Chapter 5

Gotham General Hospital

Dick sat out in the waiting room, unsure of what to make of any of this. This 'Joker' guy who apparently escaped from Arkham Asylum that Bruce was investigating, broke into Barbara's home, shot her in the legs before hitting her dad in the head and then he laughed like it was some kind of joke.

Dick could feel his blood boil. What kind of maniac laughs after nearly killing a fifteen year-old girl for pretty much no reason at all? And the situation didn't help manners. Commissioner Gordon had gone missing, and Bruce, who was dressed as Batman at the moment, was talking with several of the doctors.

"How's the girl?" he could hear Batman's deep voice say.

"Not very well" One of the doctors responded "she sustained two gunshots, one on each leg. There's still a chance she might recover, but she'll have to rest."

"Oh, there were also these found at the scene." Another doctor spoke, handing the masked vigilante what appeared to be pictures. Dick got up from his chair and walked up to them, a look of anger in his eyes. A security guard tried to stop him, but Batman motioned for him to let him pass.

Batman handed the pictures to Dick and the boy's eyes nearly watered at what he saw. Most of the pictures appeared to be of Barbara on the floor, completely naked with a look of both pain and terror on her face.

Dick bawled his hand into a fist as fresh tears left his eyes, Batman placed a hand on the boy's shoulder before turning to face the doctors.

"Let us see her." He stated. The doctors nodded and the two walked into the room the injured girl was in. The first thing Dick did as soon as he entered was run to hug Barbara, being careful not to hurt her.

Batman then entered shortly after the two separated. Barbara's eyes widened in surprise; she didn't expect to see the Dark Knight standing by the door, then again he was friends with her dad. But then she turned to look at Dick, who wasn't the least bit surprised.

Before Barbara could say anything, she noticed Batman taking off his coal to reveal his face and to Barbara's shock it was Bruce Wayne. She then turned to face Dick who appeared to be looking down in shame. Barbara then put two and two together.

"When were you planning on telling me that you're Robin?" she asked Dick playfully.

"I wasn't planning to, you know because of…" Dick started before Bruce cut him off.

"I told him not to tell you, to keep you safe." He stated.

"Barbara, listen" Dick continued "Did he say anything?"

Barbara took a deep breath, her body shaking "He came into the house and shot me in the legs. The, he started mocking us, like it was a joke to him. He said he wanted t-to prove a point." Barbara's eyes began to water at the memories of what the mad man did to her, Dick wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way. "W-what does he want? What's he gonna do to my dad?"

Abandoned Amusement Park

Commissioner Gordon let out a painful groan, his body felt numb with pain, his head was spinning, and he felt confused. Where was he? Last thing he remembered was…

"Oh, you are awake already, Commissioner?" A voice came out, Gordon was in too much of a daze to know who it was. He struggled to rise to his feet only to collapse back onto the floor. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Wha-what's going on? What am I doing here?" the commissioner's vision began to slowly clear up, taking in his surroundings, he realized he was in some kind of cage.

"Doing? Why, you're doing what any sane man would do in your current position. You're going mad."

The commissioner then turned in the direction of the voice and his look hardened when he saw the Joker standing outside the cage he was in. "I-I remember now."

"Remember? Oh, no I wouldn't do that. Remembering's dangerous" The Joker then proceeded to open the cage and walk inside, he then placed a small projector in the cage before forcefully tying the commissioner onto a chair. "I find the past to be such a dreadful thing. One moment you're lost in a carnival of delight, poignant childhood aromas, the flashing Neon of puberty, all that sentimental candy-floss. The next, it takes you some place you don't want to be, some place dark and cold, filled with the damp ambiguous shapes you'd hope were forgotten. Memories can be vile, repulsive little brutes. Like children, I suppose."

"B-Barbara. What did you" Gordon was cut off as the Joker tightened his restrains.

"But can we live without them? Memories are what our reason is based on, if we deny them we deny reason itself. Although, what's wrong with that really? I mean it's not like we're contractually tied down to rationality; there is no Sanity Clause." The Joker then pulled a remote out of his jacket pocket and aimed it at the projector.

"W-what is this?" Gordon tried to untie himself to no avail.

"So when you find yourself onto an unpleasant train of thought heading for places in your past where the screaming is unavoidable; remember there's always madness. You can just step outside and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away forever."

Red Hook; Midtown Gotham

The Dynamic Duo stood atop a rooftop watching as a group of people were talking to a man in a purple suit with white skin and green hair. Batman analyzed the vehicle he arrived in and immediately recognized it as the stolen piece of military equipment Commissioner Gordon told him about.

The Joker was passing several cards to the men, like for a carnival or something like that.

"So, let me get this straight" one of the men spoke up "You caught James Gordon and are currently torturing him?"

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it torturing, but yes." The madman responded with a chuckle.

"And why should we believe you?" Another spoke up.

"You shouldn't, see for yourselves." The Joker handed the man in charge a picture with Jim Gordon tied to a chair watching something unpleasant evident by the horrified look on his face.

Robin grit his teeth as the mobsters began to laugh, almost like it was pleasing them. Batman was quick to stop the boy before leaping in recklessly.

"Well, I gotta admit. You're alright for a psychopath."

"So, what do say, gentlemen? Do we have a deal?"

"That deal ends here." The attendants turned to see the Dynamic Duo heading towards them.

"It's the Batman" one of them shouted, the mobsters drew their guns and pointed them at the two. Batman and Robin split as the mobsters shot at them, all the while the Joker simply stood still, watching the whole thing. Batman and Robin punched and kicked the mobsters in the head and stomach, rendering them unconscious. As soon as the two were done, they turned to face the Joker who appeared to be clapping.

"MARVELOUS" he stated "That was quite the show. I'm so glad I finally get to meet you. The only other person in this entire city who's just as crazy as I am."

"I'm nothing like you" the Dark Knight said defiantly.

"Are you sure? I mean, if you aren't crazy then why are you dressed like that?" The madman began laughing "I mean, there must be a reason, something awful in your past that led to this. Am I right?" Batman remained silent, the Joker's smile grew wider "I thought so."

Before Batman could even move, Robin pounced onto the white skinned maniac and pinned him to the ground. The madman sighed at the boy's insistence.

"Kid, do you mind? The adults were having a conversation." The joker then reached for a spray flower on his suit and squeezed it, a strange liquid then hit the boy's face, burning his mask away. Batman rushed to help his partner, letting the Joker hop into his car and drive away while laughing manically.