The bell rang for the end of fourth period at Hamilton Hill High, meaning the corridors were flooded with students either on their way to lunch or headed to their next classes. Luckily, Terry was part of the former.
He stopped by his locker to drop off his books. He was grateful Nash wasn't his usual annoying self today and writing obscenities on Terry's locker for shits and giggles. Nash liked to single Terry and his friends out because they were the only ones who didn't treat the resident jock like he was royalty. There was even a time where Nash slandered Harper for being bisexual, but that obviously didn't get along well with the rest of the school, so he immediately doubled back and pretend nothing happened. He never was the brightest bulb….
Terry was just putting his tablet in his locker when he felt a sharp sting in his side and hissed inwardly, instinctually holding the area. Mad Stan was a tough SOB. Even with the Batsuit's protective layers, he still managed to bruise a couple of Terry's ribs.
"You okay there, Ter?" asked Duke as he and Harper approached his locker.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Terry, shutting his locker. "Got a stitch from carrying a bunch of equipment for Mr. Malone."
At least, that's the cover story he was going with.
"Working for the old man isn't as easy as you thought it would be, huh?" said Harper as the three of them walked slowly to the cafeteria. They weren't in any particular hurry. The lunch they served at the school always tasted bland; budget cuts in favor of the sports teams, of course.
"I never thought it was easy to begin with," said Terry. "Still, the pay is good, so I can help out mom and Matt. And it just feels good to know I'm helping out however I can."
"Don't get sappy on us, McGinnis," Harper teased, playfully nudging her friend.
"I still can't believe Mr. Malone is actually a shareholder at Foxteca," said Duke impressively. "That's, like, the second biggest tech company in Gotham, and a major competitor against Wayne-Powers."
"Trust me, Foxteca is way better…for more reason than one," said Terry, unconsciously glaring at the floor as he thought about Wayne-Powers and its corrupt CEO.
Terry silently cursed. Even after gathering all the evidence against him, Derek Powers used his vast connections with the Gotham media to spin the narrative making it look like Butchinsky was the sole perpetrator and that the nerve gas was made without his knowledge. And, conveniently, Butchinsky apparently died of a stroke while in the hospital. Of course, Terry and Bruce knew it was just Powers covering his tracks, not that they had any proof. Powers was nothing if not thorough.
"So the guys filthy rich, right?" asked Harper, snapping Terry out of his thoughts. "Then what's he doing slumming it in Old Gotham playing detective?"
"The old man is sentimental about the old days," said Terry; another lie Bruce taught him. "And everyone has their hobbies."
"Most hobbies involve collecting cards or throwing a ball – not chasing thugs and murderers," Harper commented.
"I hope I can be as badass as him when I'm that old," said Duke as they walkd through the cafeteria doors. "Alright, enough work talk. I'm hungry for some pizza."
"You know that's basically cardboard, right?" said Harper jokingly.
"But it's cardboard covered in cheese," said Duke playfully.
Terry and Harper shook their heads good-naturedly and joined their friend in line –
Ethen was driving back to the station from the docks, but now he had a new passenger tagging along for the ride. Every so often when they stopped as a light, Ethan would shoot a sideways glance at his new partner – which he was still racking his brain over. Commissioner Bard really loved dropping random bombshells out of nowhere. Says it keeps them on their toes.
Just from their initial meeting, he could already tell Ellen Yin was a serious by-the-books type; a no nonsense, stickler for the rules. She was the opposite of Ethan, who was serious about his work, but was a socially butterfly with a penchant for bending certain rules without breaking them. In that regard, Commissioner Bard and him were very similar. It made him question why the old man would just stick him with a partner out of the blue like this.
Must have seen too many buddy cop movies.
They stopped at another red light and Ethan took a chance to look at his partner again. The woman from Metropolis was scrolling through her tablet with a furrowed brow. From his angle, Ethan could see it was a list of all known criminals in Gotham – he caught a glimpse of Great White and Fat T's ugly mugs.
"So, any ideas on our clown killer?" asked Ethan, trying to strike up conversation with the out-of-towner.
"Nothing that makes sense," said Yin, grimacing. "I'm looking through all these case files and psychological profiles and all I can think about is how insane these people are. Suicide via hypnosis, genetic splicing with animal DNA, cannibalism, underground death sports, and now mass clown murder by rats. Whatever happened to jaywalking and stealing candy from corner stores?"
"Welcome to Gotham," said Ethan jokingly.
"I've only been here a few hours and I'm already missing Metropolis," Yin groaned, leaning her head back against the rest.
"Speaking of, you worked in the SCU, right?" asked Ethan curiously.
"Special Crimes Unit?" said Yin. "For two years, yeah? Why?"
"Well, the SCU is supposed to capture super criminals, right?" asked Ethan. The light turned green and he started driving again. "Why transfer to Gotham?"
"The SCU may seem glamorous from an outsider's perspective," said Yin, sighing. "But in reality, we mostly just kept the bad guys busy until Superman comes along to save our asses. I guess I got tired of being backup and wanted to do some actual police work. At least in Gotham they don't have as many metahumans."
"Yeah, just the occasional crime lord and murderous psychopath," said Ethan humorously. Yin gave him a look that said his comment wasn't funny and immediately switched gears. "Um, so, have you met Superman? Outside of work, I mean."
"The new one – a few times," said Yin with a thoughtful expression. "He's been around for a few years, but he's still a little green. Never met the original, but I hear Commissioner Kane-Sawyer is pretty close to him."
"Lucky," said Ethan, smiling. "Hey, maybe we'll get lucky and meet the new Batman in town."
"You think that's a good idea?" Yin questioned.
"You don't?" said Ethan, surprised.
"What do we know about this new Batman?" said Yin seriously. "He just swoops in out of nowhere and crashes a Wayne-Powers transport – "
"Which was filled with an illegal chemical being shipped out of the country," Ethan pointed out. "In my books, that makes him a hero."
"Well, in my books, that makes him a vigilante," said Yin. "In Metropolis, Superman works with the police and abides by the law. Batman just does whatever he wants without any oversight. For all we know, this knew Batman might just be some random punk taking advantage of his name to take out the competition."
"You can't be serious," said Ethan, shaking his head. "Do you know how crazy that sounds?"
"As crazy as a man parading around as a bat?" Yin retorted.
"Okay, so we don't know anything about the new bat – that's fair," said Ethan. "But for all we know, he could be trying to help Gotham. Like Bruce Wayne did back in the day."
"Don't even get me started with Wayne?" Yin scoffed.
"You don't like Bruce Wayne?" said Ethan, shocked.
"He's was a rich kid with too much time and money," said Yin critically. "Instead of investing all that into helping Gotham in a meaningful way, he spent everything on cars and gadgets so that he could run around beating up mentally ill people."
"Okay, now I can't take that lying down," said Ethan, scowling. "Bruce Wayne did a lot of good for Gotham – both in and out of the cape. A lot of the programs that help the less fortunate today were founded and endorsed by Wayne. Healthcare, homeless shelters, employment programs, orphanages – all Bruce Wayne. And what he couldn't fix as Bruce Wayne, he did as Batman. So I suggest you check yourself before you go making accusations, Yin."
"You're pretty passionate about Batman," said Yin, taken aback.
"Gotham's proud of its Dark Knight," said Ethan.
"Alright, so maybe Wayne did some good for Gotham," Yin conceded. "But that doesn't mean this new Batman is as selfless and gallant."
"Well then, I guess we'll just have to meet him and find out for ourselves," said Ethan as they turned the corner.
"I'm not holding out for that to happen any time soon," said Yin.
The day started off fairly normal at the Gotham Merchant's Bank. Employees came in, sat at their desks, and went to work on…whatever the hell it was it did. Every so often, some people came into either wishing to deposit or withdrew valuables in the bank's high security vault; people rarely came in looking to retrieve money since they could just do that online. The only difference now was that there were a couple of guards stationed at the front entrance. After the break-in a few weeks back, and the subsequent destruction of public property, they finally decided to security a little more seriously.
The guards turned their heads as the doors opened. Someone in a trench coat and a fedora stepped inside, moving with purpose towards the teller desk. They found it suspicious and had their hands on their guns, but chose not to act just yet. If they were lucky, maybe they wouldn't cause trouble….
The trench coat-wearing stranger approached one of the desks where a redheaded man in a fine suit was riffling through several documents behind the bulletproof glass. According to his tag, his name was Mr. Dent.
Mr. Dent looked up from his work when the stranger stepped up to his desk and put on his best customer friendly smile.
"Welcome to the Gotham Merchant's Bank," said Mr. Dent graciously. "How may I help you?"
"I'd like to open an account," said the stranger, their voice feminine and familiar.
"Right away, ma'am," said Mr. Dent chipper. He reached down and whipped out a sheet of paper, sliding it through the gap. "Could I just ask you to fill out this form, please?"
"Certainly," said the woman, reaching for the paper. "Say, have you heard anything from your daughter lately?"
"M-My what?" Mr. Dent stuttered, taken aback by the sudden inquiry. "How do you know about – "
Suddenly, the stranger snatched Mr. Dent's outstretched hand and gripped it tight in her own. The bank teller screamed as millions of volts of electricity coursed through his body, coming from the hidden 'joybuzzer' on the stranger's hand. The woman tipped up her fedora…revealing the Joker's insane, stretched smile.
The Joker cackled as Mr. Dent's – her father's – skin turned a sickening black, blood spilling from his ears and eye sockets, as the smell of burning flesh wafting in the air. The Joker let go and watched Mr. Dent fall backwards in a heap, still laughing. Naturally, several employees screamed. The security guards near the door whipped out their guns, taking aim at the clown as she nonchalantly tossed her fedora.
"Freeze, freak!" one of them shouted.
The Joker turned towards the guards with her hands raised, but held a knowing smile on her lips. The guards started to move forward when they heard a strange noise coming from behind them. It sounded like a car horn playing la cucaracha like in a comedy show. The guard looked back and gasped as they saw a pair of headlight shining in their terrified faces before the entrance exploded.
A school bus had driven through the front doors, smashing the glass and bricks, and crushing the guards underneath its massive wheels. The school bus was painted with a mixtures of greens and purples with the word "JOKERZ" tagged on the side. The Joker tossed her coat as the bus doors opens and Chucko hopped out, carrying her hat, followed by the cartwheeling Dee Dee Twins.
"Nice parking job, Chucko!" Delia complimented him.
"Yeah, five stars," Deirdre added.
"That was totally schway," Chucko laughed as he handed the hat to the Joker. "We never had this much fun when Terminal was running things."
"Glad you're enjoying yourself," said Joker, topping the hat on her head.
The employees who had witnessed the scene jumped out of their desks and made a beeline for the employee exit…which was summarily kicked open by Bonk with Ghoul and Woof bringing up the rear.
"Sup, slags!" shouted Bonk, punching his fist in his hand threateningly.
"If you don't want your brains blown out," said Ghoul, pulling out a pistol from his pumpkin bucket and waving it around, "then get on the ground with your hands behind your head."
Woof frothed and snarled to puncture the point.
The scared employees complied with their demands. Ghoul pulled out some rope from his seemingly bottomless bucket and started tying them up one by one. The bankers were eventually carted into the main lobby and shoved to the ground in the middle of the room with the Joker smiling at their frightened faces, licking her lips in a manner that made the men and women shiver in fear.
"All right, boys and girls!" the Joker announced jovially, waving her hands in the air. "Time to make some withdraws!" The Jokerz cheered and scattered like roaches. All except for the twins, who remained dutifully near their leader. "Dee Dee, Dee Dee, you know what to do."
"On it, boss!" the twins said in unison with matching salutes.
The twins grabbed one of the employees, a sobbing and screaming middle-aged woman, and started dragging her to the vault in the very back of the bank. They were none too gentle as they smashed the woman's face into the retinal scanner, which beeped and flashed green with approval. Once the vault door rumbled and twisted open, Delia kicked the woman in the face, knocking her out cold. The sisters peered inside, finding the entire area filled from top to bottom in deposit boxes.
"This is gonna take a while, Dee Dee," Delia frowned.
"You said it, Dee Dee," Deirdre grumbled.
The Joker watched the Dee Dee Twins begin rummaging through the security boxes, then looked at the rest of her underling, who were filled dirty pillowcases with creds. The clown chuckled under her breath, twirling her cane with delight.
"Now all we need is the main attraction…," she said quietly to herself.
Terry wished that Harper had been exaggerating, but the cafeteria pizza really did taste like cardboard. He can't understand how Duke can eat this stuff. He should've done what Harper did and gone with the mystery burrito, as scary as it sounded.
Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Terry quickly pulled it out and found a text from M. Malone (Bruce.) It was only one sentence:
Clowns at Merchant's Bank.
Clowns? Merchant's Bank? Wasn't that where Terry took down Terminal's crew his first night as Batman? We're they going for a repeat performance, and in broad daylight? Well, it didn't matter. Terry had been wanting a chance back at Terminal for a while now.
"You okay, Terry?" asked Duke curiously. "You're glaring a hole in your phone."
"Oh, uh, nothing," Terry stammered. "I mean, it's something. Mr. Malone wants me to pick up something ASAP. Super important."
"But classes are gonna start again in fifteen minutes." Harper pointed out.
"Just make up something for me," said Terry, picking up his tray, dumping it nearest bin, and practically sprinting out of the cafeteria. "I'll be back later!"
"Attention all units!" Ethan's police radio crackled to life; Ethan immediately turned up the volume. "We have a 10-65 at Gotham Merchant's Bank! Suspects are reported to be members of the street gang known as the Jokerz. There have been several civilian casualties reported. All units are to approach with caution!"
"Jokerz?" said Yin, surprised. "Robbing a bank in broad daylight? That's crazy."
"I've never heard of them doing anything this extreme before," said Ethan, scowling. "Something major is going down."
"Think they have anything to do with what happened at the warehouse?" asked Yin.
"Only one way to find out," said Ethan.
He flipped on the police lights and sirens, then made a sharp right turn at the light, practically pressing the accelerator to the floor.
The Joker tapped her cane against the floor impatiently, the clacking echoing off the walls of the nearly empty bank, as she stood in front of the cracked open vault waiting or the twins.
The Dee Dees were certainly doing their best searching, even climbing on each other's shoulders to search the higher boxes, but that didn't mean the Joker didn't wish for them to hurry things along. At the very least, her boys seemed happy. While Chucko, Bonk, and Ghoul were loading up the bus with several more bags of unmarked cards, Woof was circuling the hostages like a good watch dog, snarling at them when they moved in any way.
"Man, this is the best payday we've ever had," Chucko laughed, tossing the heavy bag into the back of the bus. "We never did anything like this when Terminal was in charge."
"That's because Terminal was a poser," said Ghoul, handing Chucko the next bag. "He acted tough, but he was thinking too small. The Joker's the real deal. She has a plan, and she has a fun time doing it."
"Whaddya think she's got planned next?" asked Chucko eagerly. "Maybe hit up Wayne-Powers next. Just imagine the old on old man Powers' face when the clowns come rolling into his office."
"I'd pay money to see that," said Ghoul jokingly, hefting up another bag for emphasis. "And good for it."
"Man, you two can't be serious," said Bonk, frowning as he tossed two bags in the back like it was noting. "You really wanna keep working for that pipsqueak?"
"You don't?" asked Chucko, surprised.
"Hell no!" said Bonk indignantly. "This little bitch thinks she can come in and tell us what to do? She ain't one of us, and she sure as hell ain't no Joker. I say we knock off the runt once the job is done."
"Bonk, she killed Terminal – with a crowbar!" Ghoul hissed fearfully.
"Bitch got lucky – hit him when his guard was down," Bonk scoffed. "Once we got the creds, I'm gonna rip her head straight off her shoulders. Just you watch."
Bonk, naturally, wasn't smart enough to realize that he was talking out loud and that the Joker could hear his every word. The Clown Queen frowned quite unhappily, glancing at them from the corner of her eye, but did not say anything.
"Hurry up, ladies!" the Joker shouted at the Twins, who were now running around like chickens with their heads cut off. "We haven't got all day!"
"We're trying, boss!" cried Deirdre.
"There're some many to look through!" yelled Delia.
"Find it quick!" the Joker damned, slamming her cane on the floor to emphasize her point. "I expect we'll be having guests very soon."
One of the hostages on the edge of the group was sweating profusely, his eyes snapping back and forth between Joker and Woof. The spliced hyena man walked past him for another lap around the hostages while the Joker had her back turned to them, and the men were busy arguing among themselves. His eyes wandered over to the emergency exit only a short sprint away. The man made an audible gulping noise, waiting until Woof completed another lap…then jumped to his feet and made a mad dash for the exit.
Woof snarled and barked once he noticed the man trying to escape, which of course caught the attention of the rest of the Jokerz. The Clown Queen in charge only spared the fleeing man a fleeting glance of boredom. She wasn't worried; he wouldn't get far. In fact, Woof effortlessly caught the man and tackled him to the floor in four seconds flat.
Woof stood on the man's back, pinning him to the linoleum floor, snarling in his face. Suddenly, a series of loud clack noises drew close and both the would-be escapee and the spliced hyena looked up. The Joker stood over them, giving the employee a look akin to am disappointed teacher or mother.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," said the Joker, clicked her tongue, shaking her head slowly. "Trying to run away in the middle of the act? Now that's just rude. Very rude, indeed. You made Woof here very upset." She pet the hyena man, who was foaming at the mouth. "I'm afraid people who can't stick to the script will have to be…cut out."
"Please…you don't have to do this," said the banker fearfully.
"I know I don't have to," said the Joker, grinning madly. "I just want to. Oh, Woof ~"
It was hard to tell, but it certainly looked like Woof was smiling – his fangs curled upwards at least. The spliced hyena began to lunge –
CRASH!
Everyone turned their attention to the high window as something – or someone – smashed through the glass, red wings spread wide. It was Batman!
The new Dark Knight extended both his feet as he glided downward and kicked Woof in the face. The hyena man made a sharp yipping noise as he was knocked flat, sliding across the smooth floor and hitting his head against the wall next to the vault. The Dee Dee Twins poked their heads out to see what the commotion was, hissing inwardly when they spotted Woof lying in a daze, then squeaked in terror once they realized Batman was there.
Batman stood to his full imposing height and surveyed the scene. Woof was down. Ghoul, Bonk, and Chucko were loading the bus with creds. The Dee Dee Twins were skulking in the vault. And this new clown - a woman with a very steampunk fashion sense - was watching him with the biggest (read: creepiest) smile he had ever seen. The gang was all here - except for one.
"Show's over, dregs!" said Batman. "Where's Terminal?"
"Terminal has been terminated," said the Joker playfully, twirling her cane and tipping her hat. "These fine gentlemen are under new management now. And, if i say so myself, it's quite the improvement - OOF!" Batman had dashed forward, grabbed her by the collar and gave his darkest scowl. The Clown Queen just smiled. "Ooh, you're rough. I like that in a bat."
"Who are you?" questioned Batman.
"Joker," answered the Joker plainly with a tiny giggle.
"Not what - who?" Batman glared.
The Dark Knight rubbed her face with his hand, attempting to rub off the makeup...but when he pulled away, he found the Joker smiling back at him, her pasty white face unchanged. Batman's eye's went wide with shock. It wasn't makeup - it was her skin!
Bruce, who had been observing through Terry's cowl, slowly rose from his seat, staring at the Joker's grinning face with unrestrained terror.
"No...," he breathed. "It can't be..."
"Aw, what's the matter, bats?" said the Joker, subtly moving her right hand. "You look - shocked!"
She slapped the joy buzzer on Batman's chest, causing him to let go as he yelled in pain from the unexpected electrocution. Fortunately, his suit absorbed most of the damage and at best felt like a slight burning sensation.
The Dark Knight stumbled back, hand over his chest, glaring at the Joker, when Chucko ran up behind him and slammed him sideways with a giant wooden mallet of all things. Batman was catapulted across the room and slammed into one of the teller windows, smashing through it. (So much for indestructible.) Batman groaned as he lifted himself up, shaking his head clear of the daze. He looked back as Chucko (Wielding a wooden mallet), Bonk (cracking his knuckles), and Ghoul (pulling a bomb out of his bucket) formed a line in front of the Joker. The Clown Queen giggled and grinned.
"Knock him around for me, boys!" she declared.
"With pleasure," said Ghoul as he lobbed the bomb through the window.
Batman activated his booster rockets and launched himself across the room as the bomb went off. He raised both fists in front of him and punched the surprised Bonk in the face, knocking him flat. Chucko ran at Batman with his mallet raised high again. The Dark Knight whipped out a batarang and flung it at the neck of the weapon, snapping it like a twig and causing the hammer to fall back and hit Chucko on the head. The chubby clown stumbled in a daze until Batman ran up and delivered a solid uppercut that knocked Chucko off his feet.
Out of the corner of his eye, Batman saw Ghoul reaching for something in his bucket. The Dark Knight whipped out another batarang when Bonk suddenly appeared behind him and caught Batman in a bear hug. While Batman struggled in his grip, Ghoul pulled out a spring-loaded boxing glove – one of the oldest gags in the boot. As the Halloween reject pulled the trigger and the boxing glove came flying at him, Batman lifted his lower body up, letting the glove pass under him and hit Bonk in the stomach. The brute doubled over with the wind knocked out of him. Batman broke out of his hold and flipped the larger man over his shoulder, sending him flying right on top of Ghoul.
With the thugs left groaning on the floor, Batman turned to the Joker, who shook her head with an exasperated sigh.
"It really hard to find good henchmen these days," she commented.
"You want us to help, boss?" asked Deirdre worriedly.
"Please say no…," Delia mumbled quietly.
"You two keep looking!" the Joker snapped, and the Dee Dee Twins slipped back into the vault with frightened squeaks. She rounded to Batman again, twirling her cane with a smile. "Let's dance, Batsy."
The Joker dashed over and jabbed her cane at the Dark Knight's face. Batman effortlessly deflected the blow, but was caught off-guard when the Clown Queen suddenly kneed him in the gut. She followed with a quick spin and smacked her cane across the Dark Knight's face, throwing him facedown on the floor with a sharp groan. Batman grimaced and flipped around, leering up at the Joker, who was still smiling amusingly.
"Don't let appearances fool you," the Joker chuckled. "I know how handle pushy men like you."
"What's your game, Joker?" questioned Batman, rising to his feet.
"Just having a little fun, Bats," said the Joker nonchalantly, sparing a quick glance at the dead guards underneath the bus. "And sometimes fun can be a little…messy."
"You think this is a game?" Batman scowled.
"Of course it's a game!" the Joker exclaimed, throwing her hands up in a fantastical expression. "But you know, being a devilishly gorgeous criminal mastermind can be very expensive in this market. The price for fixing up my new hideout alone would make anyone lose their mind."
"Three people are dead," Batman scowled. "Because you wanted some creds?"
"You'd be more understanding if you saw the place," said Joker chuckled. "It's a complete mess – a real madhouse."
Batman had just about enough of this clown.
The Joker laughed and jumped back as the Dark Knight took a swing at her. She ducked under another swing and swiped her cane at his head, but Batman blocked it and took a swift kick at the clown's stomach, finally connecting. The Joker slid back a few feet across the smooth floor, but quickly bounced back with her right hand extended, the joy buzzer primed. Batman caught the clown's wrist just short of touching his face, then forcefully ripped the device off her hand and kicked her away again. The Joker held her abdomen when the kick landed, her smile partially falling, but quickly returned to form.
"You really know how to treat a lady, dontcha, Bats?" said the Joker amusingly.
Batman glared and lunged forward with his fist pulled back.
While those two were fighting, the Dee Dee Twins were frantically going through all the deposit box now that the Batman was here. Deirdre started pulling out boxes that weren't the one they were search for, cluttering the floor with jewels, trinkets, and other expensive items. She had just about empties a sixth of the wall when her sister called out:
"Found it!"
Deirdre spun around, spying her sister crouch down to one of the lower boxes. She ran over as Delia pulled out a folded note from her pocket. Inside was a number, which she held up to the deposit box number, comparing the two. #425 – a perfect match.
"Yes!" Deirdre screamed jubilantly, ripping the box out and nearly hitting her sister in the face with it. Together, the twins ran out of the vault and yelled, "Boss!"
"We found it!" Delia added.
The Joker, who had just ducked under another of Batman's right hooks, snapped her focus on the twins and her smile stretched wider with glee. However, the moment of distraction left her wide open for Batman to punch her across the jaw, sending Joker spinning and collapsing face down on the floor. The Clown Queen raised herself on her elbows, rubbing the sore spot tenderly, then leered over her shoulder.
"I don't know what you stole," said Batman seriously, "but you're putting it back where it belongs."
"You know what I like about you, Batman?" said the Joker with an edge of humor in her tone. "You're always good for a laugh!"
The Joker flipped around and pointed her cane at Batman. The Dark Knight raised his arms defensively…then the Joker lifted the cane higher and pointed at the crystal chandelier above. She shot a bullet from the tip of her cane, which broke through the chain holding the chandelier and caused it to fall on the hostages.
Alerted by their screams, Batman disregarded the Joker and started running to them, his brain running a mile a minute. There were too many people to move out of the way, so he would have to do the next best thing. He activated his boosters and flew at the chandelier, tackling it directly to knock it off course and away from the hostages. But in doing so, the Dark Knight crashed into the floor with the chandelier on top of him. His suit's protective layer kept him from being crushed, but it was heavy and left him momentarily stunned. A result the Joker was hoping for.
"C'mon, boys!" the Joker shouted, jumping to her feet and adjusting her hat. "Let's blow this bat stand!"
The Joker and the Dee Dee ran to the modified bus first. The rest of their gang joined them at a much slower pace, nursing wounds – Bonk had to carry Woof over his shoulder. Once they were all loaded up, the Joker switched to reverse and pulled out, causing more of the bank wall to crumble. Once they were out on the street, she switch gears and put the pedal to the metal, peeling out with a high-pitched cackle.
And in a stroke of rotten timing, Ethan and Yin just happened to pull up just moments after the Jokerz turned the corner. Ethan whistled as he got out of the car and realized the front entrance had been completely blown open.
"Damn, it looks like a bus drove through here," he commented.
"They might still be inside!" said Yin, who immediately pulled out her police-sanctioned pistol and ran inside.
"Yin, wait!" Ethan yelled, groaning when she didn't listen. "Partners…."
Back inside the bank, Batman regained his wits about him and pushed off the chandelier. The Dark Knight leaned against the wall, holding his head as he tried to will the throbbing to stop.
"McGinnis!" yelled Bruce, worried. "McGinnis, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Batman answered, grimacing. "But the Jokerz got away with enough creds to buy the entire north end of Old Gotham."
"Don't worry, we'll get them," said Bruce reassuringly. "What I'm more concerned with is what they took out of the vault. There was plenty of valuables with more than the credits they stole, but they didn't seem to care for any of it. What could…could the Joker want?"
"You're asking me?" said Batman. "That girl is a few clowns short of a circus. What's with her, anyway? She wasn't wearing any makeup, but she looked and acted like the old Joker. But that's not possible, right?" There was a short, uncomfortable pause. "Wayne, you there…?"
"You better come back to the bunker," said Bruce firmly. "We need to talk."
"Wish I could, but I've got school to – "
"Freeze, punk!" Batman bit back a curse; Detective Yin had just walked in and immediately aimed her weapon at the Dark Knight. "Hands where I can see them!"
"I so don't need this right now," Batman grumbled.
And to make matters worse, Ethan – someone Terry actually knew – followed up behind Yin. Thankfully, he didn't hold Batman at gunpoint like his partner did. If anything, he looked star struck.
"Holy crap, it's really him…," Ethan murmured.
"You're under arrest, 'Batman,'" said Yin seriously. "Put your hands behind your head."
"Yin, you can't actually be serious," said Ethan, taken aback by his partner's attitude. "It's Batman."
"He might be – or he could be a punk dressing up like him," said Yin. "Either way, he's a suspect in armed robbery and" – she did a quick scan – "three counts of murder."
"Batman doesn't kill people," said Ethan defensively. "He was probably just helping."
"Then he can explain himself down at the station," said Yin.
"Wayne, a little help…," Batman murmured softly as the partners continued arguing.
"Smoke pellets – second pouch on the right," said Bruce.
Batman subtly reached for the indicated pocket while keeping an eye on the detectives. He pulled out a single black pellet – it looked easily destructible. However, Yin realized what he was doing and started to pull the trigger. But she was a second too late; Batman threw the pellet at the detective's feet and a cloud of think gray smoke exploded around them. Ethan and Yin coughed harshly, waving the smoke out of their faces. When the smokescreen cleared, however, Batman was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh yeah, classic Batman," said Ethan proudly.
Yin glowered at her partner.