GCPD
Damian Kyle placed the last of the remaining items from his locker into a black duffel bag. He closed the locker and stared at the name KYLE posted on the front of it for several moments. He sighed and removed his name and threw it in the trash next to the door.
Standing in the doorway was Officer Renee Montoya. Her arms were crossed and she looked sad and pissed all at once.
Damian smiled sheepishly at her. He did have a genuine affection for the young cop. She was good at what she did and he'd grown pretty fond of her during his short stint within the Gotham City Police Department.
"That's it?" She asked. "You're going to just give me that goofy smile and leave it at that?"
Damian shrugged. "What do you want me to say, Renee?"
Montoya shook her head. "Now you have nothing to say, is that it? You couldn't keep your mouth shut earlier. That's why you don't have a job now because of that impulsive mouth of yours. You just couldn't stop bumping heads with Yindel and now Gotham will suffer for it with one less cop on the streets. A damn good cop at that, I might add."
"I appreciate you saying that, Renee. It means a lot, but I couldn't stand by while Yindel kept making dumb decisions. She was at Falcone's place tonight when I went to confront him. They seemed rather chummy."
Montoya shrugged, "So, What!? He's the new damn Mayor. She has to have dealings with the Mayor seeing how she is the Commissioner and all."
Damian shook his head. "Nah, it was more than that. At first I thought she was just a naive idiot but now I'm thinking it's more than that. She might be working for the bastard."
"Now you're just concocting theories out of your ass, Damian."
Damian kissed her on the side of her cheek. "Be careful out there, Renee."
He left without saying another word and she sighed exasperated and leaned against the door frame. He may not have been aware of it, but she too had grown rather fond of him as well.
GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL
He awoke to a sinister laughter that gave him goose bumps. He'd heard that laugh once before. Right before he'd been blown away to become what he was now.
Two-Face turned to see The Joker sitting in a chair beside his bed. He had a devilish grin planted on his face as he inspected the damage that his bomb had inflicted on the former District Attorney.
Two-Face tried reaching for the clown's throat so that he could choke the life from him but he was still restrained to the bed.
The Joker chuckled at his futile attempt to enact revenge upon him. "You know what I've grown to learn in my lifetime?"
"I'm gonna kill you, clown!" Two-Face shouted.
The Joker continued as if he hadn't heard the threat. "I've learned that life is nothing but a series of jokes. Even the most tragic of circumstances is nothing but a funny joke if you really just stop and reflect on it.
"Take your current predicament for instance. That explosion was supposed to kill you. Instead, it changed you. A metamorphosis took place and something far greater came from it. How is that for a joke?"
"Then finish the job!"
The Joker chuckled. "That would be a pretty anticlimactic end to the joke, Harvey. Your part in this story isn't over yet."
"What part is that?" Two-Face asked.
"You play a very integral part in the final act," The Joker explained. "You will be the one to bring about the end of Carmine Falcone, Mayor and Crime Lord of Gotham City."
"Aren't you working for Falcone?"
The Joker smiled as he stood up from the chair, "Sort of and not really."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I sort of work for him but actually don't. I work for myself and once he's gone I'll move in and take over his criminal empire."
Two-Face laughed disgustingly, "You want to be the new Crime Lord of Gotham? What a joke!"
The Joker grasped Two-Face by the shoulders and kissed the scarred side of his face. "Now you're getting it, You ugly son of a bitch! It is a joke. I want to take over his empire… and burn it to the ground. His brand of criminal is so cliche for this day and age."
The Joker rummaged inside his coat pocket and took out a large dollar coin. "You and I are the future of this city, Two-Face."
Two-Face eyed the dollar coin angrily, "Where did you get that?"
"Where do you think." The Joker released him from his restraints and placed the coin in Two-Face's hand. "Hugo Strange sends his regards and wishes you all the best in your quest for vengeance."
Two-Face gripped the coin tightly. It was an item he had clung to in his youth. His father had given it to him when he was just a boy. When he had developed his persona of Face, the coin had become a pivotal aspect of his life when it came to making decisions. He had carved an X on the tails side of the coin and whatever side the coin landed on decided on what course of action he'd take.
Two-Face glared at him. "My quest for vengeance begins with you, clown. After all, it was you who did this to me."
The Joker nodded. "You're welcome, by the way. I released you from the confines of the pansy that you were."
"You tried to kill me!" Two-Face shouted in fury.
"I did," The Joker agreed. "If it makes any difference to you, I'm glad you didn't die. You're way more interesting now."
"I'm going to flip this coin and if it lands on heads then you get to live. If it lands on tails then you die tonight. Right here and right now."
The Joker nodded, "Fair enough." He took out his purple pocket knife and handed it to Two-Face. He then leaned over and placed his own neck against the blade. "Flip away, Harv."
Two-Face flipped the coin in the air and when it landed back in his hand, it was on heads. He looked up and glared into The Joker's maniacal eyes.
The Joker burst out laughing. "Are you starting to get the joke now?"
STREETS OF GOTHAM
Damian Kyle had been walking with his duffel bag in hand for a couple of hours in the general direction of his apartment. He had decided to not take a cab after leaving GCPD. He felt he needed the long walk so that he could clear his head and figure out his next best course of action.
He was more committed than ever to bringing down Carmine Falcone. He just wasn't sure where to start. Before, he had the law to rely on but now he was just a civilian and no longer had the vast resources that was afforded to a police officer.
Perhaps I had been a bit brash when I got myself fired, he thought to himself.
Now that he had calmed down, he realized that maybe he should have gone about everything a whole different way. He could barely contain his rage though. The man who murdered his mother was still free out there and he felt helpless to do anything about it. He figured he could simply put a bullet in the man's head but that option spat on every principle he believed in.
What I really need is the Batman.
He was brought out of his contemplative state when he realized he was being followed. Out of his periphery he noticed four people following behind him. He quickened his pace and soon turned down an alley. If his followers meant ill will toward him then having the confines of the alley would aid him.
His plan was soon shot when five other people entered the other side of the alleyway. They were wearing clown masks and wearing a variety of bright colors. He looked at the four following behind him and they were also dressed up in clown masks. They all had a range of different weapons on them. Some had machetes while others had metal pipes, sledgehammers, and axes.
Shit! Nine against one is not very good odds.
He tossed his duffel bag to the side. "You fellas looking for directions to the nearest circus?"
One of the masked clowns sneered. "Real funny, Kyle. Lets see if you're still making jokes while we slice and dice ya."
" Slice and dice?" Damian repeated. "Y'all a new branch of the Mutant Gang or something?"
They came closer and one answered. "Nah, maggot. We're now known as The Jokerz."
Damian chuckled as he knelt down and grabbed a metal pipe laying on the ground next to a dumpster, "Okay then. Well, I'm guessing you were hired to kill me, seeing that you know my name and all."
The nearest Jokerz gang member nodded. "That's right, maggot. Carmine Falcone says you been asking too many questions and you should let dead bitches stay dead."
The Jokerz gang member barely finished that last sentence before Damian cracked him upside the head with the metal pipe. He fell down cold and the others quickly advanced on him.
Damian knew that this was a fight that he could not win but he had every intention of taking down as many of them as he could before they got the better of him.
He elbowed another one in the face and caught another by the leg as they tried to kick him. He forced the Jokerz' kneecap out of joint and he fell down screaming. He then blocked one who had a machete with his pipe as it was swinging down toward his face.
Damian saw out of his periphery another coming toward him with an axe. If he turned to face the axe wielder then the machete wielder would finish him off and if he didn't turn to face the axe wielder then he was soon to be chopped to pieces. He started to feel the futility of the situation in what he believed was his last moments on earth.
He closed his eyes. Sorry, mom. I tried to bring justice to your killer but it looks like I'm gonna join you instead.
Then a shadow fell from the sky.
"The Batman!" One of them exclaimed.
Damian heard the Jokerz scream out in terror and he opened his eyes to see Batman land on top of the clown holding the axe. The clown went down with a sickening crunch.
Damian took advantage of the awestruck machete wielder and relinquished him of his weapon and swung the metal pipe upside his head, knocking him out cold.
Batman made quick work of the remaining members who were brave enough to face him while the others started to run away in terror. He took out his grapple gun and shot it toward the nearest fleeing gang member.
A line shot out and wrapped the Jokerz' member up around the leg. He pulled the petrified member toward him and then lifted him off the ground and slammed him against the wall.
"Tell Falcone that you failed and that I'm coming for him!" Batman said menacingly.
The Jokerz gang membered stammered, "Its not Falcone you should be worried about."
"Who should we worry about then?" Damian asked as he approached Batman's side.
The gang member chuckled as he answered, "The Joker!"
"The Joker?" Damian asked confused. "The psychopath that's been dead for thirty years? That Joker?"
"He's not dead anymore," the gang member said. "He's back and he's angry."
Batman slammed the gang member's head against the wall, knocking him out cold.
"He's crazy, right?" Damian asked.
Batman was silent for a long moment and then looked at Damian. "The Joker is back in a manner of speaking. He had a son and now he's taken up his father's mantle."
Damian was flabbergasted. "A son?"
Batman nodded. "He must be working for Falcone now."
"Thanks for saving me," Damian said. "Again."
"You have to stop putting yourself at risk," Batman chided. "If you're going to stand up to the corruption in this city then you can't do it as yourself. That's how they find you."
"I'm just trying to do what's right," Damian argued. "Like you. You brought hope back to this city and I'm just trying to help." He hesitated before continuing. "Of course I'm not doing too good of a job at helping right now."
"You're doing fine, Damian. You just need a little guidance."
"You know who I am?"
Batman removed his cowl to reveal the face of Bruce Wayne underneath. "Of course I do. You're my son."
Damian's eyes widened in shock. "You're Batman!?"
Bruce nodded and placed his hand on Damian's shoulder, "We've got a lot to talk about."