*Chapter 15: Joker's Party*
Mia could hear grunts and yells coming from outside the room. Sounds like Batman has arrived. Joker's men welcomed him, but Batman wasn't in the mood and fought them off. He entered in the room and see Mia.
"Are you hurt?" He asked.
"No. But, Joker's waiting for you." Mia said, moving to the side to let him walk ahead. There is the body of the Joker holding a tv stuck on his head. The screen came on and revealed Joker's face.
"Are you excited, Bats? I mean, we've been building up to this point all night. Don't tell me you've not been looking forward to it. I know I have. Surprise!" The tv was lifted from the shoulders and Joker was actually the one sitting there. He stood with a smile on his face as Batman glared at him. "Everyone always said that I should be on television. You don't want to miss this. Really, it'll be a blast." He set the tv down and tapped it before backing away by counting down from ten.
"Get down!" Batman grabbed Mia, covering her with himself as the tv exploded. The sound is deafening. But they both got their hearing back after a few seconds. Mia was seeing stars, but shook her head as Batman groaned. "Are...are you alright?" He asked, standing up. Mia was helped up, checking on herself. They are both unharmed for now.
"I will be once this night is over with." Mia told him.
"I'm going alone. Wait here." Batman said. But Mia stopped him by taking his hand. "Mia, it'll be more dangerous-"
"No. We are in this together. I'm coming with you." She said. Before Batman could say a word, Mia grabbed his cape to pull him down and her lips land on his. In case things go wrong, she might as well do this. A good luck kiss. They pulled away and stare into each other's eyes. "I love you, Bruce." Mia whispered. "Together, we can stop the clown. You and me." Batman's grip on her hand tightened.
"If things get intense, run." He said.
"Not this time. I'm tired of running." Mia said with a look in her eyes. "Let's go. We got a clown to stop." Batman smirked at her.
'That's my girl.' He thought to himself as they both walk through the doorway.
The room was empty except there's a throne made out of mannequins' arms and heads. There is Joker sitting there with the puppet with a red painted smile. While Joker was talking to the puppet and he talked for it, some of Joker's men charged at Batman but he threw them aside as he and Mia approached the throne. Joker threw the puppet at their feet.
"You had to spoil everything, didn't you?" Joker spoke. "Beating up Bane, leaving Scarecrow behind to be eaten by Croc, slapping around Harley - my hobby, by the way!" Mia crossed her arms at him when he said that. "But damn did you gave her a piece of your mind, Harlow." Joker chuckled, giving her a wink. He frowned again. "And ruining all my lovely Venom plants."
"It's over, Joker." Batman spoke.
"Over? Why, my dear delusional Dark Knight, it hasn't even begun!" Joker pulled the lever by his feet. The two Titan monsters are free. "I would get out of the way if I were you, my dear." Joker said to Mia. He is serious this time. Mia quickly rushed to the wall and see Batman dealing with the Titans and the goons who came down to join the fight.
It's amazing to see Batman handling the goons and the Titans by himself. Mia is off limits on the field. Joker will be sure of it. Mia cringed as the Titan accidently hit a man across the room, hitting the wall.
'God, he'll feel that in a morning.' Mia thought. After Batman took down the Titan monster, all of the unconscious bodies are around him. Joker applauded to him.
"Nicely done! You deserve a prize! Your old pal, Commissioner Gordan." He pulled another latch and Jim fell down on a rope. Batman turned to him as Mia gasped. Jim looks beaten by the looks of bruises on his face. "Say, he looks run-down. Let's pep him up!" Joker pulled out a gun and fired. It was a Titan serum. Batman jumped up, and take the shot himself.
"No!" Mia gasped, covering her mouth.
"Batman!" Jim cried out. Batman ripped the needle out and toss it aside. Mia hurried to him, but Batman pushed her away.
"Get away!" He warned her, feeling his arm feeling tingly and about to change. Joker grinned ear to ear as he watched.
"Ooh, here we go! We're going to have some fun now, kiddies!" He said. But he noticed that Batman is resisting the transformation. "You're trying to resist the change! That's not fair!" Joker kicked Batman in the face. "Come on! Give in!" Batman returned the blow with a fist to Joker's crazed face. He stumbled backwards, leaving Batman to moan on the floor as he fighting the transformation. Mia wanted to help Batman, but he kept her away from him. "So, you wanna play hardball, Bats? Do ya? Your call!" Joker took out a feather.
"Joker, leave him alone!" Mia said, grabbing Joker's arm. But the clown slapped her away with the back of his hand. Mia held her face.
"Tickle, tickle." Joker giggled as he put the feather under Batman's nose, but the Dark Knight knocked him away again.
"Ow!" Joker stumbled back. "You're ruining my big night! Months of planning down the crapper! I just wanted to bring down your grim facade and for once let you see the world as I see it, giggling in a corner and bleeding. But you've denied me even that." Joker held the gun up to his chin. Mia's eyes widen. "I have nothing to live for." He pulled the trigger, injecting himself with a serum. He fell back on the floor. Mia came to Batman's side, watching Joker in shock and silence. Moments of silence are broken when Joker let out a gasp and open his eyes that are now glowing. He started to transform. The sickening sound of the skin ripping and his bones turning into spikes in his back sent a shudder down Mia's back as she watched in horror.
"Holy shit..." She gasped. Joker is now a Titan monster and doesn't look like himself anymore. His purple suit was ripped, his green hair is a mohawk, and what made Mia gag is the sight of Joker's ribs sticking out. He looks horrific. Joker let out one of his laughs before grabbing Batman and jump through the ceiling. "Batman!" Mia cried.
Axel turned on the tv after hearing the radio. A camera is showing Arkham Asylum. The helicopters are flying around above the island. Axel could hear Jack Ryder speaking. The young teen tries to see if he could find his mother or Batman on camera.
"Arkham Asylum remains under lockdown, its staff at the mercy of the rampaging inmates. Just ten minutes ago, we received this taped message." Jack spoke.
"Greetings, Gotham, Joker here. Arkham is mine. Soon I'll unleash madness untold onto the streets of Gotham. But first, direct your eyes to the rooftops and witness the final destruction of your dear Dark Knight!" The message of the Joker was heard. Axel let out a gasp as the camera zooms in on the Joker. Titan Joker. In his hand is Batman.
"No!" The boy gasped. He couldn't find his mother anywhere on tv. He feared that she is either injured or dead.
"Showtime, Batman!" Joker said as he tossed Batman into the pit beneath him. "Let's give the rubes something to talk about! Two freaks in a fight to the death!" He jumped in the pit and kick Batman across. "And for one night only, please welcome our special guest referee." Joker turned to Jim in a chair as he was getting shock therapy. "And let's not forget..." Joker turned around to see Mia climbing out of the pit. He grabbed her and threw her down to the pit where Batman is. "Nurse Harlow!" Joker praised. Mia rolled on the floor.
"Mia!" Batman grunted, trying to get up. Joker picked up him again.
"So...come on! Change! Get crazy! It's the only way to beat me!" He pulled his enemy closer. "You know you want to." Batman grunted and got out the antidote.
"Never." He injected himself with it. Changing into a monster like Joker won't help. He must fight him the old fashion way. That really surprised the clown.
"You wasted the antidote on yourself?" He laughed and threw Batman to the opposite wall. "Now that's funny!" Mia crawled backwards, ignoring the pain she is having since she was thrown here. "Hysterical! But you spoiled my fun! And for that, I'll paint Arkham with your blood. Let's get ready to tango!" Mia got out a gun and started to shoot Joker on the shoulder. He yelled and turned to her. "Stings a bit." He growled. He smacked her across the pit to the wall.
"No!" Batman yelled as Mia fell on the floor. She tried to get up, but collapse. She could get killed here. Joker is the strongest Titan than the ones Batman dealt with this evening. He must finish this. "Okay, Joker. Let's dance."
Batman was avoiding Joker's claws. But the Titan clown jumped up and let his goons come down and fight for him. Jim was being shocked in a chair. Mia leaned her back against the wall, holding her arm. It is not broken, but sore and bruised with some scratches. Joker was throwing weapons in the pit for his men to use against Batman. The bombs in the Joker teeth are approaching the Dark Knight. Once it made a noise, Batman quickly dove out of the way and the bomb explodes, breaking the toy.
"So, Mr. Referee, how was that round for you?" Joker asked the commissioner who is getting shocked again. "What? Speak up!" Joker chuckled evilly. A helicopter is behind Joker, using a light on him. "Hey, is that Jack Ryder's chopper I see?" Joker turned around to face the helicopter. "People of Gotham! Enjoy your evening. It will be your last." Batman grabbed his batclaw to shoot Joker with. He tried to yank him down. "What are you doing?" Joker growled.
"You're going down, Joker! Literately!" Mia shouted. Joker lands on his back and his weight sent him through the floor and onto the power outages. Batman and Mia could hear Joker being electrocuted. He coughed and climbed out and glare at Batman.
"I can take it. I can take anything you throw at me, Bats." He said. Batman uses his gel to spray on his hand. Mia's eyes wide. She knew what he is going to do and it's crazy. "You can't beat me. I'm actually going to win. Ready for next round?"
"Always." Batman answered.
"What?!"
"I'll never let you win." Batman ran forward. "Never!" Mia watched the two charge at each other. Batman land a fist at Joker's face, causing the gel to explode. Both of them flew back from the other. Mia kept her eyes shut after the gel went off, she feared Batman lost a hand. Batman stood up, but Joker stayed down. It's over. It's finally over.
"Goddammit. Thought this night will never end." Ben said as he was being checked by the medic. "Least the commissioner is alive, Cash, and others around the island. Fuck Boles. He betrayed us." Mia chuckled and shake her head as she has some bandages on her arm. But her boss was killed and the Elliot Memorial Hospital must seek a new manager. Jim was talking to his daughter, telling her he is fine and the GCPD has control of the asylum. Doctors treating the injured, super criminals are back in custody. And the Titans are returning back to normal thanks to the Anti-Venom Batman made.
Mia was annoyed that Batman wouldn't let the medics check on his arm, even though they had tried. Mia wanted to look at it, but of course, Batman claims he is fine.
"You're a stubborn piece of work, you know that?" She said to the Dark Knight who smirked.
"I know." He said. He frowned a bit. "Mia, sorry you were in this mess. I'm sorry about Dr. Raymond."
"But, it wasn't your fault." Mia told him. "We made it out alive." She reached for his face, but Batman grabbed her wrist. She blinked at him. "Batman?"
"Quiet." Batman pressed his lips on hers. Mia smiled in the kiss. It wasn't a kiss of lust or passion, it's a kiss of relief. He pulled away and press his forehead against hers. "I love you." He whispered.
"Love you too, Bruce." Mia whispered back.
"I'll give you a ride home. Axel is waiting for you there." Batman said. Mia smiled. How she couldn't wait to go to bed and sleep forever.
Jim turned to Batman and Mia, feeling sorry for their rides. Batman's batmobile is in the ocean because of Bane, and Mia's tires were slashed. Now that is something she must work on when she had the time. New tires for her car.
"You two get some rest. You deserve it." Jim said with a smile. Then, the radio blared in his car. Two-Face had just robbed a bank. Mia sighed a bit. Batman won't catch a break tonight.
"Stay safe, Jim." He said with a smirk, grabbing his batclaw to grapple up to his Batwing, holding Mia close to him. Jim watched the Batwing fly over him. Ben walked over to his boss's side, crossing his arms.
"Well. I was gonna offer Mia a ride, but the Batman beat me to it. Bruce would be jealous." He said with a smirk. Jim chuckled a bit.
The Batwing flew towards Gotham. After Two-Face was dealt with, Batman will go back home and rest. Right now, he will take Mia home. He will let her rest for a few days before taking her out for dinner to celebrate. It's an unforgettable night.
But little did anyone know, the Titan box is floating along in the water. A big hand popped out to grab ahold. A certain villain isn't done with it.