10.20am
The Batman found a small tree to observe the area from. Using his detective-vision his idea was revealed to be true, as through his enhanced sight he saw that the empty land was far more than what meets the eye.
Under the earth was an intricate array of tunnels that linked to the main headquarters of the L.o.A.
From the corner of his eye, he saw two men clad in black enter the field. They brought out a sword from their holder and dug it into the ground, in seconds the ground closed in around them and they were gone.
Gliding to the location the Batman noticed a small set of holes in which the blades could be placed, examining them he realised they must act as a key to open the door to the base.
Without warning the sounds of swords unsheathing was heard breaking his concentration and in seconds a group of similarly dressed men were at him slicing with great skill.
Greatly outnumbered, Batman tried an array of tactics to gain the upper hand in the fight, from trying to batgrapple their weapons away to rapid-fire explosive gel.
As he managed to right hook one of the men in the face and twist another's arm a familiar voice was heard as he saw the white-faced male running towards him.
'Ninjas! You didn't tell me there would be ninjas! Where the Hell are we?' the clown yelled as he narrowly avoided an array of ninja-stars to the back.
The Joker pulled out his knife and went to strike one of the men full force in the face, quickly using his batclaw to grab the knife the Batman launched the blade to the far side of the field.
'What was that for? I was helping?' the clown said in disbelief.
'No knives, only fists' the Dark Knight replied, re-iterating his point with a sharp blow to one of the male's heads.
'Spoilsport', the clown muttered at he followed the trend and back palmed one of the ninjas to the floor.
The men circled the two, trapping them in a ring of swords.
'Ooh how exciting, we are fighting on the same side. I really am beginning to be like part of the family,' the clown cooed.
Without explanation, the Batman grabbed the Joker from behind his back and sent him flying through the air towards the right side of assassins.
The clown flailed, kicking out in all directions managing to knock down about 7 men before he hit the ground.
'Ow, what gives Bats?' he groaned rubbing his backside.
'Robin knows what to do when I do that,' Batman smirked.
'Robin also knows the most effective ways to be hit with a crowbar,' the clown grumbled as Batman sent a batarang flying behind the Joker, knocking one of the attackers to the ground.
'Hey you said no blades, surely those things count', the Joker growled.
The Batman slowly turned the batarang towards the clown in a silent threat until the Joker sighed and leaped forward jump-kicking an assassin in the chest and signalling the continuation of the battle.
As the fight went on, the Batman and the Joker began to fight more co-operatively and in sync. Unaware up until then, how used to each other's fighting techniques they were. The Batman's brute strength and defined combo strikes contrasted well with the Joker's unpredictable blows and unusual agility, within minutes they stood in the middle of the now ring of unconscious bodies.
'What a rush', the clown panted, wiping away sweat from his brow.
Picking up a sword from a fallen foe, Batman walked over to the hidden platform and placed the weapon in the keyhole and both he and the Joker began to descend into the earth.
'Great plan Batsy, let's go head first into an underground world of ninjas, of course that will end well for us', Joker murmured as they reached the bottom of the base.
Bracing himself the Batman replied sternly, 'They will have heard about what happened above by now, we stay together, find Rag and take him in'.
'Rage? What kind of name is that? He's the one behind the murders?' the clown asked.
Seeing two guards run towards them the Batman quickly flicked out his batarang knocking one male against the other and rendering them unconscious.
Running forward he ran past the fallen guards and down a large hallway.
'No worries Bats, I was right behind you anyway,' the Joker murmured as he began to follow on.
Reaching a grand double door the Batman barged it open and strode through the room which was empty with the exception of a grey-haired, robed man at the far end of it.
'We really have to set up a system in which you arrive only through invitation Batman,' the man sighed.
'Why are you killing them Rag?' the Dark Knight growled as he grabbed the middle-aged man by the scruff of his robe.
'You mean that guy with the funny beard is the one that's offing us?' the Joker laughed.
'I might have guessed you'd come here, admittedly I would love to see a final end to the shambles that is Arkham Asylum but I regret to inform you detective that I am not the one you are looking for', Rag replied calmly but firmly.
This time turning his direction to the clown, Rag stated sternly, 'Indeed the world would be a far greater place if creatures like the Joker and his companions were no longer in existence'.
The clown snarled, clearly unable to see the funny side of the man's speech and launched towards him, his acidic flower primed and ready to shoot.
Taking an arm away from Rag, Batman managed however to intervene at the perfect moment, grabbing Joker's collar in his now free arm so that both villains were held in the grasp of the Dark Knight.
'If it's not you then you must know who it is,' the Batman insisted, trying to move the Joker whilst the clown pettily kicked both Rag and the Batman with his flailing legs.
'I do not know detective, truly I wish I did. I believe they would be a fine asset to my ever-expanding family,' Rag smiled.
Suddenly Batman froze, muttering the word 'family', his eyebrow raised and he asked, 'where is Talia?'
'I haven't seen her in months, she left to fulfil a personal journey and is yet to return,' Rag admitted.
Placing the two criminals on the ground, Batman rubbed his jawline trying to remember their last encounter.
It had been a passionate yet sorrowful occasion, similar to Catwoman, Talia and he could never be, both so similar yet so different, their beliefs tore them apart. In their last meeting Talia had begged her 'beloved' to give up his cape and run away with her but he had refused and stated that his journey was nowhere near completed and whilst criminals roamed in Gotham he could not take off his mask. He had kissed her goodbye and believed it would be the end of their romance and that their paths would never cross again.
The skill in which the rogues had been murdered had her mark written all over it, although he didn't wish to believe it he knew it had to have been her.
Lost in his thoughts, Batman was unaware of Rag's rapid movements in collecting his prized sword, which in seconds he had held towards the Batman's throat.
'If it is my daughter that you believe to be behind this then I wish her the best of luck, she does me proud and I won't allow you to come between our vision of a better world,' Rag growled, pressing the blade ever more closer to the Batman's neck.
'I will kill you and then I will kill the clown, you had the potential to be great Batman but now you are just as bad as him. Every time you fight to stop him you just encourage him further, people die because of you. If you and he are gone then thousands of lives will be spared. Farewell detective,' the bearded man continued, his sword rising for the final blow.
ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!
No sooner had the sword rose than had Rag's body crumbled to the ground.
Now standing in his place stood the grinning male, his hand waving sheepishly, a small buzzer attached to it.
The clown looked down at the frazzled corpse and then looked back at the Batman innocently, 'What he did say he was going to kill us, it was self-defence'.