Batman Retribution: Chapter 6

Batman Retribution: Chapter 6
As raindrops bombarded her skin Holly contemplated her decision as she knew there was no way around it. As she sat on the edge of the Wayne enterprises building she could see the faint lights of Wayne manor and the lights at the shipping docks where joker used to plan his crimes, and for once both sides of her life seemed calm. The silence was broken by footsteps.
“You know when compared to you I actually think I’m kind of lucky.” Nightwing said as he sat down next to her.
“How so?”
“Well at least I know my parents died loving me and not bickering over me.”
“Did Bruce send you?”
“Nope I came on my own terms.”
“And what are those?”
“To help you weigh your pros and cons.”
“You sound like you don’t care if I go with Joker.”
“It’s your decision, but you know what Bruce will be forced to do if you choose him. Joker already took Jason from us and I’m not he will let him take you too. If you’re gonna make you’re decision I would do it now because judging from those headlights breaking the speed limit coming here you have limited time.”
“Get out of here Dick this only involves 3 people.”
“Ok, you know where to find me.”
As Holly watched the Batmobile stop at the front of the building and its passenger enter it. She knew if her father was desperate enough and he was that he would follow the Batmobile to her location. Her skin continued to get bombarded by the rain she ran every outcome through her mind all of which had some type of violence in them.
“Holly.” Holly spun around to see her adopted father standing like a statue against the rain, his cape sheathing his body from the rain.
“Do you understand the amount of pressure you 2 are putting on me. If I choose dad #1, dad #2 will be forced to hunt us down, but if I choose dad #2, dad #1 might kill him.”
“It won’t come to that.”
“You don’t know that!”
“I don’t know, you may want to listen to her bats.”
Both of them turned around to see Joker standing with a pistol in one hand and the infamous crowbar in the other hand, his yellow teeth bearing his grin.
“I’ll do what I have too to get my daughter back.”
“All you’ll get is a cell in Arkham.”
“Not again!”
Joker charged Batman with the crowbar as Batman readied himself for a high attack to the head but found the impact on his chest. As he buckled under the impact he looked up to see joker halfway through a baseball like swing.
“Strike!” Joker said as he struck Batman and watched as he was launched off the building. “And one for good luck.” Joker said as he aimed the pistol and fired at the falling hero.
Batman was still dazed from the crowbar and the bullet in the bicep didn’t help. All he knew was it wasn’t long before he was a pulp on the road. He stretched out his arms to stiffen his cape to glide down to the ground. The touchdown was sloppy as he landed on his side. When he opened his eyes he saw a white line and thought he was on the road but his eyes followed it and discovered that it curved randomly and divided at random locations. He then discovered that he landed in crime ally.
“Look familiar.” Joker said as the grapnel rope reeled back into the gun. “I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed this, but I must say that it is a wonderful toy I think I’ll keep it, of course it’s going to need a new paintjob maybe a little green up front here…” But Joker couldn’t finish his sentence as a gloved fist smashed his left face in. “All right no more games, let’s finish this you pointy eared thief.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more.”
Holly stood on the roof watching the 2 blurs clash for a minute then separate for a few seconds and contemplated if only one of those blurs would walk out of that ally. She wondered what extent Bruce would be willing to go to to keep Holly. She thought of every situation she could think of on how this situation would end, some had both walking out, some had only one. She narrowed them down to the best one and acted on it before things got uglier. She took a few steps back than ran and leapt off the building. As she felt the wind flow through her hair she thought about the few grapnel gun lessons she got from Bruce, Tim, and Dick gave her, but mostly the tips Barbra gave her. Even though she was paralyzed she spoke about every tip like she just performed it. She pulled the grapnel gun out from under her shirt that she “barrowed” from the Bat-bike. She aimed it at the flag pole and fired it. As she confirmed that it latched on she prepared for her arms to be jerked up by the strain of the rope. Once she was about 10 feet of the ground she let go and went into a roll as soon as she hit the ground. Both men looked in amazement as she landed which gave her the perfect opportunity to kick the crowbar from her father’s hand and get in between them.
“Stop.”
“This doesn’t concern you Holly.”
“Actually I’m the only thing that concerns both of you. Now stop this before I have to make a trip to the hospital to see one of you.
“Oh believe me sweety, it won’t be a hospital, it will be a funeral service,”
“No, I won’t let you, now Batman if I get joker out of Gotham will you stop chasing him.”
“Never.”
“I didn’t want it to come to this but you leave me no choice.” She whipped out the grapnel gun and smashed the smoke pellet compartment of Batman’s utility belt.
“Come on, we don’t have much time.” Holly grabbed Jokers arm and ran out the bike at the end of the ally. “Get on.” She said as she mounted the motorcycle.
“Where are we going kido?”
“Out of Gotham”
The bike sped away as Batman emerged from the smoke, he ran to the Batmobile and found a note that read.
“Bruce, if your reading this then that means that I chose Joker to go with but hear me out. I chose to go with him because it was the best option. I will keep him out of the country and more importantly out of crime as much as I can, hopefully being with me will help him stay out of trouble. Love, Holly.
Bruce looked at the fading taillights and almost smiled. “She did what I couldn’t, finally got rid of him.” Bruce returned to the Batcave and the rest of the Bat-family.
“Where’s Holly?” Nightwing asked.
“Ridding the country of the Joker.”
“You let her go with him!”
“More like him go with her.”
“Are you going after her” Barbra asked.
“No, she made this decision herself and I will respect it.”

Holly looked over Gotham, but not as she remembered it now it was bright and modern with hover cars and holograms. She smiled and put the binoculars back into her bag. She now wore a purple and green jester hat with white face paint and a mask similar to her mother’s she also wore a matching bodysuit, gloves, and boots. Some say she was the new Harley Quinn but she wasn’t she was Joker. She had throwing knives lining her chest and a non-lethal version of joker gas grenades adorned on her belt, on her back was 2 batons that when combined formed a staff. With an outfit and makeup that paid tribute to her mother and weapons and a name to pay tribute to her father. She was trained by Talia al Ghul while traveling the world with her father on how to fight and use all sorts of various weaponry. Word was there was a new Batman in town and she knew Bruce was involved somehow. She made her way to Wayne manor and snuck in the Batcave. She left one of her knives with a note for her adopted father then quietly left. Bruce entered the cave and sat at the computer where he found the note and knife, it read. “Don’t worry nobody will die, that much I kept from you.” Then Terry came in.
“There’s been a break in at the bank reports say it’s a girl dressed as a jester.”
Bruce smiled and set the knife and note back down “She’s home.”
“What?” Terry asked
“Nothing, go the police will need you.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do now go.”