Even though Jim had no idea that he was fighting alongside his daughter, for Batgirl there was no better feeling then having her father by her side. Even though Jim was now in his middle fifties there was no one Batgirl trusted more to have her back, especially now that they were fighting nearly all of Joker's gang and was severely outnumbered.
Batgirl, delivered a uppercut to one clown's chin while Jim delivered a blow to another clown's jaw. Harley wasn't near the experienced fighter as the other two, but she found her baseball bat pretty useful in combat, whacking clown, after clown over the head with it.
Batgirl was so distracted trying to take one clown down that she didn't see another clown pulling out a six shooter from his pocket. Jim saw him however and he took out his own gun and shot him in the leg crippling him. After delivering a final kick to the gut, the clown that Batgirl was fighting fell, and Batgirl turned around to see the clown Jim shot laying on the ground screaming in pain.
"I owe you one Commissioner." Batgirl's eyes then went wide as she noticed a clown sneaking up behind Jim with a knife. "Get down!"
Jim ducked as Batgirl through a batarange, hitting the clown in the temple and knocking him out cold. Jim turned to see the clown unconscious on the hard metal ground before turning to face the Batgirl "I think we're even."
Harley was batting away at the clowns attacking her, one attacker pulled out a heavy assault rifle on Harley, but thinking fast Harley was able to smash the rifle out of his hand and deliver a painful blow to the guy's face. Harley followed that attack up by turning around and smashing her bat into anothers clown gut, knocking the wind plain out of him as he fell to his knees and curled up into a ball. One clown picked up a pipe and started to raise it over Harley's head, but Harley quickly kicked up her leg and kicked the clown in the crotch. The clown dropped the pipe and screamed in agony, allowing Harley the chance to pick up the pipe and whack it across the clown's face.
Her back turned to address another attacker, a clown took out a assault rifle and started aiming it at the back of Harley's head. He was just about to pull the trigger when Batgirl came up from behind him and tackled him to the ground, wrestling the gun from his hands and smashed it across another clown's face before turning her attention back to him and delivering a finishing blow to his face.
Batgirl shot out her grappling hook and wrapped it around one clown's waist, she then slung him into another guy, tackling the two of them to the ground before picking them both up by the hair and smashing them into the metal ground. She then shot her grappling hook around another clown's ankle and yanked him to the ground, the clown hit his head hard, knocking him out cold.
"Commissioner to your right," Batgirl replied. Jim turned to his right and saw a clown about to attack him, Batgirl tossed him a metal pipe and Jim smacked it against the clown's face, knocking him out cold.
"How unacceptable can you idiot's be!?" Joker scolded towards his men. "There are dozens of you and only three of them, and one of them is almost old enough for the retirement home! And you can't even dispose of them properly? What am I even paying you for? You know what Batgirl, do with them what you want! I'm finished with them anyway."
"To bad we ain't finished with you!" Batgirl tossed a batarange towards Joker's direction only for Joker to shoot his acid filled water gun at the batarange, melting it before it even reached him.
"Oops, forgot I even had this." Joker laughed, "Here have a sample Batsy!" Joker fired the acid at Batgirl's direction. Batgirl barely had time to cover her face with her arms as the acid soaked her arms, melting through the fabric and burning Batgirl's skin. Batgirl screamed in pain as she examined the burns on her arms.
"You like it Batgirl?" Joker laughed "Have some more!"
Joker was suddenly blindsided by a kick to the back of his head, he fell to the ground and saw Harley standing over him, patting her bat in her open palm.
"You deserve every damn thing I'm about to do to you!"
"Now take it easy there slugger," Joker laughed nervously, "Think about all the fun times we had together, those long talks in the asylum, the flowers I sneaked into the office, wasn't those great."
Harley put a foot to Joker's chest, pinned him down as she put her bat to Joker's chin.
"Not near as great as what I'm about to do to you."
"Is this really the appreciation I get for all I've done for you?"
"What you've done to me? You turned me into a monster! You made me betray everything I ever stood for, you made me kill! You made me into your little puppet. And you don't control me anymore!"
"Why you ungrateful little!" Joker reached for his gun, which Harley had failed to kick away and sprayed it at Harley's arm. Harley screamed as the acid burned her arm, allowing Joker to jump to his feet and deliver a blow to Harley's face.
Harley quickly picked herself up off the floor, delivering a loud scream she slammed her bat into Joker's face, sending him flying across the ground.
"This is for Sarah you son of a bitch!" Harley screamed as she charged Joker, Joker had to quickly roll out of the way to avoid getting struck.
As Harley ran past Joker, Joker picked himself up and prepared himself for the next strike. As Harley turned around to face him, Joker could see the hatred in Harley's eyes.
"You ungrateful little brat," Joker growled. Harley didn't say a word she just screamed as the two of them clashed, both of them able to land a good number of blows to each other's face, gut and head. Eventually though after a few good blows, Harley started to get the upper hand, delivering a strike against the right side of Joker's face she was able to stun him long enough for Harley to hit him again and again and again. Soon Joker fell to his knees, his entire right side of his face coated in blood.
Staring at Joker helpless and bloodied, Harley seriously felt the temptation to finish him off right there. But no, she already had enough blood on her hands because of that devil. Her anger ceasing Harley walked up to the Joker, and glared down at his eyes.
"Your going back to Arkham to rot."
Despite his face being coated in blood Joker couldn't help but bust out laughing. "Perhaps you can join me there!" Joker delivered a blow to Harley's gut before delivering a uppercut to her chin knocking her to the floor.
Joker picked up his acid gun and walked slowly to Harley, who was struggling to pick herself up off the floor. "Nah, on second thought I think I'm just going to finish you right here."
Joker bent down and lifted Harley by the hair and pulled her up so she could look him in the eyes.
"It's time you realize what happens when a puppet tries to overrule his master!"
"I am not your puppet anymore!" With what little strength Harley had left she swung her bat one last time, knocking the gun out of Joker's hand and sending it flying off the rooftop.
"NO!" Joker screamed running to the edge of the roof to search for his gun, only to see it was long out of sight. He then felt Harley strike him in the back of the knee causing him to fall to the ground.
"It's over for you Joker."
"Oh, it's over all right." Joker laughed, not even intimidated at all by Harley "But not for me!" Before Harley could react Joker took off a knife and stabbed Harley in the side.
"NO!" Batgirl screamed as she watched the blade go into Harley's side. She had already watched one friend die, she was not about to watch another. Her anger scale raising through the roof Batgirl charged after the Joker, tackling to the ground and started throwing punches. Jim ran over to check on Harley, she was losing blood fast, she would need medical attention quickly if she was going to make it.
"This is Commissioner Gordon," Jim called on his radio. "We have a stabbing at the Gotham City Steel Mill, requesting immediate medical attention, ASAP!"
Joker kicked Batgirl off of him, and let out a loud laugh as Batgirl picked herself off the floor.
"What's the matter Batgirl? Did I kill your little girlfriend, don't worry I'm sure you'll love again. I know sure as hell I will."
Joker heard the sound of a helicopter flying by him, looking up he saw it was piloted by one of his men, as it flew to the edge and lowered a ladder, Joker knew it was time for him to make his getaway.
"Well toots it's been fun, but all good parties must come to a end!"
Oh no, he was not going to get away. As Joker boarded the ladder Batgirl shot her grappling hook out and wrapped it around Joker's leg. Soon Batgirl was lifted up off the ground as the helicopter started lifting off.
"What are you doing!?" Joker gasped. "Get off, stop!" Batgirl didn't stop, she grappled up and grabbed Joker by the back of the collar and pulled him off the ladder. The both of them soon went in a free fall above the steel mill and it was only Batgirl's cape that kept her from getting crushed by the impact of her fall.
Joker however fell straight for the steel mill's main chimney. It was only his quick ability to grab onto the edge of the chimney that prevented him from burning to death.
Batgirl wouldn't admit it, but as she watched Joker dangle for his life she felt a little amusement. Still, she couldn't let him burn. Still, there was nothing wrong with making him struggle a little bit.
"Um, Batgirl, you wouldn't let your good friend Mr. J fry would you?"
As Batgirl watched Joker struggle she took out a recording baterange and pinned it to the ground, she wanted to make sure everything the two of them were about to discuss was on the record.
"Tell me Joker, would it have made have made a difference that day if you didn't fall in that acid?"
"What are you talking about "Brat girl?"
"You know what I'm talking about? That night at Ace Chemicals. When you fell into that vat, would it have made a difference if you had fell or not, would you still be the crazy psychopath you are today?"
"Well if it matters that much to you no it wouldn't. I had already turned to a life of crime and they killed my wife regardless. The chemicals wasn't the only thing that drove me mad, that event did too. So to answer your question no it wouldn't. I would still be the mass murderer, I would just be going by the Red Hood instead. So now that you know the truth, you going to help me?"
Batgirl turned and thought about everything Joker had througt the years, knowing that nothing would have made a difference and he still would have been the man he was today, she was really debating if saving him was worth it. "You are the reason for the worst events in Gotham's history. You have killed thousands of innocent people. I lock you away, you'll just get free and kill again."
"Yes, yes, very nice, now get me out of here."
"Still, despite everything you have done, I can't just let you die, that would make me no better then you." Batgirl lowered her hand. "Give me your hand."
Joker lifted his hand and took Batgirl's hand. But the second she took it a painful shock went through her entire body. Joker had placed his electric joy buzzer in his hand and was hoping to drag her down with him to her death. Joker grabbed Batgirl by the collar and the both of them toppled into the chimney. Thinking fast however Batgirl was able to shoot out her grappling hook and grapple onto the top of the chimney before she fell into the fire. Joker wasn't so lucky, Batgirl watched helplessly as Joker fell into the flames, laughing the entire way.
As Batgirl grappled herself up out of the chimney. Jim helped carry Harley to the edge to see what all the commotion was and saw Batgirl staring down inside the chimney. "Joker fell in."
"I'm sure not even the Joker could survive that." Harley replied.
"We've thought that before." Was all Batgirl said before she grappled off. Rather Joker was alive or not, she knew regardless it was over.
Next chapter will be the finale then it's on to story three.