CHAPTER 10:
SINS OF THE FATHER
"So, lemme get this straight," Harley was saying. "Puddin' claimed to be your husband?"
"Yes. I wouldn't have believed it, but when he said tainted Lazarus Pit and the old goat in one sentence…" Ivy ran a hand through her red hair, unusually agitated. "We are in trouble."
"But if James has regained his memories, isn't that a good thing?" Sirius asked. They were all gathered in the cafeteria of the garden centre, even Harry, who looked shell-shocked at the news his father was still alive…and was the Joker.
"I doubt it," Selina said. "He didn't sound that different from usual. Well, the Joker changes his personality a lot, but he sounded like he did at his most vicious. Take it from someone who's had the misfortune of meeting him several times."
"It makes sense that Dumbledore would've tried to revive him if he had access to a Lazarus Pit," Remus mused. "James was the Golden Boy of the Light. But I thought, from what I knew of Lazarus Pits, that it only caused temporary insanity. But the Joker is very much insane. And he doesn't look that much like James."
"The clown claimed that it was a tainted Lazarus Pit, remember? And given that his body was filled with my pheromones, and used in that ritual to shield Harry…well, Merlin knows what could have happened."
"It makes sense, though," Sirius said. "I mean, all those pranks and jokes? It's like the Marauders taken up to eleven. The nearest I came to that level of lethality was when I nearly set Moony on Snape."
"And you're lucky James got cold feet," Ivy snapped. "I'm hoping he did it for the sake of ensuring Remus didn't get executed, and not to save his own worthless hide. Remus was the only one of you who I liked. I'm glad that you're treating my son well, Sirius, because I haven't forgotten how you acted."
"We're getting off the point," Hermione said. "Even if the Joker isn't James Potter, he's threatened you. And the GCPD wouldn't do anything to stop it, would they?"
"Gordon and some of the better cops would," Selina said. "But many wouldn't care if the Joker killed Ivy, or the other way around, as long as no innocent bystanders got hurt."
"The word 'innocent' is a bit odd when applied to Gotham, isn't it?" Tonks asked.
As Harry stared at the table, looking somewhat lost, he heard his mother speak to him, soothingly, through the Green. Harry, I know this is a shock for you. It's certainly a shock for me. As bad as James was, I would never have believed in a million years he could have become the Joker.
Is it all right to be scared?
Harry, this is the Joker we're talking about. Fear is an understandable response. I will do my utmost to make sure he won't hurt you. In any case, he's after me and Harley. He didn't say anything about you, so he may not know you're in Gotham with me. Yet, anyway.
But if he finds out? What will he do to me?
Well…look at Harley. Look at how she ended up. Even now, I'm still trying to put her back together. And the thing is about the Joker is that he's unpredictable. He might try to shape you into his own image…or he might beat the shit out of you and then blow you up. He certainly did that to one of Batman's sidekicks. Speaking of which…I'll need to send a message to him. The Batman, I mean. If Raven is working with him, then I'll have to warn them what is coming…
Bruce Wayne had woken up to find that Rachel and Constantine had gone into the city without him. They had also come back, Rachel more unscathed than Constantine, who was nursing more than a few bruises. The worst of his injuries had been healed by Mad-Eye.
"This is all we need," Bruce said grimly as he did his daily exercises, doing pull-ups from a bar. "Not only is Ivy possibly Lily Potter, or rather, Lily Evans, but the Joker is James Potter, and he now has access to magic. Raven, what is your assessment of Harry Potter?"
"Although he got ambushed easily enough, he used his powers to restrain one of the wizards attacking him," Rachel said. "Considering he may only have recently obtained the use of such powers, it is fairly impressive."
"I meant character rather than ability," Bruce said. "You are an empath."
"…He is not like Ivy, if that's what you fear," Rachel said. "He was somewhat tactless, and when he heard about my parentage, he hugged me. If he used his pheromones to manipulate me, he did so subtly. There was confusion and anger and darkness within his soul, but there's still a flame of righteousness. If anything, I think Ivy will be changed by him more than the reverse."
Tim, who was doing his own exercises, smirked at Rachel. "Are you getting a crush on him, Rachel?"
"A crush would imply your particular brand of adolescent impulses, Tim," Rachel snarked. "He's interesting and has empathy towards my plight."
"Oh, and I don't?" Tim asked in mock hurt. The third Robin didn't actually have a thing for Rachel: they were purely friends.
"Spare me," Rachel retorted.
Constantine, as he clutched his side, winced. "Yeah, I didn't get the crap beaten out of me by the Joker just to listen to teen talk. The Joker has magic. It couldn't be any worse unless he got his hands on a WMD. What's more, he remembers he was James Potter, and I don't think that's a good thing. Mad-Eye's promised to help. He may be working on Dumbledore's orders, but even he can see something's very wrong with the old man at the moment. And if Lucius Malfoy was able to try and attack Harry with impunity, well, Voldemort must want to get a hold of Harry, and I mean more than he usually does. He probably wouldn't care about retribution from the Green. He was apparently obsessed with immortality."
"Like Ra's al Ghul," Bruce said.
"Yeah, but I think Voldemort wants to avoid being reliant on the Lazarus Pits. Dunno what he did instead, but it can't be good."
"And in other news, the ocean is wet," Rachel snarked. "What do we do about Ivy?"
"We contact her," Bruce said. "Nygma should have her number, so…" But he was cut off when a most extraordinary figure phased into the training room. It looked like the ghostly outline of a beautiful young woman created from silvery mist, but with foliage for hair, and with vines wrapped around her limbs.
"A Patronus…" Rachel murmured. "But of a Dryad. They're usually of animals, not magical beings."
The woman stopped in front of Bruce, and then spoke in Ivy's voice, albeit with a British accent. "This is a message for the Batman."
"Then speak," Bruce said.
"You can't talk to it," Constantine said. "It's meant for delivering messages and repelling Dementors. It's not like a phone."
The Patronus chuckled. "Normally, you'd be correct, John. But I can speak through my Patronus because it is infused with a little of the Green. I admit, I was as surprised as you are when I learned that. I was surprised I was even able to cast a Patronus. After all, if one who has fallen too far into the darkness tried to cast them, they are eaten alive by maggots. I can also see through its eyes. Then again, I had an idea of who the Batman was, when I remembered who I am. It was quite simple when you think about it. The resources needed for your gadgets, the trigger to walk the path of a vigilante, the façade distracting from the true face. It was a good guess, to be honest, but one that's panned out."
Bruce stopped his exercises, before glaring at the Patronus. "And what will you do with such information?"
"Nothing. It merely puts what you do into a new perspective. I have no interest in blackmailing you, Bruce Wayne, nor do I have any intention of telling anyone who might want to do so. In any case, that is not what I came here to say. The Joker is loose from Arkham Asylum. Worse, I know who he is."
"I know, I had a close encounter with James earlier," Constantine said, grimacing. "He beat me and Mad-Eye up, Lily. Bastard got the drop on me. He's gunning for you and Quinn, but I don't think he knows Harry is with you. I mean, he IS with you, isn't he?"
"Yes." Ivy's Patronus looked at Bruce. "I am proposing a temporary ceasefire at the very least, and an alliance at best. Between the Joker having magic, and two different magic factions gunning for my son and I, our vendetta will only get in the way."
Bruce glared at the Patronus. "How do I know you won't renege on the deal?"
"You don't. However, the Joker has threatened the life of myself and Harley. At the moment, that, and my child's safety from Voldemort and Dumbledore, take priority. I can even offer…incentives."
"Like what?"
"You may not have noticed, but I have hidden my current hideout using a spell called the Fidelius Charm. If I use that on you, nobody will be able to figure out that Bruce Wayne is the Batman, especially if I make you the Secret Keeper, unless you tell them. Unless John here, or Raven knows that spell."
"That isn't my realm of expertise," Rachel said.
"Ditto," John concurred.
"Another incentive is that I want to keep my son safe. You know as well as I do that the life I live is not the best of them, and he has only just learned of his true nature. If he chooses to part ways with me, I want your help in bringing him to be trained, by you or one of your friends on the so-called Justice League."
"And I might be bringing in your mole," Bruce said.
"That's the risk you take if you agree, though it may be that my son agrees to help with my crusade. It is his choice. I know you think that laughable, given how I've controlled people before, but he is my child. If you wish to negotiate, come to Kovurt Alley tonight. Has John told you where it is yet, and how to access it?"
Bruce scowled. He remembered Zatanna telling him where Kovurt Alley was, and he hadn't been happy to learn where it was situated. Or how one would access it. "Yes."
"Good." She gave a time and a place, before the Patronus said, "Oh, and come in costume, along with your help. That way, if things do go sour…" She left it up in the air as the Patronus dissipated.
"Won't you come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly," Tim muttered.
"She's trying to give the appearance of neutral ground at least," John said. "Are you going to go anyway?"
"Yes, but not without taking precautions," Bruce said. "Ivy's being too reasonable. Either she's luring us into a trap, or her re-emerging memories as Lily Evans are affecting her more than we'd thought. And the offer of training her son…that too could be a trap, allowing him to be her mole within the Teen Titans or the Justice League. Or it could be an opportunity."
"I would suggest the latter," Rachel said. "I'd have to actively read him to be sure, but what little I felt of his emotions when we met suggested that there was no deceit or control. Ivy may manipulate his emotions, but I think she is refraining from using her pheromones."
"Go deeper next time you meet. I want to be sure of it," Bruce said. "I also want you to try and do the same to Ivy."
"That may be a problem," Rachel admitted. "I would have to be careful: given that they are Plant Elementals, their connection with the Green may make any kind of mind-reading dangerous. When Woodrue connected to the Green and went on a rampage, I found the Green rather too…alien to connect to."
"In any case, they're asking to join forces against common foes," Constantine said. "In my experience, they tend to leave the backstabbing until they're pretty damned sure their other enemies have been defeated. I'd be more worried about Ivy using something like the Imperius. And even that pales in comparison to the Joker using the same spell. You'd probably be able to shake off the Imperius Curse, Bruce, given your ability to shake off Ivy's own control, but it's still tricky. And given that magic's one of the few things the big, blue Boy Scout's vulnerable to…"
"Clark's going to be apprised of the situation by Zatanna," Bruce said. "He's still working in Metropolis, cleaning up Luthor's latest mess."
"Yeah, well, the Dark Wanker's got a low opinion of Muggles, and he'd view people like Clark as a Muggleborn at best. His focus'll probably be on taking on Harry, especially now that he knows Harry's in Gotham, so it's less likely he will use Superman as a proxy. Voldemort thinks he's hot shit, and would probably send his followers in. In fact, I'd put money on him breaking his old followers out of Azkaban sooner rather than later. I reckon most of the action is gonna be local. We can't discount that old goat Dumbledore, though. He'll doubtless contact the local magical authorities, and want Harry and/or Ivy brought to him," Constantine mused. "He may have already done so. So when we meet Ivy, we might have to face Aurors."
"Any other cheerful thoughts you want to share?" Tim asked.
"Oh, plenty," Constantine said with a sardonic grin. "But I thought you had enough of my particular brand of cheer…"
CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:
Sorry about the wait. So, here you have it. Ivy knows Batman's identity (she used some logic to work it out), and Batman, understandably, is wary. Now, in case you're wondering why none of Batman's magical allies have used the Fidelius to protect his identity, it's simply because they don't know the spell. They know of it, but Zatanna and Raven both use very different magic, and Constantine hasn't come across the actual spell/ritual.
Harry will eventually join either a new incarnation of the Teen Titans, or the Outsiders. Still deciding. It'll be alongside Raven, though, whatever he ends up in.
Review-answering time! To those who enjoyed the plot twist, thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. To those who complained, the door is there, don't let it hit your collective arses on the way out. I am the author of this work, not you. I don't know why I have to keep reiterating this, save for the fact that you seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that you are in charge of this story.
Danget the critic: While I'm more familiar with the cinematic Jokers played by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger (and I will be taking elements from them), I was modelling the Joker of this story on the version from the Arkham games, so it's hardly any wonder you can hear Mark Hamill as you read this, like it or not.
fanficfanatic88: Ah, yes, good point. I didn't really think of that, but how Joker lost his memories as James Potter is different to how Lily lost her own. Once Lily regained her memories, the traits that were Lily came back to the fore. Joker's memories only came back by accident, however, and he's distanced himself from his past as James (save for where Lily/Ivy is concerned), whereas Lily embraces her past. If that makes enough sense. I'm just scrambling here to cover up a mistake. :S
StatixFireyRage: As mentioned above, I am basing the Joker on Hamill's performance, but from the Arkham games. I'm not as familiar with the DCU version admittedly. And yes, I like to think of Moody as not drinking the Kool-Aid (a phrase I use in the next chapter, actually). One of my favourite stories is Saying No by Bobmin356, and he's the only member of the Order of the Phoenix who actually understands what Harry is going through initially in that story. I think of Moody as being loyal to Dumbledore's (public) ideals, but being far more pragmatic, and trusting nobody, not even Dumbledore.
Kieran: I actually had mentioned the current Robin. In an earlier chapter, I mentioned Tim Drake as a comrade of Raven's in the Teen Titans, and, of course, he appears in this chapter. And I actually considered shipping Harry with Cassandra Cain, until I decided firmly on Raven.
Sokat: I make up a lot of my stories as I go along with a basic plot. My writing style is based a lot on spontaneity. This one, admittedly, is more so than most: I didn't come up with the whole Joker=James Potter idea until a few chapters in. Anyway, comics are known for ridiculous and improvised storylines. This story is basically about changing things around a little where the Potterverse and the DC universe have some common ground, and watching the fireworks explode. The plot is basically Harry discovering he doesn't know enough about his parents or Dumbledore. It may not be much of a plot, but this story is fast becoming one of my most popular, so, as the motto of Lord Vetinari goes, Si non confectus, non reficiat.
AsuravartintheCreatorDestroyer: I don't think Harry would do something like point the Joker in the general direction of the Order, but there may be a battle between father and son.
bluestorm28: Are you kidding me? The Joker and Harry's reunion will be fractious.
BadLuckRabbit: Well, your idea is an interesting one. I don't intend for that to actually happen, but I think it'd be a good idea to have Joker attempt to do it. If I do do that in the story, I'll acknowledge you.
mizzrazz72: This is someone who has gone toe-to-toe with Superman. He is NOT going to stay in the cave. He's the Goddamned Batman, after all.
No numbered annotations.