Only an hour passed before the first loud bang echoed out through the building. Joker let out a yelp, sitting upright, looking for the source. Across from him on the chair, the girls sat up, startled, their eyes wide and frightened.

"Joker, what's going on?" Yvonne asked, biting her lip.

The clown slid off the couch, peering off into the shadows cautiously. He knew their break wouldn't last, not with the trail he'd left behind.

"Stay quiet and stay low," he hissed, looking around carefully. He crept a few paces away from the couch, listening hard, then glanced back at the girls. "We have to move. Now."

Chels' eyes widened as she stared up at him. "And go where? You're still in pretty bad shape."

"BATMAN!" Vonny abruptly screamed, jolting them from their thoughts.

Joker grabbed the girls by the wrists, taking off through the room as a batarang sunk into the crate behind them. A clatter of claws on cement and angry chattering announced Shriek's pursuit and Joker picked up the pace.

Yvonne glanced back as they fled, seeing Shriek quickly gaining on them, Batman not far behind. She blinked, sure she saw someone else in the shadows, but her view was cut off as Joker dragged them into another room. She gasped as they stopped at a railing.

"Um…Joker?" Chels meeped nervously, staring down into a tank of chemicals.

The girls turned, watching as their teacher grabbed three gasmasks from a box on the wall. He whirled, shoving two of them into their hands before slipping his on over his face.

"Joker, what're we doing?" Vonny glanced nervously from the mask in her hands to the clown. "What's this for?"

"Just put it on, quick," he replied, glancing back the way they'd come. "There's no time to explain."

Quiet a moment longer, the girls hesitantly slipped the masks on over their heads, surprised that the lining fit snugly over the front of their faces.

"Do you trust me?"

The question came as a shock as they looked at the clown. Joker stared back at them, his face expressionless.

"Joker…we told you before we did. Why, what're we doing?" Chels ventured, glancing at the chemicals, then the clown.

"Do you?" he snapped.

"Yes, of course," they said in unison, confused.

The sounds of pursuit got louder as Joker grabbed them by the arms, hauling them up and over the railing.

"Then jump!" Joker leapt off the railing after them, narrowly avoiding Shriek's jaws as the teeth snapped shut behind him. He plummeted down alongside the girls as they screamed, the sounds cutting off as all three splashed down hard under the chemicals.

"No!" Gordon cried out, stopping at the railing. He gripped the metal tightly, staring down into the ripples splashing the side of the tank.

Batman stopped beside him, watching, eyes narrowing. Beside him, Shriek chattered madly and whined, staring down towards the tank. He let out a series of soft whimpers before turning his head to look at the vigilante.

Beneath the foaming surface of the chemicals, Joker laughed before letting the struggling girls go. They quickly grew still, feeling that their bodies weren't in agony as they'd been the first time. Quiet, they gave each other puzzled looks before glancing at the harlequin.

"What gives?" Vonny asked, slowly settling to the bottom of the tank. Joker and Chels soon joined her and he gave them a casual shrug.

"Shouldn't we be in pain?" Chels adjusted the mask on her face so it'd fit better, then looked at him. "I mean…the first time we fell in these chemicals, it was nothing but pure agony."

Joker leaned back against the side of the metal, lacing his fingers behind his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

"What's so funny?"

"You," he giggled. "This is another side to being permaclowned." He grinned when the girls stared at him. "Relax, we're safe. The chemicals won't hurt us anymore. Although, truth be told, I've diluted this batch quite a bit, just to be on the safe side."

"So…" Chels said, tilting her head, "we can go into the same chemicals that we fell into and nothing will happen?"

"Not sure about a concentrated dose like we fell into, but when they're diluted like this, yeah." He glanced towards the surface, then at them. "I just hope Batsy doesn't remember this little trick. Tried this before and he thought I'd drowned."

Giggling, the girls looked at each other, then the clown. "That's awesome. So we're pretty safe down here then?"

"Unless they figure out a way to get us out," he grinned, nodding.

"That's so cool," Yvonne giggled, spinning around in a slow circle. "So how long can we stay down here?"

"As long as we like, at least for a few hours. I designed these gas masks myself."

Pure genius! Chels thought, giggling madly, whirling in the chemicals before settling back down on the bottom of the tank. The clown's a genius!

The smartest person we know! her friend replied.

"What was that?"

"Uh…" Vonny bit her lip, looking at Joker. He stared back at them, smirking slightly, head tilted to the side.

Chels started giggling again beside her, and she gave her a look.

He looks like a little puppy… Chels snickered, grinning.

Yvonne grinned back at her before turning back to the harlequin. "Just saying how you're the smartest clown we know!"

Joker quirked a nonexistent eyebrow at them, his smirk widening. "I better be the only clown you know…"

At this, the girls laughed, looking at each other, then back at Joker. He grinned back at them insanely, only causing them to laugh even harder. After a moment, Vonny pushed off from the bottom of the tank, spinning and giggling when her sleeves swirled around her. Chels swam around next to her, lazily spinning in circles and grinning.

This is awesome! Vonny laughed, turning so that she was floating facedown. Who ever thought we'd be swimming in chemicals?

Not counting the time we first got permaclowned?

That really hurt. But this is so cool! We're resistant to them now.

Joker watched them play, beaming, then glanced towards the surface. It wouldn't be easy figuring out how long they'd have to stay in the chemical vat. If he swam up and stuck his head out, he'd be letting Batman know that they still lived, if he and his little posse still remained watchful. They couldn't stay in the tank indefinitely, though; eventually they'd all get hungry and thirsty and he doubted the chemicals would be good for actual consumption.

Ah well, we can stay here for a while. A few hours in here and even Batsy would probably think we drowned.

He grinned madly as the girls swam over his head, enjoying the thought. If it was a waiting game Batsy wanted, a waiting game he'd get.

I I I

Shriek chattered madly as the threesome peered down into the chemicals. The surface had stopped frothing with bubbles a few minutes ago, but Batman remained vigilant. He stared down at the tank, deep in thought.

"What are we going to do?" Gordon asked, looking down into the tank, then at the vigilante.

"I wouldn't worry too much," the caped crusader replied, glancing at him. He took in Gordon's confused expression. "I've seen Joker do this before. He managed to get out alive, with no apparent side effects or harm." He turned his attention back to the chemicals. "I think he's somehow able to breathe under the chemicals. If this is the same stuff he fell into, it'd make sense. They might not harm him. The same thing might apply to the girls as well."

The commissioner looked at him thoughtfully, then glanced at the alien as Shriek let out a questioning growl.

"So they won't be hurt?" he asked.

Batman looked at the two of them, shaking his head. "I don't think so. Joker was able to stay in here for hours before."

"We can't wait that long," Gordon said, clenching the railing tightly. "Joker may be able to play the waiting game, but we don't have that time. We need to get them out."

"The question is how. Joker has this room set up similar to the chemical factory. There should be a control panel somewhere for the tanks."

Shriek tilted his head, then immediately scurried off, searching around. Gordon followed him, still not sure what to think of the strange creature.

Deep in thought, Batman stayed by the railing, keeping an eye on the tank. At the first opportunity, Joker and the girls could sneak out and run off before they'd be able to capture them again.

"Batman!" He paused, looking over towards Gordon's voice.

Shriek stared at the commissioner as he stepped inside a large crane near the back wall. Cocking his head to the side, he watched as Gordon started the machine up, getting a feel for the controls before bringing the cable up. The alien looked behind him as Batman approached, all three watching as the crane lifted a large, tightly-meshed net into view.

"Time to go fishing," the commissioner said, smirking, looking at Shriek. The alien stared back at him before baring his teeth in a grin.

I I I

Joker leaned back against the side of the tank as the girls swam around him, feeling a tad lazy now that they were safe for the moment. The past few days had finally caught up to Joker, making him realize just how exhausted he really was. Normally, the clown could go for days, hyped up and wide awake. But after what Arkham and Crane had put him through, he needed to just rest and recover his strength. His body still ached time to time from the chemical therapy.

They think they're so smart, using me as a guinea pig. Just wait until they get their comeuppance. They'll wish they'd never touched me.

It's been a few days though… Shouldn't be still be hurting, yet you are. Whatever they did, it's not good. Not for you, not for the girls…

He glanced up idly as Yvonne floated overhead, watching as her friend kicked at her playfully, knocking them apart. A frown tugged at his lips as he peered up at them.

You really should just abandon them, one voice murmered. They're so happy now, but when you're in danger, so are they.

Should've just killed them when you had the chance.

The girls bring me joy and happiness. That's all that matters.

You fucked up big time, the other voice hissed. Batsy said he'd take the girls away from you…and he meant it. Now look what will happen. If he catches you, it's over.

He won't take them away from me. I'd never allow it. He'll have to pry them from my cold, dead hands.

And yet…

"Joker! Hey, Joker, look!"

Joker brought himself out of his thoughts in time to see both girls hanging upside down in front of him, giggling madly. He stared at them before grinning, launching himself off the metal and barreling into them. The girls squealed and laughed as they bounced apart, quickly swimming after him as he took off in a wild spin around the tank.

A rumble suddenly reverberated throughout the tank, making the threesome pause. The sound rattled the metal, sending small waves rippling through and pushing Joker and the girls side to side.

"What is that?" Chels asked, looking around. Her friend looked at her, then at the clown, confused.

Joker listened a long moment, frowning, then looked at them. "Not sure. I don't think they found the control panel. If they did, they would've emptied the tank out already and we'd be sitting ducks."

The girls looked at him, then at each other. Around them, the metal continued to hum, the sound making their ears throb.

I dunno what that noise is, but it's giving me a headache, Vonny growled, covering her ears.

The weird thing is, it doesn't sound like it's getting any louder, her friend replied, spinning around a little. It almost sounds like machinery running.

Listening hard, Joker glanced up towards the surface, staring as the light shining down into the chemicals dimmed. He narrowed his eyes in thought, letting himself sink to the tank floor.

"Joker, what is that?" Vonny asked. He could hear a note of nervousness in her voice.

"Something not good," he growled, watching as the light in the tank quickly darkened. He could barely see the girls swimming around him now. "They're up to something."

"Did they kill the lights?" Chels hovered near his right shoulder, peering up towards the surface.

"Maybe. I'd say they cut the power and left, but I don't believe it for a second. They're doing something up there."

The chemicals around them abruptly started to swirl, knocking the three away from each other. The current tugged at them slowly, but rapidly grew into a swirling vortex of green.

"JOKER!" the girls screamed, kicking madly as the current pulled them around.

Joker was swept past them, straining mightily to fight the current. He passed by the bottom drainage pipe, noticing it was open, and his eyes widened.

Oh God, they found the control panel. They're emptying the tank out!

Yvonne let out a yelp as she bumped into her friend, clinging to her. Both girls were being carried around in dizzying circles, the current sucking them towards the bottom of the tank.

What the hell is going on! she screamed. Chels' only reply was a whimper of fear.

Within a minute, the current started slowing down and Joker righted himself as he was swept past the girls again. They clung to each other, eyes wide in fright. As he passed by the drainage pipe again, he could see that the pipe was closed off. Above them, the sound of something heavy thudded throughout the chemicals and everything went black. He could hear the girls screaming from somewhere behind him and he turned, trying to see them through the murk.

"Girls!" he called, pushing himself towards the side of the tank. Voices carried on to his right and he kicked hard, floating off in that direction. He was met with a wall of mesh and he yelped, flipping and kicking away.

"Joker!" the girls' voices shouted near him.

The clown panicked, running into another wall of mesh and he turned, trying to find a way out of the net.

I I I

Shriek stared down into the chemicals as the surface frothed, bubbles popping madly. He chattered quietly to himself, watching, then looked up towards Gordon.

The commissioner was leaning out the side of the crane, hand on the lever. After Batman had found the control panel, they'd decided to drain the tank halfway to shake Joker and the girls up, then drop the net in to try to capture them. All they could do was hope it'd work.

Batman stood in front of the railing, watching, then motioned his hand up.

"Bring the net up," he called, keeping an eye on the foaming surface.

A second later, the crane hummed loudly, the cable beginning its ascent from the tank. All three watched as the net slowly rose from the tank, chemicals pouring off and through the mesh. Every so often the net would jerk from within.

Gordon watched as the crane brought the cable to a halt, then shut the power off, leaning outside the crane door.

"Did we get them?"

Studying the movements inside the net, the vigilante glanced over towards him. "We certainly got someone."

Shriek lashed his tail, grumbling quietly, then moved closer, looking at the net. He watched as a bulge appeared higher up, quickly following by a hissed "shit", and the indentation disappeared.

""I think we actually got them," Gordon said quietly, keeping his eyes on the net. "I don't think touching the net is a good idea though. It's soaked in those chemicals."

The side of the net bulged again and Batman narrowed his eyes. If they had in fact caught Joker, they would have to move fast to apprehend him. Even if they caught the girls, they would have to bring them down fast; their forms had proven too dangerous.

"Shriek?" The vigilante turned to the alien. "Do you mind searching around to see if Joker has a hose lying anywhere?"

The alien chattered at him before standing up, lashing his tail before skittering off.

Batman looked at the net once more, watching as the net rattled and swayed. Whoever they'd caught was not happy.

"Let me out!" came the deep-throated cry.

"Batsy, you're dead when we get out!" one of the girls screamed.

"Don't sound happy, do they?" The commissioner hopped to the floor, making his way over to the vigilante. "At least we caught them."

"Something's not right about this," Batman said, glancing at the other man. "Joker never leaves an easy trail to follow."

Gordon crossed his arms, peering up at the net, then sighed. "I'm guessing we're putting our little plan into action?"

"It's worth a try."

"Think it'll work?"

The two men were interrupted as Shriek raced back to them, carefully holding a large rubber hose in his mouth. Gordon took the nozzle from him as the alien raced back to the wall, pulling down on the water lever with his teeth.

Icy-cold water splashed hard into the net, seeping into the meshing. Inside, the girls let out twin gasps of shock at the coldness, trapped underneath Joker as he attempted to pull himself up again. His fingers frantically tried to pry the metal apart, trying to create a hole for them to escape through.

No, NO, I won't go back! Not back to that hellhole!

They'll hurt us again… the first voice moaned, fearful. They'll put us through that again. Or worse, the girls!

I won't fucking let them! Joker snarled, desperately trying to find a way out. They'll have to go through me first!

"Joker…" he heard a whimper below him and stopped. Twisting his head to look down between his legs at the girls, he could see them, their eyes wide and scared. "We can't go back."

"They'll hurt us…" Yvonne whined, clinging to his leg. "You can't let them take us back!"

Ignoring the icy water spraying them, he shifted his weight so that he wasn't entirely on the girls anymore. He allowed himself to slip down along the side of the net, settling down alongside the girls. They curled up close to him, clinging tightly as he wrapped his arms around them.

"I won't let them take you. They'll have to kill me before they get to you."

The girls screamed as the net suddenly jerked hard, making them swing, clinging all the tighter to their clown. He clung to them, listening hard. He could hear faint voices even as he felt that they were moving.

I have one chance at this… If it fails, we're all fucked.

Better hope it works then.

Shut up, you… I don't have time for your smartass comments.

If they take the girls, it'll be all your fault.

SHUT UP!

Joker felt the railing hit the small of his back and the girls cringed, feeling the impact throughout his body. He lifted his head as the net settled onto solid ground and he sat perfectly still, listening.

"—think we got all three of them," he heard a voice say.

"Just be ready. Shriek? Stand guard." A low growl followed.

Quickly bending his neck down, the clown squeezed both girls on the arm.

"We have one chance at this, girls. The moment they open that net, you RUN. And I mean, run like hell. Split up, get the hell out of here, we'll meet up at the abandoned school on Elm Street."

The girls peered up at him with frightened faces.

"What if we don't make it, Joker? We can't go back!" Yvonne whispered, clinging to him.

He glanced towards the top of the net, then back at them, frowning. "One way or another, we will. Just run and don't look back. I'll be right behind you."

Joker…they're opening it! he heard Chels shout in his mind.

All three craned their necks up as the mesh around them started moving before completely dropping away. The moment they had enough room, all hell broke loose.

"RUN!" Vonny screamed, taking off through the hallway, Chels right behind her. They tore into the main room of the warehouse, sprinting for the door before they realized Joker wasn't behind them.

"Oh, fuck!"

"Where is he?!"

The girls slid to a stop next to a broken tv, peering back the way they came. They could hear shouting from the next room over, followed by a loud, metallic crash.

Oh, God. What was that? Vonny panted, trying to catch her breath.

Sounded big, whatever it was. Where's Joker? He said he'd be right behind us!

Joker scrambled up the chain, clinging to it for dear life as he pulled his feet up and away from the snapping jaws right below him. Taking a peek down at Shriek, he threw himself to another chain loop, catching it and swinging across to a small shelf, feeling the old wood wobble dangerously under his feet. The alien snarled at him from the chain, whipping his tail back and forth. Below him, Batman and Gordon watched, ready to try to pen him in the moment he dropped to the floor.

As soon as the net had opened, Joker had been right behind the girls…until the stupid bug had tripped him up with his tail, and he almost took a tumble down into the chemicals below. After that, he'd been playing cat-and-mouse with the alien, leaping onto whatever he could find.

Turning now, Joker glanced at the alien before peering down at the two below him, judging distance. He could make a desperate leap back into the tank, but it was now too far away.

Not to mention they'd fish me out just as easily once they drained the tank the whole way.

Thinking quickly, Joker saw his opening the moment the commissioner shifted his weight. He pounced, coming down hard on the man's shoulders and leaping off, racing through the hallway. Behind him, he could hear Shriek's claws clacking on the cement as he gave chase.

"JOKER!" His head snapped up at the cry, spotting the girls ahead of him. Panic seized him by the heart.

"NO! When I tell you to run, you RUN!"

Immediately, the girls took off ahead of him, all three charging for the exit door. Behind them, Joker was suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion and he stumbled, vision starting to blur. He lagged behind the girls as they ran, trying to keep up.

Shit… Not now!

The clown let out a sharp yelp as a cord wrapped around his ankle and was yanked back hard, throwing him flat on his belly. He cracked his jaw off the cement floor, wincing as his teeth nipped the front of his tongue, drawing blood. Before he could get up, he was pushed back down by a heavy weight on his back and he could feel claws digging in.

As they reached the door, Chels glanced back to make sure Joker was behind them, gasping when she saw him down.

"Joker!"

Yvonne whirled, her hand on the door handle, eyes widening when she saw their teacher.

"No!"

Shriek growled down at the harlequin as he dug his claws into his back, making sure Joker wasn't going anywhere. He lashed his tail, peering over his shoulder as Batman and the commissioner caught up to them. Beneath his claws, Joker squirmed, desperately trying to get free.

"Good work, Shriek," Gordon panted, catching his breath.

Joker struggled to throw the alien off his back, but he knew it was pointless now. Even if Shriek got off him, he doubted he'd even make it a few feet before collapsing. His body felt incredibly weak and tired. Panting heavily, he grew still, putting his cheek on the cold floor. At first he hadn't noticed it with all the excitement going on, but now he realized just how feverish he felt.

Studying the clown carefully, Batman glanced up to see where the girls had gone. They'd disappeared from the door.

"Alright, Shriek, let him up," he said, slipping a pair of batcuffs from his utility belt.

The alien turned his head in his direction before cautiously moving off of Joker's back. The vigilante seized Joker's arm before he could take off, snapping one of the cuffs tightly around his wrist. He yanked the harlequin to his feet, looping the other cuff around a thick pipe before snapping it around Joker's other wrist. He felt a warning bell go off in his head as Joker allowed him to do so, not resisting. He stepped back, watching the clown. Joker was looking at him, but didn't seem to be focused on him. He appeared to be looking right through him.

Something is seriously wrong here.

Breathing hard, Joker blinked to clear his vision, feeling his legs shake. He leaned back against the pipe to keep his balance, glaring hard at the three of them.

I just hope I gave the girls a head start. I won't let them take them back, I WON'T!

"Get away from him, Batsy!"

All four heads snapped up towards the top of a stack of crates. The girls crouched on top of the old wood, glaring hard down at them. Chels leapt nimbly from crate to crate down to the floor as Vonny touched down, straightening up and pulling her razor cards out.

"Let. Him. Go."

Joker stared in horror at the girls, mouth agape. He'd thought they'd gotten out of the building, not come back for him!

"I TOLD YOU TO RUN!" he roared, throwing himself forward. He was stopped only by the chain on the batcuffs, effectively holding him in place.

We're not letting them take you back… he heard Chels' voice in his mind.

"No!" he screamed, glaring at them. "When I say to run, I mean run, dammit!"

The girls paused, confused at his rage, keeping their distance from the vigilante. They stared at him, eyes watering.

They can't have you… Vonny whispered. They might kill you.

Batman kept his eyes on the girls before turning to look at Joker. Whatever the girls were directing at him, it was only pissing the clown off more. He studied Joker carefully, deep in thought. Time to put their little idea into action…

"Joker," he said, moving closer. The harlequin paused, glaring death at him. "Time for you and your little friends to go back to the asylum. For good."

"NO!" Joker raged, throwing himself at his enemy.

"We're not going back!" Vonny howled, charging them.

Both girls raced for them, ready to leap into their forms. They might've done so—if Joker hadn't suddenly kicked up and wrapped his legs around both of them, stopping them in their tracks. They let out yelps of surprise, looking back at their teacher.

Gordon quickly stepped back, unsure of what was going on. He frowned, watching the threesome. Something was very wrong here. They needed to find out what was going on before they took any further action. Shriek crouched beside him, cautious.

"You can't have them, Batsy," Joker panted, keeping his legs around the girls. They growled low at the Batman, but didn't move. He glanced at the girls before turning his attention to his enemy. "You can have me, but not them."

A few seconds of silence passed as Gordon and Batman stared at the clown in shock. They'd been expecting a fight from the clown, not…this.

WHAT?! both girls screamed, looking back at him with wide eyes.

Keeping his legs tight around the girls, Joker swallowed hard, barely able to believe his own words. He avoided looking directly at his daughters.

"You can take me back to Arkham, but don't take the girls."

Batman swiftly moved closer to the clown, emitting low growls from the girls, and they jerked against Joker's grip as they took a step forward.

"We warned you you'd never ever be able to see them again, Joker. They'll be sent out of state to get the right help."

Joker's eyes narrowed and he felt anger growing in his chest.

"You know what? Fine." He released his grip on the girls and kicked them hard in their backs, throwing them forward. "Take the little bitches, they've outgrown their usefulness. They failed today."

Chels and Vonny sat up from the floor, staring at Joker in mute shock. He'd called them bitches… He'd said they'd failed him.

"Joker…" Vonny whimpered, eyes watering. "We…we didn't mean to let you get caught."

"It's gotta be a joke," Chels choked out, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Tell us you're just joking."

The clown glared at them hatefully before turning his head away.

Commissioner Gordon watched this all quietly, looking from Joker to the girls and back. For some reason, he didn't quite believe what Joker was saying. For months, Joker had refused to let the girls be taken from him…now he was readily giving them up.

Chattering softly, Shriek started for Vonny to curl up next to her, but backed off as she gave him a vicious glare. He halted and sat down, head low.

Giving Joker a hard look, Batman spun and grabbed both girls by the arms. They let out protesting yells as he pulled them away from the clown, moving into one of the hallways. The girls kicked and screamed as they were hauled along, but quieted when they realized he wasn't taking them outside.

Gordon watched them go, then turned his attention back to the clown. Joker was peering back at him with an eerie smirk. He slipped his gun out of its holster as a precaution. The clown glared back at him before a demented grin lit up his face.

Twisting the girls around so that they were facing him, Batman forced them to sit down on a dusty, rotting bench. They glared back at him, tensed up in fury.

"What gives?" they snarled.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Yvonne snorted, crossing her arms.

"I know something's going on. You might as well tell me."

Chels gave him a sideways glance before shrugging her shoulders. Vonny stuck her tongue out at him.

"Listen to me, girls. I know we're not on the best terms, but you need to tell me what's going on. This could involve all three of you. I'm just trying to help."

Instead of answering him, the girls merely peered up at him quietly. He could read the distrust all over their faces, and he sighed.

"Look, if there's something going on, you need to tell me. We have our suspicions about Arkham, but in order to know for sure, you need to tell me."

Vonny glanced at him, then at her friend, eyes watering. Chels stared at her feet, trying to hold back tears.

should we tell him?

Maybe… They're gonna send us back either way. We can't let them hurt Joker again. He was in a lot of pain.

If we tell him, maybe he can stop it or something.

But Batsy doesn't have any control over Arkham. They do what they want there…

Still…

Rubbing her sleeve over her eyes to wipe away the tears, Chels sniffled before looking up at the Dark Knight. He peered back at them, silent.

"We…we think something bad is happening. The doctors…did something to him," she whispered, tears falling at the memory.

"What did they do?" he asked softly.

Yvonne bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, but she couldn't stop the tears falling at the memory. She pulled her knees up, her chest hitching.

"We're not sure. A few days ago, Joker had a therapy session with one of the doctors. They put us in the rec room to wait. When we got back, he was…he was…" Vonny stared at the floor, then buried her face in her hands.

Batman watched them, quiet, deep in thought. Things at Arkham had always been iffy, in his view; he'd heard of patients who'd suffered worse afflictions once they'd been put in the asylum. Some of the doctors and staff there appeared secretive and indifferent to their patients as well.

"What was wrong with Joker?"

Chels sniffled, looking up at him, tears falling. She wrapped her sleeves around herself for comfort.

"Joker was… It looked like he'd been put through hell…"

Yvonne nodded, crying softly. "He was just lying there on the floor, like he was dead. He wasn't moving and he kept making these little whimpering noises, like he was in pain."

"But…the breakout was worse," Chels said, curling up into a ball. "Whatever they did to him hurt him really bad. He just kinda dropped and went into a seizure or something… He had no control whatsoever."

The Dark Knight peered down at them, deep in thought. If Arkham was, in fact, treating its patients this way, the building would have to be investigated. Arkham Asylum was supposed to be a place where patients could receive help for whatever problems they had. If Arkham was corrupt, something would have to be done.

"BATMAN!"

All three heads turned towards the doorway and they took off for the cry. The girls raced past Batman, speeding into the room, eyes wide. He quickly followed them, stopping when they came upon Gordon.

"He just…collapsed…" Gordon said quietly, his voice holding a note of apprehension.

Standing near Joker, the girls stared in horror, tears falling as they watched. The clown was on the floor, twitching and jerking violently, the seizure overwhelming him. His eyes were wide and blank, his body jerking madly as the fit ran its course. Every so often his arms would twitch hard, straining against the batcuffs holding him to the pipe.

"Joker…" Vonny whispered, creeping closer. She growled as a hand pulled her back, turning to glare up at the Dark Knight.

Batman watched the clown as he took a step closer, thinking quickly. They had one shot at the plan they'd made; now it was all up to the girls' cooperation.

Moving close to the clown, staying away from his jerking limbs, he slipped a needle from his belt, injecting it into Joker's arm. Pressing the plunger hard, he injected the tranquilizer into Joker's body. He froze as those blood-red eyes suddenly snapped to his face, focusing on him clearly. Batman didn't move, watching different emotions swirl in the crazed clown's eyes. Hatred burned deep, but the vigilante could've sworn he saw a glimmer of fear as well.

"Is he going to be alright?" Gordon's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he stood up.

The girls kept their eyes on the clown, watching as Joker's convulsions slowly passed. Their distrust was back again in full force as the clown let out a sigh, closing his eyes.

"I gave him a tranquilizer," he said quietly, casting the girls a look before turning his attention to Gordon and Shriek. "It should stabilize him for the moment." Quiet a moment, he turned to look at the girls fully; they glared back at him, staying near Joker. "You're not going back to Arkham."

"And why should we believe you," Yvonne snarled, hunkering down over Joker.

"All you do is throw us back in the loonybin," Chels growled at him. "We have no reason to believe you won't do it again."

Shriek chattered quietly as he sat next to the commissioner, watching Batman and the girls. He lashed his tail once. Gordon glanced down at him before over at the three. If the girls didn't cooperate, they would have to use force to move them.

Clenching his fists, Batman gave the girls a steely glare. They wouldn't have much time before the tranquilizer started to wear off on Joker.

"Did I not help you two before when Joker was in trouble? Crane had him under his control, and out of everyone else, you came to me for help." The girls stared back at him like they'd been smacked. "I helped you because it was the right thing to do. We won't be taking you back to the asylum this time. You'll be going to a safe-house."

The girls stared back at him suspiciously before glancing at each other. They remained crouched near Joker, not daring to leave his side. Chels looked down at him, frowning.

We don't really have a choice this time. We either believe him or we don't, but we can't know for sure if he's telling the truth.

Her friend looked at her. I know. This just really sucks. I mean, he did help us out when Crane had him, but he couldn't do much then. But now he's saying he's gonna take us somewhere safe. Why? They can't stop what Arkham's doing.

he did come to help us though. They might be enemies, but Batsy came to help Joker when we asked. Chels looked at Vonny, eyes watery. I think this our best shot right now. We can't go back. They might kill him this time…or hurt us. We're not like him, we wouldn't be able to take the pain.

Vonny was quiet a long time before she looked down at Joker. He was still out cold, no longer caught in the violent spasms of the seizure. I hope Batsy's telling the truth. Joker can't take much more of this.

Sighing, the girls peered up at the Dark Knight, still very unsure. He looked back at them, silent, the steely look in his eyes gone.

"Okay…" Chels said quietly, looking up at him. "We're not happy about it, but fine. We'll go along."

"Where is this place, anyway?" Vonny eyed him cautiously. "You keep saying you're taking us somewhere safe. Where, exactly?"

"I said you're not going back to Arkham. What more do you want?"

"Hospitals aren't exactly good either."

"It's not a hospital."

"Then how can you help him?"

"You'll be away from the asylum."

"Batsy…you're making less sense than he does," Chels said, lost, pointing at Joker.

The vigilante gave them a hard look, motioning to the clown. "We're wasting precious time when we could be doing something about this."

"Alright, fine," the girls pouted, giving him a look back.

Standing away from them, Commissioner Gordon let out a long sigh, relieved. Shriek relaxed beside him. Gordon had been worried that the girls would put up a fight once the vigilante had knocked Joker out for the moment. But there was no telling how long that would last. They would have to move fast in order to get the clown and the girls to safety.

Sighing, Batman took a step away from the girls, glancing down at the clown; Joker twitched every so often, stirring slightly. He turned to look at the girls.

"Alright, then. Let's go to the safest place in Gotham City."

Chels and Vonny stared at him before glancing at each other, suddenly nervous. What had they just gotten themselves and Joker into?