THE FINAL CHAPTER! DUN DUN DUN!

Chapter 25

Name: Officer Louis Gabe

Age: 35

Medical: Skitsophrenia

Subject to: hallucinations, delusions, D.I.D

Alternate: Joe Patterson, international jewel thief and master window washer

Yup the Joker had this all sorted out. As soon as Officer Gabe let Patterson do his job the Joker would find Artemis even if it meant tearing this town apart. He giggled at the thought of all the things he was going to do to Gotham and Artemis. The police were not always as thorough as they liked to think themselves to be. There was always a leak somewhere, it was just a matter of finding it, and his dear old friend Officer Ann Ramirez was first on his hit list. She lived a couple years to long anyway. How does someone betray you and then walk away alive? The Joker didn't understand people sometimes, the world was confused and he was just the one to put it back on track.

He heard the door opened and turned to see Officer Gabe/Patterson winking at him to signal that everything was in order just as the Joker wanted. The bomb was planted, Gordon was talked into going home for the night, batman and robin were nowhere in sight, and he managed to grab Artemis's new identity information. The Joker liked it when things went his way. Officer Ramirez walked in and sat at the desk to keep an eye on the Joker. She hated this job, it made her nervous, but she was one of the few surviving that had been up against the Joker before. It was time to put things in motion.

"Tell me officer," said the Joker, "do you regret it? Do you regret giving Gordon's family to Harvey? Hmm?" Ramirez just ignored him and did her paperwork. "Does, uh, Gordon know it was you who gave them over?" She felt the corner of her mouth twitch but didn't reply. "How do you manage to sleep at night? I just sing to myself, puts me right to sleep, I don't even dream, that's the best part." Ann was growing impatient. He was getting harder to ignore now. "You know, I,uh, killed six of Gordon's partner's friends. He told me so. How many of your friends did I kill?" She was close to losing it. What did he want from her? She knew what he wanted, he wanted her to screw up so he could get away. "You must have had friends at some point? Is it that I killed them all or do they just not want to play with you anymore?" It was true, they didn't want anything to do with her anymore and the Joker killed what friends she had.

Finally she got up and walked toward him. "Stop it," she demanded, breathing heavily. The Joker just laughed at her. She angrily hit the bars and walked away. She didn't even hear the ticking noise going on on the other side of the wall outside.

"Stop what," he asked innocently, "I just, uh, asked you a question."

"Stop talking," she snapped. He just shrugged his shoulders and started to pace the cell like a lion ready for the dumb zoo worker to open the cage and feed it. He loudly sighed causing Ann to break her pencil in half.

"You aren't near as much fun as the other officers," he said with a fake pout.

"You're such a child," she grumbled. The Joker laughed at her again.

"Aw, you should be in touch with your inner child, makes life easier." She slammed both hands on the desk and got up.

"If you don't stop talking I swear I'll-"

"Open the cell door," he asked dangerously. She felt her face turn an angry red. She got up and marched over to him but just as she reached his cell the wall blew causing the ceiling to cave in unexpectedly. The Joker quickly ducked under the bed in the cell but Ann Ramirez was not so lucky. The roof came caving down on her and crushed her to death. The Joker slowly came out covered in saw dust and concrete dust. He smiled at his inside man's job. Gabe/Patterson gave him the files he asked for through the door and Ann's car keys. He took them and left down the highway not watching the road but reading the file.

First things first. He needed a way to lure his daughter to him. Surely something in here would give him a good idea. Then he found it. Supposedly Amelia Esmeralda was married with a baby. He had to find that kid.

Artemis looked up at the large building before. Gotham's Children's Home. How did they fit every orphan in Gotham in there? Judging by the crime rate there had to be hundreds! She looked at her watch, it was nearly midnight now, she had to make this fast before Batty Brains and the love sick Puppy that follows him everywhere appeared. She climbed up the wall quickly and quietly. She loved to climb!

After reaching what she assumed was the right floor she crawled in through the window and started reading name tags on the edge of the cradles. Finally she came across Devon Esmeralda but there was no Devon in the crib. Only a Joker's card. She picked it up and read it.

Your old high school doll

She growled in frustration. She quickly went back out the window leaving behind the Joker's card. How could he have possibly known where the whiney kid was?!

………………………………….

"Why did she kill him," asked Robin in disbelief.

"Because he obviously did something she didn't like very much," responded Batman.

"Are you sure it was her?"

"No," he responded, "I can't place her anymore. She says she turned away from crime, she didn't even look crazy last I saw her. But according to the police reports filled out by the manager laying dead here on the floor she stole the baby." Robin shook his head. There was no way such a sweet girl could possibly be evil! Still, if she was the link to the Joker, he had to find her. He needed to get his revenge.

They left for the Gotham Children's Home and went up to the floor where they kept the male babies. But when they walked in the crib was empty. Batman growled, no clues, no nothing!

"Batman," said Robin. Batman turned around and saw a card in Robin's hand. "It's a Joker's card. It says 'Your old high school doll'."

"We need to go look for her old records to find out where she went to school." Robin put the card in the baby's crib. He figured Amy, or Artemis, would want to find that if she found out where the baby was. Batman looked at the clock, it was early 9 pm still. They left and headed for the batcave to research what was left of Artemis Napier.

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Damien stood nervously in the school hallway. He didn't know what to do anymore. No one had seen Joey in weeks, the Joker figured he probably moved onto more hard core drugs, but Damien was not quite so sure. Not to mention that out of nowhere the Joker had shown up with a baby in his arms and said they were headed for his old high school. He was set in the security room to watch for Artemis and to let him know when she showed up. He didn't like this one bit. Now he had to choose between Artemis or the Joker. He wasn't sure how much more of the insanity he could take.

……………………….

Joey trudged down the dark alley ways he knew so well. He got a text from the Joker telling him to head out to Boring Town High. Curiosity took the better of him so he dropped the cat he was getting all cracked up and started back out to the main streets to find a taxi.

…………………………

"48.56," said the taxi driver.

"Hmm, a bit much isn't it," she asked.

"Look, lady, I gotta make a living."

"I see your point," she said. She pulled out her knife and stuck it in his chest. "Now you don't have to worry about it." She laughed wickedly and stepped out of the cab. She looked up at the school she had not seen in a year. It was as boring as ever. She walked in and climbed up to the roof. The Joker stood on the ledge with the baby in arms humming a carnival tune to him as he cried.

She made her way through the halls and found an emergency fire axe. Hmm, that could come in handy. She broke the glass and took the fire axe. Then she made her way up the roof to see a most unusual sight.

……………………………….

Batman quickly ran up the stairs followed by Robin. When they reached the roof the Joker was standing on the ledge with the baby in hand. He softly hummed a carnival tune to the crying baby. The Joker looked up and saw batman and robin. "Hmm, invitation only batsy," he snarled. Before batman could say anything Robin lunged at him. The Joker quickly moved and started running the other direction. He quickly handed the baby to Harley and told her to get out of there. Harley nodded then turned to leave. Batman tackled the Joker to the ground and the two started in on a wrestling match with Robin watching suspenseful.

Finally the Joker kicked Batman off of him and Robin got his shot in again. He kicked the Joker in the gut which only caused the Joker to laugh at him. Robin sat on top of him and proceeded to beat his face in. Finally Batman got Robin off of the Joker. The Joker spat a tooth out and started laughing hysterically at Robin. Robin shoved him over the roof but Batman quickly caught the Joker by the foot and attached him to the top of the school building. He hung upside down swaying back and forth laughing wickedly.

"This looks familiar," said the Joker, "brings back some good memories." He laughed some more. "This is the part where you tell me I'm going to jail."

"Not this time, Joker," said batman, "you're going directly to Arkham this time and you won't get away."

"Why did you save him," shouted Robin, "you should have let him fall!"

"Robin, you can't let hate and anger drive you. You need to do what is right even if it means doing what you don't want to do."

"He doesn't seem to care much," said a girls voice behind them. Artemis stood in the stairwell doorway in her purple pea coat, cowboy hat, blue corset, and long black pants. "Go ahead, do it, it's what you wanted isn't it? Revenge for your dead family."

"Don't listen to her, Robin, she is trying to twist you," argued Batman.

"Here's your shot, Pigeon Boy," said the Joker coldly.

"Go on and take it," said Artemis now getting closer to them. She seemed to be holding something behind her back that Robin was having a hard time ignoring. "You may not get a better opportunity then now."

"Robin, these two are liars and only want to hurt you," said Batman, "have I done either of those things to you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"But what," asked Artemis, "he tells you want to do and who can and can't kill, are you really going to let the bat push you around forever? Let a bird spread it's wings. Take what you want when you see it."

By this point Robin was extremely confused. Artemis saw she was getting nowhere. She slowly walked up to him in a catlike fashion until she was mere inches from his face. "Do it for me," she whispered.

"Robin don't let her get to you," shouted batman.

"Doesn't every hero want the girl," asked the Joker grinning. Robin slowly walked up to the cord that held the Joker up. It was a lot like a pulley system. It was stuck to the ledge, slung across the top of the metal pole holding up a light, and held the Joker up two feet from the building itself. He looked at the Joker grinning wildly at him. Then he looked at Batman who was shaking his head and Artemis who was smiling and nodding at him.

His eyes casted from the Joker to Artemis and back to the Joker. It was unmistakable. She was his daughter the resemblance was uncanny. "How do I know you aren't just like him, Amy," he asked quietly.

"Do I look like him," she asked, a bit irked.

"Actually, doll, you do," said the Joker laughing. Artemis suppressed her smile. Laughter was not the right reaction if she was going to get what she wanted.

"Prove you're not like him," shouted Robin.

"Why should I," she argued.

"If you're anything like the man who killed my parents I don't want anything to do with you," he concluded.

"He killed my mother," she said as tears weld up in her eyes. Robin's breath caught in his throat. "I couldn't even tell you how it happened. My friends, people who I thought were friends, lied to me. None of them told me she was dead I had to find out from him." She had hatred in her voice at the last word.

"I-I'm sorry," he said looking down.

"Don't be," said the Joker, "the bitch had it coming." Robin's head whipped around he was suddenly reminded of the decision he had to make. Robin looked at Batman for answers. Batman just looked at him. This was a decision he had to make on his own.

"I can't help you," said Batman defeated, "I have told you what I can now you have to decide for yourself. Do you want to kill the Joker and go throughout your life hunting down more Jokers, or do you want to send him to jail?"

"That question was a little opinionated," argued the Joker.

"It was not," said batman, now in his Bruce Wayne voice.

"I hate to side with the Joker but he is right, that question was a little opinionated," said Artemis.

"What did I say that had any opinion attached it it?"

"You said 'Do you want to kill the Joker and go throughout your life hunting down more Jokers'," said the Joker imitating Batman. Artemis smiled and clapped and the Joker did a sort of upside down bow.

"That was surprisingly well done," said Robin, "do you take voice lessons?"

"No," he said, "just talented."

"Clearly," agreed Artemis, "so who else can you imitate?"

"I do Mickey Mouse at parties," he said.

"I want to here," said Artemis childishly.

"Robin will you kill the Joker or let him live already," shouted Batman getting rather tired of the crazy tom foolery that seemed to circle him for the last year.

"Fine," said Robin. He looked at his choices again and decided. "Rot in jail," he said.

He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head as he fell into darkness.

"I guess if you want something done right you have to do it yourself," snarled Artemis. She had hit Robin in the back of the head with the butt of the axe. "Now, Ratman, it's your turn."

"Bat's are mammals," he quickly said. Artemis stopped midstep.

"What," she asked.

"You're insult doesn't make any sense. Bat's are mammals not rodents."

"Go figure," said Artemis. She lifted her axe in a large half circle and brought the blade down toward batman. He quickly blocked out of the way. She swung the axe at him and he dodged it. Batman jumped on the ledge about to jump when he couldn't move! He looked down and saw the blade was holding his cape in place.

Artemis quickly climbed the ledge with a new blade in hand. She looked up and saw the cord holding the Joker up. She smiled at batman and brought the knife through it. The cord snapped and set the Joker plummeting to his death laughing wildly. Batman acted quickly and caught him again with another cord. Artemis gave him a sharp kick in the ass and he fell over the edge but not before grabbing her by the ankle. She fell down with them.

Batman threw the other end of the cord up to the ceiling were it grabbed hold of the ledge stopping batman and the joker.

Artemis continued to fall until she grabbed hold of the Joker's foot. Artemis hung to him tight and looked up. The Joker was hanging by his hands onto the cord that was attached to his arm. Batman had a hold of the cord attached to his handy dandy batbelt (buy your handy dandy batbelt at a store near you!).

"Okay, nobody panic," said Batman.

"Um, we aren't panicking," said Artemis.

"I said stop panicking," said Batman, "now we will do this likes ants. Artemis you climb up then the Joker then I will follow, got it?" Artemis started swinging herself and the other three back and forth.

"Artemis knock it off," shouted Batman, "this cord can't hold all of us as it is we don't need you swinging it you're going to kill us!"

"Uh, I think you're the only one who has a problem with that one, batsy," said the Joker laughing. Artemis managed to get htem about three feet from the building. The rapidly came back to the building.

"Woah," shouted the three as they quickly crashed back into the building and through a window. Artemis was the first to climb in and started running for the door. The Joker came in running after her then Batman came in running after the Joker.

…………………………..

Damian watched all the action from the security room. He had a big bowl of popcorn, a soda, a couple joints, and a whole night of doing nothing but watching for Joey now that Artemis was found.

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Artemis quickly hid in her old locker. The Joker came skidding across the tile floor and hit a locker and ran passed where she hid. Batman came skidding across the floor also hitting a tile but ran in the opposite direction as the Joker had just run. When the doors closed it was silent for a long moment. Artemis was about to climb out when she heard a loud BANG.

She looked over and saw the Joker just a few lockers away with a sawed off shot gun shooting doors and singing?

"Hush little baby, don't you cry, daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby….BANG" There went another locker, blown to pieces. "And if that song don't help you sleep, daddy's gonna get you a rocket gun." Rocket gun? That didn't rhyme with sleep, this song sucked.

BANG

Aretmis felt herself shrink a little, weather or not it rhymes doesn't seem to be his primary concern at that moment.

"And if that Rocket gun don't kill"

BANG

"Daddy's gonna make you a gasoline spill"

BANG

"And if that gasoline don't blow"

BANG

"Daddy's gonna give you a hangman's noose"

BANG

At least now it was rhyming.

"And if that hangman's noose should wreck"

BANG

Just one locker away now.

"Daddy's gonna break baby girls neck." Artemis was ready to get blown away but was shocked when the locker came swinging open. She was met with an unpleasant smile with rotting uneven teeth.

"Just for the record," she said, "I think I prefer the rocket gun." She kicked him in the chest and ran passed him. The Joker got up and ran after her once again. She was in the lunch room now. She looked around the large space and thought quickly. The singing continued.

"And if your wormy neck don't break, daddy's gonna throw you in a lake."

"God, does he never stop," she mumbled. She ran into the kitchen and slammed right into batman.

"Artemis," he growled angrily. Artemis quickly covered his mouth. He was about to protest when he heard the singing.

"And if that lake don't freeze you out-"

"We have got to get out of here," hissed Artemis.

"'We'?"

"Yes, we cause if we don't get out of here we are going to die."

"And if that fish don't eat you whole," continued the Joker. Artemis and Batman looked back. Batman nodded.

"How do we get out of here?"

"AT the end of this kitchen is a fire exit. We go through it an alarm will go off." Batman nodded and pointed her to lead the way. Artemis ran for the door but a gun shot rang through the air.

Batman stood frozen as Artemis just stood there looking at Joey. Joey held Artemis's old pistol in his hand with smoking rising from the barrel now. The Joker quit his singing and quickly ran toward the gun shot. He shoved passed batman and caught Artemis as she fell just before she hit the ground. Artemis looked up at the Joker with tears in her eyes. The Joker slowly set her down.

"This is your fault," said Joey quietly, "if it were not for you we would all still be living our lives."

"SO YOU SHOT MY DAUGHTER," shouted the Joker. His voice was no longer the creepy high pitch it was before. It was low and octave and threatening.

"I freed her," he said. He put the gun down then turned and left.

…………………………

Damian quickly ran out of the security room only to be caught and thrown up against a locker. Robin was standing behind him with what looked to be a pair of hand cuffs. "No, stop, something bad has happened, please, Artemis! Please let me go!"

"Not a chance," said Robin, picking him up.

………………………….

Batman watched in a daze. The Joker quickly picked up Artemis and ran out the door. Joey walked off to an unknown place. Robin walked up behind him with Damian.

"I found him outside the security room," said Robin, "where is everyone else."

"Joey shot Artemis," he said quietly.

"What!? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She will be," said batman slowly, "she is in good hands."

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That's all folks! THankyou to everyone who has reviewed in the passed and thankyou everyone for sticking with me! Sorry the story wasn't great but it was my first.