Dedicated to Heath Ledger for his outstanding portrayal of the Joker in 'Batman: Dark Knight'
Additional dedication to Danielle and her astounding resemblance to Barbara Gordon
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Dirty smog rolled endlessly through the streets, manhole covers belched humid toxins into the air, emergency service radios screamed of various atrocities taking place, and police commissioner Jim Gordon was so tired out of his mind he was sure he'd seen stars above Gotham City going out, one by one.
'Just another dark night in this wretched town.' he thought bitterly.
The veteran police officer gratefully took a gulp of stale, lukewarm coffee from the paper cup to clear his head. The coffee machines in Arkham Asylum had been on the blink for over a year, but security were understandably reluctant to permit sending for an engineer for something so trivial.
"What's the status on Batman, detective?" he asked without looking away from his work.
"Dah," Harvey Bullock grunted in thought, his strong Brooklyn accent dominating his voice. "Some officers seen 'im drivin' through the streets like crazy. Say about five minutes away."
The bulky detective lumbered over to the reception counter and grabbed his own coffee cup, ignoring the spillage with an ignorance born of years of adapting to his own clumsiness. Using the same indifference to discard the receptionists affronted "Hmph!" he tipped back his dark grey fedora and drank deeply.
"I don't like it, comish." he said when he'd finished, his usually grumpy expression frowning into an even worse look. "The only time that freak gets recaptured so quickly is when he's planned something so big he can't wait to let us find him. 'e's only been loose for a couple of weeks."
"Maybe he's losing his edge." Gordon said, though he knew how pathetically hopeful it sounded. "Either way, let's just be glad Batman managed to stop him."
Bullock looked cynical, but didn't even think of contradicting the commissioner. He turned and walked down the hall so the receptionist couldn't see him lighting up in front of the no smoking sign.
Gordon continued to look idly through his files, distracted by Bullock's words.
Despite his questionable past acts and compulsive carelessness, Bullock was a good officer, with an unbending loyalty to both Gordon and the police department, and a mind filled with more subtle intelligence than his outward character suggested, and the commissioner trusted his judgment. Everyone had been relieved that the Joker's latest scheme hadn't been anything too terrible, but most seem to ignore the fact that the Joker's schemes were always terrible, and if they weren't there must be a reason why not. To this end, the mayor's office had remained empty after the siege had ended in case the bomb threat was nothing more than a distraction from the real crime. Apart from that, all they could do was get the Joker back to his cell and try and increase the security to prevent another escape. Jim Gordon did his best to ignore the nagging thought that the worst was yet to come, deciding that even a police commissioner must once in awhile allow himself the luxury of believing that everything was okay.
Thoughts like this chased each other round his head until he finally arrived.
The Joker, in all his vile glory, grinning and chuckling madly as he tipped his head back onto the edge of the upright stretcher he was secured to, as though relaxing. Two armed and armored guards and the Batman accompanied him.
"Long night Jim?" the dark knight asked ironically.
"You bet," Gordon replied as they shook hands "Joker invades City Hall and holds the mayor hostage, leaving it to me to juggle SWAT teams, the media and you. It's been a helluva night."
"Hopefully the last one we'll ever have with him." Batman shot the Joker an evil look.
"Well this time we'll make sure he stays put." Bullock interrupted as he approached the Joker with a sneer. "You hear me clown? We got more bars, doors, locks, guards and 'treatment' just waiting specially for you. This whole place'll be so secure not even a rat like you could squeeze yer way out."
The Joker leered down at the detective and said "What a load of bullocks!"
He guffawed and snorted with laughter as Bullock moved away, affronted and frustrated.
"I'm gonna go and check the new security details with that Warden er... Quincey what's-'is-name?"
With a parting glare at the grinning lunatic, the man stomped off down the corridor to the lifts that went to the upper floor. Behind him, the guards began to wheel their prize towards the holding cells area.
"Sorry Batman. Arkham staff only beyond this point." a new guard held his hand out like a barrier, bringing the policeman and the vigilante to a halt.
"I assure you," Gordon's voice lowered marginally to indicate his disapproval "if anyone's qualified it's-"
"Listen, I appreciate the assistance," the guard interrupted, not bothering to try and sound convincing "but he'll unsettle the more violent inmates."
Another laugh came from the Joker as he was placed in handcuffs and taken from the restraining trolley by security officer Frank Boles.
"I think he's talking about you, Bats!" he chortled. The new guard took charge of him as Boles went back to the reception.
Gordon didn't like the idea of letting the Joker out of his or Batman's sight until he was locked up again, but the cells of the intensive treatment were full of prisoners temporarily transferred from Blackgate prison due to a fire that had taken place there. Just under two hundred additional inmates were now being held in cells used for low risk patients. The last thing they needed was agitated prisoners seeing Batman and starting a riot, which would in turn stir up the loonies into a chaotic frenzy. So reluctantly, they both stood back and watched as a single guard and male nurse led the Joker into the first cell area.
"Don't be a stranger!" the Joker quipped to Batman. "There's always a place for you here!"
As they led the Clown Prince of Crime away, the Batman said "Something's not right. He surrendered almost without a fight. He's up to something."
All of Gordon's previous concerns about tonight's activities came flooding back. He followed the dark knight as he walked into the cell block control room so he could watch the Joker's progress.
As the electric barrier fired up to block the way into the holding area, the Joker looked back at the now sealed off way out. As he turned his head his foot caught on something and he stumbled.
"Come on, get up!" the guard growled as the prisoner used his cuffed hands to break his fall. As the guard lent over to pull him to his feet, the Joker's eyes flashed.
His head jerked back, banging into the guards nose and cracking it. Before the nurse could turn to face the patient, he was on his feet, and now it was the guard on his knees. The Joker wrapped the chain of his handcuffs round the guard's neck and howled "Quick doc! There's something caught round his throat!"
"The Joker's free- alert the warden!" Batman exclaimed as Gordon grabbed his radio. Knowing the way into the holding area was blocked off, Batman stepped forward and swung his armored fist into the observation window. The glass splintered, but held.
"Hurry doc, we're losin' 'im!" the Joker faked desperation as he held the choking guard between him and the orderly trying to stop him. Panicking, the nurse obeyed the mad-man's demands and unlocked the handcuffs strangling the guard. At once, the Joker twisted the guard's head and broke his neck. A savage kick sent the orderly sprawling to the floor.
The Joker bounded on top of the man and whispered " 'Choke's' on you!" before slamming an open palm into his throat and crushing his windpipe.
As the nurse writhed and clawed at his neck, the Joker pranced around like a mad thing, chanting to himself and reveling in his freedom.
The commissioner tried to call for backup, but his radio transmissions became jammed by the sound of static, punctuated by comedy laughter and screams of pain. Something was very wrong.
With a powerful jump, Batman smashed through the damaged glass and down into the chamber. In response, the Joker pointed towards the electric barrier on the opposite side of the room, at shrieked to a security camera "Honey, I'm home!"
"Come right on in Mr J." a high pitched, piping voice blared from the speakers. Before anyone could compehend what was going on, the energy waves of the electricity gate vanished, allowing the Joker to race up the ramp and into the passageway.
"Welcome to the mad house!" he declared proudly as the energy conductors fired up to prevent Batman from following him. "I set a trap and you sprang it gloriously! Now then, let's get this party started!"
The Joker turned to depart, and as he did the cells in the holding area opened and a dozen Blackgate prisoners spilled out of them to surround Batman.
Unable to get in there to help and reluctant to use his gun on unarmed men, Gordon could only watch as the violence began. He desperately searched the computers beneath his hands to try and find some way to call for help, since his radio was now next to useless. Behind him, the steel door in the reception area slammed shut as a high security alert sounded throughout the facility.
Just another dark night in Gotham City.
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Except it wasn't an ordinary night. Far from it. In fact it was about to become the most out of the ordinary night the city had ever seen.
For within a derelict building near the gates of Arkham Asylum, something was happening. A single point of light had appeared in midair; a light that seemed to distort the area around it, as though it were an optical illusion. At the center of the point, chaos equivalent to an ending universe took place, wild energy particles threatening to react with nuclear fury as reality itself warped. As the minutes passed, the point of potential armageddon began to calm, balance out, and become reasonable.
Then, with a collection of wheezing, mechanical groans that echoed in the confined space, an object gradually faded into view. An object colored royal blue with the words 'Police Box' written over the door.
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A minor warning. I'm not officially starting this fic now. I'm justing posting it as proof that one day it will come, and also to claim a place for it before David leaves Doctor Who forever *crys uncontrolable*.
For those who don't know, this is a sequal to my fic 'Dangerous Tenant', which I'd be very grateful if you would read and review it if you haven't already (not that you need to in order to understand this fic).
Thank you