One Bad Day

Rescue

Joker's POV

I stood behind a structure of some sort in sight of Riddler's warehouse where I was scheduled to meet him in four hours. But we were going to hit him when he's not exactly expecting it. Bats is in full gear and checking the grounds with some sort of spyware in his mask. Frost and I stand patiently next to him waiting on the assessment.

"Theres a lot of guys in the front. They're already waiting with guns. Can your guys sneak down there undetected?" Bats asks me.

"They can do anything I tell them to," I answer.

"I've got some low velocity charges that we can set off in the front, it won't do a lot of damage but it will get their attention. Then we can come in through the back. It might buy us just enough time to get in."

I nod to Frost and he leaves with the charges to go give to Aces. He would choose the men to sneak down and set up the charges. So we stand and wait while Bats keeps a careful eye. In the meantime I do a weapons check and load my guns.

"Did you bring Joker Venom?" The Bat asks me.

I  give him a strange look, "Of course."

"Good, I have a feeling that we're going to need it. Can I have a few?"

"Sure, but I thought you didnt kill?" I say unclipping a few grenades from myself. I was actually impressed he wanted to use some of my chemical warfare weaponry.

"I'm counting on Riddler's men to be expecting gas and have the precautionary devices on hand."

Twenty minutes later Frost appeared, "It's done boss."

Bats pulls out a detonator. "Are your guys ready? Half in front, half in back?"

I pull out my walkie talkie and give my men the order to descend onto the warehouse as soon as the charges are detonated. I look at Batman and nod. He presses the button on the detonator and the explosions in the front of the warehouse go off. My men are there, waiting with guns and an appetite for destruction.

"You did tell them no killing, right?" Batsy asks me.

I just shrug, "Yeah, sure," I lie, "They're using rock salt and tranquilizers." But in truth they were using hollow points and armor piercing bullets. I like to be prepared you know.

"Kill em all!"

"Ooooh, this is so fun, lets play."

"Kill everything in sight."

"Joker?" Bats breaks my train of dueling voices.

"Huh?"

"I said are you ready?"

"I cock a gun in each hand and hold them up, "Ready."

We sneak up to the back entrance with over a hundred of my nen behind me. "Ok, boys, take them down," I growl.

They burst through the door with gunfire blazing, cutting down every one of Riddler's men who dare get in the way. Bats bursts into the warehouse bashing heads and using his skilled combat techniques. A twisted smile crosses my face and the nettallic smell of blood fills my nostrils. It awakened something inside of me. A primal instinct to kill. So I moved forward, guns in hand. I  shot everything that came after bats.

"Joker! I thought I said no killing!"

"Thats your rule bats, not mine. Rest asured though, I'll make sure your conscience stays clear," I say slamming a new clip into my gun.

"You go find Harley, I'll go after Riddler," Bats says.

I nod and we split up. I find an entrance to some sort of hallway. I run into a guy. He quickly aims his gun and fires but the gun doesn't go off. I laugh maniacally and lazily shoot him in the chest. Stupid idiot. I step over his body and round a corner. Bullets fly at me, one lodging in my arm. Now I'm mad. That just ruined a perfectly good shirt. I jerk loose a grenade of Joker Venom and start to whistle as I pull the pin. I throw it around the corner and wait for the bodies to fall as I finish whistling Pop Goes The Weasle.

I round the corner, staying close to the wall. It was alarmingly quiet. I make myself through a door and down another hallway. I see another corner and stand carefully at it. I peek around the edge and see a huge guy holding a gun and guarding a door. Whatever was behind that door was undoubtedly important. I think its Harley. I stick my gun around the corner and start firing at him, not knowing where my bullets are going. A semi automatic assault rifle starts to fire back at me. He fires till he runs out of bullets. I quickly step out aiming my gun at him. I, on the other hand, am not out of bullets. I smile and aim my gun right between his eyes.

"Bet you arent man enough to fight me," he says bringing up his fists.

I uncock my gun and toss it to the ground. I take a few steps, arm out, fingers moving in anticipation. The big oaf moves for me with a swing but I dodge it effortlessly. I pull out a knife, spin and stab him right in the heart.

"While I would love to play games with you, I haven't the time." His body falls and I step over him.

I reach for the doorknob and feel great anxiety as I turn it. I push it open slowly, expecting trouble on the inside. But when the door opens I see something that catches my eye, alabaster skin covered in blood. Harley! I rush in and see her with her eyes shut, naked from the waist down, and a huge gash in her stomach.

"No! Harls! Baby?" I start to cry.

I take her limp body in one arm and raise a knife up to cut the rope holding her. She falls into my arms and I check her for a pulse. I cant tell if she has one because my own heart is pounding too loud. I lay her on the ground and try listening to her chest, but again my heart is too loud in my ears. I pull her into my lap as tears spill down on her.

"No! No! Please wake up baby," I slap at her face, but nothing. I bury my face into her, "You promised baby. You promised to live for me. Wake up!"

Then Bats is rushing into the room, "Riddler escaped, we have to get out of..." He stops when he sees Harley in my arms and me crying over her.

"Bring her back! Please!" I scream.

He bends over her, placing his cape over her naked body. He feels for her pulse. "Shes alive, but we dont have much time. We have to get her back to the batcave," he tells me. I'm going crazy. Suddenly I'm fully aware of how much I loved her and wanted and needed her and the baby. Bats tears off a piece of his cape and places it across the wound on her stomach, wiping away the blood for a better look. "The cut didn't get to the uterus, the baby may still be alive. We gotta go."

But I simply couldn't pull it together. My brave strong voices, the voices of murders just stand idly and in silence as they watch Jack cry. Suddenly a strong hand goes across my cheek.

"Jack! We have to go!"

I nod and lift Harley's limp body into my arms. I carry her to the batmobile and get in holding her in my lap. I caress her face and tell her everything is going to be ok. Bats pulls out an energency first aid kit and tosses me a steril towel.

"Put pressure on the wound."

So I do. I pray to feel the baby move under my hand but theres nothing. Bats drives like...well, a bat out of hell back to the batcave. When we make it Alfred is waiting along with Harley's OB/Gyn. They have a gurney waiting. I carefully lay her on it and kiss her as her doctor quickly starts to wheel her away. I  try to follow but bats grabs my arm.

"They can't do their jobs with you in ttve room freaking out. Besides, you've been hit, you need to be seen to."

"Fuck my arm! I want to be with my wife!!" I jerk away.

"Master Joker sir," Alfred calmly says, "You can't be of any use in that room. Let them save her. I'll get that bullet out of your arm before you get lead poisoning. Up on the table now," he politely instructs me.

"No no no, you can't get my blood on you it'll..."

"I'm aware of your condition Master Joker sir, that why I had Mr. Fox prepare a special set of gloves that won't be affected by your blood. Now, on the table you go."

So I got on the table and let Bats butler start to dig in my arm. I never took my eyes off the door of the room they took Harley in.

"I found Zsasz through sonar imaging at one of the Riddler's  hangouts, but no Riddler. I'm going to go apprehend him," Bats says as he hovers over a computer screen.

"I'll go with you," I say.

"No. Not this time," bats shakes his head.