A/N: This is the last chapter of the Return. I hope my readers enjoyed the story, because I enjoyed writing it! Please leave a review or a favorite if you really liked it!
Isaac Clark: I'm glad you liked the big arkham brawl I wrote. I also hope you like this last chapter, I think it's a pretty good ending. Also, thanks for reviewing so consistently, it really helps me get past writer's block.
Chapter Sixteen: A Dinner Party for the Certifiably Insane
"Why?" Batman growled, calmly cutting his bindings off, "Why did you kill all those innocent people if all you wanted to do was kill me?"
"Ahhhh, there's the question," Joker cackled, "Why did I do it? Well I've got several answers for that one. Perhaps you'd like to hear my one for the psychologists, that my mother's abandonment drove me insane? No that won't do, you aren't a shrink. Maybe the one about the chemicals affecting my mind and driving me crazy!"
Batman glared at the Joker, trying to keep the clown's attention away from his hands. "How about the one where you don't lie to me?"
"HA!" the Joker laughed, slapping his knee, "Of course, you deserve the truth, the dark truth that will make you lose hope in all humanity. Sure they can say I was a 'victim of society' that your erratic behavior brought out my 'dark side'. The truth is, that I killed all those people, including fly girl's little boyfriend, because I thought it was so damn funny!"
He knew the truth all along. The Joker had always been insane, from the second he was spawned from the first. There was no way fate would allow this war between order and chaos to stop; it was far too cruel.
"I know you all are awake. Why don't you join our little conversation?" The Joker told the league.
"We have nothing to say to you Joker," Superman spat, struggling against his bindings.
The Joker gave him a look of mock pain, "Ouch Supey, I'm hurt! But not as much as you'll be, Harley break his arm!"
"Yessir!" she said, grabbing a crowbar and swinging it into Superman's arm. The crowbar cracked the half kryptonian's bones, causing Superman to wail in pain.
"SUPERMAN!" Cassie yelled, trying to break free of her bindings.
"Ah ah ah, Cassie, you know the rules. If any of you get up, KABOOOM!"
Batman finished cutting through the first layer tying him to the chair, "What do you mean kaboom?"
"Oh Bats, I forgot! You missed that joke, oh I am so sorry! Well you see I was telling your friends earlier that I've rigged each of their city with multiple charges and if they get up, the sensors under their chairs detonate the bombs!"
"WHAT?!" Batman almost dropped the knife he was using to free himself.
The Joker smiled wildly, "It's true Batman. You know you want them gone though. Heck, you left them weak and helpless hoping I'd take each and every one of them."
Batman finished cutting through the last layer of his ropes, now all he had to do was find the perfect moment.
"You're bluffing."
The Joker raised his eyebrow and gave him a curious look. His wide grin then returned, "I could be. Who knows, this might all be a dream? Either way I don't think you have a way of finding out."
"Christian, what are you going to do," M'gann asked him telepathically, giving him a solemn nod.
"I need to find out if he's bluffing," Batman answered in his head, giving the Joker another glare.
"Y'know Batman, you don't really belong to with them. You aren't like them. You're a freak, just like me."
Batman glared and snarled, "I am NOTHING like you!"
"We're both two psychopaths running around in costumes."
"You're garbage who thinks death is a joke!"
"And I've got a wonderful joke for you right now. This is the one you've been waiting for," The Joker announced, "the moment where Batman becomes unchained from the low lifes who hold him back!"
"Joker…" Batman growled
"Yes my friend, I, your humble servant, will no finish off the things that hold you back from being the best you can be. I'll even let you choose who to start with!"
Joker pulled out a switchblade twirled it in his hands happily, giving Batman a wink.
Batman stayed silent, just looking coldly at the clown, waiting for him to make his move.
"Fine, I'll start us off then," the Joker told him angrily, grabbing Kara by the hair, "Let's kill her first, shall we!"
"WAIT!" Batman yelled, trembling with fury, "JOKER! STOP! KILL ME INSTEAD!"
Joker winced and then turned and glared at Batman. "You're giving up already!"
"Kill me, and let the others go…"
Joker stormed over towards him and kicked Batman's chair on the ground, yelling at him, "Are you that weak? Letting me win with only threatening her! You're a disappointment, a disgrace! I've judged you wrong this whole time, your just another angel!"
The league cringed as the Joker continued kicking Batman in the gut. Kara began struggling and trying to break free to save him, but her bindings were too tight.
"You can't be weak! You are a…"
The Joker was cut off by a chilling sound, a heart stopping noise that echoed through the room. The league began to feel uneasy; this noise was truly terrifying. Harley curled up in the corner and whimpered to the Joker, "Honey, w-what's he doing?"
"I think he's… laughing," the Joker answered, glaring at the dark knight, "Shut up! You aren't supposed to laugh before the punch line!"
Batman continued to laugh darkly, ignoring the Joker's angry protests.
"Make him stop, I don't like it!" Harley said, covering her ears and turning away.
"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY?" demanded the Joker grabbing the crowbar from Harley's hands and raising it up.
"You just exposed your own bluff."
The Joker lowered the crowbar and asked, "What do you mean?"
"My chair isn't rigged, if it was you wouldn't have so quickly knocked me over," Batman explained, facing the Joker and giving him a defying look.
The mad clown gasped with joy, "Oh you! You really had me going there for a second! I thought you were…"
Batman didn't let him finish, tearing himself from the chair and wrapping his hands around the Joker's neck.
"Hah, hah," the Joker choked, "Well go ahead Batman! Finish me!"
Batman felt pure hatred and anger overtaking his body as he grappled the clown's neck. He didn't know what to do, but one thing was for certain, the Joker didn't deserve to live.
"Batman don't!"
Batman turned around and saw Kara with a scared look on her face. He knew that in the end, he couldn't go through with it. He couldn't take the Joker's life.
"No, I won't," Batman threw the Joker on the ground and stood over him, "I won't kill. Not even you."
The Joker coughed up a laugh, "Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying!"
The jester pulled out a large detonator and yelled, "Say goodbye Batsy!"
Before the clown could even move his finger toward the button, a batarang flew straight into his hand.
"Leave my guy alone!" yelled Harley as she charged at him with a sledge hammer
Batman turned around and caught the hammer mid swing and broke it in half.
"Oi," Harley whimpered, closing her eyes in anticipation
Batman swung the handle into the side of her head, knocking her out with a crack! He threw the broken pieces to the side and turned back to the Joker, whom he realized was gone.
Quickly, Batman ran over and untied the league, helping them each out of their chairs without triggering the detonators. He had to think of the hostages first this time; he wouldn't make the mistake of leaving them alone again.
"Oracle, I placed a tracker on the Joker before he ran off. Could you track it down and tell me where he ran off to?" Batman asked as he cut off Conner's bindings.
"Oh god, Mr. Wayne, I thought you were dead!" Eve sighed in relief over the radio
"We can celebrate later, I need the location," Batman told her
Eve activated the tracker and reported back to him, "The Joker is heading up the closest guard tower, if you run, you can catch him!"
Batman untied Kara and pulled her out of her seat. She immediately launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Oh Christian, thank God you're alright…"
"It's ok Kara, I won't leave you again," he told her, stroking the back of her head reassuringly.
M'gann put her hand on Superwoman's shoulder and said to Batman, "Go and catch the Joker, I will stay here with her."
"No, I can't leave you all alone again!"
Kara turned Batman towards her and said, "We'll be fine; you go stop him. End this."
Batman nodded and turned towards the exit. He ran out through the door and after the Joker, using what was left of his visor to find where the clown had gone off.
He was ready to put the ace of knaves in a body cast for six months. The clown's rampage was going to end.
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Batman reached the top of the tower, where the Joker was waiting for him, smiling happily. A storm raged outside of them, harsh winds swaying trees and thunder crashing. Streaks of lightning lit up the skies, illuminating the faces of the two mortal enemies.
"You came back for me, I'm touched," the Joker said in a delighted tone of voice, pulling out a switchblade from his pocket.
Batman clenched his fists and raised them up. He calmly told the Joker, "I'm taking you in."
The clown just began to laugh heartily, almost doubling over he thought it was so funny. Batman didn't let the Joker's sadistic laughter unsettle him though; he stood unmoving in front of the clown.
"Alright Batman, let's tango, you and I, the finishing act tonight!"
Lighting flashed again, as if it was queuing the start of the battle. The Joker and the Batman clashed in the middle, order vs chaos.
Batman ducked under the knife and grabbed the Joker, holding him up and throwing him across the floor. While the Joker may be one of the most dangerous men on earth, Batman knew his fighting skills were far superior to those of the clown.
"Hehehe, good one…" The Joker giggled, standing up again shakily and charging Batman again.
The dark knight side stepped the knife and batted it out of the Jokers hand. Before the clown could turn around, Batman unleashed a furious barrage of punches. Each punch was barely held back, he was going to beat the Joker with in an inch of his pathetic life.
Joker attempted to throw a haymaker at him, but Batman quickly caught the punch. With unmatched force, Batman twisted the insane jester's arm. The Joker didn't let on that he even felt the hit though, he just laughed it off and swung his loafers straight into Batman's stomach.
He was surprised by the amount of power that was behind the Joker's attack. The clown was stronger then his slender form let on. Batman ducked under the next punch and jumped backwards to avoid an ice pick the Joker had pulled out from his suit. Batman grabbed the ice pick out of Joker's hand and broke it in half, and shoved the point into the Joker's free hand.
Stumbling backwards a bit, the Joker gripped his bleeding hand and pulled the metal point out. Another streak of lightning tore through the sky, revealing a large shadow looming over him.
The Joker turned around and saw Batman jumping towards him, the shadows covering his features and his cape blocking out the sky. The dark knight punched the clown square in the face, and then slammed his fist into his gut.
"Oohoo, Crazy Man!" the Joker taunted as Batman caught him across the face with a vicious left hook.
"Mad Man!"
Batman kneed Joker in the stomach, probably cracking a couple ribs, and then gave the clown a devastating punch to the neck.
"Batty Man!"
Batman swung the clown into the small wall that kept observers from falling off and began to punch his face in. Drawing blood with each swing, Batman heard the Joker's nose and jaw crack in multiple places as he let his fury pour into each blow. As much pain as Batman caused him though, the Joker only continued to laugh.
Batman grabbed the Joker by the collar and forced him up against the guard wall. Looking the clown dead in his beady eyes, Batman sneered, "You're right. You did judge me wrong. I may be on the side of the angels but don't think for a SECOND I'm one of them!"
"I know, and that's what makes you so great!" he laughed, pulling out a grenade and clipping it to Batman's belt.
Batman quickly fumbled to unclip the belt and threw it aside. The explosion knocked him backwards into one of the guard walls. The wall crumbled around him, leaving his head hanging off the edge. Before Batman could get up, the Joker stabbed him in the knee and jumped on top of him, pulling out another knife.
"Oh what fun that was," giggled the Joker, holding the sharp blade up to Batman's neck.
Batman struggled, but had lost a lot of his power because of his injured leg and his already hurt shoulder. "You've lost Joker! The league is downstairs recovering, ready to take you in if I don't!"
"Ha! You think they can stop me? They don't have the strength of mind to take what I can deal. Also, look at you, no gadgets or anything to protect you, your shoulder broken and your knee stabbed. I'd say you've lost Batman!"
He could feel the warm blood gushing from the wound from his leg. His shoulder was definitely broken again, causing him unfathomable pain when the Joker pressed his hand against it.
"Ooh, that looked like it hurt, HAHAHAAAHAAAHAA!" the Joker cackled, pushing the blade closer and closer to the Batman's neck.
He had to think of something fast, but it would be difficult without his belt. He felt like an idiot, leaving his concealed knife behind when he chased after the Joker. He hated to admit it, but it felt as though he could never be prepared for him. No matter how many times he thought this scenario through, he never expected the Joker to pull a grenade from his jacket pocket and so blatantly put his own life in danger. A man who wasn't afraid of death was a force to be reckoned with.
"I've won, I've beaten you Batman!" the Joker snarled, cutting off the padding that protected Batman's neck.
"I'll never let you win," growled Batman as he rotated his gauntlet around.
"What are ya gonna do, shoot your little spikes at me?" the Joker laughed, "pathetic!"
"Not exactly."
A small button popped out of Batman's glove, which he hit quickly. It delivered a powerful shock to the Joker, who yelped in pain and slipped off the edge. On the way down, the Joker didn't scream, he didn't cry, he only laughed maniacally in a sick and twisted way.
"HAHAAAHAHAHAHAAAHAAAHAHAAAA!" he cackled, the wind whipping around his pale and disfigured face.
Batman quickly rolled around and shot the batclaw down, which grabbed the Joker by the ankle just in the nick of time. With a grunt of pain, Batman began pulling the Joker up, his arm searing with pain and his leg loosing blood.
As he pulled the Joker up, the clown's maniacal laughter grew louder and louder, as if Batman was pulling him out of hell and back into Gotham. This is what he hated most, the fact that indirectly, he would be responsible for every death the Joker caused.
"Oh ho ho you," the Joker said with a mad, sadistic grin on his face, "Just didn't have the heart to do it?"
Batman grunted in pain, tying the line to a rail and allowing the clown to hang there upside down.
"And so it begins again, the war between the two forces of nature. The never ending battle, the two of us interlocked forever," he continued to taunt, licking his lips and giggling between sentences.
"You'll be locked up where the light never shines forever," Batman growled, glaring down at his defeated foe.
The Joker shrugged nonchalantly, "I personally prefer the dark, I know you understand, hehehehehe…"
Batman looked out at the circle in front of Arkham Asylum, where hundreds of police cars with armed men were lining up to make the arrest. Floodlights were pointed towards the wrecked building and the unconscious criminals lying everywhere.
"I wonder if they'll arrest you two," the Joker said maliciously, still keeping his sick grin, "but then again, the law can be very selective at times."
"Enjoy the view of the city Joker, because you'll never see it again," Batman told him, looking out towards the nocturnal Gotham City.
"Oh, I'm sure I'll get out sometime. Besides, what kind of Joker would I be if I couldn't?"
Batman shot the Joker a glare, and then turned merged with the shadows right before the floodlights were pointed at the dangling, laughing, Joker.
Once he was back inside the asylum, he called Eve over the comm. link.
"Joker's down," he reported, "I need an extraction along with serious medical attention."
"I'm sending you something as we speak. Just try and hold on." Eve answered
Batman leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground. He sat there, putting his hand over the open wound in his leg so he wouldn't loose as much blood. With his other hand, he clipped his utility belt around his waste. His shoulder continued to flare with pain, causing his vision to go blurry when combined with the amount of blood he was loosing.
Suddenly, he heard yells and shouts from outside the Asylum, coming from the direction of the police. Stumbling over to a window, he looked out and saw a large, black, armored helicopter hovering outside.
Police began pointing their guns toward it, but Commissioner Carmen signaled them to stand down.
"But Commissioner, we have orders to arrest him," one of the officers pointed out
"He just stopped the Joker from killing half the cops in Gotham plus their families. I think we owe him this," she answered, giving the Batman an approving nod, wherever he was.
Batman pointed his grapple gun towards the helicopter and shot a line towards it. When the hook was secure, he jumped out the window and grappled up towards the helicopter, diving inside the cockpit once he reached it.
"Auto pilot, take me back to the cave," he commanded it
The helicopter lurched to the side and flew off towards the cave, just as he had asked. As Batman lay bleeding inside the helicopter, he could swear he could hear only one thing in his head, the maniacal laughter of the Joker.
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Christian woke up in what looked like a hospital bed, his head achy and his vision blurry. He tried to get a grip on his surroundings; he needed to figure out just what the hell was going on. To his horror, he found that he was in an actual hospital.
Christian panicked a bit; Eve wasn't supposed to take him to a hospital! How was he supposed to explain how he got his wounds?
"Well you sure had an eventful weekend Mr. Wayne."
Christian turned his head with difficulty and saw a brunette doctor standing next to him, holding a clipboard with his medical reports.
"You're very luck that your secretary, Ms. Wesson, could get you here on time. You lost a lot of blood in that fight," she continued, putting the clipboard on a table next to him and grabbing some medication.
Christian demanded angrily, "How much do you know?"
The doctor put her hands up and merely smiled. "I know that you don't know me, but my grandmother used to work with your father. My name is Dr. Lilly Thompson."
Christian remembered the old woman that used to frequent his house when he was young. After his dad got injured in all those "skiing accidents" she would always be the one to patch him up. Still, he didn't like the idea of the hospital having records of his injuries.
"Lets see, you went into that fight with an injured shoulder and three bruised ribs. You walked out with a broken shoulder, two broken ribs, and a serious leg wound. You Waynes are always lucky when it comes to stuff like this."
"Where… where is Eve?" Christian asked, resting his head on the soft pillow the hospital had given him.
Dr. Thompson chuckled, "She's running your company right now. You had a very important board meeting today, or did you forget?"
"Wait, that meeting was supposed to be in three days! Was I out for…"
"Yes, you gave us quite the scare," she answered, "but you should be fine in a couple of weeks. I would suggest letting your body heal a bit after your bones fix, but knowing your type you'll be back out there as soon as possible."
Christian sighed in frustration. He couldn't patrol for weeks? As it is, he had no idea what the Joker's status was. For all he knew, the clown could have escaped already!
"You do have some visitors, Mr. Wayne. Shall I tell them to come in, or are you not ready to see anyone yet?"
Who the hell wanted to see him? Apart from Eve, who was busy at the moment, he didn't really have many friends. Then he realized; it was the league. They probably had come to finish off the job when he was weak, to threaten him to stop when he couldn't do anything about it.
"Fine," he grumbled send them in.
Dr. Thompson nodded and called, "Ms. Kent, Mr. Kent, Ms. Sandsmark, Ms. Morse, Mr. West, and Mr. Keegan, Mr. Wayne is ready to see you all."
The whole league, all in civilian clothing, filed into the room and around his bed, most wearing casts themselves. Christian noticed that Conner and Kara had both healed completely, along with M'gann.
"How are you feeling Christian," Kara asked him softly, sitting down on the bed next to him.
"Well I have a broken shoulder, two broken ribs, a stabbed leg, and several severe bruises. Other then that I'm just fine. Where is he?"
"Locked away in Arkham, and hopefully for good," M'gann told him with a smile
Christian nodded, "So, is this where you all force me into retirement."
The whole team looked at Conner, who sighed and stepped forward. "Look Christian, M'gann explained to us her experience working with you. We realize that… that or choice to work with one government may not be the best choice. We also realized that the league really needs a Batman. So, we are going to split from our government status and try to work the way we used to, separate from any single country."
Christian couldn't believe it. He knew that the fight would stop the league from bothering him, but he never imagined he would change it so dramatically.
"So, are you going to join?" Cassie asked excitedly, "Because we could really use your help."
Christian thought for a bit. Was he willing to join the team now, to work with others? He always knew he enjoyed working alone; it kept things uncomplicated. Then again, he had been working with Kara and M'gann to stop the Joker, and of course he couldn't have done it without Eve. Maybe it would be a good idea to be on a team, to have a family.
"I'll do part time."
The whole group gave him a strange look, as if they were trying to figure out what he meant.
"Part time?" Wally asked, scratching his red hair
Christian nodded, "I need to put Gotham first no matter what. I have to be here for its people. When I'm not needed, though, I will help you."
"That's great!" M'gann exclaimed happily, forgetting that they were supposed to be civilians at the moment. When the whole team shot her a glare, she smiled sheepishly and whispered, "Sorry…"
Christian sighed and took a sip from his drink, and put it back on the tray next to him. The league began to file out of the room, leaving only Kara with him. His lifelong friend gave him a loving smile. Christian had known she got her powers back, seeing as she was as full of life as ever. She was herself again, and he thanked God for it.
"Are you glad it's finally over," she asked him hopefully
"It's never over. It's only put on pause," he answered dejectedly. He knew, deep down, that the Joker would escape again. He knew that before the year was over, the clown would be back on the streets causing havoc.
The one thing that bothered him was the villain he had been fighting in the very beginning, Identity. With the Joker's appearance, he hadn't really had time to study the case further. He never had looked into who was actually behind the mask, and if they were actually dead or not. For all he knew, the Joker could have killed another follower.
"I guess you're right," Kara told him, "But still, it feels nice when there's a break in the action."
Christian nodded in agreement. The two stayed silent for a while, just looking in each other's eyes, trying to find words to break the awkwardness.
"So, when are you heading back for Metropolis," Christian asked
"Probably in a day or two, I still need to finish up some of the things that Jimmy was working on, which reminds me," Kara pulled the golden ring Christian had put on her nightstand and gave it back to him.
Christian gave her an unsure look, "Why?"
"Because, I need to move on. Jimmy wouldn't have wanted me to hold on to his death for the rest of my life. He wouldn't want my guilt to consume me. I think you need it more then I do."
Christian closed his hands around the small gold band and smiled to himself. He may have still felt anger over his family's death, but he somehow felt, happier.
Kara waved goodbye and stood up off the bed. Before she could leave though, she heard Christian call her back.
"Kara?"
She turned back and said, "Yes Christian?"
"Thank you, for everything. I know I may have been a jerk, and I just want you to know how much it means to me that you stuck with me for so long, even if things did end sourly."
Kara smiled happily and told him, "Christian, I'll be here for you. You may be stubborn, pig headed, and broody, but I know who you really are. I know that deep down; you're still that great guy I used to know. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you at the watchtower."
Kara leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, and then left him lying in his bed. Christian just sat, reflecting on what had happened. He knew that he had to keep fighting until Gotham was a safe place to live, a place where a man wouldn't lose his whole family to some punk with a gun. It bothered him that the man was never found, but maybe it was for the best. Christian didn't know what he'd do if the man was ever caught. Looking at the ring in his hand, he realized that there was one thing he had to do once he got out of the hospital.
TWO WEEKS LATER
It was a dark, cold night in Gotham. The city seemed silent; the usual sirens that rang through the air weren't present, making it surprisingly peaceful. There were no gunshots, no screams, and no cries, just a strange silence.
The Rose had its usual crowd, having recovered from its drought of costumers after the Wayne shooting. Valets helped the rich and famous out of their cars and into the fine establishment as neon lights lit up the area. People stood in line dressed in their finest, waiting for their turn to taste the delicacies that were inside.
Some people stood on the other side of the sidewalk, claiming that if you stood there on some nights, you could see Bruce and Sarah Wayne's ghost. Not many believed it, but the legend had quickly spread after some whack job had told the public how ghosts dressed in fine clothing had chased him down the road.
Batman glided silently over the crowd, not attracting any attention to himself and blending in perfectly with the night. He landed in one of the allies near the rose, and stood silently for a while in front of the chalk lines that seemed to stain the ground.
He pulled a bouquet of roses out and placed them down next to where the two bodies were drawn, not saying a word the whole time. Batman then knelt down next to them, bowing his head in respect.
He didn't know how he felt, standing on the ground that ran with his parents blood. The mask helped block away the pain, but he knew deep down that he had driven them to their doom. If he had just met with them, if he had just spent time with them, none of this would have happened.
"Dad, Sarah, I just want you both to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, and I'm sorry that I forced you out in the storm like that. I've- I've tried to honor your memory, and I hope you both think I'm doing a good job of it. Dad, I don't know if I told you this before, but I have nothing but love and respect for you. What you did for this city was incredible, and I only hope that I can live up to it."
Batman pulled out the golden ring as well and placed it by the flowers.
"I also need to give you this. A friend told me that I need to continue living, and I don't think I can with the guilt of three deaths weighing over me. Who knows, maybe I might be able to fully let go some day? But for now, Gotham needs me, needs a Batman. I will bring this great city out of the darkness, I promise you this."
He stood up and took a couple steps back, looking at the marks on the ground before grappling away. Maybe, he might be able to let go someday. Maybe…
A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed it! Look out for the sequel, which is most likely coming soon. Thanks for reading my story, and I look forward to writing more in the future.