The Jokes on Joker
It was another day in Gotham City. The Joker and Harley Quinn were free from Arkham Asylum and were wreaking havoc. They had hijacked a high security van heading for the bank, leaving its previous occupants with wide permanent grins on their faces. With The Joker behind the wheel and Batman trailing them in the Batmobile, it was not a safe road to be on.
Batman flicked a switch on his dashboard and a Baterang shot from his headlights into the van's back tires. Batman slammed on the breaks and the van stopped abruptly, sending The Joker through the windshield. Joker landed on the pavement, face all scraped up. Harley ran out of the van shouting "Puddin'!"
Batman got out of his vehicle with two pairs of handcuffs. Harley gives herself up, but The Joker isn't as easy. The Joker jumps up and runs down an alleyway just across the street. Batman tells Harley to stay and chases after the Joker. Over garbage cans and through puddles runs Joker with The Bat right behind him. Joker stops as a man lands in front of him. Joker started to back up into Batman. Batman punched Joker in the face and the other man tripped him. Batman took out the spare handcuffs and handcuffed Joker.
"Long time, no see Bat" The other man said as they brought Joker back to the street.
"Save the pleasantries for later Nightwing." Batman said with a smile.
When they reached the street, Batman was shocked to see no Harley, no Batmobile and the van had been emptied.
"So Batman, where did you park?" asked Nightwing as Joker started to laugh.
"Harley" was all Batman said as the Joker's laughter grew louder and louder.
"I take it Miss. Quinn is joyriding?" Nightwing asked. Nightwing, unable to control himself anymore, punched Joker in the face, ceasing his laughter.
"I guess so, can you track her down with your Bike and I'll keep an eye on the clown.
"Sure." Nightwing ran down the alley to his bike. Nightwing had a locator on the Batmobile for such an occasion or if he ever needed to talk to Bruce, or Batman. Nightwing noticed Harley's driving patterns were off the charts. It was like Harley didn't know what to do without Joker's help. Although it was widely thought that Harley was naïve and slow, both Bruce and Dick knew not to underestimate her, seeing that at one point she was a renounced physiatrist.
After two left, a right and another left turn, Nightwing found the Batmobile a banded without a dollar in sight. Rather than guess to where Harley was, Dick hopped in the Batmobile, set his bike to "follow" and drove back to Batman.
When Nightwing pulled up in front of Batman, he noticed The Joker was awake again and still found the situation amusing. Nightwing jumped out and approached Batman.
"Where's Harley?" asked Batman.
"No idea, she a banded the ride and went out on foot. I figured without The Joker to help her, she's screw up sooner or later and you could apprehend her." Nightwing said casually.
"Yeah, the police should be here any second with the padded van to take Joker back to Arkham."
It was an hour and a half later and Bruce and Dick were sitting in Wayne Manor, drinking some tea Alfred had just made.
"So, what brings you to Gotham Dick, have anything you need to ask, or is this a social visit?" asked Bruce, taking a sip of tea.
"Well Bruce, I wish I could call this a social visit, but alas it's not. In Bludhaven, I had a rather strange occurrence. There was a series of petty crimes which I though were being committed by a local gang I've run into a few times. But to my surprise, it was a girl, no older than 18, stealing food and such."
"Is there a point to this story?" asked Bruce, feeling this case was fairly easy.
"Yeah, I was getting to that. I brought her into the police and asked her for her name. She refused at first, but I eventually got her to tell me. Her name was Laura Napier…