Chapter 7

As Batman felt the trap door close over his head, his feet found no bearing. The only thing suspending him was his hand on the handle of the door. He couldn't see anything through the pitched dark. He quickly braced both feet on opposite sides of the wall. He knew the Joker probably fell and was far ahead of him by now.

With a quick decision, he let himself go. He plummeted fast through the darkness. He kept falling for what seemed like minutes. When he finally landed, he was still in pitched darkness. With a quick flick of his utility belt, the night vision lenses built into his cowl went over his eyes. He saw a long corridor. He raced down the corridor and began to hear laughter. He knew then that the Clown Prince of Crime was close. As he turned the corner, he saw the Joker running up a long, wide flight of stairs. Could they lead back to the warehouse complex or possibly outside?

As Batman heard more and more laughter, he wondered if the Joker was leading him into a trap or was this just some sadistic game? As he reached the top of the stairs, he came to a floor, similar to the one that he had just been on with the police before the Joker's untimely escape.

A third floor perhaps he thought as he followed the Joker up yet another flight of stairs.

He got to the top and all of a sudden, the joker was gone. He had lost him.

As he came to a narrow entryway of what was yet another flight of stairs he noticed a door at the top was ajar. He quickly scaled the narrow stairwell. As he got to the top and rushed out the door he was outside. As he noticed his surroundings, he realized that he was on the roof of the warehouse complex. He quickly looked over to the right of him and saw the Joker standing at the edge of the roof.

"I'll do it Batman. I'll really do it. Hee Hee. Haa Haa Hoo Hee. Ya' know Batman, I think my life is just so unbearable right now. Why with Clayface captured and Harvey injured by that fat washed up detective man, I think it's just gotten to be too much," the mad man exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Joker, don't do it."

"Oh what do you care old pointy ears? You'd love to see me die. Well ya' know what Batsy, today you get your wish my old pal. Your life won't be much without me around," he said taking a careless drop off the ten-story building.

"Jokeeeerrrrr," Batman screamed with concern. The Dark Knight couldn't believe the Joker had actually driven himself this mad. He paused a moment in utter shock and as he approached the edge, he heard a machine-like chopping noise.

He backed up from the ledge and realized that even the Joker wasn't stupid enough to take his own life. Just then a monstrous red helicopter appeared beyond the complex. As the craft was gaining altitude, Batman could see the Joker climbing in. As he got completely inside, he closed the chopper door. With that, the helicopter was off. Batman shot a grapple upward but to no avail. The grapple line wasn't long enough. It looked like the Joker was going to get away.

Just then, Batman used his cellular receiver from his belt. "Commissioner, do you read me?"

"Go ahead Batman," Gordon said from the other end

"The Joker is flying away in a red chopper, from the old Grayville Warehouse Complex. He's heading east. Can you track him?"

"We could try…" Gordon trailed off. "Yeah we've got one of our detectives sending a police chopper after it right now."

"Good. I'll rendezvous with you at the headquarters. If your men can track him I'll be able to apprehend him later."

"Alright Batman I'll be waiting for you here at headquarters."

"Right," said Batman ending their conversation. As he looked out over the edge of the building, with not a moment's notice, he was off. As, he jumped off the rooftop, he half glided and half fell a few stories down, then finally grasping his cape, he shifted into full parachuting form and hit the ground.

Moments later the Batmobile drove up to the side of the street to collect the Dark Knight. He climbed into the cockpit in route to police headquarters. By now, the night had turned into an early Gotham City morning.

As Commissioner Gordon sat doing some work at police headquarters, a figure lingered outside his third story office window.

"What took you so long my friend?" Gordon said as Batman came through the window.

"Busy Morning Jim," the Batman retorted. "Is Dent back in Arkham?"

"Yup, he'll be in the medical wing though for about four weeks. Bullock got him pretty good."

"And Clayface?" the Batman wondered.

"He's back where he belongs too. He's a tough one to hold though. You gotta watch out for those meta-humans. But hey, not a bad night's work, huh friend. We've got Dent and Clayface back in Arkham, the missing Faberge turned up at a local trade store. Some of Dent's boys got some major dough for it. All those guys are in jail too. Lucius Fox is glad to be out of harm's way again. I imagine his employer will be glad to hear of his safe return tomorrow. "I -."

Just then a black phone rang loudly on Gordon's desk.

"Hello," the first-rate cop said picking up the receiver. "What, what do you mean? He just busted out of Arkham Asylum days ago for God sake. How does he have that kind of technology? Well I don't care what it takes I want him found," the Commissioner said angrily as he slammed down the phone.

"Well Batman, it looks like the Joker sent out an electro-magnetic pulse across the city. Most of our tracking equipment and radar is useless now." As the Commissioner turned around in his chair he noticed he was alone. The Batman probably heard the whole conversation and left. Happens all the time he thought as he turned around and continued his paperwork.

Hours later, at about 10:00 am, after having read the morning paper and seeing the outcome of Batman's latest capture over a cup of coffee, Bruce Wayne was in his office preparing for his trip to Goth-Corp for the day's meeting. As he grabbed his briefcase and headed out of his office, Lucius Fox stopped him in his tracks.

"Bruce, knock 'em dead with those figures we went over. Ferris Boyle will love what you have to say. At least he better. I didn't work on those reports for two weeks for nothing. Ya' know I always thought Mr. Boyle was kind of a crook. He is a very shady character. I -."

"Lucius it's great to have my number one man back and out of harms way, but if you don't mind I'm running late here."

"Sorry Bruce. Let me know how it goes!"

As Bruce finally made his way to the elevator, his bothersome secretary came up behind him.

"Bruce, a Mrs. Tomberlin from Arkham Asylum has been calling all morning? She requests a courtesy meeting for Harvey Dent. I told her you'd call her. Of course I know you'll cancel but I just -."

"It sounds fine. Even though it's strange that he was apprehended just last night and they already want the charity. I'll go as long as there is no media coverage of any kind. Make sure you let Arkham know that it is a personal thing. No media coverage! Yeah, I'd love to see Harvey again. But listen, I'm off to the meeting at Goth-Corp," he hurriedly stated trying to get away.

As he hopped into his blue 1978 Lotus Esprit he chuckled to himself knowing that his meeting would go over well if he impressed Ferris Boyle, the President/CEO of Goth-Corp, with this higher priced, much sportier automobile. As he pulled away from Wayne Tower, he knew his meeting would be rushed, for he had to get home and make plans for the night.