Legend

Not joking

I picked up the phone, it was Detective MacIver with the news. I listen as he explains the circumstances of the Joker's escape; essentially, nobody had a clue he wasn't the  brain-damaged drooler he's been since he woke up from the coma until he smiled at one of the six cameras that provides perfect coverage in his special cell, made a gun with his fingers, and said "BANG!" as the lights went out. The emergency generator had also been sabotaged, so in the three minutes forty-one seconds it took to get power from the main grid back, nobody had eyes on the Joker, and when the lights flickered back on, his cell was empty and the door still locked. The detective said that the police believed that he had headed out of town.

"We believe that he's going to stay away until the heat subsides, then return. It would be safer that way. We don't know his actual mental state or abilities or what he remembers because no psychiatrist or therapist or psychologist is willing to work with him after what happened to Dr Quinzel, but it's obvious that he's pretty functional at least on some levels, and it may be that he remembers you. I have been placed in charge of his apprehension." He sighed and I felt a little sorry for him; this wasn't going to be easy. I felt worse for my clothes, though, as Damian  was crumpling expensive silks into wads to stuff into the trash bags. "I would like to encourage your natural tendency to think critically and not panic. If the Joker remembers you--and he might--he might be hoping you panic and do something stupid that would enable his confederates to apprehend you. Obviously, none of us want that, so I would ask that you be cautious but not overreact." Got it. My boyfriend was the one overreacting at the moment. "I will keep you informed, but it should be safe to continue your daily activities for the time being. Please make some plans for when we feel we can no longer reliably count on his absence, however." There was some more of this, then we hung up.

"Honey, stop," I said firmly, and Damian paused in his efforts to cram as many pairs of shoes as possible in the bag with my good clothes. He scowled. "That was Detective MacIver. He told me that the Joker was headed out of town and not to do anything rash."

"Moving out to the manor isn't rash," he growled, and dropped one of the pumps I wore to work back on the closet floor and tied the garbage bag closed.

"At three in the morning or whatever, it is," I stated, and put my Asgardian necklace back on. "We need to make a plan and follow through rather than panicking off into the night."

"We're listening," Batman said dryly, and I jumped a foot. I hadn't heard them come in; Dick was visible over Bruce's shoulder. Thank god I wore a nightgown now.

I repeated what the detective had said. "I agree. Based on my time with the Joker, I believe that he's going to want some time to get used to life outside the Asylum again, and, more importantly, to reassert his control over his goons, make sure that whatever plans he's made--if he's communicated them to his followers--are solid and tight. That takes time. Time that can be used for an orderly reassessment of my routine, which is my concern, and for you three to do your detective work." I crossed to Damian and snapped the plastic ties of the bag, dumping the shoes for now and putting the crumpled gowns and dresses back in the closet. Damian had not troubled himself to remove them from the hangers.

"Alfred will have a fit if he sees you treating her stuff like that," Dick said.

"Shut it, Grayson," Damian snapped, but there wasn't a lot of heat in the words.

"Just saying that Alex has a point here. Now is not the time to go off half-cocked. We need more information. Look--" through the draperies that had come open some as Damian had barrelled around, we could see the Bat Signal.

"All right," Bruce said, laying down the law. "I will go talk to the Commissioner, find out what they know. Nightwing, you start turning up leads. Robin, you stay here in case we're wrong. You'd be distracted out there anyway and distraction means mistakes. We can't afford any. Alex...well, you stay here too. The Joker prefers to work in darkness." He waited long enough for a grudging nod from his sidekick, then he and Dick left.