AN:  It's 2 in the morning and I have to be up at 7.  This idea struck me as I was thinking about drawing a little doujinshi.  I figured it might be easier to write this first, then draw it.  Warning:  few bits of cussing.  Proceed with the story.

~Saitou Meets the Joker~

Kenshin quietly sat down.  According to Kaoru, something important had happened.  But what it was, Kenshin was not sure.  What made him most uncomfortable was that Saitou had personally come to warn the residents of the Kamiya dojo.  What made it worse was that he was staying to talk with Kenshin about the event that occurred.  He hoped it would not end with a sword fight.

Saitou sat across from Kenshin.  It was plain on the ex-samurai's features that he did not want the Miburo there.  "Listen, Himura, I'd rather not be here, but I was instructed to.  It's been said that a criminal has escaped from an American prison across the ocean."

"What's your point?" Kenshin inwardly scowled.  "That's over there, not here."

"I know you don't want me here either, but listen to what I have to say.  Rumor has it that the felon has escaped America all together.  Where he is, no one is for sure.  But, some say that he's made his way to Japan, and may be in Tokyo this very minute."

"How dangerous is he?" Caution lined Kenshin's voice.

Saitou knew why the man before him asked.  He wished to know if the American felon would pose a threat to Kaoru.

"He's dangerous enough to worry about.  Also…"

A scream pierced through the room the men were in.  Kenshin, with god like speed, raced from where he sat to Kaoru's side.  "Kaoru-dono, what is it?"

"Why you son of…" Sano yelled.

Kaoru lay on the ground, huddled.  Her knees to her chest.  "S-scary…" she murmured, her eyes glazed over.

Kenshin looked to where Sano was.  He was hacking and gagging from a green smoke that surrounded him.  "Sano."  He ran to his friend.

"Now where's that police man I heard so much about?" A voice asked from the shade of a tree.

Kenshin looked up to find a tall man.  He wore a bright purple suit with a corsage.  His face was white, with bright red lips that were turned upward in something larger than a smile.  His hair was green and was almost everywhere. 

The man smoothed out his hair.  "That pesky friend of yours gave me a good amount of trouble." He walked into the sun.

Kenshin looked down to his feet, where Sano lay.  The young fighter was unconscious.  Kenshin's eyes appeared to flash an amber color.  He drew his sakaba.  "Who are you and what did you do to him?"  He snarled, glaring.

The green haired man waved a hand.  "That's a nice sword ya got there.  But, I'm not picking a fight with you."  He walked by Kenshin, ignoring the sword to his back.  He stopped and looked at Kaoru on the ground and laughed.  He continued on.

Kenshin followed the crazy man.  He did not budge at the sight of the sakaba.  He obviously did not know that Kenshin used to be Battousai.  Without much work, but probably many tricks, he knocked out Sano.  He had Kaoru rocking back and forth from fear.  Yahiko was nowhere to be found.  This man was looking for something.  'Is this the felon from America Saitou was speaking about?'  "Who are you and what do you want." Kenshin growled from behind the man's back.

The man turned slowly.  His grin was larger than it was before, his eyes were large and he gave an ear-shattering laugh.  Kenshin immediately withdrew.  He knew why Kaoru was the way she was.  This man was not only crazy, but he could be freakishly scary as well, especially with the clown get-up.

"I am the Joker."  He bore his teeth.  He towered over the ex-samurai.  His eyes seemed to burn into Kenshin's soul.

Kenshin stepped back, one step at a time.  'This guy's demonically scary.  He's worse that Shishio.'

The Joker turned around and made his way to the dojo.  In his path stood Saitou.  "What's with that scowl?  You're obviously not a happy man."  He grinned again.

"Aku. Soku. Zan."  Saitou stood in the Gotatsu stance.  He darted forward, but spun around as a liquid and gas clouded up his eyes.  "Damn it!"

"The bat never succeeded to kill me.  What makes you think you will?  You are a sad man indeed.  You need to smile and laugh more."  The Joker reached forward, grabbing Saitou's katana, yanking it from the blind mans grip.

Saitou dodged forward, punching at the man.  He could not see, but knew where the Joker was.  Every punch he made did not hit anything.

"Come now.  You don't want to do this."  The Joker hit Saitou on the head causing the man to quit his struggle.  He dragged the police officer into one of the dojo rooms and shut the rice paper door.

Kenshin watched all that happened.  'He easily kept out of Saitou's reach.  What is that man?'

A groan sounded behind Kenshin.  "Sano!"  He ran to his younger friend.  "Sano, are you alright?"

The young brute nodded.  "He's dead." Sano growled, spitting onto the ground.

A scream echoed across the dojo yard.  Startling Kaoru back to the way she was before the Joker arrived.  She was aware of her surroundings and ran for Kenshin.  "Who was that?"

Another scream sounded.

Kenshin winced.  It wasn't the fact that Kaoru was probably cutting the circulation off to his left arm, but that he knew that the screaming came from Saitou.  'What is that maniac doing to him?'

Kenshin slowly walked to the room that the other two men were in.  Kaoru followed, still gripping his arm.  They both jumped back each time a scream came out.  Sano did the same, unaware as to what was happening at the moment.  The group of three made it to the rice paper door, placing their ears to the paper to hear what was going on inside the room.  The screams quieted down after the eleventh or twelfth one.  Silence stood in the dojo for a matter of hours.  The group of three were afraid to open the door.

They sat around a tree, whispering as to what had happened, what they thought was happening and what they thought might later happen.  They figured that the Joker was the escaped American convict.

A rasp broke the silence.  The rice paper door opened.  The Joker waltzed out, a smile spread on his face.  He ignored the group as he left the dojo through the front gate.

Once gone, Kaoru, Kenshin and Sano ran to the room Saitou was in, but what they saw caused them to run.

Saitou swayed back and forth, somewhat twirling out of the room.  A smile replaced his straight mouth.  His eyes were large and demonic like the Joker's had been.  He was boisterously laughing, his voice carrying past the dojo walls to travelers on the road.  The Joker had struck and succeeded.  Saitou was one of many that had fallen victim to the Joker.  The rest of Tokyo lay at his feet and no one could do a thing, not even Kenshin, who, for the first time, was too scared to think about looking his opponent in the eyes.

~The End~

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Disclaimer:  I do not in any way own anyone from Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own the Joker from Batman.

AN:  Forgive me.  I know that there is a major time difference.  Not to mention, that I haven't seen batman or read the comics in forever, so, the Joker may not sound or act like he should exactly.  And yes, Kenshin isn't talking in his old fashioned way.  Why would he at a moment like this?  Oh, and I'm sorry if it wasn't that good.  But, please review.  It will be oh so helpful.