GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gotham General Hospital was in a frenzy of hectic activity with reporters and concerned citizens flooding the front entrance. Police officers could barely contain the people.

Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale struggled their way through the crowd. Once they made it to the front entrance, a cop shoved them aside.

Bruce said, "We're here to visit Harvey Dent."

"So is everybody else," the police officer announced.

Damian Kyle was there as well and made his way to the front. "Do you only come out of your cave whenever tragedy strikes, Bruce?"

Bruce was at a loss for words briefly. The joke about the cave struck him as ironic and he thought for a moment that Kyle knew about his secret cave. He realized that it was just a jest after studying the young police officer for a few moments.

"Junior is a friend and we're just here to check on him."

Damian looked from him to Vicki Vale and shook his head. "Not buying it. Coming to check up on the D.A. with a renowned reporter with you. Looks kinda fishy from where I'm standing, old man."

The Joker materialized beside Bruce, with his purple hat on his head. "What an insolent child." He turned to Bruce and said, "You should put him over your knees and spank him."

"Shut up," Bruce addressed the Joker.

"Excuse me," Damian asked, thinking Bruce had directed the comment at him.

Bruce was beginning to lose his patience with Kyle. "Look kid, I know you and I have our issues and their is definitely a conversation to be had between you and me but this isn't the time or place. I've watched that boy lying in there grow up from the time he was crawling to the good man he is now. Vicki is here with me as a concerned friend. Not a reporter."

Damian thought over what Bruce said for a moment and nodded. "Follow me."

He led them through the lobby and all the way through the emergency room and into the intensive care unit. Several officers were posted there as additional security in case somebody tried to finish the job on Harvey, Jr.

"How is he?" Vicki asked.

Damian shook his head as they made their way to his room. "Not good. The explosion blew half his damn face off and he's in a coma. The doctors aren't all that optimistic."

Bruce felt his blood boiling at this news. "Have any leads on who did it?"

Damian stopped just outside Harvey's room and stared at Bruce. "If we did have any leads we wouldn't share it with a civilian. You may be rich as sin but you're still just a citizen. I will however share my opinion with you. I'd say the other contender for Mayor is a likely suspect. Of course their is no proof to substantiate that theory though."

Bruce nodded. "Falcone."

Bruce and Vicki stepped into the room. Harvey Dent, Jr. was lying in the bed with his face completely bandaged up. A doctor stormed into the room.

"Who said you two could come in here..." The doctor stopped in mid sentence as he recognised Bruce. "Excuse me, Mr. Wayne but only family members are allowed in to see the patient."

"Unfortunately Junior has no other family," Bruce said sadly. "They were taken from him and now somebody tried taking him out as well."

Tears threatened to erupt as Bruce approached Harvey, Jr.'s bedside. He placed his hand atop the comatose patient's hand and addressed the doctor. "Do what you can for him, doctor. Spare no expense. Money is not an issue. Send all the bills to me."

The doctor nodded. "As you wish, Mr. Wayne, but at this point all we can do is wait."

Vicki put her arms around Bruce and leaned her head against his shoulder.

The Joker approached the other side of the bed and leaned closer toward the bandaged patient. "I want to see his face. Take his bandage off, Bruce. Let's have a look see."

At the doorway, Damian watched Bruce closely. His imagination had perceived a much different kind of man but what he was observing completely contradicted what he thought he knew of the man known as Bruce Wayne.

"What a tragedy."

The voice came from behind Damian. They all turned around to see Carmine Falcone standing outside the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers. He had two large bodyguards behind him.

Damian stepped between Falcone and the doorway and snapped at the female officer that had escorted him there. "What the hell were you thinking, Montoya? This scumbag shouldn't be within a hundred yards of the D.A."

Officer Montaya shrugged. "The Commissioner gave him her express permission."

Commissioner Ellen Yindel arrived on the scene, still immaculately dressed from her meal with her father. She observed the scene and glared at Damian coldly. "I don't remember giving permission for anybody else to come in and visit, Kyle."

"Mr. Wayne and Miss Vale are friends of the D.A.," Damian said. "Mr. Dent is a hell of a lot safer with them than with this man."

"You wound me, young man." Falcone said with a small smirk. "What happened to Harvey Dent, Jr. is a tragedy and I just wanted to show my support for his speedy recovery."

"More likely you're here to finish the job," Damian sneered.

Commissioner Yindel asked. "Do you have some kind of lead that the rest of us aren't aware of, Mr. Kyle?"

Damian shook his head. "No, but you know as well as I do that Falcone is a crime lord and this is the kind of shit he'd pull. Letting him in here was foolish."

Commissioner Yindel clenched her teeth angrily. "Innocent until proven guilty, Kyle."

The Joker chuckled. "Your boy is rather direct, Bruce. You should let him borrow your batsuit and have him drop Falcone to his death just like you did to me."

Falcone smiled maliciously at Damian. "I'd exercise a little more restraint with your careless words, boy. When I am Mayor you could find yourself...unemployed."

Damian chuckled. "Don't delude yourself, Falcone. The future mayor is lying in there unconscious."

Falcone sighed dramatically. "I wish that were so, young man but with Mr. Dent in his current state I am the only valid candidate to take up the mantle of mayor now."

"Just like you planned it," Damian accused. "Only Mr. Dent wasn't supposed to survive that explosion, was he?"

Commissioner Yindel stepped between them and shouted. "Go home, Kyle! Learn your place or don't bother coming back to work."

Damian stared incredulously at her for a moment. He looked back at Bruce and Vicki and Harvey's comatose body. He then nodded and said, "Looks like Batman came back on the scene just in time. We're gonna need him now more than ever."

With that, he exited the premises.

Bruce had watched the entire exchange and found himself to be profoundly proud of Damian. Not many people had the courage to call Falcone scum to his face but the young man had done it without flinching. It was his turn now.

He approached Falcone and ignored Yindel. "She can send Officer Kyle home for speaking the truth about you but she can't do the same to me. I know you're behind this and there's one thing I've learned throughout my years in this city."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" Falcone smugly asked.

"That the bad guy always gets what's coming to him in the end."

Falcone smiled, "Is that so? Like the bad guys who gunned down your parents?"

"Ewww, no he didn't!" The Joker exclaimed excitedly. He brought out a purple handed pocket knife and flicked it open, offering it to Bruce. "Cut his lungs out, Bruce. You know you want to."

Bruce clenched his fists and stepped forward, with every intention of beating Falcone to a pulp right there.

Vicki was there in a flash and slapped Falcone across the face, stunning everyone and bringing Bruce back from the brink of rage. He was relieved that The Joker and his knife weren't real because he very well may have done just as his old foe had suggested.

"How dare you say such a thing!" Vicki exploded.

Commissioner Yindel intervened. "Back off or I'll have you arrested, Miss Vale." She asked Falcone. "Do you wish to press charges, Mr. Falcone?"

Falcone chuckled. "That won't be necessary, Commissioner. I've always admired tenacity in a woman." He then addressed Bruce. "You know, Mr. Wayne, I remember you from when you were a small boy. You were such a well behaved child. It's a shame how you've grown into such a meddlesome fool. Thomas, your father, was also a meddlesome fool."

Bruce was at a loss for words. He never remembered meeting Falcone as a child.

Falcone smiled maliciously. "That's right, Mr. Wayne. I knew your father. I helped him make Wayne Enterprises what it is today. It's a shame our relationship fell through. We could've molded Gotham City into a much better place than what it is today."

"Revelation alert," The Joker stated in amusement.

"You're lying," Bruce accused.

"I am many things but a liar is not one of them." He handed the flowers to Yindel. "Be careful, Bruce. Take a long moment to reflect on the Dent family and your family. Bad things tend to happen to meddlesome fools."

With that said, Carmine Falcone walked away, leaving Bruce dumb founded as he pondered what he'd just been told. His memories of his father were limited but he knew he'd never heard the name Carmine Falcone as a child and he knew his father would never associate himself with a known criminal like Falcone. Would he?

He noticed the officer Damian had called Montoya approach Yindel. "Commissioner, we just got word that a suspect of interest had been spotted at the scene of the crime."

"Who?"

"We don't have an identity," Montoya explained, "But reports say the suspect looked like a clown."

Bruce's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at The Joker standing beside him

"Don't look at me," The Joker announced, feigning an offended expression. "I've been with you the whole time."

"A clown?" Yindel asked incredulously. "Did the Joker rise up from the grave after thirty years? I think somebody is just clowning around with us."

The Joker elbowed Bruce, "If only she knew that I did rise from the grave. Ha."

Yindel spoke again. "Well, that's all we have to go on for the moment so just tell everyone out on patrol to keep a look out for a...clown."

Bruce knew it had to be Jason Todd. He cautioned Yindel, "Be careful. If it's a copycat of the Joker out there then he could be more dangerous than you realize."

Yindel looked him over for a moment. "Thanks for the words of wisdom, Mr. Wayne but we'll do our job and you can do whatever it is you do nowadays."

With that she left without another word.

Bruce and Vicki, with The Joker following behind, immediately left the hospital and once they were free of the frenzied people cluttered around the entrance, Bruce leaned up against a wall, overwhelmed by everything.

Vicki looked concerned. "Jason did this, didn't he?"

He nodded. "I think so."

"What are you going to do, Bruce?"

"I'm going to stop him."

"He's like a son to you. Will you be able to do what's necessary?"

Bruce sighed. "I have to, Vicki. He's out there parading around and claiming to be the Joker. He blew Junior to hell for God's sake."

Vicki thought a moment. "Do you think he's working for Falcone?"

Bruce shrugged, "It's very likely. There is a bigger problem here though, Vicki."

"What?"

He looked at her in all seriousness and then glanced at the Joker standing beside him. "I've been drugged by some hallucinogenic and I have been seeing Jack Napier since this evening, shortly before you arrived."

The Joker chuckled, "The cat's out of the bag now. Tell Vicki I said hi."

Vicki's eyes widened in shock. "Do you see him right now?"

Bruce nodded, "He's standing next to me right now. He says hi, by the way."

"That's why you looked like you saw a ghost when you answered the door and why you're burning up with a fever."

"Yep." Bruce sighed, "As if their isn't already enough going on right now, huh. Let's add losing my mind to the list of things to deal with."

"Who drugged you?"

"I think it was the acting CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Derek Powers." Bruce explained. "I went there today to fire him. He must have suspected my intentions for being there and drugged the cup of coffee that he gave me."

The Joker commented, "I can't help but notice that she didn't say hi back to me." He asked Bruce, "Do you think she hasn't missed me after all these years?"

"Nobody has missed you, Napier." Bruce answered his imaginary companion.

Vicki looked even more concerned after Bruce acknowledged the vacant wall beside him. "We have to see if there is a cure. The longer you're infected with whatever you've been exposed to, the worse it may get."

Bruce nodded, "Not we. I'm going to confront Powers tonight."

"You're in no condition to confront anyone, Bruce."

"I'll be fine, Vicki." Bruce assured her. He then looked at her longingly for several moments.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

He smiled, "I'm just glad you're back in my life. You are real, aren't you?"

Vicki smiled as she grabbed him and kissed him passionately. When they parted, she asked. "Is that real enough for you, Bruce?"

In spite of everything that was happening and everything that might happen in the future, he smiled, knowing that at least he had Vicki Vale there with him.

WAYNE ENTERPRISES

Derek Powers sat at his desk in his office. Bruce Wayne would not take from him what he'd accomplished after all his years running Wayne Enterprises. He had the wheels spinning in motion since his meeting with Bruce hours earlier. He didn't think it'd ever have come to this. He assumed Bruce would continue to stay a recluse until he finally passed away from sadness and old age.

After he had given Wayne the hallucinogenic in his coffee, he immediately set to work on the board members, trying to win them to his side in wrestling the company from the elder billionaire. They greatly respected the man and his accomplishments and were understandably reluctant to take such a drastic step.

He had told the board that Wayne was losing his mind and that he had assaulted him in his very office. They had trouble swallowing that bit of feigned truth but once the hallucinogenic took full control of Bruce Wayne then they would have no choice but to believe him.

His last step was to recruit a licensed professional to corroborate his claims and he knew just the call to make. For the right price, Dr. Hugo Strange was well known for his assistance in removing troublesome obstacles and placing them deep inside the confines of Arkham Asylum.

He dialed the number and waited for the acclaimed doctor to come on the line.

"This is Dr. Strange."

"Yes," Derek said. "This is Derek Powers, CEO of Wayne Enterprises. I have a potential patient for you to assess. Keep in mind, money is not an issue. Are you interested?"

"Very much so," Dr. Hugo Strange said. "Who is the patient?"

"Bruce Wayne."

There was a long pause on the other end. "Are you still with me, doctor?"

"Oh, yes." Hugo said, excitement evident in his voice. "I'm intrigued, but for me to take therapeutic measures towards Mr. Wayne there must be some abnormalities in his behavior in order for me to justify hauling him off to Arkham."

"That want be a problem," Derek assured. "He's been exposed to a substance that will make him lose his mind the longer it's in his system. As of right now, it has been in his system for at least thirteen hours."

"Very good. You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear this. I'm going to do this for you, free of charge."

"You are?" Derek asked, surprised. "May I ask why?"

"Just know that Mr. Wayne is of great interest to me and you may have just delivered him to my care much easier than I had initially thought it to be."

"Very well," a confused Derek Powers said. "Glad I could help."

Before he hung up the phone, the window behind him shattered and he was covered in a dark shadow as a looming figure hovered over him. Terror gripped him as he was swung around and pinned to the desk.

He was staring up into the masked face of Batman, who was glaring down at him with fury in his eyes.

"What did you expose Bruce Wayne to!?" Batman growled.

"B...Batman! H...how did you know?"

Hugo Strange, who was still on the line, could be heard chuckling through the receiver. "Well, Mr. Powers, it looks like your carefully made plan has taken a sudden left turn. I think I'll stick to my original agenda after all. Good luck." With that, the line went dead.

Batman grabbed Derek by the collar of his coat and slung him far across the room. He hit the floor hard and winced.

"P..please, don't kill me, Batman!" Derek Powers begged. He was surprised that his pleading caused Batman to pause in his assault. He came clean immediately, "Its a hallucinogenic compound created by a scientist employed at Wayne Enterprises!"

"Is their a cure?" Batman asked as he slowly and threateningly stalked toward the frightened man cowering on the floor.

"Yes!"

Derek was soon emerged in the dark shadow of Batman again as he felt his bladder lose control and he then urinated on himself right there on the floor.

"I want that cure and I want the name of the man who created the toxin." Batman demanded.

Derek nodded obligingly, "It's yours and his name is Jonathon Crane."

"You're done here, Powers!" Batman declared. "If I see your face in Gotham City again after tonight the next time we meet want be this pleasant."

Derek nodded emphatically that he understood the not so veiled threat.