Multifandom Oneshot Book

Anything To Save You

Again and again, day after day, week after week for months. Battles that'd left him nursing horrific burns and the constant guilt. He'd let Josh get that way. If he'd only been there, his friend wouldn't have lost his mind the way he did. He could've gotten him help. But he couldn't stop fighting, he had to wake Josh up, to help him break free of this madness.

Then the alert came through, The Fiery Joker had been spotted en route to an incoming welcome party for soldiers returning from war, the parade that followed always drew huge crowds, families, children, overjoyed to see their loved ones returning safely from war. He couldn't let this happen, so again William Allen donned the mask and again he set out to fight the man who was once his friend.

Arriving at the scene, he could see that he was too slow, the entire main street was ablaze. Civilians were running in panic, screaming in pain as they burned. With every step he took towards The Joker, thick ice spread from his footsteps, spreading over the tarmac and snuffing out the flames. Usually, he held back, too afraid to hurt Josh, but he finally realized it was no use. All he repressed was the spreading cold in his heart that threatened to consume him, the ice that grew colder every day he failed to save people.

"Josh... if you're still in there, this is your last chance to break free. You've done too much damage, my friend, you're too dangerous to live."

The Joker's eyes blazed, his anger and madness seemingly fuelled by the fires of hell itself, a crazed grin splitting his face and a near constant insane giggle spilling from his lips.

"Oh? Is Wee Willy Winky gonna bring his A-Game for once? Good, I was getting so bored of you holding back."

Flames spread over his body, coating his skin in fire, making him look like some deranged fire elemental.

"Time for you to finally B̴̵̵̹̦̟̣̩͔̫̝͉̮̱͚̎̂ͤ͌ͨ̈̓ͯ̈́̾̈͑̕U̶̷̧͈͙̻̤̹̠̥̦͈̔ͫ̂̑̍͂̃̊̏͛R̸̨̙͚̯͓̦̦͚̜̣̱̟͚̱̮ͥ̋͊̄̊ͧͭ̌́̾̾͗̚͟͠͝N͗͐̀̒ͨͥͥͥ͒̽̇ͧͬͥ̊̌́͢͏͙͈̼̭͉̥̦̮̤̼̖̙̯ͅ!̶̨̦̣̦͍̝̞̱͔̑ͣ̅ͥ̑̒ͪͤ͑!̶̡̜̘̖̣̬́̐͊ͨ̽ͮͩͭͮ̏ͮͨͮͤ̇̚͢ͅ!̓̽̓̌ͧͩ̿̔͆̆ͨ͑҉͏͖̯͎̞̰͘͠"

With that, he charged at Will, a raging inferno coming at him at full speed.

Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he could feel time seeming to slow around him as he focused and he formed a thick wall of ice in a dome shape to catch The Joker as he came on. He heard a crack at the other man collided with the ice and he quickly sealed the ball, trapping the other in an airtight sphere.

Even through the ice, Will could see The Joker's flames, he could hear blows as he tried to punch his way out. But there was still a chance.

He formed a larger sphere around himself and the first before melting the smaller, adding its ice to the larger. He could already see The Joker was weakened from lack of oxygen; his flames used it up quickly, and it was safe to assume he wouldn't be able to attack him.

Burning eyes glared at him and The Joker laughed.

"Are you really that committed to changing me that you'll die with me? Do you really love him that much?"

Will chuckled weakly, the lack of air was affecting him too.

"Joshua Burner. He... you are the best friend I've ever had. The closest comrade. A brother to me in not just this world, but others, countless others. In nearly all of those worlds, you've been the one protecting me, saving my life. Now it's my turn to save you. To save you.. to save you from yourself."

He could see it beginning to work, The Joker's flames were going out. The fury was diminishing. But he was weak, too weak. Will fell to his knees, trying to keep the ice shield up. He couldn't risk The Joker getting oxygen too soon, a sudden burst of air could supercharge his flames and make him near unstoppable. He could feel himself fading, he knew that there was no way he could survive this. Not even letting the cold consume him would help. But, honestly, he didn't mind. He could just about see, through fading vision, The Joker's body language change, become more gentle, more subdued.

"J-josh?"

Will's voice was nothing more than a hushed gasp now, the air in the sphere had all but gone. He wanted to live to see Josh wake up, to see his friend one last time, but he knew he couldn't. He felt the ice melt away as his life left him and the cold tarmac beneath him as he was swallowed by darkness.

For the first time in years, Josh felt awake, aware, calm, sane. The raging fire in his soul was gone, his heart feeling almost cold without it. But he was free. Crouched on the cold tarmac, remnants of vicious fires all around him, Josh saw Will lying motionless on the ground a short distance away. A feeling of dread settled in his gut and he rushed to his friend's side. His body was cold as ice. He had no pulse.

He was dead.

Panicking, Josh tried to perform CPR on Will, screaming for someone to get an ambulance. But he'd destroyed them all, as The Joker. There were none to come. Any civilians left alive were too scared to approach him.

Looking at the face of his dead friend, Josh let the tears fall, he'd done this. He'd killed his friend. The one person who'd looked out for him, the one man whom he trusted with his life, and he was gone.

He was gone, dead, with the ghost of a smile on his lips.