*Arkham Asylum, later that evening*
Explosions battered the entrances of the facility as several armed, masked mercenaries flooded inside. Security guards were swiftly subdued and neutralized as the medical staff ran away in horror. As more of the mercenaries flooded the hallways, they began unlocking each cell and captured the inmates one by one. Each inmate was bound at the wrist with a bag placed over their head as they were forcefully escorted to unmarked getaway vans.
The extraction was not without resistance. One patient who refused to cooperate in this jailbreak was Arnold Wesker. Popularly known as "The Ventriloquist," Wesker was a paranoid schizophrenic. Years earlier, Wesker had developed an alternate personality, Scarface, whom he had expressed through the use of a ventriloquist dummy. Scarface was a ruthless, violent gangster, in stark contrast to Wesker's timid, meek personality. Despite his past crimes, Wesker had proven to be a model patient, and had worked very hard to rid himself of the Scarface persona. He had been on a work-release program, sponsored by Wayne Enterprises, but Wesker had returned to Arkham for a regular checkup.
As the attack on Arkham happened, Wesker had been in an examination room, during a late-night therapy session with Dr. Jennifer Miller. Wesker and Dr. Miller attempted to run and hide, until they were finally confronted and taken by force. The normally-petrified Wesker, in a moment of bravery, attempted to fight his captors as best he could in an attempt to free himself and Dr. Miller; however, they were both shot and killed by the mercenary who pursued them.
"What are you doing?! The boss said not to kill the cops, security, or the staff," one other mercenary said to his partner.
"Hey, accidents happen," the other merc replied flippantly, "No one cares about Wesker anyway. Keep moving!"
The raid continued as most of the prime targets had been rounded up and loaded into the vans before the police could arrive and lock down the entire facility. Shockingly, very few of the security guards and staff were killed by gunpoint, although most were maimed and injured.
As the night went on, Commissioner Gordon consulted with his most trusted detectives, going over the details of the raid. At one point, Gordon moved toward one of the many dark alleys surrounding the Arkham property, to consult with the one man outside of his unit he trusted more than anyone else.
"The bloodbath at City Hall was one thing, but we counted only 4 dead this time," Gordon explained, going over the paperwork, "Two security guards during the bombing, and two others shot point-blank: Dr. Jennifer Miller and Arnold Wesker, the former Ventriloquist. Meanwhile, the maximum-security wings were cleared out; no other casualties, but several key inmates are missing, including Harvey Dent. We found a double-sided coin in his cell, just like the ones he used to use. Whatever's going on here, he's involved somehow."
"Either that, or someone wants us to think Harvey's behind it. His doctors were extra careful to make sure he hasn't been around anything resembling a coin in years," Batman suggested, "What about security camera footage?"
"Mostly wiped from the system," Gordon said, before showing Batman a few images, including one mercenary who was significantly larger and more muscular than the others, "Recognize the big guy in the corner?"
"Bane," Batman observed, recognizing the muscle-bound assassin, "He wanted us to find him."
"I don't understand," Gordon replied, "If this is all connected, why kill all those people at City Hall, kidnap the most disturbed criminals in Gotham, but leave Arkham staff alive?"
"Most likely it's a diversion," Batman hypothesized, "Harvey doesn't have any prior association with Zszaz or Sionis, but with two different locations, and a series of victims in pairs, it seems to match up with his old patterns of behavior. But Harvey's been in Arkham for years now; he couldn't have orchestrated this on his own."
"Someone could be trying to use him as a scapegoat," Gordon suggested, "But for what purpose?"
"If Bane is involved, I have a pretty good idea of who else might be behind this," Batman replied, "I've read about raids and extractions like this before, from a group called the League of Shadows. Whoever was behind this had the resources and the motive to capture that many inmates without leaving a trace. Plus, every inmate that's been taken has been someone I've caught."
"Batman...there's something else you should see," Gordon said nervously before showing the Dark Knight a picture of Harvey Dent's empty cell with several bat-like symbols surrounding messages spray-painted on the walls. The messages read, in no particular order, "THE LAST LAUGH IS COMING SOON; THE VEIL WILL BE LIFTED; JUDGMENT IS COMING; ALL WILL BE REVEALED; WE KNOW THE TRUTH BEHIND ALL THE MASKS; HA HA HA HA HA." Batman's eyes grew wide; while the messages came off as vague, veiled threats, he recognized the speech pattern.
"Looks like this was something meant for you personally," Gordon suggested, "This has to be the Joker."
"Maybe. Or someone who wants me to think it's him," Batman suggested, "Joker wouldn't normally leave so many people alive."
"I thought with all the riddles, it could be Nigma," Gordon suggested, referring to The Riddler, who was among the kidnapped inmates, "But he's never been known for using someone else's gimmick. Whoever is running the show, it looks like they're planning something big and want you to be a part of it."
"Who else has seen this?" Batman asked, referring to the messages in the picture.
"So far only my unit and CSI," Gordon replied, "It won't be long before word gets out though. The new mayor and D.A. are already looking to crack down on you and your team, and it's only a matter of time before Internal Affairs comes after me too." Gordon paused for a second before referring to one of the other messages. "It talks about the 'truth behind the masks,' like they know something about you and maybe some of your other friends in costume. No demands listed, but do you have any idea who might be trying to blackmail you?"
Batman knew that Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows knew his true identity for years. He suspected that Amanda Waller and others within her organization knew that he was Bruce Wayne, but could not confirm that. The only others who had come close were Dr. Hugo Strange, a corrupt psychiatrist and criminal mastermind, and Dr. Jervis Tetch (also known as "The Mad Hatter"), both of whom had pioneered the use of technology that could be used to control people's minds and free will. Both Tetch and Strange had been killed years earlier under mysterious circumstances, although Batman suspected that Waller's Suicide Squad had been behind their elimination.
Then there was the Jason Todd factor. Bruce knew that Jason was brought back to life by the League of Shadows, but didn't know for sure that they were working together. More than anything, Jason was driven by revenge. Two-Face had killed Jason's father, and the Joker had killed Jason and paralyzed Barbara; Jason also wanted to punish Bruce for not killing the Joker, or at least prove a point that Batman's stance against killing was outdated and ineffectual. When Batman last encountered the Red Hood, he had beaten the Joker within an inch of his life, but both had apparently been caught in an explosion. No bodies were found; Bruce knew that there was a possibility that his former protégé and greatest enemy could both be alive somewhere. As much as he wanted to tell Jim Gordon the full truth, Bruce knew that Jim had been through enough; too many people who knew Bruce's secret had already suffered for it.
"Jim, I know I've asked a lot of you over the years," Batman solemnly began, "You've risked so much by trusting me…"
"I don't regret any of it," Gordon interrupted him, "I never cared who you were behind the mask, but I've seen firsthand what this city can do to people. In times like these, I think about all the good we have done together, the lives we have saved. Yes, we've had losses along the way, but it hasn't all been for nothing. I don't know what caused you to do the things you do, but I know that you have inspired more people than you can imagine. Especially what you've done with the Justice League; that goes way beyond Gotham. I know whoever is behind this is making it personal; if you're asking for my trust, you've got it."
"Thank you, Jim," Batman said, before preparing to leave.
"Wait," Gordon said, "There's something else you should know; the new mayor and the unions have been pressuring me to step down. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to help you, especially in light of what we've seen tonight. I'll do what I can to help with this case, but this might be it for me."
"I understand," Batman replied, "I have to find those inmates, Jim. One way or another, this has to end." Gordon nodded as he briefly glanced away to make sure they were not being followed. As soon as he turned around, Batman was gone, as if he had vanished into thin air. Gordon simply chuckled to himself, bemused at his old friend's ability to disappear at the last minute.
Typical, Gordon thought to himself with a laugh, Some things never change.
Harvey Dent had no idea where he was being taken to. Several armed mercenaries busted into his cell at Arkham in the middle of the night, restraining him and placing a bag over his head before forcing him into some sort of vehicle with other inmates. Although he could recognize a few familiar voices, he had no idea where they were being taken to. Finally, Dent and his fellow captives were unloaded and dumped out into a loading dock. As the bag was removed, Harvey recognized many other infamous inmates from Arkham Asylum. Dr. Jonathan Crane (AKA "The Scarecrow"), Edward Nashton (AKA "The Riddler"), Garfield Lynns (AKA "Firefly"), Lonnie Machin (AKA "Anarky"), Dr. Pamela Isley (AKA "Poison Ivy"), Dr. Harleen Quinzel (AKA "Harley Quinn"), among several others.
"What the hell is going on here," Harvey exclaimed, feeling a sense of blind rage he had not felt in years. The other inmates expressed similar frustration and confusion until their captors emerged into view. Leading the various unnamed mercenaries was Bane, the large, musclebound masked assassin known to have ties to the League of Shadows. Also joining the group, for added muscle, was Waylon Jones (AKA "Killer Croc"), the deformed former sideshow performer born with a rare form of atavism, which imparted him with his reptilian appearance, freakish strength, and feral tendencies.
"Well, one thing's for sure," the Riddler quipped, "It's obvious that Croc wasn't behind…whatever this is."
All of a sudden, the room was filled with a familiar, gleeful cackle that made almost every captive freeze in absolute shock and horror. Harley Quinn, however, was overjoyed to hear the voice of her on-again, off-again lover. The Joker, in typical dramatic fashion, was eager to walk into view among the armed mercenaries surrounding the Arkham captives.
"That's a good one, Eddie! You always were one of my favorites," Joker retorted as he turned toward Harley Quinn, "Hi, honey. Honestly, I would have come and busted you out a long time ago, but…I was delayed for quite a bit. Would you believe I was kidnapped and imprisoned by a bunch of ninjas?!" Joker motioned towards Bane and several of the other mercenaries, revealed to be League of Shadows members.
"Remember our deal, payaso," Bane coldly replied, "We let you out and got you your girl, in exchange for you helping us get into Arkham, and get some of the inmates my boss asked me for."
"Puddin'? Is that why they moved me from Belle Reve to Arkham?" Harley asked, referring to her transfer out of Belle Reve Penitentiary, a super max prison for metahumans in St. Roch, Louisiana.
"Of course, baby," Joker replied, as the mercenaries cut Harley out of her restraints, "Who do you think arranged to have you transferred back here to good old Gotham?!" Harley gleefully rushed into the Joker's arms as the bizarre couple embraced.
"Not to break up this love-fest, but is there a reason why the rest of us are here?" Poison Ivy asked, skeptically.
"Good to see you too, Pam," Joker retorted sarcastically, knowing Ivy's long-standing disdain for him, "My friends, I've invited you all here for a special occasion. You see, I've been away from Gotham for almost a year now. A lot has happened since then; the whole world was almost blown to hell when Darkseid and his freaks showed up and nearly killed us all because of some equation that may or may not exist. Killed a lot of people along the way…. I mean, A LOT! Took out a few chunks of Gotham as well; which, I gotta say, I didn't like it, but I respect the commitment! Anywho, it's pretty amazing that we'd all be dead right now were it not for our old pal Batman, a couple of alien friends, some of Wonder Woman's roided up gal-pals, an army of weird fish people, along with every other goof out there with a cape, super powers, and a mask…no offense, Bane!" Bane simply rolled his eyes as the Joker continued his diatribe.
"Now, even though all of us were locked up while it happened, I assume you all heard about it, right? You had all these countries working together; up was down, down was up, cats and dogs living together; you even had the Justice League working with Lex Luthor and his own little motley crew of every super-powered criminal you could think of…yet, none of us ever got the invite to help out, did we? Not that I would have, but still…it'd be nice to be asked."
"So where have you been this whole time?" Scarecrow asked, "We thought you were dead."
"You know, it's funny, it's all a bit of a blur," Joker responded, "Last time I was in Gotham, I was having my brains beaten in with a crowbar by that Red Hood guy; some helmeted weirdo with a biker fetish. Kinda reminded me of that time I crippled Robin a few years back; good times! Next thing I know, I'm in some sort of third-world hole-in-the-ground prison. No idea where it was, but it gave me a lot of time to think, especially as I watched the world lose their minds when the aliens showed up and leveled entire cities and countries! And what happens after? These last six months, all anyone in the media has been talking about is how world peace has broken out; how humanity has come together to rebuild! What a joke; humanity is a temple built on a river of shit, and if it wasn't for Darkseid, we'd all find a way to destroy each other anyway."
"What's your point, Joker?" Anarky interrupted defiantly, "We all know this. The world is still on the brink of chaos no matter what people say. What's that got to do with us?"
"You've got a lot of balls interrupting me, kid. I like that," Joker said, bemused at the young anarchist's boldness, "I was actually getting to the reason why you're all here. You might not recognize where we are right now, but we are deep in the lower basement of the one and only Iceberg Lounge. You guys remember our old pal, The Penguin, right?"
Out walked Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, better known as the Penguin, flanked by his personal hired security. The diminutive socialite-turned-mobster and self-proclaimed "Gentleman of Crime" had never been declared insane enough to serve in Arkham, and normally detested the outlandish savagery that the Joker and his ilk was known for. Yet, the Penguin seemed to be amused at the sight of some of the most dangerous people in Gotham in such a helpless state in his club's basement.
"I gotta hand it to you, Ozzy," Joker said, turning toward the Penguin, "Your place is the perfect place for a party."
"Well, business has been down on a count of the alien invasions and the economy hanging on by a thread," Penguin admitted, "Plus, your crew here made me an offer that was just too good to pass up. Although I'm still not sure why you chose my club of all places, nor do I have any idea of what you want to do here."
"That's a good question," Riddler agreed, "Why are we here?"
"Hah! I know, the ultimate riddle; always on brand, eh Eddie? The reason you're all here is because of her," Joker said, focusing his attention toward Harley Quinn, "Harley, my love, my alabaster princess; when those aliens rained hellfire across the world all those months ago, I gotta say…my life flashed before my eyes. It made me realize that none of us are getting any younger, and the way things are going, who knows what's going to happen next?!" Much to Harley's shock and excitement, the Joker proceeded to get down on one knee and produce a small jewelry box with an engagement ring.
"Harleen Quinzel, we've been on and off for a long time, and I think it's about time I made an honest woman out of you," Joker said, with a mischievous gleam in his eye, "Will you make me the happiest clown in the world, and marry me, right here in the Iceberg Lounge, tomorrow night?!"
The rest of the room looked on in shock, as Harley began to cry tears of joy. Meanwhile, her best friend, Poison Ivy merely hung her head in disapproval, knowing how abusive the Joker had been to Harley over the years.
"Oh my God, Harley," Ivy muttered under her breath, "Don't do this…not with him…"
"Shut up, Red," Harley snapped at her friend, before immediately reverting back to her state of joy and ecstasy, giving her response in her usual, over-the-top fashion, "Yes, yes, puddin'! A thousand times yes!" Harley and Joker embraced. Some of the crooks in the room applauded in congratulations, while others groaned audibly at the romantic display. Among those who looked on in disgust was Harvey Dent. He had desperately wanted to leave this life behind, and wanted nothing to do with the Joker.
"That still doesn't answer why I'm here," Dent spoke up, incredulously, "Hell, it doesn't explain why any of us are here. Why would you want to have us all in one place, in Gotham, throwing some kind of half-assed shotgun wedding. It's like you're asking for the cops or Batman to find us!"
"Oh, I'm counting on it, Harv," Joker replied with a laugh, "You see, I learned a lot of things during my time in that rat-infested cell; I overheard lots of rumors about big plans from my pals here from the League of Shadows. I also learned a lot of secrets while I was there, secrets about our dear Dark Knight and his little band of merry men that are very revealing."
"Wait a minute," Scarecrow piped in, "Are you saying what I think you're saying? That you know who Batman really is?" Joker cackled with delight, seemingly affirming the Scarecrow's question.
"Even we believed you, which I don't," Dent shot back, "What does this have to do with us? We've never been on the same page, Joker. Why did you bring me here?"
"Oh, Harvey," Joker began, giggling at Dent's frustration and defiance, "You're the resident law man around here. You're basically the closest thing we have here to being a Justice of the Peace. What do you say, buddy? Will you marry us?"
"You know, there was a time where I would have flipped a coin and considered it," Dent shot back, "But I'm not that guy anymore. I am not your buddy, and I never have been! Honestly, I'd rather you just kill me now and get it over with." Joker smirked in bemusement before kneeling before Dent's scarred, surgically-repaired face.
"Maybe I'll just flip for it," Joker taunted Dent, before growing more serious, "You're right, Harvey. We're not friends. In fact, you've had a hand in putting away a good portion of the people here when you were a D.A. Then, you got a little boo-boo on your face and decided to become a big tough guy! But you know who was a lot of fun? Two-Face! Oh, I liked him a hell of a lot more than Harvey Dent; I really have missed that guy!" Joker reached into his jacket pocket as several thugs reluctantly brought Harvey to his feet. To Dent's horror, Joker pulled out a vial of acid, similar to the one Sal Maroni disfigured him with all those years ago.
"Don't worry, Harvey, we'll get you all fixed up in no time," Joker taunted, as the two thugs dragged Dent into a back room, kicking and screaming in protest. Joker then turned to the rest of the inmates, who were being freed one-by-one by Bane and the mercenaries, "As far as the rest of you, there's an open bar upstairs! Take a load off and make yourselves at home. We've got a wedding to plan!"
The sounds of maniacal laughter filled the room as Harvey Dent was led away in terror.