"Flash evacuate everyone you can find within a five block radius. Then go to Gotham Park and bring us as much wood as you can carry," snapped Xander as Joker launched another volley of constructs at them. "Fate, you're our expert on magic, do you have any suggestions on how to take down the clown?"
"None that I can act on," responded the echoing voice of Fate. "I am currently separated from the source of my power, and have to rely on the magical reserves of this body."
"So that means you can't just trap the clown in a tree then, crap. Okay you have knowledge so tell us anything you can figure out about why the ring is working without the Lantern," said Xander.
"The ring and the body are being powered by a feedback loop of chaos magic. The more chaos and panic the Joker creates the more power is put into the ring," said Fate.
"Is it possible to outlast him?" asked Xander.
"Not likely," said Batman as the Flash returned and threw over a hundred wooden spears into the animated clown corpse. "There is no telling how long Joker has been charging the ring and the longer we draw this out the greater the chances for Joker to figure out the full power of the ring become."
"Okay, plan B then. Make your way over to Wonder Woman and give her as many of your wooden batarangs as you can spare. I want the two of you to use them to cut of the hand that has the ring. Chances are that if the hand is removed Joker will loose his connection to the ring and we can end this," said Xander as he used his heat vision to obliterate a construct that was fighting Flash.
"And what will the rest of you be doing?" asked Batman.
"We get to play a game called distract the all-powerful maniac. If you want to trade places all you have to do is ask," said Xander.
Batman didn't say anything as he started to make his way over to Wonder Woman to fill her in on the plan so Xander decided that Bats didn't want to play bait. Xander didn't have a problem with that, though he was beginning to believe that the entire Bat-clan had an antisocial streak.
Even with Xander maneuvering to prevent even more damage to his arm the plan went off without a hitch. With five heroes commanding his attention Joker didn't notice Wonder Woman and Batman circling around until his severed hand hit the pavement.
"You ruined the punch line," moaned the Joker right before Xander atomized the corpse with his heat vision.
"Remind me not to get you man," said Flash as he looked at the blackened hole where the Joker had once stood.
"Just don't steal my Twinkies and we're good," said Xander with a grin.
"Is the ring supposed to still be glowing like that?" asked Robin.
"Everyone take cover!" screamed Xander just before the ring erupted in green light and the body of the Joker regenerated from the hand. "Note to self; engage in witty banter only after every part of the unholy creature of chaos has been vaporized."
"That was a new one," said a fully regenerated zombie Joker. "And now for the grand finale, don't worry folks this joke is a real killer."
Xander threw a piece of wood towards the Jokers hand as hard as he could, desperately hoping that he could repeat the same trick they had just pulled off. Unfortunately the chaos magic powering both the ring and Joker decided to no longer be vulnerable to wood so the splinter shattered as soon as it impacted on the emerald force field.
"Sorry kid, but in this business you really have to keep your material fresh," quipped Joker as he shot a deadly bolt of energy toward Xander at the speed of light. A bolt of energy that washed harmlessly over an invisible wall placed five feet in front of Xander.
"Buffy?" asked Xander in shock as he a blond girl that was roughly the same build as his friend hovering in the air.
"Names Stargirl," said the red and green clad figure as she clutched a now familiar golden staff.
"My mistake, but you may want to consider changing that to Starwoman, just so there isn't any confusion a few years from now," said Xander with a smile as he noticed the new cosmic rod generated a force field powerful enough to contain the Joker.
"Yeah can we discuss that later? The rod is maxed out right now and it won't be long before this guy breaks loose," said Stargirl as the rod began to shake in its attempts to hold the infuriated Joker.
"Pop open the recharge hatch and we can provide you more power," said Xander.
"What are you talking about?" asked Stargirl.
"Your predecessor built the original rod to accept power from outside sources incase the main power source wasn't up to the job. Now pop the hatch so Fate and I can charge the rod with our power," explained Xander.
"Okay um, I think it was this button," said Stargirl right before the paneling on the back of the rod slid open to reveal a familiar design.
"Yeah that was the right button," said Xander as he focused his heat vision on the now exposed area. "Fate start channeling as much energy as you can into here, lightning works best, but this device is designed to absorb almost every kind of energy known. Flash look for a way to connect to the city power grid, Fate and I won't be able to keep this up forever."
It didn't matter though, because even with Xander and Fate pouring in more energy than the rod was designed to handle, the power of chaos was far beyond anything man could make. Soon cracks formed in the bubble of green flame and those cracks spider-webbed until the force field was blown wide open.
"Got to hand it to you kiddies, you're almost as much fun as the originals, but playtimes over," said Joker.
"It's about time," said Xander with a relieved smile.
"What was that?" asked Joker.
"Didn't you ever wonder whatever happened to the lantern Joker? We've had it the entire time, but haven't been able to use it because apparently the oath recited to draw power out changes from user to user," said Xander with the same smile plastered on his face. "You see the reason that I'm smiling is because the person that had the lantern just used found an oath that works for him, the same oath he said every night until he retired. Nine little words, and now he has access to just as much power as you."
"And what words would those be?"
"'So that no one else will share my pain.' I'll give you three guesses on who's oath that is, and the first two don't count."
"What are you talking about?" asked Joker right before he was attacked by a swarm of giant green bats.
Soon a figure that had haunted the dreams of Gotham criminals for over fifty years emerged from its hiding place in the shadows, a feet made even more extraordinary now because the figures costume seemed to be made out of a dark green light. The figure radiated power, and only a fraction of it was coming from the green lantern held in his right hand.
"Batman," said Joker with an insane grin on his face. "It's about time you showed up. It just wouldn't have been right for me to come back and you not follow. Now we can really have some fun."