Chapter 4
I
"I'm finding all this a little hard to believe Mr. McGinnis."
"Wow."
"What?"
"You just called me Mr. McGinnis." Bruce and Alfred just stared at him with out any expression on their faces. "I'm just…not used to…hearing you call me…Mr." Still no expressions came across their faces. "Any way… You're finding this hard to believe, and I get that. But working for Mr. Wayne… you…whoever, I've learned to believe the unbelievable. I mean if like twenty years ago someone told you that a guy dressed up like a bat would be running around the rooftops of Gotham, would you have believed it?"
"I know I wouldn't", chimed in Alfred. "Sometimes I still don't". Bruce shot Alfred a look after that statement.
"Look, Mr. Wayne," Terry continued. "If I were you I know that I'd want some proof too, but the longer it takes for you to believe me, the closer Ra's Al Ghul gets to what he wants."
"That may be, but I'm still going to need some sort of proof. For all I know you could work for Ra's Al Ghul."
"You want proof?" Terry walked over to the Batcomputer's console, and took his Batsuit from under his Jacket. "I hope this helps." He said as he handed it to Bruce.
Bruce looked the suit over once and after he handed it back to Terry he leaned back in his chair and put his hand on his chin like he was deep in thought.
"Master Bruce?", Alfred inquired.
"He's telling the truth Alfred. I believe him."
"You do?!" Exclaimed Terry. "I'm glad and all but, how can you tell I'm telling the truth just from the suit?"
"You see, a few weeks ago Batman asked Karl Rossum to come up with a few ideas for a new high-tech Batsuit. After I left police headquarters, I went to see if Rossum had made any headway." Bruce took out a disk from his pocket and slipped it into the Batcomputer. "He gave me this." Bruce punched a few buttons on the console and a detailed schematic for Terry's Batsuit came up. "He also said that several of the designs wont be able to be completed until there have been significant advances in certain technologies. So there's no way you could have that suit unless you weren't from the future."
"Oh." Said Terry. "Well now that we're done with the fun part, lets get down to the slightly less fun part. Finding and stopping Ra's Al Ghul."
II
It was pretty quiet in the old factory. Save for the four guys seated around the poker table. The game had been going on for a few hours now and Jack was almost out of money. He hadn't had a decent hand all night. Until now.
"Sorry guys, but this hand goes to me." He began to collect the chips when Jim threw in his hand and Jack's eyes went wide.
"Sorry Jack.." Jim let out a big smile. "Royal Flush." With that, Jack's look of shock turned to a look of anger.
"You cheatin weasel!" Jack jumped up and pulled out his gun. Jim did the same.
"What did you call me freak?"
"You heard me!"
"How about I blow your freakin face off?!"
"Not before I-" Before he could finish, a bullet zinged past his face.
"Gentlemen," Came the voice of the gang's leader, Vinnie The Snake, who was now standing several feet away from the table. "Behave. Don't make me shoot you, its too much trouble to hire new people so don't make me shoot you." With his gun still pointed at them, Jack and Jim took their seats. "Now deal me in."
Just as he picked up his first card, there came a knock at the door.
"Who the hell would be knocking on my door? Johnny, go see who it is and shoot him."
"Right boss." As Johnny walked over to the door, the knocking got more frequent until it became incessant. Just as he got to the door, it flew open knocking him unconscious. Vinnie and the three remaining thugs got up and drew their guns as a man in a purple suit and hat came in.
"Sorry," He said as he took off his hat and threw it aside. "Couldn't wait any more." Vinnie immediately recognized him as "The Joker". "Patience has never been my best virtue. Wait a minute. I don't have any virtues!" and with that he let out a long laugh.
He walked into the room and Harley Quinn closed the door behind them. Joker started walking through the room looking around.
"Hmm….," He muttered as he continued to look the place over. "Not bad, not bad. Some curtains, a few throw pillows maybe a new rug and-" Before he could finish, he was cut off by Vinnie the Snake.
"What the heck do you think your doin?!"
"I'm movin in. I need a new hideout and this one will have to do."
"This hide out belongs to us! You can't do that!"
"I can't?"
"No, You can't"
"Well why didn't anybody tell me that before I broke out of Arkahm?! Now I came all this way for nothing! Come on Harley, let's go." And with that Joker turned to leave.
"We're not really goin are we Mr. J?"
"You heard the man Poo, this is their hideout."
"Well we could just kill em Puddin." Joker stopped short and snapped his fingers as he turned around.
"Good idea Harley! Now why didn't I think of that?"
"That's what I'm here for Mr.J!"
"Nobody's killin anybody." Interrupted The Snake. "Well, except for us killin you."
Jack pointed his gun at Joker and Harley pulled out a pair of false teeth and threw it. They hit Jack's hand and took a big bite as he screamed in pain and dropped his gun. Harley cart wheeled over to him and kicked him in the face. Jack fell backwards over a pile of boxes and hit his head on the floor. He was out cold. Jim aimed his gun at Harley but the Joker was already at his side. With one squirt of acid from the flower on Joker's suit, Jims Gun was dissolved to nothing. Joker then pulled out a boxing gun glove and fired at Jim. The glove punched him hard in the face and he fell backward into unconsciousness.
"Ding, ding, ding, this one's down for the count!" remarked the Joker. "Too bad. I liked the cut of his jab!" The Joker let out a loud laugh as Chuck, the fourth and final thug swung a bat at Harley.
She immediately ducked and came back up pointing a cork gun at him. Chuck stumbled back a few feet as Harley pulled the trigger. The cork fired out at top speed right at Chuck's face. It stopped inches short of his face as the string that attached it to the gun became taut. He let out a sigh of relief and Harley smiled. She pulled the trigger again and a cloud of Joker Gas shot out of the gun and into Chuck's face. He fell to the ground and burst out into wild laughter. Putting his hand on the poker table to try and pull himself up, he tipped the table over. It landed on his head and knocked him out. Now it was just Vinnie that was left. He leveled his gun at Joker but Harley was already there and she simply just took it from him.
"Uh-uh, uh." She said. Vinnie the Snake was shaking and obviously frightened. The Joker Sauntered over to him with a huge grin on his face.
"Hmm…. Vinnie, Vinnie, what to do with you?"
"Oh please don't kill me, you can have the place!"
"Sorry, Vinnie. If you thought what we did to your boys was bad, wait till you see what I'm gonna do to you!"
"Oh please no!"
"Let em have it Mr. J!" shouted Harley enthusiastically. Joker's grin widened as Vinnie the Snake began to whimper. Joker drew his hand back and Vinnie's eyes went wide with fright. Joker threw his hand right into Vinnie's face and hit him with a pie. The Joker let out a huge laugh as the pie plate slid off Vinnie's face. Harley put her finger to his face to collect some pie and tasted it.
"Mmmmmm…." She said "Custard."
"Well it's been fun," Said the joker as he put his hand on Vinnie's back and led him to the door. "But Harl and I have a lot to do. So I'll be seeing you Vinnie."
"You mean that's it? Your just gonna let me leave?" Joker nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Gee, Thanks. I guess."
"Don't mention it Vinnie. Now out you go!" With that Joker opened the door and sitting only a few feet from the door were the Joker's two Hyena's growling wildly.
"Did I mention Custard's their favorite?" With that statement the Joker laughed wildly, kicked Vinnie out the door and slammed it shut. A few seconds later Vinnie the Snake let out a loud painful scream. And then he never screamed again.
"Alright Harl," Joker said as he turned back to her. "Now that the fun's done…Lets get down to business."
III
Ra's Al Ghul was sitting at a computer in the Gotham Public Library. He had been searching for news articles relating to the third gem, the gem of Cantara. He knew that the gem had been destroyed in an earthquake so he had come back a few years before that. He had spent years collecting data on the gem. But the one piece of information he couldn't gather about the gem was who had it when it was destroyed.
"The answer must be here somewhere," he said aloud. He was growing impatient.
"The Library will be closing in twenty minutes" came the voice over the P.A. System. The voice made Ra's look up from his screen. Then he saw something that made his eyes go wide. Sitting next to him was a young man, about nineteen years of age, reading a newspaper. He grabbed the paper from him and the kid began to protest.
"Get away from me you annoying little pest!" That voice coming from that body was all the kid needed to get up and walk away without an argument. After reading the headline he put down the paper. The headline read "Gem of Cantara purchased for six hundred and ninety five thousand dollars by Wayne at auction."
"I don't believe it. Of all the places it could be, of all the people in the world. What are the odds?" Ra's could not believe the amount of bad luck he'd been having since he started all of this three weeks ago. First he had learned that the third gem was destroyed and that stopped him for a while. But then he just figured he needed to find the right scientists and he'd be okay. And now, the only thing he needed to become a God was in possession of the one man who could possibly stop him. Why did it have to be in his possession? He thought.
"Why?!" And then it hit him and he new what to do. If the one thing he needed to become a God was in the hands of the only man who can possibly stop him, then all he had to do is team up with the only person in the world who would make them an unbeatable team against Batman.
"What do you mean were broke?!"
"I mean we ain't got no money Mr. J." Joker was pacing angrily back and forth across his newly acquired hide out.
"Alright then. We just need to pull a job so big, it'll put us back on top in one shot."
"Um, Mr. J?" Harley called to him as she picked up the newspaper.
"Now let's see. What can we steal?"
"Mr. J!"
Joker continued to pace back and forth almost completely oblivious to Harley.
"It's gotta be some thing big."
"Mr. J!!!"
"It's gotta be worth a lot of money."
"MR. J!!!!!"
"Pipe down will ya Harl! I'm tryin to think here!" With that she jumped in his face and started shaking the paper franticly. "What is it Harley?" She held up two fingers. "Two words." She held up one finger. "First word." She pointed to the news in "Gotham Daily News". "News." She held up two fingers again. "Second word." She tore off a piece of the paper and held it up for him. "Paper. Newspaper?" With that she tapped her nose and jumped up and down with excitement.
"You want us to steal a newspaper?! How in the heck is that supposed to put us back on top?! Harley's face contorted to an angry one and she threw the paper at him.
"Hey!" He shouted as he caught it and looked at the headline. It read "Gem of Cantara purchased for six hundred and ninety five thousand dollars by Wayne at auction." Joker snapped his fingers. "That's it! See Harley, now why can't you come up with an idea like that?" With that, Harley smacked her hand against her forehead.
"This is gonna be fun," said the Joker with a huge smile on his face. "This is gonna be really fun!"
I
"I'm finding all this a little hard to believe Mr. McGinnis."
"Wow."
"What?"
"You just called me Mr. McGinnis." Bruce and Alfred just stared at him with out any expression on their faces. "I'm just…not used to…hearing you call me…Mr." Still no expressions came across their faces. "Any way… You're finding this hard to believe, and I get that. But working for Mr. Wayne… you…whoever, I've learned to believe the unbelievable. I mean if like twenty years ago someone told you that a guy dressed up like a bat would be running around the rooftops of Gotham, would you have believed it?"
"I know I wouldn't", chimed in Alfred. "Sometimes I still don't". Bruce shot Alfred a look after that statement.
"Look, Mr. Wayne," Terry continued. "If I were you I know that I'd want some proof too, but the longer it takes for you to believe me, the closer Ra's Al Ghul gets to what he wants."
"That may be, but I'm still going to need some sort of proof. For all I know you could work for Ra's Al Ghul."
"You want proof?" Terry walked over to the Batcomputer's console, and took his Batsuit from under his Jacket. "I hope this helps." He said as he handed it to Bruce.
Bruce looked the suit over once and after he handed it back to Terry he leaned back in his chair and put his hand on his chin like he was deep in thought.
"Master Bruce?", Alfred inquired.
"He's telling the truth Alfred. I believe him."
"You do?!" Exclaimed Terry. "I'm glad and all but, how can you tell I'm telling the truth just from the suit?"
"You see, a few weeks ago Batman asked Karl Rossum to come up with a few ideas for a new high-tech Batsuit. After I left police headquarters, I went to see if Rossum had made any headway." Bruce took out a disk from his pocket and slipped it into the Batcomputer. "He gave me this." Bruce punched a few buttons on the console and a detailed schematic for Terry's Batsuit came up. "He also said that several of the designs wont be able to be completed until there have been significant advances in certain technologies. So there's no way you could have that suit unless you weren't from the future."
"Oh." Said Terry. "Well now that we're done with the fun part, lets get down to the slightly less fun part. Finding and stopping Ra's Al Ghul."
II
It was pretty quiet in the old factory. Save for the four guys seated around the poker table. The game had been going on for a few hours now and Jack was almost out of money. He hadn't had a decent hand all night. Until now.
"Sorry guys, but this hand goes to me." He began to collect the chips when Jim threw in his hand and Jack's eyes went wide.
"Sorry Jack.." Jim let out a big smile. "Royal Flush." With that, Jack's look of shock turned to a look of anger.
"You cheatin weasel!" Jack jumped up and pulled out his gun. Jim did the same.
"What did you call me freak?"
"You heard me!"
"How about I blow your freakin face off?!"
"Not before I-" Before he could finish, a bullet zinged past his face.
"Gentlemen," Came the voice of the gang's leader, Vinnie The Snake, who was now standing several feet away from the table. "Behave. Don't make me shoot you, its too much trouble to hire new people so don't make me shoot you." With his gun still pointed at them, Jack and Jim took their seats. "Now deal me in."
Just as he picked up his first card, there came a knock at the door.
"Who the hell would be knocking on my door? Johnny, go see who it is and shoot him."
"Right boss." As Johnny walked over to the door, the knocking got more frequent until it became incessant. Just as he got to the door, it flew open knocking him unconscious. Vinnie and the three remaining thugs got up and drew their guns as a man in a purple suit and hat came in.
"Sorry," He said as he took off his hat and threw it aside. "Couldn't wait any more." Vinnie immediately recognized him as "The Joker". "Patience has never been my best virtue. Wait a minute. I don't have any virtues!" and with that he let out a long laugh.
He walked into the room and Harley Quinn closed the door behind them. Joker started walking through the room looking around.
"Hmm….," He muttered as he continued to look the place over. "Not bad, not bad. Some curtains, a few throw pillows maybe a new rug and-" Before he could finish, he was cut off by Vinnie the Snake.
"What the heck do you think your doin?!"
"I'm movin in. I need a new hideout and this one will have to do."
"This hide out belongs to us! You can't do that!"
"I can't?"
"No, You can't"
"Well why didn't anybody tell me that before I broke out of Arkahm?! Now I came all this way for nothing! Come on Harley, let's go." And with that Joker turned to leave.
"We're not really goin are we Mr. J?"
"You heard the man Poo, this is their hideout."
"Well we could just kill em Puddin." Joker stopped short and snapped his fingers as he turned around.
"Good idea Harley! Now why didn't I think of that?"
"That's what I'm here for Mr.J!"
"Nobody's killin anybody." Interrupted The Snake. "Well, except for us killin you."
Jack pointed his gun at Joker and Harley pulled out a pair of false teeth and threw it. They hit Jack's hand and took a big bite as he screamed in pain and dropped his gun. Harley cart wheeled over to him and kicked him in the face. Jack fell backwards over a pile of boxes and hit his head on the floor. He was out cold. Jim aimed his gun at Harley but the Joker was already at his side. With one squirt of acid from the flower on Joker's suit, Jims Gun was dissolved to nothing. Joker then pulled out a boxing gun glove and fired at Jim. The glove punched him hard in the face and he fell backward into unconsciousness.
"Ding, ding, ding, this one's down for the count!" remarked the Joker. "Too bad. I liked the cut of his jab!" The Joker let out a loud laugh as Chuck, the fourth and final thug swung a bat at Harley.
She immediately ducked and came back up pointing a cork gun at him. Chuck stumbled back a few feet as Harley pulled the trigger. The cork fired out at top speed right at Chuck's face. It stopped inches short of his face as the string that attached it to the gun became taut. He let out a sigh of relief and Harley smiled. She pulled the trigger again and a cloud of Joker Gas shot out of the gun and into Chuck's face. He fell to the ground and burst out into wild laughter. Putting his hand on the poker table to try and pull himself up, he tipped the table over. It landed on his head and knocked him out. Now it was just Vinnie that was left. He leveled his gun at Joker but Harley was already there and she simply just took it from him.
"Uh-uh, uh." She said. Vinnie the Snake was shaking and obviously frightened. The Joker Sauntered over to him with a huge grin on his face.
"Hmm…. Vinnie, Vinnie, what to do with you?"
"Oh please don't kill me, you can have the place!"
"Sorry, Vinnie. If you thought what we did to your boys was bad, wait till you see what I'm gonna do to you!"
"Oh please no!"
"Let em have it Mr. J!" shouted Harley enthusiastically. Joker's grin widened as Vinnie the Snake began to whimper. Joker drew his hand back and Vinnie's eyes went wide with fright. Joker threw his hand right into Vinnie's face and hit him with a pie. The Joker let out a huge laugh as the pie plate slid off Vinnie's face. Harley put her finger to his face to collect some pie and tasted it.
"Mmmmmm…." She said "Custard."
"Well it's been fun," Said the joker as he put his hand on Vinnie's back and led him to the door. "But Harl and I have a lot to do. So I'll be seeing you Vinnie."
"You mean that's it? Your just gonna let me leave?" Joker nodded.
"Uh-huh."
"Gee, Thanks. I guess."
"Don't mention it Vinnie. Now out you go!" With that Joker opened the door and sitting only a few feet from the door were the Joker's two Hyena's growling wildly.
"Did I mention Custard's their favorite?" With that statement the Joker laughed wildly, kicked Vinnie out the door and slammed it shut. A few seconds later Vinnie the Snake let out a loud painful scream. And then he never screamed again.
"Alright Harl," Joker said as he turned back to her. "Now that the fun's done…Lets get down to business."
III
Ra's Al Ghul was sitting at a computer in the Gotham Public Library. He had been searching for news articles relating to the third gem, the gem of Cantara. He knew that the gem had been destroyed in an earthquake so he had come back a few years before that. He had spent years collecting data on the gem. But the one piece of information he couldn't gather about the gem was who had it when it was destroyed.
"The answer must be here somewhere," he said aloud. He was growing impatient.
"The Library will be closing in twenty minutes" came the voice over the P.A. System. The voice made Ra's look up from his screen. Then he saw something that made his eyes go wide. Sitting next to him was a young man, about nineteen years of age, reading a newspaper. He grabbed the paper from him and the kid began to protest.
"Get away from me you annoying little pest!" That voice coming from that body was all the kid needed to get up and walk away without an argument. After reading the headline he put down the paper. The headline read "Gem of Cantara purchased for six hundred and ninety five thousand dollars by Wayne at auction."
"I don't believe it. Of all the places it could be, of all the people in the world. What are the odds?" Ra's could not believe the amount of bad luck he'd been having since he started all of this three weeks ago. First he had learned that the third gem was destroyed and that stopped him for a while. But then he just figured he needed to find the right scientists and he'd be okay. And now, the only thing he needed to become a God was in possession of the one man who could possibly stop him. Why did it have to be in his possession? He thought.
"Why?!" And then it hit him and he new what to do. If the one thing he needed to become a God was in the hands of the only man who can possibly stop him, then all he had to do is team up with the only person in the world who would make them an unbeatable team against Batman.
"What do you mean were broke?!"
"I mean we ain't got no money Mr. J." Joker was pacing angrily back and forth across his newly acquired hide out.
"Alright then. We just need to pull a job so big, it'll put us back on top in one shot."
"Um, Mr. J?" Harley called to him as she picked up the newspaper.
"Now let's see. What can we steal?"
"Mr. J!"
Joker continued to pace back and forth almost completely oblivious to Harley.
"It's gotta be some thing big."
"Mr. J!!!"
"It's gotta be worth a lot of money."
"MR. J!!!!!"
"Pipe down will ya Harl! I'm tryin to think here!" With that she jumped in his face and started shaking the paper franticly. "What is it Harley?" She held up two fingers. "Two words." She held up one finger. "First word." She pointed to the news in "Gotham Daily News". "News." She held up two fingers again. "Second word." She tore off a piece of the paper and held it up for him. "Paper. Newspaper?" With that she tapped her nose and jumped up and down with excitement.
"You want us to steal a newspaper?! How in the heck is that supposed to put us back on top?! Harley's face contorted to an angry one and she threw the paper at him.
"Hey!" He shouted as he caught it and looked at the headline. It read "Gem of Cantara purchased for six hundred and ninety five thousand dollars by Wayne at auction." Joker snapped his fingers. "That's it! See Harley, now why can't you come up with an idea like that?" With that, Harley smacked her hand against her forehead.
"This is gonna be fun," said the Joker with a huge smile on his face. "This is gonna be really fun!"