A/N: My strengths as a writer, assuming I have some, are not in car chases and gadgets. I have done bombs, cold blooded murder, assassination, stalking, vampires, mysticism, religion/philosophy, kidnapping, rape, slash, and some very graphic sex, but I have never done comic book gadgets and car chases. Bear with me through the next couple of chapters. love_devil_movies_baby does it so much better I'm sure.
White Queen to Black Knight
Chapter 16
We search for an answer,
And when it appears
We can challenge the world with our sweat and our tears.
Through winning and losing,
The brave never bend,
The hero keeps fighting, standing tall in the end.
Time can change anything...and mend any fall.
The moment of truth is facing us all,
It's time for the hero to stand tall.
We carry the flame
For all to see
The fire and the passion, of what we can be.
Sometimes we must fight,
But we never bend
The hero keeps fighting, standing tall in the end.
Love can change anything...it's inside of us all
To reach out a hand whenever we fall.
It's time for the hero to stand tall.
It's a time for heroes,
Time to answer the call,
It's a time for the hero to stand tall.
It's a time for heroes,
When our back's to the wall
It's a time for the hero...in us all.
Time for Heroes, Meatloaf
Alina and Bruce didn't have long to enjoy their peace and joy. After a day of lounging in bed enjoying each other, talking, making love, and generally being very happy for the first time in a long time, the early warning system at Arkam Asylum went off. The Joker had escaped. They knew it would happen and they immediately went to the lower levels to get dressed and ready for battle. Alina voiced some hope they would be able to apprehend him quickly and without bloodshed, but Bruce just lifted an eyebrow at her and pulled his mask on.
They had been experimenting with how much distance could be between them before their telepathy no longer worked. They were pleased to find as long as they were within a mile of each other, they could still communicate. They whispered a shared "I love you, be safe," and drove out of the caverns. The first stop was the Asylum where they visited Joker's cell, stepping over the bodies of several guards, uncomfortably finding a disgusting mattress and smuggled magazines and photographs of Alina. Commissioner Gordon was there looking hopelessly over the wreckage. The Joker had opened the doors to almost every madman in the city, including Two-faced Harvey Dent. Batman could not imagine he had enough contact with the inmates to form any kind of coalition, so he probably did it for destructive purposes alone. The Joker had drawn on the wall of his cell a perfect rendition of a wedding but instead of Bruce Wayne marrying Alina Witter, it was the Joker's face.
Commissioner Gordon cleared his throat, "Obviously his target is Alina Witter. We need to alert Bruce Wayne immediately."
Batman said quietly "Yes, I'll take care of that. I know he was beefing up security at the mansion. How many inmates escaped? Rounding them up should be our first priority, the less of them around raising hell the more we can target Two-face and the Joker. What happened to the guards?"
"Apparently he created a shiv from a piece of his bed and killed every guard he came across which was most of them. This was a bloodbath Batman."
Batman was silent as he surveyed the damage, the blood strewn everywhere, the photographs of Alina, and the cum-soaked mattress. Joker's madness had clearly gone over into full blown obsession of the most dangerous kind. They had yet to see how it would play out in the city, the streets, and with Bruce Wayne's family. One thing was certain, that line he and Alina discussed so often had moved. If he got the chance, he would kill Joker.
"Commissioner, you should know that when we find Joker, he will not be returning to the Asylum. He will be dead. As will any of his cronies that harm any citizens of Gotham. Batman and the White Queen will no longer tolerate just helping the police capture these monsters only to see them escape again and again. What will you do about that?"
Commissioner Gordon responded surprising both Batman and the White Queen, "Batman, White Queen, by the powers invested in me, I hereby deputize you. Do what you must to secure the city. They have killed many, and will continue to do so. Some may say that Justice calls for trials, appeals, incarceration etc. And in many cases this is correct. But I am putting Gotham under martial law, complete with curfews. Anyone out after dark who is not law enforcement or National Guard will be shot on sight. These monsters, as you call them, have an undeclared bounty on their head and if killing them solve more of the city's problems, then so be it. In this case, Justice is not blind and sees exactly the evil confronting the city. She does not turn a blind eye to our need for vengeance."
Batman said, "Our plan will be to round up the majority of the prisoners who escaped, both violent and non violent and have the police return them to where they belong. The more interference we can remove, the more likely we can find Joker and Harvey Two-face. Be sure to tell your people not to shoot at us. This is serious enough not to have to fight two sides. And Commissioner Gordon, you should send your family away for the time being. They are not safe in Gotham."
Commissioner Gordon said, "Of course, I will send them tonight. Thank you. And Batman, I am glad you no longer fight alone."
The White Queen responded in her soft intimate voice, she sang the words to a song that seemed trapped in her head, "'Love can change anything...it's inside of us all. To reach out a hand whenever we fall. It's time for the hero to stand tall.'" Both men were enthralled even when she stopped the brief tune. After the brief tune she continued to speak softly, "I am honored to be able to stand beside Batman to fight the corruption, the evil that impacts our city. It may turn into an all out war, so please Commissioner, get your family out."
With that, the Black Knight and his White Queen disappeared into the darkness. They headed to their respective vehicles and raced in separate directions into the night. They spent hours pinning criminals and the escaped insane to cement pylons under bridges until the police could recover them. There was no sign of Joker or Two-face.
Two weeks later…
Both Bruce Wayne and Alina Witt were feeling the strain of meeting their evening social engagements only to have to also meet the requirements for Batman and the White Queen. Joker and Two-face were the only remaining escapees from the Asylum, and while the intrepid duo continued to search methodically throughout the city, there seemed to be 'no joy' on capturing the fugitives. The Joker and Two-face remained at large causing mayhem and ruin wherever they went.
The catastrophe impacting the city was the hardest on the lower class families. They could no longer count on being able get their children fed, or have heat in the chill of the night. All city utilities were being toyed with by the Joker and whatever cronies he had left. Each night the Joker attacked more of Gotham's infrastructure—Monday he took out water city-wide, Tuesday there were eight multi-block power outages, Wednesday all traffic lights went out, Thursday it was the water again. He was creating panic in some quarters and inconvenience in others. Food deliveries were also being affected as all traffic into the city was blocked or the bridges blown. Food was being flown in by socially responsible companies such as Wayne Enterprises and others. The White Queen had taken as her primary mission to help those bravely suffering through difficult times. She left boxes of food, clothing and coats, blankets for the disenfranchised at their doors, or wherever they were living. She especially felt for the families with children. She was nicknamed the Madonna of the Disenfranchised. She found the attention embarrassing and dangerous, but she would not stop, especially because this was being done by the Joker to force the city to turn Alina Witter over to him. Her deliveries were made in the dark of night, but still people seemed to know who was behind the kindness. She was proud of her city and its refusal to turn over one of their own to a madman, despite the hardships they were forced to endure.
One night while searching, Batman thought he saw someone on top of the roof tower where Rachel was killed. Surely it wouldn't be Two-face, something so obvious?
Batman spoke to the White Queen through the com link letting her know what he had seen. He was going up. "I have a bad feeling about this Batman. Stay safe."
"Yeah, me too. You stay safe too."
Batman climbed the stairs of a building opposite where he had seen someone, maybe just a shadow, probably nothing at all. He used his heat seeking vision and captured a fading signature, like a ghost had been there. He flew across the space between buildings, landing right on top of where Rachel had been sitting when the bomb went off. Sorrow immediately overwhelmed him and he just as immediately blocked it from his mind. Rachel was gone, Alina was here, and his life was great, if he could just get Joker and Two-face. Batman looked around at the abandoned sheet metal, large amount of ash, and even part of the phone Rachel had spoken to Dent with. After the explosion the building had been abandoned and everything left as it was that night. The despair from that night came back as he thought of Rachel agreeing to marry Dent even as she knew one of them would die. He knew she never doubted Batman would come for her, until those final moments when she heard Dent's rescue. Batman always intended to rescue Rachel, and because of the twisted prank played by Joker he saved Harvey Dent who once was his friend and was now part of the evil contaminating the city. Even that temporary distraction of reminiscing created an opportunity for Two-face to rise like a Phoenix from the thick coat of ash on the floor of the roof and shoot an air syringe through his leg guards and into his body. As Batman lost consciousness he sent a telepathic message to Alina, "I will love you forever." As his world faded to black, he hit the self destruct button for his vehicle and the electrical protection on the suit so even if they had captured him, they could not remove any part of the suit.