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Disclaimer 1: Batman and all related characters are property of DC COMICS

Disclaimer 2: Some scenes may contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS. Please use reader's discretion when reading those scenes

CHAPTER 21: PUTTING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER

Bruce looked intently into the computer screen. In front of him was a list of the latest activities that had been associated with the Joker since his escape from Arkham and none of it made any sense.

All these crimes lacked one very important Joker element. They did not have any hint of humor and did not seem to have the flamboyant, exaggerated, histrionic air of past Joker crimes. Why? What was the Joker trying to do? In the past it had been so easy to determine the pattern; the Joker himself will be leaving clues all over the place for the Bat to follow, for the final confrontation. The final act. Just like a play, which was the preferred setting for the clown and his crimes. Not this time and Bruce was too tired of looking at evidence that did not tell him anything about the Joker's pattern or where was the Clown going to hit next. Even the lead on the Joker's desk grew cold when he found out that the actual artisan known to have made a table like that had been dead for almost four years. It shouldn't have been that hard for Joker to see the liability of the artist to stay alive and disposed of the artisan the same way he had disposed of so many before him.

All the evidence suggested Joker was selecting his targets and his MO very carefully, almost logically and for very private reasons. But how was that possible? Criminals don't change their MO out of the blue and though the Joker was extremely intelligent and resourceful but one thing he's never been able to do was to think logically. That's what made him different to Batman and had become his weakness, but this time the Joker showed no obvious weakness and a Joker with no weaknesses will be very difficult to stop.

Bruce picked the cup of tea Alfred had left for him by his side. It had grown cold from sitting on the console so long and it was his fault. This case was taking all his time and energy and wasn't leading anywhere. If only he could decipher the game the clown was trying to play now, he could stop the people from getting hurt around him. First Barbara, now Selina, then Tim while the memory of Jason Todd still lingered in his mind leaving an acrid bitter taste on his mouth. The end result from the shooting at Wayne Tech had left a final countdown of six people dead, only a young girl survived but with her psyche probably scarred for life. Who was going to be next one..? Bruce lifted from the chair and smashed the cup against the cave wall. His patience with the Joker was running thin.

"Master Bruce?"

The Batman looked at the main floor of the Bat-cave a few feet bellow. There Alfred Pennyworth was accompanied Dick Grayson, who was still in his black and blue Nightwing costume.

"Everything OK, Bruce?"

"Joker." Bruce growled holding onto the back of the chair by the computer.

"With all due respect, sir and with no intention of lighten up your responsibilities as this city's caped crusader, maybe it is time to leave the Joker be for a moment while you gather strength and…

"And what? Wait until he kills a few hundred people?" The Dark Knight said angrily. Fury was glowing in his eyes. I need to stop that monster now."

"I don't think you are in any position to stop anything at this time, Bruce, especially, not the Joker.

"You want to take over the case?" Batman roared.

Dick looked at Wayne with resentment. He's always been there for the man, by choice, because he shared his vision and his dream of Gotham as a safe city for his inhabitants. He did not need to stand here just to be insulted by a grumpy old man. He was not a child anymore, he was a man and if he needed to follow his vision with or without the Batman and he was ready to do it.

Batman's severe stare softened. He had let his feelings take the best of him and his friends. He did not nee to lash at his friends like that. "Dick… I'm sorry. Alfred… I don't know what to say." Bruce said rubbing his temples.

"Then say nothing, sir."

"This case is taking the best out of you, Bruce. It's just the Joker, man. We've nailed that Clown once... we'll do it again."

"I…don't know anymore. The evidence is pointing in the Joker's direction but I can't predict his next move because he'snot acting as I expect him to, he's contradicting his own personality traits. He didn't even respond to the challenge I made for him. He's still out there hurting me and my close friends with impunity. I…don't know what else to do…I don't know what to think." Bruce slammed his hand angrily against the chair's back support

"Let's run over the evidence one more time. Two sets of eyes are better than one." Dick responded going up the steps towards Bruce.

"I'll get some more tea. It's going to be a long night." Alfred disappeared through the auxiliary cave exit. Once Alfred had left, Dick got close to Wayne by the console and set a reaffirming hand over his broad shoulders.

"Bruce, it's just the Joker. A crazy clown who is so separated from reality that's going to stumble on his own web. It's just a matter of figuring his game abn soon he will make a mistake and we'll pound on the Clown for good."

"That is what's so different about Joker this time…he's not acting at random. His planning his moves very carefully, making sure he stays in the shadows…Joker has never been able to stay in the shadows for too long. Why isn't he showing off?"

"It has to be part of his plan…and believe me, knowing Joker psychoses; this should be as hard for him as it is probably for you to figure his pattern. He will succumb to his own insanity."

"I'm not that sure, Dick. Joker seems very calm with the idea Look at this…"

Batman clicked on the mouse and the Media player appeared on the main screen of the Bat-computer. He uploaded a video file and played it. It was a poor quality reproduction of the video he had originally seen at Gordon's office. Dick looked at the video attentively until it ended.

"Wow…" Dick scratched the back of his head. "He really thinks he's the center of the universe, doesn't he? And since when he's doing the Dr. Phil on the Batman?"

"He left this at the computers on Wayne Tech for me to find. Does that Joker looks separated from reality to you?"

"Maybe it is just another performance." Dick said reclining against the computer console. "Joker is good at making deceiving performances."

"No, there is something else. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but there is something going on with Joker. He must've being able to figure out the plot with the second murderer in the scene, because he has not reacted to it. It's almost as if he didn't care."

"If he knew it was you…why bother?"

"The damage was already done, Dick. The news reached thousands of people in the city. Those people think there's another murderer, and that he's after Joker. That turns the Joker into a secondary player which would have hurt his pride, and he should have done something against the threat of someone stealing his act. Instead, he just does nothing. Joker's ego has always been his downfall. He needs to be in the spotlight all the time…until now."

"What about the microchip, any idea why he stole it?"

"None. It's just a prototype. That chip needed a lot of development to be useful in any way, otherwise is just a piece of silicon…I don't know what he wants to do with it, not even sure he can do something with it."

"Maybe not for Joker…but what about the hacker that hangs out with him?"

"Even if so, his crime doesn't fit in, is not even part of one of his performances. At Wayne Tech Joker didn't fool around or made any jokes. He just stole the chip, killed a few people and left. Highly unusual for someone who is addicted to perform and make people laugh."

"Didn't you think burying you inside that cocoon was funny?"

Bruce gave Nightwing a stern look, Dick just smiled subtly. "No... And just before that, Joker was going to shoot at me as he did the other when he started to talk nonsense, and speaking in third person. Even used the pronoun we when he was referring to himself. Something really bad has happened to that clown. Bruce opened a map of Gotham city. "I analyzed the video he left in detail. The desk Joker is using was commissioned, but the artisan who worked on it is dead and all the leads after that grow cold."

"Go figures."

"Not only that, Dick. I had asked Harley about that desk and she didn't know anything about it and that's very strange. She was even taken abashed by the whole thing. It seemsJoker have been hiding things from even her too ."

"Now that's odd. How can he keep something secret from Harley…she's all over the guy." Alfred made his return to the cave carrying with him a tray with some tea and biscuits. The butler set the tray on the table at the base of the Bat-computer. "He seems to have his own agenda as well and Harley is not in it. Maybe that's the reason why he left her at the asylum."

"The tea is here." Alfred announced.

"Thanks Alfred." Bruce said turning back to Nightwing. "Probably. I analyzed the audio from the video and found that from Joker's filming location you could hear the train. I suspect it is the Gotham underground railway system. I graphed the areas where you could hear it that loud, and that is the shaded area in the map.

"You went on to investigate already?

"I told Gordon and he set some patrols over the area. So far, there have been no Joker sightings. I asked Harley again and she didn't know of any place within that area where the Joker could be hiding."

"Every time we try to get close to that Clown, he just sifts through our fingers."

"And that concerns me. If I can't predict his moves…I'm going to always pick up his leftovers. That way, I will never be able to stop him…and I don't like it. And he's acting so strangely."

"Master Bruce, Master Grayson. The tea is best served warm." Alfred said emphatically. Bruce smiled and rose from the terminal heading down the Bat-computer console along with Dick Grayson towards the table the butler had set with the tea and biscuits. Better to not make Alfred wait with the food.

"You know about Harley's escape, right?" Dick said taking a sip of tea from his cup.

"No, but I had suspected she would try something like that sooner or later. She was getting a little upset with me coming with a lot of questions and me not getting any results. I warned the Asylum about the possibility of such an occurrence but like always, I think my warnings fell on deaf ears."

"Barbara thinks she attacked Edward Nigma before she left."

"The Riddler?" Bruce asked putting some sugar cubes in his tea and mixing briskly. "What happened to Nigma?"

"He was hospitalized in comma after a series of seizures of unknown origin."

"And Nigma is no epileptic…but that would not make any sense. It would be too risky just to wander inside the Asylum, to kill someone else, when you are trying to do a precarious escape. Harley is not as resourceful as Joker and her priority would have been to leave while she could."

"Who else would be interested in hurting Mr. Nigma?" Alfred inquired.

"Nigma has a lot of enemies, especially in higher places. I would think one of Edward's associates will try to kill him before Harley."

"Which reminds me…Barbara was able to track down who paid bail for the thugs you arrested at the Docks. The name on the account is a certain Lee Oswald LaGrange and they opened the account, via internet, a few days before the incident, they closed it after the money was paid…I thought of your hacker, Garibaldi."

"And don't forget his boss." Dick looked confused, so did Alfred who was lifting a quizzical eyebrow. "The name…Lee Oswald LaGrange. Put the initials together and…"

"LOL…laughing out loud. I'm an idiot. That would confirm it's him."

"Yes, and Joker couldn't pass the chance to use the name of JFK's murderer. The murderer is laughing out loud."

"The fiend…" Alfred muttered.

"After I spoke to you about the museum robbery, I went to pay a visit to Dark Tom Clancy and Boss Garrison. It took me to break a few arms and ribs to convince them to receive me and we had a chat about the robbery."

"What did they say?"

"Dark Tom swears that he has not seen Joker, and that he just acted on an anonymous tip that Garrison was going to make a move on Iago's territory. He was extremely nervous, I think not because of me, but rather of Joker himself. Garrison was a little more forgoing with the information and admitted talking to Joker, but that he refused to work with the Crazy Clown…those exact words, though he admitted not knowing what the Joker was planning."

"At least someone is in his right mind, but I take it you didn't believe any of them."

"I'm a detective. I need proof before I believe. I left some…equipment there to help track phone calls from and to both mobsters in the hope that they will contact Joker at some time."

"And..?"

"There have been some extensive communications between Garrison and Clancy." Alfred said pouring some tea for himself. "Too much communication between two mobsters who are fighting each other over a territory if you ask me."

"Has anybody tried to contact Joker?"

"I've been helping Master Bruce track the source of those numbers without finding anything out of the ordinary, but there are two numbers the computer has picked up that it has not been able to identify…the number sequence is incomplete, both times someone has dialed them."

"I'm suspecting Garibaldi must have set up some type of system to prevent those numbers from being tracked."

"One number for Joker and another for Garibaldi… makes sense. Have you been able to compare the numbers with the national phone directory, Alfred?" Dick said.

"Working on it, Master Grayson. The computer is searching for matches, but it's going to take some time. In the meantime we'll have to patiently wait."

"And have you noted how Joker's crimes have escalated in violence? First it was Trenton and his gang, then Thermoupoulos…

"The drug dealer?" Dick interrupted.

"Yes. Was tortured, beaten to death, and forced to eat…cotton candy."

Dick could not contain a chortle. "Cotton candy?"

"You could kill a diabetic if you force him to eat cotton candy and provide no insulin or glycemic drug. They toyed with Thermoupoulos for a long time before they decided to beat him to death. I saw the pictures from the crime scene and they were extremely bloody. The only way to recognize Thermoupoulos was through DNA sampling."

"No fingerprints?"

"They had burned Iago's fingertips so fingerprinting was impossible. Another thing was that Thermoupoulos' henchmen as well as a local prostitute had been dismembered and scattered throughout the apartment. "

"That's sick…"

"Joker is a mass murderer and psychotic, but none of his crimes has ever been so bloody. He has always gone for humor not gore."

"Twisted humor, Bruce. It always ends up with someone dead."

"Yes, I know, but as part of something that for him is funny. He then kills all those people at Wayne Tech in cold blood, and I'm really thinking that wasn't part of his original plan. He just blew up, like a fuse, shoots people at random, without a single joke. Then steals the gems and mutilates Selina Kyle in the museum." Bruce had to stop. He remembered reading the report on the attack on Catwoman and how her skin was cut, and bruised, and her back…with the words HA, HA, carved on her skin. Joker's violence was escalating indeed but not proportionally to the humor involved. How much did Selina go through at the hands of that maniac?

"Bruce?"

"I'm fine, Tim…" God…what had he said? The same way that Selina's brutal attack had left him with an empty soul, now thinking of Robin…He really couldn't take it anymore. This case has been the toughest one he had to try elucidate, and the hardest on him on a personal level. He never had so many people close to him being hurt or killed. It all was falling on top of his head like an avalanche, one he couldn't escape. "Sorry, Dick. I can't take Tim out of my mind."

"It's OK, man."

"No, it's not OK." Bruce banged his clenched fists on the table. "Gordon got the report on Tim's accident and said someone shot the front wheel twice. It was not an accident. It was an intentional act. "

"Barbara told me. I'm sorry, Bruce. That's pretty sick. But did Joker shoot Dick's bike?"

"He might have…I don't know…but with the violence of Joker's crimes, I would think that he is not satisfied with his murders or not getting the thrill like before."

"Now that's a scary thought. If Joker is not able to satiate his murderous appetite…he's not going to stop killing people violently.

"I know. This is getting off hand, and I'm tired of being toyed around by that clown. I need to find a way to put an end to this madness as soon as possible, and for the first time…I have to admit…I don't know how." Admitting he was at a loss with the Joker was like admitting to a crime. Dealing with criminals like the Clown Prince of Crime was what he had trained for his whole life. Bruce lifted both hands and joined them at the back of his head while he let a deep sough.

"Maybe it will be helpful if I tell you what Garibaldi seems to be up to online."

"He's been active on the Net again?

"Yes. My contacts in Bludhaven say that this Blip has been heard trying to access federal files from the internet. Something to do with the Pentagon. He's been also asking questions on experimental A.I. applications."

"God, no… Dick." Batman said with obvious concern in his voice. "Blip tried to get into the Pentagon' computer mainframe years ago, luckily without success. If he's trying again, with Joker's help, and he succeeds….Joker, Garibaldi, and the Pentagon just don't mix." Bruce, as strong willed as he was could not hold a shudder.

"It could be a problem of cataclysmic proportions," Alfred said pouring some more tea for himself.

"Joker and Garibaldi make quite a pair, but he will need some muscle to pull these crimes. Who's working for him?"

"Tim and I fought these thugs in the Alley the other night," Bruce swallowed and cleared his throat. The image of Robin in the intensive care unit still disturbed him. "One of the local gang members was seriously injured and while waiting for the ambulance he said that there was this new group called the Leopards that were trying to take over their turf. He said something about a Grand Snow Leopard giving them the city as a gift."

"Who's this Grand Snow Leopard?"

"I don't know yet, but maybe it's time to start asking some questions. I didn't think of them that much then but nowI have a strong suspicion that Joker might be the Grand Snow Leopard."

"Why do you think it could be Joker?"

"Remember the note on Trenton?" Bruce rose and searched on a bundle of papers at the edge of the table pulling out the scanned image of the note found on Phil Trenton's body and handing it to Dick. "See that line..? '…cleaning MY city from criminal trash…' You can only give away what is yours…and if Joker really thinks that the city is his…"

"But we have no proof."

"No, no conclusive proof. All this is speculative at the most and that's the way I'm standing with Joker right now… that's the best I can do with what that Clown is leaving me behind." The communication link beeped twice and Bruce looked at the ID caller. "Yes Barbara?"

"Sorry to join the meeting this late, but while I was running some records from Arkham I found some interesting things.

"We are all ears, Babe." said Dick trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Listen to this. The police report said that the night Harley escaped there was a new intern been shown the hospital by a nurse called Nancy Herrington. I got access to the archives and retrieved the files on the intern and they are all corrupted. Somebody must have planted the files there with a code for their destruction when they were no longer useful.

"Garibaldi. He's like a bad dream that just keeps coming back again and again." Dick sat at the table taking a sip of tea.

"What about the nurse?" Bruce asked putting his hand under his chin.

"Another dead end. Literally. They found her dead in her house after she did not show up for work for three days without calling."

"Interesting. We might have our murderer right there. She worked inside and she probably had access to Nigma's cell and could have slid the poison easily."

"But why?" asked Nightwing.

"That's what we need to find out."

"What about the intern?" said Barbara.

"Probably to take care of the nurse, or Nigma, or both; but I don't think we will ever know now."

"When they interviewed the personnel in the hospital that night, one of the orderlies reported seeing a new, very young nurse in the mess hall at that time. He read her name badge and reported that her name was Erith Rubeck."

"Unusual name; Hungarian maybe?"

" It will probably be a false name but it will be good to run that name with some immigration records just to be sure."

"If I may share an insight, sir…" Alfred interrupted looking away from the edge of the table where he had been listening to the entire conversation. "It is just an educated guess and probably means nothing."

"Go on, Alfred. I'm listening." Bruce said looking at the butler with great attention. I was not the first time he had seen something that the Batman had missed, a tiny detail that later proved useful. Bruce had great respect for his friend's insight.

"The name seems to be part of a word game. " The butler said. "It reminded me of a bird… Erithacus rubecula, or red-breasted Robin." Bruce and Dick looked at each other then back to Alfred. "I have a little experience in bird watching. It's an old pastime of mine."

"Could it be possible?" Dick said looking at Bruce.

"That Joker has his claws on this one too? It's a possibility. He doesn't like Nigma, but where's the joke on attacking him? And why hasn't he starting to brag about it?"

"Maybe there's no joke here, just revenge. Isn't he acting very angry and hateful lately, no? Maybe he just wanted to even the score with the Riddler."

"True. This is not our regular Clown, and I'm still picking up after him. It's just that revenge is so out of character for Joker…Dick, one of the main principal gold rules in profiling is that obsessive compulsive criminals seldom change their MO or their motifs. Joker kills for fun, not for vengeance." Bruce walked over to the stair rail and started to go up to the Bat-computer terminal. "Anything happened to Nigma days before his seizures?"

"Not much," said Barbara. "Had, had an altercation a week ago with Dr. Crane who tried to psychoanalyze him and the day before he was visited by an attorney…Larry Wilde, to discuss some legal details of his case."

"Larry Wilde…I don't think I recognize the name. What happened to his regular lawyer, Oliver Brufford?

"On vacation according to his office. That's why Wilde was taking over Nigma's case as a personal favor to Brufford." Bruce stood there brooding deeply. Fitting pieces in this puzzle was becoming a formidable task. .

"Ok, what is it?" Dick said aloud. He knew when Bruce had one of those looks in his eyes there was something going one in that brain.

"Has Brufford returned from his vacation to check on his employer's health?" Bruce asked sitting at the Bat-computer's terminal.

"Not to my knowledge. Why?"

"I find it very strange that Brufford didn't come running back to make sure that Edward Nigma could still sign his paychecks from the hospital. Brufford is corrupted, and his only interest is to make sure he gets paid, and paid well. Investigate Wilde, I think he might be more related to Nigma's attack than we think."

"Then what about the nurse, and the intern? Where those two fit in this puzzle?" Dick asked.

"Those two keep popping in and out of the plot, but I think that Mr. Wilde is the thread that joins everything in this mystery."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker was looking out through the window of the sedan. The day was bright and clear, a very rare occurrence in a city covered most of the time with smog, and he was really upset. He had tried to reach Charley for about six times without even getting hold of her mailbox. That was odd. She had always responded quickly. He reached for his cell phone and dialed the number one more time, again the incessant ringing with no mailbox. He closed the purple phone forcibly and placed it back in his pocket.

"Still nothing?" Blip said turning on his palm pilot. "I told you they could not be trusted." Joker snorted in disgust and looked through the back mirror.

"Hey Neo, my boy, you sure that queen Charley, and sir Mountain Man didn't let you on their whereabouts?"

"No sir, I just heard them say that they needed some fresh air and left."

Joker did not frowned often but lately it was becoming a habit. "Oh well, they'll just have to miss on this one. You have everything you need, Blip?"

"I was born ready, sir."

"Good. Everybody in position?"

"Ready for your signal, boss" responded Harold through the comm. link in the car. The Joker surveyed the highway and quickly saw the brown UPS van he had "borrowed" for the plan. Truth be told, he had stolen the van and what was left of the driver was now part of the delivery on the back of the van. Harold was now at the helm of the van and Elliott as well as a few others from Terrence's gang joined them.

"Take the next exit, head to the address that Blip gave you, and proceed as planned. We'll meet you there in a few minutes."

"Mr. Joker, why not wait till later when it's darker to sneak into the house?" Milton asked doing his best keeping up with traffic.

"First, Batman works long nights, so he must be sleeping in. Second, always surprise the Bat (and the police as well) with the unexpected, and under normal circumstances I'll never pull something like this in broad daylight."

"What if the Riddler lied to you?" asked Blip.

"Why would Nigma lie to me..? I offered him over a million dollars and he doesn't just wear green…he sees in green."

"He's a liar, a trickster, and he doesn't like you." Blip said working on his PDA. "Need anything else?"

"Oh Blip don't be so nice…Nigma is more than that, but he wouldn't risk loosing the big prize, and just in case he tried to double cross me…" said Joker wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "Poor Nigma, he was a….useless, moronic, dull, motherfucker who thought he could outsmart me... Outsmart me? I. Don't. Think. So."

"You will show 'im who is boss?" Blip said with a smile.

Joker sniffled. "Let's just say that I'm gonna miss his riddles so much… and so you know, Blip…I took the time to check the names he gave me and the information matches perfectly with my sources. He's good, but I'm better."