Chapter 4: Endings…and new beginnings
The Joker looked around at his operation. The gas had been made, the bombs had been planted around the city, and the detonators had been wired. Everything was in place. All of those that had sent him text messages had gotten their deliveries. They died with a smile on their face. Joker still giggled about it. He looked over at his Harley. She was beautiful, even though she was tied to a wheelchair (it was easier to move her).
The Joker had been playing with the Batman long enough to know how these things went. He could only hide out for maybe one more day. The Joker would get a few more laughs, Batman would make a few more threats, there would be a fight, and Joker would get away or head back to Arkham. They would have to move tonight to stay ahead. The operation was getting large, with way too many henchmen to pay and keep track of. Some of them could be police undercover.
The henchmen were busy loading the gas into a truck, getting ready to move out to a new place to start the next round. "Put Harley in the truck. We have to move!" Joker ordered. One of the henchmen grabbed her and wheeled her into a truck. She didn't try to fight. Good, maybe she was starting to have fun. She was loaded in with Karl, the smart henchmen. Joker climbed into the driver's seat and headed out. One of the other henchman was still rounding up the rest of the men, getting ready to move them. As Joker pulled out of the warehouse, he checked his rearview mirror. The last henchmen ran to the group. Joker pressed one of the detonators and the room flooded with gas. The henchmen fell to the ground, gasping. Joker giggled, "And now, for the rest of the punchline." He pressed another detonator just as they got out of range and the warehouse blew up, throwing pieces of wood, metal, and bodies all over the docks and into the water. Joker sped away into the sunrise, to the place where he knew Batman would be waiting.
Jon Cole hadn't been home yet. He was still receiving reports of the gassings and the report was just being finished about the explosion near the Amusement Mile. He was on his fifth cup of coffee that evening, and it was already getting cold. The phone was to his ear when there was a knock at the door. "What? Come in!" Jon shouted. When the door opened, Angelo Falcone stood in the doorway. "I'll have to call you back," Jon said into the phone. He put the receiver back in it's cradle, and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag before he said anything to the crime boss. "What are you doing here? Turning yourself in?"
"Hardly," Angelo replied. "I'm here with information."
"What kind of information?"
"The kind that can help us both. Neither of us wants the Joker loose. You hate the crime and the body count; I hate the loss of revenue. I think we can help each other in this matter."
Jon considered his proposal. "How much do you want for this information?"
"Let's just call it insurance. I'm sure I'll have need of a favor at some point in the future, some piece of business to be cleared."
"Like the bombing of Oswald Cobblepot's car?"
"I don't know what you are talking about, Commissioner."
"Of course you don't." Jon took another drag on his cigarette and took a sip of coffee. The police had been one step behind the entire time. Batman had gone on his own to find the Joker. The interview with that restaurant owner had provided nothing. Any lead would be helpful. "Ok, what do you have?"
Angelo took a seat on the other side of the commissioner's desk. "The explosives came into South Regional from Sudan a week and a half ago. They were picked up by trucks and driven to an empty house in the northeast side of Gotham, near Wayne Alley. From there, some of them were planted at Arkham and detonated when the Joker escaped. The rest were picked up by the Joker and planted across the city."
"So who brought them into Gotham?"
"The order was put in by a man. I had to do some digging to find out who it was. His name was Dameon Ghul"
"I've never heard of him."
"No one has. I had to call in a lot of favors to get his name. Turns out he has slowly been building a following in Africa."
"What's his plan?"
"I don't know. Maybe put Gotham into chaos, and rise as a new crime lord. My lieutenants weren't able to get me that information."
"Well, where is he?"
"We couldn't find that out either. He keeps moving, never stays in one place for long. The last we had him was near the docks, here in Gotham City."
Commissioner Cole's phone rang. He picked it up. "Yes? What? Ok, I'll be there shortly." Jon hung up the phone. "A warehouse by the docks just blew up. There are several bodies in the water, all of them with grins plastered on their faces."
"Seems like Joker is cleaning house."
"Sounds like it. Thank you for the information."
"I'll call in a favor one of these days." Angelo stood up and walked out of Cole's office. Jon grabbed his coat and ran out to his car and sped towards the docks.
Batman was already at the docks with Catwoman. Once he heard the explosion, he sped towards the docks and got there in time to see the bodies sink below the water, grins on their faces. He looked around the wreckage, knowing this was the Joker's last hideout. Vicki wouldn't be here. Joker would never let anything happen to his Harley. Catwoman waited, with her arms folded across her chest. "This isn't a very romantic date spot."
Batman didn't respond. He was about to go through the remains of the warehouse when the first police car pulled up. It was the commissioner. He stepped out and looked at Batman. "Well, I'm glad I'm the first one to get here. I'll keep everyone else back so you can take a look around." He looked over to Catwoman. "What's she doing here?"
"Helping." Batman returned to the remains of the warehouse. Fire trucks and ambulances began to arrive and crews started taking bodies out of the river. Batman and Catwoman searched the wreckage. He found residue he immediately knew to be from the Joker's laughing gas. So, he gassed them before he blew them up. What was he thinking? What was his plan? Where was he going to strike next?
Commissioner Cole stepped up next to him. "Angelo Falcone came to see me before I got the call to come here. The explosives were brought in by a Dameon Ghul."
The name rang a bell in Batman's head. Ras 'al Ghul was one of his oldest foes, attempting world domination. But Ras was dead, wasn't he? "Did he also tell you that he, Falcone, was the one who shipped them from Sudan?"
"That son of a bitch!"
"Why would this Dameon Ghul want to free Joker?"
"Falcone thinks it's a power play: cause chaos and then he can arise as a new crime lord."
"This isn't going to be enough to weaken Falcone to the point of being able to make a move. There has to be more."
"We won't know until we pick him up. Falcone said Ghul was here last."
Batman continued to look everywhere, searching for any clue as to where the Joker was headed next. He looked at a burned wall. Scraps of black paper were barely clinging on. Batman tried to blow some of the soot off, but most of the paper was ruined beyond legibility. Catwoman found a corner of a piece of paper, just clear enough to read the word "Playground" in the Joker's messy handwriting.
"Here, look at this." She held it up for Batman and Cole to see. Batman took the corner and tried to match it to whatever other remnant he could find. He found one. It was burned like the rest, but at the bottom was a small, light area that could just barely be read "Gotham City." It was a map. Batman fitted the corner to the larger map to see where it fit. It was northeast of the city. Batman dropped the paper, realizing that Joker was moving to Wayne Manor. Batman ran out and fired a line to the nearest rooftop and grappled away. Catwoman was close on his heels. He had to get back home as soon as possible, and he was at the furthest point away from Wayne Manor without the Batmobile.
Jon Cole shouted after him as he left. "What is it? Where are you going? What is Joker's next move?!"
The Joker's truck pulled up to the gates of Wayne Manor. A voice came from a speaker just to the left of the gates. "How can I help you?"
"Here to see Bruce Wayne," Karl, the henchman at the wheel, said.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Oh, yeah, we do." The henchmen got out of the truck with a block of explosives, attached them to the gate, and returned to the truck. "Here you go, here's our appointment." The block exploded, sending the gates flying. The truck drove over the remains and up towards the manor.
It was hours later and Batman and Catwoman had just arrived at Wayne Manor. The gates had been blown up and they could hear gunfire from inside the house. Batman ran up the driveway to investigate and save his house. As he got closer, he saw bodies of the manor staff, grins plastered on their faces. He pulled a respirator from his belt and put it on to protect himself from the Joker's gas. He turned to Catwoman.
"Stay here," he ordered. "You don't have a respirator. I don't need you falling victim to the gas while trying to take out the Joker. I have to take care of this myself."
"The hell I'm staying behind!" Catwoman pulled her own gas-mask from her belt and affixed it to her face. "You aren't doing this alone. You need me."
"Fine. Keep up, don't slow me down, and don't get in the way."
"Whatever you say, Dark Knight." The two ran to the front doors of the manor. A delivery truck had been run into them, knocking them off their hinges. The manor security had been partially activated, with shudders covering only half the windows. Smoke poured out of the broken ones, and shattered glass littered the grounds.
Batman and Catwoman eased through the broken front doors, staying in the shadows. More of the staff littered the entryway. Batman moved through them, finding none of them alive. Catwoman came across Alfred, who was still alive, but badly injured. "Batman, over here!" He rushed over to check his closest friend.
"You have to stop them, sir." Even injured, he was formal. Batman looked over him, and saw a machine gun in his arms.
"What is this, Alfred? Since when do you keep guns in here?"
"Since always, sir. Just because you don't use them, do you think a former British SAS wouldn't keep them around in case you needed them? Who do you think most of the staff were?" Batman slightly grinned, his friend always keeping an eye out for him.
"Just because you did it doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Quick, sir. They took her upstairs. You have to save her."
"I will, Alfred. Can you move?"
"No, but I'll be fine. I can dress these myself. Go, sir. Now."
Batman stood up, and rushed to the stairs, with Catwoman close behind.
"Really, you don't approve? Batman is Bruce Wayne?" Catwoman looked at him as they ran up the stairs. Batman grimmiced. "Don't worry," she teased. "I won't tell."
They reached the top of the stairs and crouched in the shadows, assessing what to do next. The hallway stretched before them, doors leading off on both sides. They heard a tapping from somewhere in the hallway.
"Batman…Batman, where are you?" The Joker's voice drifted down the hallway. There were dozens of rooms, and he could be in anyone of them. Batman and Catwoman moved cautiously down the hall, listening at each door.
"We aren't going to find him this way," Batman said. "Here, take this and go outside." He handed her an earpiece. "Let me know where they are." She grabbed the earpiece and ran downstairs to search through the windows to find the Joker. Batman crouched, looking up and down the hallway. His x-ray scanner didn't have the range to see through all of the rooms.
"Ok, I'm outside." Catwoman's voice came through his earpiece. "I'm going through the rooms now." Batman waited for her to search. "Ok, I found them. Northeast corner. It looks like the master bedroom."
"Comeback inside." Batman made his way to outside the bedroom, waiting for Catwoman. It shouldn't take her that long to get back here.
He was about to raise the x-ray scanner to the door when the window at the end of the hall exploded and a dark form crashed through. Batman rolled out of the way and crouched, at the ready for whomever it was. The shadow stood up, striding down the hallway towards Batman.
"No, Batman. This isn't how it's done." Batman looked at him, trying to figure out what was going on and what the Joker might do. "You were supposed to come alone. It was supposed to be a final showdown. It was supposed to be the end!"
"Who are you? What do you want?" Batman growled at the intruder.
"You mean you don't know? You don't know who was behind the Joker's release? Who was planning it all?" Batman readied batarangs, his weapon of choice, to fight him. "I was the one who sent the explosives. I was the one who sent the money. I set the Joker free. I put him on this path. I gave him all of the information he needed. All to get you out of your shell, to get you to come out of hiding. All for you, Batman."
"Who are you?"
"You don't recognize your own son, Bruce Wayne? Don't you recognize me, Damian? Did you think those trysts while you were abroad wouldn't amount to anything? Remember you time with the League of Assassins?" Batman remembered as Bruce Wayne the time he had with the terrorist organization. "Remember their leader's daughter, Talia? My mother?" Batman looked at him in shock, the batarangs fell to the floor.
"For years, mother told me of my father. How he was destined to be this great man. He was the greatest student. Learned everything extremely quickly, had a tenacious drive, was going to be the greatest man. And was the love of her life. Then he disappeared, left her alone, never contacted her again. Raised me to find him, find out who that man was, what drove him, why he did what he did." Batman waited, letting him tell the story, learning, biding his time for when it was right.
"Used all of my family's resources, spent all of their money to track you to Gotham. It had to be Batman. I knew only the Joker would get you to come out. Who would have thought that the great Batman, the savior of Gotham City was in fact Bruce Wayne? And here, it will end. You will pay for abandoning me, for leaving my mother behind, for the years of torment to me and her."
Batman crouched, ready for the blow. A door swung open and a shot rang out in the hallway. Damian stopped and looked down. Blood ran down his chest, soaking the floor. He looked up at Batman and another shot rang out, this one going through his head. He collapsed onto the floor, revealing the Joker standing behind him, the barrel of his gun smoking.
"No one pulls my strings." The Joker pointed the gun at Batman. "So, the identity of the Dork Knight is finally revealed. The mighty Batman is nothing more than a teary, whiny kid in a costume. 'Boo hoo, my parents were killed, now I have to live with all of my money.' How pathetic."
"Quiet clown."
"Oh, am I getting to you? Am I making you stressed? The Batman, fazed by the Joker? Really? Why don't I turn up the heat?" The thug exited the room holding Bruce's wife at gunpoint. Vicki's hand were tied, her mouth gagged. "What do you think, dear? Batman's house? Shall we blow it up, with everyone in it? Are you ready to die, Batsy?"
Batman saw a shadow drop through the broken window behind the Joker and his henchmen. Silently, the figure slinked up behind the henchmen, and grabbed his gun and him, dragging him back.
"You seem to have lost your backup, Joker."
"I wouldn't think so, Batman. You don't think I'm prepared?" The Joker waved the gun in Vicki's direction. A light came on her clothes, and they started beeping. "Five minutes, Batman. What do you think was keeping the bomb from arming? Oh, this is going to be fun!" Catwoman dropped Karl, the henchmen, and grabbed Vicki to try to disarm the bomb. "Too late. And if you try to disarm it, it will explode. Have fun with it, Bat-Wayne!" The Joker ran downstairs, giggling and laughing. Batman ran to Vicki, trying to figure out the bomb.
"I'm so sorry, babe. I'll get you out of this." Batman tore off her gag and her bindings. He looked at her clothes, trying to decide what to do with them. There was no way around it. He took a knife and cut away her clothes, careful not to cut any wires. His mental calculations told him there was only two minutes left. He cut the last piece off and Vicki stood naked with just the bomb strapped around her. He carefully took it off of her, making her step over and around the wires and explosives, attempting not to jar or disturb them. Once out of it, he threw the bomb out the broken window, grabbed Vicki and Catwoman and threw them to the end of the hall and covered them with his cape. The bomb exploded, covering them in glass and debris, the front façade of the manor falling to the ground as the explosion shook the house to the foundation. Batman slowly stood up, glass and splinters falling to the ground and checked over Vicki and Catwoman to make sure they were OK. Catwoman stood up and ran to the stairs, looking for where Joker headed to. Batman looked at Vicki and slowly slid up his cowl, revealing Bruce Wayne.
"What? Honey, h-h-how long?" Was all Vicki could utter.
"Since before we met. I have been Batman for a long time."
"Oh my God!" It was all Vicki could say and several sobs escaped her. She looked up at the man she loved. "Let's finish this, Bruce." Batman picked her up and carried her over the debris to the bedroom. She quickly grabbed jeans, a t-shirt and shoes and put them on.
"I want you to get out of here, Vicki. It isn't safe. Take one of the cars and go. I'll catch up."
"You think I'm just going to leave after what that son of a bitch did to me? I'm coming with you. For years I've reported on him, and it is going to end, tonight." Vicki didn't even wait for a reply and she stalked out of the room. Batman followed and the both caught up to Catwoman. She looked at them before they headed down the stairs.
"I think he grabbed Alfred. There was a scuffle and it sounded like someone was dragged off."
"Come on," Batman said. "Let's go." All three headed downstairs. There was a trail of blood leading to the West wing of the manor. "Dear God, no."
"Bruce, what is it?"
"The blood trail, it leads to the West wing."
"So? There isn't anything there except your study."
"That is also where the entrance to the Batcave is."
"Seriously? I've been living over it for years?"
"Sorry, honey, but we don't have time." Batman activated the panel and saw Alfred's bloody handprint on the scanner. Batman quickly called the elevator and all three took it down into the cave. It quickly dropped and the doors flew open to be met by gunfire. The Joker sprayed his machine gun into the elevator car, but Batman's armor deflected most of the rounds.
"That's just not fair, Brucey-boy! How can this be any fun if you have armor? Well, I guess no one else has armor, do they?" Joker sprayed more rounds into the car, giggled and ran into the main room of the Batcave. Batman and Catwoman lept out and followed, with Vicki close on their heels. In the center of the cave was the enormous computer Batman used in his detective work. Joker stood there with his machine gun pointed at Alfred, who had collapsed in the middle of the room.
Batman skidded to a stop. The Joker stood with his purple jacket off, his vest was covered in explosives and a timer. The timer showed zeros. The Joker stood there and waited. Catwoman and Vicki were stopped by Batman's arms. He didn't know what the Joker's plan was, but he couldn't risk anyone else. "It ends tonight, Joker."
"You know what, Batman? I would have thought you were right. I was ready to end it. But now that I know who you are, this is going to be way too much fun. I think we should keep this going for a bit. I can have fun in the city, and you can't do a damn thing because I'll let the world know who you really are. How many will come after your family then? How will you keep them safe? You certainly didn't do a good job this time around. Look at you! Defeated in your own home. How funny is that? Ha ha ha ha hahahahahahahaaa!" Joker raised his gun towards the threesome. "Now, it's time for me to leave, or else we all go boom."
Vicki couldn't stand it. She didn't want to be pray to him or any other villain. She couldn't be the damsel in distress. It had to end. She had picked up Alfred's dropped gun back in the Manor. She looked down at it. She knew how to shoot. Her dad had taught her. She practiced quite a bit before getting married. Would she remember how now? She raised the gun to her shoulder, and pointed it at the Joker. The Joker just laughed.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" he said to her.
"I know. That's why I'm going to do it!" Batman look to her just as she pulled the trigger. He was too late to stop Vicki or block the shot. The round caught the Joker in the chest and sent him flat to the ground. Vicki lowered the weapon. "I knew it would end tonight."
Batman took the gun away from her. "No guns!" he shouted. He threw the weapon into the bottom of the cave and strode over to the Joker.
"No guns? Look at what your no gun policy has brought you?" Catwoman came to the defense of Vicki. "At least it'll end tonight."
"No, Joker always has something up his sleeve." Batman leaned over and rolled the Joker's body over. He was still alive, but barely. His grin was still plastered and he giggled slightly.
"I win." The Joker pointed at his chest. Batman realized what the timer was. It was a dead-man switch, listening to the Joker's heartbeat. When it stopped, the bomb would go off. He had to get everyone out of there. He grabbed Alfred and ran to Vicki and Catwoman.
"We have to leave, now. Those bombs are about to explode. It's a dead-man switch!" The three stood up and ran towards the exit of the Batcave that was usually reserved for the Batmobile. They ran down the corridor, hoping to catch the exit in time.
Joker gasped and giggled as he lay there on the floor. He stopped and the timer began counting down from five seconds.
The explosion engulfed the Batcave, sending searing heat through the entire chamber. The fireball raced through the Batmobile exit, attempting to catch the trio of escapees. Oxygen was quickly used up and it became difficult to breathe. The explosion threw them out of the cave into the grass, their clothes burned. They rolled in the grass, gasping for breath.
Batman rolled over and set Alfred down. He had lost a lot of blood, but he thought he would be all right. Batman looked at the Manor, engulfed in flames. It collapsed onto itself, destroying everything inside and beneath. Vicki and Catwoman coughed on the grass and patted out the flames on their clothes. Vicki stood up and stood next to Batman, staring at what used to be their home.
"Come on, Bruce. We have to get ready for the police." She pulled him away over to Alfred. Batman started stripping off his armor, wincing at injuries that were still healing. Having been blown up twice, the armor needed complete replacing and repair. As he stripped it off, he looked at it, considering the cape and cowl.
The Joker was dead. Was there a need for the Batman? With no more super-criminals, was there a need for a superhero? Could Bruce Wayne finally hang up the Batman and start living his life? How many moments had been put on hold because of the Batman? How many years lost training, scouting the city? Was now the time to give it up? All of his enemies had been defeated. His parents' killer was dead. What was his motivation for being Batman? Would Gotham City be safe without him?
Bruce grabbed Vicki's hand and they both walked up the grounds to the remains of the manor, ready to meet the police and try to explain to them what had happened, while saving Bruce Wayne's alternate identity.
A week later, Bruce stood with Vicki at the ground floor of the Wayne Enterprises building, hugging her. They separated and Vicki picked up her bag.
"I'm sorry Bruce, but I can't do this. I don't care if you have stopped, but I can't handle it. What's going to happen that might call you out and force you to be him again? I can't just wait at home for you to come home, God only knows in what condition. Yes, I love you Bruce, but we can't be together anymore." She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. Vicki turned around and walked out of Bruce Wayne's life.
Bruce watched her go. He didn't try to stop her. She was right. His former life was too dangerous to have her in it. It was stupid for him to try in the first place. What if he had to become Batman again? What if she was used as bait, or leverage? He couldn't put her in danger again.
Bruce walked back to the elevators and used his pin number to go to the top floor penthouse. This was his and Alfred's home while Wayne Manor was rebuilt. The doors opened at the top floor and Bruce entered his living room. He looked out his window, Gotham City stretched before him. What would be his future now? He had hung up the Batman. He wasn't even planning on rebuilding the Batcave. Was he just to be the CEO and owner of Wayne Enterprises, build an empire, and live alone and wealthy? What about his past? Could he put it all behind him and finally move on?
"Excuse me, sir," Alfred said behind him, "you have a visitor."
Bruce stepped away from his musings and followed Alfred to his study. Sitting in his office chair with her feet on his desk was Selena Kyle. Bruce leaned against the door frame of the office door and looked at her. "Aren't you supposed to be gone?"
"I thought about it, but being back in Gotham, seeing old friends, just made me want to stay."
"And where will you be staying?"
"I hadn't decided yet. I'm still looking for a job." She looked around the room before settling her gaze on him. "I've got my eye a few things, though."
Bruce smiled and entered the office, closing the door behind him.
Karl the Henchmen stood in a warehouse. He pulled a USB drive out of his pocket and plugged it into a computer. He had been lost after he escaped from the explosion at Wayne Manor a week ago. He had nowhere to go and no future with the Joker gone. The USB drive had been given to him by the Joker before getting to Wayne Manor. It had contained instructions and given Karl a mission. A giant screen in front of over a hundred of Karl's new henchmen lit up. The video played. It was the Joker.
"Greetings, my minions! Joker here." The henchmen started mumbling amongst themselves. "By now, you all have heard about my death, but I promise you, I will be back." The henchmen yelled and cheered. "So now, go. Go out into Gotham City. Spread my word, spread my chaos. Bring the city to its knees. Make it ready for the return of the Joker." The henchmen, with their faces painted white, lips red, and hair dyed green, cheered and pumped their fists into the air. Karl stood up at the front, arms spread out. These were his men, now. He was responsible for making the city ready. It was his town now. The henchmen ran out to spread the Joker's word, making them ready for when he would be back.