Arkham Asylum, Gotham City. This is where some of the most notorious super criminals in the world are sent for an attempt at rehabilitation. Not that their track record for rehabilitation is very high. Their track record of escaped inmates eclipses it in fact. It's late in the evening, and the guard is making his final rounds.

"Dent, Harvey. Isely, Pamela. Crane, Johnathan. Joker… Joker… Joker?!"

The guard looks into Joker's cell, but it's empty. The Joker was apprehended by the Batman nearly three years ago and had hardly made a peep since. He'd actually almost been a model inmate. But now, now he was gone.

The alarm sounds as Arkham goes into lockdown as the search for the Joker begins.

The bat signal shines bright atop the Gotham City police headquarters. Jim Gordan stands up there waiting for his ally to show up. He pulls out a cigarette and lights it.

"Evening Jim." Batman says from behind.

"Yah, one day you're going to give me a heart attack doing that." Jim says.

"What is it tonight?" Batman asks.

"You're not going to like it." Jim says, as he hands Batman a file.

The file is the Joker's.

"He's escaped." Jim says.

Batman becomes consumed with rage.

"How could this happen?!" Batman demands.

"Don't shoot the messenger. I want this bastard back behind bars as badly as you do." Jim says.

Jim turns his back to Batman.

"All I know is that when the guards were doing their rounds at Arkham, he wasn't there." Jim says.

Jim turns back around. He expected Batman to be gone, like he always was, but Batman was just standing there, looking at the file.

"I know this really must have you shaken. After what happened last time he was out-

"I have to find him, and quick." Batman says.

Batman hits a button on his wrist. A moment later, the batwing flies over the GCPD. Batman latches onto it and flies off.

"Be careful, old friend." Jim says.

Batman arrives back at the Batcave. Alfred was waiting there to greet him. As Batman removed his cowl, Alfred could see a concerning look on his face.

"Master Bruce, what is it?" Alfred asks.

Bruce hands Alfred the Joker's file.

"My word! Is he… out?" Alfred asks.

"Yes, I'm sending Tim to stay with the Titans for the time being." Bruce says.

"With respect master Wayne, perhaps having allies around right now-

"Could only get them hurt. I'll take care of this one myself." Bruce says as he walks off.

Bruce heads to the batcomputer and pulls up every file he has on the Joker. The Joker has been locked up in Arkham for the last three years. But the last time he was out, he hurt Batman worse than anyone since Bruce was a little boy.

Bruce walks over to a chest he kept stashed away. He opens it. There was only one thing inside, a VHS tape. To Batman the tape was labeled. He heads over to an old VCR he has setup and puts the tape in.

The footage is dark and grainy. But what is clearly visible is a seventeen-year-old boy in a Robin suit tied to a chair.

"Is this thing on? Oh, there we go, and rolling. Remind me to edit that part out before I send this." The unmistakable voice of the Joker says on the tape.

"Now then, who are you?" Joker asks.

"My- my name is Jason Todd." The boy says.

"Jason?! That's not a very heroic name. Are you a hero?" Joker asks.

"N- no, I'm just a kid." Jason says, on the verge of tears.

"Ah, so you're a kid caught up in someone else's game." Joker says.

"P- please, I've been through enough." Jason begs.

The Joker walks into the frame, he grabs Jason by the jaw.

"Oh, no you haven't." Joker says

"Now Jason, tell me the big secret, the one everyone wants to know." Joker says.

"W- what. What do you want?" Jason asks.

"The name. What is Batman's real name?" Joker asks.

"B-

BOOM!

Before Jason could speak, Joker shoots him. Jason's lifeless body and the chair fall to the ground, out of frame.

"Always did hate a tattletale." Joker says.

"See ya soon Bat's." Joker says as he looks into the camera. The tape then shuts off.

"I never knew what actually happened." A voice behind Bruce says.

Bruce was spooked. It wasn't often someone could sneak up on him like that. He turns around and sees Barbera Gordan. Barbera had joined Bruce's crusade as Batgirl just a couple years ago. After Jason. It was while Bruce was injured at the hands of Bane and she felt someone still had to protect the city.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce asks.

"I talked to my dad. He told me what happened. He told me… he's out there." Barbera says.

"And I'll take care of it myself." Bruce says.

"Bruce, I can help you." Barbera says.

"No!" Bruce commands.

Barbera turns to leave. She knew there was no sense arguing with him when he was like this.

"I'm there for you." She says as she heads out.

Three weeks go by. The Joker did not make a move. Batman hunted down every crime world connection he had. But no one had any useful information. Batman heads to the rooftop of the GCPD. Gordan is there waiting for him.

"Any news?" Batman asks.

"Nothing on him." Gordan says.

"Then what is it?" Batman asks.

"I needed to see you." Jim says.

"Why?" Batman asks.

"Crime is down thirty-nine percent in the past three weeks." Jim says.

"And?" Batman asks, impatiently.

"I can see how tired you are. You're wearing yourself out. I'm worried about you, about my friend." Jim says.

"This is a waste of time. He's still out there." Batman says.

The door to the roof opens. The police chief, Chief O'Hera, comes onto the rooftop.

"Chief O'Hera, what is it?" Gordan asks.

"Just got a report of a robbery of a clothing store downtown." Chief O'Hera says.

"Don't you think that's a little beneath my concern?" Gordan asks.

"Well, that's just it commissioner, the robber's description is-

"Is what?!" Batman demands.

"It said the leader of the gang was pale skinned." Chief O'Hera says.

"Joker!" Gordan exclaims.

"Says all he took was some cabana clothes." Chief O'Hera says.

Gordan turns to Batman, but Batman is gone.

"I had plans with my daughter tonight, but I'll give her a quick call and cancel." Jim says.

Jim calls his daughter, Barbera.

"Hey dad." Barbera says as she answers.

"Bad news sweetheart, can't make it tonight." Jim says.

"Did you find… him?" Barbera asks.

"We have a lead." Jim says.

"Just be careful, please." Barbera pleads.

"I will be." Jim says.

There's a knock at Barbera's door.

"Hold on, someone is here." Barbera says.

Barbera opens the door, and in that moment, she is frozen with fear. Staring back at her is the white face and smiling red lips of the Joker.

BOOM!

In an instant Joker shoots Barbera in the stomach.

"Barbera, Barbera, what was that? Is everything alright?" Jim asks on the other end of the phone.

"Jimbo, is that you? I'm here with your daughter, but she seems a little stiff."

"You monster, what have you done?!" Jim yells over the phone.

"Come over and see. I must say, it's some of my best work yet." Joker says.

Joker hangs up the phone.

"Get a full squad to my daughter place now!" Gordan commands.

"Right away sir." Chief O'Hera says.

Barbera lies on the ground, clutching her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. Tears roll down her eyes.

"W- why are you doing this?" Barbera asks.

"To prove a point. Here's to crime." Joker says.

A while later, Batman looks up into the sky and sees the bat signal shining on top of the GCPD. He hopes that Gordan has news on Joker's whereabout, as the clothing store lead to a dead end. Batman speeds to the station.

"Tell me you have good news Jim." Batman says as he arrives on the roof, he doesn't even bother lurking in the shadows like he usually does.

"No I don't, I don't have good news at all." Jim says.

Batman could tell that Jim was visibly shaken.

"Jim… what is it?" Batman asks, this time in a softer voice.

"It's… my daughter, Barbera. Joker got to her. He- he shot her." Jim says.

"What?!" Batman reacts.

"Is she-

"She's in the hospital. That's all I know right now." Jim says.

"I'm sorry Jim." Batman says, as he puts his arm on Jim's shoulder.

Batman then turns to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Jim asks.

"To put an end to this." Batman says.

Batman didn't do his usual disappearing act. He simply just walked off.

Bruce makes his way to the hospital; he goes to Barbera's room.

"Barbera." Bruce says softly, as he cups her hand.

"Bru- Bru- Bruce." Barbera says, weakly.

Bruce takes a peek at Barbera's x-rays. He could see the bullet struck her spine. He knew the harsh reality of the situation was that she wasn't going to walk again.

"This is my fault." Bruce says.

"No, it was him." Barbera says.

"I'm so sorry Barbera, I'm going to take him down for this." Bruce says.

"I know you'll get him." Barbera says, as she falls back asleep.

Bruce exits Barbera's room.

"I heard what happened." A voice says behind Bruce.

Bruce turns around, and to his surprise, he sees Clark standing there, with flowers in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce asks.

"I came to see Barbera, how is she?" Clark asks.

"Bad, very bad." Bruce says.

"I'm sorry." Clark says.

"This never should have happened. Now I have to do what I should have years ago." Bruce says.

"W- what are you going to do?" Clark asks.

"I'm going to kill the Joker." Bruce says.