And here we pick up where we left off.
He could hear that horrible laughing echoing off the walls. It never quit. The high pitched giggle almost sounded as if it were a broken record, but the irregularity of it ruled out that possibility. Tim just wanted to rip the sound out of his ears and beat it into a pulp, but no matter how much he clenched his fists closed over his ears or folded in on his knees, the maniacal laughter continued.
Tim's own throat was sore from the screaming he had done when the Joker had first woken him up in this dank basement, and his head throbbed with each piercing shrill of laughter. He had already lost track of how long he had been down there. It felt like an eternity and a mere second all at once.
Attempting to pull himself together, Tim tried to tune the laughter out-if he could just think. If only he knew what the Joker was after...but then who knew what the Joker was ever after. The laughter continued with a hysterical edge that sounded close to breaking. Laughter…what could possibly be so funny?! A shriek – and more giggling. Was that two voices? Knocking his forehead against the floor, Tim struggled to focus. Why was it so hard? Laughing, laughing, laughing!
The days dragged by as they scoured the cities for any sign of where the Joker had taken the Boy Wonder. All their efforts seemed fruitless, and days became weeks. Looking at each other, they could see the hope fading of ever finding their comrade. The laughter and lightheartedness that had once filled the tower was now only a memory. Feelings of despair and futility were taking over.
And then the first message was sent – broadcast across the nation for the whole world to see. Joker's smiling face greeted America with a round of raucous laughter. "Batman," he breathed with a chuckle. "Let's have a scavenger hunt. Follow the clues to your dear Boy Blunder before he paints the county red in…about 54 hours." The clown stepped to the side of the camera and gestured towards the rocket behind him. The rocket was painted bright red, while a section of the body just below the tip was made of a see-thru material. Inside, still in his Robin uniform, except for the mask, Tim was visible hanging by his wrists. There were clearly visible bruises and cuts where his uniform was ripped, but the terrified smile on his face said even more than the injuries covering his body. Joker's face covered the screen again, "Birdboy's waiting for you," and then a yellow sticky note covered the screen with the first clue. Joker's maniacal laughter could be heard in the background as the broadcast cut off.