Whilst Scarecrow kept the two busy, the Joker went around the warehouse picking up odds and ends. A skilled artist, the Joker could make something out of anything. He had been wandering for only two or three minutes and had already discovered enough items to create a bomb big enough to blow the building. With his weapon of choice decided he was now searching for something that would bring comic value to the death of his greatest nemesis.
He had reached the top of the balcony where Talia had previously jumped from, looking down at the scene below he realised that the Batman would soon be able to break free of the fear toxin, he had already began to get up from his kneeling stance.
Sighing the Joker noted that he had to work fast if he wanted the death of Bats to happen so he reluctantly stopped looking for comical gizmos and got to work on setting up his explosives.
The Batman struggled to his feet and with all the effort he could muster he slowly managed to grab a batarang from his belt and throw it at the Scarecrow, unable to comprehend how the Batman had managed to get up from his control the Scarecrow was too slow to avoid the blade and it hit him directly in the face, stunning him long enough for the effects of his mask to start to wear off. Taking full opportunity of the time space he had been granted the Batman darted towards the Scarecrow knocking him off his feet and in doing so knocking off his mask.
'Woah Batsy, if I were you I'd take less time to worry about Crane and more about your girl', the Joker sneered appearing once again at the top of the balcony.
Taking out a match he struck it and whilst casually leaning on the railings of the balcony he flung the flame down towards where Talia lay recovering from Scarecrow's ordeal.
Suddenly becoming aware of the intricate array of wires and fuel that the Joker had sprawled on the floor the Batman gasped and tried to glide towards Talia but not before the match hit the floor surrounding her in a ring of fire.
Crane got up from the floor and he too looked at the handy work that the Joker had laid out, untrue to his word the Joker had decided not to avoid wiring the area in which he stood putting him in the same danger as the Batman and Talia. He cursed and was about to confront the clown when he realised that the maniac had begun to light another match, thinking logically he stopped and looked at the Batman who was pre-occupied with saving his lover and then to the open door. Grabbing his mask from the floor he exited the building and escaped the danger. Promising himself that he would never work with the clown again and would retreat in order to plan his revenge against both the Joker and the whole of Gotham.
'Fire in the hole!' the Joker laughed as he effortlessly tossed another match to the ground instantly sparking a domino effect of flames that now covered the whole of the bottom floor so that Batman too was encased in the smoke.
'It's been great Bats but I get it now, you were always top of my list but I was never the top of yours. I'd give anything to spend the day with you, I eagerly awaited our antics, we always had so much fun but no, you had to be a grown up and want more than just silly games you wanted a girl to go back home to after we had had our laughs!' the Joker winced, dramatically wiping his eyes in a crying gesture.
The Batman approached the flames in which Talia was engulfed in, placing his cape in front of his face he tried to anticipate if he could jump in and out of the fire to rescue her. Looking up at the rooftop he considered grappling so that he could swing in and save her but the rooftop was old and was struggling to stay up from the pressure and heat of the flames.
Aware that he had no other option he took out the batgrapple and prayed that he would be quick enough in gliding over to her before the roof caved in.
However, just as he went to do so his nightmares became a reality and large chunks of the ceiling began to topple into the fire.
A chunk of rooftop fell beside him onto the flames, its force dimmed the power of the fire so that his path to the door was a now a possibility.
Talia coughed from within the smoke yelling at him to leave her behind.
Instantly realising that he could use his grapple for the railing of the balcony the Batman swung up to where the Joker stood.
The Batman ignored the clown who in shock had stepped back from the rail. His cape was torn and singed and his mask was slowly burning into his flesh, he could feel tears in it revealing patches of his true identity. He turned his attention to Talia, readying himself to glide into the ring of flames, unaware of what he was going to do once he was in there but unable to let himself do nothing to try and save her.
He looked at the Batman and for once the smile under his own white mask faded. He noticed the tears in the batsuit, saw traces of skin on his face and realised for once in his life that the Batman was human. Yes, he was much more than that to the Joker, to Gotham – he was their symbol of justice but he wasn't invincible. Looking down at the flames that the Batman prepared to jump into the Joker was faced with sudden horrible realisation that the Batman would die if he were to try and save the woman he loved. Of course he had fantasised about his death for years, meticulously planning it in detail but only now did he truly realise what effect his death would have on him. Without Batman there could be no Joker.
Grabbing the Batman's arm the Joker tried to pull the Dark Knight down from the railing, looking at him desperately he said, 'If you go down there to save her you're as good as dead Bats'.
'Then it looks like you've won', the Batman replied darkly, breaking free of the Joker's grasp just as Talia's screams were heard and a giant piece of rooftop fell to the floor.
The rooftop dulled the majority of the room's flames and left an unbearable silence in its wake.
'NO!' Batman yelled, gliding down into the smoke.
The dust from the collapsed ceiling settled and the Batman looked in horror to see the spot where Talia had stood covered in a mass of rubble. Desperately he began to tear away the rocks and concrete, his body ached, his hands were cut and bleeding but he continued to dig away at the ruins eventually reaching the sight he had dreaded.
Her body lay still, remarkably she looked as she did before, there were several cuts on her body but otherwise she remained a thing of beauty. The Batman was struck with Deja-Vu, his emotions similar to that he felt at Catwoman's death.
Wiping her dust covered hair from her eyes he gently lifted her and walked towards the exit.
Outside stood the permanently grinning figure yet his emotions said differently.
Walking past him he placed Talia onto a nearby strip of grass.
The Joker looked onwards, unsure of what to do. Unlike the other two he had escaped unscathed.
It would be wrong to say that he wasn't delighted at the fact that he had killed her. No one deserved that much attention from the Batman but him. Still, it didn't feel right. He knew that by killing her he had changed the ambience that he and the Batman had so long shared. The Batman seemed so much darker than before, he wondered to himself excitedly if he had been able to break him, wondered if Batman would finally have the guts to kill him. He smiled in the knowledge that he could be the Batman's first kill.
As if he could read minds, the Batman slowly turned to him, a murderous look in his eyes. He grabbed the clown by the throat and began to beat him mercilessly, the Joker didn't resist merely laughing through his blood soaked lips.
Although not at all shocked by the clown's behaviour he was enraged by the his inability to care for anything. Anything but his fixation with him,the Batman.
He took a batarang from his belt and held it towards the neck of the bloodied figure. The pressure increased as he slowly began to force the blade forward into the skin, a small stream of blood oozed from the clown's pale neck. It would appear under his mask he was only human too. Therefore he was killable.
A sudden sound of sirens was heard and Batman awoke from his twisted trance, he lifted the clown from the ground just as the police cars appeared and a swarm of blue outfits surrounded the burning building.
News reporters burst through the crowds desperate to ask questions, others already filming sure that they had the answers already.
'And so you have it Gotham, just as expected Batman was not guilty of the crimes. It was obviously the Joker working from within his cell who planned to kill the rogues of the city with the help of a mysterious woman who I can confirm has been found dead at the scene. Once again, the Batman has saved the day', one reported noted.
'The Scarecrow was seen leaving the building only minutes before suggesting that he was responsible for the crimes, it is likely that he too was responsible for making it appear that the Batman killed both the Penguin and Catwoman probably through the use of his hallucinogenic formula', another continued.
The police went to work, trying to supress the crowd and cordoning off the area in which Talia lay. Two ambulances also arrived, one in preparation for Talia the other for the blood-soaked Joker.
Jim appeared through the rabble and instantly walked over to the Batman who was now covered in a mixture of his own blood and the clowns.
'Are you okay?' the Commissioner asked.
Without a reply the Batman took one look at his friend, then at his 'beloved' and finally at the Joker and with a click of his grapple disappeared into the skylines of Gotham.
It was only when he was high above the noise, far away from the crowds looking down onto his city from the rooftop of Wayne Tech did he think to himself. Had he stopped what he was doing because he knew it was wrong or had he stopped only because he heard the police arrive? Deep down he knew the answer and the dark revelation burned him to his very core.