The Laws of Gravity Chapter 2: A Void, a batman begins/dark knight fanfic

Void

"Like a black abyss, it draws you in. It pulls you closer to the ground."

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"You'll be in a padded cell forever."

"You know, maybe we can share one."

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Batman slowly pulled himself to a stand-still, clutching his head with his hand and steadying himself against the concrete wall with the other.

"Ugh… What happened?"

He looked around while surveying the bleak decor of the concrete cell. A few seconds later he finally recalled the dangerous situation he had caught himself in with the Joker.

Frantic, he threw himself against the cell door trying to knock it down.

CRASH

To his confusion, the door had been left unlocked resulting in another head-on collision with the floor.

As he pulled himself up, he automatically reached down for his belt to check to see if his equipment had been somehow damaged or lost.

When he found himself grasping onto open air he looked down and realized that his belt, gear, and two-way radio were all gone, albeit a single Batarang that had somehow attached itself to his cape.

Batman had scarcely begun to piece all of the broken bits of info together when the speakers across the hall emitted radio-static which hissed and squealed like an angry fire.

"Hm. The equipment needs some… fine tuning- but I guess it'll have to do."

Snarling angrily, the Batman held out his Batarang like a dagger, tensed up and hesitant; He flinched when the speakers gave off more radio-static and the Joker continued his monologue.

"Well BATS. As promised, we decided that we would- wait for you before taking…uh, any turns but we did have to, set-up prior to your arrival...

Now…as we are all wondering exactly what the game is, but I'm not exactly…one for following rules so we'll um, keep. It. Simple."

The dark crusader let out a growl of frustration, shouting

"What's the POINT of anything you do, you sick-"

As though he could hear him, the Joker interrupted the Batman before he could finish.

"Gotham's Dark. Knight," he sneered after saying this mocking the "Dark Knight' before continuing, "Will have exactly…mm, one- no, three hours to find, or rather…recover the sweet-innocent- victims."

"But let's just say that our caped crusader makes a slip- he doesn't make it, hmm… exactly in. time."

"Let's say that one of my people gets to one of them first-"

The Joker left it hanging in silence for a couple of minutes, finding the suspense amusing.

"To make it quick-

If Batsy here makes one, little…mistake.

I'll blow up the loony bin."

It took only a second to absorb this in, and when it did Batman started running towards what could possibly be another trap or a hostage.

But he stopped short when the speakers came on one last time.

""Uh, forgot to mention one- little… thing.

That speech of mine just took up about, ah… 10 minutes of your, valuable time, so you have exactly 2 hours to go.

Hopefully…that won't, um affect the edge of your game play."

The Joker's high-pitched, maniacal laugh was cut short as the Batman threw his Batarang into the speakers on the wall.

No…

Can't let him win, I can't afford to lose control…

Taking in a long, calming breath, he quietly withdrew the Batarang from the busted speakers.

But where am I supposed to start?

He didn't have to think long though, as a person approached the corridor, walking with a severe limp and sliding his….or her feet across the floor.

The dark knight unsheathed his Batarang and concealed himself in the shadows.

"Who are you?"

When the shadowy figure came into focus, he sighed in relief. It was a young woman, wearing a uniform doctor's coat and trailing the remains of a course, sinewy rope from her ankle.

Panicked, she rammed into the Batman, hands around his neck, trying to choke him.

"WHAT HAVE YOU TO DO WITH THIS?! WERE YOU THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO ME?!"

He tried to explain, but as her breathing slowed she recognized the shape of the cowl on his head and released him. She fell back on what appeared to be a broken leg, surprisingly unfeelingly and unknowingly.

But as she collapsed, he finally noticed the fresh blood-staining her clothes.

He started towards her but backed away without thinking when he saw her injuries, full-fleshed. The stark-black hair that was sticky with fresh blood did little to conceal the empty, lifeless eye socket and the other retaining- mud brown one that stared back at him.

Shaking, she reached up and felt the blood and gaping hole.

She stared at the blood in her hands and lowered her head into her hands, shaking her head as though she was in deep denial.

"No…no…this can't be…c-can't be happening…

I-I didn't realize. I didn't expect this…why this of all things?

….WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DO THIS OF ALL THINGS?!"

After screaming this, she ended with hysterical sobs that left the Crusader both worried and frightened.

But out of nowhere she stopped. Wiping the blood and tears of her face with the now-soiled coat, she steadied her broken leg on the concrete and looked ahead calmly.

"…I heard what the Joker said to you."

He chose to stay silent, not exactly sure of the situation.

"I could probably identify the people who were taken, but nothing else. I've already done enough damage in that area."

"Are you a doctor here?"

She gave a bitter laugh, saying

"I fought well and hard for that position for a long time now, but I've been rejected every time. Apparently I lack the calm and indifference to do so- the nerve! Even as a file manager, it's obvious for anyone to see that I'm more adept for handling the criminally insane than those pompous bureaucrats- Even using my last name Andrews as my alias didn't get anyone to take me…more seriously."

As she said this, Batman broke a wooden chair used for the guard's night-shift in the hallway, making a wooden splint for her leg and using a strip of her coat to bandage together. The doctor noticeably flinched at the physical contact.

"We're running out of time here so I suggest that you start thinking of a lead to start this."

Andrews paled at this; she remembered the time limit of 2 hours some of which had already been killed off because of her appearance. She discretely took a chunky-black tape recorder from the inside of her coat and turned it on.

"…Including me, there's probably only at least 2 or 3 more people left… The Joker knows that it's better to torment an individual taking the time to do so…so he wouldn't have had enough for too many. He wasn't expecting my escape but I probably used up a lot of time anyways."

The dark knight gave a short nod, and in an unexpected move took her onto his back. When she protested, he sighed and simply replied,

"This is the fastest way to get around. I don't think we would be able to move as quickly if you were dragging me behind with your broken leg."

She looked positively outraged at this, but a single glare silenced the anger and turned it into embarrassment.

"We don't have the time to be arguing like this. Now…where should we start?"

Confused and still slightly disoriented, Andrews rubbed her hand against her forehead, brushing up her blunt-bangs.

"I don't know exactly where, but I'm pretty sure I know a sure candidate… A doctor recently appealed for the "healing" and surgery of the Joker's scars- in hopes this would help his rehabilitation. Of course, the Joker wasn't at all pleased with that. She was also planning to resign soon too, because of the peer pressuring of doctors, so….

Her name was uh...Harleen. Harleen Quinzel."

Authors Note:

Well at least this turned out longer than I expected it to be. And if you're reading this, I would appreciate your comment even if it was a flame. This means R&R. Rate and review.