Chapter 8: Realization
Harley knew she would have to find Robin---and fast. She quickly racked her brain, thinking of where he would be. As she walked down the street, she somehow realized that he had been sent to Two Face. Harley shuddered. Two Face and the Joker did not normally get along. Gulping, she headed towards his lair.
~~~
As Harley approached, she planned on how to get Robin. Behind her back, she had her trusty boxing glove---always useful for getting past an enemy's goons. She also had a mannequin leg, which she would use to distract Two Face.
'I hope he falls for this old trick...'
As soon as she arrived, Harley carried out her plan. She came up to the door and knocked. One of Two Face's henchmen answered.
"Who goes there?"
"Harley Quinn," said Harley, smiling sweetly. "Mistah J sent me."
The man opened the door. Harley entered, with two boxing gloves behind her back. There were two goons standing in front of her. Just what she had expected.
"What does he want?" asked one of them. "I thought he was on the heist?"
"Boingy, boingy," said Harley in a cute, bubbly voice.
"What?" asked the other.
"Boingy, boingy."
They looked confused. Harley smiled innocently.
"What do you mean?" they asked at once.
Harley whipped out her gloves and fired them quickly, knocking both men out.
"Boingy, boingy."
She laughed for a minute, then slipped over to find Robin.
~~~
"...You see, Robin, the Joker and I never got along. Therefore, I plan to use you to ruin his plans..."
Two Face was tormenting Robin as much as he could.
"I don't see how you will," said Robin, "considering his plan is likely to work."
"He doesn't want you dead yet, Robin. He wants Batman to see it, to crush him, right after he's through destroying his reputation. It's better to kill you in front of him than for him to find out that you're---"
Two Face cut off as he caught something in the doorway. It was a woman's leg, a lovely dainty one, with one red high-heeled shoe.
"What have we here?" asked Two Face, going over to her.
Robin watched, before something cuffed his mouth. He looked down to see it was a little red glove with a white cuff and a long black sleeve.
"Shh," Harley whispered. "I'll get you out of here. I really need your help."
Robin, though confused at why Harley would want his help, nodded as Harley untied him. She was leading Robin to an open air-vent, which was barely big enough for them both to crawl through, when Two Face roared in anger. He turned around, holding the mannequin leg, glaring angrily at Harley.
"What?! You try to make a doof out of me?!"
Harley froze in fear.
"I'll teach you to meddle..."
Harley started to climb through the vent, but Two Face grabbed her leg and pulled her out. The two henchmen, who had by now revived, came in and grabbed Robin who was trying to make a break for it.
"Let go!" Harley exclaimed, trying to get out of his grip.
Two Face grabbed her wrist and pulled her up to his level. Both sides of his face formed a hideous smile.
"I have an even better idea to get back at the Joker, Robin..."
~~~
The Joker was trying to keep the Batwing in the clouds, but clearly that was not an option. Unexpectedly, the clouds ended, and the sky was clearer here. Not only that, but the moonlight seemed to shine down on the Batwing, making it an easier target.
In desperation, he tried to turn around, but a shot blocked his path. He tried again, but another shot hit one of the wings. Another shot hit the nose. The Joker was growing desperate. He opened the hatch to hopefully jump out, but one final shot was looming closer and closer, a great fireball closing in on its target.
There was impact. The cockpit shattered. Luckily, the Joker was on the unharmed wing when it hit. With thoughts of death fogging up his mind, the Joker did the only thing he could think of: he turned off the voice changer and laughed in his normal voice.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His voice carried, fading as he came closer to earth.
~~~
Back in the Underworld, the cheers and laughs had become moans and grief. Though the Joker was not exactly a friend to the others, he was, in a way, their leader, and the plans they had spent so much time coming up with and pulling off---wasted. The revenge against Batman was ruined.
"We should have known this was too good to last," said the Penguin. "We should spread the word to those who are not here."
The Arkhamites nodded and filed out. The Penguin got into his limousine and called out the window through his megaphone.
"Terrible news, my fellow Arkhamites. The worst news yet has come. The Joker has been shot down, and all of our plans have gone to waste."
~~~
"Attention. Attention, citizens. Terrible news," a police officer called as he drove through the streets. "We have shot down the imposter, but Batman is not to be found."
The chaos had died down quite a bit now. Several people were crying. Buildings were burning and homes were destroyed. Rescue workers and police were doing what they could to help the much in need citizens.
"I repeat: although the imposter has been shot down, there is still no sign of Batman."
~~~
In a graveyard nearby, the Joker had landed in the soft grass of the Gotham Cemetery. Nearby, the Batwing was nearly destroyed and on fire. The Joker's mask had come off, and the Batman suit was badly torn and burnt in places. He was on his stomach, the cape covering his body, one gloved hand uncovered by the cloak, near his face. He was bleeding in a few places, and had a small scar along the side of his face. It was indeed small, despite all the blood. His facial expression showed a neutral frown.
Unknown to him, this was how Harley saw him in her dream, but with one main difference---he was alive. The Joker groaned, then got up. For such a fall as this, he had no broken bones, and only a few cuts---a lot of good luck on his part. Shaking the dizziness from his head, he got up. He hadn't expected this.
"My plans," he muttered to himself. "Everything so perfect...everything thought of so well...ruined!" He sighed. "I never expected this to happen. I've...failed." The Joker suddenly grew angry. "No! I didn't fail! It was a success nonetheless! I might have failed ruining Batman's reputation, but I didn't fail into turning Gotham into a night of chaos!"
Something inside the Joker snapped. He threw back his head and laughed his obnoxious, but fun-filled laugh for a few minutes, allowing his voice to ring among the tombstones. He tore off the Batman suit, revealing his usual purple tuxedo with a green shirt, orange string tie, and highly polished shoes underneath, then grinned, feeling better than he had in a long, long time.
"I feel just like my old self again! The Ace of Knaves back! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Watch out, Batman! I shall be back! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He suddenly stopped. The Joker knew he would have to set things right, at least with the Underworld. After all, who besides Batman cared about Gotham? He had his reputation to save, to prove he was not a failure, and to prove it, he was going to get Robin. Without another thought, he ran towards the Underworld.
Harley knew she would have to find Robin---and fast. She quickly racked her brain, thinking of where he would be. As she walked down the street, she somehow realized that he had been sent to Two Face. Harley shuddered. Two Face and the Joker did not normally get along. Gulping, she headed towards his lair.
~~~
As Harley approached, she planned on how to get Robin. Behind her back, she had her trusty boxing glove---always useful for getting past an enemy's goons. She also had a mannequin leg, which she would use to distract Two Face.
'I hope he falls for this old trick...'
As soon as she arrived, Harley carried out her plan. She came up to the door and knocked. One of Two Face's henchmen answered.
"Who goes there?"
"Harley Quinn," said Harley, smiling sweetly. "Mistah J sent me."
The man opened the door. Harley entered, with two boxing gloves behind her back. There were two goons standing in front of her. Just what she had expected.
"What does he want?" asked one of them. "I thought he was on the heist?"
"Boingy, boingy," said Harley in a cute, bubbly voice.
"What?" asked the other.
"Boingy, boingy."
They looked confused. Harley smiled innocently.
"What do you mean?" they asked at once.
Harley whipped out her gloves and fired them quickly, knocking both men out.
"Boingy, boingy."
She laughed for a minute, then slipped over to find Robin.
~~~
"...You see, Robin, the Joker and I never got along. Therefore, I plan to use you to ruin his plans..."
Two Face was tormenting Robin as much as he could.
"I don't see how you will," said Robin, "considering his plan is likely to work."
"He doesn't want you dead yet, Robin. He wants Batman to see it, to crush him, right after he's through destroying his reputation. It's better to kill you in front of him than for him to find out that you're---"
Two Face cut off as he caught something in the doorway. It was a woman's leg, a lovely dainty one, with one red high-heeled shoe.
"What have we here?" asked Two Face, going over to her.
Robin watched, before something cuffed his mouth. He looked down to see it was a little red glove with a white cuff and a long black sleeve.
"Shh," Harley whispered. "I'll get you out of here. I really need your help."
Robin, though confused at why Harley would want his help, nodded as Harley untied him. She was leading Robin to an open air-vent, which was barely big enough for them both to crawl through, when Two Face roared in anger. He turned around, holding the mannequin leg, glaring angrily at Harley.
"What?! You try to make a doof out of me?!"
Harley froze in fear.
"I'll teach you to meddle..."
Harley started to climb through the vent, but Two Face grabbed her leg and pulled her out. The two henchmen, who had by now revived, came in and grabbed Robin who was trying to make a break for it.
"Let go!" Harley exclaimed, trying to get out of his grip.
Two Face grabbed her wrist and pulled her up to his level. Both sides of his face formed a hideous smile.
"I have an even better idea to get back at the Joker, Robin..."
~~~
The Joker was trying to keep the Batwing in the clouds, but clearly that was not an option. Unexpectedly, the clouds ended, and the sky was clearer here. Not only that, but the moonlight seemed to shine down on the Batwing, making it an easier target.
In desperation, he tried to turn around, but a shot blocked his path. He tried again, but another shot hit one of the wings. Another shot hit the nose. The Joker was growing desperate. He opened the hatch to hopefully jump out, but one final shot was looming closer and closer, a great fireball closing in on its target.
There was impact. The cockpit shattered. Luckily, the Joker was on the unharmed wing when it hit. With thoughts of death fogging up his mind, the Joker did the only thing he could think of: he turned off the voice changer and laughed in his normal voice.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His voice carried, fading as he came closer to earth.
~~~
Back in the Underworld, the cheers and laughs had become moans and grief. Though the Joker was not exactly a friend to the others, he was, in a way, their leader, and the plans they had spent so much time coming up with and pulling off---wasted. The revenge against Batman was ruined.
"We should have known this was too good to last," said the Penguin. "We should spread the word to those who are not here."
The Arkhamites nodded and filed out. The Penguin got into his limousine and called out the window through his megaphone.
"Terrible news, my fellow Arkhamites. The worst news yet has come. The Joker has been shot down, and all of our plans have gone to waste."
~~~
"Attention. Attention, citizens. Terrible news," a police officer called as he drove through the streets. "We have shot down the imposter, but Batman is not to be found."
The chaos had died down quite a bit now. Several people were crying. Buildings were burning and homes were destroyed. Rescue workers and police were doing what they could to help the much in need citizens.
"I repeat: although the imposter has been shot down, there is still no sign of Batman."
~~~
In a graveyard nearby, the Joker had landed in the soft grass of the Gotham Cemetery. Nearby, the Batwing was nearly destroyed and on fire. The Joker's mask had come off, and the Batman suit was badly torn and burnt in places. He was on his stomach, the cape covering his body, one gloved hand uncovered by the cloak, near his face. He was bleeding in a few places, and had a small scar along the side of his face. It was indeed small, despite all the blood. His facial expression showed a neutral frown.
Unknown to him, this was how Harley saw him in her dream, but with one main difference---he was alive. The Joker groaned, then got up. For such a fall as this, he had no broken bones, and only a few cuts---a lot of good luck on his part. Shaking the dizziness from his head, he got up. He hadn't expected this.
"My plans," he muttered to himself. "Everything so perfect...everything thought of so well...ruined!" He sighed. "I never expected this to happen. I've...failed." The Joker suddenly grew angry. "No! I didn't fail! It was a success nonetheless! I might have failed ruining Batman's reputation, but I didn't fail into turning Gotham into a night of chaos!"
Something inside the Joker snapped. He threw back his head and laughed his obnoxious, but fun-filled laugh for a few minutes, allowing his voice to ring among the tombstones. He tore off the Batman suit, revealing his usual purple tuxedo with a green shirt, orange string tie, and highly polished shoes underneath, then grinned, feeling better than he had in a long, long time.
"I feel just like my old self again! The Ace of Knaves back! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Watch out, Batman! I shall be back! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He suddenly stopped. The Joker knew he would have to set things right, at least with the Underworld. After all, who besides Batman cared about Gotham? He had his reputation to save, to prove he was not a failure, and to prove it, he was going to get Robin. Without another thought, he ran towards the Underworld.
