One Last Joke

Two years have passed since Barbatos first took flight and started protecting Gotham with the help of the Batfamily. In these past two years, Gotham has inched closer to being a safe place thanks to the guardians protecting it. Now, Jordan and his two amigos are walking through the hallways of their high school, looking for the exit so they can leave after the end of a long day.

"So, who would win in a fight: Superman or Thor?" asked Darius.

"Superman. Thor has nothing on the hero from Krypton," said Jordan.

"Are you serious? Thor is an actual Norse God. he has to be super powerful," said Hector.

"Just because he's a god doesn't mean he's just stronger than everybody. If Superman was born in Asgard, he would be a stronger Norse God," said Jordan.

"You can't surpass the gods," said Hector.

"What about Wonder Woman? She could probably beat him," said Jordan.

"Wonder Woman? You just say that because she's hot," said Hector.

"She's an Amazonian demigoddess. She's the daughter of Zeus. That must mean that she's stronger than Thor," said Jordan.

"Heritage doesn't mean anything," said Hector.

"But, it's very important," said Jordan.

"My opinion doesn't matter because of course, Superman would destroy Thor. There's no reason to be a Marvel fanboy," said Darius.

"I'm not a fanboy. I just like the Avengers and stuff. They're cool," said Hector.

"The Justice League is just objectively cooler and stronger. You can't debunk that," said Jordan.

"Whatever," said Hector.

"So, I rented one of the best movies to ever exist," said Darius.

"What is it?" asked Jordan.

"Star Wars: The Phantom Menace!" exclaimed Darius.

"Really? I thought you only liked good movies," said Jordan.

"It is a good movie," said Darius.

"You can keep telling yourself that," said Jordan.

"Are you guys going to come over and watch it or not?" asked Darius.

"Maybe," said Hector.

"I guess I'll come over. I don't have anything good to do," said Jordan.

"Great. You will enjoy the movie as much as I will," said Darius.

"Probably won't," said Jordan.

As the three amigos walk out of the school, Jordan hears a loud buzzing sound in his pocket. He pulls out his Batphone and sees the bat symbol flashing on the screen.

"Cool wallpaper," said Hector.

"I have to go. My job needs me," said Jordan.

"Do they need you or do you want to skip out on movie night?" asked Darius.

"I need to make money, so we won't be in the slums anymore. I'm needed by Mr. Wayne," said Jordan.

"Wait! Your boss is Bruce Wayne? Why didn't you tell us this?" said Darius.

"You didn't ask," said Jordan.

"How long will it last?" asked Hector.

"Short enough for me to be back in time. It's just a staff meeting. That's all," said Jordan.

"If you don't come, we may have to become the two amigos plus one," said Hector.

"Alright. Alright. I understand. I'll be back in time to see Jar Jar act like an idiot," said Jordan.

Jordan runs away from his friends and down the sidewalk. He finds an alley and runs into it. He hides behind a dumpster and looks at the Batphone. He clicks the home button and clicks on an app with a motorcycle on it. He clicks on it and a black motorcycle zooms into the alleyway a couple minutes later. He hops on the motorcycle, places his helmet on his head, and zooms off.

"Barbara, what's happening?" asked Jordan.

"Multiple villains have escaped from Arkham Asylum in the last few minutes and they are planning to spread chaos all around Gotham. Dick and Bruce are already combating some of the villains," said Barbara.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Jordan.

"Suit up and grab these villains up. They're too dangerous to be on the streets," said Barbara.

"I'll be in the Batcave in minutes. I'll need the more armored suit," said Jordan.

"I'm already prepping it," said Barbara.

"Good," said Jordan.

Ten minutes pass. Jordan reaches the Wayne Manor and rides up to the large mansion. The street moves down and he drives through the entrance to the Batcave. He drives to the center of the cave and hops off of his bike. He walks towards his wheelchair-bound ally and looks at the footage of the villains causing havoc.

"How bad is it?" asked Jordan.

"Not too bad, but it can get bad," said Barbara.

"I'll end it in less than an hour," said Jordan.

"Don't get cocky," said Barbara.

"I never get cocky," said Jordan.

Jordan walks over to a suit canister and places his hand on a hand symbol. The hand symbol lights up and the canister opens. The Barbatos suit is very similar to the original, but more armored of course. That's why it's called the armored suit. He quickly puts the suit on and walks back to the motorcycle.

"Has he escaped?" asked Jordan.

"Yes. Just don't go too far. Make sure to put him back in the Asylum," said Barbara.

"I'll try," said Jordan.

Jordan hops back on his motorcycle and drives out of the Batcave. He drives into the city and sees the smoke on the skyline. He speeds up to top speed and zooms towards the smoke. He reaches the smoke in a few minutes and sees the culprit, Bane.

"So, you have come to destroy parts of Gotham? I'm not surprised that a brute like you would do that," said Jordan.

"No. No. No, my little bat friend. I'm not destroying stuff for no reason. I always have plans," said Bane.

"You can talk?" asked Jordan.

"I found something new. Venom is old news. Titan is where everyone's at," said Bane.

"I guess that I have to try harder," said Jordan.

Jordan hops off of his bike and picks it up. He then throws it at the large villain. The large villain easily smacks it away.

"Was that your plan? Pretty weak for someone as smart as you. Wait. Where did you go?" said Bane.

Bane starts to spin around, looking for the vigilante, but he has seemingly disappeared.

"There's no way that he disappeared. Where is he?" thought Bane.

Bane continues to think until he hears a Batarang bounce off of the tube that pumps Titan into his veins.

"Oh? You were going after the tube. I should have seen it coming," said Bane.

"That usually works," said Jordan.

"It does, but I made sure that it won't happen again," said Bane.

"Damn," said Jordan.

Bane turns around and tries to smack the vigilante away, but he jumps over his giant arm. The brute tries to punch the vigilante, but he jumps on his arm and runs up it like it's a sidewalk made out of flesh. He reaches the head and tries to pull the tube out, but it won't budge.

"Come on! What material is this thing made out of?" thought Jordan.

"You're probably thinking about why it won't budge. I'll explain why. It's made out of one of the most durable metals in the world. It won't budge by just pulling it. You will have to try a different way, boy," said Bane.

Jordan tries to hop off of the brute, but Bane grabs his long leg and throws him into a nearby shop. He then quickly walks over to the hero and pulls him out of the shop and slams him on the ground. He tries to step on him, but Jordan rolls out of the way at the last second and gets back on his feet. He pulls out a few smoke bombs from his utility belt and slams them on the ground, dispersing enough smoke to escape for now.

"Are you scared of me, hero?" asked Bane.

"Not really. Follow me and we can continue our duel somewhere else," said Jordan.

"I don't want to move," said Bane.

"Then, I guess you don't want the antidote," said Jordan.

"What do you mean?" asked Bane.

"That smoke bomb wasn't a regular smoke bomb, it was a poison. If you don't want to be in a wheelchair in a few hours, you will follow me," said Jordan.

"Fine," said Bane.

As Jordan runs across the rooftops, the brute follows him in the streets. They reach an abandoned warehouse and Jordan enters it by smashing through the window on the roof. Bane just busts through the front door.

"Now, we can finish this, boy," said Bane.

"Yeah, we can," said Jordan.

Jordan pulls a couple explosives out from his utility belt and throws them at the brute. The brute doesn't need to dodge them and tanks the explosions.

"Is that all you got?" asked Bane.

"Your IQ must have dropped when you took that Titan formula because the old you would have seen it coming," said Jordan.

"What are you talking about?" asked Bane.

"The explosives aren't there to damage you. They are there to damage the metal tube that pumps the Titan into your veins and it seems that it's starting to crack," said Jordan.

Bane feels the tube on the back of his head, but it's in perfect condition.

"You're lying! It doesn't even have a scratch," said Bane.

"Now it will," said Jordan.

Bane looks up and sees Jordan land on the back of his head. He tries to move his hand away from his head, but he can't.

"Is the poison already kicking in?" asked Bane.

"No, because there was no poison. I was lying to get you away from the city. I just injected Succinylcholine into your hand. You won't be able to move that hand for a little while," said Jordan.

"I'll just move the other one," said Bane.

"You can't move that one either. Succinylcholine is a very fast-acting drug," said Jordan.

"Even with my hands paralyzed, you won't cut the tube," said Bane.

"The metal tube may be the strongest in the world, but any metal can't be cut with a little laser action," said Jordan.

Jordan pulls out a small gadget shaped like a cylinder. He pulls off the top and a laser starts melting the metal tube. The laser cuts the metal tube in a minute and Titan starts to pour out of the tube. Bane screams as he decreases in size. He falls to the ground as the drug still paralyzes him.

"You used to be a tough opponent. Now, you're just a brute who can talk. How disappointing" said Jordan.

Jordan hops off the brute's paralyzed body and pulls out his Batphone. He clicks a button for the Batcave and Barbara immediately answers.

"What is it, Barbatos?" asked Barbara.

"Oracle, I got Bane. Send GCPD to the abandoned warehouse at Gotham Docks. He needs to be transported immediately before the paralysis drug runs out," said Jordan.

"Paralysis drug?" asked Barbara.

"I tried a different strategy. It was effective," said Jordan.

"GCPD will be there in minutes. There are more villains loose in Gotham. Poison Ivy is at the Botanical Gardens and Clayface is robbing a bank. You're needed in other places," said Barbara.

"I'll wait until the GCPD comes here. I can't let Bane out of my sight," said Jordan.

Before Jordan can continue talking to Barbara, the phone in his hand flies out of it. Jordan is immediately back on guard once he hears the phone fall out of his hand. He walks up to it and sees a sharp playing card pierce the screen.

"He's here," said Jordan.

"Of course I would be here. Why would I want to stay in the dingy old asylum?" said the Joker.

Jordan slowly turns around and sees the Joker standing on the floor above him. The man that has caused so much pain and anguish for the Batfamily is standing right above him.

"Why are you here, clown?" asked Jordan.

"I always love to hang out with my best buddies," said the Joker.

"We're not friends," said Jordan.

"You always say that, but we always hang out," said the Joker.

"You planned the breakout, didn't you? You separated us, so you can get to me, but why?" asked Jordan.

"I used to be a normal comedian, but people didn't get my jokes. They booed and hated me until I became this. One bad day changed everything," said the Joker.

"Skip all the filler and tell me why you are here," said Jordan.

"I will force you to learn why I am what I am," said the Joker.

"English, bozo," said Jordan.

"I have some hostages, but they aren't just regular hostages. They are very special to me," said the Joker.

Joker pulls a remote out of his pocket and clicks the big red button on it. The door behind Jordan opens and a school bus drives in and positions itself in the warehouse where Jordan can see a bunch of children in clown makeup. They scream and cry very loudly.

"Why are your hostages children?" asked Jordan.

"I want to play a little game and they will be our audience," said the Joker.

"Why did you choose kids? They shouldn't be here," said Jordan.

"Kids love to see people play games. They will love this one," said the Joker.

The clown presses the button once again and a giant tv comes out from the ground. A large face of a jester appears on the screen.

"What is this?" asked Jordan.

"It's the greatest game show in the nation! Jester Trivia!" exclaimed the Joker.

"What's the prize?" asked Jordan.

"Saving these kids from certain doom," said the Joker.

"So, this was a trap and I fell right into it, but why me and not Batman?" asked Jordan.

"You're very special for my plan," said the Joker.

"What are the rules?" asked Jordan.

"Just answer all of the questions correctly and I will not send the children to God early," said Joker.

"Give me the questions," said Jordan.

"I'm glad that you're not trying to fight me like you usually do," said the Joker.

"I know that if I do fight you, you will kill them. I have already made that mistake before," said Jordan.

"Smart kid. Now, here is question one," said the Joker.

The face of the jester disappears and words appear on the screen.

"Question number one. Where was the Joker created?" said the Joker.

"Easy. Ace Chemicals," said Jordan.

"Correct. That was an easy one though. Question two won't be as easy. Question number two. What is the name of the Joker's wife and son?" said the Joker.

"Jeannie Napier and Jack Napier Jr. You were sent to Arkham two weeks ago for trying to visit them while they were supposed to be in witness protection," said Jordan.

"Correct again. You are good at this," said the Joker.

"Give me the next question," said Jordan.

"Fine. Question number three. What outfit was the Joker wearing when he fell into the acid in Ace Chemicals?" said the Joker.

"The outfit of the Red Hood. An old gang that terrorized the East side of Gotham until Batman cleaned them up," said Jordan.

"Correct once again. Question number four. How many pictures did the Joker take of Barbara after he shot her in the spine?" said the Joker.

"Eight," said Jordan.

"Correct. We may be closer than you think," said Joker.

"Shut up and let's finish this," said Jordan.

"Question number five. What type of gun did the Joker use to paralyze Barbara?" said the Joker.

"Colt Python, a very popular revolver," said Jordan.

"You're good at this. We should do this more often. Question number six. How did the Joker kill Jason Todd?" said the Joker.

"Jason Todd was beaten half to death and then blown up a year and a half ago," said Jordan.

"Final question and this one will be hard. Question number seven. Who killed Batman's parents?" said the Joker.

"Joe Chill. That question was useless. You already know all of our identities. You can't live without us. That's why you won't tell anyone," said Jordan.

"Excellent reasoning, Jordan and you are the winner of tonight's game! You win the spared lives of the school children!" exclaimed the Joker.

The Joker clicks the big red button once again, but something bad happens. Instead of the doors of the school bus opening, the school bus blows up. The children inside of the bus and the goon driving the bus are blown to smithereens. The abandoned warehouse is brought to its imaginary knees. Ten minutes pass before Jordan's hand sticks out of the debris. He pushes the debris off of him and exits the former warehouse.

"Barbatos, are you ok?" asked the GCPD officer.

"I'm fine. Where is he?" asked Jordan.

"We found bloody footsteps walking towards the other warehouses on the dock. He could be anywhere," said the GCPD officer.

"I'll find him. Secure Bane," said Jordan.

Jordan quickly walks away from the debris and starts to look for the clown prince of crime. He walks through the entire dock and finds nothing until he finds some blood. He follows the blood until he reaches another warehouse. He opens the large door and finds him. The man just made the worst mistake in his life.

"Kid, I didn't kill those children. The remote wasn't supposed to do that," said the Joker.

"I played your game and you still killed those kids," said Jordan.

"I was going to let them go. I promise," said the Joker.

"You killed those innocent children that just wanted to live their lives. They were innocent and had nothing to do with our fight," said Jordan.

"It wasn't me. It was an outside source," said the Joker.

"I shouldn't be surprised. You killed Jason after all," said Jordan.

"For an extra prize, you can take me to Arkham with no hassle," said the Joker.

"I'm not taking you to Arkham. You're too deadly to be put in that place with all of the wackos," said Jordan.

"What do you mean?" asked the Joker.

Jordan walks away from the clown and grabs a crowbar. He walks back towards the Joker and stares at him.

"I have a question for you, Joker. How many crowbar strikes can you survive?" said Jordan.

"I don't know," said Joker hesitatingly.

"Let's find out," said Jordan.

The next fifteen minutes are nothing but pain for the Joker. The old rusted crowbar is slammed repeatedly on the head of the clown, spilling gallons of blood and turning his face into shapes that most people didn't know existed. His bones are broken and turned into nothing but ash. He can no longer laugh, something that he loved to do. He begs for mercy, but he will receive none. Every time that he is struck, his life force grows smaller and smaller. His smile no longer exists. His long green hair turns red like his blood. One more strike is needed. One more will end the terror once known as the Joker. Before he can bring the crowbar down once again, his hand is grabbed by the Dark Knight.

"Bruce," said Jordan.

"No more," said Batman.

"Why are you stopping me? You don't know what he did," asked Jordan.

"He blew up a school bus of children. The GCPD told me," said Batman.

"He has killed too many. Blowing up the school bus was way over the line, but he has somehow done worse. His body count is in the thousands. He crippled Barbara. He killed Jason. he's brought so much pain to this city. To this world, but you want him dead. What the hell is wrong with you?" said Jordan.

"This just isn't right," said Batman.

"This isn't about being right or wrong. This is about getting rid of a monster that has lived too long. Do you know how many people we've murdered by letting him live," said Jordan.

"Killing isn't-," said Batman.

"I'm tired of this! I'm tired of your stupid moral code! I'm tired of people that I love getting hurt or killed, so monsters like this can just be put in a broken asylum in which they break out every other day! I'm sick of this!" exclaimed Jordan.

Jordan breaks Batman's grip and drops the crowbar. He rips off his mask and throws it to the ground. He turns to look at Batman one last time, the man he once idolized and starts to walk away.

"I used to idolize you, Bruce. I became a hero because you saved me and my mother. Now, I see that you care about your moral code more than your allies and the lives of innocents. I can't work with you anymore. I quit," said Jordan.

Jordan walks out of the warehouse and starts to walk in the opposite direction of the GCPD cruisers. Unbeknownst to him, a man with binoculars is watching him from nearly a mile away.

"It looks like the Batman has lost another sidekick. The bat has matured and has left the cave. Now, I can finally test his abilities without any interference. You will become my heir, Jordan," said the mercenary.