"Bruce, we can handle this," said Nightwing, firmly. "You're not going out there."

"Yes, I am," retorted Batman, as he buckled on his utility belt in the Batcave.

"You're out of practice, Bruce," said Robin. "We don't want you getting hurt or killed out there."

"You should be worried about yourselves, kids," retorted Joker, as he straightened Batman's cape for him. "I never rated Scarecrow as a villain, but you are in no way prepared for his fear toxin descending on this city. Mass terror and panic are things you can't just punch out of action, not that I rate your punches either."

"You haven't faced Scarecrow alone before," said Batman, ignoring Joker. "He's not like the others. I mean, he's no Joker…"

"Damn straight," agreed Joker.

"He's no Joker, but he's dangerous enough on his own," continued Batman. "If he is on his own," he muttered, checking each pocket of his utility belt to make sure his equipment was still there.

"What do you mean?" asked Nightwing. "You think he's working with someone?"

"I've just got this feeling," muttered Batman, glancing at Joker. "That he's not alone. Criminals tend to stick to what they know, and what Crane knows are small, controlled experiments in a safe environment. He's never launched a terror attack this big before, and I didn't think he'd have the nerve to hit the whole city on his own. It's probably just me being paranoid – I'll stop Scarecrow, and that will be the end of it."

"Tim, Dad's given the order to evacuate the city," said Oracle over Robin's wrist communicator. "It's chaos over at GCPD. They need you out there ASAP – it's not going to take looters long to take advantage of this city being empty, and that's just one of many possible crimes."

"I hear you, Barb – we're almost ready," said Robin. "Are you somewhere safe?"

"The Clocktower," said Oracle. "Don't worry about me, Tim. Even if Scarecrow launches a gas attack, I don't think it'll reach me all the way up here."

"Ok, but just in case, you have a gas mask, right?" asked Robin.

"Tim, please, I'm fine," said Oracle.

"I know, I just…couldn't bear it if anything happened to you," murmured Robin. "Or the baby."

"Aw, how sweet!" sighed Joker, leaning against Batman's shoulder. "I wish I could have been an overprotective father, but sadly you killed me before I could inflict that joy upon Harley."

"Bruce, I'm already going to be worried about Barb," said Robin, turning to him. "Don't make me worry about you too."

"Don't be ridiculous, Tim," snapped Batman. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm Batman."

"Yeah, he's Batman," repeated Joker, in a growl mimicking Batman's voice. "Now c'mon, buddy, let's get out there and break some bones! I've been dying for some action for years! Figuratively speaking, of course."

"Master Bruce, are you sure you're well enough for this?" asked Alfred quietly, as Batman headed toward the Batmobile. "Considering your…condition?"

"I don't have a choice, Alfred," retorted Batman. "If we're going to stop Scarecrow before he can detonate his bomb, we need all hands on deck. It'll just be for twenty-four hours – after that, I'm coming back here and we'll…do what we discussed."

"So this is like a last hurrah before the end, huh?" asked Joker, as Batman climbed into the Batmobile. He was annoyed when Joker squeezed into the driver's seat next to him. "Like when you have to put your dog down, so you take him to all his favorite places and give him all his favorite foods before you shoot him in the face? Sounds like fun!"

Batman said nothing, starting the engine and racing the Batmobile out of the cave. It was an odd feeling to be behind the wheel again – like he was resuming another life. The reflexes hadn't gone away, and he felt his muscle memory returning, his body almost involuntarily driving the old familiar route from the Batcave into the city.

Gotham was strangely deserted – the roads out of the city were jammed with cars, buses, and desperate pedestrians weaving in between the standstill traffic. The roads into the city were completely empty, as was its center. Batman had never seen it deserted like this as he drove through Grand Avenue on Miagani Island.

"Oh, this is no fun," said Joker, gazing out the window and frowning. "Who are we gonna beat if there's no one out there to hurt?"

Batman ignored him, parking the car next to Pauli's Diner and climbing out. He entered the diner to see that it had been completely trashed – the police had come to take away the wounded and the dead, but they clearly hadn't had time to examine the crime scene closely.

Batman felt something stirring inside him again as he began to investigate the crime scene – again, it was like a muscle reflex, remembering how to do this by instinct and routine. But the very act of doing it again made him feel more alive than he had felt in fifteen years. He was finally working with his hands and his brain together again, and something about that engagement with reality calmed him and centered him and made him feel like himself again.

Until Joker said, "Whatcha got there, buddy?" bending down next to him.

"A backpack," said Batman, holding it up. "With traces of smoke," he added, examining it with the tech in his helmet. "But it's not tobacco smoke - it's fear toxin. That must be how it was smuggled in and released into the air."

"Clever," said Joker, nodding. "How many people do you think were killed in the attack? Must have been a bunch, from the footage we saw where everyone just went nuts. I wonder what kinda fun stuff they were seeing – I bet at least one person hallucinated me. I'm obviously pretty terrifying, and so are you, of course…"

Batman tried to tune out his babbling. "Scarecrow must have had an accomplice, or someone he threatened into releasing his toxin here," he muttered, searching through the bag. "Maybe they left a clue…"

He began searching under the table, and his hand suddenly fell on a cell phone. He picked it up, searching through it for any data that would be useful, contact numbers or text messages, but it was blank. There was only one thing on the phone – an audio recording labeled For Batman.

Batman played it. "Hello, Dark Knight," said a strange, filtered voice, which definitely didn't belong to Scarecrow. "What do you think of Scarecrow's new toxin? Pretty hot, huh? I don't know about you, but I think it'll be a fantastic experience for those innocent citizens of Gotham who try to run. They won't be able to escape the terror that is coming, and neither will you. You've run from your destiny for fifteen years, but you're going to meet it tonight. You're going to meet it the same place you met it before. And no, I'm not talking about Crime Alley, although I know that was the birthplace of Batman. You see, I know, Batsy. I know everything. I know who you are and how your mind works. We all know that now. And because we know, your little Bat-family is no longer safe. If you want to save them, you need to come to the birthplace of the Joker. Family's so important, isn't it? And this is all about family. My mother taught me psychology, so I know how you think, and I know you won't refuse a meeting. When you can get inside people's heads like that, it almost takes the fun out of it, doesn't it? But it also opens up new avenues of fun – rather than spontaneous unpredictability, there's the fun of being able to manipulate people, and control them into doing exactly what you want. My family has always been all about the fun. And we're going to have lots of it before the night is over."

Batman's heart fell with each passing word – he looked up at Joker. "It's him, isn't it?" he whispered. "It's your kid."

"I couldn't possibly comment," said Joker, smiling at him. "I don't know what my kid sounds like, after all, and the voice is filtered anyway. But it does sound a lot like something I would say, and the reference to his mother teaching him psychology could only mean Harley."

"How does he know who I am?" asked Batman.

"Ask him," said Joker, shrugging. "Head over to Ace Chemicals and confront him like he wants. It'll be good to see the old place again, and it's the only way to save this city, so it's win-win."

"Yes," agreed Batman, heading out of the diner. "And if he kills me, it'll be a blessing, to spare Alfred from having to do it."

"Oh, I don't think he'll kill you, Batsy," replied Joker. "Then the fun would be over, you see. And if he's anything like me, he won't want that to happen until he's played with you a bit more. Plus he wouldn't have the heart to kill his old dad."

Batman rounded on him. "You will not make me tell him about you!" he snapped.

"You could try to stop me, but I don't believe you can," replied Joker, grinning. "I'm stronger than you, Bruce – every moment you're getting weaker, and I'm growing more powerful. You've seen that I can control you into speaking my words – what makes you think I can't make you do anything I want? Including taking over your body, and telling my son that his dad's alive in you, and all he has to do to meet him is leave you alive. I know Harley will appreciate that joke, and I can guarantee he will too."

"I'll stop you," retorted Batman. "I've always stopped you before. I've always been stronger than you…"

"Yes, but now you've got two Jokers fighting against you," interrupted Joker. "And you know how much damage one Joker can do on his own. And children are just so ingenious, aren't they? So creative and clever – I can't wait to see how sonny boy lives up to the Joker name!"

Joker's mocking laughter followed Batman into the Batmobile. He tried to tune it out as he started the car, and headed toward the giant, looming shadow cast by Ace Chemicals.