The last few weeks hadn't been easy for the Batclan. A specific crew of Jokerz had been looting high-tech equipment. Terry, Terra, and Max weren't capable of handling the crisis alone, so they called in their partner Rebecca Young, AKA Sparrow Hawk.
She had already been in Gotham anyhow. Her father, DA Sam Young, had recently undergone serious heart surgery. Consequently, she'd taken a two-month leave from her career as a judge in Eco-City to support her mother, Barbara, who was caring for him. The three teens had always regarded Rebecca as their big sister since she was only ten years older then them. Due to being born late in her mother's life, Rebecca had no biological siblings. So, to her, the three seventeen-year-olds were her younger siblings.
However, they'd been shaken when the Joker seemed to have risen from the dead. His henchmen had put the twins' significant others in the hospital. If that wasn't dire enough, they ultimately learned what generated the dissolvement of the prior Batclan. The four of them were in the Batcave at the moment. Max Gibson, AKA Robin Beyond, was working at the supercomputer, attempting to unravel the linkage between their few clues.
Terra had just returned from tending to Bruce, while Terry and Rebecca had informed their families they'd be working late. Of course, Rebecca's mother, the ex-Batgirl, knew what her daughter was doing. Yet, like the young woman's grandfather, Barbara could no more stop her daughter being Sparrow Hawk then preventing herself when she became Batgirl. Still, the young biracial redhead kept her mother informed, and her mother assured her that her father's recovery was going well.
When Bruce entered the Cave, Terra immediately bolted to assist him. She had an extraordinarily affectionate personality, and since they all saw Bruce as a father figure, they didn't want anything worse then what already had happened to him."Bruce! You need to go lie down some more! Joker nearly eradicated you with a fatal amount of his gas! I know you're more stubborn than a mule! Regardless, you've to accept your limitations! Especially with your heart condition!" admonished Terra.
Bruce allowed himself to lean on Terra for support. "I swear your stubbornness is going to be the end of you!" the alluring teen commented as she guided him to a nearby chair. Bruce gazed his bright blue eyes into hers with a serious expression.
"Believe me when I say this, Terra. I've been through hell and back enough times that I won't die unless its on my terms," the former Dark Knight stated sternly.
Terra scowled in disgust before whispering, "Men!" After Terra walked away to get them all some refreshments, Bruce turned towards Rebecca and questioned how her father's recovery was going.
"Dad's recovery is going well. He was ignorant that heart disease runs in his family. Luckily, I've already been tested for it, and I'm thankful I take after my mother. So, there is no need to agonize about my heart—however, Terra's right, Bruce. You do need to take it slow due to your heart condition!" the former Fair Maiden's daughter reiterated to her mother's old friend.
Just then, Max and Terry exclaimed, "Eureka!" making everyone turn to see what they had uncovered. Terry pointed out the only costume decimated was Tim's old costume, and Max figured out what the segments Joker's lackeys accumulated constructed.
"It's a satellite jamming system! It's incredibly intricate in its configuration. However, in layman's terms, anyone who utilized this could take possession of any satellite, including military ones! Can you imagine how deadly that could be? It is more alarming then nuclear warfare since how will you counterattack something in space if its threatening things on Earth?!" Max exclaimed loudly.
"It looks like Robin turned into a bitter old crow. Somehow, he and Joker are working together! Yet, it still doesn't explain how the Joker survived death! But if anyone knows how he did it, it will be Drake!" Terry concluded grimly.
"Before we suit up, we need a more suitable strategy since his cohorts are beyond qualified. Specifically, those twins! We need to think this through before we attack them again!" Terra pointed out. She was right. They'd their butts kicked enough already by this gang. They need to work smarter this time, not harder.
"Let's quickly review the data of our previous encounters with this group. By analyzing their combat styles and personality types, we have a better shot at overpowering them!" Rebecca recommended as she pulled up all the relevant files on the Joker's private gang.
An hour later, they devised a foolproof strategy before getting into their various transportation methods. They eventually ended up at the forsaken Jolly Jack Candy Factory. They had Ace take care of Woof. Robin and Sparrow Hawk handled Chucko and Ghoul flawlessly. Ultimately, it was twins vs twins, but the Bat Twins prevailed by getting Dee Dee to take themselves out.
Even with everything they'd been up against since the return of the Joker, they were not prepared when the truth came out, how Joker downloaded his DNA and brainwaves into a tiny microchip that looked like a mole to live on past death. He laughed, saying Tim had no idea he unknowingly shared his body with the Joker! Nor did Tim realize he'd shortly disappear because, after all this time, Joker was getting strong enough to overtake Tim's body permanently!
All four of them were even more revolted with the Joker then ever. They also felt highly insulted he wasn't taking them seriously, saying they're a bunch of ridiculous children playing heroes like the original Batman and his team. They quickly reminded him that he didn't know a thing about them. Plus, they were NOT the original Batclan. Therefore, he shouldn't underestimate them. However, the Joker flippantly waved his hand before resuming ridiculing them as he prepared to obliterate Gotham with his hacked defense satellite.
With Ace's help, they managed to short-circuit the computer so the laser beam was heading towards them. Terry then sealed them in while Terra took out the lights. Then, the four did the one thing Bruce had never thought to do: They began to trash-talk the Joker! Terry quickly pointed out that the Joker was only obsessed with making Batman laugh. He was an idiot for not recognizing Bruce Wayne's lack of sense of humor. Plus, he wasn't a comedian since he NEVER had a good joke!
Joker tried to flee, only for Terra, AKA Batgirl, to corner him. The raven-haired Fair Madien laughed hysterically at him like her twin brother. "You know, when it comes to being a supervillain, you're mediocre at best, Joker! I mean, seriously? What kind of baddie names themselves "The Joker?" Your brand of comedy was decades old! No one laughs at lame things like squirting flowers or joybuzzers. Seriously, you're beyond out of style!
I've faced true evil from an ordinary man! He stole something I couldn't get back. That's what real evil is, and you're nowhere near that level! You're such a loser!" before he could shoot her with his laser pistol, she simply employed some ballet to dance around him before smashing his bleached face into the locked doorway.
She, too, vanished into the shadows, all while giggling loudly. Before Joker could recover, the computer returned online and showcased over a dozen cat video memes. Robin was leaning against the computer, chuckling herself."Do you know how much clickbait these memes get over you? They are considered the most comical thing on the internet! And in this day and age, internet fame is everything! You don't even have one video about you!
Doesn't that tell you how humorous the world thinks you are? It only indicates you're such a loser, then you couldn't even get one hit on the internet!" she couldn't stop laughing before fading into shadows.
Finally, Sparrow Hawk materialized, and she was grinning widely. "Do you know the only individual who ever made Batman laugh was Harley Quinn? Not you but her! The battered woman you manipulated and warped her innocent mind for years did the one thing you couldn't! She made him laugh!" She smirked as she pulled up the video footage from over four decades ago. Batman's creepy laughter quickly consumed the dark room and was soon joined by the rest of the team. All were making scathing remarks about how Joker should've been a rodeo clown since he sucked at being an evildoer.
He shrieked at them to stop laughing at him. They all gleefully pointed out this is what he constantly desired. To make the Batclan laugh! However, he screamed they weren't the true Batclan. He threw smiley face bombs at them, which knocked them out of the rafters. The Joker assumed he had the upper hand now. However, as they told him before the battle began, he shouldn't have misjudged them.
He then tried to strangle Terry. However, he quickly found himself restrained with electromagnet bindings courtesy of Sparrow Hawk. Robin and Batgirl each placed one of their signature weapons in between the bindings, which would help make a path for an electric current to follow. Then, all four laughed one last time as Terry used the joy buzzer to silence the Joker eternally!
The Batclan, Ace, and the unconscious Tim Drake quickly fled. Shortly afterward, they all came to the hospital to check on Tim, who said they all were worthy of carrying on the Batclan legacy. The icing on the cake was Bruce telling them it was just being themselves that made them worthwhile, not their hero identities. The four quickly departed and went out on another patrol, finally happy they'd lived up to their predecessor's legacy!