Joker began clapping at the sight of Batman.
Bruce eyes focused the bandaged men on the corner who held his son in his arm. His son looked terrified, but otherwise unhurt. Be brave, Bruce mentally told him forcing himself to look away from his son.
" Excellent, Excellent, Excellent," clapped the Joker completely thrilled with the outcome.
" What do you want," Bruce eyes locked on him.
" I want many things. Tonight was just a test to see if you truly returned. By the way now that we are all here. We should celebrate shouldn't we..''
" All that's going to happen tonight is getting you back on bars," Bruce took a step forward.
" God, I missed this guy. Didn't I tell you," the Joker turned from Hush to Bruce again. " You know how long I waited each day in the asylum. To come against you once again. You were able to save Gotham from Bane, but from me you might not be so lucky," he walked closer to Thomas.
Bruce blood was pulsing through. He didn't like the Joker close to his son. " I'm curious though," he gripped Thomas suddenly.
Out of instinct Bruce shot forward.
" Ah ah...you get closer and I'll kill him," the Joker knife pressed to Thomas neck. " All Hush told me was that he was a rich man's son, but he must be more important to you if you came back for him…family member maybe?.."
Thomas shivered from the feeling of the knife in his neck. Bruce realized that the Joker didn't know that Thomas was his son. Hush must be the bandaged men, he must know who he really is and is keeping it hidden from the Joker. But why?
" Let him go. Just don't hurt him," Bruce felt trapped, if he moved he knew for sure the Joker wouldn't hesitate to kill Thomas, but if he stayed he couldn't do anything about it.
" Tell you what. I'll give you an option...I'm keeping the boy and maybe you'll rescue him, but not tonight. Tonight, we'll start it easy, you will decide whether to save these hostages, including the commissioner or the cops outside who are standing above a bomb that will go off in 1 minute or try to save this boy...alone," the moment he said that a slam came to the side of Blake face. Blake fell down. Bruce turned to see a woman, dressed as a jester with a hammer in her hand. She had the same smile as the Joker.
" Harley why don't you help him decide. Until later Batman..," he started walking back. He was getting away, but Bruce had to deal with this woman, Blake, and the police outside.
A silloutte flickered down. He knew that figure. It came down right on top of Harley as she used her heels to knock Harley down.
" That was for earlier bitch," Selina muttered her eyes turned to Bruce.
" What are you-nevermind," Bruce found it pointless to argue about why she was here.
A girl came from behind Selina. Her gun ready on her hand. She crouched down in Blake.
" He's bleeding," the girl murmured, her eyebrows crossing." Get him out, Selina take care of the hostages, I'll go after the Joker,"
Both Selina and the girl nodded as Bruce headed out to follow the bandaged men and the Joker. He ran as fast as he could, but by the time he came to the edge the Joker was gone.
" No," Bruce slammed his fist on the windowpane. Looking down he realized the cops were still outside. He made his way down warning the cops to get out of the range. The Joker, True to his word let the bombs go off . Thankfully most of the cops outside got the warning. Bruce stood at a distance watching the firefighters attempt to calm the fire.
" How did he get away! He didn't run for long," Selina was furious now as she paced behind Bruce.
" We'll find him again. He's only testing me…like always. This is a game to him. He wanted to see if I would truly come back. This was only a test," Bruce sighed.
" You could've stopped him!" Selina yelled, she was angry that she had been close to rescuing her son and yet unable. " You should've! I should've gone after him ! You let him get away!" she was taking out her anger on him.
Bruce fingers clench, but he didn't answer back. Before long Selina crumbled down touching her side.
" What happened?" Bruce now realized that blood was coming out of her side.
" Joker's hell crazy girlfriend got me with a hammer," Selina replied, anger still in her voice.
Bruce wanted to promise Selina that they would get their son back soon. But after tonight he wasn't so sure anymore. Instead he stared at the wound in her side. " We'll talk at home we have to take care of this..."
" Was he at least okay? Was he...alive?...Thomas," Selina's voice whispered now, her anger calming down a little.
" He was fine," Bruce reassured the only thing he could reassure.
Harley managed to escape before the bomb went off. She grumbled while touching her cheek. There was a big scratch marked on her face. She walked towards the secret hideout she and the Joker shared. The moment she got inside a slap came to her side.
" What were you thinking! Didn't I tell you to stay! I had other bigger plans tonight and you ruined it," the Joker yelled.
Harley touched her cheek, which was now hurting more with the slap. " I wanted to see! Besides I wanted to warned you that Catwoman is back too! It's true what they said. Catwoman ran away with Batman," Harley yelled back.
the Joker raised his hand, almost as if he was about to hit her again. Harley cringed " don't hit me," she cried. Instead the Joker stroked her cheek.
" Batman and Catwoman you say...Change of plans Harley...I think I know who's son this is," the Joker turned to Thomas who was glancing between them.
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