Lieutenant Marc Freeman's perspective:

Lieutenant Freeman was glad to be on a mission that wasn't about going after The Batman. No wall had been able to hold The Joker so far, so Freeman felt it wise to try to convince him to make an effort to rehabilitate.

Freeman entered Joker's cell. "Close it," he said to the guard outside.

The guard stood still.

"I said shut the door," insisted Freeman. "I need to earn his respect. I'll be fine. I grew up in the ghetto and am a fifteen-year cop besides. I know how to deal with scum like him." The door was closed.

Freeman walked over to The Joker, who was sitting in front of a television set. Would you say "no" to a psychotic serial killer who was able to get his hands on lethal weapons, no matter what? Neither would the administrators, so he had gotten a TV and spent a minimum of time out of his cell as a result.

"We need to talk," said Freeman. No answer from laughing boy. OK. I like a challenge. "Ain't you tired of this shit?" asked Freeman. "The cycle of terrorizing and being chased?" Nothing yet.

"It won't work," threatened Freeman. "One day The Batman's gonna lose his patience and do you. So why don't you..." Oh, my God! It ain't him. This is a dummy.

"Open up," Freeman shouted at the door.

The guard opened the door. "You OK, Lieutenant?"

"Never mind that," said Freeman. "He's planted a dummy, but - I see a liar's look on you. What do you know?"

"N-nothing," the guard assured him.

"Not easy to trick an ex-Detective," boasted Freeman. "Come clean. It's a felony to lie to an officer of the law, especially one with seniority."

"I-I let him and his nutty girlfriend out," said the guard. "Told me my wife and daughter would be his first targets next time he gets out otherwise."

"How long?" asked Freeman.

"A week and a half."

Freeman was surprised. "How could anyone keep it up that long?"

"They refused to leave their cells," explained the guard. "I... I pretended to feed them."

Freeman frowned. "You better cooperate. Understand?"

"What's gonna happen to me?"

"Nothing you didn't bring on yourself."

Harley Quinn's perspective:

Harley and The Joker were together again. Despite being deserted in her hour of need and cheated on by The Joker, despite repaying him with a brutal beating and personal vow that it was over between them, it had not lasted. One day, without an apology or even any consciousness that he had done anything to Harley, The Joker sat next to her on a couch in a rec room and put an arm around her. Both Harley's instincts and her best friend, Poison Ivy, warned her to push the mad clown away. Instead, Harley's dependent personality disorder overpowered her common sense and they were together again. Weeks later, they had escaped Arkham together and were pulling off jobs again.

Harley felt happy beyond words. Though others may have said that she could feel the same joy with a better man without the mistreatment or guilt Harley currently had to take, she could not believe it. Mistah "J's" the man for me. Always has been. Always will be.

"OK, Harl," said The Joker. "We've been picking on the the Kindergarten policemen and cashiers long enough. It's time to take out the big kids once and for all!"

"B-Batman," Harley shivered.

"No, it's Jonah Hill," said Joker sarcastically.

"Great," said Harley, wanting to believe that they were not going after The Batman. "I'll look up Jonah's address."

The Joker belted Harley in the stomach. "Play with me all you want, young love. But remember, I don't want cowards. You know what I do to employees who can't measure up." Joker touched his acid-squirting suit flower.

"S-sorry," Harley threw up her hands. "There ain't a lot of people I'm scared of. But I think we'll get caught if we go after 'B'-Man. We always do."

A spray of acid lopped off Harley's right pigtail. "The next time, I 'clean' up that beautiful but dirty face of yours. Bats is now wanted by the law. I can't resist this irony. Even if he catches me, I'll have rubbed his situation into him. That's our goal."

Harley gulped. Gotta be really, really careful! He's gonna kill me if I show any more fear of Batman. Maybe I should talk to the real man that I know is in this crazy monster.

Getting on all fours, Harley crawled sexily towards The Joker before using his purple suit to pull herself to him. "Wouldn't you rather be free?" Harley jumped into her lover's arms. "I know I'd love a few months in Hawaii with you." She sensed The Joker getting second thoughts as she leaned in.

Suddenly, Harley was headbutted and he dropped her. "You aren't paid to want anything. I never forgot your assault. You want me? Earn me!"

"I'm sorry," pleaded Harley.

"I do believe we can test whether you mean it or not," said Joker.

Barbara Gordon's perspective:

"Batgirl can't be solo anymore?" asked Barbara.

"Only until she gets back on track," said Bruce Wayne.

"But why?" demanded Barbara.

"You nearly decided to kill Mayor Falsootu," said Bruce, pointing his right index finger upwards. "You came so close to being captured by a bounty hunter because you were slow to come to grips with the fact that we're wanted." A middle finger came up. "And you allowed both your hatred of Falsootu and The Catwoman to put you at her mercy. You'd be dead or in prison by now, if Tim hadn't talked her out of either." A ring finger rose to signify the third strike.

"OK," said Barbara. "I get the picture."

"I doubt it," said a skeptical Bruce. "Tim, keep an eye on her. Don't let her do anything rash."

"Just rub it in," Barbara whispered to herself.

"I heard that," said Bruce. "Don't make me suspend you."

"I hardly think I deserve to be treated like a teenager," Barbara pleaded her case. "No offense, Tim."

"None taken, believe me," said Tim Drake.

"If you want to treated as a woman," demanded Bruce, "Don't act like a girl."

"OK," Tim rose to Barbara's defense, "I don't think you have to be this hard on her."

"Yes, I do," Bruce explained himself. "I don't want to lose either of you the way I lost Jason Todd. Believe me, I don't love being tough; I'm tough because I love."

"While I tend to agree with you children," Alfred finally entered this conversation, "The Master's heart is in the right place. Please believe that."

Batgirl's perspective:

Gotham Park. A place of great beauty and danger. Batgirl and Robin noticed that a family of three had foolishly chosen to brave the danger at night.

Two men in jean clothing, open finger gloves and holding hooked chains approached the three.

"Now, that's a little piece of ass," said one thug, eyeing the thirteen-year-old daughter.

"Leave her alone," shouted the mother.

"Pay up," demanded the other punk. "One way or another."

"We can't wait any longer," whispered Batgirl to Robin.

"Like beating on people smaller than you?" shouted Robin to the punks. "We're smaller."

The punks charged Batgirl and Robin with their chains. Batgirl dodged one of the chains twice before catching it in her hands. A kick to the shins took her opponent off balance enough to swing him into a tree by the chain, head-first. A kick to the head and he was out.

Robin dodged the chain of the other thug and kicked him in the groin. He jumped and sat on the thug's shoulders and rained many punches on his skull, knocking him out.

"Get out of the park - now," Batgirl shouted at the family.

"Wow," said the girl. "Batgirl. The toughest lady this side of Wonder Woman's even cooler than I thought. Never thought I'd get to meet you. And Robin... you are too cute. Doing anything on Saturday?"

"Stay away from them," said the mother. "These are members of a gang no different than the creeps they just took out. Peter, we better run!" Peter seemed to be the father.

They think we're killers and are about to run away. Could be worse.

"No, Peggy," said Peter. He walked towards Batgirl and Robin. "I'm man enough to admit that there's some girls and children I can't take, let alone both of you. But I'm also

man enough to take one for the wife and child. Do your worst, maniacs!"

"We don't mean you any harm," said Batgirl.

"Don't lie," said Peter. "You can have your fun with me but not my cooperation in whatever scheme you want to use me in."

"Look," said Robin. "We're only trying to help."

As Robin vainly attempted to persuade Peter that he and Batgirl were not enemies, Batgirl had caught a glimpse of Peggy whispering on her phone. The ventriloquism Batman

had taught Batgirl enabled her to make it out: "...Right here. They're gonna kill my hus-oh shit, they caught me! Hurry!"

Grabbing Robin by the arm, Batgirl dragged him on a dash away. "They're calling the police," said Batgirl. "We're outta here!"

After a few minutes, they neared a park exit, only to see a police car driving up, "Wrong exit," cried Batgirl, dragging Robin back the other way.

But after a bit more running, the sounds of more cars pulling up could be heard. We might be in a bit of trouble.

Sure enough, the sounds of more police cars driving to various sections of the park could be heard.

"There they are," shouted Peter from far behind Batgirl and Robin and pointing at them, "When you meet The Devil, tell him the Georgettes sent you!" Batgirl turned to see Peter and his family.

"Officers, this is all a big mistake," pleaded Sharon. "They saved our..." Peggy placed a hand over her mouth.

"Toy store?" asked Peter.

"Yeah," agreed Peggy. They pulled their daughter away as she continued to try to explain this to the police but went unheard.

"Forget them," said Batgirl. "We've got bigger problems. Cops have this place surrounded. They'll probably get the SWAT team in here soon. We've gotta go deeper into the

park."

"Why not try to get past them before any more show up?" asked Robin.

"Because we're considered armed and dangerous," explained Batgirl. "And we've been accused of trying to kill an innocent family. They'd shoot us dead before we got out of the woods! Come on!" She lead Robin deeper into the forest.

No police. It's an illusion, girlfriend. They've cut off our escape routes and will soon have enough guys to smoke us out.

It was then that Batgirl got a sense that she was unusually emotional. She checked her pulse. Fast and hot. Bruce had been right. She had let her father's forced retirement by the actions of Falsootu get to her. She had to calm down, and she had to do this quicker than Bruce had meant for her to. Batgirl and Robin were in a tight spot. There was no room for mistakes.

James Gordon's perspective:

The former police commissioner was drowning his sorrows in booze as he watched the Gotham Swashbucklers, the local basketball team at Pete's, a nearby bar.

"Why aren't you havin' fun watchin' the Swashbucklers and gettin' smashed, Jim?" asked Pete.

"Ever since I lost my job and wasn't able to stop Falsootu from persecuting The Batman, nothing feels or tastes the same," lamented James.

Suddenly, The Joker and Harley Quinn barged in with submachine guns, firing upon the crowd in the bar. Some ran out. Others were injured or killed.

"I've killed my audience," proclaimed The Joker, laughing hard. "Hey, Jimbo, remember me?"

"I remember the man who kidnapped my children all too well," James looked hard at Joker and Harley.

"Then you should be glad it's only you we're takin'," said Harley.

"Overjoyed," said James halfheartedly, raising his arms in surrender.

"Pete," shouted The Joker. "We left you alive for a reason. Don't tell anybody about this but Batman. He'll confront you about this. Tell him we're taking Gordon for a magical night on the town. That exactly, you hear? We don't want to take up any more of your time." The Joker began laughing as he and Harley took James away.

Batman's perspective:

The official story was that a mass shooting had happened at Pete's. Batman thought it odd that nothing much had been said by the bartender. After that bartender had answered all the police questions and headed home, Batman, having already looked up his address, decided to drop in on him.

Batman was waiting on the inside. Pete opened the door and gasped.

"I don't know if you believe what has been said about me," said Batman threateningly, "And I don't care. Why haven't you told the whole story about what happened at your bar?"

"I'll t-tell it to you," said a frightened Pete. "Only you. I was threatened by The Joker. Said he and Gordon are goin' on a magic night on the town."

Of course! He wants to draw me out.

"Is that all he told you?" asked Batman.

The bartender nodded.

Batman got back on his Batcycle (since he was solo, he used the vehicle meant for solo travel) and drove away. One question was obvious. Why had The Joker not told Pete anything? You could not very well lead a man to his death without him going to that death.

Perhaps he was stealing a page from The Riddler. "Magic night." There was a place called Magical Nightspot, a local nightclub. Batman did some checking. He had to do this as he drove. This slowed down the work, but he could not afford to stand still with the police looking for him.

Batman discovered that Magical Nightspot had been closed "Until further notice." This looked like the spot. Batman picked up the Batcycle's phone to call the Batmobile. No answer. "Batgirl, answer! Batgirl, pick up!"

Batman realized that the only explanation was that Batgirl and Robin were in trouble. They needed help. But so did James Gordon. The former commissioner was an old man who, for all Batman knew, no longer even trained. And he was in the clutches of two psychopaths. If Batman did not arrive soon, James would surely be killed.

There really was only one choice. Batman had to help James and hope that Batgirl had listened to him well enough to get herself and Robin out of whatever jam they were in.

Please, Batgirl, Robin, stay alive!

Batgirl's perspective:

Three searchlights were turned on and moving across Gotham Park. Batgirl and Robin were hiding in a tree. By now, fifty-four cops were in the area.

"I don't think they'll ever give up," said Robin. Batgirl could tell he was afraid. She had to lift his spirits.

"We can't either," Batgirl tried to encourage Robin. "There has to be a way."

Suddenly, the light moved to Batgirl and Robin. Robin was shocked into falling off the branch. Batgirl managed to catch him by the left arm and pull him back up.

"Take deep breaths," said Batgirl. "They don't have us yet."

"Batgirl, Robin," shouted a voice through a megaphone, "This is Ronald Studge, Commissioner of police. You're under arrest. Either of you who resists will be shot. Come out of the park with your hands up. I promise you a fair trial."

"Fair?" asked Robin to Batgirl. "From his and the jerk he takes orders from's history, their idea of fair is baseball without letting us use bats."

Batgirl nodded. "We break for it on my word."

"We have sniper rifles trained on you. They shoot on three. 1... 2..."

"Now," said Batgirl. They both used the tree to slide down, then raced away. Several shots were fired.

"Aw," Robin shrieked. "Don't worry about me. Just a scratch."

In time, the shooting stopped. "Stop," ordered Batgirl as she checked. It looked like they had lost the snipers. "Let me take a look at where they hurt you, Robin."

Robin showed her his wounded neck. Batgirl bandaged it. "You're OK."

"No," said Robin. "I don't think either of us is outliving the night."

"That's what they want you to think," said Batgirl. "We've gotten out of tight spots before."

"Yeah," said Robin. "But Batman always came up with a brilliant plan when things got really, really bad! Just like they are now."

"I've pulled him out of a couple myself," Batgirl kept trying to cheer Robin up. "We've just gotta believe."

Batman's perspective:

No one at Magical Nightspot. Not even a car.

Batman saw an open window. That looked too easy. He entered through the door instead.

There were many statues of The Joker. Laughter could be heard from them all. Batman had a bad feeling and covered himself in his protective cape. Sure enough, bullets fired from the statue fingers onto the cape. Eventually, the fingers ran out of bullets.

"We've got sculptured physiques, don't we?" called The Joker from upstairs.

"Where's Gordon?" asked Batman.

"What's it to you?" asked Harley, also from upstairs. "He ain't even the Commissioner no more."

"If you have to ask," Batman pointed out, "You'll never know."

"You'll find him upstairs," said The Joker. "Hurry or you might find him dead. I'd really love to see that." And then came the chuckles by twisted boy and twisted girl.

Batman came up the stairs carefully. As he suspected, there was a surprise at the top. A slate of spikes, no doubt set to drop on him. So Batman threw a Batarang underneath the slate, and it dropped onto the Batarang.

"Well-played, Bats," declared The Joker. Batman stepped onto the slate. "But not quite well enough." With that, the sound of numerous blowguns shooting smilex-laced darts could be heard. Summoning all of his athletic ability, Batman managed to somersault backwards, avoiding the fatal darts!

But as he was acting on instinct, Batman landed on the edge of a stair. He could not stay on balance and tumbled down the stairs.

Batman's peak conditioning and body armor had prevented injury, though a good night's sleep would be in order. His first instinct was to stand, but hearing the girlish

laughter of Harley Quinn changed his mind. He decided to play dead.

"Aw, out cold," complained Harley. "I wanted ta make ya laugh with a side-splitter like Puddin' did last time. How 'bout a skull-splitter instead?" By now, Batman sensed that

Harley was standing over him. I can't wait any longer.

Batman opened his eyes just in time to see Harley lifting up her baseball bat. Batman caught it between his hands and kneed Harley off.

Surprised, Harley got up and held up her arms. "OK, ya got me. But there's always puddin'."

"Where is he?" asked Batman. He knew that there were probably other traps.

"I ain't never betrayin' my beloved Joker," vowed Harley. Batman clenched his fists. "You wouldn't hit a lady who ain't even fightin' back, wudja?" asked Harley.

"No," said Batman, knocking Harley down with a side kick to the abs.

"You ain't gettin' nothin' outta me," grinned Harley. "You ain't got the guts to kill nobody. Mistah 'J' told me."

"You'd be amazed by what you can live through," declared Batman, seizing Harley's right ankle and stepping over it. "Want to be a disabled gymnast?" He began wrenching the leg around. Harley grunted in pain.

"Puddin', help! Puddin!"

Eventually, the knee made crunching sounds as it neared the breaking point.

"You win," panted Harley. "Puddin's upstairs. Right turn. Third door to the right. Tell 'im I'm so sorry."

Batman said nothing. He Batcuffed Harley to the stair rail.

Batgirl's perspective:

It had been well over an hour since the GCPD had trapped Batgirl and Robin in Gotham Park.

"It's definitely past my own bedtime," said Robin.

"At least you don't have a day job," Batgirl pointed out that she was going to get even less sleep. Unless, of course, they were arrested.

"Maybe we should make up an excuse while we spend the whole night in here," said Robin.

"If you're thinking of waiting them out," said Batgirl, "Forget it. They've kept people trapped for days before. And this isn't much a forest. We've got nothing to eat. By noon, we'll be starving."

"How are we gonna get out?" asked Robin. He was looking at Batgirl, the adult responsible for him this night.

"I'm working on it," Batgirl reassured him. Don't work on it. Come up with something. Come on, girl! You're a straight 'A' computer genius.

"I might have a way out," said Batgirl.

Robin was flabbergasted. "Might?"

"Don't panic," directed Batgirl. "We have to be calm about this." She realized that this was advice she should have been heeding for weeks, but better late than never.

After Robin had calmed down, Batgirl said, "Here's my idea. I've noticed some short or female members of the SWAT Team fanning out for us."

"We disguise ourselves?" asked Robin.

"Yeah," Batgirl nodded. "Just be careful about it. These aren't common thugs who don't know how to do anything but steal and verbally bully. SWATs are well-trained even for cops. Understand?"

Robin nodded.

They sneaked up on two SWATs, one of which was female. Batgirl and Robin tripped the SWATs down and rammed their heads repeatedly into the ground to dispatch them.

Now they had Batgirl's disguise. Time for Robin's.

They sneaked around a bit to find a shorter SWAT with a normal-sized one. They ambushed the two, knocking away the guns, but were thrown off. Batgirl Bataranged away the transceiver the SWAT carried, picked it up, and soon had the misunderstood crimefighters attacking each other.

Robin dodged his short target's punches for awhile until he began to tire. Kick, kick, spinning elbow. The SWAT was unconscious.

The other SWAT actually landed a punch that decked Batgirl. He began choking her, but Batgirl got her right knee under his groin and thrust up. As her opponent staggered back in pain, Batgirl got up and delivered two snap kicks to the face and a roundhouse kick. The SWAT was out.

The unconscious body and his assault rifle were taken back to the original two SWATS that Batgirl and Robin had taken out. The uniforms of the woman and short man were taken and put on over their outfits, though the masks were left behind. There were other masks at the Batcave.

"Brilliant plan," said a cheerful Robin.

Batgirl saw that Robin may have gone from hopeless to overconfident. "Don't get cocky, young man. We have to be careful going out. We'll have to check out with the cops. I'll do the talking. We may have the SWAT Team's ski masks, but don't give them a good look at your face. And try not to look like you're not letting them get a good look at your face. Am I hot?"

"T-the other boys at school think so," said a nervous Robin.

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Batgirl. "Let's go before we get spotted near these bodies."

They walked to the nearest entrance, at one point having to salute two members of the SWAT team as they passed by. Eventually, they arrived.

"So are they dead then?" asked Commissioner Studge.

"No," the disguised Batgirl tried to harden her voice to sound like a trained policewoman. "But we have reason to believe that they may have escaped."

"Impossible," said a detective.

"Everything's possible," said Studge.

"We want a police car just in case they find and take their Bat-whatever," said Batgirl. It was fortunate that she just barely remembered that as an officer, she was not supposed to know which vehicle Batgirl and Robin had used.

"That one," said Studge, pointing to a car. "Officer Louis, give them your keys."

"Right here," said Louis. "Good luck."

Batgirl and Robin were on the road. "Now can I call you a genius?" asked Robin.

"No," declined Batgirl. "Somehow, this is too easy."

Seconds later, a tire had gone flat. "I knew it!"

Batgirl and Robin looked through the rear windshield to see a car hitting the breaks right behind it. "Get your gun and helmet," said Batgirl. She and Robin put on the helmets that were part of SWAT uniforms and seized the appropriate machine guns. "Out!" They got out and trained the guns on the other car.

Studge and Louis leaned out and pointed guns at them.

"So you thought we'd fall for the old 'Ambush the soldier and dress up in his uniform' trick?" smirked Studge. "Sorry, but I pay attention to details, and none of the women and short men on the mission look anything like you."

Uh-Oh! Think fast!

"You guys are so stupid," said Batgirl. "We've got body armor and assault rifles. You can't win."

"Everyone knows you don't kill anybody," laughed Studge.

"But we're cold-hearted vigilantes, remember?" bluffed Batgirl. "We only never killed so you'd think we were your friends. No use pretending now."

Please believe me. Making threats you can't back up usually doesn't work.

Studge waited for a moment. "Let them go, Louis."

Some running and Batgirl and Robin found the Batcycle and rode back to the Batcave.

"You can say it," grinned Batgirl.

"You're a genius," said Robin.

Batman's perspective:

Batman followed Harley Quinn's directions to the letter. He entered the door to see The Joker holding James Gordon prisoner with an automatic pistol.

"Since I didn't hear you going through any other rooms," guessed Joker, "I'm gonna guess that you broke her. She will be punished most severely, though I've done such a job with her mind that she might like it." The Joker laughed at the thought of it.

"You won't be able to punish anyone in a padded cell," Batman disagreed. "So put Gordon down."

"Where's the fun in that?" asked Joker.

Batman tried to use sleight-of-hand to get a Batarang out of his belt like a magician would.

"I know you want to beat me up," cautioned The Joker, "But this isn't an action movie. Your throw won't beat my trigger finger and I have other toys if it somehow does. It's not all about you, Bats." More laughter.

Batman sighed. "I'm the one you want, Joker."

"Oh, don't worry," quipped The Joker. "I'm just trying to make you jealous. You'll always be my favorite. Turn around and kneel down." Batman did so.

"No," shouted James. "Listen to me, Batman. I'm retired. I've done all I can for this city and you've lots more to give. Besides, you can't trust his word." Batman ignored him. He was not sacrificing James But neither was Batman giving up. Knowing The Joker, he would have to be dramatic about this. He did not settle for quick kills.

Sure enough, The Joker said, "I don't know which peculiar characteristic of yours Gordon has more brought out. Your selflessness or your gullibility. I mean, you couldn't have actually believed me, could you?"

But as The Joker spoke Batman had drawn a Batarang with his back turned to his nemesis, enabling his cape to conceal this. He threw at where he sensed the gun was. He missed it, but the pain in The Joker's right shoulder made him drop his weapon.

"No," Batman charged at The Joker. A right cross decked The Joker. Knowing he could survive a fall, Batman threw him out the window.

Batman left Magical Nightsong to check on his enemy's health. Joker was a bit more hurt than Batman had imagined and would require medical attention back in Arkham. Still alive, though. The Dark Knight had shown enough mercy.

By now, James had gotten outside as well and said, "Thank you."

"Can you take it from here?" asked Batman, not wanting to be there when the police arrived.

"Yeah," said James. "But before you go - don't leave! This is important to me even if it isn't to you."

Batman stopped running.

"No matter what anyone says," promised James, "you'll always be a hero to me."

"Thank you comm..." Batman had called James "Commissioner" for so long, he could not get used to someone else having that job. "...Jim."

Barbara's perspective:

The next evening, Barbara had arrived at Wayne Manor.

"Batgirl's no longer restricted from solo work," said Bruce.

"Glad to hear it," said Barbara. "Why so soon?"

"I read about your escape from the police last night," said Bruce. "You were in the most perilous of situations but you're still free. You had to get your cool back to survive. Good work, soldier."

"Thanks, Bruce," said Barbara. "And Dad told me about how you saved him. That means a lot to me."

"I wouldn't have been much of a friend if I'd let you lose your father the way I lost mine," Bruce accepted Barbara's gratitude.

Barbara nodded. She knew Bruce was tormented by that experience. She had often wondered how should could have handled it. She was glad she did not have to learn.