Okay sorry the last few chapters have been a fast forward I was just to excited about this chapter! So here is an update don't give up on me just yet I'm trying.
Chapter 24
Bruce woke up to the sound of his phone saying he had a message. He had several messages. Most of them from the Joker.
Hi batsy!
Who's ur new birdy, batbrains?
Was last night totally necessary? It was just one little mayor and his kid.
You might want to go out and buy more juice I just finished it off. Btw why is it that every time I sneak over here you never have anything to eat? Don't you ever stop to eat? You eat so much fast food it's a wonder ur not fat.
Hold on, that one was sent just half an hour ago! Bruce put his face in his hands. The Joker had known who he was for almost a year now and now he was getting into his refrigerator. This was so wrong. It would probably explain what happened to his muffins though.
Joker! Did you eat my damn muffins!
He sent the message and crawled out of bed. He got dressed and heard another message. Probably the Joker. Then it was followed by a second just a moment after. He looked over at his phone and picked it up. Of course the Joker messaged him back but so did…..Artemis? Wow, was she ready to come home already? She couldn't come back, the Joker was still bugging him about where she was. Just last night he kidnapped the Mayor and his son and held them hostage in a convenience store threatening to blow them to high hell.
Brucy, I only ate A muffin! U probably ate the rest you disgrace to fatty faces all around the world! Don't blame me because you can't control yourself! Or it was Joey….
Bruce rolled his eyes and read Artemis's message.
Hey, bring me home and expect a flight for three. He lifted an eyebrow. Who was the other two she was bringing? He walked out and down to the kitchen. Joey and Damian where both sitting at his table eating his Cheerios! He shook his head, these kids had some audacity. He hated teenagers, there were times when he wished he could ship Dick away on a plane to some place far far away from him.
Speaking of Dick, where was he at? As if reading Bruce's mind, Damian answered. "You're friend jumped on his bike and said he would be back. He was giving us some really funny looks, what did you tell him?"
"Told him you guys were bums who ate me out of house and home," snapped Bruce. Alfred walked in and smiled at Bruce. "Didn't know we would be expecting breakfast guests."
"Neither did I, master Bruce, they were not here when I was." Bruce just nodded and made himself some Cheerios and sat down.
"Oh, you just missed the Joker, he said for me to tell you that he really did eat your muffins and that you are still a fatty cake," said Joey.
"He actually said that?"
"Not in those words exactly." Bruce felt a headache come on.
"You two need to leave," he snapped.
"Why," they asked, still eating his food.
"Because I need to leave for work, I need to find out what sort of trouble Dick is getting into, and I have a few guests coming over, so leave."
"Who," they asked.
"Don't worry about it," he said, a little bit pushier this time. He really didn't want these people in his house, certainly not when Artemis gets back.
"What,' they asked.
"Are you just asking questions now to annoy me?"
"Why?" Bruce sighed and pulled out his phone and started dialing 911. The two shot up from their seats and left out the door. Joey turned back and poked his head in the door.
"Hey, man, can you get fruit loops next time? I like cheerios but that is all I have had for a week strait."
"A WEEK!" Joey turned around and left again. Bruce turned back to Alfred.
"Artemis is ready to come home," he said depressed.
"Already," he asked. Bruce just nodded and asked for a Tylenol. Alfted left to go get him one.
"Oh, and she has two other people coming back with her." Alfred just nodded and left to go and get her. Bruce was lost in his thoughts. Maybe fruit loops would be a nice change.
……………………………………….
Artemis and Malachi exchanged looks and she looked down at the baby in her arms. She smiled as she stepped on the helicopter with Malachi behind her. She held the baby boy tight in her arms and drifted off during the flight. When they finally arrived Bruce was waiting for them. She stepped off and greeted him with a smile.
"Good to see you are doing better," said Bruce with a smile.
"Thank you," she said, "this is Michael, and it's not Artemis anymore its Amy."
"Amy," he questioned. She nodded. "You are coming home but you are hiding from the Joker," he concluded. Artemis shook her head.
"I am hiding, yes, but I'm not staying in Gotham. Michael and I are going back to my hometown to raise our son, Devon." Bruce smiled at the baby and touched him with his fingertips. The baby grasped his finger. His smile grew.
"He's cute," said Bruce. Artemis chuckled a bit. It wasn't crazy or satanic sounding like it was a year ago. It was calm and normal. Well, almost normal, Artemis couldn't really be normal.
"Just one more thing I ask," she said.
"Certainly," responded Bruce.
"I need a bus ticket out of here. We would do it ourselves but we don't have the money."
"It's okay," he responded, "if you really intend on a normal life then I will happily buy you a few tickets out of here."
"Just remember not to tell anyone. Knowing the Joker he has been harassing you this whole time."
"It's not that bad," lied Bruce. He felt the smile a little more painful now. It was that bad. When the Joker got tired of just stalking him and leaving cards everywhere he would find some new and interesting ways to torment him. Call his secretary to arrange a lunch pretending to be a big business partner, then making him sit there for almost half an hour and not show up, he just had a car sitting on the serving plate. That was the most annoying but it was nothing compared to the dog incident. He would never go near a pit bull named Savage again.
Bruce led them inside and they sat around the table in the kitchen. "How many breakfast's did you have," asked Artemis looking at all the bowls.
'Just one," he said, "I have a couple uninvited guests. They are gone now though."
"Do you get those often," asked Michael. Bruce looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. He was so quiet Bruce didn't notice him really.
"Who are you again," he asked.
"I'm Michael, I met Amy in China and we wrote to each other and I would come out once a month to visit her and now we are married with a baby," he said, swinging Artemis's hand back and forth as he spoke. Artemis just smiled warmly at him. He sounded British and had short brown hair and fair skin. He wore a simple white tee and a pair of dark blue jeans.
"So, you are from the United Kingdome," asked Bruce.
"Yup," he said nodding, "all the way from York."
"What's it like there?"
"Green and a bit rainy," he responded. Bruce chuckled a bit. They caught up on the last year and finally it was time for Amy and Michael to go.
"You be sure to text me," said Artemis.
"Sure….Amy….You know, that name suits you, not as well as Artemis, but it's still good on you."
"How could I ever repay you for everything you did for me," she asked.
"Just stay out of trouble," he said with a smile. Artemis turned to leave. She was in a pink spaghetti strap, light blue pants, and black and white converse. She was a totally different person. Bruce smiled, he had saved her after all. She no longer spoke like the Joker or moved like him. She had a bit more grace to her step and looked more self confident. Her eyes were still dark though, she was probably still haunted by the past, hopefully she would get help for that.
…………………………….
Artemis and Malachi walked down the driveway and caught a taxi. They took the next bus out of town and waited patiently not speaking in the very back. "Now," whispered Malachi back to his American accent.
"No," she said, "just wait. We need to have patience." The bus almost drove out of town when Artemis gave him the okay. She put on her purple pea coat, her purple cowboy hat with the black cross, and pulled out her knife.
Malachi took out his pistol and a clown mask. He winked at her and she gave him a crazed smile. He walked up to the front and shot at the roof of the bus. There was immediate panic. The bus driver started to swerve to pull over but the clown masked man put his gun to the driver.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, "he said. Everyone started to calm down and sit tight to listen to the clown. "Now," he said, "we are going to play a game where we copy a movie clip. Let's see if you can guess. There is a bomb implanted on this bus and if we go under 55 mph we will explode until we return to Gotham Bus Station. Now, good bus driver, what's your name?"
"D-D-Dan," he stuttered.
"Dan the Man, alright I need you to turn this pile of junk around and head back for Gotham. Got it?" Dan nodded. He pulled his E-break and drifted the bus around and started heading back to Gotham in hopes that nothing went wrong or they would be blown up to nothingness. "Anyway, oh right, the game. So can anyone guess what movie this is from?"
A little girl enthusiastically raised her hand. Her mother put her arm down but Malachi saw it already. "You, little girl, what's your guess?"
"Speed," she said proudly. Malachi nodded.
"Alright, you get a prize! You get to not get shot! Isn't that the great?" The little girl whimpered a bit. He laughed at her suffering. Oh, Artemis had made life one hell of a party sense she blew into town. One day he could never forget was the ketchup day….
FLASHBACK
Artemis was eating her Freedom Fries made in China when she had a sudden realization. Her heart skipped a beat and fear began to overtake her. No….ketchup? She felt herself fly into a frenzy as she tore through the Temple and the village.
PRESENT
He shook his head, she was never the same after that day.
"Hey, let's have another game," he said, "I'll ask a question and someone answers. If you get it right you get to live. If you get it wrong….well, I wouldn't recommend getting it wrong….Let's start with our star student. Tell me little girl, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" The little girl looked at him speechless. He smirked and aimed the gun at her.
"Wrong answer," he said. He went to pull the trigger but was tackled. Artemis watched the scene from the back seat trying not to laugh at the scene. Malachi was tackled to the ground by an older man and an old lady proceeded to beat him with her purse. It kind of sounded like she had bricks in her purse. Malachi fought his way up and took the purse from the little old lady.
She spin kicked him in the chest and he fell down again. The old woman took her purse and started to lecture Malachi on how it was wrong to steal things. Malachi swung at her but the little girl vicious jumped on his back and started biting him. Malachi tried to get her off by slamming her into the bus door over and over again until her mother jumped in.
Artemis couldn't hold it in much longer. She busted up with laughter at the scene. No one on the bus seemed to notice.
…………………………………………..
"I'm Tosha Bane, here at the Gotham City Bus Station where a bus was stole presumably by the Joker. They say a masked clown man has taken the bus hostage and planted a bomb in it! We have no news on the hostages just yet but it is rumored by a few people from the station that the Joker's daughter, Artemis Napier, was on the bus. She has been missing for almost a year now."
The Joker turned off the news and sat in silence. Harley looked at him in confusion. "But, puddin', you have been here all night, you didn't highjack the bus."
"I've been framed," he hissed.
…………………………………
Malachi was beaten almost to a pulp when they finally arrived back at the bus station. He went from the villain to the bus punching bag. Everyone wanted a piece of one of the Joker's circus clowns. Artemis walked off the bus with Malachi behind her. There were police cars everywhere. Malachi quickly removed the mask and the two walked by without being stopped or questioned with the baby in Artemis's arms. Of course they wouldn't, Artemis had no children, how could she be Artemis Napier?
Outside the bus station Artemis pulled out a remote with a single red button. She pushed it and the whole bus station went sky high. Joker cards rained from the sky. She felt a familiar smile form on her face as she cooed at the baby. She was home.
……………………………
Joey walked in and turned on the news. The Joker and Harley looked at him for a moment.
"This is Tasha Bane with news on the hostage situation at the Gotham City Bus Station. The bus did not have any bombs in it but the bus station did. It was just recently blown up. You can see behind me firemen are still trying to put it out. There were no survivors. When it blew up Joker cards fell from the sky."
"But we were here all night," said Joey, cocking his head, "when did you blow up a bus?"
"I, uh, didn't blow up the bus."
"Oh, maybe a Circus fanatic," said Joey. The Joker's eyes darkened. It didn't matter if it was a fanatic or not someone was framing him. Sounds of Ivy and Catwoman where heard over the TV. The Joker rubbed his temples. Ivy and Catwoman where always fighting. Why, oh why, was he still working with those two? Scarecrow was okay, he minded his own business and didn't cause any unneeded conflict. But you put two women in the same room together and they will go at it like cats and dogs.
Finally he got up and left for his dark room. He needed to blow off some steam and this copy cat was just the way to do it. After he was done with the copy cat he would hunt down Artemis. She was at the bus station, she couldn't get too far.
……………………………………..
Batman watched as Gordon stood in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station. He had several S.W.A.T cars with him as well as GPD all ready to bust the Joker. Joey had kept them up with the location of the Joker over the last year and finally they were ready to bust him once and for all…..again.
Robin watched through a window as the Joker moved down what looked to be a basement. "Batman," he said pointing at the scene. Batman looked over and saw Catwoman and Ivy getting into a heated argument. By the looks of it a fight was about to break out. "The door in that room, the Joker went through it. Looks like he is in a basement of some type."
"Alright, let's move in. If the Joker doesn't come out when Gordon calls for him we are going in ourselves." Robin nodded and followed as they snuck around stealthily on the roof to the back. That is until Batman slipped off the roof and landed in a dumpster. Robin put his face in his hands. Why me God?
………………………………….
Artemis and Malachi arrived at the pawn shop she worked at just a year ago. It was September again and she stood in the same spot she did last September. They both walked in and Malachi looked around anxiously. "Boss," yelled Artemis. The manager came stumbling out and looked as if he saw a ghost.
"You," he yelled, pointing at Artemis, "I hired you and your dumbass friends out of confidence and you pay me back by not showing up to work on time!? You realize you are a YEAR late for work! Not to mention that last time you were here you let someone rob the place! You are so fired!"
"Shut up, boss," she snapped, "listen, an emergency just came up."
"You got that right. The Joker just blew up a whole bus station and from what I hear you were there!"
"That isn't important. I need you to watch Devon here." She shoved the baby in his hands and the two left him standing there speechless. Why did he end up with all the weirdo's?
Joey had sent Artemis a message saying where they were hiding out. Artemis saw SWAT and GPD swarmed the place. Oh well, they were not the problem. The problem was the Joker. She needed to get rid of him. Luckily, sneaking around was what she and Malachi were trained for. They were trained as spies and it was already coming in handy.
Malachi spotted a basement window and nudged Artemis. He pointed at it and she nodded. Somehow they managed to get to the window without being spotted by Batman who was on that same roof, just on the far end. They heard a loud thump and looked over to see a young man about their age looking down at the dumpster. He wore a red costume with green boots and gloves and a black mask. Probably just one of Gotham's eccentric villains getting rid of a body.
Artemis kicked her shoe through the window and pried it open.
The Joker looked up at the sound of breaking glass and turned around to look at the far top window. Someone's foot was sticking in it and a hand with green and black nails was opening the window and about to climb in.
He slowly stood up and picked up his knife and stood just inches from the spot he landed the intruder would land.
………………………………………….
Artemis slipped in and landed on the floor. She looked at a pair of black shoes in front of her with purple pants attached to them. She then felt a rough hand pick her up and shove her against the cement wall. She looked into black eyes like hers. The Joker laughed as he put the blade up to her mouth. Artemis made no move.
"How bout a, uh, nice Chelsea grin on that pretty fa-ce," he hissed. Artemis just laughed at him.
"How bout a nice boot in yours," she suggest. She then lifted her foot and kicked him in the face. The Joker stumbled back a bit. Malachi then decided now was a good time to slip in. He stood next to her ready to repay his debt if needed. The Joker stood up and laughed at her.
"You're a little more feisty then I remember, doll," he said laughing. He lunged at her but stopped when he heard Gordon.
"JOKER! WE KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP! I WANT JOKER'S CIRCUS OUT HERE TO! IF YOU FAIL TO DO SO WE WILL OPEN FIRE!" Artemis smiled at him slyly.
"Well, it's either me or yourself," she said. The Joker had to think about this one. If he stayed and killed his daughter the police would get him. If he ran away Artemis would run away and he would have a hell of a time finding her again. He could break out of the Asylum again but Artemis would still be gone. It wasn't looking good. He turned back around but saw that Artemis and her new friend had disappeared. Damn, that was a tragedy, he chose the better souding of choices and ran upstairs. He directed everyone into the basement and told them to leave out the window. The Joker was the first to come out and Scarecrow was the last.
After they had left Artemis and Malachi came out from behind a shower curtain that had a man tied down to a chair and gagged who looked to be begging them for help. Artemis and Malachi just sat on his lap with their feet up signaling to the man to keep quiet. Now that they slipped out the man started begging again.
"Don't worry," said Malachi, "we will get you out."
"First things first," said Artemis.
"I still don't know how this is going to help."
"I can't tell you. Haven't you ever noticed that when people tell about their plans it never works out? It's like jinxing yourself." Malachi just shrugged.
"If you insist." He grabbed her around the neck and hit her head into the wall but stopped before she slipped in a coma. He threw her on the ground like a rag doll. She looked like she was having the time of her life. She laughed in his face at his attempt to hurt her and decided to egg it on a bit.
"Ooo, let it all out! Ahahahhaha look at you go!" Malachi stabbed her in the leg with her own knife and broke her nose. He threw her in a corner and proceeded to mercilessly kick her in the gut. Finally she looked as if she could barely move anymore. She slowly lifted herself up and looked at the man that was already prisoner. She smiled at him. He had been to petrified to move.
The scene before him was shocking and unreasonable. Now she was smiling at him with that wicked grin. Her teeth were uneven and had holes drilled in them. Scars littered her gums and some of her teeth were sharper than others. She walked toward him and pulled him into the center of the room.
He tried desperately to beg her to leave him by but alas the gag was still in place. He felt a wave of relief when he saw that the girl was tying him to a chair back to back with him . She tied the two chairs together then went into a corner and huddled up trying to get the giggle fit out of her system before police came breaking in.
………………………………………………
Gordon signaled for his men to rush in. The SWAT followed them. As SWAT searched upstairs and kept guard outside, GPD and Robin went into the basement.
……………………………………
"The Joker and his Circus just ran out the basement," said Batman, "go help Gordon search for hostages, I'll capture them."
"No, wait," said Robin, "why can't I help capture the Joker!"
"There is no time Robin," argued Batman, "help them get hostages if there are any!"
"Hey, I told you that when we caught up to the Joker he was mine!"
"I'm not going to kill him! I'm just going to throw him in jail!" Robin sighed in frustration but left to help Gordon anyway.
…………………………………..
The first thing they spotted was Gordon's middle aged partner tied up and behind them a young man about 18. Robin then saw a girl lying on the ground badly beaten. Gordon rushed to help his partner and the young boy while Robin went to save the girl.
He lifted her head and her eyes drifted open slowly. Dark almost black eyes stared into his blue eyes. He felt his breath catch in his throat. "Oh," she said, "you saved me."
"Yea,' he said with a smile. He lifted her and followed Gordon and the other two out. He set her down in the ambulance and turned to leave when he felt her hand grab his arm. Robin looked around at the girl.
"Doesn't the hero always kiss the girl," she asked. He leaned in and made out with her for a good 20 seconds then quickly left. She smirked, she was a bad drug and the poor boy was hooked.
……………………………
Artemis was put in the hospital where she was bandaged and Gordon came to pick her up. "Okay," said Gordon, "I'm going to bring you to the station for some questioning. We have Michael there already. We just want to know what happened to you guys."
"Sure," she said with a warm smile, "anything to stop him from getting to me."
"We are going to make sure that doesn't happen again," said Gordon with a reassuring smile. They road in silence the rest of the way. When they arrived Artemis was put in the familiar questioning room. She wasn't alone though; Malachi was there and the Joker. Artemis was set across from the Joker and the two locked eyes. The Joker was angry, very angry. Malachi could feel the tension in the air as he looked from father to daughter. Gordon took the seat across from Malachi.
"Someone mind telling me what is going on," asked Gordon. No one spoke. "Joker why do you relentlessly hunt her down and try to kill her?"
"I, uh, didn't try to kill her. I have no idea where she has even been the last year."
"Oh you so blew up the bus station," argued Malachi.
"Michael, please," said Artemis, "what do you want with me Joker."
"Question is, sweetheart, what do you want with me, hmm? Is it revenge you're looking for? You are the one who really blew up that bus station, weren't you?"
"I am not the same person I was a year ago," she said.
"No, you're not, you're much worse."
"How do you figure that," she shouted.
"Don't loose you're temper, doll, last thing we need is for the police station to go up in smoke."
"Why? You gonna blow this place up to?"
"Please don't," said Gordon, "we had a hell of a time fixing it the last time you did that."
"How do you know I don't have the place bombed already," asked the Joker.
"Because you were busy trying to blow me to hell," grumbled Artemis. Gordon rubbed his temples, they weren't getting anywhere, he knew it was a bad idea to put them in the same room together but Batman insisted.
"Well, it doesn't matter, we have a witness says he found Artemis in your basement beaten up," said Gordon. The Joker gave him a long hard stare. Robin then walked in.
"Who? Birdbrains? AHahahahahah," the Joker couldn't want to see this.
"I came down to help Gordon find the survivors and I found her in your basement," said Robin.
"Doctor says the wounds weren't self inflicted, Joker, how do you explain that," said Gordon.
"And why was this guy tied to a chair next to Gordon's partner," asked Robin. He looked over at Artemis who gave him a small smile and a wave and Robin blushed a bit. If Gordon wasn't there the Joker could choke Artemis to death right now. She was up to something.
"Artemis," said Gordon, "as I understand you go by a new name these days?" Artemis just nodded, "okay, to insure this no longer happens, Artemis you will have a legal name change. Joker you will be locked up in maximum security and you will never know Artemis's real name. We will erase anything and everything on her and you will never have a chance to harm her again. Now, Artemis if you will follow me, I will start the process and ask you a few more questions. I want the Joker locked up with no possible way out. No windows, only one door, a double padded lock, and two guards on patrol at all times."
Robin left, then Gordon with Artemis and Malachi behind him. Artemis looked back at the Joker and gave him the most twisted smile he had ever seen on her. He felt mixed emotions. He was furious, confused, humored, and proud of her all at the same time. Aw, his little girl was growing up.
"I'll get you for this, doll, I'll get out, hunt you down again, and you'll pay for this. I'm a man of my word," he said. Artemis just looked at him then left.
………………………………
Artemis Napier no longer existed. Now it was Amelia Esmeralda. She and Malachi stood on a beach where a ferry was getting ready to set off. Malachi watched her nervously. "Are you sure you don't want me to stick around for just a little while to make sure you are safe?"
"Malachi," she said stepping toward him, "You're debt is repaid. Gordon doesn't believe I can do any wrong, the Joker can no longer find me, I'm free as a bird."
"Oh, that debt," said Malachi. He remembered that day. It was the most uncharacteristic thing she had ever done seen her do. She was completely random and unpredictable, but to save someone?
FLASHBACK
Malachi was on his knees before the old man. "Malachi," he said, 'you have broken the rules. You refuse to kill a man who is sentenced to death."
"I just don't understand why someone should die over some lousy bread," argued Malachi. The old man lifted his hand to silence him.
"You have broken the rules and refuse to do as your elders command. For that I sentence you to death." Malachi found himself look at the ground in fear as he heard the sword leave the sheath. Was he really going to die like this?
"Wait," came Artemis from behind. Everyone stopped and turned around. Artemis came in wearing her purple long fleece coat and her hair was in a half sloppy bun. Her geisha instructor was close behind her.
"Don't you have practice to get to," asked the old man irritated by the interruption.
"Don't you have an old peoples home to die in," she asked defiantly, "but that's not why I am here." She lifted a burlap sack and pulled out what looked to be the thieves head. She threw it before the old man and he looked at it close. He nodded and signaled for his men to let Malachi go. The old man then motioned for Malachi to come to him. Malachi came forward and kneeled before his master and his master whispered to him.
"You owe this young lady your life. You will go with Artemis Napier when she returns home and repay your life debt. Until then you are banished. When she sends you home you are welcome to come back if you wish."
"How do I do that," he asked.
"You will find a way," said the old man smiling, "if it were anyone else I would say you are a very lucky young man. But judging by her reputation, well, let's hope you come home alive.
PRESENT
Malachi watched her as the ferry left. She looked content by the ocean. When they could no longer see each other Artemis turned to leave. First she went to her old boss's house to pick up her 'son'.
"So you disappear for a year, then come back and leave your kid with me, and now you are going to pick him and up and just up and disappear again? Where is Damian and Joey anyway?"
"Who knows," she said, "but I'm going to find out."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Well, with the Joker in jail they are probably going to cause havoc all across Gotham City."
"What does the Joker have to do with anything?"
"Never mind," she said, "just give me the kid back and I'll get the hell out of here."
"I don't have your kid," he snarled, "I took him to child services and guess what, you kidnapped that kid!"
"YOU DID WHAT!? DO YOU REALIZE THAT KID WAS A BACK UP PLAN!? WHAT IF GORDON FINDS OUT THE WHOLE STORY I TOLD HIM WAS A LIE!? I HAVE NOTHING TO FALL BACK ON NOW YOU DUMB SHIT!" She took out her switch blade and stuck it in his temple. He gasped, looked around, then fell to his death. Artemis pulled out her blade and left. She had to get that whiney brat back.
NEXT TIME:
Artemis, Batman and Joker fight it out
Damian and Joey will go on a mini adventure
Stolen from a scene in the movie, it will be an epic ending to a lame story!
