Before We Grow

The First Laugh

I've had a great many terrible ideas in my life. Once, I thought I could cook individual pizza slices in the toaster. This idea topped even that.
    The Joker was considered the worst criminal ever to exist. He killed just for the fun of it, and did heinous acts because he was bored. Batman is the only person in the world who has ever managed to overcome Joker, and I was nothing compared to him.
    But, I had vowed to find and kill the Clown Prince of Crime. Backing out now would mean risking my reputation, though I had none, and any respect I might command. I had to do it, there was no other option.
    I sat on a rooftop near Joker's favorite abandoned warehouse. Yesterday, after purchasing a wig and costume eyeglasses, I had researched everything there is to know about him. I know everything he's done, everywhere he's been, and every breath he's taken. By knowing the past, I could predict the future.
    The Joker broke out of Arkham Asylum about a month ago. Since then, he has not been spotted. Some think he's plotting out his next evil scheme. This warehouse would be the most likely place for him to store any weapons or materials he had. If he truly were planning something, he would come here.
    All I had to do was wait, and Joker would play right into my hands. Waiting was the hard part. It gave me time to think over exactly what I had gotten myself into. With every second that passed, I became more terrified.
    "I'm going to die," I whispered into my hands, "I'm doing this out of spite, and I'm going to die because of it!"
    Death didn't matter, not anymore. There was nothing left to live for on this planet, except avenging my parents. Eventually, even that would be gone. Dying wouldn't mean much, at least that meant I could see Mama and Papa again.
    If I was going to die, this was one helluva way to do it.
    The warehouse had been quiet all night. At a quarter to three in the morning, the action happened. It began simply with a black van driving up, then two, then four, six, ten, fifteen black vans in all drove up. Men dressed all in black with goggles over their eyes and guns at their sides unloaded. They carried crates in from the backs of some of the vans.
    One van in particular stood out. The tires had purple rims instead of black. That was the one that Joker himself came out of. He exited the vehicle in a fit of laughter, as if someone had just told him the funniest joke ever heard. His violet suit was wrinkled in every spot imaginable, and he carried a cane with him. His hat, which matched his suit, spun on the end of it.
    This was it, the moment I had been waiting for. Joker and his henchmen moved inside of the warehouse, leaving the vans outside. A few henchmen remained as a guard, but none were set on the roof. That would be the perfect point of entry. I would sneak it, surprise attack, and shock him sillier before he even realized what was happening.
    "Well," I whispered, moving my goggles over my eyes, "It's now or never."
    From the rooftop I was stationed on to a pole on the warehouse, thick electric cords were tied. I used a pipe brought from my homestead to zipline down the pipe. Nobody saw me, nor did they hear me. It was as if I was invisible.
    Sometimes, I wish I was.
    I landed on the roof crooked, making my knee fail. Rolling over my shoulder, I landed in a crouch. My breathing hitched in my throat. That botched landing could be the end.
    Luckily, nobody noticed. I released the breath and headed towards the edge of the warehouse roof. There was a loose metal piece there. By pulling it back, I had made a hole large enough for someone of my size.
    Beneath the hole, the warehouse was pitch black. I didn't have the tech for night vision, nor for a wire to get me down. I had to hope my boots would soften the fall enough not to break my ankle.
    Taking a deep breath, I dove in. For a moment, it felt as if I had left the world behind. All that surrounded me was dark nothingness. I fell into oblivion, ultimately landing hard on the dirt floor below.
    I rolled on my shoulder, popping back up on my feet. The warehouse was still pitch black, except for a single light on the opposite side. Soft voices reached my ears, making me believe that was where Joker was.
    As silent as a mouse, I made my way to the light. When I arrived, I found a fair sized crate to hide behind. The Joker and a few of his henchmen were on the opposite side. They spoke in quiet voices, but I could understand them.
    "This is it?" Joker asked, "I ask for an army, and you give me three guns and a rubber band?"
    "Actually, there's several crates of weapons and a bazooka in the vans," a henchman replied.
    Another cleared his throat, "And the rubber band is extra large."
    "I don't care about the size of a rubber band! I care about weapons!"
    A shot rang out, making me jump, throwing my head down in my lap. The body of the second henchmen was lying on the ground, blood seeping from a whole in his forehead. He landed a scarce three feet away from me. I could still see a tiny hint of life in his eyes.
    "Get out there and get me more firepower!" Joker shouted, "If I'm going to build a super weapon, I need all the guns in Gotham!"
    A super weapon? My mind immediately pictured a giant tank with thousands of guns duct taped to it. Each trigger was linked back to one inside. With one twitch of his finger, Joker could simultaneously kill everyone in Gotham.
    It was an stupid idea, but that was just the sort of thing Joker would do. His ideas sounded stupid, but they were insanely brilliant. For him to invent something like Joker Gas, he has to be brilliantly crazy.
    Several henchmen marched out to the vans. That left Joker and the first henchmen. I peered around the crate to see Joker examining one gun. The henchman straightened and asked, "What are you going to do with the weapons when you get them?"
    "If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times!" Joker cackled, "I'm going to put them all together, and make them shoot my gas inside of the bullets. They'll rain over Gotham, and everyone will be dead! Including The Bat!"
    The henchman looked like he wanted to throw up. I felt myself gag a little as well, but I quickly choked it back. I had a mission, and throwing up would do nothing.
    If I was going to take on Joker, I had to get that henchman to go away. It would be hard enough to take on Joker, let alone the henchman.
    Glancing to my left, I saw a small piece of wood broken off from another crate. It was a good throwing size, which would make for a good distraction. Grinning, I picked it up and hurled it across the room. It made a loud clang on the opposite side of the warehouse, making both Joker and the henchman spin around.
    "I knew he'd find me eventually," Joker muttered, "You, go take care of that noise for me."
    The henchman, who seemed not to hear the first part, nodded and ran off. He ran right past me, making me press myself against the crate. As soon as he was gone, I jumped into action.
    I didn't have long. This had to be swift and silent. I charged my gloves and boots up, making them as strong as possible. The electricity surged through my veins, giving me a new found energy. I took a deep breath and leapt out from the crate.
    Joker's back was turned to me, giving me perfect timing to run up and leap onto his back. He shouted loudly as I wrapped my legs around his torso. Without hesitating, I placed my palms against his temples. The shock was enough to make him buck me off. I landed on my back, wheezing for a moment, before jumping back up.
    Joker was hunched over, laughing silently. He spun to face me. On his temples, black marks were scorched into his skin. He simply laughed through the pain.
    "You shouldn't have done that, sweetheart," he cackled.
    I curled my fists, "Who are you to tell me what to do?"
    "Are you one of Batman's new brats?" Joker asked, his eyes wild, "Robin The Second?"
    "My name is Blitz."
    "Blitz, a stupid name for a stupid girl."
    I sneered. Joker laughed loudly and manically. His laugh was terrifying. I felt myself going insane because of it. Shouting, I rushed forward to kick him square in the chest. He stumbled back, but was otherwise unphased. I rushed forward again, but he got the drop on me.
    I felt a sharp pain in my arm. Backing away, I found he had slashed my shoulders. A blood-covered switchblade protruded from his hand.
    "Let's see," Joker mused, "How many slices does it take to get to the bloody center of a Blitz?"
    I glared at him, "You'll never get the chance to find out."
    "We'll see about that, won't we?"
    I lunged at him again, doing my best to avoid the knife. He flung it wildly, seemingly without strategy. I got a punch to his chest, but he got a slice on my thigh. This one went deeper than the last, making me limp a little.
    We went at it again, this time with me aiming at his head. He didn't even try to slice me this time, he went right for the stab. He buried the switchblade one inch deep in my thigh. I cried out in pain, landing on my knee.
    "Three so far!" Joker cackled.
    The pain was nearly blinding, but I pushed through. I was able to stand, making me believe he hadn't hit any necessary muscles or bones. It was the second most painful thing I had ever experienced. The pain of the first is what fueled me forward.
    "Oh! She's still going!" he exclaimed, "You're just like a roach. They keep going even when their heads are cut off, you know."
    He looked as if he was even having fun with this. That just made me more angry. I lunged forward again, doing my best to grab both sides of his face. He simply dove out of the way, pushing me forward to where I landed face-first in the dirt.
    The sharp pain on broken bones radiated from my nose. The pain from that and my leg was almost blinding. It was all I could do to flip over in time to see him nail me square in the ribs.
    "Little Blitz, the Girl Who Doesn't Know When To Stop," Joker leaned down closer, "Sounds like a good legacy to me. I'll be sure they put that in your obituary."
    His face was so close to mine, I could smell fish on his breath. It came over me in hot waves. I grinned, spitting blood out onto the dirt.
    "And I'll make sure they say how much of a jerk you are in yours."
    Flipping over, I grabbed both sides of his face. The shock made him momentarily paralyzed, giving me enough time to flip over on top of him. I pinned his arms to his sides with my knees, and jerked the switchblade from my thigh. He gazed up at me, laughing when he realized I was preparing to stab him.
    I was ready to do it. My arms were raised, ready to send the blade directly into his heart. I could pull it out and take it to Batman as proof. I could carve the very grin right off his face. I was there, I could have done it!
    Yet, I couldn't. Something deep inside of me screamed at me to stop. I couldn't bring myself to bring the knife down.
    Joker might be a crazy, homicidal, maniac, but he was still human. Deep down, he might even be an innocent man trapped in a lunatic's body. If I killed him, he would never have a chance at freedom. Killing him would only make me as bad as he was.
    "You hesitated," Joker stated, "That's a big no-no."
    He flung his legs up, wrapping them around my chest and pulling me backwards. I rolled head over heels, giving him enough time to switch our positions. Now, it was him on top of me.
    "You're about to become a message, sweetheart," Joker placed a solid punch on the side of my jaw, "You're going to tell all of Gotham not to mess with The Joker."
    He hit me several more times. My vision became tinged with black as he did. I knew I was about to die. I had set out to do the ultimate trial, and had managed only in getting myself killed.
    Just as Joker pulled out the switchblade, and his laughing increased in craziness, a figure broke through the roof. Batgirl descended in a ray of heavenly light, or, at least, that's what my half-unconscious mind saw. In reality, the light came from the police cars and helicopters outside.
    "Not today, Joker!" she exclaimed, kicking him off of me.
    She began to fight him, both getting in equal hits. Batgirl's were harder, giving her the advantage.
    It was all I had to stay awake and watch. I was dazed, half of the things I saw were hallucinations. I did comprehend when Batgirl placed the final kick, knocking Joker out for real. He fell to the ground, allowing her to tie him up. Afterwards, she raced to me.
    "Come on, Blitz, stay with me!" she exclaimed.
    She lifted me onto her shoulder. Part of my upper torso dangled across her shoulder as she zipped us out. For a moment, I could have sworn we were flying. I saw the ground get further and further away. She was using her grappling hook to get us out of the warehouse and onto the roof. From there, she took us three buildings over. There were no police there, which was her goal.
    Batgirl gently put me down, propped up against an air conditioning unit. At that moment, sleep sounded like the best option. I felt myself slowly falling into oblivion, only to be jerked back with a hard slap.
    "Blitz, wake up!" Batgirl shouted, "You can't go to sleep!"
    "I'm up!" I exclaimed.
    The pain was severe, but that slap made me at least semi-coherent. I was aware enough to know what Batgirl was saying, and to see her pull a first aid kit from her utility belt.
    "What were you thinking?" she asked, pulling out a bandage roll, "Joker is the worst of the worst, what possessed you to take him on?"
    She set to bandaging my thigh. The pain woke me up more. I pushed myself up a little, wincing as she tended to my wounds.
    "I was thinking-ow- that I could prove to Batman that I was more than just a kid."
    Batgirl looked up at me, "You're ten, that's just a kid."
    "I'm surprised you remembered," I replied, "Robin's not much older than me, and Batman thinks of him as capable."
    "He trained Robin. You got yourself in way over your head."
    I grinned, "I just need to get better."
    Batgirl glanced up at me, shaking her head. Something in her eyes seemed like she was actually worried about me. Almost like a mother worries for their child.
    "You're a lot like I used to be," Batgirl said, "I wanted to take on the world too, but Batman helped put things into perspective for me."
    I smiled, "You're a lot cooler."
    I never expected myself to say something like that. In all honesty, I had read a lot about Batgirl before coming, and even more when I was researching Batman. To me, she seemed ten times cooler than Batman. She was more level-headed, and took on the world with a strategy.
    "My point is, you're not the first to put on a mask and fight crime. Everybody wants to be a hero," Batgirl said.
    I shook my head, "I don't want to be a hero. I just want to avenge my parents, and finally let their souls rest in peace."
    "You're parents?"
    "They were killed not to long ago. I'm out for their killer, and Batman's the only one who can help me."
    Batgirl fell silent. She finished bandaging my leg and moved to my face. Cleaning up the wound a little, she prepared it for a bandage. As she did, I could clearly see her eyes. They seemed conflicted, almost as if she was making a tough decision.
    "If you're truly set on fighting crime,I know a few people who could help, including me. We could train you, so this," she gestured to my nose, "doesn't happen again."
    I stared at her for a moment, "You're offering to help me? After all the trouble I've caused."
    "I was like you once, Blitz, I know what it's like."
    I stared at her for a moment. I had never thought of gaining Batman's trust by joining his team. I always thought I'd have to prove myself as an equal hero to him. This was a total different approach.
    Maybe I could do with a few friends. Batgirl, Batman, and Robin could be the best move for me. Mama and Papa wouldn't want me to do this alone, anyways. They would never want me to be alone.
    "You, know, I think I could do with a few friends," I smiled a little, "I've missed having friends."
    Batgirl smiled down at me, "Well, you have one know."
    "Thanks, Batgirl, for everything."
    I didn't know it then, but I had just made a best friend for life. Accepting Batgirl's offer would change my life for the better, and for the worse.
    "If we're going to be friends, then we need to know each other's real name," Batgirl reached up and pulled off her cowl.
    Beneath, I was met with familiar green eyes and ginger hair. It was the girl I had run into the other day on my escape from the police station. She smiled, "Barbara Gordon."
    "The Police Commissioner's daughter," I mumbled, "Does he know you're Batgirl?"
    Barbara shook her head, "Nope. If he did, I would be handcuffed in my room. Now, it's your turn."
    I hesitated. A secret identity was a superhero's most prized possession, revealing it risked everything. Yet, Barbara had revealed hers, it was only right that I did as well.
    Slowly, I reached up to push back my hood and pull off my goggles. Glancing up at her, I smiled, "Lucille Brimsey, but my friends call me Lucy."
    "Brimsey," Barbara grinned, "My Dad brought you in the other day."
    "And I ran into you as I escaped."
    "Maybe there is more to you than meets the eye," Barbara replaced her cowl, "We'll talk more later. For now, you need serious medical attention. I'll take you to the nearest hospital, they're used to us bringing in patients."
    She helped me to a standing position and to the edge of the building. From there, she readied her grappling hook.
    "And, Barbara," I said, before she shot, "Your secret's safe with me."
    She smiled, "You too, Lucy, you too."