"It worked! My prototype went off without a hitch!" I said through bouts of cackling.
"Of course it did Mista J! You are a genius! So what will we do now Puddin'?" Harley flattered.
"Now we mass produce my product. No one will ever even know they are using it either. I plan to contaminate various products used daily in a household. Shampoo for example, is highly used and very easy to contaminate. Just a little dosage of SmileX will do the job. Now my dear Harley, be a dear and leave me to my machinations." I mumbled as I bent over my drafting table. I knew my plan would have to be perfect in order to lure out the creature and I could not afford any distractions; especially the lovely Harley Quinn. He never thought she could get any more enthralling, yet there she was, clad in that black and red unitard, looking more stunning by the minute.
"Yes Mista J. I'll be visiting my father if you need me. I have a wedding to plan after all." Harley scoffed as she stormed out of the door. She did not understand exactly how distracting she was to me. He hoped that one day they could be together in peace.
Bruce lay awake upon his bed, thinking of what had happened to his supervisor and how he was helpless to stop it. Something nagged in the back of Bruce's mind. That cackle was so similar to the unknown man he had killed in cold blood; but it could not have been the same person. How could anyone survive such a fall, let alone the toxic waste? Bruce was not sure, and laid awake for hours pondering it.
Finally Bruce slept. He fell into a world of mystery and intrigue. In his dream Bruce was confronted by three demons; a bat, a clown, and himself. The bat flew around his head, swooping in closer and closer each trip around. The clown just stared into his eyes and cackled. The other Bruce lectured him on justice and how it was wrong to murder. Bruce started shaking and screaming. Moments later Bruce found himself being shook awake by Alfred.
"Mr. Wayne, are you alright? You were screaming so loudly I could hear you in the servant's chamber." Alfred asked worriedly.
"I'm fine Alfred, it was just a nightmare. Thank you for pulling me out of it. I have work to do." Bruce said with resolve in his voice.
After weeks of planning and distributing the mob had finally helped me reach my goal. SmileX now contaminated fifty percent of household products Gotham-wide. There were already several reported deaths. It would not be long before hundreds of reports started coming in. No one was safe, women, children, the elderly; everyone was a possible victim. This would surely get that creatures attention, and if not, the broadcast certainly would. I had some of the smarter members of the mob hack television signals everywhere to broadcast exactly what I wanted, when I wanted.
"Are you ready my dear Harley? It's time for the performance of a life-time." I inquired.
"Oh yes Mista J, I am very ready. I have been in front of camera's a lot, so I am used to it. Now it will be even more fun, I'll really be able to tear a new one into the guy who did this to you." Harley said vengefully.
"Excellent, that is what I was hoping to hear. Now get out there and break a leg!" I responded enthusiastically.
Harley went in front of the cameras and addressed Gotham, "Listen up folks! Everyone has been hearing about the gruesome killings happening all around Gotham. No one has yet to figure out what the cause is and you are all starting to panic. You should. You see, my Puddin' was attacked by a vicious beast of a man and nearly murdered. He and I are forever disfigured because of that man. This is the cause of the killings. It is not your God, and it is not terrorists. It is two vengeful individuals whom seek to uncover who did this to us."
"We have contaminated over fifty percent of common household items, such as shampoo. SmileX is surely working its way deep into Gotham's heart by now. Soon hundreds will start dying. It's up to that man to come clean in order for Gotham to receive the anti-dote. If he wishes to save the city, then he will be at the abandoned theme park by Lake Rancid before midnight. After that we contaminate one-hundred percent of products that you use every day. Goodbye and Goodnight Gotham." Harley finished up the broadcast with a cackle of her own.
Bruce could not believe what he had just seen. That broadcast confirmed that the man who came to Wayne Corp that day was indeed the same man who he had thought he murdered. What he was doing was outrageous. How could he kill hundreds of people for simple vengeance? Bruce supposed that it was because he was insane. The man needed help; that dip in the toxic waste obviously rewired a few things in his brain. Bruce had no choice but to don his cowl once again. This time though, there would be no mistakes.
I knew he would have seen this broadcast. The news was showing it every hour, there would be no way he could not have seen it. Harley and I waited in the Big Top for alarms to go off that he was there. The creature did not keep them waiting long. It was only five hours after the initial broadcast that the alarms sounded. Watching the cameras, I knew that this man did not know he had tripped my alarms. That is just the way I wanted it. I watched him sneak through the shadows; I knew he would stick to the darkness, just like he had that night.
I decided that it was time for an announcement. "Greetings intruder, I have been waiting for you for quite some time now. I believe you should know who I am by this point. Come to the Big Top and we shall speak." I announced over the parks speakers.
Bruce knew the announcement would be a trap, but he had no choice, he had to stop this man. He thought he had not been seen upon entering the park, though he didn't consider the possibility of a silent alarm system. Bruce approached the Big Top cautiously, opening the outer flap that lead inside. Once inside Bruce found himself in a dark center ring. Suddenly, as he passed by the first row of seats, the lights flickered on. He heard the man's voice again over the speaker. "Welcome to my humble abode. Nice isn't it? Just remember that you put me here." The man started cackling again over the speaker as a dozen thugs appeared on the other side of the Big Top. "Enjoy the welcoming party. I'll be seeing you soon."
Bruce did not hesitate; it was how he was trained. He leapt to the first thug, striking him in the abdomen following with a swift elbow to the back of his head, incapacitating the thug. The next one had a crow bar. Luckily Bruce had trained in Krav Maga, a fighting style focused on taking weapons away from threats. As the thug swung the crow bar towards Bruce's face, Bruce lead upwards with his left arm and deflected the blow, while at the same time with his right hand thrusting into the thugs elbow pit. The thug immediately dropped the crow bar and flinched in pain. Bruce knocked him out with a punch to the fore-head. The rest of the thugs fell one by one.
Bruce walked to the back of the tent, where the thugs had come from. He could hear the man's maniacal cackling coming from a large office room. He entered the room and was greeted by the woman that was with the man at Wayne Corp.
"Hello, Mister?" Harley paused, as she was trying to find out who the man was.
"You can call me Batman. I am here to help you. I know I caused you a lot of pain, and I never meant to do it. I saw red and could not stop myself. You both need to get medical and mental care." Bruce responded.
"You want to help us?!" Joker said angrily. "It's much too late for that Bats. All I want is vengeance.
Suddenly Bruce was struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat. He fell to his knees, his head spinning like a top.
"Goodnight Batman" Harley pseudo-cooed as she swung the bat again at Bruce's head. Bruce was much to dizzy to stop it. The bat connected with his skull with a loud smack. Everything went dark for Bruce as he collapsed to the ground.
I dragged Batman over to the center stage. I already had a chair set up and plenty of chains to hold him down. It was rather easy getting him to this point. Harley pointed out that we could just kill him and be done with it, but I told her it was just not fun enough. I needed a long and painful torture to get my full revenge. It will be extremely entertaining. I wanted a moment alone with Batman before unveiling him to the world.
I walked over to him as he started to awake, becoming aware of his unfortunate situation. He said nothing as I walked up to face him. I grinned widely, making sure to show him my grotesque lips. "What do you think Batman? Do you think I'm pretty?" Only silence followed, so I coaxed him, "Come now, don't be shy Bats."
"You'll never get away with this Joker!" Batman yelled, a little panicky.
"Oh, and who is going to stop me; you?" I cackled hysterically in reply.
"Harley, be a dear and start broadcasting." I cooed to Harley.
"Yes, Sir Mista J Sir!" Harley obediently replied.
I quickly got off screen, as I wanted to make a grand entrance. I watched the T.V as Batman appeared on screen, everywhere.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," I said, still off screen, "You may have noticed this costumed Bat running around the city lately, causing all kinds of mischief amongst the criminal crowd. Today, I will reveal just what kind of sick and twisted man this Bat character is. Take my face for example," I said as I appeared on screen, while Harley got a nice mug shot of my face. "I know, I know, I am horribly grotesque. This man is to thank for that! All I ever did was try to make a living, and this, Batman, tried to kill me! Now I ask you, Is that the behavior of a supposed, 'Hero'? I'll leave you to decide that. For now, I will let this masked man go. I have much to share with him in the coming years. Thank you all for watching, those of you still left that is." I trailed off cackling like a hyena.
Harley stopped the broadcast and cartwheeled to my side. "Are we really just gonna let him go Mista J? Can't we at least rough him up a bit?" Harley playfully begged.
"I'm not going to, but I can't help what you do while you show him out." I said with a wink and a laugh. I turned and walked to my office; I had more planning to do.
Bruce was still tied to the chair as Harley dragged him to the exit. The exit turned out to be a drop down to the acidic lake below. Bruce didn't know if Harley would untie him or not, but either way Bruce was panicking on the inside. He wasn't sure what to do; he could not reach his utility belt to get to the small razor blade he kept for this exact situation.
"Well, well Bats, should I untie you? I don't think I should, considering what you did to us! But Mista J wants you alive, so bye, bye Batsy!" Harley taunted as she cut the rope from behind and immediately kicked the back of the chair, sending Bruce flying out into the night sky.
Bruce quickly grabbed for his bat claw and shot towards the pier. The grapple hooked onto on old rickety beam. The beam looked rotted but it supported Bruce's weight as he swung to the safety of the beach. Bruce knew that going back would be his demise. The Joker was unpredictable and could go back on his word in an instant. He did not want to tempt the man.
There was only one place to go: home. Bruce needed to rest after being beaten and taking several blows to the head. He called Alfred and asked to get picked up. Alfred was worried, as he always was, and arrived quickly.
"I saw the broadcast Mr. Wayne, you are lucky they did not intend more harm. I am glad you are safe." Alfred lamented.
Alfred escorted Bruce home. Bruce had fallen deep asleep seconds after Alfred had picked him up.
