Chapter 6 Fragile
"On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are" - Fragile by Sting
(Arkham Asylum - Medical Building - Basement)
Joker looked at the boy lying in a heap. He'd beaten him, tortured him, injected him with various chemicals, but the boy was still holding on to his sanity. Somehow there was something the boy had worth fighting for. He walked toward him and saw the boy attempting to sit up.
"You know birdboy I've thought about this a bit, and I don't want to hog the fun," he said.
Tim watched as the Joker stepped to the side and he could see another person. There was no way he could hold his breath long enough not to be affected, but Bruce had taught him how to control his emotions, and he needed to do that right now. He felt the spray of gas around him and felt it sticking to his skin. The vile smell drifted around him. He looked up to see the cloth headed Scarecrow looking back at him.
"What do you fear boy?" he asked.
The room began to spin, become distant, and soon both Joker and Scarecrow was gone. He could see a table sitting across from him. On it was several broken objects. Slowly he got to his feet and walked toward the table. He reached down and touched one of them. He knew it was part of Stephanie's old Spoiler uniform, but once he touched it the torn piece of cloth turned to ash.
"It happens to us all of the time," a voice said.
He turned to see Jason standing behind him. He knew Jason, had worked with him before, and still did from time to time. The former Robin walked toward Tim and looked at the table.
"Everything we touch is ruined. It's passed down from the old man. He brought us in and it ruined us. A part of our lives is simply gone. My mom, friends, relationships, everything is gone. I might not have pulled the trigger on them, but it's just the same as if I did," Jason said.
"No, that's not how it is," Tim said.
"Sure it is. That pretty blond girlfriend of yours. She's going to be ruined. What kind of life do you think the two of you will have? Family? Kids? Maybe a nice little brick house with a white picket fence? It's bullshit man. She's going to die. Joker, Ra's, or someone is going to do it. More than likely they'll rape the living shit out of her when they do, and she'll have you to thank for it. You allowed it to happen. Bringing her in, letting her get close, it was stupid. The only thing Bruce taught us that makes any kind of sense is to push everyone away," Jason replied.
"No!" Tim screamed.
(Outside of the delusion)
Dr. Crane took a seat and watched as Robin screamed out. He turned toward the Joker who smilingly his twisted smile at the boy.
"Not that I object to getting to do my research, but why the boy? I thought you wanted Batman," Crane said.
"Of course I want Batman, but this is different. Someone reached out and let me in a deal. I get to drive Bratman completely crazy, do whatever I want, as long as I can keep him busy. So, capturing the kid was the best choice. It'll drive Bratman insane if I break him down," Joker said.
"Who reached out?" Crane asked.
"What does it matter Craney old boy?! We get to destroy Batman!" Joker exclaimed.
(Outside Arkham Island)
Bruce looked at the gates of Arkham as he thought about everything he had learned in the past twenty two hours. Tim was being held hostage by the Joker, inside of the Asylum, and was being forced to suffer whatever the demented psychopath wanted to put him through. That was bad enough, but the fact that Harley Quinn had admitted to Stephanie this was a trap set for him made it even worse. Anything happening to Tim was because of him. His son was suffering because of the Joker's sick obsession with him. Lying directly on top of that worry was the even bigger worry over Gotham. The Spectral Explosion could be happening any day, any time, and he was no closer to finding how to predict it and its source than he was two days ago.
His comm buzzed for a moment and he tapped it.
"What?" he replied.
"Bruce, do you need me there?" a tender voice asked.
Diana was still at the manor. She had stayed when she learned about what happened with Tim. She didn't do it to be a distraction, but rather her being there actually helped keep everyone from becoming overly stressed. She had helped Alfred several times, and while her own deductive skills were still far below his own her perspective had helped them from falling into the familiar pattern of Joker's usual haunts. She pointed out that it was likely he didn't want to be found before he was ready to be found. While her own experience with the Joker was limited to when he helped Luthor's Injustice Gang she had seen enough of him to know that he only wanted the lime light on him when he was good and ready.
"Not yet," he replied.
He looked to his side and saw Stephanie. Normally she was more carefree, energetic, and cheerful, but at the moment she looked like a woman on a mission with a purpose. He knew she would have come regardless of what he said, so instead he informed her that they would be taking the backway into the Island. He started walking away from the gate and she followed him. The direction he walked lead toward the edge of the bridge and he dove off of the side of it. She followed suit and the glider packs both of them had put on before leaving the cave activated. She felt the wind suddenly lift her entire body and a moment later she was simply drifting behind Bruce. She followed him as he moved around the side of the island all of the way until he started to go toward the cliff side. Once there a large rock seemed to split open and move. It barely finished before they flew through it. She looked back to see it closing and then looked ahead as Bruce made his glider retract. She pressed the switch to do the same and landed on something metallic.
"Please, input door override command," a computerized voice asked.
"Andrea," he said.
"Command accepted," the computerized voice said.
A large steel door moved and Stephanie walked with him into what looked like another version of the Batcave. It was slightly smaller than the one she had been in before, but it looked to be just as advanced. Bruce removed the glider pack and she followed suit. A moment later she watched as he activated the computer and begin pulling up hundreds of holographic screens. The screens projected around the both of them and she realized that they were security feeds.
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
"A trail," he answered. A moment later a single feed began to glow red and he closed the rest of them making it enhance in size. She looked at what he was showing her. There was two guards, both with horrific grins on their faces. She looked at the label of the feed and shook her head.
"The Medical building basement?" she asked.
"It's the one place security cameras were removed from, and it's also one of the oldest parts of the facility. Joker has been locked in the basement cells before, and has referred to them as home. It makes perfect sense," Bruce said.
"When I find him..." she started before he touched her shoulder.
"We'll deal with him when we get there. If you're going to do this Stephanie your head needs to be here. You can't be focusing on anger," Bruce said.
She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but instead she nodded. It didn't matter. As long as Tim was okay, but if he wasn't, if he was hurt, there wasn't a pit large enough for the Joker to crawl into.
(Outside of the Asylum)
John looked at the way Batman had entered the Island and shook his head.
"Well, that didn't work," he said.
"We let that boy get captured, tortured, and the Lord of Hosts knows what else for nothing," Epiphany replied.
"No, Batman isn't here to stop us from getting in. Right now he's trying to rescue Robin, and that means we have time to do this. John, see if your hell fire can burn through the gate lock. Epiphany, I need you to create a barrier that will trap the madness, sorrow, fear, death, and everything else on the island here. Zatanna, I'm going to need you to call on your spirit guide and make him take a physical form. He'll need to stand guard at the gate and ensure that none of the inmates escape. We have very little time, and we need to move quickly," Nimue said.
John looked at Nimue and simply nodded. She did have a point. If they were going to get in it would be now. He flicked open his lighter and watched as the hellfire danced around inside of the magically protected lighter. He lit a cigarette and took a drag off of it. The smoke filled his lungs and once he was sure the cherry of the cigarette was ready he pushed it against the gate. It touched the steel gates and began causing it to turn white hot. As he pushed it further in the piece of the gate he was touching began to melt to slag. With in moments he pulled his hand back and looked at the hole where part of the locking mechanism had been. He took out another cigarette and repeated the process. He turned to see 'Pip as she pulling several vials and bottles out of her bag of tricks.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't proud of her. She was without a doubt the most skilled Alchemist he had ever seen. She began mixing a potion together and after a few moments she began to chant in Latin and he watched as the potion began to swirl and foam. Seconds later a red mist began to float out and it started to engulf the island. The last hitch in the plan was Zatanna. He looked toward her as a blinding flash covered her and beside her stood an eight foot tall white rabbit.
John took another take at the rabbit. It was wearing a vest, holding a gold watch which was attached to a pocket, seemed to have one a pair of reading glasses, and was wearing a top hat.
"It is very irregular for me to be in the physical world my dear," it said in a thick English accent.
"Bloody hell, don't you see enough of those things in your shows?" John asked.
"Sir, I will have you know this is a form I chose because I feel it the most comforting. I could have chosen a dragon, or perhaps a decapated knight, but I feel this form will be of more aid to you," the rabbit said.
"You're a looney," he replied.
John finished with the last part of the locking mechanism and pushed on the gate. It slid back and he continued to push it back until it was completely open. The sound of an alarm began to go off and Nimue looked at him.
"You said take care of the gate," he stated.