Disclaimer: Yay! I own Birds of Prey! I'm rich! Woohoo! Free money for everybody! (wakes up) Huh? What? Oh, that's right. I only own my own ideas. That means I'm broke. Damn.
Okay, this story involves some background on the Joker that people who only watched the BoP TV series wouldn't know. So, I'm filling you in first. Now, no one is absolutely sure what the Joker's real name is, but he's often referred to as Jack Napier, so that's what I'm calling him in my story. Jack wasn't born as the Joker. He was originally just a petty thief. On a robbery, he was accidentally doused in a bunch of chemicals that made his face all creepy-looking (no, that's not makeup), and it turned him into the Joker. And, of course, he's been Batman's archenemy ever since. :)
This is my first BoP fic! Sorry, I know, the first part at Arkham is a melodramatic, soap opera-ish cheesefest. It should get better later.
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Not Joking Anymore
Arkham Asylum, 9:00 a.m.
"Do you really think he's ready, Father? Today will be the first taste of freedom he's had in years," Dr. Harris, the main psychologist for superhuman prisoners, asked Father Edwards, a priest at a nearby church, in her clinic.
"I believe he has changed his ways, doctor. God has forgiven him, and he has forgiven himself. It's really a matter of if society is ready." Father Edwards replied.
"I mean, I've examined him psychologically many, many times, and he does seem stable, but what if I'm wrong? What if he somehow becomes his old self?"
"It's impossible to tell. But I have faith in your judgement. Ah, here he is now."
The clinic door opened and a young man with light brown hair and brown eyes stepped in. "Hello Doctor Harris, Father Edwards."
"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Joker." Doctor Harris stepped forward to greet the man.
"Please, doctor, I can't stand to hear that name anymore. I'm Jack, not that monstrous Joker. He's gone," the man corrected her.
"Jack. You look so different from the last time I saw you." Father Edwards said as he reluctantly stepped forward as well.
"Yes. I recently received the antidote for those awful chemicals that caused me to go insane." Blushing, he added, "By the way, I'm...sorry for trying to kill you the last time we met."
The minister smiled. "That's all right, son. I know that you're a different person now.
"Oh, Jack, it's so wonderful. Now you get to return to normal society, live your own life again," the psychologist's eyes were shining with tears as she talked to her client.
"Doctor, I have you to thank. Because of your guidance, I have changed my ways. I don't know how to thank you," said Jack.
She began to cry with joy and embraced the prisoner. "Oh, thank you! It has been so wonderful to see how you've grown as a person since we met! I'm sure you'll go far in life."
Jack grinned over the doctor's shoulder. "Oh, yes, doctor, I will. I will..."
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The New Gotham City Clocktower, earlier that morning
Barbara Gordon took off her glasses and tiredly rubbed her eyes. It was 2:30 a.m., and she was exhausted from staring at the computer screens all night. But she knew she had to stay up. Tomorrow was a huge, huge day, and she had to prepare.
"B-Barbara? Is that you?" A sleepy-looking blonde teenager yawned as she walked into the room. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Yes, time for you to get back into bed. What are you doing up, anyway?"
"I wanted a glass of water and saw all the lights on down here." the girl frowned at her red-headed mentor. "You look tired. Ever hear of a little thing called sleep? It's what us non-batty people do during the night. You should try it sometime."
"Very funny, Dinah. But you know what's happening tomorrow. The Joker's getting released from Arkham. I need to enhance our security systems and-"
"You need to get some sleep is what you need. You've been up all night, and what good will it do if the Joker does break in here somehow, and you're snoozing on the couch? You know you need to be more alert than ever."
Barbara sighed and looked back at the computer screen. "I know, I know. I just... I can't stand it. Tomorrow he won't be in Arkham. I guess I'm just paranoid because I won't be able to keep an eye on him. I mean, for all I know, he could be right next door."
Dinah knelt down and looked her mentor in the eye. "Look, I know you've got some personal issues with him. But you're really overdoing it. You're worrying Helena and me. Please get some sleep?"
"....okay." Barbara smiled at Dinah and began to wheel out of the room. "Y'know, I thought I was supposed to be the one looking out for you. I guess I was wrong."
"Well, since I'm being so mature and all, does that mean I can get a raise on my allowance?"
"Yeah, right. You're gonna have to try harder than that."
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The Rooftops of New Gotham City, 11:30 p.m.
The streets of New Gotham City were empty, except for a mysterious young woman perched on the roof of a store, looking over the streets. She sighed and began to run toward the edge of the rooftop, as if she were about to throw herself down to the pavement. Then, right at the edge, she leaped over the gap, and landed on another roof with catlike grace. She started to run off the edge of this one, too, but stopped when she heard a small voice in her ear.
"Huntress, it's Oracle. Do you copy?"
"Yeah, I'm here, Oracle. The city's too quiet tonight. Please say you've got something for me." Helena Kyle, a.k.a. Huntress replied.
"Oh, getting impatient, are we?"
"Yes! I'm about to die of boredom out here! Now what have we got?"
"A robbery at the bank on Mitchell and Poole. Remember, the Joker could be around, so be careful, will you?"
Helena chuckled. "As careful as I'll ever be."
Oracle grimaced on the other end. "Oh, that's reassuring."
A few minutes later, Helena was above the scene. But instead of launching herself into combat, she peered curiously down at the action beneath her.
"Hey, Oracle, there's a big commotion down there. Somebody else is fighting the thugs. I don't recognize him....but I have to admit, he's doing a pretty good job." Down below Huntress, a man decked out in purple and green battled the robbers with a metal baton in hand. His eyes were covered by a purple Robin-style mask, and a cape flowed behind him as he moved. His chest was marked with a green "A."
Back at the clocktower, Oracle frowned at the unexpected surprise.
"What? But who would- hang on..." She tapped a few keys on her computer and easily hacked into the bank's security cameras. "I've got a visual, Huntress. I don't recognize him either." Barbara watched the mysterious new superhero flip over the last thug and knock him out with his baton. Just then she got a glimpse of his face. "What? Is that.......no. It couldn't be. Could it?" She tapped a few more keys and pulled up a picture of the Joker. As she compared the two images, her eyes grew wide. "H-Helena! Get out of there now!"
But her warning came a little too late. Helena had already jumped down to greet the hero. "Hey! New guy!" The man jumped from surprise and looked over at her. "Nice job. Couldn't have done it better myself."
The man grinned. "Thanks." He held out his hand. "I'm Ace."
Helena shook his hand. "Well, that explains the "A." she said, nodding at his chest.
Barbara yelled desperately at Huntress, "Helena, I mean it! Get out of there NOW! He's the J-"
"Hang on, I'm a little busy at the moment." Helena snapped at Barbara over her microphone.
"Hey, say hi to Oracle for me." Ace said.
Helena's jaw dropped. "Wha-...h-how do you-?"
"Don't you recognize me, Helena? It's me. The Joker."
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And that's it for the first chap! Now it's time to hit that little purple button down there...you know what I'm talking about ;)...but seriously guys, if you want the story continued, review it!!! If I don't get any opinions, I'll assume no one's reading it and just leave it hanging here. SO REVIEW!!! NOW!!! THANK YOU!!!
Okay, this story involves some background on the Joker that people who only watched the BoP TV series wouldn't know. So, I'm filling you in first. Now, no one is absolutely sure what the Joker's real name is, but he's often referred to as Jack Napier, so that's what I'm calling him in my story. Jack wasn't born as the Joker. He was originally just a petty thief. On a robbery, he was accidentally doused in a bunch of chemicals that made his face all creepy-looking (no, that's not makeup), and it turned him into the Joker. And, of course, he's been Batman's archenemy ever since. :)
This is my first BoP fic! Sorry, I know, the first part at Arkham is a melodramatic, soap opera-ish cheesefest. It should get better later.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Not Joking Anymore
Arkham Asylum, 9:00 a.m.
"Do you really think he's ready, Father? Today will be the first taste of freedom he's had in years," Dr. Harris, the main psychologist for superhuman prisoners, asked Father Edwards, a priest at a nearby church, in her clinic.
"I believe he has changed his ways, doctor. God has forgiven him, and he has forgiven himself. It's really a matter of if society is ready." Father Edwards replied.
"I mean, I've examined him psychologically many, many times, and he does seem stable, but what if I'm wrong? What if he somehow becomes his old self?"
"It's impossible to tell. But I have faith in your judgement. Ah, here he is now."
The clinic door opened and a young man with light brown hair and brown eyes stepped in. "Hello Doctor Harris, Father Edwards."
"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Joker." Doctor Harris stepped forward to greet the man.
"Please, doctor, I can't stand to hear that name anymore. I'm Jack, not that monstrous Joker. He's gone," the man corrected her.
"Jack. You look so different from the last time I saw you." Father Edwards said as he reluctantly stepped forward as well.
"Yes. I recently received the antidote for those awful chemicals that caused me to go insane." Blushing, he added, "By the way, I'm...sorry for trying to kill you the last time we met."
The minister smiled. "That's all right, son. I know that you're a different person now.
"Oh, Jack, it's so wonderful. Now you get to return to normal society, live your own life again," the psychologist's eyes were shining with tears as she talked to her client.
"Doctor, I have you to thank. Because of your guidance, I have changed my ways. I don't know how to thank you," said Jack.
She began to cry with joy and embraced the prisoner. "Oh, thank you! It has been so wonderful to see how you've grown as a person since we met! I'm sure you'll go far in life."
Jack grinned over the doctor's shoulder. "Oh, yes, doctor, I will. I will..."
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The New Gotham City Clocktower, earlier that morning
Barbara Gordon took off her glasses and tiredly rubbed her eyes. It was 2:30 a.m., and she was exhausted from staring at the computer screens all night. But she knew she had to stay up. Tomorrow was a huge, huge day, and she had to prepare.
"B-Barbara? Is that you?" A sleepy-looking blonde teenager yawned as she walked into the room. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Yes, time for you to get back into bed. What are you doing up, anyway?"
"I wanted a glass of water and saw all the lights on down here." the girl frowned at her red-headed mentor. "You look tired. Ever hear of a little thing called sleep? It's what us non-batty people do during the night. You should try it sometime."
"Very funny, Dinah. But you know what's happening tomorrow. The Joker's getting released from Arkham. I need to enhance our security systems and-"
"You need to get some sleep is what you need. You've been up all night, and what good will it do if the Joker does break in here somehow, and you're snoozing on the couch? You know you need to be more alert than ever."
Barbara sighed and looked back at the computer screen. "I know, I know. I just... I can't stand it. Tomorrow he won't be in Arkham. I guess I'm just paranoid because I won't be able to keep an eye on him. I mean, for all I know, he could be right next door."
Dinah knelt down and looked her mentor in the eye. "Look, I know you've got some personal issues with him. But you're really overdoing it. You're worrying Helena and me. Please get some sleep?"
"....okay." Barbara smiled at Dinah and began to wheel out of the room. "Y'know, I thought I was supposed to be the one looking out for you. I guess I was wrong."
"Well, since I'm being so mature and all, does that mean I can get a raise on my allowance?"
"Yeah, right. You're gonna have to try harder than that."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
The Rooftops of New Gotham City, 11:30 p.m.
The streets of New Gotham City were empty, except for a mysterious young woman perched on the roof of a store, looking over the streets. She sighed and began to run toward the edge of the rooftop, as if she were about to throw herself down to the pavement. Then, right at the edge, she leaped over the gap, and landed on another roof with catlike grace. She started to run off the edge of this one, too, but stopped when she heard a small voice in her ear.
"Huntress, it's Oracle. Do you copy?"
"Yeah, I'm here, Oracle. The city's too quiet tonight. Please say you've got something for me." Helena Kyle, a.k.a. Huntress replied.
"Oh, getting impatient, are we?"
"Yes! I'm about to die of boredom out here! Now what have we got?"
"A robbery at the bank on Mitchell and Poole. Remember, the Joker could be around, so be careful, will you?"
Helena chuckled. "As careful as I'll ever be."
Oracle grimaced on the other end. "Oh, that's reassuring."
A few minutes later, Helena was above the scene. But instead of launching herself into combat, she peered curiously down at the action beneath her.
"Hey, Oracle, there's a big commotion down there. Somebody else is fighting the thugs. I don't recognize him....but I have to admit, he's doing a pretty good job." Down below Huntress, a man decked out in purple and green battled the robbers with a metal baton in hand. His eyes were covered by a purple Robin-style mask, and a cape flowed behind him as he moved. His chest was marked with a green "A."
Back at the clocktower, Oracle frowned at the unexpected surprise.
"What? But who would- hang on..." She tapped a few keys on her computer and easily hacked into the bank's security cameras. "I've got a visual, Huntress. I don't recognize him either." Barbara watched the mysterious new superhero flip over the last thug and knock him out with his baton. Just then she got a glimpse of his face. "What? Is that.......no. It couldn't be. Could it?" She tapped a few more keys and pulled up a picture of the Joker. As she compared the two images, her eyes grew wide. "H-Helena! Get out of there now!"
But her warning came a little too late. Helena had already jumped down to greet the hero. "Hey! New guy!" The man jumped from surprise and looked over at her. "Nice job. Couldn't have done it better myself."
The man grinned. "Thanks." He held out his hand. "I'm Ace."
Helena shook his hand. "Well, that explains the "A." she said, nodding at his chest.
Barbara yelled desperately at Huntress, "Helena, I mean it! Get out of there NOW! He's the J-"
"Hang on, I'm a little busy at the moment." Helena snapped at Barbara over her microphone.
"Hey, say hi to Oracle for me." Ace said.
Helena's jaw dropped. "Wha-...h-how do you-?"
"Don't you recognize me, Helena? It's me. The Joker."
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And that's it for the first chap! Now it's time to hit that little purple button down there...you know what I'm talking about ;)...but seriously guys, if you want the story continued, review it!!! If I don't get any opinions, I'll assume no one's reading it and just leave it hanging here. SO REVIEW!!! NOW!!! THANK YOU!!!