Gotham Knight (TWO)

Captured

Jason Todd, The Robin

"Incorruptible. Uncontrollable. Madness is the sweetest of things. Being good . . . being a, hero . . . you have to be careful. You have to follow the rules. No killing, Bats tells you. But, Jason," The Joker carefully brushed his hand against my bloody cheek. "We all know madness is more fun." The Joker gave his now infamous laugh and walked out of sight.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed. I tried to wiggle my way out of the thick rope wrapped around my body. The Joker walked back into sight, holding a slim black item in his hand. "What are you going to do to me?" I asked. The Joker pulled up the black item. A crowbar.

"We're going to have a little fun. I'm going to hurt you some . . . maybe a lot." The Joker flipped around the crowbar in his hand. "Batman is on his way you know." I announced, trying to sound confident. Playing with the crowbar more, he chuckled. "Let's hope so."

Come on Bruce . . . Come on Bruce. A bit of blood dripped into my eye. If Bruce didn't get here soon . . . I don't what this animal would do to me.

Joker started pacing towards me, the crowbar gleaming in the dim light. He brought his arm all the way back, ready to strike it forward. "NO!" I yelled. The Joker threw his arm down, hitting me in the side of the head with the hard metal. Dazed, I started spitting blood everywhere. My sight was blurred and I couldn't move.

The Joker brought back his arm once more, slashing it forward multiple times. He continued swinging the crowbar back and forth, destroying my suit and skin with it.

"P-p-p-p" I tried to speak with the pool of blood forming in my throat. "Please. B-B-B-B . . . . . . . . Batman?"  I whispered. The Joker grabbed my cheeks with his hand and smiled. "Not this time!" he chucked the crowbar into the shadows, and pulled out a small device from his jacket.

"Well, kid . . . I had fun! See you next time!" Joker spun around, placing his finger on a red button poking from the device. A thug who stood next to him opened the big metal  door and The Joker stepped out into the brisk winter air on top of the mountain.

He turned his head to look at me, and winked one last time. "NOOOOOOO!" I screeched as The Joker brought the device up to his chest and pressed the red button. The thug slammed the door, and I was all alone in the dark shadows of the warehouse.

Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep

A bomb. It slowly ticked next to me, 0:23 plastered in big red letters on the front.

The last twenty three seconds of my life.

"Bruce? Please . . ." I tried my best to yell through strained vocal chords.

Please . . . 

Bruce?

Batman?

My small black mask fell from my eyes onto the ground. 

I looked down at it, cracked and bloody. I turned my head over to the bomb. 0:01

"No! Hel-"