CHAPTER 11

PENTHOUSE, PREWITT BUILDING

Buffy watched the Joker angrily from the chair she was tied to. After he got rid of Gotham's newscaster Mike Engel, he knocked her out again.

When she woke, she was tied to a chair in a penthouse that was under construction.

Buffy had spent the last hour arguing with the Joker and his psychotic ideas of putting innocent people on a ferry that carried self made bombs.

"Tonight, you're all going to be part of a social experiment." He said into the cellphone. "...Through the magic of diesel fuel and ammonium nitrate, I'm ready right now to blow you all sky high…" Joker spoke into a cellphone that wired to the ferries. Buffy twisted her wrists. The wires were tight around her wrist and dug into her skin. "… But we're going to make things a little more interesting than that. Tonight, we're going to learn a little bit about ourselves…"

"You're bent." Buffy sneered angrily. "This is you're idea of learning about yourself?"

Joker turned from the large window of the penthouse looking out to the harbor and faced the Slayer. "You learn a lot about somebody when challenging them in imperial situations. You should know this better than anyone Buffy." Joker kneeled before her. "In these horrifying moments, you find out what kind of person we really are." Buffy stared at him for a long moment. Joker held Buffy's cellphone to his ear. "There's no need for all of you to die. That would be a waste. So I've left you both a little present."

Joker stood flashing Buffy a glimpse of the detonator in his hand. "Each of you has a remote to blow up the other boat." He watched as Buffy tried to ripped apart her restraints. Joker grinned. "At midnight, I blow you all up. If, however, one of you presses the button, I'll let that boat live. You choose. So who's it going to be - Harvey Dent's most wanted scumbag collection or the sweet innocent civilians?" Joker moved around Buffy. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Oh, and you might want to decide quickly. Because the people on the other boat may not be quite so noble." Joker hung up than leaned down to whisper into Buffy's ear. "Show time." He kissed her ear then faced the large glass window looking out to the harbor.

"You know that Bat-guy is probably on his way here right now." Joker turned to Buffy. "You're on a cellphone you idiot. He's gonna track it."

"I'm counting the minutes." Joker said unfazed.

"You're times up, Jack." Buffy ripped apart the wires around her wrists freeing herself. Joker turned surprised she got out of her restraints so quickly. Buffy punched him hard across his face and threw him into the wall.

Outside the penthouse building, Batman scaled the penthouse wall and reached into his utility belt for spray plastic onto the glass then punched through the window that was filled by Joker's clown men.

Joker shoved Buffy against the wall. He turned when he heard Chechen's dogs barking. Joker smiled.

The Joker wiped the blood from his bottom lip and leaned against the corner. Buffy grabbed the Joker and dropped him disarming the detonator in his hand.

Buffy dodged Joker's attacks easily and shoved him into a metal pole. Joker fell backwards stumbling to the floor feeling a bit dizzy.

Batman entered the penthouse to see Joker slowly getting up from the floor. Buffy stayed in the shadows unseen by the Batman. Joker turned to Batman and smiled. "You came. I'm touched."

"Where's the detonator?" Batman asked as he was attacked by Chechen's dogs. Joker shrugged then pulled out a switchblade. Batman kicked off one of the dogs not noticing the Joker attack him.

Batman groaned in pain when the knife stabbed into his ribs. The Joker kicked the Batman backwards towards the glass then kicked him against through the window.

The Joker kicked out the wooden brace holding up a steel frame. Batman's arms flew up crashing down onto his neck. He's saved by his protective gauntlets. Batman grunted as the Joker stepped onto the steel beam. "If we don't stop fighting, we're going to miss the fireworks."

"There won't be any fireworks." Buffy said standing behind the Joker. Joker glanced back to her keeping a firm foot on the steel beam pinning Batman down. "What are you trying to prove? That deep down, we're all as psychotic as you?"

Joker looked at the clock; midnight.

Joker's smile slowly fades as he realized his plan had foiled. "You're alone." Buffy said. "Always alone." Buffy watched him carefully.

Joker raised his hand showing her the remote still in his hand. "Can't rely on anyone these days. Have to do everything yourself. I always have - and it's not always easy… You should know, Buffy. Everyday, you're alone. In the dark, alone."

"I've had this conversation already." Buffy said unbothered by Joker's attempt of getting under her skin.

Joker turned his attention to Batman, crouching down. "You know how I got these scars?"

"No. But I know how you get these-" Batman fired a blade from his gauntlet, nailing the Joker in the chest and arm. Joker staggered back. Buffy stepped aside letting Joker hit the wall.

Joker turned to Buffy punching her in the face. Batman took the Joker by the knot of his tie and kicked him grabbing the remote. Joker giggle wildly as he fell backwards gracefully out the window. Buffy watched the fight unable to move. She was fighting her inner conscious whether to save him or not.

Buffy moved forward when she heard him grunt out in pain as the Batman hauled him upwards.

"I guess this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you?" Batman watched as the Joker uncontrollably laughed. "You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness and I won't kill you because you're too much fun. We're going to do this forever."

"You'll be in a padded cell, forever." Batman said.

"Maybe we can share it…" Joker laughed. Buffy turned to the echo of marching boots running up the stairs. She figured it was the SWAT team.

"This city just showed up it's full of people ready to believe in good." Batman said.

Joker grinned. "Till their spirit breaks completely. Until they find out what I did with the best of them. Until they get a good look at the real Harvey Dent, and all the heroic things he's done…" Buffy could see the shadows of Gotham's SWAT approaching the penthouse quickly.

"What did you do?" Batman asked angrily hauling Joker up.

"I took Gotham's white knight." Buffy turned towards Batman and the Joker. She had to make a quick decision whether to save her first love or leave him to impending future in the looney bin or possibly death. "And I brought him down to my level. It wasn't hard - madness is like gravity. All it take is a little push." Joker laughed.

Buffy ran across the penthouse shoving Batman out of her way. She jumped out the window landing in the Joker's arms. She then kicked the steel wire cable pulley. The pulley began to smoke with the increasing speed.

The cable wire jerked them into a screeching halt. They were about twenty feet from the ground. Buffy's hand went into Joker's front pants pocket taking out a switchblade. She ignored Joker's grin and reached up to cut through the cable. "C'mon…" Buffy used her Slayer strength to snap the cable.

She began to fall but was caught by the Joker. He held her in his arms protectively until they landed luckily into a bush garden.

They laid on their backs out of breath, staring up at the high decent they fell. Joker turned his head to look at her. He smiled "You couldn't just let me go, could you?"

Buffy looked at him. "Do this again and I will kill you." Joker smiled and shifted her closer into him. He smashed his mouth against hers, passionately kissing her.

The lights of SWATS high powered rifles shined in Buffy's face. She broke their kiss and looked up to see the rifles aimed directly at them ready for open fire. "Time to go." Buffy jumped to her feet taking Joker's hand pulling him along to find cover.

Buffy went into Joker's coat pockets taking out her cellphone and dialed a number quickly. "Giles, it's me…" Joker pulled Buffy out of the firing range as they neared her head. "I need a chopper ASAP. I've got him." Joker frowned when Buffy hung up.

"Am I you're hostage now?"

"Yes. No. Yes. No. I don't know. No. I need Giles to think you are but you're not." Joker silenced her placing his finger over her pink lips. "I don't know what's going to happen when we get there."

"I don't care. As long as we're together… We can do anything. Take over the world and create chaos." Buffy but could hear the mockery in his voice and she could've cared less.

She just shook her head. "Shut up."