Author's Note: Hello...to all the friends following this story. Thanks for your support. Another Chapter is brought to you for your entertainment so please enjoy and feel free to let me know how you like it.
Disclaimer 1: Batman and all related characters belong to DC COMICS
Disclaimer 2: Some chapters will include MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS. Reader's discretion is adviced
CHAPTER 36: THE DELIVERY
Batman was becoming impatient. The Joker's crew had been inside the building for almost twenty minutes and nothing had happened. What was going on inside that warehouse? He checked his infrared scopes without even getting a signal. He also got a report from Green Arrow and Flash that the coast was clear…literally; nobody had entered or left the warehouse through any of the known entrances. Batman requested a second report five minutes after that…with the same results. It had taken too long. He heard a commotion towards the southern end of the pier and saw the police at the edge of the perimeter piling over to look at the water.
"There is a boat leaving the pier," said Nightwing pointing the binoculars in the direction of the commotion. "It's too far away but I can see a whole bunch of people in leather jackets in the boat and one of them is wearing a purple suit, green hair, white clown face…that has to be Joker. He's waving at the cops."
"Joker…I knew he was around, but apparently he also decided to join the show."
"And the Clown just mooned the cops…" said Nightwing not able to hide his surprise through his scope. "Whoa! That's what I call a white ass…"
"Joker has to make a comedy of everything he does. This is the end of his show. Clark..?"
"We see them…preparing to intercept."
"The League can take care of the Joker and the Leopards. Dick, follow me to the warehouse. We need to find out any leads left by Joker on the Commissioner's whereabouts."
"But the building could be booby-trapped, besides, we can ask Joker personally in a moment."
"It probably is, but Joker would probably have left a trace as to where he's keeping Gordon. We need to find that hint and act on it fast; because getting the information from Joker is going to be a nightmare. I want the Commissioner alive and I can't wait until the Clown decides to talk. I don't know what other surprises Joker left behind…so just be careful." Batman fired his bat-grappler and swung down to the ground level and Nightwing followed closer. Around the warehouse, cops started to gather, and leading them was Lieutenant Bullock.
"Did you see that? The nerve of that clown…we had to let them go, though. You understand?"
"Yes I do, but don't worry detective, that Clown's trip is going to be a short one." said Batman solemnly. "We need to get in the warehouse."
"The bomb squad will be here any minute."
"There could be time sensitive evidence inside, we can't wait." Batman said focused as he walked to the warehouse's entrance.
"But…," Bullock tried to speak when both Batman and Nightwing started to walk towards the building
"Just keep your men away from the building until the bomb squad clears it." Batman said loudly as he and Nightwing walked over to the main doors and pushed them slightly to open them. They slowly slipped through and scanned the area with their sensors. Like before, the sensors didn't show any heat or living signals in the vicinity. The warehouse was empty and Batman wanted to know how did Joker escaped surveillance to reach the boat in the pier and escape with the Leopards?
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
That would be our cue, ready?" Superman said ascending slowly to the air.
Wonder woman nodded and followed him in flight. "Joker is not going to know what hit him."
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
In the boat, the Leopards were laughing loud and congratulating each other on a successful mission when they saw two figures approaching them from the air. A third figure was moving at very high speed, like red lighting, over the water heading towards them as well. One of the leopards tapped the Clown leader on the shoulder.
"Boss, we have a problem…actually three problems coming our way."
The Clown in the purple tuxedo turned around to see the trio of superheroes. He smiled maliciously as he fumbled on the inner pockets of his jacket.
"I can't believe they are trying to intercept us…don't they know we still have Gordon? Fools. The show's not over, boys…it's time for act two." The Clown produced from his jacket two small black boxes with nine smaller red buttons on top of each, and aimed them at the flying heroes. He pressed the first three buttons of each box and there were six loud explosions at the base of the Gotham Bridge. Two more explosions followed those while the Clown smiled maliciously at the two upcoming heroes who had stopped in mid air to watch the bridge.
The two main support pillars of the hanging bridge started to produce a dark grey smoke that started to drift towards the Docks. On top of the bridge, panic had grasped the bystanders and the people that had accumulated to watch the operative at the Docks, were now screaming and running crazily all over the place, while the normal traffic was trying to do their best to avoid hitting them.
The Clown noted that Wonder Woman and the Man of Steel where still hovering over the water but drifting closer. He pressed three more buttons on the controls and six cables from the bridge blew up, and disconnected from the suspended structure. The bridge started swaying dangerously at the middle section of the structure
"Great Hera, does he know what he's doing?" Wonder woman said horrified.
"Yes, he does. He's making us choose between them and the people on the bridge." The Man of Steel said frowning angrily. "And he knows which one we're going to choose…Diana, see what you can do to stabilize the structure. Flash, run over and try to save as much people out as you can."
"What about you?" Diana asked hovering away in the direction of the bridge.
"I'll be right behind you, but I'm finishing this first …" Superman said solemnly staring at the Clown on the boat, who was now dancing mockingly at him. As Wonder Woman flew away, and the Flash passed the by the boat like a red bullet towards the bridge, the Man of Steel flew a few feet closer to the boat and narrowed his eyes focusing on the purple figure. The Clown let out a growl as he started to feel both controls getting warm in his hands. "This has gone too far, Joker."
"Oh, no, no. I'm only beginning, Super Asshole!" The Clown said pressing the remainder of buttons on the controls. More steel cables exploded and detached from the structure making the bridge swayed even more. Superman focused harder and the floor of the boat started to melt, quickly making water. The Leopards on board started cussing, and in a united effort, tried to scoop water out of the boat as fast as they could. The Clown flung the controls at the Man of Steel who caught them in midair, crushed them in his hands and tossed them into the water.
"I'll be dealing with you later Joker, in the meantime…have a good swim. The Coast Guard will meet with you in a moment." Superman said flying like a speeding bullet towards the bridge. The Clown riposted lifting both hands high in the air and pulling both middle fingers towards the Kryptonian as he flew away. The water was already reaching the clown's ankles as the boat began to sink.
"What are we going to do now, Boss?" One of the Leopards cried nervously making a pause in what looked like a lost cause in trying to save the boat.
"Grr…I REALLY hate that man," the Clown growled stomping on the boat that shook violently and started to cant slowly to the right.
"Don't do that, Boss. Please!!" The Leopards pleaded nervously at unison. The water kept getting higher and the boat was now almost leveled with the water.
"Time for act three…I hope…" said the Clown climbing on top of the boat's edge. "…and here's out taxi… like promised."
From the boat's stern the Leopards and its Clown leader saw a small metal rod emerging from the water. The metal rod was followed by a dark wet platform. The Clown was the first to jump from the sinking boat and onto the platform, where a small hatch opened revealing Garibaldi's smiling spectacled face.
"Am I too late?" Blip said exiting out through the hatch to stand on the platform, holding the door open. "Sorry, but you know how difficult it is to drive one of these things?'
"Shut the fuck up and take us out of here, four eyes. BOYS!!!" The Clown yelled to the crew still on the boat that was now almost completely underwater now. The Jester waved agitatedly towards the mini submersible. "LET'S GO!!"
Garibaldi glared at the Clown and soughed. "Go down and all the way to the end of the corridor… this thing is not designed to carry this much people."
"But you'll make this work, right? I don't want to drown…"
Blip nodded. "Don't worry, your Highness. It's safe. Just do as I say and everything is going to be just fine."
The Clown entered first through the hatch and disappeared inside what was now obviously recognizable as a small submersible. The rest of the crew jumped off the sunken vessel and onto the sub's platform and followed the Clown into the submarine. Once all the crew members where inside, Blip stepped inside, an noticed two coast guard boats heading his way at full speed. He waved an effusive hand at the upcoming officers, sank into the submersible and closed the hatch behind him. The submarine quickly disappeared underneath the water as the Coast Guard boats started arriving to the site of the sinking boat.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
In the meantime, the situation on the bridge had become critical. The main support of the bridge have been weakened by the explosions on the pillars but the detachment of the main support cables of the structure made the bridge to swing backwards and forwards along its long axis, at the mercy of the shifting weights on top of the bridge.
Flash was moving as fast as he could though the middle lane, trying to get people out of harms way from the traffic and the dangerous motions of the structure, and that was obviously taking a toll in the man behind the red mask for he had to stop momentarily to catch his breath. More people on their terror had walked over the bridge's edge and threw themselves into the frigid waters of the Gotham River. That was suicide during this time of the year, when the waters temperature hardly reached temperatures above freezing. Flash was able to save a lot of people, but he was just one man and the numbers of victims was starting to become just overwhelming, most of them wandering aimlessly along the lanes, and he could only do so much by himself. He was reaching exhaustion.
Wonder Woman had tried to help stabilize the structural support of the bridge, but she couldn't do it alone. While she could help, pushing against the large structure under one of the large supporting pillars, there was another unstable pillar that will counteract all her efforts. On top of that, the pillars were useless elements if she couldn't reattach the uncoupled cables to the structure. In summary, she will need Superman's help if she was to save the bridge from collapse. In the meantime, she decided to direct her efforts to other more efficient goals and started trying to get people off the bridge two at a time as fast as she could, but she lacked the stamina or the speed of the Man of Steel, and her strength has started to dwindle.
She felt a slight tremor on the surface of the bridge and she thought that the whole structure had started falling down when in the sky above, against the shining Gothamite sun, she saw the large, muscular figure of Superman holding in his powerful hands some of the steel cables from the bridge. Diana soughed deeply in relief and flew towards the caped Kryptonian who by now had disappeared at the edge of the bridge
"Anything I can do to help?"
"The Police and the Fire Department are sending effectives as we speak and I just called the Justice League reserve and they will be here anytime to continue helping with the victims." The Man of Steel made a pause as he rearranged the steel cables in his hands that had started to slip. "In the meantime, can you hold these while I try to reattach them to the bridge? I have only two hands and one pair of eyes…"
"What did you do to Joker and his men?" Diana said extending her hands to grab a few of the steel cables in her hands, they were heavy.
"I had to stop them from going away, so used my heat vision to make a hole on the boat. The Coast Guard should be picking them up right now. Keep the tension on the cables, Diana, please."
Superman kept two of the steel cables and moved slowly to the edge of the bridge pulling one of the cables forcefully against the floor bringing the steel cable in contact with the coupling element on the floor. The force exerted by the Man of Steel was tremendous; Diana could feel the bridge fighting against his pull. Superman focused his eyes on the coupling and the metal started to melt under his stare. It was magnificent to see the Kryptonian's heat vision in action, welding the steel elements together to hold the bridge in one piece.
"There has to be a faster way… there's like ten of these cables that need to be reattached."
"I understand…but until…reinforcement…arrives..." Superman was using his heat vision at its maximum power and that was requiring a lot of effort. "…well have…to do…what we can." The Man of Steel finished welding the second steel cable. "Hope that holds long enough, next cable please…"
Diana handed another cable to Superman as she pulled on the rest of them in her hand when she noted that the bridge had stopped moving, and in fact it looked very stable now. The Man of Steel started to weld the next cable when Wonder Woman looked around and noted a green glowing pillar situated in the middle of the suspended span of the bridge.
"Clark, I think that reinforcements are here already…Green lantern must be supporting the bridge."
Superman stopped what he was doing to look at the Amazon Princess. "John is in the Middle East, Diana. He's halfway around the world… I don't think he would have made it that fast."
"Well, look for yourself…" Wonder Woman motioned to the green pillar. Superman looked at the strange structure with disbelief. He flew higher over the bridge to see the origin of the green pillar when he saw a Caucasian man in Green lantern uniform on the other side of the structure wielding the Green Lantern ring towards the bridge. From the effort that the man was putting on creating the artificial support, Superman could see that the man was sweating. He only knew of a man with enough will power to generate the so much needed support for the whole structure.
"Hal?" Superman said loudly. Then Green Lantern looked momentarily at the Kryptonian and forced a smile at the same time he waved his other hand. He quickly concentrated back into his ring.
"I can't believe it," said the Amazon Princess now floating in the air by the Man of Steel. "I thought Hal was in Oa setting the Green Lantern Corps."
"Aparently not, and I'm glad. Come on Diana; let's finish reattaching these cables before our luck runs out." Superman and Diana went back down to the side metal brackets and continue with their labor.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
She had been working on the manhole's lock now close to ten minutes. This was a complicated lock to which she had no combination. Joker's security had really tightened up since she had previously remembered, and she needed to open this latch soon before Elliott and that nasty Lee came searching for them. She took a moment to look down the stairs where she was standing while working on the lid's lock to see Commissioner Gordon, sitting on the floor leaning against the curved wall of the tunnel in an effort to avoid putting any pressure on the injured leg. He had his arms folded on his chest and he looked cold and sweaty. She noticed he had a chill.
"You OK down there, Gordy?" She said returning to his manipulations of the electronic lock. Gordon didn't answer, and Harley looked back down. "Commissioner?"
"I…I'm OK-K." The police officer answered softly without looking at her. He had another chill.
"We'll be out of here in no time…I promise." She said trying to keep up with the conversation. The Commissioner remained silent.
"It's OK. It's j-just…that it's v-very c-cold in here." Gordon said as he started to shiver. The truth was not only that his body felt all a sudden very cold, like an iceberg, but that Harley's attitude had him still confused. Her words made no sense at the same time there were obviously rational. She always defended the Clown, justify his actions, but what was she gaining from saving him from Joker, when he knew that the moment Joker found out she had helped him escape, the Clown was going to lash his frustration on her.
Harley, on the other hand, had not really noticed the coldness of the tunnels since she was wearing the thick lined Leopard jacket, but the air was a little nippy. She slid down from the stairs and walked towards the old man. Gordon's grey eyes were very red and swollen and there were pearls of sweat covering his forehead. She ran hand to his head, and the Commissioner reacted by instinct brushing her hand off and pushing himself away. Harley held his hand in hers…He was indeed very cold. She touched his forehead again against Gordon's protests, and in contrast he felt very warm. Gordon had started to shatter his teeth.
"Don't t-t-touch me…p-please. It hurts." Gordon pushed her away.
"Commissioner…I think you are running a fever." She said removing the Leopard jacket and wrapping him on it. "Here…put this on and stay calm…I will take you out of here and get you to a hospital."
"I...I still d-don't understand…why d-do you worry about me?" Gordon said with a puzzled look on his face.
"I told you…this shouldn't have happened." Harley went up the stairs and continued working on the lock. "My puddin' is sick…not acting sensibly."
"Joker is insane, Harley. When are you going to understand that?" Gordon accommodated the Leopard jacket tightly around him. He felt something hard against his chest and with his hand he pulled a black and battered notebook from the inner pocket. He started sifting through the pages, but seeing, as well as reading anything in the dim light of the tunnel of the tunnel was close to impossible, especially without his glasses. "He doesn't c-care for anybody, or anything…not even y-you, and when he finds out you helped me out…y-you are going to be his next t-target."
"He can't harm me more than he has in the past." Harley said sadly, her words trembling under her voice. "But, he needs me still."
"Harley, he d-doesn't love y-you."
She remained silent for a moment while she turned a lever in the internal mechanism of the lock. She then let out a sigh that sounded more like a defeated statement. She opened her mouth for a moment without uttering sound for a moment, and finally, she spoke. "I know…"
"You know?" Gordon said trying to find a place with enough light to illuminate the notebook. Once he found a place he brought the pages very close to his eyes. "Then why do you keep coming back to him?"
Harley sighed. "I thought I could change him…but he doesn't want to change…He likes to be the way he is, and likes what he does."
"We have told you that more than once…you never wanted to listen."
"I got closer than any of you did, Gordy. I was literally in his mind, and once in there, it's like a drug. You want more of that freedom … the chaos that relieves you from the burden of daily order. The interminable joy. His laughter. It was contagious…like influenza. Then in one of the sessions, I saw his heart…for a brief moment I had a glance of what Joker really is. Thought I could reach that cold heart again…and warm it up."
"His joys come from murdering people, Harley. He loves to abuse people, make them suffer."
Harley with great effort pressed a button on the lock. "Gordon, your people has never understood him. Everything he had ever loved is dead…his mother, his wife, his son…his life after his scarring. He was not too stable to begin with, but losing everything finally devastated him. He thought that feeling was a worthless effort, because every time he allowed himself to feel, it only brought pain. So he stopped feeling."
"Harley you can't stop feeling."
"You don't understand human behavior like I do, Gordy. You can shun all feelings from your existence, and when you do, you will end up feeling apathy for the world. People around you lose their value, become lifeless puppets. Life itself becomes worthless. The only thing with any meaning is the I, the me, the ID. Add anger and a very short fuse to the mix, and you end up with a sociopath."
"And that explains why he enjoys murdering people…"
"No, that explains why he is addicted to laughter…Everybody wants to feel better, to be happy. It's a natural tendency shared by all human beings. He wants that little bit of happiness life denied him. But how do you feel happiness, when nothing around you has any meaning? You twist reality to produce that happiness that you long for in any way possible, even if you have to create a new reality. Gordy, why do you laugh when somebody falls to the floor…? Isn't that kind of twisted? It's not funny, but still you laugh…the mind works in mysterious ways. So why would it be so different to find fun in murder?"
"You…you came up with this theory?"
Harley looked at the Commissioner and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah. Crazy, ain't it?"
"But, why do you come back for him? You have feelings for him, do you?"
She remained silent for a moment trying to answer that very same question herself. This quest to find the Jester has taken her this far, and for what? It was obvious Joker didn't want her around, that is the reason why he had left at the hospital, because she wasn't important for him anymore. Any way she tried to scientifically explain that, she came to the same conclusion…she had feelings for the Jester
"He is suffering, Gordon. Suffering terribly and the only way he knows how to stop the pain is laughter. He has to regain his joy and lose the pain…and only I can reach him before your people send him back to the asylum. They don't want to help him there, nobody wants to help him. If I find him, I will be able to help him."
"He doesn't want to be helped…you said it yourself."
"You don't understand…he doesn't want to be anything but Joker, but now…he is something else. Someone who is deeply troubled and in pain, with a lot of anger boiling inside him. If he doesn't let go of that part of him, he is even more dangerous than Joker alone."
"How could he be worse than what he is…?
"Even Joker has his boundaries…rules by which he plays. If you take away those rules away …you are going to end with a more destructive, more resentful person. Anger will take away the rules. Joker loves to play, but what he did to you…was not a game…he wanted to see you hurting. That was not Joker."
"Jack…" Gordon said fixing his eyes into Harley's. She looked at him quizzically. "That was Jack…"
"Who is Jack?"
"That other side of Joker….how do you know these things..?"
"I was his psychiatrist, Gordy. I know everything about him."
"And you never answered that question…you have feelings for him, don't you? I still can't believe you chose to follow him."
Harley stood and walked up the ladder.
"You don't know what it's like to be free. You live bound by a code you follow day by day. Doesn't life turns into a routine? Where is the randomness, the chaos, the basic feelings that also make us who we are?" She started to climb up and continued working on the lid. "Once you drink from that cup, it is difficult to let go."
"Everything in due measure Harley…" Gordon said as he patted the notebook in his hand. He accommodated the jacket and looked for a well lit area. He opened the notebook randomly and placed the pages very close to his face...and he started to read.
"One of the Leopards asked me for help today to move a heavy piece of equipment. I did… and when the boy was looking underneath…I let go of it. His skull made a wet sound as it crushed under the weight. Why did I do it? Because I thought it was funny. But I… I couldn't laugh.
Inside me…there is this vacuum, in the middle of my chest. I had a heart once…but it died a long time ago. I'm now so empty, so insignificant. Nobody cares about me…they only care for the Clown, because he can really make a statement and his statements fill my soul with so much joy. I'm tired of suffering. I will do anything to be happy once more, even for an instant, and I'm happy when somebody dies.
I envy that Jester. I envy him so much that I don't wanna be me anymore, I just wanna be him. Now…and forever.
Please help me die… help me lose myself in his insanity and leave this world that doesn't understand nor cares about me. He knows how to have fun, how to laugh. That he kills people? Please, people die every day so what is the big deal if I want to send some home early. As long as the Jester and me are happy and well fed…everything is worth a smile…
"Commissioner?" Gordon was surprised by Harley's voice and he jumped back putting weight on his injured leg forcing him to shut his eyes in agonizing pain. She held him firmly and when Gordon opened his eyes again he saw a pair of sapphire blue eyes looking tenderly at him. "You, OK?"
"Harley...w-what is t-this?" The Commissioner asked presenting her with the notebook in his hand.
The blonde woman looked at the notebook and her eyes glistened with tears. She extended a hand trying to get a hold of the notebook, but Gordon pushed her hand away. "That is nothing, Gordy. Can I have it back?"
"Who w-wrote this?"
"You read it…you know."
"B-But I want you to t-tell me…"
Harley sighed. "It wasn't me if that's what you think. Joker wrote it. That's his diary." Gordon tried to talk when she went on. "I know what you want to ask next, and I found it in his office. He's not going to be happy when he finds out somebody took it. Can I have it back now, sir?"
She aimed for the diary once more, and Gordon pushed her away.
"This is evidence…"
"Of what…of his sanity…or his pain…?
"Let a court decide that."
Harley pressed on the injured leg, making the Commissioner moan painfully and she got a chance to fetch the notebook from the cop's hand. She put the notebook away in one of the pockets of her pants.
"Sorry, but the courts will not understand…so let me deal with that. You just need to concentrate on getting to a hospital when you get out there." Harley said motioning to the lid of the manhole that Gordon noticed was open now. "I don't think you can go up the ladder with a leg like that, so I need you to hold on to me very tightly. Can you do that?"
Gordon nodded silently as Harley helped him on his feet. She guided him gently until they stepped under the manhole and by the ladder. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and they started to climb up one rung at a time allowing time for the Commissioner to rest and hold his footing on the ladder. Once at the top, Harley held the Commissioner close to her.
"Gordon, we both can't fit through, so I'm gonna go out first and help you. You stay here and be patient…it is just gonna be a moment. OK?"
The Commissioner nodded again and held tightly to the ladder standing on one of the rungs with his good leg, while he let his injured leg dangle from the ladder. As long as he didn't try to put weight on that leg the pain was not unbearable, just a discomfort that he could easily tolerate and with some effort forget about even if it was for an instant. Harley rushed out the manhole and disappeared for a moment from view. Gordon heard a pair of voices outside, and recognized one of them as Harley's. The exchange of words was quick and choppy and Harley reappeared through the opening extending a hand to the old cop.
The Commissioner extended a hand and clasped it firmly on Harley's wrist. The blonde woman did the same thing and held tight. Another face, this one of a young man with a goatee and more piercings than Gordon could count popped besides hers extending a hand to him.
"It's OK, Gordy. This is Leo and he's gonna help me get you out. Hold on tight." Gordon obeyed and held tightly to the man's hand. Between the two, they pulled out the old cop with great effort and pulled him through the manhole. The Commissioner had used the remnants of his energy to help them in their task, so he let himself on the cold pavement. Gordon was obviously exhausted by the effort and just laid there on his stomach, panting. The young man stared at the man on the floor and then to Harley with a bewildered look on his face. Definitely pulling people from manholes was not something he was used to do. Harley went to the manhole and put her arm against the edge. The lid closed back with a hiss, confirming it had pressurized.
"Who are you? And who is he?" The man finally spoke in a loud sharp squeaking voice.
"This would be the Commissioner of Police James Gordon and he needs an ambulance. You have a cell phone?" Harley asked while looking over the cop on the floor. The man nodded while some of his piercings twitched. "What are you waiting for…call an ambulance!"
The man dialed 911 as a reflex and asked for an ambulance. Harley leaned over to the Commissioner's ear.
"Everything's gonna be fine. I promise Gordy. Don't you worry, OK?"
"Harley…" said Gordon to a whisper. "…you gotta…"
"Shh don't talk." Harley accommodated the jacket over the Commissioner. "I have to go
now…have things to do…Leo is gonna stay with you, right?"
The pierced man looked at her with eyes filled with terror. She smiled and he smiled back nervously nodding gently.
"Good. See you later. And thanks, Leo." The blonde girl said giving Leo a big kiss on his cheek and disappearing among the darkness of the alley. Gordon turned around and tried to say something but he just managed to wince in pain.
"Please sir…stay still." The pierced man pleaded putting a reassuring hand over the Commissioner's back. Gordon let himself against the floor once more. The alley was in no time inundated in bright blue, red and white flashing lights. From between the bright lights from the patrol cars and ambulance, black silhouettes emerged running in direction of the fallen cop.
"FREEZE!" Yelled the cops with their weapons aimed at the pierced young man by the Commissioner.
"I'm innocent I swear. I am…I was just helping the Commissioner,"
"ON THE FLOOR…HANDS OVER YOUR HEAD…NOW!" More cops yelled as a pair of men rushed in towards them with a stretcher. A group of officers pulled the man to the floor while the paramedics started working on the Old Commissioner.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Everything inside the warehouse was quiet …too quiet... In all his previous dealings with the Joker, Batman had learned to expect the unexpected from the Clown and now what he didn't expect was all this silence and stillness. Joker was surprising him again with his unusual behavior. By now there should have been a few explosions and something ridiculous and deadly directed at him, but nothing inside the structure ever moved or made a noise.
There were two or three large storage bins and containers inside the structure toward one of the corners; it was dark and somewhat difficult to say for sure. On the left hand side, there were a group of about twenty boxes stacked high enough to make a small wall, and from the looks of it, neither the boxes nor the bins nearby had been touched in a few decades. The team moved deeper into the warehouse. Inside they saw a large pile made from the Leopards' leather outfits.
"Well, the tracking devices looked like a good idea at the time, but so much for plan A now." said Nightwing moving closer to the clothes. "Those guys on the boat must've been a decoy." Behind the pile a small box was standing alone on the floor with a playing card neatly set face down on top of the box. Batman motioned Nightwing to stay away as he walked over to the box, but Nightwing ignored the warning, quickly walked over, and slowly lifted the card by himself. After a quick examination of the card from all angles, Dick handed it to the Dark Knight.
"I don't understand, Batman…an Ace of spades? It should have been a Joker, no? What do you think it means?"
"It means I always have an ace up my sleeve, Dumb-wing." A voice said from behind one of the large storage bins. Both costumed heroes turned to see the Joker emerging from behind the large bin in his black suit, smoking blithely a cigar.
"You… here?" Nightwing said getting ready for a fight.
"No, I'm still…there!" Joker said faking a surprise look and pointing behind him from where he had emerged. "Really, Bats, where are you getting these kids from? They are not exactly the brightest of the bunch. Maybe you should return this one and get your money back or maybe just exchange them for…I don't know…a toaster?"
The Clown Prince tossed six small metallic bats transmitters on the floor. Batman recognized the small transmitters that he had sneaked on some of the Leopard gang members in the hope of tracking down Joker when he picked up his crew in an effort to track Clown if he had managed to escape.
The Clown outsmarted him again and that made the Caped Detective highly uncomfortable. Batman looked at the small transmitters on the floor for a moment then stared at the Joker with a frown. Joker was smiling, holding his cigar between his teeth but the Dark Detective's stare just made the Clown smile even wider. "By the way, I think those belong to you. Your tricks are getting old, Bats, and you're becoming too predictable for your own good."
TBC