"Goodbye, my love."

With a final, remorseful glance at Batman, Andrea made her escape. Using the smokescreen as cover, she made her way through the ruins of the attraction with the villainous Joker in toe. He was tall but lean and surprisingly light. Only his half-hearted struggles and the grating bouts of laughter made him difficult to carry.

As the explosions ripped through the World of Tomorrow, she headed south, dragging the semi-conscious clown behind. She was prepared to die, as long as the Joker went with her, but she'd prefer to know for sure. Joker had cheated death before. This time, she would know that he had perished, by her hand.

Flames swirled around them, engulfing the strange depictions of an unrealized future. Hover-cars toppled and melted in the inferno, robot house-keepers swooned from the heat and collapsed in a pile of rust and bolts. The virtual reality machine exploded, raining down sparks.

Batman was nowhere in sight.

Flames tickled her bare flesh scarring her arm. She barely felt it. Too long, she'd waited for her revenge. She kept on moving, her hand clenching tightly to the Joker's collar. He dragged his feet, but made no attempt to get away.

As they cleared the blast area, Joker began to giggle again.

"So much for the blaze of glory," he wheezed. "Guess you'll have to let me go. We'll try again tomorrow."

His suit was torn and his face bloodied. Locks of green hair strayed this way and that, unruly and singed. The skin around his left eye had a mottled blue tinge and was beginning to puff. His lip was already swollen and a few teeth were missing from his yellowed smile. He isn't smiling now, Andrea thought darkly.

In the dark of the night, they travelled, Joker staggering along behind, occasionally falling on his face. He laughed at every pratfall, mindless of the blood pouring from his nose. Andrea refused to show sympathy or mercy. Her father received none.

"We've got a bright future behind us, kid," Joker mumbled, his purple eyelid fluttering but refusing to open. He coughed, but Andrea guessed it was meant to be a laugh. "Why dredge up old memories?"

He'd noticed where they were. And where else? It seemed to be the epicentre of everything that concerned the Joker. It was where he was reborn; it was destined to be where he died.

Tonight.

Inside the Ace Chemicals factory, Andrea tied the Ace of Knaves to a waiting chair. She'd always intended to end it here, given the chance. There was every chance she'd be interrupted or he'd fight back and necessitate swift action. In that case, she would have dealt with him as she had Buzz and Chuckie.

But the overall aim was to bring him here. This way, she would have time to look into his eyes, to let him know what was coming. She would watch him squirm, hear him plead for mercy, and then she would drag the blade of her scythe from nose to navel.

She took the scythe from the crate where she had stowed it away on first arriving back in Gotham. Andrea had always intended for the Joker to see her face. Here, she could reveal her identity, kill the Joker and return to a normal life. But Bruce had seen her now. It was too late for that last part.

Joker had seen her too. He stared at her, looking into her eyes with a brazen smirk. Suddenly, she wished she had the mask of the phantasm. She longed for the smoke and the booming voice and feeling of power.

At least she had the scythe. She levelled it against the Joker's throat and bared her teeth. In the most hateful voice she could muster, she spoke. It wasn't the voice of the phantasm, but it had a chilling sound all of its own.

"Joe Napier, your Angel of Death awaits."