The mighty roar of the Batmobile's engine penetrates the noiseless, barren atmosphere that engulfs the broadcasting station as it comes to a stop. The time is 9:30 PM; the Joker made his announcement around 4:00 AM, followed by his encounter with the Teen Titans roughly a half-hour later. And, given the condition in which the establishment now stands, the only logical conclusion is that the Joker had won the skirmish. There weren't any bodies (save the entire broadcasting crew), though that hardly meant any one thing. With the Joker, you must always expect the unexpected. Always.
Batman exits the vehicle, slowly. His white-lensed eyes dart, evaluating the entirety of the scene that lies before him. Then, with two rapid blinks of the eyes, the Detective Vision in his cowl bursts to life, the entire area now reflected in a bluish tint. With a new perspective on the crime scene, the answer was sure to present itself.
Hm, Batman inquires, walking towards a scorched area on the ground, lysergic acid. Made from the alkaline hydrolysis of ergotamine. I recognize the formula, highly reactive; the kind Joker's uses in his acid-spewing flowers.
buzuzuzuzzuzzu
Batman turns, walking; he had heard the subtle buzz of an object for quite some time. Though he thought it insignificant at first (concluding the noise probably originated from one of the demolished machines inside the broadcasting studios), he discovered that the buzzing came from none other than...
"Joker's joy-buzzer," he realizes, picking up the weapon. Hm, it doesn't appear to be broken. There's only one reason why he would leave this behind...
Suddenly, the comm-link inside the cowl clicks - a familiar voice fills the Dark Knight's ears.
"Have you successfully located Master Grayson and his companions, Sir?" Alfred says. His voice is calm, yet... anxious. They both were.
"No, Alfred," Batman replies, "though I manage to gather some evidence: an electric joy-buzzer and remnants of an acidic residue. He was definitely here."
"This development is quite peculiar, Sir," Alfred says. "As you and I both know, the Joker has never been slipshod in the implementation of his crimes. Such a drastic change in modus operandi is rather perplexing, wouldn't you agree?"
"That's what worries me the most," admits Batman. "The Joker's never been this sloppy. He's planning something... and he wants me to find him."
"No matter what he's planning, you'll stop him, Bruce. You always do."
"I hope you're righ-"
K
AAAAAAAAAA
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
!
A monstrous explosion stops the Batman mid-sentence. A blanket of smoke invades the atmosphere. From the look of it, the source of the explosion seemed to be in the opposite direction. East, the Dark Knight observes, damn it. He dashes to the Batmobile, opening the cockpit before jumping in. He flips several switches, Batteries: Power. Turbines: Speed, he notes, before slamming his foot on the gas. In mere moments, the afterburner bursts to life - 2012 degrees of power propel the Batmobile forward in a torrent of speed, leaving behind crackling streaks of fire alongside the roads.
This, Bruce realized, might prove insightful: The nearby explosion is likely to be connected to the Joker. Once he apprehends the culprit and gets him and/or her talking, finding the Joker might prove to be less taxing than originally anticipated. With that thought in mind, Batman applies just a bit more pressure to the pedal, racing to the source of the explosion before it is too late.
The Batmobile veers to an abrupt stop. The Batman exits his vehicle and gazing upon the crumbling structure that lies before him. He has found the source of the explosion:
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF JUMP CITY
Well, that is what the building would have read, if the words weren't half-crumbled and burning at his feet. The building wasn't completely demolished, though it was thoroughly damaged. By whom or what, Batman did not know - however, now was not the time to ruminate about that: a muffled scream, followed by a cacophony of blood-curdling gunshots occupied the air.
With no hesitation, no worry of the unknown perils that awaited, Batman sprinted inside.
