Standing in front of the asylum, Batman was flanked by soldiers. All of which posed no threat. But watched him very closely. They opened the main doors for him, and lead him to a single padded cell in the middle of the facility. He could hear a slight static feedback from the new communication device in his cowl, alternating channels as he got deeper into the facility. He was escorted into single cell, which was quickly locked behind him.
"Hello… glad you could make it." Jason greeted, as he waved over the shoulder of straitjacketed and gagged Joker.
"This ends tonight."
"Tell me… What bothers you more? That your greatest failure has returned from the grave. Or that I've become a better Batman than you?"
"You are ruling by intimidation and murder! You are no better than the people you killed.
Jason laughed at this, and raised his gun to the side of the Joker's head. "What I'm doing is working. In case you didn't notice."
"Tell me what happened to you. I can help."
Jason got angry at this, and pushed the gun deeper into the Jokers temple. "It's too late for that!"
"Jason please… Put the gun down."
Jason gripped around the Joker's neck, still holding the gun firmly against his temple. "I just don't understand."
"What?" Bruce questioned, holding his hands up, not trying to alarm him.
"After all the countless people he sent to an early grave, the loved ones he had hurt, and after I…" His voice dipped with this, and took in a shuddered breath and dropped his gaze to the floor. "You know if it were you who was beat to a bloody pulp, and left to die… I would have hunted him down and made sure he was dead." He then looked up to Bruce. "What I can't understand is why you've allowed this evil piece of shit to live?!"
"You don't understand, I don't think you have ever understood."
"What? Your moral code won't allow for that? Is it too hard to cross that line?"
"No! Fuck… It's just too damned easy. A day doesn't go by without thinking about killing him. Subjecting him to all the horrendous tortures he brought on others, and then… End him." Bruce gripped his fist with this. "But if I do that… I never can come back. I've walked on the edge of Vengeance and Justice every day. The second I let myself go that path I can't come back."
"Look... I'm not talking about them all.. No, just him!" Pointing the gun down at Joker's head. "Because… Because he took me away from you."
Bruce looked Jason in the still green masked eyes. "I can't, I'm sorry."
Jason nodded to himself with this. "I thought you'd say that. Well…" He pulled out a switch from his jacket, and flicked it on. Behind him a few monitors flashed on, alternating through multiple cells of the asylum. "Every cell within the facility is lined with explosives." He flicked another switch, revealing another live feed. This one was of Marti blindfolded, and strapped to a chair in the center of a dark room. "Martha is secure in a separate facility."
"Hello?! Jason? What's going on?!" Called out Marti.
"She is wired into a live feed by the way. Want to say hi?"
"Dad… Dad?! Are you there?!"
"Yes! Marti are you okay?"
"I'm fine…." She shuddered, and took in panicked breaths. "I'm sorry Dad. I should have-"
"It's okay. It's not your fault."
"Anyway…" Jason butted in. "Getting back to what this is all about… Now… It doesn't have to be about all of them." He motioned to the revolving feed from all the cells of criminals. "No… It's about this psychotic piece of filth." He cocked the hammer of his gun with this. "This is what I offer to you… If you kill the Joker right here, in front of me. I will deactivate the cells, release Martha, and will never return to Gotham again. But… If you decide to not do as I ask, I will blow up every cell in the asylum, and take Martha far away where you will never find her again."
Bruce looked over Jason's shoulder to the live feed of Martha. On the bottom corner of the screen was the time, it was 1:30. Way past the time Dick said he would contact him.
Jason, noticing his gaze chucked to himself. "Oh… And I should probably tell you. That new communicator… Yeah we intercepted the signal a mile before you arrived." He flicked another switch. Revealing the rest of the team tied up, and held at gunpoint along the roadway.
Bruce scowled at this.
"Don't worry, I don't kill the innocent. Regardless of you decision… They will not be harmed. Now…" He produced another handgun from his back belt, and tossed it at Bruce. "What will it be?"
Bruce awkwardly caught the pistol in his hands, and held it in his flat open palms.
"So… Kill the Joker, and live happily ever after. Or… I take out the entire facility, and take your daughter away."
"Dad Please-"
"Let's just put her on mute." Jason said.
Marti's feed was still open, and all that could be seen was her thrashing about in her chair, trying to break free.
"Tick Tock Batman."
Bruce's eyes were still fixed on the pistol. The very weapon he despised most was in his hands, and once again it was going to play a major role in his life. Looking to Marti's live feed, he could read the pleads for help as she thrashed about. It pained him to see her like this, but he would have to give up on everything he believed to save her.
A sudden bang sounded within the cell. Bruce felt a burning sensation in his neck, followed by a tingling sensation run down his body. He felt resistance in his arm when he went to pull out the dart.
"You know… I thought that just maybe, if I brought your daughter into this I could sway your decision." Jason walked around the Joker, toward Bruce with this.
Bruce began to sway, and fell down to his knees.
"But in the end… She doesn't even matter. In fact… Nobody matters to you. You're never going to change Bruce. Are you?" He picked up the pistol Bruce dropped, and cocked back the hammer. "Well I'm going to save her from this, and I'm going to save Gotham too. Starting with-" He stood and shot the Joker right between the eyes.
Joker gargled through his gag with this, and toppled down to the ground.
Bruce fell to the ground with this as well, and his body began to spasm. Jason stepped over him, and went through the door, locking it from the outside. Bruce could feel his footsteps go down the hall. About the only thing he could manage control of was the head. The monitor feed flashed bright, and a timer started at the base of the split screen. Beyond the loud ticking of the timer, Marti's voice feed turned back on, and he would hear her sobbing.
"Marti…"
"Dad… You're okay!.. I thought he shot you."
"No… But he's coming for you now."
She took in a shuddered breath with this. "Dad please… Come get me."
The tingling was now down to his feet, and his body no longer twitched. He grunted as he tried to move his arms, but had no luck. His body was completely paralyzed.
"Dad… Dad? What is it?"
"I can't Marti."
"Oh my god! I can hear him coming."
"Mar-." Bruce's voice gave out. The tranquilizer now began to work on his throat.
"Dad… No! Please! I'm scared! DAD!"
Bruce watched as Jason came into the room, and threw her over his shoulder, and left the room. Her screams slowly dissipated till they were out of range of her speaker. Tears were streaming down his face with this. His head fell and bounced off the cement ground. Under his cheek was a drain. Looking forward he locked eyes with the Joker. His dead eyes were wide open. Blood was dripping down his brow, and making a beeline for the drain. A low humm could be felt through the floor. Bruce looked up to the countdown.
0:18
He took in a deep breath, and made another attempt to move. But had no luck.
0:15
He looked up to the live feed of his team. They were still tied up.
0:08
He felt Jokers warm blood grazing his cheek, and could hear it start to drip down the drain.
His eyelids began to grow heavy, the best he could do was listen to the last few ticks of the timer.
0:04…..
0:03….
0:02….
0:01….
