Chapter 3: Friendly Fire
One can gauge the health of Gotham by its docks. Once they were bustling with activity, ships docking, unloading cargo, men and women hard at work, a sign of Gotham City's wealth and prosperity. Now they lie vacant with nary a sign of life, the eerie calm only momentarily broken by waves lapping against the land, or a sudden splash signifying another flight from this world. The docks now represent Gotham's fall from grace. 'Of course the Joker would choose such a place,' thinks the dark knight, 'Such misery suits him well. Must be like home to him.'
The Joker chose the perfect time as well, and the dark knight frowns at this. 8 pm, when darkness is young and the streets are filled with a bustling populace, making the sky, the quickest and most taxing route, his only means of travel. It took him 25 minutes to swing across town from Crime Alley to the warehouse and another minute to gain a vantage point on the roof. He looks at his watch. 7:55 pm. Peering through the only skylight he sees a circle of light directly below, the only lit section in the entire building. In the centre of the light a purple zoot-suited and fedora wearing Joker, with a gun in one hand and a watch in the other, stands in front of a bound and gagged Gordon who is wearing the same fedora. Joker then lifts the gun slowly towards the Commissioner's temple and Gordon defiantly stares at it, his eyes filled with rage.
'You're early, Joker,' Batman thinks. 'Why is it you never make it easy?'
The Batman reaches behind his back and unhooks the Huntress' crossbow. Firmly gripping the weapon he leaps through the skylight, igniting a rain of glass shards upon the two men below. As the Joker cocks his gun the Batman aims and fires a single bolt. Despite the millions of glass particles falling down not one deflects the bolt from its path into the Joker's gun wielding hand. The Joker's hand painfully spasms and he drops the gun as Batman softly lands between him and Gordon.
Recovering quickly the Batman reaches behind his back and removes Robin's collapsible bo-staff from his utility belt. With lightning reflexes he rams the collapsed bo into Joker's gut, then in a single motion snaps the bo open with his right hand and uses it to give a crushing uppercut. His left hand follows with a blow to Joker's right cheek causing the mad clown to stagger backwards in a daze. The Batman then rushes at him.
'Damn it Joker, why do you always make it so hard? Why?' The Batman sees his two hands grab the bo as he prepares to crush it across Joker's windpipe. 'Why...why is there white powder on my left glove?' Instantly the Batman hears the telltale click of a gun about to fire and he smacks the bo hard to the ground in mid-stride and uses it as a pole vault to leap over his still stunned foe. As Batman reaches the top of his leap a hail of gunfire erupts, riddling the air with dozens of deadly projectiles. Several strike the mad clown and his body jerks as each one finds its mark, another punches the bo staff square in the centre, shattering it, while yet another pierces Batman's left shoulder. Adjusting for the loss of the bo the Batman rolls with the landing and upon recovery reaches for Batgirl's batarang with line and hurls it towards the flashing muzzle lurking just outside the light's reach. It twists around its target and Batman pulls on the line with Herculean strength. Into the light comes the Tommy gun with two purple gloved hands gripping it firmly, and stumbling after it, another Joker!
"You want it so bad, here you go!" the Joker yells as he releases his grip just as Batman gives another tug on the line. The Batman catches the gun and hurls it aside deep into the darkness.
"Oops, looks as though I've gone and killed myself!" the Joker remarks upon looking at the pale faced corpse nearby. "Well, not really me, just a reasonable facsimile. You certainly took your time in figuring that out, Batman. Maybe you've lost something since we last met. Don't worry, we'll find out soon enough. Please make yourself comfortable while I look for another gun, after all, my house is your house."
The Batman merely reaches back once more and removes Nightwing's fighting sticks from his utility belt. Gripping them firmly he prepares for combat. The Joker responds by removing the remote from his pocket. "Here, this will help you relax," the Joker sneers as he presses down on the power button. The TV flickers on and a children's puppet show appears.
"Ever have one of those days?" the Joker remarks shaking his head in disbelief. The Batman begins to run at his adversary, but just before he reaches the Joker two powerful arms grab him from behind and fold into a vice-like choke hold stopping him cold.
"Hey! Guess I pushed the right button after all!" Joker laughs as he steps back into the darkness. "Play nice children! Daddy will be back soon!"
Struggling for air the Batman smashes one of the sticks back into his assailant's face. The grip loosens and Batman follows with two more swift blows. Free! The Batman then takes two steps forward, turns and enters a fighting stance. Now he looks at his opponent for the first time.
"Jim?"
A contorted look of pure hatred is the Commissioner's only reply. He then lunges at Batman, fists flailing wildly. Each swipe is expertly parried with the fighting sticks.
"Jim. Fight it," the Batman pleads as the two duel. Still the blows come at him.
'The punches, they're fast. Too fast for someone the Commissioner's age. He's got augmented speed,' the Batman thinks.
"Jim...please. I don't want to hurt you."
Still more wild swings. Each one is deflected, but the Batman's energy is waning. A night of rooftop travel and battle has begun to take its toll.
'What has the Joker done to you?' Already his wounded shoulder aches with fatigue. 'Drugs? Hypnosis? What's the trigger? The TV?'
The Batman momentarily stops his dodging to hurl one of the fighting sticks at the television. As the set explodes upon impact the Commissioner takes advantage of the opening and delivers a sledgehammer of a punch to the Batman's stomach. He falls to his knees and spits blood as the punches continue. The Batman tries to absorb them, "Jim...please..." He grips the stick in his two hands, using it as a focus, forcing himself to absorb the pain, to avoid hurting his friend. The stick soon snaps into two sharpened fragments.
Out of desperation Batman points a fragment upwards just as the Commissioner sends another blow crashing down. At first the Commissioner doesn't notice as his arm is impaled, but after a moment he steps back and pulls the stick out! The Batman steps back as well to catch his breath. He looks down at the remaining fragment in his hand and shakes his head in disbelief. He tosses it aside.
'Not the TV,' he thinks. 'Not drugs. He's too fast and strong. He has his wits. But what else can give him the strength and tolerance to pain?'
"Damn it! You're 60 years old, Jim! If you keep this pace up it'll kill you!"
The Commissioner charges Batman, and with his heightened speed manages to tackle him. The sudden impact jars Batman's senses and as the Commissioner looms over him, fists striking across his face, he finally notices the purple fedora. 'Just like one the phoney Joker wore. Of course!'
Under constant battering the Batman reaches up and manages to pry the hat off the Commissioner's head causing Gordon to scream in agony as he falls to the ground face first. The Batman rises unsteadily to his feet and removes a small device from within the hat. 'Of course,' he thinks, 'one of the Mad Hatter's mind-control devices!' He grabs his wounded shoulder and winces. His body aches as he looks at his unconscious friend, 'Damn it, why didn't I see it sooner? Why?'
As if in answer to Batman's thoughts Gordon gurgles "help."
Batman takes his friend and sets him up against a nearby wooden crate.
"I'm sorry, Jim. I'm sorry, I..." he murmurs as he tries to tend to Gordon's more serious wounds with the limited first aid kit in his utility belt.
"Save it," Gordon mumbles, blood dripping from his face as he speaks, letting his mutilated arm lay limp at his side. "I told you to think...and you did...eventually..."
"This time," Batman responds. "The Joker, he's known since the bridge, I'm not the same. It's his turf, his rules. This whole place is a deathtrap and even at my best it would be touch and go, but now...now I nearly killed you!"
"I know," Gordon answers. "You've still got to stop him, still got to try. If he gets by us, how many more will die? How many more friends will we have to bury?" Gordon can feel his strength fade as he struggles to stay on his feet, "I'm no use like this...it's up to you... any means necessary...war..." and his head droops down.
The Batman finishes his first aid work, hands his friend his belt radio and gives him the gun the fake Joker had. He knows the radio won't pierce the walls of this building, the Joker is too smart to allow that, but at least this will give Gordon hope.
The Batman reaches up into his mask and feels for a bullet shaped scar he knows isn't there before setting off into the darkness after the Joker.
"Any means necessary...war..." Gordon repeats in a whisper. As Batman leaves the Commissioner manages to lift his head and look through his blood soaked face to notice an unmistakable silver shine on Batman's utility belt.
'Dear lord,' thinks Gordon, 'what have I done?'
TO BE CONTINUED…
One can gauge the health of Gotham by its docks. Once they were bustling with activity, ships docking, unloading cargo, men and women hard at work, a sign of Gotham City's wealth and prosperity. Now they lie vacant with nary a sign of life, the eerie calm only momentarily broken by waves lapping against the land, or a sudden splash signifying another flight from this world. The docks now represent Gotham's fall from grace. 'Of course the Joker would choose such a place,' thinks the dark knight, 'Such misery suits him well. Must be like home to him.'
The Joker chose the perfect time as well, and the dark knight frowns at this. 8 pm, when darkness is young and the streets are filled with a bustling populace, making the sky, the quickest and most taxing route, his only means of travel. It took him 25 minutes to swing across town from Crime Alley to the warehouse and another minute to gain a vantage point on the roof. He looks at his watch. 7:55 pm. Peering through the only skylight he sees a circle of light directly below, the only lit section in the entire building. In the centre of the light a purple zoot-suited and fedora wearing Joker, with a gun in one hand and a watch in the other, stands in front of a bound and gagged Gordon who is wearing the same fedora. Joker then lifts the gun slowly towards the Commissioner's temple and Gordon defiantly stares at it, his eyes filled with rage.
'You're early, Joker,' Batman thinks. 'Why is it you never make it easy?'
The Batman reaches behind his back and unhooks the Huntress' crossbow. Firmly gripping the weapon he leaps through the skylight, igniting a rain of glass shards upon the two men below. As the Joker cocks his gun the Batman aims and fires a single bolt. Despite the millions of glass particles falling down not one deflects the bolt from its path into the Joker's gun wielding hand. The Joker's hand painfully spasms and he drops the gun as Batman softly lands between him and Gordon.
Recovering quickly the Batman reaches behind his back and removes Robin's collapsible bo-staff from his utility belt. With lightning reflexes he rams the collapsed bo into Joker's gut, then in a single motion snaps the bo open with his right hand and uses it to give a crushing uppercut. His left hand follows with a blow to Joker's right cheek causing the mad clown to stagger backwards in a daze. The Batman then rushes at him.
'Damn it Joker, why do you always make it so hard? Why?' The Batman sees his two hands grab the bo as he prepares to crush it across Joker's windpipe. 'Why...why is there white powder on my left glove?' Instantly the Batman hears the telltale click of a gun about to fire and he smacks the bo hard to the ground in mid-stride and uses it as a pole vault to leap over his still stunned foe. As Batman reaches the top of his leap a hail of gunfire erupts, riddling the air with dozens of deadly projectiles. Several strike the mad clown and his body jerks as each one finds its mark, another punches the bo staff square in the centre, shattering it, while yet another pierces Batman's left shoulder. Adjusting for the loss of the bo the Batman rolls with the landing and upon recovery reaches for Batgirl's batarang with line and hurls it towards the flashing muzzle lurking just outside the light's reach. It twists around its target and Batman pulls on the line with Herculean strength. Into the light comes the Tommy gun with two purple gloved hands gripping it firmly, and stumbling after it, another Joker!
"You want it so bad, here you go!" the Joker yells as he releases his grip just as Batman gives another tug on the line. The Batman catches the gun and hurls it aside deep into the darkness.
"Oops, looks as though I've gone and killed myself!" the Joker remarks upon looking at the pale faced corpse nearby. "Well, not really me, just a reasonable facsimile. You certainly took your time in figuring that out, Batman. Maybe you've lost something since we last met. Don't worry, we'll find out soon enough. Please make yourself comfortable while I look for another gun, after all, my house is your house."
The Batman merely reaches back once more and removes Nightwing's fighting sticks from his utility belt. Gripping them firmly he prepares for combat. The Joker responds by removing the remote from his pocket. "Here, this will help you relax," the Joker sneers as he presses down on the power button. The TV flickers on and a children's puppet show appears.
"Ever have one of those days?" the Joker remarks shaking his head in disbelief. The Batman begins to run at his adversary, but just before he reaches the Joker two powerful arms grab him from behind and fold into a vice-like choke hold stopping him cold.
"Hey! Guess I pushed the right button after all!" Joker laughs as he steps back into the darkness. "Play nice children! Daddy will be back soon!"
Struggling for air the Batman smashes one of the sticks back into his assailant's face. The grip loosens and Batman follows with two more swift blows. Free! The Batman then takes two steps forward, turns and enters a fighting stance. Now he looks at his opponent for the first time.
"Jim?"
A contorted look of pure hatred is the Commissioner's only reply. He then lunges at Batman, fists flailing wildly. Each swipe is expertly parried with the fighting sticks.
"Jim. Fight it," the Batman pleads as the two duel. Still the blows come at him.
'The punches, they're fast. Too fast for someone the Commissioner's age. He's got augmented speed,' the Batman thinks.
"Jim...please. I don't want to hurt you."
Still more wild swings. Each one is deflected, but the Batman's energy is waning. A night of rooftop travel and battle has begun to take its toll.
'What has the Joker done to you?' Already his wounded shoulder aches with fatigue. 'Drugs? Hypnosis? What's the trigger? The TV?'
The Batman momentarily stops his dodging to hurl one of the fighting sticks at the television. As the set explodes upon impact the Commissioner takes advantage of the opening and delivers a sledgehammer of a punch to the Batman's stomach. He falls to his knees and spits blood as the punches continue. The Batman tries to absorb them, "Jim...please..." He grips the stick in his two hands, using it as a focus, forcing himself to absorb the pain, to avoid hurting his friend. The stick soon snaps into two sharpened fragments.
Out of desperation Batman points a fragment upwards just as the Commissioner sends another blow crashing down. At first the Commissioner doesn't notice as his arm is impaled, but after a moment he steps back and pulls the stick out! The Batman steps back as well to catch his breath. He looks down at the remaining fragment in his hand and shakes his head in disbelief. He tosses it aside.
'Not the TV,' he thinks. 'Not drugs. He's too fast and strong. He has his wits. But what else can give him the strength and tolerance to pain?'
"Damn it! You're 60 years old, Jim! If you keep this pace up it'll kill you!"
The Commissioner charges Batman, and with his heightened speed manages to tackle him. The sudden impact jars Batman's senses and as the Commissioner looms over him, fists striking across his face, he finally notices the purple fedora. 'Just like one the phoney Joker wore. Of course!'
Under constant battering the Batman reaches up and manages to pry the hat off the Commissioner's head causing Gordon to scream in agony as he falls to the ground face first. The Batman rises unsteadily to his feet and removes a small device from within the hat. 'Of course,' he thinks, 'one of the Mad Hatter's mind-control devices!' He grabs his wounded shoulder and winces. His body aches as he looks at his unconscious friend, 'Damn it, why didn't I see it sooner? Why?'
As if in answer to Batman's thoughts Gordon gurgles "help."
Batman takes his friend and sets him up against a nearby wooden crate.
"I'm sorry, Jim. I'm sorry, I..." he murmurs as he tries to tend to Gordon's more serious wounds with the limited first aid kit in his utility belt.
"Save it," Gordon mumbles, blood dripping from his face as he speaks, letting his mutilated arm lay limp at his side. "I told you to think...and you did...eventually..."
"This time," Batman responds. "The Joker, he's known since the bridge, I'm not the same. It's his turf, his rules. This whole place is a deathtrap and even at my best it would be touch and go, but now...now I nearly killed you!"
"I know," Gordon answers. "You've still got to stop him, still got to try. If he gets by us, how many more will die? How many more friends will we have to bury?" Gordon can feel his strength fade as he struggles to stay on his feet, "I'm no use like this...it's up to you... any means necessary...war..." and his head droops down.
The Batman finishes his first aid work, hands his friend his belt radio and gives him the gun the fake Joker had. He knows the radio won't pierce the walls of this building, the Joker is too smart to allow that, but at least this will give Gordon hope.
The Batman reaches up into his mask and feels for a bullet shaped scar he knows isn't there before setting off into the darkness after the Joker.
"Any means necessary...war..." Gordon repeats in a whisper. As Batman leaves the Commissioner manages to lift his head and look through his blood soaked face to notice an unmistakable silver shine on Batman's utility belt.
'Dear lord,' thinks Gordon, 'what have I done?'
TO BE CONTINUED…