Chapter Seven
"Even though the cavern had been hollowed out, there were still many nooks and crannies to hide in or man sized outcroppings to hide behind. All five of us found a place to hide where we could still see everything going on below. The scaffolding had all been moved to the edges of the cavern and the men were moving many of the crates to the center, stacking them randomly. The bosses were sitting around a table playing cards.
"We waited and watched for over an hour before Batman gave the signal. We launched magnesium flares and smoke bombs before leaping into the main area. Resistance was met almost immediately but the confusion helped us. If anyone started shooting, they would more than likely hit one of their buddies before hitting one of us.
"That didn't stop Two-Face, however. He pulled two pistols and fired straight ahead of him, not caring who he hit. I was the closest to him and saw several men fall. I leapt to the side, somersaulting over one man and landing a heel on the jaw of another. Someone elbowed me in the ribs and knocked the breath out of me. I fell to the floor, curled into a ball, rolled backwards and rose to my feet. I saw a fist out of the corner of my eye, blocked it and delivered a roundhouse kick to the man's mid-section. He fell back with a grunt, taking the man behind him down at the same time.
"It was complete pandemonium. I was so busy trying to dodge, feint and parry that I had no time to see where the others were or what was happening to them. I was in a constant state of movement. I leapfrogged over another man and came up behind Two-Face but before I could do anything a fist knocked me in the back of the head. I rolled with the blow but still saw black spots dance before my eyes. I fell to the floor and quickly rolled onto my back, ready to defend myself, but Robin had beat me too it. He'd come up behind my attacker and knocked him with a Bo-staff. Robin gave me a "thumbs up" and darted off.
"I tried to refocus on Two-Face but he had run off. I looked around while dodging another fist and saw the Joker climbing a scaffolding platform. I made my way to another platform and climbed, ready to take the high-road to him. I was still forty feet from him when he pulled out a remote control device and pressed a button.
"Small explosions rocked the cavern like a series of fireworks that circled the entire base of the room. They didn't do much damage but it did get everyone's attention. Almost all fighting suddenly stopped and all eyes turned to the Joker, his laughter echoing off the walls.
""Where are you Bats," Joker said. His voice carried more authority and command than I'd ever heard.
""Give it up, Joker," Batman said. He was standing near the center of the room, on top of the biggest crate there. "You can't get away. Not this time."
"The Joker laughed harder. "As always, Bats, you've got it wrong. I don't want to escape. I was just waiting for you to show up so I could see your face before I destroyed your precious Gotham." He waved the remote in the air. "You're standing on my swan song. One of three nuclear warheads buried under Gotham."
"Batman started to grab the edge of the crate he was standing on, but the Joker stopped him. "Any attempt to open that crate will set off the warhead, as well as the other two."
""Joker! You double-crossing son-of-"
""Shut up, Croc, you idiot. Do you really think I'd join with you losers if there wasn't something in it for me? I need you to distract Batboy until I had everything ready. I have a powerful friend who wants Bats out of the way, even if it takes obliterating Gotham City to do it."
""And what do you get out of that, Joker? Batman asked. "You'll die as well." What could you possibly get out of your own death?"
"The Joker's smile chilled my blood. From where I was I could see a change come over his face and there was something I'd never seen there before. Sanity. I still wonder if he lost so much of his sanity that he made a complete circle or if he'd regained enough to go completely over the edge by what he'd become. It was a study in contradictions either way. His one word answer to Batman's question made me realize how high the stakes really were, that this wasn't just another game to him. He said, "Peace."
"I started to charge him, reaching behind me for a bat-a-rang to throw but a figure in red and green beat me to it. Robin had managed to climb the wall behind the joker while he was talking and leapt the short distance to the platform. He may have even taken the Joker by surprise, but he gave a battle cry as he jumped. The Joker caught him in the throat with an elbow as he landed. Robin fell to the platform on all fours trying to pull a breath through his damaged windpipe. The Joker then reached behind him and pulled a .45 from a holster. He pressed it to the back of Robin's head.
""Hey, Riddler," Joker called out. "What kind of bird changes its species? A robin, when it becomes a dead duck."
"Joker pulled the trigger and Jason's face disintegrated. The gunshot echoed throughout the cavern, resonating off the walls. His body slumped forward with a thud.
""No!" I screamed. I ran forwarded, blinded by rage. If I reached him, I was going to kill him. I wanted to wrap my hand around his throat and watch him die slowly. I ran across my platform, jumping onto the one that stood between us. As I ran, he took careful aim and fired.
"The unsteadiness of the scaffolding caused my balance to shift at the right moment and the first bullet barely grazed my shoulder. The second one, however, found its mark. I didn't feel pain as it ripped though my gut, only extreme warmth. I was actually surprised when I landed on the platform face first and found that I couldn't get up. My body wouldn't respond to my commands.
"That's when the pain hit. It landed so hard I couldn't even scream.
"The Joker walked over to me and turned me over, using the toe of his shoe under my shoulder to do it. I rolled, helpless, and saw his grinning white face looking into mine. My vision was blurring around the edges, but he was crystal clear. He pointed the gun straight down at my face, his head tilted slightly, as if he were suddenly filled with curiosity.
""See you around," he said, but before he could pull the trigger, another shape suddenly came into view. Catwoman came out of nowhere, silent as her namesake, hitting the Joker with a full body tackle. Then both disappeared from view.
