Disclaimer: none of the characters belong to me, they belong to DC, and Time Warner.
BATMAN: the last laugh.
Gothom city. A city with streets marked with pain and loss. It is diseased with crime. Many innocents lives suffer in the streets and ghettos of Gothom, while the fortunate and wealthy live off the backs of the poor. A small and overworked police force work desperately to maintain order in a city that defies them. And the war on crime is never ending. But one man, who has become the night and darkness of the city, fights alone against its evil. Scarred by tragedy, he made a promise to the streets and to himself, that he would use all that he had, every resource and every bit of himself he had to give, to his mission. His mission, to stand and fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and avenge the victims of Gothom's cruelty. His name once was Bruce Wayne, but now that is just a shell. His true name, the name he gave himself to strike fear into the hearts of the wicked, is The Batman.
It was day, cold and rainy, but the sun still shined through the gray clouds. But even a warrior of the night, is sometimes needed before dusk. The Batman peered over to the building across the street. The Commissioner had filled him in on the details. An office building, the building he was now watching carefully, was being held hostage by his long time foe and ultimate enemy; the Joker. The circumstances seemed odd. It wasn't the jokers style to hold up an office building, far too boring for his tastes. But still it was too early to tell what the Joker was really planning . When the Joker is concerned, nothing is what it seems.
The Batman thought to himself, planning on how he would enter the building, how he would minimalize the risk of harm coming to the hostages, and how he would make certain that the Joker wouldn't escape. Looking closer through the windows with a pair of small binoculars, he noted that inside the building there where eight hostages: five men, three women. Next to them were only the Joker's dysfunctional girlfriend Harley Quin, and the menacing clown himself.
The Joker was carrying what looked like a large vile of green smog, his patented laughing gas. Instantly lethal to anyone who breathes it in, leaving them dead and with an eerie grin across their face.
That would be Batman's first target, get the toxin away from the joker and make sure it can't be released.
Bracing himself for the ordeal to come. Batman fires a batarang across the gap between the two buildings and swings off into the beginning of the most difficult challenge of his life.
Crashing through the window of the office building, Batman rolls onto the ground letting his inertia carry him. In a single fluid motion , he tosses aside his cape and throws three batarangs before the villains can react to his presence. The first knocking Harley Quin in the head, forcing her to the ground. The second grazing the Joker's temple, just enough to distract him from the third batarang which strikes the joker's hand causing him to let go of the container of venomous gas. Knowing that he cannot allow the container to break, the Batman dives forward grasping the large vial inches above the ground and spinning onto his back to absorb the fall.
Flipping to his feet and having gotten the poison away from the Joker, the immediate threat was narrowly avoided, but now Batman must stop the Joker himself and keep the vial safe. Getting up from the ground Harley Quin took her place at the Joker's side, tense and ready to attack she waited next to her lunatic mate for the opportune time to attack.
"glad you could join our little party bats, I was hoping that you'd show up. Its not much of a get together without you." the joker said with a frightening smile.
"You're not getting away Joker, I'm taking you back to Arkam" says Batman.
"sorry to disappoint you Batty but I'm not going there today, oh no, I have much more fun plans in mind!" retorted the Joker. As he pulled out a ridiculous looking revolver that looked more like a toy squirt gun.
Grabbing a nearby man from the group of hostages by the arm, the Joker pulled the man toward him and held him at gunpoint. Tensing Batman analyzed the situation. The hostage was tall and thin. He had a sickly look to him, and was wearing glasses and a business suit. The man was clearly sweating and very scared by his predicament.
'um puddin" said Harley Quin "this wasn't apart of the plan, we were just supposed to set the vile off when Bats showed up and disappear."
" Harley, you know me better than that, I don't follow plans, I make stuff up at the seat of my pin stripped pants!" marked the Joker. "now back to the matter at hand" he was pointing the gun at the hostages head "okay buddy oh pal oh friend of mine, if you answer me three simple questions, I'll let you live, you don't you die. Simple enough?"
"y-yes" said the terrified hostage.
"okay super duper, now stay back bats, who knows if long johns here does well, you might not even have to save him at all!" chuckled the comedian.
Batman wasn't about to let the Joker have his way, preparing a batarang behind his cape, he waited for an opening.
" question number one! Are you ready? This'll be fun! I promise! Okay, what is your name?"
Confused the hostage answered " G-Gerald Huckleberry"
" Huckleberry? Wow, that's funky. But hey I guess its better than just 'man' like our pointy headed friend over there." the Joker forced the gun into the Gerald's temple, and pulled back the hammer, preparing the gun to fire. " two more to go, this is easy, and think real hard about this because this test might really be your FINAL exam!" the joker laughed at his own joke, before returning to ask the second question. " number two. Have you, Gerald Huckleberry, ever been so frustrated with work that you thought, even for the tiniest second, about going on a rampage and killing your co-workers?"
Batman knew where this was going. Another one of the Joker's attempts at illustrating how everyman is just a step away from insanity. It was the Joker's sick urge to bring everyone down with him.
"n-no, of course not!" said Mr. Huckleberry.
"are you sure?" pressed the joker. " are you really really super sure? Because I think your lying. But that's okay I'll give you a second chance. Question two point five, have you ever thought about killing your co-workers?"
Exchanging a brief glance at Batman the stressed worker choked out an answer:
"y-yes I have, but I never was going to go through with it. Y'know, just a tough day and it passed through my head, its nothing at all."
'ah! I knew it I knew it I knew it! It happens to everybody. Long day at the office, working late in a dead end job, the idea is bound to enter your head sooner or later, that's normal. But that sets up my third and final question, and if you pass then you're a free man. No more hostage situations, no more life threatening ordeals, just simple upper middle class management ."
Batman finally realized why the joker targeted this place. He wanted to provoke stressed out people into doing things they'll regret. And this is as good a place as any to find those kinds of people.
" last question, this is it." taunted the Joker " why didn't you do it? What stopped you?"
Scared an desperate Gerald huckleberry gives his final answer.
"w-well……..b-because I didn't want to go to jail. Id be arrested. Not to mention lose my job, my life and any kind of reputation I've ever had."
The Joker listened carefully to this answer, and he seemed to think about it for a second before saying anything. " so you were afraid that justice would be served. That you would have to pay for your crimes? HA! HA! don't you know? There is no justice! Its all a lie, and joke played on the people by the higher ups! Justice is just a way of keeping order, and order is always an option!"
The Joker laughed loudly, tossing the traumatized Gerald back with the other hostages. Once the hostage was safe Batman immediately acted, charging into the Joker's direction, leaping into the air kicking Harley Quin out of the way, Batman punched Joker across the face forcing him to drop his weapon and knocking him through a cubical and into a wall.
Coughing up blood, the Joker rose to his feet while reaching into his jacket pocket . Out of it he pulled out what looked like a remote control. Placing his finger onto a red button in its center the Joker laughed.
" better hold your breath guano boy, its about to get a little cloudy in here!" the joker said as he laughed maniacally.
'He had the toxin set up to a remote control the whole time!' Thought Batman.
The joker and Harley Quin are immune to the poison, but Batman and the hostages are not! As the Hostages crowded in fear of their impending deaths, one of them silently made his way to his desk, reached into a locked drawer, and pulled out a familiar weapon.
" you lying sack of shit! You were never going to let me live! I'll kill you !" screamed a voice from the side of the room.
Turning to face the voice, the Joker found himself looking into the eyes of Mr. Gerald Huckleberry holding a silver handgun. Letting out a small and distant chuckle, the Joker starred down the barrel of the gun.
"No! don't!" screamed the Batman
But it didn't stop him, the once hostage pulled the trigger again and again, blasting into the Joker's torso. Every bullet hitting its mark, and every hit a fatal wound. Falling back to the ground the Joker spit blood as he laughed silently to himself. Hitting the earth with a thud, the joker did not move as a pool of blood collected around him.
"…p-puddin?" whispered Harley Quin " ….M-Mr. Jay?" she made her way to the Joker lying on the ground, kneeling down beside him she looked down at his motionless face. The Joker's eyes were closed and his mouth lay slightly agape. Reaching down to her love, she opened his eyes with her fingers, and then gently with her hands, she forced his mouth into a smile.
Batman walked to Gerald Huckleberry, who was still pointing the now empty weapon at the Joker, then Batman reached out for the gun. Glancing over at Batman with devastating eyes, he gave Batman the handgun freely. And then continued Looking down at the Joker's dead body
Standing silently beside him, the Batman absorbed what had just happened. His greatest foe was dead. Killed by a man he barley knew. Was that it? Was this the end of it all? Is this how the terror of the Joker is stopped, how their seemingly never ending battle comes to its conclusion?
The Batman wasn't so sure.