The Mechanic and The Clown (Robert Downey Jr/The Joker)

Chapter 9

I had flown Bruce and myself back to Malibu in the jet. And I did all I could that the plane journey was a complete stress free environment with no surprises - well apart from one or two, I couldn't help it! The idea of the hulk raging angrily and attacking the plane sparked the childish excitement in me. I'm entertained by the strangest and most eccentric of things - Peppers told me off about it time and time again. Like that time in Monaco when I decided on a whim that I was going to participate in the Grand Prix with no prior training. Well can you blame me? I thought I was dying! It was my first I had had in years, my first vacation and that idiot Ivan Vanko had to ruin it. And of course Pepper blamed me for everything....

I missed having her around, "I should be the one in the coma," I thought to myself, looking out of the plane window to the black night sky.

"Stark?" Bruce spoke, noticing the fact that there had been about ten minutes without me talking - a personal best!

"Tony, are you okay?"

"I'm always okay." repeating what I said to Jarvis a few days earlier. Honestly, why do people not think I'm fine?

"Pepper?"

"Yeah," I sighed, my hand subconsciously pressed flat against the arc reactor, as if making sure that it actually was there and that it was all a dream. If only it was. Don't act so surprised! Yes I know I'm Tony Stark, I'm Iron Man but everyone has their fears, I just found out what mine were a bit later than everybody else. Oh man! Fear? That's sounds so weak, but ... Oh Alright! I'll hold my hands up and say it, I'm afraid of losing Pepper. She's the one thing I can't live without.

"Talking of which," I frowned curiously in Bruce's direction. I'm not one to talk about my feelings and all that, "I seem to remember that you never came to my wedding!"

Bruce, who was always very mild mannered responded with the excuse, "I got preoccupied."

"Sure." We all know what he meant by that!

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"Welcome home sir," Jarvis greeted as he always did whenever I came back. But we had no time to just twiddle our thumbs, I had already wasted nearly two days by getting Bruce on board and I was determined to lose any more time.

"How do we start?" Bruce was quite keen to help, thankfully, I could always count on that guy, "I mean if he works in the shadows it's bound to be difficult to track him."

"See that's where Jarvis comes in," I smiled mischievously, always one to have a few tricks up my sleeve, "while I was away I had him keep tabs on some things, there's an underground mob here in Malibu that has connections to the one in Gotham," I pulled out my desk chair, "so I figured he would use them."

"And?" Bruce had taken off his blazer jacket and was folding his arms, listening intently.

"Care to do the honours J?" I grinned, man I love technology, well, my tech anyway, I have my own assistant/friend/butler in Jarvis and the good thing is he doesn't require commitment or paid wages. But no he's good to have around, heck I invented him!

"There has been some unusual activity around the house of a mob leader called Clayton," Jarvis immediately answered me, obeying my command, "Clayton has links with a mob leader who goes by the name-"

"Gambol," I finished before Jarvis could complete his sentence. I knew I recognised that name, I've done a hell of a lot of research about The Joker.

"So we need to go this Clayton's place," Bruce suggested, pushing his glasses up to his eyes, inspecting the data I had brought up on the holographic screen.

"Damn right," I retorted, turning to Bruce with a smug grin on my face, "Shall we, Doctor Banner?" It was good to have him on my team, I much rather him helping me out rather than Capsicle - oh sorry, Steve Rogers. "Are you ready to play the game again?" I won't lie to you, the superhero gig can be quite strenuous, but I like it! And it's working, that's the important thing right? I'm Americas nuclear deterrent (not to mention I've successfully privatised world peace) - I deserve some credit at least. But Bruce? He prefers the quiet life, basically the opposite of mine, but somehow we've become good friends. And I don't really make friends easily, seeing as I'm er.. What's the word? 'Narcissistic' and 'self-obsessed'. "Of course I'm sure, cos it's not going to stop until either myself or the joker gets killed. And I guarantee you it's not going to be me."

"Sir I'm geting a live feed from surveillance cameras in the area," Jarvis sounded, for a computer with no emotion whatsoever, very alarmed.

I worked with my holograhic keyboard, "Bring it up," I remarked, perching on the corner of my desk. "Who's that?" Bruce pushed his glasses closer to his eyes, taking a closer. I myself of course recognised who it was immediately. I mean come on, who else would it be? The big black car that looked as if it had come straight out of Back to The Future (That film was wrong about so many things! Heck my inventions exceeded its expectations, and don't get me started about escaping death - anyway we're going off topic, where was I? Oh yeah, that's right!) and the only person brave enough (or stupid enough) to dress up as a human version of an animal, I think you know who I'm talking about. Bruce Wayne, oh I'm sorry, Batman - it's hardly a secret, I worked it out straight away... But then again I am a genius!

But what was he doing there? He had no need to be there, sure it was The  Joker we were dealing with here but the only difference was that the psycotic circus dropout had a one man death warrant for me. I guess the Joker kinda got a little ticked off with my popularity as being an unashamed, famous, brilliant superhero. Some guys can get jealous so so easily, if only he let up.

"Wayne," I spoke out, JARVIS had hacked into his supposedly highly secure army  motor vehicle. 

From the surveillance Jarvis was airing it was obvious that (Bruce) Wayne was annoyed at the sudden blare out of his name sounding from his vehicle. It was kind of funny actually, I guess that's another advantage of everyone knowing your identity, because there won't be that pressure to keep it hidden - plus the attention is GREAT! "Stark?!" Wayne growled, putting on his Batman voice, which just sounded to be honest, like someone with a bad case of  the flu. What was the point of it.

"Hi," I smiled smugly, Bruce (Banner) was quite amused too, "what's with the voice? There's some throat lozenges I could recommend." 

It was obvious I had aggravated him, disturbing his mission and all, well he was digging up my turf! I mean where was he during the whole New York thing? "How did you infiltrate into my vehicle Stark?" he sounded, still pointlessly keeping up the act. 

I couldn't help but laugh at what he said, "Seriously? You're asking me that? Me of all people?" 

"What do you want?" why did he insist on using that voice? And wait, didn't he retire? was I not supposed to know that? Whatever, I know a lot of things I'm not supposed to and I'm not exaclty stopping that habit any time soon!

"What are you doing there?" I retorted, rolling my eyes. During the conversation, Banner was starting on work, always so eager. 

"You really want to know?" Oh he did not just go there.. I knew exaclty what the end of his sentence was going to be. And I was not going to let him challenge without getting away with it. "Get down here for yourself, there's something here you might need to look at."

Was I going to refuse? No. The Joker had hurt my wife, something I was damn well sure that he wasn't going to get away with it.

(( Author's note: hey everyone! so sorry it took so long to update this book. I fell ill and then I had my exams, Thankfully all my exams are over now and I really hope you like this chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger!

what do you think Bruce Wayne means by "There's something here you might need to look at?" Is Tony in danger? 

I'd love to hear your views in the comments!

thank you!))