The rain has stopped now in Arkham City. After calling upon Alfred for assistance, Batman has managed to bandage himself, and he kneels, perched on top of a gargoyle.

His biggest thought right now is, where? Where would Mad Hatter have taken Joker this time? Jervis had mentioned a tea party. Where would be a suitable location to hold a so-called tea party? The world's greatest detective thinks feverishly.

'Think. Think. Think!'

The Dark Knight is so wrapped up in his thoughts that he fails to notice the presence behind him until it speaks.

"Riddle me this, Batman."

Batman nearly jumps to his feet, whipping around to discover that none other than Edward Nigma is standing behind him.

"What destroys itself the more it tries to protect itself?"

The Dark Knight says nothing.

The Riddler sighs. "The answer is, 'society', you complete and utter ape."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Batman asks.

"Oh, come on. You can't tell me I'm being too cryptic."

Batman simply blinks. Riddler sighs and explains.

"What I'm getting at is that you made a mistake. You tried to protect the Mad Hatter from The Joker. Do you really not understand how it works here?"

"No," Batman grumbles. "Perhaps I don't."

"It's kill or be killed, Batman. It's a dog eat dog sort of world. By not letting Joker kill Mad Hatter, you've ensured that Mad Hatter will kill Joker."

Batman sneers. "No. I will not let that happen."

Riddler shakes his head. "You really don't get it, do you? It's too late. Joker is dead."

The Dark Knight's blue eyes narrow, but he remains silent.

"Go try to rescue him and see for yourself. They're at the Steel Mill, in the loading bay. I suppose Hatter is making a statement of some sort by showing Alice to Joker's woman and henchmen."

"Why are you helping me?" Batman asks skeptically.

Riddler shrugs. "I'm smarter than you, and it's frustrating to watch you squirm over something so simple. Therefore, I'm just going to give you the answer flat out. Maybe then you'll appreciate the complexity of my riddles."

"No, that's not it."

"If you're thinking about my connection with Joker, forget about it. It doesn't matter anymore, because whether you want to believe it or not, you're no longer saving Joker. You're saving only Alice."

If Batman had felt he had any time to spare, he would have apprehended and interrogated Riddler right there. However, instead, his worry for Joker's well-being pushes him to, with one last glare, glide off in the direction of the Steel Mill. He can only hope that Riddler is not lying to him.

Mad Hatter walks around the long wooden table, pouring tea for the guests sitting along its sides. Among these guests are Joker's henchmen, all wearing mind-controlling masks, and Harley Quinn, who instead of having a mask, finds herself once again tied to something, this time a chair.

"Mister J...!" She whimpers in the direction of Alice, who sits at the end of the table closest to her, staring off across the table at nothing. "Puddin'... C-can you hear me? It's me, Harley...!"

Alice blinks his bloodshot green eyes, but says nothing and moves no more than this.

"Please, Mister J, answer me...!"

Mad Hatter shakes his head at Harley. "Miss, there is no 'Mister J' here."

"What are you talking about, you freak?! That's my Puddin' that you've got all dolled up!" The woman shouts.

"Please stop. You'll upset Alice."

"That's not Alice, you moron! Alice isn't a man!"

Mad Hatter narrows his eyes furiously at Harley Quinn, making her gulp.

Alice coughs gently, attracting everyone's eyes.

"Alice? Dear, are you alright?" Hatter asks.

Alice does not respond. His face is almost paler than normal.

"There's no need to be nervous, Alice. You can tell us."

"He's sick, you bastard!" Harley cries. "Can't you tell?! My poor Mister J is..."

"Hush, Miss."

Harley begins to tear up. She's practically helpless here. The most she can do is pray that some sort of deus ex machina appears, and-

SMASH!
Everyone's heads turn up to see a black shape crashing into the loading bay. It glides down and lands on the table, smashing it in two. Chipped teacups fly, smashing on the floor and getting the poisoned brown liquid everywhere.

Jervis Tetch shrieks. His magnificent tea party has been ruined!

"Batman!" Harley declares in relief. "You came!"

Recognizing that Harley is not necessarily in any immediate danger, Batman quickly strides over to Alice.

"How dare you barge in without an invite?!" Hatter screams. "GET THE UNINVITED GUEST BEFORE HE GETS ALICE!"

All of Joker's hypnotized goons stand and lunge for Batman. Before they can reach him, however, he jumps away. In doing so, he leaves the path to Alice open, but before the goons can reach him, he too is quickly yanked up.

Having hooked Alice's dress before jumping away, Batman pulls him toward himself. The roughness of the action nearly tears the blue dress (but luckily doesn't), and the wig, along with the headband controlling Joker, falls off, not secured tightly enough.

When they land, Batman is ready to flee at the slightest movement. However, he finds everyone in the room is very still, even Hatter, who only grins.

The Dark Knight is confused.

"Oh, Batman." Hatter purrs. "You really do think that you can take Alice away from me, don't you?"

Batman looks down at Joker, who is laying still in his arms. Although the headband is off, Joker's face is still blank. It almost appears as though removing the device controlling his mind has done absolutely nothing.

"Joker." Batman says gruffly. "Joker, it's me. Snap out of it."

When Joker doesn't respond at all, Batman begins to get the sinking feeling that, just maybe, Riddler was right. Joker is dead. All that remains is Hatter's Alice.

"He can't hear you, Batman." Mad Hatter says smugly.

Batman bows his head and thinks for a moment. "... No, you're wrong. He can hear me."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"He can always hear me when I talk to him. We have a connection like that. Don't we, Joker?"

As if recognizing the words he had said some hours earlier, Joker's thin green eyebrows furrow somewhat, and as a result, The Dark Knight smirks a bit.

Hatter also recognizes the words, and he frowns at his Alice's reaction.

"Face it, Jervis. You're finished." Batman says.

Mad Hatter shakes his head. "I'm far from finished, Batman... I'm not letting you take Alice away from me without a fight."

"B-Bats...!"

Reacting to Joker's choked warning, Bruce is able to respond quickly enough to grab Joker's slender wrist before it completes it's full motion toward his throat, and by tightening his grip, forces Joker to release the knife his hand held. Hatter watches the knife clatter to the ground with a distraught look on his face.

Joker falls limp in Batman's arms, though he trembles faintly.

"Joker?"

"Get him, Bats..." The Clown Prince of Crime mumbles. "Just put me down here... and kick his ugly teeth in for me..."

Batman turns his head to stare at Mad Hatter as he gently sets Joker down on the floor.

Mad Hatter yells. "Why do you always have to ruin EVERYTHING?!" With this, all of the goons, still possessed, lunge once more.

Batman is prepared for this fight.

Jervis watches fretfully as, one by one, Batman defeats the goons. He opts to flee, but suddenly finds himself face to face with Joker, who is still wearing the dress.

"A-Alice..."

"I am not Alice." Joker snarls, an unbitted fury more than visible in his eyes. "After all the rather unfunny things you've done to me in the past few hours, I see nothing more fitting for you than an unfunny end."

Mad Hatter gulps and stumbles back a bit. He turns around after hearing a hard thump, and finds that Batman has dealt with the last goon.

Joker clamps his hands down on Hatter's shoulders, making the shorter man tense up.
"Good job, Bats."

Batman looks at Joker.

"Now, we've only got this freak left. Would you do the honors?"

"The honors of what, exactly?"

"Killing him, of course! What else would I want you to do, Bats? Make love to him?"

Batman stands his ground. "I'm not going to kill him, Joker."

Joker frowns intensely. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't deserve to die. He's done things that are wrong, yes. But he doesn't deserve to die."

The clown's eyes widen with anger and disbelief. "You're joking, right? Even after all of the things he's done to me tonight, you'll still defend him?"

"Yes."

Joker's jaw drops a bit. "... You... Do you even... know what he's done to me...?"

Batman bows his head. "I'm sorry. But if I kill him, I'll have to kill you, as well. If I stop defending one criminal, then why defend another who's done worse in half of the same amount of time?"

"I can't believe you, Batman. No, that's not it. I can't believe myself. I can't believe that I was happy to see you. I can't believe I thought you would be my hero for once. You're nothing more than a coward."

The Dark Knight has no time to react before Joker, in one swift motion, breaks Mad Hatter's neck. "No...!"

The Clown Prince of Crime lets Hatter's corpse fall to the ground, holding his hands up into the air as he does.
"Go ahead, Batman. Do your worst. Break a few bones, make me bleed. Kill me, don't kill me. Do whatever you want. I've done wrong again. I deserve to be beaten to the brink of death, like always."

The accusing tone that Joker uses makes Batman pause. He reconsiders his options for a moment.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Exhaling deeply and secretly hoping he's not making a terrible mistake, Batman walks over to Joker, standing in front of him and looking down at him. He raises a hand, and Joker flinches.

"... Oh, jeez. Now I'm gonna get two for flinching, aren't I?"

Suddenly, however, Batman pulls Joker into a gentle embrace. The clown stammers, becoming tense from surprise and confusion.

"... Wh-... What...? I don't... Why aren't you beating me into a blood pulp?" Joker asks.

"Because that won't help anything, and because I don't want to. I want to help you."

Joker's brow furrows again. "Um... Define 'help'."

"Rehabilitation. Companionship, even, if you prove you can handle it."

Too stunned to reply, Joker glances at Harley, who has been watching this entire affair in silence. She shrugs at him, just as confused as he is.

"... You know, Batman... This isn't a very funny joke."

"It's not a joke."

"Let go of me."

Batman obeys, taking a step back. For a long moment, Joker does nothing but stare quietly at the floor with his fists balled up by his sides.

"I promise to help you, no matter how difficult it is." Bruce says, holding his hand out for a handshake. "What do you say?"

The Clown Prince of Crime quietly stares at the gloved hand being extended towards him. He then, slowly, starts to laugh.
"This is so weird, you know that, right?"

"Yes."

Still laughing, trying hard not to start coughing, Joker slaps Batman's hand away and hugs the larger man.
"You're so stupid, Bats. But I guess I've always sort of liked that about you."