AN: Ahh. I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner. I've been going to Dollywood, possibly attaining skin cancer from mild sunburn, and adoring my new kittens.

Enjoy!

Within three hours, Flash was pulling into the hangar of the Watchtower, feeling less of a man than he should have. He knew Bats was lurking somewhere in the dark shadows of the discarded engine parts and tools, somewhere, waiting for him to step out of the Batwing. Flash's premonition was correct. As soon as the door hissed open, Batman was facing him, arms stiff at his sides. Flash's hands, however, were up in an instant, held in the casual "I didn't do anything" pose.

"Listen, Bats, I know you're pissed but I needed-"

"I know," Batman nodded and pushed past Flash to slide into his seat, noticing that there wasn't an ounce of food or even a sign that Flash had been in there. He must've been hovering above everything, Batman mused before taking off into the Milky Way. Flash hesitated before making his way to the monitor womb.

"Did he hurt you?" Shayera inquired after a long silence hung over the two. Flash glanced at her, a questioning look on his mask. "You're not talking."

"No, that's the thing. He didn't even glare."

"Scary," Shayera smirked and turned her attention back to the mechanic who was showing her how to fix the main tower of the computer. Before Flash could question if it was really Batman, his stomach notified him that he hadn't been digesting anything in the last four hours, and he sped to the commissary. The tiny beep of his communicator surprised Bruce, who immediately pressed on the device.

"Batman to Wonder Woman." No response. "Batman to Wonder Woman." His heartbeat quickened. Damn it, he knew he shouldn't have waited so long to get to Earth. He had always been the pessimist, so why had he turned optimistic a few hours ago?

You idiot, how could you believe that everything was okay? The Bat growled.

"Diana said so," Bruce countered and he heard the Bat scowl.

Pathetic, trusting a woman like her that easily. What has gotten in to you? Bruce swallowed his answer, knowing it would only anger his Freud even more.

"Hold your horses, Bruce," Diana's voice rang out, filling the silence of the cabin.

"Where have you been? I've tried to reach you for-"

"I was using the bathroom, if you have to know so bad, Mr. Impatient."

"Diana, you've got to flee the area. Now."

"Why? What is up with you lately, Bruce? You're honestly starting to scare me." He could hear the sound of running water as she ridiculed his judgment. He hadn't wanted to tell her, but there was no way he could continue warning her if she couldn't understand.

"This is going to sound a little odd to you, but just listen," He told her a minuscule detail of what had happened yesterday. She was silent for a moment, choosing her response carefully.

"Bruce, how much sleep have you had in the last day?"

None, The Bat answered.

"That doesn't matter. Joker has somehow rewound yesterday and he's planning to kill you again today."

"Bruce, this doesn't make any sense. If what you're saying is true, then how come no one else knows about this?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. But are you saying this couldn't happen? After how much shit we've been through with the League?"

"No, I'm not saying it's not possible. That's not what I'm confused about," She sighed, drying off her hands and was tossing away the towel when someone entered the bathroom, "Bruce, I'll talk to you later. I've got to- sir, you can't be in here. This is-" Her voice was cut off by a small gasp.

He hit her pressure point, the Batman spoke in his stoic, monotone voice. Truth be told, the Bat had feelings for Diana as well. He was engrossed with her power, her agility and her audacity, while Bruce was attracted to her beauty, her knowledge and empathy. And the way she always knew he was looking at her even with the mask attached.

"-Bruce Wayne, right?" Joker giggled, slinging the ambassador of Themyscira over his shoulder. "Pleasure to… hear your acquaintance again." The link was cut off with a crackle of static. Bruce curled his fists around the controls and pressed on the accelerator. The Batwing could usually make it to Gotham during a crisis in thirty minutes from the Watchtower. Bruce arrived at Washington, D.C. in less than fifteen.

(Page Breaks on Fanfiction hate me)

Bruce Wayne slipped through the ductwork of the courthouse, his eyes down and scanning the rooms. Going against everything the Batman believed, he didn't drop right in on top of the enemy. Instead, he moved on down a bit and dropped in an empty courtroom two doors down. He could see the blue and red lights flashing through the window, casting his body and the wood paneling in a luminous bloody shade. The Joker signed dramatically, turning to the hostage that sat on the witness stand.

"He should be here by now, you know. My guess is that he got stuck in traffic," He reached down and patted her hand, "Don't be so impatient, my dear." The hostage made a sound from the back of her throat and slapped his hand away. Before Joker could notify the hostage of her rude manners, the doors were flying open, revealing Bruce in his business-suit regalia, stalking into the courtroom of clown faces. Joker's grin noticeably dropped. "Oh, phooey. I was looking forward to the Knight of Gotham, not the Playboy," He murmured to the hostage beside him. Clearing his throat, he rose before the courtroom. "Friends, lovers, and countrymen, the real judge has arrived. Bruce Wayne will be the one to choose who lives…" His eyes darted around the room pointedly for emphasis, holding back his laughter, "And who dies."

"I just came here to save Diana. I'm not here to play games."

"Oh, boo. Now how am I supposed to have my fun?" Joker tapped his chin and then suddenly brightened. "I know! We'll all play a game," He withdrew a gun from the purple robe he wore, "Russian Roulette. I'm not Russian, but I don't think that matters, right?"

"You don't want to do this," Bruce had to keep his tone paranoid, something he hadn't been used to in twenty-something years.

"No, I'm pretty sure I do," Joker stared incredulously at the playboy, "Now, who lives?" His hands swiftly cocked the pistol, leaning back in his black leather chair. Bruce pointed to the hostage on the witness stand. "Well, you are a lucky little girl, aren't you? Please remove your face, ma'am," Joker cackled at his humor of the situation. Lois appeared, sending Bruce a thankful, but apologetic, fleeting look. "Now who dies?"

"Me," Bruce answered, glancing around at the hostages. Even though they all had masks on, he could pick out four women that had the same physique and appearance as Diana. But putting all of these innocent lives in danger just to find his girlfriend?

How unlike the Bruce Wayne everyone adores and loves, the Batman growled from the depths of his mind.

Oh, shut the fuck up, Bruce answered back before directing his attention back to the lunatic running the show.

"All right," Joker pointed the gun at the Gotham prince, "Any last words?"

"Just a question."

"By all means then, ask away."

"How'd you do it?"

"If you could be a bit more specif-"

"How did you replay today?"

"Well, according to Lex, you already had a chat with him. Surely, a powerful man like yourself would have figured it out already."

"The only thing he told me was that you two had been tracking down someone."

"Indeed we had been for some time," The head clown bounced over the judge's podium and trailed his way around the courtroom, "I must say, after a while, it was growing terribly hard. But then… a tip fell through the grapevine from a colleague of mine," His tone grew even more smug, "Truly, Luthor only helped me with the collar, to hold her captive."

"There was no collar around Diana's neck-"

"Mr. Wayne, did you honestly think I was tracking down you and your petty fling? Oh, no. Tracking you down would be as simple as opening People magazine," He sighed, snapping his fingers as four white walls appeared out of thin air around them. Bruce leaped forward to not be crushed by one of the cement walls. The sound of metal springs caught his attention and he leapt out of the way before a heavy iron door flew open.

"Acey, darling, so glad you could make the party!" Joker clapped his hands gaily, "Poor old Bruce has been waiting for your arrival, to finally meet the genius behind his last two horrific days."

The Joker hadn't been tracking down Diana? Then why on Earth had he tortured her last night and… killed her? Why hadn't the clown just taken care of Bruce and left her alone, unless he had some underlying grudge against Wonder Woman? Joker shook his finger at Bruce, edging closer with the gun, "I can see the questions, Bat, just lurking behind those heartwarming baby blue eyes," The mockery was creeping in now, behind the false playfulness that he usually associated with the Joker.

"You know, Bats, all I've ever wanted was to let loose. To… feel the wind through my hair, to see the view of the world from the top of the Eiffel Tower…" His dark eyes caught Bruce's, the corners of his ragged mouth twitching with humor, "You get my point. And then you come along and ruin every fantasy I've ever had. All of my plots, my schemes are wiped out because of a jumpy, amateur robber."

The Joker and his gun were sent sailing across the room, green hair mixing with red as he slid down the wall, leaving a trail of himself slipping along the ivory bricks. He giggled, pushing himself off of the ground and acknowledged Ace's presence.

"You see, the man is crazier than I am. He's the one that should be locked up in Arkham."

"You're trying to get rid of me now?" Joker gasped, placing a gloved hand up to his mouth, "Oh, no! Why would you ever think that? You're one of the reasons I love Gotham. Sure, you make my job a bit harder, but I've always worked around that, right?" Bruce responded with a blank stare.

"But you know, it is hard to work with somebody like yourself. You are the vengeance, the protector of that damned city," He spoke while lifting his hands up to place quotes around random words, sighing as he finished, "And I just needed to take away something from you."

Bruce's eyes widened and he snapped, "Obviously, you already know the story behind Batman. Why would you need to take anything else away?"

Joker simply shrugged, taking a seat in a dark purple chair that had appeared, again, with a snap of the fingers.

"Like I said, you're so… powerful and persistent," Ebony eyes flashed to a purple haze for a moment, as he stared down Bruce Wayne, "I needed something to slow you down."

"So murdering Diana would help you out?" Bruce's fists met Joker's velvet robe, "You think I wouldn't come back with all I've got, and send you to Alcatraz or even better, Hell?"

"Well, sure. But after a while, the depression will seep into your mind," The purple haze was growing now, seeping out of his eyes and onto the floor, snaking around like a serpent, "Her death will be all you can think of. How much you miss her, how much you want to hold her in your arms. And the facts will eat you alive, that you couldn't save her. Once the guilt takes over your mind, the rest of your body will succumb to the sedated feeling. The first time it happens, you'll skip out on your nightly patrols. The second time, the old butler will just leave you in your lonely bed, the one without her in it," Joker stood, watching Bruce's face melt into a pained expression.

"Within a month, I'm sure that your little sidekicks will be the only ones the criminals see in Gotham, and you'll be sitting home, all by your lonesome." The purple mist had turned to thick smoke, curling up into his nostrils as Bruce coughed and waved it away. He stumbled backwards, crashing into the stark white walls, his head swirling with nightmares and faint song lyrics.

Am I blue?

Am I blue?

"Shut up," Bruce groaned, choking back on the mauve clouds.

"Doesn't sound too fun, does it now, Bat?" Joker grinned widely, motioning for Ace, "I think our playboy has had enough fun, Acey. Take him out of here." In a sudden flash, his airway was clean and his lungs weren't burning from Ivy's unique poisonous gas. His blue eyes snapped open, finding himself back inside the courtroom, his enemy just a few feet beyond him.

"This is no time to be daydreaming of what you could have done different, Mr. Wayne," Joker grinned, the same purple flashing his eyes. "I'll ask you again nicely, any last words?"

Ain't these tears in these eyes telling you
How can you ask me am I blue?

"Go to Hell."

"My, my. With your girlfriend present? Are you sure you don't want to say anything to her?" Bruce opened his mouth to speak as the sound of a pistol cocking resonated around the courtroom. Joker spun on his heel, his smile finally reaching his eyes as he faced the barrel of Lois's .357 Magnum.

"Drop it, clown," She hissed, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped tighter, "I said drop it!"

"Well, Mr. Wayne, I believe someone else has taken your spotlight," Joker shook his head, "You know what I said about interruptions in my courtroom, didn't you, Miss Lane?" The pistol wavered slightly. "That's what I thought. Now, be a nice little broad and put the big boy toy away." A bullet whizzed past his ear, shards of wood spitting out from a hole in the door. "Hey! Whoo! You're certainly a jumpy little bugger aren't you?" He cackled, slapping his knees, before sobering and turning his own gun on her, "I told you. No movement, no talking, and most certainly no threatening the life of the guy in charge," He twirled the pistol once in around his ring finger, "But, I guess you'll have to learn how serious I am." Bruce moved forward and caught the tip of Joker's robe before a shot rang out, along with a small, piercing scream and an even smaller thud. The crowd of clown masks: the jury and the audience shook with fear, shudders wracking their bodies.

Superman is going to kill you, Batman muttered as Joker blew off the tip of his barrel.

"Lois!" Another voice cried out from behind Bruce. His head whipped, watching as the Joker gleamed, his eyes flashing an even deeper purple than before.

"No!" Bruce roared, rushing over to where Diana was halfway out of her chair, shaking at the sight of her friend, lying motionlessly on the floor. "Diana, get dow-" Another bullet whizzed by, sending wooden splinters all over the princess in disguise. The masked prisoners suddenly leaped up from their seats, wailing and shrieking as they fumbled their way through the door. S.W.A.T. members were pushed backwards as more civilians rushed out of the double doors. Joker fell to the carpeted ground, laughing hysterically.

"They resemble a herd of cattle, running from the cattle prod, don't they?" Bruce could hear the Joker; he could smell the scent of gun residue in the air, lingering, like the purple smoke. What he could not do was allow Diana to be at fault for his mistakes.

Just like Mom and Dad, the Bat interjected as Bruce flung himself over another aisle of chairs, hearing the gun cock again.

"Bruce!" Diana shrieked as she tugged off the mask, bodies packed in like sardines around her. He received a flash of his princess, struggling against the crowd, before another rush of citizens blocked him. And now, she couldn't breathe, feeling the air being sucked out of her lungs as if in outer space, when there was no space at all.

"Move!" He snarled, shoving the crowd out of his way and finally he could see Diana. S.W.A.T. was filing in, finally, and edging closer to the maniac as the two bullets sprung. Both Joker and Bruce's breath hitched slightly. Joker collapsing face-forward onto the ground, a red stain making it's way from his skull to the carpet fibers and Bruce stumbling into Diana's arms as she gasped.

"Bruce, you've been hit!" She alerted the authorities in the room with her high, regal tone that was bordering on the edge of desperation, "Three people down! Get some EMTs in here pronto!" Finished with her orders, she slid the Dark Knight down to the floor beside her, holding him tightly. "Bruce, honey, wake up," She palmed his chin, watching heart-brokenly as he mumbled something and winced painfully.

"Hit me… through the shoulder… possibly… the other," He inhaled deeply, reframing from another wince as the flaming sting moved to his entire back.

"Bruce, you stay with me, all right?" She whispered, pulling him closer, her hand running softly down his cheek and jaw line.

"Okay," He breathed, "It's all right, Diana," Blue eyes met blue eyes, one blinking rapidly to push the tears away the other staring into space, "It's all right."

She swallowed the lump in her throat as the other pair of blue eyes faded from view, hidden behind a pair of eyelids. But the eyelids weren't as beautiful; they didn't capture her attention as much as those steely, ice blue irises did. She wanted the icy blue eyes back, no matter if they were narrowed in anger or widened in surprise.

He swallowed his heart, trying to push it back down to where it belonged, instead of housed inside his throat. The other pair of blue eyes faded from view, hidden behind the darkness of his eyelids. He struggled to crack open the shields. After all, they weren't as beautiful; they didn't capture his attention as much as those heartwarming, sea glass irises did. He wanted the ocean eyes back, no matter if they were narrowed in suspicion or leaking with tears caused by him. He want- wanted them… back, he realized, finding her warm hand and tucking it into his. Diana watched on, absent-mindly running her thumb along his lips. She couldn't do anything right now. Nothing.

And they had never gotten to finish their dance.

In my dreams
I'll always see you soar above the sky

In my heart
There'll always be a place
For you for all my life

Well you showed me how it feels
To feel the sky within my reach
And I always will remember all the strength you gave to me
Your love made me make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you…

Damn, this took me forever! I apologize greatly. And I didn't really have time to re-read this, so if there's a minor mistake or two (or five), please accept another apology now for it.

Yes, I know Alcatraz is no longer in use, so even if Joker were sent there, nothing could be done with him.

I've wanted to visit Alcatraz for the longest time, simply because of the paranormal sightings there. I like ghosts and they thoroughly enjoy me chasing them. I think.

Songs: Am I Blue by Billie Holiday and There You'll Be by Faith Hill.

You know the drill.