The abandoned old movie theater in the slums was really an old one, left from 1900, usually filled with junkies. Yet today, it was completely empty.
Inside, there wasn't anything grand—just a few remaining seats, most of which were either too damaged or covered in piss, and a large screen.
The strangest thing in here was a brand-new projector mounted on the ceiling, aimed at the screen.
In front of the screen, there was an empty area where Gordon and Barbara were tied to chairs, their mouths taped shut, with explosives beneath them.
As I stepped out of the shadows, the huge screen lit up, and an old movie countdown began at four. When it hit zero, the Joker appeared in black and white.
"Hiya, Batsy, welcome..."
Blah, blah, yada, yada, the classic psychopathic villain talk.
He continued to talk for a few minutes, most of it empty talk, just him laughing and enjoying his own theatrics.
To summarize, both Gordon and Barbara were sitting on pressure plates; if one moved, the other would detonate. So I had to make a choice, or so Joker wanted me to.
Gordon's eyes were filled with desperation. He looked at me with pleading eyes, gesturing toward his daughter, silently begging for her safety.
Barbara, as expected, was visibly shaken, trembling uncontrollably as tears streamed down her cheeks and a puddle of piss formed under her.
I removed my cape, rolled it into a ball, and tossed it to Barbara, who quickly enveloped it in protective black armor.
Crouching in front of Gordon, I took out a bat-bubble the size of a piece of gum and placed it over the bomb. The bubble quickly expanded, enveloping the bomb and cutting it off from any external interference. In doing so, it severed the bomb's connection, triggering a detonation.
There was no sound, and we weren't blown away by any blast; the bat-bubble was strong enough to withstand a nuclear explosion.
With the bomb neutralized, I pulled out a batarang and cut the ropes binding Gordon.
He didn't move immediately; he stayed still, afraid that any sudden movement might activate the pressure plate and set off the bomb beneath Barbara.
I grabbed Gordon by the shoulder and pulled him off the chair, shielding us with my renewed cape as the bomb under Barbara exploded.
Before Gordon could comprehend that his daughter might be dead, I swung my cape towards the smoke, clearing it to reveal Barbara, still in her black armor, lying on the ground completely unharmed.
Gordon pushed me aside and rushed to his daughter, not caring about the destroyed ground around her. He knelt beside her, cradling her in his arms, tears streaming down his face.
"Barbara, my beautiful angel, I'm so sorry. Daddy is sorry; this is all my fault."
She wasn't dead; my armor protected her, and not to mention her chest was rising and falling, but in his shock, Gordon didn't notice.
I knelt beside him and placed my hand on her body as the black armor merged back into my suit.
Gordon looked up at me, his eyes filled with pain and anger.
He opened his mouth, likely to curse or threaten me, but I didn't let him.
"She is alive, just passed out from the shock. Look at her." I said, pointing to her.
My words did hit him like a gut punch; his eyes widened, and he quickly checked her condition, putting his head on her chest to listen to her heartbeat.
"Thank God," he breathed, relief washing over him as he embraced her tightly.
With the armor out of the way, I finally got a good look at Barbara. She was older than I had thought: a high school freshman with green eyes, a lovely face that resembled her mother's, a few cute freckles, and bright ginger hair like a carrot.
since I had no intention of taking her on as my sidekick or anyone else for that matter. My research on her was minimal, just the necessary information.
"What took you so long?" Gordon complained, wiping his tears before lifting Barbara in his arms, acting as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just faced a life-and-death situation or cried over the thought of losing his daughter.
I ignored his stupid comment and asked, "Did Joker say anything?"
"Just a lot of nonsense about you, claiming that only you understand him and that you complete each other. But one thing he said stuck with me: Gotham needs some color."
BOOM
As if on cue, the ground shook beneath us from an explosion in the slums.
We rushed outside, where people were running around in a panic. In the distance, I saw smoke rising. But instead of the usual black smoke from an explosion, it was green, spreading quickly.
Less than a minute after the blast, the panicked screams faded, replaced by something much worse.
"HAHAHAHA!" a laughter filled with madness.
BOOM
We heard another explosion, then another, and soon the entire city of Gotham was engulfed in green gas.
Suddenly, a man burst from a nearby alley, his face as pale as a ghost, hair green, and lips bright red. He had an inhumanly huge smile stretched across his face, yet his eyes were filled with fear. He looked like he was running away from something, yet there wasn't anyone or anything after him.
Gordon quickly turned away from the man, instinctively shielding his daughter.
With a swift spin kick, I send the man flying back to the alley, then press my gauntlet to call the Batwing.
In less than a heartbeat, the Batwing appeared, and I pressed my gauntlet once more, transforming it into the Batmobile.
"This will take you to GCPD," I told Gordon as I pressed the gauntlet once more.
The Batmobile's trunk opened, revealing two seats. I helped Gordon place Barbara on one of them.
I expected him to take the other seat, but he shook his head.
He appeared calm and relaxed, but I could see the rage in his eyes; he was determined to track down the Joker himself and kill him.
"I'm not going anywhere," he declared, pulling out his badge and tucking it into Barbara's pocket. "That monster will pay for what he's done to my little girl."
Although his anger is justified, he will only get in the way, and I don't have the patience to argue with a stubborn old man.
Raising my hand, I positioned my palm in front of his face as sleeping gas was released, knocking Gordon out. Then put him in the seat and sent the Batmobile to GCPD.
***
The whole city was engulfed in thick green fog; people on the streets were losing their minds, attacking everything around them while laughing maniacally or running away from something, their faces distorted with a sickening expression.
Meanwhile, gas-masked thugs roamed the streets, some busy looting stores.
I shot a hook and pulled one of the thugs into the Batwing.
"WHERE IS JOKER!?" I asked 'politely.'
"GOTHAM IS OURS, BATMAN! YOU CAN'T STOP US! HAHAHAHAHA!" He cackled, removing his gas mask as his body began to grotesquely swell, his skin taking on a sickly green hue.
I released him, delivering a powerful kick that sent him flying away, and he exploded into a cloud of green smoke before hitting the ground.
Now I understood why Eden hadn't detected or warned me about the bombs; it was because of the suicide bombers, Joker using people as explosives.
If this one blew up, I'm sure the rest of the jokers' thugs will blow up too, so there is no need to question them.
Using the toxin data, I scanned all of Gotham to identify where the gas was most concentrated and where it was less potent, and the results show that the toxin was almost nonexistent in the old Gotham amusement park.
And it was filled with signs of life despite being abandoned for years.
DING
{Sir, the antidote is ready.}
"Eden, mix the antidote with the clouds, then initiate rain for the people outside, and send some batches to GCPD and the fire department."
{Understood, sir. James Gordon is on the line.}
"BATMAN!"
As I picked up the call, James Gordon's booming voice, filled with anxiety and anger, nearly shattered my eardrums.
I leaped from the Batwing and began to glide towards Asument Park.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? THAT FUCKING CLOWN ALMOST KILLED MY DAUGHTER!" He continued to shout angrily.
"I'm not your subordinate or your child, old man. Calm down and control yourself; you're not just some random civilian; you're the head of the entire police force."
Gordon didn't speak after my words, and at the other end of the line, only his heavy breathing came for a while as he tried to regain his composure.
"You're right, I can't let myself lose control like that," he sighed in frustration, sinking into his chair. "And thanks to you knocking me out, I have no idea what the hell is going on. There's this green smoke everywhere that turned the entire city into a freak show; people are laughing while they tear each other apart, and I'm powerless to stop it. If I send a regular squad out there, they turn into those maniacal laughing zombies with guns. If I equip them with gas masks, they get ambushed and have to fire back. I nearly lost my daughter just minutes ago, and now my city is in chaos."
Man, this old man sure talks a lot. What am I, his psychiatrist? Why is he venting on me?
"I've already prepared the antidote and sent my plane to mix it with the rain to clear Gotham. It will help everyone outside. For those at home or in closed spaces but still affected, I'll send a batch to GCPD and the fire department to distribute. The antidote should arrive soon."
"Good, and how the hell did that fucking clown get here? He should be in prison," James Gordon asked as his voice became more calm and relaxed.
"The imbeciles at Blackgate thought they could secretly transfer him to Arkham without his man breaking him out."
"Those damned bastards," Gordon growled angrily, slamming his fist onto the desk in frustration.
"Sir, there's a package for you at the main door, brought by Swarm of Bats," one of his officers suddenly said.
"Take the packet and open it. There is an antidote inside for all of this green gas thing. Distribute it to everyone and get to work, son. The longer we wait, the more innocent lives are at stake," Gordon instructed the officer.
"Yes, sir." Getting his orders, the officer left.
"I received your package. Send me the location of that freak," Gordon said.
"Copy that. Batman out." I should give some face to good old Jimmy.
He won't be any help; if anything, he would be in my way, but I'm sure that I'll already be done with Joker before he comes.
***
Contrast the entire Gotham that was filled with toxic gas; this abandoned amusement park was completely clean of any toxic gas.
Walking around with my detective vision activated, I looked around me. There were people on the machines, passed out and tied to their seats; there were also some people under the platforms.
The entire place was completely dark to the point that one could barely see in front of them.
CLICK
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Joker's wretched laughter echoed through the entire amusement park. "Welcome to Joker Land, Batsy! I hope you enjoyed my little show in Gotham; I specially prepared it for you because last time I told you, I was just saying hi, HAHAHAHA!"
Suddenly, the park lit up as the rides and machines began to operate, waking the people who were tied up, their screams muffled by rags stuffed in their mouths.
As for the Joker, he was hiding in the haunted house, accompanied by someone who was not a hostage, as he appeared relaxed and untied.
"Let's have some fun, shall we, Batsy? Seven rides, each filled to the brim and ready. They'll all kick into gear simultaneously, and here's the punchline: these machines have been modified to unleash their full chaos. Take the roller coaster, for instance; once it starts, it won't stop until... BOOM! HAHAHAHAHA!"
How creative.
I pressed the EMP button on my gauntlet, shutting down the entire park except for the haunted house.
The Joker's laughter cut off abruptly, and the entire place became silent once again, aside from the muffled cries of the hostages.
Those hidden beneath the platforms began to stir and crawl out.
The first to emerge had a phone taped to his chest, which had the Joker on FaceTime.
"You're such a party pooper, Batsy. I set up so many games for you, and you just had to spoil the fun. Meh, whatever." The Joker wore a bored expression, waving his hand dismissively.
"Come to the haunted house; I'm waiting," he said before the call ended.
Then the people crawled out of the platforms and began to walk towards me, their faces twisted with joker-like grins and their eyes dull and lifeless.
Joker zombies, as I would like to call them.
I dropped a smoke grenade filled with sleeping gas and moved toward the haunted house as the joker zombies collapsed around me.
The entrance to the haunted house was designed like the Joker's face, with a door nestled within his grinning mouth.
Just as I was about to step inside, a raindrop fell, followed by another, until it started pouring. The rain was tinted yellow, perfectly infused with the antidote.
As I entered the haunted house, a mannequin with a joker face suddenly rose from the ground, stopping just inches from me.
I grabbed the mannequin, yanked it from its spot, and tossed it aside before continuing on.
While walking down the corridor, I triggered a trapdoor beneath me by stepping on a platform, revealing a pit of acid. I leaped up, grasped the ceiling to avoid falling in, and then jumped forward.
A few steps later, a massive wrecking ball swung toward me. I let myself fall backwards as it passed through above me.
Arrow walls, a shower of lava, a ceiling lined with spikes... after dodging the Joker's traps, I finally reached the control room where he awaited.
The Joker stood in the middle of the room, his grin stretching from ear to ear, while a man in a lab coat, with a rag covering his head, cowered behind him trembling, casting terrified glances in my direction, flinching every time our eyes met.
"Ah, come on, Batsy! You could've at least fallen for one of my traps as a courtesy. I really put my heart into them with the little time I had," Joker said, feigning sadness with an exaggerated pout.
He was already horrifying to look at, but him pouting takes it to another level.
Without speaking, I began to walk towards him to beat the shit out of him.
In a swift motion, the Joker stepped back, grabbing the frightened man and shoving him in front of himself as a shield.
"I can't take all the credit, Batsy. This delightful chap here helped me out too," Joker said, peeking around the man's shoulder with a mischievous grin.
I stopped, curious to see what would happen.
"You're not real, you're not real, you're not real, you're not real," the man chanted, eyes squeezed shut, head bowed, sweat wetting the rag over his head as he shook with fear.
"I discovered this little gem," Joker tapped the man's head playfully.
"Jonathan Crane," I identified the man, causing both Joker and Crane to look at me in surprise.
"Of course you know him, HAHAHA," Joker's face lit up with amusement.
Crane, who had been frightened before, now looked completely terrified.
Joker continued, "When I broke out last time, I stumbled upon this little junkie experimenting with his own formula on his students," he said, placing a finger on his chin in mock contemplation.
"AHA!" he exclaimed suddenly, pointing upward. "Fear toxin! That's what he called it. It makes people hallucinate their worst fears, which inspired me to create my own version. You've seen it in action; it's a marvelous thing, really. It brings a little joy into people's lives."
"Are you done?" I asked.
"We could have had more fun if you hadn't smashed my toys outside, but alas, the curtain must fall on this performance." Joker said with a dramatic bow, then pulled out a Joker card from his pocket and threw it at me while he kicked Crane in the back, sending him towards me as Joker himself attempted to make his escape through the window behind him.
I tilted my head and dodged the card as it embedded itself halfway into the wall.
Grabbing Crane by the throat, I shot the batclaw at Joker's back, yanking him toward me. Gripping the back of his neck, I unleashed a shock wave through his body, knocking him out.
Then I turned my attention towards Crane and finally noticed his eyes.
His pupils were dilated and his sclera was yellow; his body was filled with fear toxin.
As soon as our eyes met, Crane started shaking uncontrollably, then his eyes rolled back, and he passed out, foaming at the mouth.
Just then, I heard sirens outside, so I tied up both Joker and Crane, then took the Joker card and Crane's rag as a trophy and left the haunted house. I met Gordon in a secluded spot, explained Crane's role, and then vanished.