*J* (the continuation)

Part Thirty-Three: Chapter 250: Fall From Grace

Ivy watches as Jake touched up the paint that had restored his face to the human color it had been when he still called himself Jake. She considers Jake lucky that the criminal underworld doesn't know what the Joker really looks like. For now the face of Dr. Jake Smith would keep Jester safe. Right about now they were both wishing that he had postponed his high dive at Ace Chemicals.

"Jester, there's really no need for you to even go tonight," Ivy sighs and watches as he ties his tie, "J's clowns are capable of..."

He quickly cuts off her sentence. "Ivy. Something could go wrong at the last minute. This is my plan. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let Ace walk into an ambush."

"Ace is quite experienced. He's been doing this sort of thing by J's side for fifteen years. Whatever could possibly happen, he can handle it. No one would hold it against you if you just stay here with me. Where it's safe," Ivy adamantly protests.

"J's my brother. He's my responsibility. He is me, and I am him. There is no one without the other. I'm sorry my sweet, but I won't be sitting this one out," he sighs and tugs at the suit he wore, making sure all the seams were straight. When Ivy makes no reply he turns to face her where she sat on the bed. He squats in front of her and takes her hands. "I promise you that I will be careful. The plan is simple. The asylum will be gassed, nothing deadly. While everyone inside is caught up in the laughter, we find J. Then we walk out. Nobody dies. Nobody gets hurt."

Ivy removes her hands from his and stands. She crosses the room. Jake stands and watches as she pulls open a drawer. She reaches inside of it and carefully raises something out of it. When she turns he can see her looking over something wrapped with a bandanna. She approaches Jake and unwraps the object. It was a good and ivory Colt 45.

"This belonged to your brother," she says and offers the gun out for him to take.

Jake carefully takes the gun and tests the weight of it in his hand. He couldn't help but pay attention to the sheer beauty of the gun. J's guns were always customized. This one had a J engraved into the barrel. "You realize I've never fired a gun in my life? Besides, J's clowns will be strapped. I really don't think I'll be needing it," he says and tries to offer it back to her.

Ivy gently pushes it away, "I'd rest a lot easier knowing you have it."

Jake nods and stuffs it in the waist of his pants. He raises both hands and gently cups her face. "I hate to see you worry about me like this baby. I'll be fine. I'm going to save my brother. This time tomorrow we'll say goodbye to this dump and settle into our new home. Something that'll be nice to bring the baby home to."

Ivy sighs and nods. He cups her chin and raises it enough that he can press his lips to hers. He didn't want to worry her, but there was no way around it. He had to bust his brother out of that horrible place.

********************

Jake and Ace sit in the woods just outside of Arkham's gates. Behind them is four white vans. Each van held about eight clowns. Two clowns exit the rear van in full on SWAT suits with gas masks and harnesses around them. They approached Ace's window. He rolls it down and sticks an ear piece in his ear. Beside him, Jake does the same.

"Com check. One. Two," one of the clowns say.

"Copy," Ace nods. He reaches for a duffel bag sitting between he and Jake. He starts pulling out the grenades rigged with the Joker venom and hand them to the two clowns that would be going up the garbage chute. "Get in. Toss the grenades. Let us know when it's clear to enter."

"Yes sir," the clowns say and adjust their gas masks.

Ace then hands them bolt cutters for the lock on the fence around the incinerator. Ace turns to the back seat where Simon sat with an open laptop. "You got the feed?" Ace asks him.