Chapter 11
"Joker?!" Athena exclaimed. "Nightwing are you sure?"
"Positive. Stay whelmed guys. Things might get ugly."
They continued down the road and were joined by a fourth motorcycle.
"Hey guys," Batgirl said. "What are we up against?"
"Joker," Athena said.
"You're kidding?" Batgirl said. "I thought he was still in Arkham Asylum."
"Apparently not," Robin said.
"Guys," said Nightwing. "We're getting close."
On the side of the road, rubble littered the ground. As they drove farther into east Gotham, the density of the rubble grew. Something in Nightwing's gut told him that something was going to happen. Something that he would regret. He tried to put the feeling out of his mind, but it lingered. At the end of the road, a man stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by fire and laughing.
"That's him," Nightwing said. "Athena and Robin, at the next intersection turn right. Batgirl, turn left. Athena, loop around and come at him from the north. We want to cut him off from possible escape routes."
"Got it," Athena said. "Let's go Robin."
"Be careful guys," Nightwing said.
Athena smiled. "You too."
She and Robin turned the corner. As they drove down the road, Athena and Robin made guesses about what Joker was up to. Robin suggested he was just having fun. Athena laughed nervously. Whatever Joker was doing, it was far more serious than just having fun. He destroyed those buildings somehow.
"Robin, turn on the next road. You know where to come out. Good luck."
"You too Athena."
He turned onto the next road and disappeared. Athena kept on going. The idea of only Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and her going up against the Joker alone worried her. If something happened to her, even if she got the smallest scrape, Nightwing would activate his "protective older brother" mode, and last time he did that, he got a cast on his arm. This time it could be something much worse than a broken arm. She also about Robin. He was still new to his superhero career and made many rookie mistakes. Making those kinds of mistakes around the Joker could prove fatal.
Athena was so lost in thought, that she didn't see the thin rope until it was too late. The rope was attached to either side of the sidewalks, and was almost invisible.
"Uh oh," was all she could manage. In the next second, the front wheel of her motorcycle hit the rope and flipped. Athena was thrown from her bike and skid across the pavement.