Alastor looked at what was left of Vox, bending low in front of his head to inspect his face closely. I watched him put a hand over his face, shadows trailing along his fingers until they cascaded onto Vox and enveloped him. At first I had no idea what he was doing, until Alastor answered my confusion with a shake of his head.

"Fascinating, he really is dead. Whatever you did to him ripped his soul clean out." He clenched his hand into a fist and returned the shadows to his form before standing back up. Then he addressed me directly, "Now I must ask how you did that. He mentioned poison before he died…"

I smiled, hooking a finger into my mouth and exposing my new set of pearly whites, "That would be my patented toxin my friend. A trade secret I'm afraid, so don't get any ideas."

I removed my finger and Alastor said, "I see. I never tried poison, I didn't think it was possible. He never ate or drank, and his biology is so different compared to the others down here. However, I can't deny what I just saw."

I took the statement as a compliment and bowed. When I rose up I looked around awkwardly for a moment while Alastor continued to stare at Vox's body. After a minute of silence, I clapped to address Alastor and get his attention.

"So, what now?"

He tilted his head at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said, rolling my hand in his direction, "now that we're face-to-face, what happens now? I doubt Vox was the only thing on your mind when you 'chose' me. Plus now that I have Vox's goodies all to myself we could do some real damage together. If… that's what you have planned?"

I looked at him waiting for a response. I got a chuckle instead, one that sounded like he was amused by the words of a child. Except they were my words, so I felt a bit offended. He walked away from Vox and stepped up to me.

"Joker, since when did you care about plans? Didn't you once say you liked to 'take life by the seat of its pants and give it a wedgie'?"

I was somewhat surprised by what he said at first, I guess he really had been following me. Closer than I ever knew. Instead of letting my surprise show, I simply said, "You're paraphrasing a little, but you're correct."

Alastor let another chuckle slip out before he turned around. "Besides, who said you'd be taking over Vox after he died?"

I looked side to side, as if I could find the answer somewhere close by. "Well, don't get me wrong Al, I appreciate you saving my backside earlier. Thanks to you I'm still in one piece, literally. But after all the work I did getting here, without your help, I believe it's only fair I get the lion's share."

Although he didn't show it, I could feel Alastor wasn't a big fan of that idea. So I tried to convince him. As fun as it would be to fight him, I don't trust my abilities anymore outside of my venomous bite. And I don't think he would allow me to get close enough to use it if needed.

"After all, it's not like you have any need for Vox's leftovers. I, on the other hand, can't seem to rely on my natural talents when I need them. If I had access to Vox's little arsenal, however," I paused, unable to hold back the laugh that built up thinking of the manic possibilities. "With it, I won't have any more trouble getting people to recognize who I am. You told me yourself how entertained you were watching me. Well trust me when I say you didn't even see a quarter of what I can do."

I let my words hang in the air for a moment, looking at Alastor's unmoving back and waiting for his answer. The fact he hadn't reacted to a word I said made me think he was in deep thought, either that or he ignored me entirely. His continued silence caused the devilish smile that was sitting on my face to slowly fade. I guess he wasn't a big fan of what I told him. No matter, I'm used to the solo gig. If he tells me he doesn't like my usurpation of Vox then I can try testing my abilities once again.

Just when I thought the worst he heel-turned back around to me. "As interesting as that is Joker, for a man of your talents I have a better idea."

I blinked with a start, somewhat interested in what he had to say. After all he had been entertaining me thus far, and I'd hate to lose out on making my second best friend in Hell. So I crossed my arms to let him know I was listening.

He took the hint and began his pitch. "I want to propose an arrangement."

My smile returned, "A deal you mean?"

Alastor matched my smile, "If that's how you want to put it, yes. I'm only proposing this because I know you'll be more amicable to it than Vox, and I promise it will be fair."

I nodded, gesturing with a hand, "Alright, let's hear it."

Upon hearing that statement he leaned closer to me, a shadow casting over his face that made him seem slightly more intimidating. Well, intimidating to anyone else. Then he spoke to me in a lower tone, as if he was worried about being overheard by some unseen party.

"I will give you that infamy you seek. The notoriety you yearn to have. You were right to suggest I had plans for you, and I do. And I would love to watch you execute them every step of the way. The hapless throng out there will be too scared to even whisper your name by the time you're done having your fun. But only if you accept my offer."

When he paused, I realized at some point I had held my breath and I released it. As short as it was it was a very engaging spiel, I bet he was a door-to-door salesman when he was alive. He had my complete attention, and what he suggested was so tantalizing I almost felt like accepting right there. But this isn't my first rodeo. Nothing is done for free.

"This all sounds very appealing," I said, stroking my chin, "but I just happened to notice one tiny missing detail. How does any of this benefit you? What's the catch?"

Alastor stood back up, "It's a simple one. We burn everything Vox left behind to the ground. Everything, including this tower, goes down in flames, and we can let the dogs fight over the scraps. I see so much potential in your power, and I can help you realize it. There's no need to consolidate Vox's into your own."

And there it was. I join him, he helps me get a grip on this malfunctioning coat of mine and makes me the next boogeyman children search their closets for. All I have to do is give up all this. The potential that this veritable power vacuum will create. It was honestly a hard bargain. I know I didn't come here for the power, but I can't deny that it would help a lot in achieving my personal goals. Overlord is a title I couldn't care less about, but if I gave those fancy robots a little Joker makeover? The idea of it sounded more fun to me. Besides I tried having partners before, and twice now they've let me down. Although to be somewhat fair to Pentious, that partnership was made out of desperation.

Alastor stretched his hand out to me, "Do we have a deal?" His hand caught fire as he asked me the question, a green flame that quickly enveloped his entire hand. I looked at it curiously, nearly forgetting the judgment I came to, but I just as quickly shook my head.

"Sorry Al, but I'm afraid that just won't do. Don't get me wrong, the occasional team-up or crossover is fine to me. But when I get a partner it tends to bog things down. It affects who I am. I am flattered by your offer to take me under your wing, but I've been flying solo for a long time now. I think I'll do just fine obtaining that infamy I seek, with help from Vox's toys of course."

Alastor's smile stayed on his face, although it seemed to lose a little of its luster at my response. His fingers curled into his palm and the green flame disappeared, and he slowly pulled his arm back to his side. It showed all the signs of someone who was doing their best not to angrily lash out, yet his facial expression remained the same. Not sure how to respond, I turned my attention away from him and to the EVP still inside the control panel. Walking over to it I ripped it out of its slot, wires and all, then looked at the device as it reformed itself.

"Well if that's all you had to offer, then I suppose our time together has been rather short. Although if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. For now, I feel I should get my bearings around this place. I mean I can only imagine what else Vox has stored in this building. Already between the robots, guns, and various fancy cars I feel like I have my very own Batcave!"

Laughing at my own joke, I threw the device into the air, only for it to be caught by a black tendril. Its sudden appearance startled me, and I watched it trail through the air until it delivered the box into Alastor's hands. When I looked at him again, I could finally tell that he was less than pleased at my words, and I readied myself for a fight.

"I don't know what a bat-cave has to do with anything, but I can't allow you to take over in Vox's stead. You would only become a far worse problem if I allowed that to happen."

I slowly, and not-so-subtly, reached into my coat. "Al, come on, let's talk about this. We may not know each other but that's what makes what we could have so fun and exciting! Let's not waste future opportunities with rash decisions."

Alastor looked at me, and for a moment I thought he was genuinely considering my words. But then he said, "A man with the power to kill demons without need for angelic weaponry makes him very dangerous to the wrong people. But if you were to control that man… I see no benefits in letting you do as you please Joker, had you accepted my offer that would have been a different story. But that chapter has passed, all that's left now is to close the book."

I got the implication immediately and pulled out my gun. I quickly fired a shot directly at Alastor's head. Before it could even hit its target, Alastor's head split in half and the bullet sailed through the opening. His head came back together, and as it did he waved his microphone at me. I could feel something manifest below me at that moment, and then large tentacles shot out and grabbed me. They wrapped around my body and pulled my gun arm to the side, holding it extended out from my body.

In just a few seconds I found myself in a familiar situation, ensnared in the clutches of a man who won't stop laughing at me. Now I know how the people who I kidnap feel; if I get out of this, the first thing I'm doing is killing anyone who laughs or smiles. Then I'll be the only one to kidnap people like this. But I'll stop thinking about the future for now, the present is a more pressing matter at the moment.

"I am truly sorry Joker," Alastor said, his tone making it clear he wasn't sorry at all, "but I cannot trust a 'team-up' you. Not after witnessing what you did to poor Pentious."

Fuck. I should've known he saw that when he told me he had been tailing me.

"Don't misunderstand, I don't care about the fellow, and I only know him slightly more than I know you. But what I do know is that you literally stabbed him in the back and left him to die on his own ship. How can I trust you won't do the same to me?"

Although the tentacles that held me had now extended up to wrap around my throat, I struggled out a small laugh and forced my hand up to the side of my head. "Alastor… if we fight together… I promise not to stab you in the back…" I held up three fingers, "Scout's honor!"

He looked at me with lids half-closed, an eyebrow raised as if he had suddenly grown tired of my humor. Which is a pity because I always considered my material timeless.

He continued, ignoring what I said, "Exactly, I can't." He extended a hand to the floor, and like before the shadows passed him the Exterminator knife I left on the ground. "It's a real pity you didn't take my hand, your soul would have been my best one to date. Niffty would have gotten along well with you too. But I suppose it's for the best. My attention is already placed elsewhere at the moment, and it was challenging keeping an eye on you while dealing with that."

He snapped his fingers and the tentacles that were choking me retracted slightly, leaving my neck open and bare for his knife to plunge into. At that moment the tower hummed back to life, buttons on the main console beside me were flashing in different lights to signify it was operational. I guess removing the EVP allowed the systems in here to start running properly again. Even the televisions that Vox was looking at came back down from the ceiling to sit above said console. Not that any of this helped me get out of the current situation.

Alastor approached me, wielding the knife expertly. He was like a hunter going in for his wounded kill. I wanted to keep my eyes on him, hoping for an opportunity for him to slip up and allow me to escape, but I couldn't stop thinking about the tower. I removed that device a while ago and only now everything is coming back online? It could be that it only took this long for everything to fix itself, but it just didn't feel right. The timing was too perfect. And despite the hum of electronics it felt like the room was getting darker. It got to the point where I had to re-focus on Alastor just to see something else in the room.

Could this be his doing? That's what I asked myself at first, but I saw Alastor pause in his approach. He also noticed the change in the room. And he looked somewhat nervous, which was an expression I hadn't seen on his face until this point. That's when a new voice made itself known. One that I recognized from dreams I wish I had forgotten.

"Congratulations Jack, you have succeeded. Just as I knew you would."

The sound of twisting metal followed the voice, and I faced towards the noise in the darkness to see what it was. The monitors I noted earlier were twisting around one by one, until all the screens were facing me and Alastor. When they came together they formed a full image. That tall dark figure, forming a shape that mimicked a man but I knew was something else entirely. I heard a clang as something fell to the floor, and I looked back at Alastor. The knife was no longer in his hand. He saw the screens as well, and he was visibly panicked. Despite that he managed to keep that smile on his face.

That was when the figure addressed him. "And I see you've brought a friend. Hello Alastor. It's been too long. Have you come to reconsider my offer?"

As soon as he addressed him, the tentacles that held me tightly vanished in an instant, dropping me unceremoniously onto the ground. Immediately after that Alastor crossed his arms over his chest and disappeared into shadow, leaving no trace of his presence. I guess that would be a no then.

"I guess that's a no then," the figure said, echoing my thoughts. "No matter, I wasn't interested in him," his head turned to face me, as if he could see me through the screens, "I came here for you. It's time we finally meet."

With that, a patch of darkness in front of me somehow grew darker, and it grew in size until it resembled a tall, void-like gateway. Looking into it was less like seeing an absence of light, but rather an absence of life. Nothing waited for me beyond there, yet the figure told me otherwise.

"What is it the angels say? Be not afraid? Step into my domain without fear Joker, and I can promise you answers to the questions I know you have."

The way he said those words sounded like he was making a polite request, yet I didn't think I had the option of declining. Also shoving down my terror would be a challenge. I didn't know who he was, or even if he was a he, but regardless they made my body shake. As if every natural instinct I had was acting on my body, telling me to run and run far away. This person, this thing, wasn't just some guy in an animal costume calling themselves fear. This was fear in its purest form. And it wanted me, for reasons it seems I will find out soon enough.

I picked myself off the ground and stared into that endless abyss, weighing my options. Seeing no other way out of this, I walked towards it, and finally into it. In an instant, the sounds of the tower and the hum of computer monitors were silenced, and I was once more completely enveloped in darkness.

It was exactly like the dream I had. Although I knew it was only last night I had it, it now felt like it was days in the past, and each second that passed it grew further away. In that time I couldn't speak, or if I was I couldn't hear myself. I couldn't breathe, or at least it felt like the very darkness that surrounded me was choking me. And once again I could feel things, dark things, passing by me as I got closer to wherever I was being taken. Although, could I say I was moving anywhere? I have a feeling I am, but without any light I could by sitting in place. What if I was stuck here, surrounded by nothing for all eternity?

The thought was maddening, and my present location did nothing to help. But as I stayed suspended in the black, I remembered the words of the figure. Be not afraid. They sounded almost comforting now, and I focused on that simple string of words. As I focused, I could feel myself breathe a little easier. This allowed me to get a grip where I once was terrified.

Madness? I would hardly call being shut in a closet madness. Arkham Asylum, now that was crazy. No, I see now what this place really is. It's a test. To lock me inside my own mind, and the only way out is to set myself free. And that thing that called me here gave me the key. Remove myself of the fear I never knew I had. And I did so. I stared into the void with a smile, and I saw it recoil. Wait, it wasn't recoiling. It was opening. After the eternity I spent floating here I finally saw light. Slowly I reached for that light, and felt myself getting pulled into it.

It grew bigger and brighter with each passing second, until the darkness that surrounded me was replaced entirely with light.

-Elsewhere, far away from Vox Tower-

Alastor re-emerged within an alley, in a part of Pentagram City he didn't recognize. Not that it mattered to him, as long as he was far away from the figure he thought he would never see again. He leaned against the alley wall, taking a moment to catch his breath and still the beating of his heart. As he did, he thought back on immediate events. He had succeeded in killing Vox, making him fulfill his end of their agreement. Then Joker denied him his soul, something that soured him at first but now he was thankful he did so. Because soon after that…

Alastor screwed his eyes shut, trying not to think of the figure he saw on those monitors. That's when he felt something brush his shoulder and his eyes snapped back open. He saw one of his shadow familiars standing by him with a look of concern. A look Alastor returned with one of disdain.

"You," he said in a harsh whisper. "Why did you not inform me he was involved? Did you not sense his presence?! I never would have considered Joker if I knew he had hooks in him already."

The shadow gave a silent look of remorse and shook its head, waving its arms trying to make it clear it was as unknowing as Alastor was. Alastor tried his best to be understanding, but he was still shaken up by the danger he narrowly avoided.

"I don't want to hear your excuses, you should have been more vigilant." Alastor paused, then sighed and looked away from the familiar, "I should have been…"

He placed a hand on his eyes, one he dragged down until it covered his mouth. "He could have easily taken us if I didn't react. Taken us back to that place he calls home. I'll never forget what I saw, that day he invited me to his domain. The kind of person he is, the horrors he inflicts, it defies nature."

He removed his hand from his mouth and placed it on his knee. Releasing one last large breath, he pushed himself off the wall and stood back up. Having sufficiently calmed himself, he tried his best to move on, and hoped that in doing so he could put these events behind him.

"If he wants Joker, he can have him. I don't expect he'll survive long there anyways. With any luck he'll end up another one of his victims and I'll never hear from him again. At the very least Vox is dead, and that's one blessing I will take."

Alastor turned to the alley exit and walked towards the people moving along the sidewalk outside. His familiar followed closely, floating right up beside his shoulder. Without looking, Alastor's hand flew up and snatched it by the chin, dragging it down close to his face.

"From now on, I'll be the one to vett willing souls. Just so instances like this will not happen again."

Alastor felt the shadow nod its head and he released his grip on him. Then he pushed into the throng outside, melting in and moving on to his next enterprise for that day.