Darkhearts

by Shinzochi

The Story of Aneoch and his relation ship with Raven Rated M for some chapters although for the most part it is a T story OCxRaven of Azarath This story belongs to Eric Holingsworth and i am posting it with his expressed permission.

11. Chapter 11

The Big Kiss Off

By Eric H

0300 Hours, Downtown Gotham…

The Batmobile silently stalked through the poorly lit canyons of Gotham's long defunct industrial center. Out of the dark polluted gloom, like a psychotic giant, appeared the giant rusted out clown face sitting atop the Wacky Tacky Novelty Factory.

Batman pressed a button on his right armrest, activating the car's powerful infrared scanner and slowly drove by the buildings boarded up façade. According to the monitor on his dashboard there was no one inside besides a small army of rats and roaches.

He had been to each and every one of Joker's favorite haunts since Harlequin broke him out of Arkham last week and all that time not a peep? Something was seriously up. He killed the Batmobile's engine and climbed out. There must be a clue to his whereabouts inside.

One of the boards securing the factory's front window had been torn away, creating a human-sized gap. He slipped on his night vision goggles and squeezed inside.

There was a jumble of footprints in the thick dust on the concrete floor. They were the Jokers alright; no one else wears this brand of shoes. Well, at least no one that frequents abandoned plastic vomit factories. Some dust had collected inside the prints though, a weeks worth by his estimation. Joker must have stopped here right after he escaped from Arkham.

The trail led from the window straight through the factory to the supervisor's loft in the back. Hmm, and they doubled back out.

"Any luck sir?" Alfred Pennyworth asked over his cowls built in radio.

"No. He hasn't been here in well over a week"

He turned a dial on the side of his goggles, swapping the lenses. No tripwires, explosives or traps of any kind on the floor…odd. It was very unusual for the Joker to stop somewhere and not leave a calling card.

"And you are sure he will try something so soon?"

"It's his compulsion. He can't help himself."

"Perhaps he has reformed. I understand Jay Leno is looking to retire."

Batman just remained silent and carefully followed the trail through the maze of dusty conveyor belts and towering plastic vats. The hulking fabrication machines loomed menacingly high above his head.

He reached the iron staircase leading to the supervisor's booth. Another scan from his goggles: nothing here either. He climbed the ancient iron steps, making them creak.

Before entering he peeked inside. Garbage was strewn on the office's crumbling wooden floor and the supervisor's desk was stacked high with newspapers.

He stepped inside the office and checked the papers. All of them had Joker articles cut out. Figures! That nuts sin of choice was vanity, he loved reading about himself. Nothing of interest here.

Squatting, he carefully picked through the litter on the floor. Pretty typical Joker junk: playing cards, Batman shaped paper dolls, plastic boutonnieres, whoopee cushions and condom wrappers. Judging by the trails jumbled path he must have been rummaging for something specific.

A brightly colored brochure caught his practiced eye. He carefully picked it up off the floor. It was a visitor's guide to San Francisco advertising all the city's points of interest and festivals. On the cover of the pamphlet was a picture of the bay and figuring prominently amongst the distinctive city skyline was the Titans T shaped tower. Hmm, and drawn in purple crayon above the tower was a giant stick figure joker complete with scribbled green hair and sharp teeth. A coincidence? Not a chance.

"Isn't Bruce Wayne due for a business trip to San Francisco?"

"Most overdue sir."

That afternoon, in Golden Gate Park…

Ah the first day of spring. And to the Teen Titans it means two things: football and food. They had just downed the equivalent of an entire cowherd worth of ribs and their weight in potato chips- with the exception of Beast Boy who had indulged in his usual excremental tofu weenies.

And with a belly full of fatty beef and potatoes, there was only one way to work that off.

As Cyborg and the gang engaged in another of their seemingly endless touch football games, Aenoch and Raven communed behind some bushes. They learned the hard way that meditating in the open made them easy targets for stray footballs. But besides that they were also being stalked by paparazzi angling to photograph them doing something naughty.

They had been communing for over six years now and rumors were beginning to circulate amongst the superhero enthusiasts that the couple was consummating their relationship. It wasn't true of course. Oh they were close no doubt about that. But how close? Will was curious.

The tricky part was how to ask her about it. Raven was such an emotionally isolated girl she would probably never admit it. Hell! It took his near death before she said the "L" word and even then she never repeated it.

Well no time like the present. He figured the best time to find out where the land lays was during their meditation session when she was more amiable.

The girl had a lot of emotions to dispense with this time around. They just came off a nasty battle with Slade so stress amongst the group was running pretty high. It was one of the reasons Cyborg insisted they spend the day at the park. Nothing like tackling BB to get out those frustrations.

Aenoch relived the melee from Ravens point of view. Once again he heard Slades emotionless drone and experienced his heartless cruelty. Her dark side had come pretty close to erupting that day; Aenoch had intervened just in time. And with the experience came shame at her alleged weakness, hatred at Trigon for cursing her and Raven's fear of Slade…a fear most of them shared.

He relieved the girl of her burden and took the pain away. The flow of dark emotions ceased and they began to meditate. Aenoch rubbed his tattoos together and allowed Will out.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos." They chanted together.

Will peeked at Raven sitting quietly in the lotus position and looking radiant as usual. Asking was probably out of the question. Maybe a more direct approach would be better. She always seemed to appreciate chutzpah.

As they chanted, he leaned forward. Just a peck on her cheek, it would tell him all he needed to know. Will puckered up and drew close.

"What are you doing?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"Umm…"

All of a sudden, Will felt like running and hiding. God it was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.

"Kissing you" He mumbled

"What?"

"Err, kissing you?"

"Don't you dare."

"We've been together for so long, I figured…"

"You figured wrong."

Will jumped to his feet. She might have had just kicked him in the pills! It would have had the same effect.

"Fine" He growled and stomped away.

"Will? You're an idiot." He hissed to himself

In the adjacent field…

Cyborg spiked the ball on the grass, embedding it into the turf.

"Boo-YAH! Cy's Cyclones for six!"

"How come you're always captain? 'Beast Boy protested' I might like to be in charge some time."

"Well: "A" Because you suck. "B" Because I used to play high school football and "C" because you suck."

"Oh yeah"

Cy tossed Robin the ball and they gathered back in the center of the field. They faced each other and squatted down.

"Ready to cry again?" Cy asked with a wide grin.

"Bring it." Robin growled

"Umm?" A voice nervously asked

The group stood and faced the newcomer. It was Will. This was most unusual.

"May we help you William?" Starfire asked

"Can I play?"

They looked at each other bewildered.

"What? 'Beast Boy laughed' Raven diss ya?"

Will blushed and turned his eyes to the ground. Looks like the runt hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah! Take our side." Robin invited.

He slipped off his black overcoat, tossed it off to the side and squatted beside Robin and Starfire.

"What are the rules?"

"None. 'Cy explained' Just get the ball to your goal by any means necessary."

"Ready and…hut!"

Starfire tossed the ball to Robin and Will sprinted off to take the pass. Beast Boy sprouted into a thundering green Elephant and galloped in pursuit. They were using their powers eh? This was obviously going to take some creativity on Wills part. He rubbed his wrists together.

Robin tossed the ball and Aenoch turned towards his pursuer. He willed his wings to materialize, darted into the air and landed on the elephant's green-skinned back. Aenoch easily caught the ball and sprung back off the elephant's monstrous head towards their goal.

The elephant swapped forms into a Pterodactyl and flew off in pursuit. The changeling was just about to grab Aenoch with his long fanged beak when Starfire appeared out of nowhere and tackled BB around the dinosaur's long neck.

"Surrender please." Star grunted

"Yo momma!"

The dinosaur abruptly inflated into a morbidly obese hippopotamus. BB, with Star still attached, plummeted to the ground and impacted into the turf creating a substantial shockwave in the process.

Aenoch set down by the carnage to see if anyone was hurt. The only one out of commission was Cyborg who made the mistake of standing below the plummeting combatants and was now pinned under the unconscious green hippo. Robin ran up and surveyed the scene.

"Take your goal."

Aenoch trotted off to the pair of trees and spiked the ball.

"This is…enjoyable. Shall we try again?"

The hippo shrunk back to BB and climbed off of Cyborg. Both looked no worse for wear. But then, getting squashed and beat up was not unusual for them.

"You are so going down." Cy growled while scraping the grass and mud off his Titanium hide.

"Yo momma?"

As they prepared for another scrimmage, Raven peeked from behind the bush.

"Raven? You're an idiot" She sighed to herself

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of San Francisco…

The purple convertible cruised over the Golden Gate Bridge. Behind the wheel, a particularly happy and pale faced driver wearing a leather aviator helmet and goggles took in the sights. Beside him in the passenger seat sat a similarly pale woman in a long buttoned up overcoat and floppy beret.

"Ah San Francisco. 'The Joker giggled' Home of bays and gays…fishes and swishes."

"What's that smell puddin?" Harlequin gasped and covered her nose

He took a lung full of the cool ocean air and began coughing and hacking.

"Must be the "clean" pooh."

They both watched the monolithic T shaped tower in the distance. Seeing the landmark and imagining his target inside made him smile wider. What a clown won't do for his hobbies.

Later that afternoon…

The Titans stampeded inside the towers front doors in one laughing and mud covered mass, Will the loudest among them. He had never played touch football before. God to think all this time and he had been missing this.

Trailing the group was Raven looking stone faced. But if Aenoch were around he would easily sense the girl's great feeling of depression. Just one kiss! Would it have hurt that much? It wasn't like he wanted to stick his hands under her costume and feel her up. Now she might have chased him off permanently. She slinked away to her room.

They stepped inside the dayroom and froze.

It appears they had a guest. The new arrival had patched their big screen television into the tower's computer and was perusing the San Francisco Police Department files. Now anyone else busting inside the tower and commandeering their equipment would have been set upon immediately. But this guy was a bit different.

Batman's distinctive dual pointed cowl was poking out the top of the sectional couch. The group fell silent. It would be the equivalent of the pope just "popping in" for tea. How do you approach such a fella?

Amongst the group, the most flabbergasted was Will. He had followed the Dark Knights career longer than the others had been alive. It was because of Batman saving his art club during their Gotham trip that led him to a life of crime fighting (albeit inadvertently). It was also because of this guy that he found the Titans and possibly saved him from suicide.

"How did he get past my alarms?" Cyborg whispered to no one in particular.

Robin remained silent at his mentor's sudden appearance. But judging by the frozen snarl on his face, he was not pleased. They had been on the outs for awhile, leading some to speculate his forming of the Titans was just a means to distance himself from Batman.

Starfire, being their emissary of peace, stepped forward and approached their surprise guest.

"Greetings friend Batman and welcome to our home. Would you like a beverage or perhaps a waffle?"

A moment of silence dragged.

"No"

The Tamaranian turned to the others with a look of bewilderment at this guy's aloofness. But what were they expecting? Will had done a ton of research during his salad days and knew the guy was obsessed with his work. When in the middle of a case, all his attentions were on task. Everything else was pushed away. It was what gives him an edge over Gotham's substantial criminal element.

"I'll handle this." Robin growled and approached the couch.

Taking their cue, the others turned to leave the dayroom. All that is except Will who was still mesmerized on seeing his childhood hero just a few feet away. Wonder if he could get an autograph? Cyborgs cold steely hand squeezed his shoulder.

"Let's go"

Will turned and left with the others. The minute the doors were closed, they all pressed their ears to the door. There was a lot of yelling and carrying-on going on inside but it was all coming from Robin. It sounded like Batman wasn't responding at all. Their curiosity was driving them crazy!

"BB?" Cy whispered

The changeling shrunk down to the size of a fly and fluttered inside the air vent above their heads. They sat on the floor and waited for the squirts return.

"I never knew he was so bitter." Cyborg whispered

"It is a taboo subject with Robin. 'Starfire explained' I have inquired many times and he refuses to discuss it."

"Will: you're our resident superhero aficionado. What's the scoop?"

"I followed him before Robin came along but I'm thinking Batman's obsession with his crusade probably pushed him away."

"With his mother and father gone, it must have been frustrating." Starfire sighed

"Funny thing though. I wonder if Robin'll ever realize how much alike they really are."

"I wouldn't tell him that." Cy warned

"Without a doubt." Will nodded

He had learned the hard way that comparing the Boy Wonder with anyone else was a big mistake. During their last run in with Slade he made comparisons and Robin didn't talk to him for nearly a week. Eh, it's all self-denial.

A small green fly popped out of the vent and sprouted back to the green skinned imp.

"So?" Cy urged

"Whatever it is, it's big. Bats is tailing one of his regulars and feels that it would be over Robins head."

"Did he mention any names?" Will asked

"No. But he acted like it was real important that he be here to handle it."

"Two Face?" Cyborg suggested

"I say Killer Croc" Beast Boy disagreed

Starfire just shrugged her shoulders but Will thought creatively. Now the other villains Batman deals with are pretty territorial and prefer to stick to their own turf. What denizens of his rogues gallery likes to not only skip town but also makes Batman nervous enough to fly clear across the country to reinforce his ward?

"It's either Bane or The Joker." Will nodded

"I hope its Bane. 'Cyborg grinned' I've always wanted to take that sucker on."

"Who is the Joker?" Starfire asked

"Batmans polar opposite. 'Will explained' Long time ago, Bats tangled with this small time hood named Jack Napier. Well the guy fell into a vat of chemicals, bleaching his skin, turning his hair green and twisting his mouth into a frozen smile. He's believed to have killed over two hundred people."

To protect Starfires sensibilities, Will omitted the fact he had also murdered Robins replacement.

"This Joker sounds like a monster." Starfire gasped

"And then some." Cyborg agreed

Later…

After an hour's worth of pointless arguing, Robin called the others into the living room. Batman was gone. Geez that guy must be part ghost.

"Okay we have problems." Robin announced

"Who is it?" Cyborg asked

"The Joker"

"Cool." Beast Boy gasped

"There is nothing "cool" about the Joker. 'Robin growled' Make a wrong step and you're dead! The guy is ruthless and has no conscience. Got it?"

"Yes boss." BB said sheepishly

"What's he up to?" Cy asked

"Not sure. All we know is he and Harlequin are in the area. While Batman is investigating, we will be on twenty four-hour patrol. No rest until he's caught."

The group nodded

"Okay: here are your assignments."

Later…

Starfire and Aenoch cruised over the Bay Bridge. For the first time ever in Titan history, Raven and the Spirit Drinker chose to work separately. But why? Finally the Tamaranian could take the suspense no longer and ached to ask him what was going on.

They set down on a girder overlooking the oncoming traffic. Because of her sharp eyes and his empathy, they were selected to monitor the main artery.

"Forgive me for asking, but why are you and Raven estranged?" She asked

"Will attempted to kiss Raven and she spurned him."

"Why?"

"Why did he try to kiss her or why did she spurn him?"

"Both?"

"I never understood their motivations for what they do."

"Indeed. But I thought they loved each other."

"I believe they still do. Will wants Raven to acknowledge their relationship has transcended the "talking phase" and she is resistant to admitting physical love for anybody, even him."

"But you have known Raven longer. Surely you and Will share feelings for her."

Before he could answer, the Batwing silently zipped by. This one was much different from the plane the Dark Knight ferried Aenoch to meet with Jason Blood. It was much sleeker and almost entirely silent. Even as the Spirit Drinker he was impressed. He forgot the question and Star didn't pose it again.

Fisherman's Wharf…

Ravens error in judgment was starting to weigh on her more and more. Not for the effect on Will (although it was a major factor) but something she had not foreseen…

"And then she says: Yes, but this one is eating my popcorn!" Beast Boy giggled

She just could manage a moan and shake her head at the lame hackneyed joke. Why her? If not for Robin's pride she could have teamed up with him. But instead, for her alleged safety, Robin teamed her up with this boob.

"Aw come on. That was a good one."

"Whatever."

Back at the Tower…

Cyborg was stationed by their main computer and monitoring for alarms and alerts. He was also correlating military and scientific goings on for possible Joker Targets. Most likely whatever he took would be portable enough to transport back to Gotham.

Suddenly an alarm rang, making him jump.

China Town…

Robin was patrolling around the bustling market place on his motorcycle. Every once in a while he heard the telltale hum of the Batwing over his head. Was it his imagination or was his former mentor being awfully clingy this time around?

"Get real" He hissed to himself

His yellow radio buzzed. He pulled it off his belt.

"Got one." Cyborg announced excitedly

"Where at?"

"Naval yard."

That was one of the options Batman had considered. The battleship Tripoli was being decommissioned today. It was instrumental during the Cortio Maltese conflict and most likely still had some Tomahawks loaded.

"Titans go. 'Robin ordered' All units…"

"Belay that order. 'Batman countermanded' No one makes a move. ETA five minutes."

Robin felt like screaming. This was his team! They have handled everything from psychotic puppets to four eyed demons and now all of a sudden this creep feels like he can pull the rug from underneath?

He gunned his motorcycle's substantial engines and sped off to the shipyard. With a few shortcuts he should just beat Bats there.

At the Shipyard, main deck of the Tripoli…

The battleships deck was littered with the comatose bodies of white uniformed sailors and MPs. Their maniacal laughing could be heard from miles away.

"Music to my ears." Joker giggled and skipped through the mess to the ship's missile launchers.

"Tip toe, through the tulips…" Harlequin sang as she followed

They reached the launcher. Joker opened up the control panel inside the front of the four-barreled cannon.

"Ooh…neat blinky buttons." He cooed

"Looks awfully complicated puddin."

"It's okay pooh- I brought my key." He said reaching inside his back pants pocket and pulled out a purple crowbar.

It was the warheads Joker wanted, not the propulsion systems. These were tactical nukes, enough to fry a few blocks but not the entire city. Perfect for a little creative terrorism. He imagined the Gothamites screaming and glowing in the night like thousands of screaming fireflies. Thoughts like that make the drive cross country worthwhile.

And even better that little green leotarded squirt was bound to show up any second. It was the main reason why he came here. The warheads are just to pay the bills.

He stabbed the bar in the seam between the warhead and fuselage and began prying them apart.

"Come to Joker. Daddy needs a new pair of size ten and a half wides." He grunted

A humming caught their attention. Harley turned from the launcher. The Batwing was swooping out of the sun like a jet-black bird of prey. God the guy was like a turd that wouldn't flush.

"Party crashers Mister J."

Joker turned to the oncoming plane and sighed sadly.

"And they call me obsessive. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

But like his famous nemesis, he comes prepared too. He reached deep into his front pocket and pulled out his gun with the extra long barrel. Joker strained the gun upright with both hands and pointed it towards the incoming Batwing.

"Pull!" He hollered and squeezed the trigger

The barrel exploded and with it the belly of the approaching Batwing. It dove over their heads and out of sight, leaving a trail of flames and black smoke in its wake. Joker and Harley cupped their ears and listened.

KER-SPLASH!

"Glug, giddy-glug-glug." He laughed

Suddenly Robin bounded on the deck, his Bo staff at the ready.

"Oh goody. 'Joker giggled' Beats having to find you."

A distance away…

"Bats? Robin?" Cyborg called over the radio

Starfire and Aenoch were standing outside the yard and listening to the radio chatter. Batman's radio was dead and Robin wasn't answering. They saw the Batwing splash down and Bats hadn't emerged yet.

"Robin should not face the Joker alone."

"But the Batman told us to stay behind." She reminded

She was right of course; Aenoch had no experience with the Joker. But the small sliver of Will just ached to get involved. He had always dreamed of taking on the Joker like his idol. He knew the Spirit Drinker would have the advantage.

They heard grunts and punches coming from the deck.

Back on the deck of the Tripoli…

The secret to fighting the Joker was to fight hard and fast. He might not look it but the nut was highly intelligent and quite resourceful. Robin wasted no time and dove onto him, knocking Joker to the ground.

"Bad touch."

He planted both his feet in Robin's gut and kicked him away and onto the pile of comatose sailors. In all his determination to take the Joker out before Batman, Robin had neglected to realize that someone was conspicuously missing.

"Boingy! Boingy! Boingy!" A woman yelled from above

Harley landed on Robin's chest with her oversized Pogo Stick, collapsing his ribcage with a kindling snap. He slumped down to the deck. Joker followed up the assault with a swift kick to the boy's face.

"Boot to the head: yeah-YEAH!"

Back outside the shipyard…

The sounds of battle had abruptly ended. Now all they heard were the Jokers giggles. Something was obviously wrong. Aenoch reached out to Robin with his mind. He was in pain and afraid.

"Robin is hurt."

The black wings materialized on Aenochs back and he darted off. There was no stopping this now. Star pulled out her radio and followed.

"We require aid!" She yelled

Back on the deck…

Joker stood over the gasping Robin and showed him his purple crowbar.

"See these? 'He asked while proudly pointing to dents in the crowbar shaft' Those were made by your replacement's skull. A lot of spunk the tot had, felt a bit saddened at caving his head in"

He began to laugh hysterically.

"Wait a minute? No I didn't! In fact, it's why I came here. Killing Batman sidekicks is a hobby with me. Can't have you breathing and ruining my average."

Joker gripped the crowbar with both hands and raised it over his head.

"This is gonna smart!"

KerrrTHHHLUNK!

"YARRGH!" The Joker screamed as a black arrow punched its way through his white-gloved palm and knocking the crowbar out of his hand.

An all black clad gray skinned fellow with matching wings swooped down with his bow and another arrow at the ready.

"Hey! That was rented. 'Joker protested' Pooh?"

Harley reached inside her oversized happy face purse and produced a large gag mallet. She pointed its flat end at Aenoch.

Sproiiiiiing…

A spring-loaded boxing glove popped out and smashed the Spirit Drinker in the face, knocking him out of the sky and onto the deck.

Suddenly Harley was enveloped in black energy and lifted into the air. Raven, with her blue cloak bellowing behind her, floated up from over battleship's side. Harley looked at Raven and the semi conscious Aenoch.

"What the hell is this a Goth convention?"

Raven chucked Harley off the ship and deep into the bay.

"PUDINNNNN…"

Her screaming was cut short by a splash. Raven turned to face the Joker. Looks like the coward buggered. She turned her attention to the gasping and bleeding carnage by her feet.

Aenochs face was bruised and black viscous blood was drizzling out of his mouth but unlike Robin, was conscious.

"Is he okay?" Aenoch coughed

She laid her small glowing hands on Robin's chest.

"Three broken ribs. No internal damage…yet. He needs to get to a hospital now."

Starfire set down by them and gasped. Between the piles of grinning bodies to Robin and Aenoch with their faces smashed, it was too much for the sensitive girl to accept.

"He has broken ribs. Can you get him to the emergency room?" Raven asked

Without hesitation, the Tamaranian scooped up Robin in her skinny arms and sped off. She was the fastest flier and should get him there within minutes.

Raven grabbed Aenoch by the waist and helped him to his feet. The bruises on his emotionless face were already beginning to fade.

"That was a stupid thing to do." She admonished

"But it worked." He countered

"Where is he?"

Aenoch closed his eyes and concentrated. Joker's insane mind was easy to detect. Hmm, but a much more determined and disciplined mind had apparently intercepted him.

KRACK!

"Ooh! Owwie! Owwie!"

A bloodied Joker was running back towards them with Batman in pursuit.

"Clear the way." Batman ordered

"Scuse me," Joker said while squirting his yellow boutonniere in Raven and Aenochs face as he ran by.

Odd, it tasted and smelled like cotton candy. That nut must have added that him self. Hmm, it had no effect on him. He turned to Raven.

Her gray neutral face cracked a grin. The grin grew into a wide gaping smile. Suddenly, she erupted in maniacal laughter.

She fell to her knees and struggled to take control. Aenoch kneeled down beside her and placed his hands on her head. There were no emotions to take away; his powers were helpless in this case. Will had read about this stuff. If she doesn't get the antidote soon, the Joker toxin will kill her.

But Batman was ready for just this situation. He broke off his pursuit of Joker and pulled an air gun of antitoxin off his yellow utility belt. He pressed the barrel of the gun to Ravens smooth gray skinned neck. A hiss of air and the vial of medication was forced into her blood stream. Immediately her laughing began to weaken.

"She will be alright" Batman assured

Aenoch stood.

Now no matter how much Aenoch and Will preferred to distance themselves from each other, they were still both parts of a whole. And that bastard just nearly murdered the only woman that ever cared for him. Like it or lump it, the Will was in charge now. The Spirit Drinker flew off in pursuit.

"Wait!" Batman yelled

Outside the shipyard…

The purple convertible sped away from the carnage and headed back to the highway. He pressed his bleeding hand under his armpit.

"Drive to the coast she says. Get some fresh air, see the sights and kill another Robin she says. WHAT IN THE HELL WAS I THINKING?" Joker growled

Two gray hands grabbed him by the shoulders and wrenched him out of his seat. The driverless purple convertible careened off the dock and crashed into the bay. Joker loved that car. He killed a family of five to get it!

Aenoch chucked him across the street and into a garbage filled Dumpster standing open nearby.

"Rats and garbage. Oh how I miss Gotham." Joker sighed from inside

He was just crawling out when the Spirit Drinker grabbed him by the purple lapels and wrenched him out of the Dumpster. Joker frantically reached for his boutonniere and sprayed the toxin full in Aenochs gray stone face. He didn't even crack a smile.

"Tough room. Guess tickling is out of the question?" Joker chuckled uncomfortably

Aenoch tore the flower off, taking most of his lapel with it.

"Eat it" He said calmly while jamming the boutonniere in Jokers smiling mouth.

He threw the Joker back across the street and into a row of trashcans like a purple suited bowling ball, sending the cans and garbage in all directions. Joker hauled himself to his feet and spat the boutonniere out.

"Hankering for a spankering are we?" He asked while rolling up his purple sleeves and taking an exaggerated boxing stance.

But Aenoch did not react at the threats and approached. Joker swung at his face and his fist passed right through.

"Help! I'm getting beat up by Dracula!" He hollered as the Spirit Drinker took him by the neck.

Aenoch made eye contact with the Joker and began to feed. Suddenly horrific visions filled his head. He was experiencing the world for that clown's twisted point of view.

"Please don't kill me!" A beaten woman at his feet sobbed

Joker happily cut her throat with a strait Razor and tap-danced in the arterial spray. In his mind this whole scene was hilarious. She was a disease-ridden prostitute, what did he care? Small price for a most excellent joke.

"Daddy?" A small girl in a purple nighty and holding a teddy bear yawned

He sang a lullaby as he squashed her small head under his heel. She had appeared after he killed a stoolie. Why wasn't she laughing?

Aenoch experienced each and every one of Jokers two hundred murders in excruciating detail. And cementing it all together was an overwhelming feeling of joy.

The last thing he felt was Jokers murder of the other Robin. He felt every blow of the crowbar and heard every last crack of his victim's skull.

"Ooh…kinky." Joker moaned and fell to the street unconscious

Aenoch began to smile and chuckle.

"Kinky." The Spirit Drinker repeated

Batman ran out of the yard to find Aenoch standing over a comatose Joker. Even out cold the psycho was still laughing. He squatted down and felt his white neck for a pulse. The nut was breathing but out cold.

"I told you to stay back." He reminded Aenoch while deftly inserting another vial of anti toxin in his air gun and injecting it into the Spirit Drinkers neck.

"Somethin' to do…sweetie." Aenoch whispered

Later…

Batman had brought enough of the antidote to inoculate the Tripoli's crew. It would be quite some time before their smiles faded but they were going to pull through.

After they hauled off the sailors came the tricky matter of explaining the whole mess to the authorities. Luckily they had a good relationship with the local police and the detective didn't ask too many questions. Bringing in the Joker was good press for everyone involved. Cyborg hurried over to handle their deposition.

"Bad touch…urg…mommy" Mumbled the hog tied Joker as two officers tossed him in the paddy wagon

"And Doctor Quinzel?" Detective James asked

Cyborg looked to the bay beyond.

"Here she comes."

A Kelly green Humpback whale surfaced a mile out. Stretched out on his back was a soggy and unconscious Harlequin. Her saturated red and black jester cap hung limply. The whale pulled up beside the docks where Aenoch was waiting.

A big puff of air from BB's blowhole chucked the woman through the air and into the Spirit Drinkers arms. He carried Harley over to the waiting officers who handcuffed and tossed her in the van alongside her babbling puddin'.

"Now you're sure the Batman had nothing to do with this?" The portly detective asked suspiciously

The Dark Knight wisely decided to keep his anonymity in this case. If the dregs back in Gotham got wind that Bats had skipped town, the city would be flattened by the time he got back.

"Naw. It was all us." Cyborg smiled

"Uh huh"

The detective climbed in the idling paddy wagon and sped off to the airport where a jet was waiting to tote the pair back to Arkham and some heavy-duty therapy.

When the authorities were safely out of sight, Batman stepped out of the shadows. He pressed a button on his utility belt and the Batmobile emerged from behind the Dumpster and rolled up to him like an obedient dog. Another button and the car's canopy hissed and slid open. Will strained to look inside.

Dear God look at the optional extras. Radar, sonar, CB and some gadgets Will didn't even recognize. Funny, no CD player or air conditioner though. Cy was looking too and turning a thousand shades of green.

"Inflatable pontoons? 'Cyborg gasped' Why didn't I think of that."

Batman was tightlipped and hadn't uttered a word of appreciation for their help. The more the Titans dealt with the Dark Knight the more they could understand why Robin had distanced himself. Even Darkseid needed a pat on the back every once in a while.

The only one still star-struck was Will. He had fought along side his hero and laid the smack down on the Joker. Now the only dream needing fulfillment was simple in comparison: an autograph. Other hero signatures are easily available (Superman goes for a quarter apiece on Ebay). But Batman? None exists. Ever since he arrived Will had been summoning up the courage to ask Bats for his John Hancock. His hands felt the pen and pad in his coat pocket.

"Are you even going to see Robin before you leave?" Raven asked

Batman didn't answer as he climbed inside. Before he closed the canopy, Will sheepishly approached. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen.

"You saved my art club and I've been following your career all my life. Can I please have your autograph?" He asked handing Bats the pad and pen

He slammed the canopy shut and the Batmobile sped off, leaving them in a thick cloud of dust and exhaust. Guess that was his way of saying no. The others gasped at the blatant snubbing.

"What a dick." Cyborg growled

"It's alright Cy…anxious to get home I guess." Will sighed

Raven watched Will walk away with his head bowed in defeat. Even her somewhat stony heart went out to him. Now she felt even worse.

Later, at San Francisco General…

After Batman and the Joker were safely out of town, the Titans hustled over to the hospital and visited their out of commission leader.

All big city hospitals offered a special ward dedicated to members of the cape and costume set and this place was no different. Unfortunately they mainly deal with criminals here so they kept Robin sequestered in a private room, out of the clutches of irate nasties and the press. Secured two levels under ground, only the attending physician has the keycard to activate the elevator and access the ward.

They were on a first name basis with the attending and she happily led them to Robin's room.

As they walked down the hall to their Metahuman wing, Will could not help but picture what Gotham's must be like. He imagined Bats kept the emergency rooms there pretty busy. He heard tantalizing rumors there was a webcam there, might be worth checking out. Although, admittedly, events as of late had somewhat dampened his Batman appreciation.

"He's still pretty groggy so don't expect too much." The doctor warned as she opened the ward door.

It opened up on a sterile and spotless white hallway lined with thick steel doors and secured with key card mechanisms. The doctor led them to the third door on the right. She pulled out a different card and slid it through the reader. A loud clank and the door swung open.

It looked like any typical hospital suite. A bed and monitoring equipment dominated the room. No television or window though. Guess it made sense; a lot of their villains use electricity and would take advantage.

Robin lay in the bed, stoned out of his mind with an oxygen mask strapped to his bruised and swollen face. Watching over him like a hawk was Starfire. They both saw the new arrivals and smiled.

"How are ya man?" Cyborg whispered

"Comfortably numb. They put me on tranquilizers and painkillers. Tried to resist…"

"Don't argue. 'Will laughed' It's the best part."

"When're you coming back?" BB asked

"In a few days. After that two weeks of bed rest."

"And how much of that were you actually planning to follow?" Asked Raven

"Umm…maybe an hour or so."

"He will rest: I will see to it." Starfire said sternly

They went into detail what happened.

"And they took me out with a Pogo Stick." Robin moaned with disgust

"That's nothing. 'Will laughed' Aenoch got clobbered by a spring-loaded boxing glove. Sprayed us with that gas of his too."

Robin looked Raven over.

"What was that like?"

"Very…unnatural." Rae volunteered

"Did Bats stop by? 'Cy asked' We tried to get him to visit before he left."

Robin clenched his teeth and looked away.

"Wouldn't want him here anyway."

Later that night, back at the tower…

Beast Boy made his way to the bathroom with that month's copy of "Curd Quarterly": the magazine for tofu enthusiasts. And speaking of which, the three pounds he ate yesterday for dinner was fixing to make an encore.

He ducked in the bathroom and closed the door.

ARRRRRRRRGH!

His anguished screams echoed through the towers empty halls, awakening them all. Yes BB screams a lot but that one was reserved for real pain and danger. They stumbled out of their rooms and gathered outside the locked bathroom door.

"BB?" Cyborg called worriedly

All they could hear from inside was sobbing.

"Dammit I told ya. 'Will admonished' Eat more greens and this won't happen."

"It's not that." The changeling sniffled

"Did you fall in again?" Raven sighed

"No."

"Then what?"

"Somebody covered the seat with glue." He whimpered

"Cy?" Will and Raven asked together

Cyborg backed away from their accusing glares.

"Don't look at me. I didn't do it."

"Didn't you put dye in his shampoo to turn him brown?" Raven reminded

"Well yeah…"

"And fill his sneakers with oatmeal?" Will added

"Okay I gotta admit it does look bad but it wasn't me. Maybe you…"

"Whoa! 'Will protested' Don't drag me into this. Pranks are your forte' buddy."

Cyborg's sensitive scanners monitored his pulse and heart rate: Will was telling the truth. Raven was obviously out and Robin and Starfire were still in the hospital. All the evidence pointed to him. Cyborg grinned uncomfortably.

"Well you can pry him off. Good night." Raven yawned and walked away.

"Real funny Cy." Will sighed and followed

BB was still sniffling. Cyborg felt bad for the squirt. He might have maybe smeared toothpaste or peanut butter. But glue? That was real low. Their pranks might mess each other up but no one ever had gotten hurt.

"Calm down buddy. 'Cyborg soothed' I'll get you something to free yourself."

"This is the meanest thing you've ever done."

"As God as my witness. I DIDN'T DO IT!"

"Whatever."

Cy walked off to his garage. He had some solvents that should loosen up the glue enough to peel him off the seat. Of course that stuff was caustic and BB was gonna lose a few layers of skin. This wasn't gonna be pretty.

At breakfast…

Raven and Will were in the nook sitting on opposite ends and silently devouring a stack of waffles.

Standing outside the nook and picking aimlessly at his tofu bacon platter was BB. It would be quite some time before his butt was sitable again. The seat of his pants bulged from all the stuffed toilet paper. If the little guy wasn't in so much pain, Will might actually have laughed.

Cy was absent though. Maybe he finally saw the error in his ways and was reexamining his life. That joke was just plain cruel. Hopefully this will put their prank war to rest. Certainly Starfire would appreciate it; she is still cleaning the oil out of her hair.

The double doors swung open.

"BB! You rat!" Cyborg roared

They all turned and gasped. Cy was covered from head to toe in neon purple paint. And glued on top of his bald head was a fluffy green clown wig BB used last Halloween.

"I didn't do it." BB giggled

"Horse crap. 'Cy growled and stomped towards the imp' Don't lie to me squirt."

Now ordinarily the pranks around here were taken in stride but the tempo of their war was getting pretty nasty. And from the looks on Cy's face, he was going to get even one way or another. BB saw his mood and quickly morphed into a Sasquatch.

"Didn't do it but wish I did." He snarled

"You son of a…"

Cyborg was engulfed by black energies and lifted in the air while a giant ebony hand grabbed hold of BB, pinning his thick furred arms to his side.

"That will be quite enough." Raven growled

Aenoch remained silent but was obviously in agreement. In spite of their predicament both of the combatants still strained to fight each other.

"You tofu swilling Brussel Sprout!" Cyborg yelled

"Come get some you bolted boob!"

The dayroom doors swung open and in walked Starfire. You talk about timing. She gasped and darted between the combatants.

"Cease this fighting."

"This rat…" Cy stuttered

"Cyborg…" BB responded

"Their pranks have gotten out of hand. 'Raven calmly explained' BB got his butt glued to the toilet seat and in revenge did this to Cyborg."

"I told you I didn't do it" Cy protested

"Neither did I."

"If they said they did not do it, they did not. 'Starfire scolded' besides: you two always admit to your pranks. Is that not part of the game?"

The combatants relaxed. She most definitely had a point.

"Please release them?"

Raven and Aenoch returned the pair to the ground and they backed off.

"Perhaps you two did not do the pranking but someone else did. Aenoch?"

"I do not "prank" and Will is innocent."

"Raven?"

"Get real" She frowned

Hmm, well if no one here did it…

"Perhaps the Harlequin or Joker has escaped?" Aenoch suggested

"Robin did the "checking in" before I left the hospital. Both have arrived safely in Arkham."

They all suddenly looked nervous.

"Okay lets tear this place apart. 'Cyborg snarled' Someone's here that shouldn't."

The Titans split up and began searching the Tower. Aenoch became intangible and sunk through the floor. Usually in situations like this, he sticks to Raven like glue. The girl sighed sadly and searched on her own.

Some time later…

They searched the tower apart from top to bottom and found nothing. Cyborg even checked the computer logs for his bedroom door. According to that no one had used it but him.

Seeing the evidence, Cy was starting to get a pretty good idea who was behind all this but was hesitant to accuse anyone. So instead, he had an idea.

Cy pressed a button on his wrist and out of his arm popped a small metal box. He opened the box and inside was small dime sized cameras. He made these things a while back after that Terra mess but never got the chance to use them. They were the same color as the steel tower walls and totally unnoticeable by the naked eye. Only his cybernetic vision can distinguish them.

He took the cameras and placed one on the wall across from each and every door on this floor. The pranks were clustered exclusively around here and it was just a matter of time before he or she tries again. And when he or she does, there will be hard evidence.

"God please say I'm wrong." He whispered as he planted the last one

That night…

Starfire tossed and turned in bed. It hurt for her to leave Robin all alone in that hospital. He insisted that the Tamaranian return to the Tower and get some rest but every second she was away felt like neglect.

She sat up. Honestly, being in the ward alongside Robin was preferable to the stress and mistrust going on here. Star left her room. It was still pretty late but the doctor promised to let her back into the ward no matter what time it was.

She walked over to the elevator and pressed the call button. The double doors obediently swished open and she stepped inside. Star pressed the button for the roof. The doors shut and the car shot upwards.

Suddenly the elevator lurched and ground to a halt.

"Take me to the roof stubborn elevator." She said and pressed the button again.

A metallic snap above and the car plummeted to the tower lobby four floors below.

"Eep" She managed

KERRRR-ASH!

The others jumped out of their rooms. The air was full of thick black smoke.

"The hell?" Will coughed

Black smoke was billowing through the elevator doors. They ran to the elevator and Cy pulled the doors apart. The car had crashed to the bottom floor.

"Aw Christ." Cy moaned in despair as he ran to the stairway with the others following.

They stampeded down the steps to the lobby. The doors were already open and Starfire was calmly brushing herself off. She can fly through deep space so a four-floor plummet was a mere trifle. Thank God it was her in there. Anyone else would have been killed.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked

"I am unhurt. It appears I have been "pranked" as well."

"This is ridiculous. Who's doing this?" Will yelled in despair

"Yeah…who." Cy said shaking his head

Later…

Starfire flew off to the hospital and Raven was just about to return to her room when Cyborg appeared.

"What?" She asked

Cyborg just shushed the girl and led her to the computer console in his room.

"I installed small cameras all over just in case our saboteur tried again." He explained

He called up a menu of his cameras and chose the one for the elevator. On the monitor appeared a distance view of the elevator doors. According to the clock, this was just recorded just over an hour ago. Cy sped through the footage.

"Maybe we should have Will in here too." Raven suggested

"Not a good idea."

"And why is that?"

"That's why." He said pointing to the screen.

Aenoch appeared on the screen, spinning and pirouetting like some psychotic ballet dancer and making his trench coat billow with every revolution.

"The hell?" Raven gasped

He phased through the elevator doors and disappeared. A second later he reappeared and skipped back to his room. Not even a minute after he disappeared, Starfire climbed in.

"I can't believe it." She moaned

"Believe it."

They slumped at the realization. Suddenly, Raven had a horrible thought.

"Rewind it."

Cyborg rewound the footage back to the beginning when Aenoch was approaching the elevator. They watched him phase through the door and reappear.

"Freeze it"

He pressed the pause button. Aenoch was facing the camera but because of the distance and poor resolution, he was hard to recognize.

"Zoom in and clarify."

Cy manipulated his mouse and a square outline surrounded Aenochs head. The square zoomed in and took up the entire screen. He pressed a button to filter the image.

"Oh boy." He choked

Aenochs face was frozen in a gaping sardonic smile…the Joker's smile.

Outside Will's room…

Cyborg tried the door but it was locked from the inside. He pounded on it hard enough to dent the steel.

"Open up!" He yelled

No answer

Raven took a deep breath and phased her arm through the thick steel door. She deftly unlocked the door from the inside, allowing Cy to open it. They both cautiously stepped inside.

The lights were off and the bed had been slept in but Will was gone. He checked the monitor built into his forearm.

"Shit. He's left the tower."

They slumped. Beast Boy, still in his blue monkey print pajamas, appeared.

"What's goin' on?" He yawned

"Aenoch sabotaged the elevator." Raven explained

"But you said…"

Cyborg called up the footage on the monitor in his arm and showed it to the changeling. He just gulped at the sight.

"But he's done that to hundreds of people. 'BB gasped' What made this time so special?"

"There is no reason. 'Raven said shaking her head' We need to catch him and find out what happened."

"And how do we do that? 'Cy asked' That guy could be anywhere."

Raven thought seriously.

"For all purposes he IS the Joker and would have the same compulsions and…oh no."

"Robin" They gasped together

As they ran up the stairs to the roof, Cyborg attempted to hail Star through her radio.

"Come on Star pick up." He growled

UNABLE TO PLACE CALL

"Shit, her radio must be off."

They reached the roof. Without missing a step, BB leapt over the ledge, morphed into a Pterodactyl and sped off to the hospital. Raven was just about to follow but turned to Cyborg.

"You'd better bring it."

"There's gotta be another way. Maybe…"

She bowed her head.

"Jokers personality with Aenochs powers? We might not be able to stop him from hurting Robin."

"Alright. 'He sighed' I'll get it and meet you there."

Raven lifted off the roof and followed the changeling.

In the Tower basement…

Being in the crime fighting business for so long, Robin learned a few sad truths. One lesson he learned all too well was to never trust anyone blindly. Anyone, no matter how stalwart, could turn on you.

Back when the Spirit Drinker first came to live in the tower, Robin was wary. Unlike the others, Aenoch was a being driven by hunger and such a creature could be dangerous given the right circumstances. So to keep the others safe just in case Aenoch lost control, he charged Cyborg with building a "failsafe".

Cyborg crept through the basement's dark and dusty depths. They avoided this place like the plague after that whole horror movie thing a few years back. Not a bad place to hide their vault. No matter what happens to the tower, the vault would surely survive.

He stood before the thick round door and pressed his hand on the checkerboard-sized reader.

"Identify" The computer ordered

"Cyborg."

"Identification confirmed."

The vault unlocked with a resounding clunk and ground open.

Constructed of ten-foot thick Promethium plates and surrounded with a self-generating phase-proof force field, this thing was meant to hold the Titans deepest darkest secrets; stuff they wanted to keep at all costs. The contents include evidence of Robins past, artifacts of Raven's father left over after his last visit and Cyborg's cryogenically preserved human remains.

He stepped over the lip of the vault's threshold and pushed his way through the haphazard stacks of boxes. He grabbed a cardboard box full of BBs stuffed animals and pushed it off to the side.

Mounted on the smooth back wall behind the box hung what resembled a laser rifle from Star Trek. The weapons short and stubby barrel and inner workings were constructed out of Promethium but the stock and butt were fabricated from white fiberglass. Seeing it after all these years, it oddly reminded Cyborg of bone. Was that his intention at the time?

He vividly remembered the day he built this thing. Ordinarily he would have never dreamed of creating such a device but the Spirit Drinker had arrived not even a month after Terra went rogue. This weapon was made not out of necessity but anger and fear.

Cyborg carefully took it off its cradle and looked it over. He designed it to disrupt the life energies Aenoch feeds on. A blast on the lowest setting would knock the Spirit Drinker unconscious but prolonged exposure on the highest would surely kill.

He pressed his thick index finger on the trigger and the rifle gently began to hum. The sensation was soft and almost soothing.

"God help us." He muttered and jogged off to the hangar

Later, at the hospital Metahuman ward…

Joker's gray smiling face poked through the armored ceiling of Robin's hospital room. It was dark inside and impossible to see.

"Loocy…I'm home." He giggled

He pulled the rest of his body through the ceiling and silently set down on the room's linoleum floor.

"Loocy?"

All he could hear in the thick palpable dark was the rhythmic sound of Robins snoring. The Joker could easily just take him out now but being the narcissist he was, wanted to see the boy blunders face.

He felt the wall behind him. His cold rigid fingers found the switch and turned on the lights. Starfire was gone and Robin was just a lump under the gray hospital blankets. Joker pulled the Shadow Blade handle off his belt and formed a crowbar.

"Wakey, wakey."

Joker jumped on the bed and straddled Robins snoring form.

"Oh honey bun?" He yelled with his weapon at the ready

The figure wasn't stirring. He has to be awake to make the joke work. Joker tapped the form with his foot.

"Come on wake up."

He reached down and yanked off the blankets. There was nothing but a stack of pillows and Robin's mini tape recorder.

"Oh Sherbet."

Joker heard a hiss from the behind. He spun around to see some hooded gray skinned chick phasing through the wall.

"Will: drop the weapon." She warned

"Ethyl! You aren't even in this scene." He admonished and lunged off the bed swinging his crowbar

With a wave of her hand, she constructed a black shield to deflect his blow.

KLANG!

The ebony crow bar ricocheted harmlessly off the barrier. Before he could strike again, Raven calmly reached out with her other hand and sent a bolt of black energy into Jokers chest, knocking him off his feet and onto the bed.

"OH RICKY!" He giggled while diving off the bed and phasing through the door.

Raven pulled the round yellow radio off her belt.

"He's heading your way Star. Don't hold back…he won't."

The Joker ran down the hall. Standing in front of the ward door was Starfire, her eyes and hands were glowing bright neon green.

"Please do not move Annie. We only wish to help you."

"Is it true Redheads are screamers? 'He asked and pounced' LETS FIND OUT!"

The Tamaranian hauled off and punched Joker in the jaw, sending him flying down the hall and hard against the far wall. The Spirit Drinker hauled himself to his feet. Black viscous blood was pouring out of his healing mouth. Even in his psychosis he could see the situation was hopeless.

"Gotta make like Lewinsky and blow." He giggled as wings sprouted on his back and flew up through the ceiling.

"He is heading for the roof."

Joker crawled up through the concrete roof.

PAFF!

Suddenly an explosion and bright flash blinded and disoriented him. Robins flash grenades!

"NOW!" Robin yelled

What felt like a ton of blubber crushed the Joker flat. His eyes cleared and all he could see was green. And who'd been eating all the tofu?

"Relax Annie: we can help you." BB in his hippopotamus form assured

"Now I know how Tom Arnold felt." He gasped and let himself phase and fall through the roof.

The Hippo shrunk down to the familiar form of Beast Boy.

"He's on his way back down Star." He yelled into his radio

Joker emerged from the ceiling behind the changeling. His Shadow Blade was now in the form of a giant mallet.

"Hey, Sprout."

Just as Beast Boy turned, a spring loaded boxing glove popped out of the flat of the mallet and…

Ker-THLUMP!

The boxing glove clocked the kid dead in the mouth, knocking BB off his feet and hard onto the roof.

"It ain't easy being green." Joker sang sadly and stepped over the changelings reeling form

Robin, still in his hospital gown and doubled over from the pain of his crushed ribs, backed up.

"There you are. 'Joker giggled as the mallet morphed back into a crowbar' Now then: where were we? Oh yeah: I was gonna cave in your skull."

The Spirit Drinkers thick body erupted in a blinding blast of white and pain. This was new. He never feels pain. The Joker fell to his knees. Cyborg stepped out of the shadows with the smoking rifle in his thick hands.

"Easy man. Don't make me do this." He pled

Cold black vapors were leaking out from under the Jokers coat and his eyes were beginning to cloud over. In spite of being near starved, he still hauled himself to his feet.

"Hold still now…" He warned and continued towards Robin

Cyborg raised the weapon's setting higher and leveled it at the Spirit Drinker. The white beam him dead center. He screamed in pain and collapsed to his hands and knees. Robin kicked the weapon out of the Spirit Drinker's hand. The other Titans appeared and surrounded him.

"Please Annie…" Starfire begged

"The name is Joker. Don't wear it out." He giggled and stood again.

Cyborg raised the setting of the rifle to the maximum and pointed it at Aenoch's back.

"PUDDIN!" A voice yelled

They all turned to the source. It was Raven. She stepped between Cyborg's weapon and Aenoch.

"Pooh?" The Joker gasped through a mouthful of black viscous blood

"Yes Mister J."

He turned away from Robin and approached the girl. Although she didn't remotely look like Harlequin, his twisted and starving mind couldn't tell a difference. She gently took his gray hands in hers and held them to her smooth cheeks. His fingers lightly caressed them.

"You sound different."

Raven skillfully pulled her head away from his hands and pressed his wrist tattoos together. Aenoch slumped as his skin regained its color.

"NOW!" She yelled and dove out of the way

All of the Titans tackled Will to the ground at once, knocking the wind out of him. The group fell silent…no one could see his face and tell if he was normal again.

"Will?" Starfire asked worriedly from the top of the heap.

"Gfff, mf meeff."

"What?" Cyborg asked from within the pile

"GFFF, MF, MEEF!"

He rolled off Will just enough so he could talk.

"GET OFF ME!"

They climbed off Will and he rolled over and sat up. The Jokers grin was gone. They all sighed in relief.

"Umm? Where the hell am I?" He asked

Back home…

They hustled Will to the tower infirmary.

"You will be okay." Starfire assured him over and over

Except for his sore jaw, he felt fine. In fact, it had been a long time since he slept that well. It seemed like every stinking morning Cy and BB would inevitably get into an argument over Tofu products or Robin would start blaring that Rap music of his.

But the evidence was undeniable. Between the footage of Aenochs sabotaging of the elevator and the four eyewitness accounts of his assassination attempt of Robin (excluding BB's whose jaw he broke with a spring-loaded boxing glove and was being wired shut) there wasn't much left to say.

They laid him out on the examination table and the array within scanned him from head to toe.

"You don't remember anything." Cy confirmed

"Nothing. Went to bed as always and next thing I'm face down on the hospital roof with you guys piled up on me."

"Any unusual dreams?" Rae asked

"Nope"

"Scanners aren't showing a thing." Cy sighed and switched off the table.

They ran a blood and DNA test and found no trace of the Joker Toxin or anything else out of the ordinary.

Until they figured what was going on, Will agreed to be sequestered in the Tower's "safe room". This place was used to hide Raven during her whole "conduit to Hell" debacle a few years back. It was built to keep everything out or in this case in.

They shooed him in and firmly shut the door. Sheesh what a smell. BB was using the room to age his tofu. He sat on the cold unyielding floor and pondered his unfortunate circumstances.

"Well on the bright side. 'He sighed while pulling his knees to his chin' It could have been the Penguin."

In the control room…

"So? What now." Cyborg asked while watching their friend through the safe room's two feet thick reinforced glass window.

Raven thought seriously

"Maybe if I linked with his subconscious…"

"No. 'Robin said shaking his head' For all we know this might be communicable. Obviously this Joker personality emerged when he slept. Let's induce sleep and monitor him. Maybe it'll give us a clue what's causing it."

"You sure that's a good idea? 'Cy asked uncomfortably' Last time both of you nearly bought it."

"It's not like we got much choice Cy. If we can't stop this, we'll have to call Star Labs to handle it and their way of dealing with problems is to lock them away."

Cy bowed his head in defeat. Talk about a lose/lose situation.

That evening in the safe room…

As they secured Will onto the table, his stressed mind raced back to his favorite childhood show The Six Million Dollar Man. This so reminded him of the pilot episode when they replaced Steve's amputated arm and legs with those cool bionics.

"Oscar? 'Will sighed' Where are ya when I need ya most."

"Who?" Star asked

"Forget it."

Sensors were adhered to his head and chest. A blood analyzer was attached to one arm while an IV filled with enough sedative to knock out a whale was placed on the other. If that nut decides to emerge again, they should be able to corral it before he tries anything.

"Now you're sure this place will hold him?" Will asked as Cyborg stuck the last monitor to his forehead.

"Kept Trigon out, should be strong enough." He assured

"Hey look: if I don't come out of this? Tell BB…"

"You will tell him yourself when you are better." Starfire interrupted

Cy turned to the observation window with Robin in the control booth.

"How're we looking?"

"Scanners on line and blood monitor looking good. 'He replied over the loud speaker' All set."

They turned and left the room. Raven was the last to leave. She glanced back at Will on the table. He could just manage an assuring smile and nod. He knew how she felt.

In the booth…

"Okay…room secured and phase dampening fields in place. Ready?" Cy asked through the loud speaker.

Will gave them a nervously shaking thumbs up.

"Nighty night" Cy said as he pressed the red button on the panel, sending a small portion of the anesthetic into his blood stream. Will immediately went limp like a soggy dishrag.

Together they watched the monitor displaying Wills brain waves. The three green squiggly lines were in the standard parameters for a sleeper.

"So far so good. Hearts and betas are normal. Blood chem?" Cyborg asked Raven at her station

"Normal."

"Then he is well?" Starfire asked worriedly

"Hold on. 'Robin warned' We're entering REM stage."

Wills eyelids began to rapidly shake left and right, making the monitor spike. The beeping of the cardiac monitor began to increase.

"Heart rate spiking…alphas too." Raven warned

Will began to convulse against the restraints. Suddenly the color flushed from his skin and the heart monitor nearly flat lined.

"Crap. 'Cyborg gasped' Aenoch just released himself."

"How is that possible?" Star asked

"It shouldn't be." Raven said shaking her head

The readout for Wills blood abruptly ground to a halt as it changed into that viscous tar.

"Blood chem's still normal…for him."

Wills rhythmic breathing over the loudspeaker was replaced by a chuckling. They all froze and fell silent at the haunting sound. It rapidly rose in tempo until he was literally screaming. They looked though the window.

Starfire choked.

Aenochs usually emotionless mouth pulled back into a gaping sardonic smile and his forest green eyes snapped open.

"Happy Birthday!" Joker yelled aloud enough to cause the control room speaker to reverb.

He struggled to free himself from the restraints.

"Suddenly I'm in a Madonna video."

"Raven…anything?"

She just shook her head.

"Okay, knock him out." Robin sighed

Cyborg pressed the red button again emptying the rest of the anesthetic into Aenochs arm.

"Mmm…sleepy." Joker yawned happily and collapsed to the table

"He's out." Robin nodded

Cy and Star opened the safe room door and stepped inside. The Joker was out cold, his mouth still frozen in its gaping rictus smile.

"You are sure he is sleeping?" Starfire whispered worriedly

"The load he took? 'Cy guffawed' He'll sleep for a week."

He freed Aenochs right hand and strained over his unconscious form to free his other.

"Careful…" Star whispered as Cy made to rub his wrists together.

The cold gray hands grabbed hold of Cyborgs thick metallic throat and pulled him down until they were nose to nose. He tried to free himself but the Jokers hands were as rigid as steel.

"PSYCHE!"

"Get out!" Cy yelled

"But…"

"He can't be allowed to leave the room. GO!"

Star dove out of the room and slammed the door shut.

"Annie." Cy begged

"Joker" He politely corrected and kissed his nose

Cy's steel hands strained to free himself from Jokers grip. His sensitive ears heard Aenoch's arm bones begin to strain and crack.

"Hey Mister Owl: how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"

He pressed his gray hand to Cyborgs barrel chest and phased it through his thick Titanium armor. He could feel his battery core being torn free.

"Let's find out! One…two…"

Cys glowing red eye began to flicker and dim.

"JOKER!" A voice yelled over the loud speaker

He turned to the source. Robin was standing by the observation booth window.

"It's me you want!" He yelled

"Opie. There you are. Goober has been lookin' all over for ya."

Joker released Cyborg who fell to the ground in a heap. He freed his legs from the restraints and leapt off the table, tearing the sensors off his head along with a small patch of skin. He threw himself against the window.

In the observation booth…

The Joker pressed his cheek against the thick window; his dark green eyes focused squarely on Robin. His pink tongue snaked out of his mouth and licked the glass.

"Robin…come out and play-ay." He laughed while gently rapping on the glass with his fingertips

"Come get some freak." He taunted

They held their breaths and watched as the safe room door behind the Joker opened and Starfire tiptoed in. She hauled Cyborg up to his feet and led him out of the room. The door quietly shut, catching Joker's ear.

He turned and Cyborg was gone.

"HOW RUDE! I baked a cake and everything."

He hauled off and punched the glass with all his strength, buckling the wall.

"COME OUT!" He screamed and punched the window again, sending an reverberating echo through the booth

"I didn't know he was that strong." Robin gasped

"He isn't. 'Raven yelled over the din' He's breaking all the bones in his hands."

Black viscous blood began to splatter on the glass as the gray skin of his fists split open from the assault.

He stopped punching the window. Not because he had lost interest but the bones in his hands were crushed.

"COME OUT!" He screamed again and began slamming the blood-covered window with his head

"Annie. Please." Starfire begged

"It's Joker. Dammit no cookie for you." He growled and head butted the glass hard enough to split open the skin of his forehead. A river of black Blood cascaded down the window.

"He is killing himself. 'She sobbed at Robin' Do something!"

Suddenly the safe room door opened and Raven stepped inside with Cy's gun in her small hands. Her face was struggling to stay calm but they could clearly see the tears form in her eyes.

"Ricky?" She called

A hemorrhaging Joker turned away from the window. Before he could say a word, the screaming white beam hit Aenoch square in the chest. He slammed against the gore-covered window and slowly slumped to the floor, smearing the blood with his shirt as he fell.

Later…

They resecured Will on the table. Both his hands were purple and misshapened and his head was lacerated badly from the top of his scalp to the bridge of his nose. Raven was laying her glowing hands on his head. With wounds this bad, the only thing she could do was set the bones and take his pain away. Aenoch could heal the wounds easily but no one dare let him loose.

"Nothing. 'Robin roared in despair' chemically or physically, there's no damn reason for this."

"There must be something we can do? 'Starfire sobbed' One more time and he will surely die."

"This is beyond us. 'Raven, with her glowing hands on Wills shattered hand, whispered' To help him we will need an expert…somebody who has dealt with the Joker on a regular basis."

"No. 'Robin growled' No goddamn way we're using him. Maybe if we…"

"Are you willing to throw him away just for the sake of your stupid vendetta? CALL HIM!"

"Please Robin? We must help our friend."

He bowed his head.

Later, at the towers main computer…

Robin sat at his private Comm station for what felt like hours. He wanted nothing to do with Batman and to call him like this felt like failure on his part. But a life hung in the balance. And in a lot of ways, this was his fault. If he had not been so anxious to trump his former mentor, they could have faced Joker as a team and Aenoch would not have had to feed. Was guilt a good motivator? Good as any he supposed.

He entered the secret code to call the Batcave. Gotham was four hours ahead so he should be just returning from patrol.

"CONNECTING"

The creepy black-cowled visage of Batman appeared. And as usual, he didn't react in the least seeing his former ward. Would a smirk have hurt that much? Oh this was gonna sting.

"Yes?"

God the guy could give deadpan lessons to Raven. Robin took a deep cleansing breath and looked his mentor in the eye.

"We…I need your help."

Some seriously uncomfortable minutes later…

"You tried a blood test." Batman confirmed

"Yeah. DNA test too. No trace of the Joker toxin."

The Dark Knight rubbed his square chin; he always does that when deep in thought. A case like this would have to interest him. He loves puzzles and surely one Joker is more than enough.

"Send me every last scrap of information you have on Aenoch. Vid files, phone calls everything. The readings from the monitors too."

"On its way." He nodded

Batman made to hang up.

"Thanks" Robin said uncomfortably

He nodded and the screen went blank. BATMAN NODDED! That was the most show of affection the guy has shown in years. Geez, Robin was touched.

Hours later at the Batcave…

Batman sat at the caves massive computer and watched some old television news broadcasts Robin had sent over. In this one, the reporter was interviewing the Titans after their defeat of Brother Blood. He remembered this case. Blood had hacked into some Barney shows and made the kids riot. Not a pretty sight. They were able to corral the wayward toddlers and break Bloods mental control.

In the interview, the Titans were standing amidst a group of gawking kids. A reporter shoved her microphone in Aenoch's face.

"And do you have a message for the kids at home?" She asked

He looked straight in the camera with his emotionless dark green eyes.

"Read a book."

Dammit there was something familiar about this. He rewound it and watched the interview again. As he restudied the segment, Alfred appeared and began dusting the control panel with his trusty feather duster. He stopped his chores and watched the footage.

"Tim Burton's latest cinematic offering sir?"

Batman did not answer and rewound the footage again.

"Something familiar about this." Batman muttered

"Christmas, eighty five." Alfred said simply

He turned away from the monitor and to his butler.

"What?"

"Are my crumpets burning?" He sighed and left the cave.

"Computer: list all major news events for Christmas 1985." Batman ordered aloud

He read the results. Hijacking of flight 686 from Beirut, a missing local child, bank robbery and…that's right. It was one of his first cases with the Mad Hatter. He had hidden a subliminal message into the yearly showing of "It's a Wonderful Life". It started a citywide riot but he was able to stop the message before the show went national.

He watched the ancient news report. A blond woman in Farrah Fawcett hair and brown pants suit was at the smoldering remains of the studio.

"And a note from the Batman was left from the scene. It said simply: read a book."

Batman reached an epiphany.

"Computer: crosscheck all audio and video files of Aenoch with mine and analyze for similarities."

"TWENTY-NINE MATCHES"

"Display."

He watched the footage and smirked.

Back at the tower…

Robin's private phone rang. He hopped in his seat and pressed the receive button. Batman appeared. His chin was covered with stubble. He must have been working at this all night.

"I need you to bring Aenoch to the Star Labs facility outside Gotham. There will be a containment team waiting."

"We're locking him up?"

"No. They are better equipped to handle him."

"You got an idea?"

"Something like that."

"On our way."

At the towers hangar…

They loaded Will's gurney inside the Titan Shuttle cargo hold. They probably could have used something more understated but this thing will get them there in less than an hour. Starfire and Cyborg elected to stay home and watch the fort.

"You will notify us immediately when you learn something?" Starfire confirmed

"We will." Raven nodded and climbed aboard.

Robin was about to follow but Cy lightly grasped his shoulder.

"Sure it's a good idea to bring her along? What if they can't help him?"

"Try to tell her that."

Thirty minutes later, flying low over Gotham…

Robin felt a trifle misty seeing his old stomping grounds again. It didn't look like much had changed. Still the rundown dump he used to hang out in. But in his heart he missed swinging around the crumbling roofs and pouncing on criminals. In a nasty place like this, caped crusaders fit the theme.

They sped through the high rotted canyons of worn skyscrapers, sending clouds of dust and junkies in their substantial wake.

"Why are you flying so low?" Asked Raven

"The police patrol with blimps around here. Best just avoid them." He explained

"Like that one?"

A white dirigible emblazoned with GOTHAM PD on the side and blinking red and blue lights lay dead ahead. They were so close Robin could see the two helmeted officers inside the cockpit wet themselves and dive for cover.

"SHIT!" He squealed and yanked the joystick hard to the left, lifting the shuttles' wing.

The bottom of the fuselage scraped against the cloth hull of the blimp creating a sickening ZZZZZZZZZTOOP sound. A metallic clunk echoed through the shuttle as Wills gurney banged against the side of the hold.

They strained and looked behind them. The officers were climbing back in their seats but not making to pursue. Guess Batman must have notified Commissioner Gordon to be expecting them. He must have a lot more pull with the authorities these days.

"If you're done playing around, can we save Will now?"

"They're just on the out skirts…ETA ten minutes."

Meanwhile, back in the tower…

Cyborg stuffed another block of gelatinous Tofu in the blender and pressed puree. As the curd liquefied, he also crammed in some celery, cored apples and a dash of mustard to give it an excremental brown look. He switched off the blender and poured the lumpy brown slush in a cup and stabbed it with a red and white bendy straw.

"Here ya go." Cy said handing it to BB in the breakfast nook

"Ank foo." The changeling nodded and began noisily sucking down Cys concoction

"You're welcome." Cy sighed and sat behind his stack of butter and syrup plastered waffles.

BB had just been discharged from the hospital that morning and was under strict doctor's orders to stay off his feet. It seems he was under some pretty heavy-duty painkillers and the doctor was afraid he might tumble and re-injure his jaw. And being the immature schmuck he was, decided to take full advantage.

"Is it not exceptionally quiet this morning?" Starfire asked while shoving another waffle into her mouth

"Too quiet." Cyborg agreed

"Perhaps I should turn on Robin's music of Rap?"

"Naw. Let's enjoy it."

They sat back and took in the silence. But the overwhelming quiet just deepened their depression. Even BB with his sealed mouth and painkiller induced high looked downtrodden.

"Well, guess I better go fix the elevator." Cy sighed and slid out of the nook, leaving his half-eaten breakfast.

Now all that remained was the changeling noisily sucking down his Tofu smoothie. It just wasn't the same without the arguments and fussing. Starfire got an idea.

"To raise our spirits, allow me to sing the Tamaranian song of happiness."

BB choked, spat out his straw and frantically shook his head.

"It will help us get through this difficult time…allow me to begin."

Star took a deep breath and suddenly her mouth opened to its limit and she began screaming loud enough to make the windows shake.

BB could just cover his pointed ears and sob.

Outside Gotham…

Even from this distance the STAR Labs facility was impressive. The twenty-story shining steel façade stood out from the surrounding trees like an ethereal Xanadu. They could see why this was kept out of town though. It would look seriously out of place in the rotting bosom of downtown Gotham.

Although their main lab was in Metropolis, they found it prudent to open a satellite facility here in Gotham to aid local law enforcement with their substantial Metahuman population. And Batman being a card-carrying member of the JLA didn't hurt either.

As they drew closer, Robin could make out a round concrete landing pad to the right of the main building with a raised walkway connecting it to the complex. He adjusted their direction and hit the breaking thrusters.

"Incoming craft identify yourself." A traffic controller hailed

"Titan Shuttle requesting permission to land." Raven responded

"Copy shuttle. Main landing pad is open."

The shuttle slowed to a stop over the pad and shuddered as Robin ignited the landing thrusters. As the pad steadily grew below them, Raven could make out a group of people running up the walkway to intercept them. Their "welcoming committee" no doubt.

They softly settled on the concrete pad and Robin killed the shuttle's engines. Just as Robin and Raven made to climb out of their separate canopies, the containment group clad in their distinctive green armor converged on their cargo hold. Leading the entourage was an older bearded man wearing thick glasses and white lab coat.

"I want a blood work up immediately and Nanos prepped in twenty." He ordered as they hauled the loaded gurney out of the hold

"Yes sir!" They yelled in unison

With practiced precision, the group hustled the gurney off the pad and back down the walkway into the building, all the while drawing blood and tissue samples. Luckily for Will he was unconscious and unaware what was going on. Robin and Raven made to follow but the old man stayed behind to intercept them.

"Emil Hamilton and General Director for STAR Labs. 'The doctor smiled while shaking both their hands in turn' The JLA appraised us of Aenochs situation. Let me insure you that everything is under control."

Raven made to step around him but his hand pressed against her chest.

"Unfortunately this is a secure facility and only cleared personnel can enter." He warned

"So CLEAR us." Raven said with a sneer and glowing white eyes.

"Umm…okay."

Deep inside the bowels of STAR Labs…

Doctor Hamilton escorted Robin and Raven into what more resembled a NASA control room than a research facility. Compared to their Safe Room back home, this was BEYOND state of the art. The room was filled from wall to wall with monitoring stations manned by busy technicians. Dominating the entire far wall was a gigantic flat television screen. The screen was currently blank.

"Allow me to welcome you to the STAR Labs Metahuman containment facility."

"Impressive." Robin managed

"This place was built especially to contain Metahumans with Aenoch's special needs."

"So he's a lab rat." Raven frowned

"No. 'Doctor Hamilton stressed' Of course not. But this was the only place that could contain him safely. Batman notified us of the injuries he sustained last time his Joker personality surfaced."

"And what makes this place so special?" She asked

"Allow me to show you." He said and led them through a door against the far wall.

They stepped inside a perfectly square chamber about the size of their day room. No windows and the walls were smooth and black. Segmenting the walls, ceiling and floor were square yellow grids.

"Rogelio? 'Doctor Hamilton yelled' Load up program…Salt Flats."

The room around them changed into what looked like a perfect replica of the Arizona salt flats. A desert of white shimmering salt stretched in all directions. Not only did it look genuine, but actually felt like it as well. Their feet crunched in the crusty salt and a searing hot breeze assailed them.

"Geez." Robin gasped while squinting from the brutal desert sun

"Now this is not all. Follow me."

They trudged forward through the desert. Robin and Raven nervously walked with their arms outstretched, feeling for the room's wall. They walked for over ten minutes but never found the end.

"What happened to the wall?" She asked

"Rogelio? Deactivate the scenario."

The desert faded away with a hiss and they were back in the containment room. Oddly, the door they entered in was on the opposite wall.

"How is all this possible?" Robin asked

"None of what you saw and felt actually exists. 'Doctor Hamilton explained' The Kryptonian technology this room harnesses told our brains where we were and what to feel. It also detected how close we were to the wall and turned us around. We could walk for days and not find the end."

This was perfect. Aenoch could never hurt himself here.

"But would it work against Aenoch?"

"We've had Superman fly in there at full speed and it was one hundred percent effective. As long as the subject is sentient, the room responds."

Doctor Hamilton led them back out of the room to the control center. Batman was standing in front of the giant monitor and looking over some readouts. Raven, Robin and the Doctor joined him.

"So what's causing this?" Raven asked

"It's a simple solution. 'Doctor Hamilton explained' Aenochs lack of higher Hypothalamus functions led to an unexpected…"

"He's me." Batman simplified

"WHAT?" They both gasped

"With Jason Bloods help, I researched the Spirit Drinkers. According to Merlin's own notes, the Enoch creatures…"

"Living beings." Raven angrily corrected

"Living beings are basically emotional and spiritual blanks. 'Batman continued' The Enoch spell strips away their personality and conscious mind, leaving them dependent solely on their subconscious. This explains why his early Spirit Drinkers were so violent and unpredictable. The first Drinkers were warriors and thus had similar personality traits after the spell was used."

"But Will wasn't violent."

"Not to others, but for himself he cared little. He admitted to low self-esteem before finding the spell. After his "Will" personality was gone, his voided mind sought out a replacement…something better."

"You?" Robin said raising an eyebrow.

"Indirectly. According to Ravens initial report, he had followed my career since before the Enoch spell. It stands to reason that after his memory was gone, his subconscious mind would meld itself in line with what Will had read and witnessed on television. Thus, Aenoch was the result."

Robin cursed himself. Why didn't he see that? Looking back on the Spirit Drinker's performance over the years, the similarities were unmistakable. Geez even his costume resembled Batmans.

"But why the Joker?" Raven continued

"Any sentient mind needs both a Ying and a Yang. While I was his symbol for the white, the Joker became the symbol for black. Had he been slighted or insulted recently?"

"Well you pushed him away when he asked for an autograph." Robin sneered

"And…I refused to allow him to kiss me." Raven confessed.

Robin turned to her with a look of shock.

"Really?" He gasped

Batman's stern expression did not change.

"When Will was slighted, his subconscious mind sunk deeper into self-depreciation. Since my positive influence on his psyche could no longer help it find meaning, another took over."

"Aenoch had been shunned for over twenty years before finding us and hadn't hurt anyone. Why now?"

"The Joker Toxin. 'Doctor Hamilton volunteered' Its unique chemical properties attack the inner brain, creating its trademark effect. Although the concentration of the gas did not effect him immediately, it infiltrated his Frontal Lobe...the region believed to govern dreaming and the subconscious. As he slept, his mental defenses were weak enough for the Joker personality to push itself to the surface and manifest. Aenoch was "along for the ride" as it were"

"We tried your anti toxin." Robin added

"Aenoch's unique metabolism embedded the toxin into the tissue of his inner brain, away from the antidote's reach. My technicians are programming some Nanites to specifically target the region and destroy the remnants of the toxin."

The blank screen switched to a spotless white room dominated by a cylindrical full body scanner. The technicians helped Will onto the bench and secured him down with black leather belts. They then inserted an IV was inserted into his arm. The bottle feeding the tube looked to be full of Mercury.

The bench rolled into the machine, swallowing Will up to his waist.

"Okay…begin scan." Doctor Hamilton ordered

The view screen before them split in half and a detailed cross section of Will's body from his waist up appeared. The small veins and arteries pulsed white with the passing of blood. A section towards the center of the brain was highlighted in red.

"The red field is our target." Batman explained

"Inject Nanites." Doctor Hamilton ordered

A green glowing substance began slowly makings its way up his arm and to his churning heart. The green then left the heart and began spreading upwards to his brain. The veins within his skull suddenly glowed green as the Nanites converged on their target.

"The green indicates the Nanites. 'Doctor Hamilton explained' They have been programmed to seek out the toxin and eliminate it."

The green reached the red section and quickly overwhelmed it. A read out began scrolling across the screen.

"Analysis?"

"Positive on Joker Toxin. 'An lab technician said aloud' Bots releasing antidote."

The red section flashed and disappeared.

"Joker Toxin eliminated."

"So that's it then?"

"Only one way to find out." Batman answered

Some minutes later…

The screen switched back to the containment room. The door opened and some technicians led Will into the center. They quickly turned tail and ran back out, shutting the door behind them.

"Load dunes program one."

A seemingly endless desert filled with rolling sand dunes replaced the yellow and black grids. Will looked about him startled…or as startled as he can be with his drug load and head wound. He shielded his eyes from the glaring sun above.

"Begin."

The room fell silent as they all watched Will's vitals on the screen. His heart rate and Betas began to rapidly diminish.

"The Nanites are stimulating his frontal lobe, initiating sleep." The doctor explained

Will yawned and sat on one of the dunes.

"Zoom in." Doctor Hamilton ordered

The screen focused on his face. They could clearly see his eyelids growing heavy. Suddenly he slumped on his side.

"He's out" A tech reported

"So far so good: brain chemistry all normal. Beginning REM phase."

The line monitoring his brain began to spike.

"Betas normal for dream stage."

Although the technicians began to cheer and congratulate each other on their apparent victory, Raven was much more reserved. A little voice inside was warning not to get her hopes up. It was going to take hell of a lot more than a handful of microscopic robots to help him.

Suddenly Wills vitals screeched to a halt as the color rushed away from his skin. His gaping head wound sealed itself closed like a zipper, without leaving so much as a scar.

"Fascinating." Doctor Hamilton gasped

The section of his brain suddenly began to glow red again. They could see the corners of Aenoch's mouth wrench up as the Joker emerged.

"But the toxin's gone. 'Robin moaned' How is this possible?"

The doctor bowed his head.

"Prolonged exposure to the toxin has…permanently altered the chemistry of his brain. There is nothing more we can do."

"There must be something else." Raven pressed

"Surgery, or perhaps removal of the Aenoch personality."

"That would be murder. 'She protested' Aenoch is a sentient being."

"Otherwise, we will have to quarter him here."

"Dammit I knew bringing him here was a mistake." Robin whispered

"Unlike what you may have read in the tabloids Robin, this is not a prison. 'The doctor assured' Aenoch would be comfortable and well cared for."

As they argued the Spirit Drinker's uncertain future, Batman was deep in thought and rubbing his chin. His former protégé saw in his silence a glimmer of hope.

"Bats?" Robin asked

"If he believes himself to be the Joker, perhaps seeing the genuine article will shock him back to reality and reverse the damage."

"The chamber can duplicate him easily." The doctor nodded

"It wouldn't work. 'Raven said shaking her head' Aenoch senses emotions and would be able to detect a hologram instantly. Would it be possible to get the real thing?"

"Impossible. 'The doctor gasped' To have those two in the same room? Aenoch would tear him apart."

"Not if we design a suitable environment." Batman suggested

The doctor thought seriously.

"Hmm…we can possibly fabricate something better. But if Aenoch does attempt to kill the Joker, we would need something to stop him."

"We left it at…"

"It's in the hold." Raven interrupted

Robin turned to her with a look of disbelief.

"Let's get to work." The doctor said and walked off.

Batman left the room, presumably to arrange Jokers transport from Arkham. Robin and Raven stayed behind and watched Aenoch run about the containment room.

"Why?" Robin whispered

Was she tearing? God this must be crushing her.

"He was ready to die before he found us. We are the only family he knows. If he were kept here, it would be a prison no matter how comfortable they made it. He would die alone...abandoned."

He squeezed her shoulder.

"It'll work."

Hours later, in the containment chamber…

"And me without my surfboard." Aenoch laughed while running up and down the dunes.

Suddenly the dunes and sun faded and was replaced by a dark garbage strewn alleyway. Towering over the far side of the alley was the distinctive "rotten teeth" Gotham skyline. Cold rain began to pour from the polluted sky above, saturating his brunette hair and dripping off his nose.

In Aenochs twisted mind, something about this set up looked familiar.

In the observation booth…

"What is this place?" Raven asked

"Crime alley, where I first met Aenoch. It should stir up some latent memories." Batman explained

"Bring him in." The doctor yelled

The observation booth door opened and in marched two hulking Arkham orderlies pushing a muzzled and strapped Joker on a hand truck. His psychotic eyes darted in all directions and took it all in. They rolled the hand truck over to the containment room door. As they waited their cue, Jokers eyes strained over to Raven. He smiled wider and winked.

"What cover story did you give?" Batman asked

"Body identification. 'One of the orderlies whispered' He practically jumped into his restraints."

They watched as Aenoch walked down the alley. The plan was to toss Joker inside when he reached a safe distance from the door.

"Okay…get ready."

The alley abruptly ended in a tall brick wall. Hmm, this was new.

"Now." The doctor nodded

The room nervously watched as the chamber door swished open and the orderlies rushed their loaded hand truck inside. They rolled the truck to the middle of the mucky alley floor, turned and jumped back out of the doorway.

Aenoch perked. Although no noise had been made, he could easily detect the Jokers psychotic mind.

"Fascinating." The doctor reiterated

He turned away from the wall and walked back down the alley to face the newcomer.

"Okay: remove restraints."

An orderly pulled a small control box out of his white tunic pocket and pressed the single red button. The Joker's restraints and muzzle unlocked and fell to the ground.

"Damn. I was just beginning to enjoy myself." The Joker said while straightening out his purple blazer

The rain slicked down his green hair and purple suit.

"Where're the bodies I was supposed to look at?" He asked aloud

A deep giggling echoed through the rainy dark.

"Riddler? That you? 'Joker asked nervously' You know how I feel when you steal my schtick."

"Rain drops keep falling on my head…but that doesn't mean you won't soon be quite dead." A hollow voice sang.

Aenoch emerged from the dark. The two made eye contact.

"A groupie? I don't remember seeing you at the meetings."

But the Spirit Drinker stopped in his tracks and stared. He cocked his head…Aenoch always does that when met with odd sights. And to seeing his own double must be as odd as it gets.

In the control room…

They watched as the red section of his brain became circled with green and slowly began to close in. Aenochs smile was beginning to fade. It was working.

"Come on." Robin growled

Back inside…

Aenochs silence continued. Something was wrong. But he was the Joker. Wasn't he?

"Nothing to say pug boy?" Joker asked

Joker advanced on Aenoch until they were nearly nose to nose.

"You know what pisses me off more than anything?"

Joker took a step back.

"Wannabes" He sighed and flicked Aenoch hard on the nose.

The Spirit Drinkers dark green eyes focused squarely on the Joker. His fading smile returned stronger than before.

"And do you wanna know what pisses ME off?" Aenoch whispered

"Clue me."

"People who flick my nose."

Aenoch pinched Jokers nose between his thumb and index finger and wrenched it clockwise, sending a steaming geyser of blood squirting down his purple blazer. He doubled over and screamed in pain. The Spirit Drinker grabbed him by the crotch.

"Balls in your court." He laughed

He chucked the Joker down the alleyway and into the dark.

In the control room…

Not only did all the green retreat but the red was overflowing the target section and infiltrating the rest of his brain.

"The chemical imbalance is spreading." The doctor gasped

"What does this mean?" Robin asked

"If it spreads completely, the change will be permanent." Batman deadpanned

"Prepare to use the weapon." Doctor said aloud.

One of the guards stepped forward with Cyborgs gun and made towards the door.

"But…"Raven protested

"We have to stop this before he's irretrievable." Batman explained

In the chamber…

Joker franticly tried to crawl away from his super-powered doppelganger. Blood from his smashed nose poured onto the mucky cement below him, leaving a trail of crimson gore. He heard Aenochs thick-soled boots approach and stop beside him.

"Here's a good one. What do you do when your nose goes on strike?"

The rough tread of Aenochs boot pressed on the back of Joker's head.

"You picket."

He ground Jokers face down on the cement, crushing his nose again.

In the booth…

Aenochs brain was almost completely filled with red.

"Okay…now!" The doctor yelled

The soldiers made to kick open the door

Raven lunged and phased through the wall.

"Rae!" Robin yelped

Back in the alley…

Aenochs cold steely fingers grabbed hold of Jokers pale ear.

"Ears to you." Aenoch laughed as he made to wrench it off.

His body suddenly bathed in black and lifted off the ground, away from the helpless Joker.

"Foul! I had a wallet joke ready and everything." Aenoch yelled in protest

Raven tossed him down to the opposite end of the alley.

"I can see my house from here." Aenoch yelled as he flew into the dark and hit the far wall with an thud

That bought her just a few seconds. She took a deep breath and tried to steel herself. God this was going to suck. She walked over to the bleeding Joker and tapped him with her foot.

"Go away. 'He moaned' I'm bleeding."

"Sorry. Just wanted to see what an Joker WANNABE looks like."

His insane eyes darted to the girl above him. She read what an egomaniac this nut was and calling his identity into question would surely elicit a reaction.

"What?" He growled through clenched teeth and a face full of coagulating blood.

"I've seen the real thing so figured it was time to see what a fake you are."

That did it. He began hauling himself to his feet.

Inside the control room…

"What is she doing? 'The doctor gasped' Get her out of there."

Batman realized what her plan was. Very clever. Seems he had underestimated his protégé's friends.

"Let her go."

"But…" The doctor protested

"She knows what she's doing." Robin smiled

Back in the alley…

"Clown white and putty. 'Raven sighed sadly' I've seen better costumes on ten-year-old trick or treaters."

She showed not an ounce of fear as Joker stood before her, his yellow pupiled eyes glowing with rage. But instead of tearing her apart like other psychos would, he just smiled wider and lightly grasped her miniscule shoulders.

"Ain't nothing like the real thing baby." He sang as his long pointed tongue snaked from between his butter colored teeth and lapped Raven from her chin to her forehead, leaving a trail of saliva and rancid blood. She swallowed hard, keeping her bile in place.

"Keep your center!" Her gagging brain screamed.

She pushed Joker away.

"Playing hard to get now are we?"

He pounced on Raven and pulled her to him. God his breath! It smelled like a disgusting cross between rotten teeth and blood. She could feel her powers aching to tear Joker apart but concentrated and held them back. For this to work, she would have to appear helpless.

In the dark alleyway beyond, she heard approaching thudding footsteps. Aenoch was approaching to finish the Joker off. Show time.

"HELP!" She screamed to the dark shrouded figure

"Louder! More passion!" Joker giggled and began snaking his tongue in her mouth

The footsteps abruptly stopped.

"Help me?" She begged plaintively

Raven's blue hair began to billow. Her powers were emerging and she couldn't hold them back. Hmm, she might be able to funnel them away. Raven concentrated and sent it elsewhere.

Back in the control room…

Suddenly the monitoring stations began to explode in a shower of sparks and shrapnel while everything else loose in the room flew into the air. The technicians dove under their desks. The doctor ducked for cover too but Batman and Robin stood fast.

"What is happening?" The doctor yelled over the din.

"Raven's powers are emotion based." Batman calmly explained while deftly ducking a flying office chair.

The monitor went blank.

"Come on Rae." Robin prayed

In the chamber…

Joker tossed Raven hard against the brick alley wall, knocking the wind out of her.

"Nevermind that boob. Let's talk about us." He cooed and began tearing off the front of her costume.

"HELP!" She begged.

Actual tears began to pour from her eyes. God she was good. Maybe she was in the wrong profession. Her display of fear abruptly ended and she smirked.

"You're not supposed to be enjoying this." He growled

A cold gray hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from Raven.

"Wait your…."

The same hand grabbed his lapels while another the waist of his purple pants. The rude intruder easily wrenched the Joker off his feet and hoisted him over his head. The Spirit Drinkers face was struggling against the smile. But the only thing not changing was his forest green eyes set on her.

Aenoch had feelings of her long before Will returned. She knew that the only way to truly reach the Spirit Drinker was to appeal to his innermost desire. No matter how badly her and Will were estranged, Aenoch has been and always will be her protector.

And slowly, the gaping grin faded away. And as it did, the reality of his situation suddenly dawned.

"You are…okay?" He asked her

"Yes"

The alley walls were beginning to melt away, revealing the yellow grids behind. Aenoch looked about him quizzically.

"Where am I?"

"We will discuss that later." She assured

"Put me down you freak!" Joker roared from above

Whoops. In all his bewilderment, he had forgotten all about him.

"Oh…sorry."

Aenoch casually dropped the Joker hard to the floor. He saw Joker's shattered nose and blood trail across the room.

"I did all this?" He asked worriedly

"No. It wasn't your fault."

"I would never…"

Raven stepped before him, took his gray hands and looked him directly in the eyes.

"This is not your fault. You would never hurt anyone." She assured him

The chamber room burst open and in ran a small army of armed guards followed by the doctor and Robin. They stomped in only to find Joker facedown and unconscious in a pool of his own juices with Aenoch and Rae standing above him and embracing.

She glanced at the group gawking and sighing at the tender scene. Part of her wanted to push Aenoch away and protect her pride. But after what nearly happened? Who gave a rip what they thought. She had risked too damn much for her pride. Those days were over.

They kept Aenoch for a few days of observation. After a battery of tests, his alternate personality never emerged again. But just to be sure they left the Nanites in place. If the Joker decides to rear his ugly head again, the probes would knock him out and call in the authorities.

Some days later…

The shuttle landed on the Tower roof where the others waited. Robin, Raven and Aenoch climbed out of their canopies. Starfire trotted up to greet them.

"Annie! You are well." She squealed.

She wrapped her skinny arms around the Spirit Drinker and squeezed him tight. But unlike all the hugs before, he actually returned this one. Although he was mostly incapable of showing affection, it was pleasing to see his sister again. Robin had explained how close he came to being permanently locked up.

Now came the hard part: making amends for all the horrible things he did. Although Raven assured him that he was not in his "right mind" when perpetrating the crimes, he still felt responsible. Would they still accept him?

"I am…sorry for sabotaging the elevator and sending you plummeting down four floors."

"You are well. That is all that matters."

BB, with his jaw still wired shut, stood with his arms crossed and looking pissed. Aenoch approached him.

"Beast Boy, I apologize for gluing your buttocks to the toilet seat and hitting you in the mouth with a spring loaded punching glove, breaking your jaw in two places."

"Boo grebe. Ib odda…" The changeling mumbled through his tinsel-laced teeth

"Thank you for your understanding." Aenoch said and walked away

"Bup! Bup!" BB called but just slumped and sobbed in despair.

He then stepped over to Cyborg. Most of the paint was gone but some still remained around his joints. Aenoch bowed his head.

"I am sorry for painting you purple and gluing a green wig on your head."

"Well…I was overdue for a waxing anyway. 'He dismissed' But next time if you want to redecorate me? Ask first. I'm more of a "fall" color guy myself"

Aenoch cocked his head.

"You're forgiven." He laughed and patted Aenoch on the shoulders

"Come? 'Starfire excitedly invited' Dinner is waiting."

They paraded into the dayroom where a stack of pizzas awaited. After nearly a week of hospital food, a sloppy pizza sounded like ambrosia. They all dove in to the greasy cheese encrusted buffet. Aenoch rubbed his wrists together and with it returned his hunger. He eagerly began piling pizza slices on his plate.

"Oh. Almost forgot. Package for you." Cyborg said and handed Will a brown paper wrapped parcel.

It was about the dimensions of a magazine and addressed specifically to Will with no return address. He carefully tore away the paper while the others watched intently. He pulled the paper away. BB choked on his pizza smoothie and Cyborg could just laugh.

It was a framed full color print of Batman punching out the Joker. And written in black pen on the front was:

To my biggest fan-

But instead of signing his name, Batman sketched out his chest symbol.

"Now I've seen it all." Robin gasped

Will could just hold the picture to his chest and grin from ear to ear…the genuinely happy sorta grin.

Back in Arkham…

The Joker, with his swollen and purple nose, lay curled up in a little ball on his cell cot. Not for the warmth but to insulate himself from the jeers and barbs.

"Hey Joker! 'Two Face yelled from his cell across the hall' Like yer little clown nose!"

The ward erupted in raucous laughter.

"Shut up." Joker sobbed

One week later…

The Titans stampeded onto the parks grassy field. Cyborg tossed Beast Boy the ball.

"Okay BB: you're captain." He nodded

"Really?"

"Yeah, you earned it."

Of course that was crap. He just put BB in charge just to shut him up. Since they removed the wires sealing his jaw, the moron was seriously making up for lost time.

They formed their usual teams and began a scrimmage. Will stood back and watched.

"Wanna join in?" BB asked him

He turned to watch Raven walk away and duck behind their bush.

"Eh, maybe next time." Will said and followed

Starfire smiled wide enough for the top part of her head to pop off. Funny how one does not realize what one has until it is gone. Hopefully Raven will take advantage this time.

"Come on Star." Cyborg yelled

"Yeah. We gotta make BB cry again." Robin laughed

She trotted off to join her friends.

Meanwhile, behind the bush…

Will sat down on the grass in front of Raven. Man this was going to feel good. It's been a long time since either of them really relaxed. He crossed his legs and began chanting in time with her.

"Azarath…Metreon…Zinthos" They whispered

He struggled to relax but every so often, Will would open an eye and peek at the beautiful girl sitting before him. Her neutral expression frowned a bit. It appeared she could detect Wills difficulties. Or perhaps, she was peeking too?

"Oh alright." She sighed

"Hmm?"

"Do you really want me to say it?"

"I suppose not."

"Shall you initiate?"

"Well it IS our first time. I think tradition dictates we both met each other half way?"

"Fair enough."

They both closed their eyes and leaned forward. Over the sound of the tree branches above and the football game beyond, he could hear Ravens light and steady breathing. And, in one incredibly innocent yet erotic moment, their lips met. No tongue, no touching of hands…just their lips. They both produced a decent smooch sound. Hmm, tasted like waffles and herb tea.

Both quickly retreated back to their ready position and opened their eyes.

"Raven of Azarath. 'Will laughed' Are you blushing?"

"Shut up" She said while continuing her chants.

As he basked in the afterglow of their first kiss, Will could not help but remember an old song they used to sing back in summer camp:

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho.

Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumb…tumb…tumblin' down!

The End