The mercenaries threw her down. The clown sauntered towards, a lot of exaggeration in his movements and kneeled down.

“Oh, this one will do nicely,” the Joker said, kneeling down and touching her chin. She winced as he grabbed her, the smell of his breath causing her to gag. “Klaue, haul your one-handed ass over here.”

Klaue came rushing in, holding a camera in his hand.

“State your name and occupation for the camera please,” Joker said.

“Please let me go,” she whimpered. “Please I have a family.

“Name and occupation, please.”

“Claire,” she said, her voice shaking. “Clair Sinclair. I work as a scientist for Project S.”

“Now, Clair please tell the folks at home what you did under project S?”

“P-Please.”

“Tell them what you do,” Joker said, his voice suddenly serious.

“I was in charge of h-h…” Claire could barely finish her sentence before she started breaking down and crying.

“Oh, come on Claire,” Joker said. “Don’t be such a diva. This isn’t reality TV.”

“H-h…” Claire fell on her knees. “Oh, mum, dad I’m so sorry.”

“H-H what?” Joker asked. “Are you shivering? It isn’t cold in here, is it?”

Joker turned to Klaue. “Did you turn the AC down?”

Klaue shook his head.

“C’mon Claire,” Joker said. “What were you in charge of?”

“Human experimentation,” Claire said, stifling out sobs. “I’m sorry,” she said to one in particular. “I didn’t have enough money and Nana needed treatment and…”

“What did I say about being a diva, Clair?” Joker said. “The folks out there won’t by it. They can tell you’re overacting. This isn’t an Indian Drama.”

“Steve, bring in the symbiote,” Joker called.

Steve came in with a cart, inside the cart a pink parasite ebbed and flowed, desperately trying to break free of the container.

“Pink, just for you,” Joker said. “Your friend, Stan told me you liked the colour pink.”

Joker clapped his hands. “There he is right now.”

Joker pointed to the corner of the human experiments room, at bodies with their eyes melted out and mouths wide open. Their bodies or what remained of them, grey husks and a black liquid staining their white lab coats.

Claire put a hand over her mouth. “Oh god, Stan.”

Claire was on her knees, tears dripping from her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Let’s leave her and strawberry here,” Joker said. “C’mon boys let’s get out of here.”

The metal door hissed as their footsteps receded. As they left realisation dawned on Claire. She scrambled towards the door.

“No,” Claire cried, screaming. “Please let me out of here.”

Joker turned to Klaue. “C’mon Klaue you gotta capture this. The fear, the desperation and despair. She’s really giving it her all.”

The symbiote broke out of the container. Claire had her back to the door as it crawled towards her, sizing her up like a snake about to strike.

“Please let me go,” Claire whimpered. “Please, please.”

The symbiote struck, Claire jumped out of the way. She sprinted towards the glass screen, knocking her hands against it. “Please. Please.”

The Joker felt a familiar buzzing in his head.

“I told you Carny,” Joker mumbled. “Your daddy isn’t here.”

The symbiote lashed out like a whip. Claire dodged, landing amidst the rotting corpses of the scientists.

“Well how am I supposed to know where he is?” Joker said. “I’m not your babysitter.”

She crawled out of the mound of corpses, running away from the symbiote but the symbiote lashed out again, slashing her across the back. Claire landed on the ground as the symbiote leapt.

“We’ll find your dad after the show,” Joker said. “I mean come on. It doesn’t get better than this.”

The symbiote wrapped itself around Claire, hot pink wrapping around her body eating away at her muffling out her screams. Amidst the pink, a tendril waved in the air and plunged itself into her neck.

Joker laughed. “Oh, that brings back memories. Remember when we first met Carnage.”

Unfortunately, little old Claire wasn’t compatible with the beast. Blood started pouring out her eyes and mouth as the symbiote ate away at her mouth until she was nothing more than a grey husk.

“TESTING FAILED,” said a robotic voice. “DISPOSING OF SUBJECTS.”

Three mercenaries emerged from the back entrance, holding two Vibranium sound canons. Two of them fired off a low frequency enough to debilitate the Symbiote without harming it, the other one focused on containing it.

After containment, the hollowed-out husk of Claire Sinclair was left. If there had been a brain scan carried out, doctors would find that her brain was nothing more than a shrivelled-out mess of absent neurons.

The mercenaries carried away the symbiote.

“Bring in the next one,” Joker called out.

Two mercenaries left the room as the Joker waited.

There were muffled footsteps. Footsteps Joker recognised as Clive’s. Clive who was supposed to be outside patrolling.

Clive was about to speak but Joker had a gun pointed straight at his revolver.

“Sir,” Clive said, breathless.

“Ah, ah, ah, Clive,” Joker interrupted. “What did I say about your station?”

“To never leave it but…”

“How do we communicate if there’s something urgent?”

“Through the com’s but sir…”

Joker thumbed the barrel. “I set out a simple procedure, Clive. A very simple procedure yet you still choose to ignore it. Somehow your gorilla brain can’t comprehend the words ‘stay outside’. Now tell me why you couldn’t follow such simple procedure otherwise they’re going to have to clean your brains off the floor.”

“Sir, the Batman is here,” Clive said, tears falling down from his eyes, sweat pooling his face. “He’s here with Spider-Man, sir.”

Joker nodded, scratching his chin with his right hand. “That’s very very good news Clive.” The Joker fired the gun as Clive’s brain splattered across the walls.

“Very good news indeed,” Carnage said, glee plastered all over his toothy grin.

…

Outside ACE Chemicals, police lights danced in a flash of red and blue, reflecting off the puddles caused by heavy rain. About 3 dozen police cars were in front of the ACE Chemicals gate. By the front door were the corpses of other GCPD cars, billowing smoke up the air. A large wall of about 20 metres separated ACE chemicals from the police officers and stationed atop those wars were soldiers equipped with military grade Vibranium weapons.

Officer Jim Gordon was amongst these officers. GCPD had called a SWAT team but the remains of their truck could be seen floating in the green lake surrounding ACE.

“Any word on team 2,” Jim Gordon said into his microphone.

“Team 2 is dead,” said a familiar deep voice.

“Jesus,” Gordon said. “You scared me.”

Batman could see from the rings around Gordon’s eyes that the Commissioner had not been getting any sleep. His face was sunken and his hair looked greyer than usual. He looked down and noticed that the Batman’s left leg looked different, like a new piece of armour.

“I heard about…”

“Don’t,” Gordon said firmly. “Not now. What happened to Team 2?”

“Scans from the Batwing show that they infiltrated the back entrance successfully,” Batman said. “Unfortunately, the Joker’s goons got to him first. They’re trained mercenaries first. Team 2 didn’t stand a chance.”

“Jesus,” Gordon said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Robin will clear the mercenaries around the secret lab entrance,” Batman said. “But he won’t be able to do it alone.”

“Well as you can see, we have our hands tied,” Gordon said. “The wall’s being guarded by assholes with Vibranium weapons. None of us can break through otherwise we’ll turn into mincemeat. If someone does get through, they’ll be picked off by the Vulture.” Gordon turned to Batman. “Unless you’re volunteering.”

“Don’t worry,” Batman said. “I have a friend.”

Gordon noticed a flash of red streaking past the cars.

…

“Yo, dude,” said mercenary one. “There’s something coming right at us.”

“You said that ten times already,” said dude. “Get off the pot and focus.”

“No, dude,” Mercenary one said. “It’s climbing up the walls like a… like a…”

“This is why you don’t put a pothead on…” Dude was interrupted by a flash of red kicking him in the face.

“No, dude,” Mercenary one said. “He was climbing up the wall like one of those insects. Not those easy to kill ones, you know? Like a cockroach or a…. or a cricket, you know? It’s those really creepy ones that walk around in corners and shit. Like a… like a... They make those little sticky things that catch insects. I think a caterpillar. No, not a caterpillar. A maggot. No nah.”

“A spider?” offered a voice mercenary one hadn’t heard before.

“A spider?” Mercenary one looked off into the distance blankly and as realisation dawned on him, he grinned. “Yes, that’s exactly it. Thanks bro.”

Mercenary One turned to see Spider-Man, wearing a new suit. It was a darker red than usual with black webs running through it. On his torso there was a giant black… insect. God dammit Mercenary One forgot its name. Behind him were the unconscious bodies of the other mercenaries, their Vibranium weapons either webbed up or scattered all over the place.

“Holy shit, Spider-Man,” Mercenary One said. “It’s you. I’m supposed to kill…”

Spider-Man punched him in the face before he could complete his sentence.

…

ACE Chemicals was a warzone. GCPD Officers were firing at trained mercenaries, debris and cinder rained in from the air under the destructive force of the Vibranium weapons. GCPD officers were moving from cover to cover as the world around them exploded into nothingness.

Meanwhile, Batman, Gordon and a dozen other GCPD officers were fighting through the debris making their way to the underground lab where the Joker was holed up.

“It’s a warzone out here,” Gordon shouted to no one in particular as a GCPD officer was knocked back by the destructive force of a Vibranium weapon. Loud sounds could be felt shaking the ground beneath them like earthquake tremors. They could hear the sound of explosions in the distance as clouds of smoke floated in the air.

“We’re getting close to the underground lab’s location,” Batman said. “Robin is close by.”

They turned a corner past as a police car exploded behind them and gunfire ringed in the air. The entrance to the underground lab was surrounded by a dozen of unconscious bodies. Robin was standing in front of it, arms crossed and looking at a non-existent watch on his arm.

“What happened to being quiet?” Robin asked.

“Change of plans,” Batman said. “What’s happening inside?”

“I’m assuming the entrance is heavily guarded,” Robin said. “Even more so than the outside. Took me a while to deal with the guards out front even when it was quite.”

“Did you manage to get the door open,” Batman asked.

“Took me a while but,” Robin took out a Batarang and pressed a button to electrically charge it. He walked over to the motor. “Just give the motor a little kick and…”

He jammed the Batarang inside. The door rumbled open, scraping against the floor. Gordon and the rest of the GCPD had their guns pointed at the door, their bodies tense.

“Hiya Bats,” Joker said, standing on the other side of the gate alone wearing only a trench coat and a hat. “How’s the…”

The GCPD officers fired immediately but not before a red blob fully enveloped Joker, turning him into a giant red monster.

“LEG,” Carnage said grinning,

…

Spider-Man hopped around the battlefield, saving GCPD officers and dealing with the Joker’s mercenaries. He saved a GCPD officer about to get caught up in a Vibranium weapon’s blast. After he put him somewhere safe, he swung over to the Mercenary.

“Can’t you see the good man is walking over there?” Spider-Man said, yanking the weapon out of his hands. “Man, you need to get your eyesight checked.”

Spider-Man noticed a GCPD officer trying to get his friend out of the rubble, two mercenaries were walking around to flank them, their weapons glowing.

Spider-Man knocked him across the face and swung towards the GCPD officers. He kicked the mercenary on the officer’s right in the face, his weapon firing a blast in the air.

As for the second he flicked his left wrist and…

… fired it against a block of concrete. The web was shaped like a bullet and it zoomed across the testing room like a rocket. The block exploded outwards. Peter removed his goggles.

“God damn,” Peter said.

Dick nodded. “Yep.”

“You telling me Barbara came up with this?” Peter asked.

“Yep,” Dick said. “She noticed the density and overall strength of the formula and decided to make some adjustments.”

Peter went over the paper, checking out the formula. “Huh never thought about it like this. If I change around the values of this, I can come up with a potentially non-lethal version. Just need to negate the force with a sticky film that increases the friction and…”

“Yeah, you do that,” Dick said. “While you’re nerding out about the formula, Bruce and I came up with some adjustments for your web shooters.”

“What kind of adjustments?” Peter said, the statement catching his attention.

Dick smirked. He put a web shooter on his wrist. “Check it out.” Dick pressed the button on the web-shooter, a simple white web flew out. “Now this fires normal webs, right? Your typical Spider-Man fair but if I flick my wrist.” Dick flicked his wrist and fired again. This time it shot out a spider-tracer instead. “It changes the ammo type.”

“Interesting,” Peter said. “A motion sensor?”

“Yep,” Dick said. “Just flick your wrist and boom, your ammo changes.”

Peter started to smile. Dick grinned back at him.

“You’re seeing the possibilities too, right?” Dick asked.

Peter nodded, staring at the concrete slab. “You bet I am.”

Spider-Man fired the web and the thug got knocked back with the force of a shotgun without the lethality of one, he flew back sticking to a nearby wall. The weapon was seconds away from firing as it spun in the air. After it fired, the web shooter returned to its default setting. Peter just had to flick his wrist again and boom. Peter fired another impact web and launched the weapon in the air, causing it fire at nothing except maybe a few birds.

“You carry around all these big weapons,” Spider-Man said. “You guys compensating for something?”

Spider-Man ran over to the cops, lifting up the rubble. The other cop, a woman, dragged her friend out and made him lean on her shoulder.

“Get out of here,” Spider-Man said. “Go. Call the army or something, just make sure you and your friend are safe.”

“What about you, Spider-Man?” asked the cop.

“I’ll be fine,” Spider-Man said as half a dozen mercenaries came in, weapons glowing and ready to blow. “Okay maybe not fine but I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me and get out of here.”

Just then, half a dozen mercenaries came rushing in firing their Vibranium weapons in the air. The one in the middle was heavily armoured, wearing black armour over his body. Peter knew a normal punch nor a full strength one wouldn’t work. He needed to think on his feet.

“Five guys?” Spider-Man said. One of them fired the gun, Spider-Man leapt in the air avoiding the ray. “Don’t you think that’s a little much for little old me?”

Spider-Man tried getting in close to the armoured guys but his friends wouldn’t stop firing at him.

“Can you ease up a little please?” Spider-Man said. “You’re kinda loud. Noise pollution is a huge problem you know?”

The men fired again, one of the rays missing him by just an inch.

Spider-Man sighed. “Don’t blame me if you get deaf.”

He webbed away from them, looking around for a place where he had an advantage until he found a warehouse. He crashed into the warehouse and flicked his wrist

“Two types,” Dick said. “It can carry two types of additional ammo. We could upgrade it to make it 3 but we’re running on a tight schedule here.”

“You were telling me about those sensors,” Peter said. “Those ones in the gel?”

“Oh yeah, the Wayne Tech micro sensor,” Dick said. “The explosive gel spray has micro sensors in them that sense when there’s a person nearby like this.”

Dick sprayed explosive gel on the side of a wall. “Walk in front of it,” Dick said.

“You sure?”

“I’m not going to blow it up in your face.”

“I don’t believe that,” Peter said.

Dick smirked. “Yeah, you better not.”

Peter walked in front of it. As soon as he did, he heard something beeping.

Dick showed a screen on the back of the explosive gel gun. The screen was flashing on and off.

“When a person’s in close proximity to the gel the sensor goes off,” Dick said. “Since it’s wired to the explosive gel, the gun on the screen immediately starts flashing.”

“Is there a way to make the explosive gel immediately off?” Peter asked. “As soon as the sensor senses a person.”

“Sure thing, let the explosive gel go off immediately without any regard for human life.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Peter’s spider senses started buzzing. Peter backflipped away from the wall as it exploded into rubble.

Dick groaned. “God dammit.”

“Asshole.”

Dick grinned. “Yeah, there is a way.”

“Can I hook it up to a light sensor?”

Dick nodded. “It’s Wayne Tech. It can do anything. Why’re you asking these questions? Is it because of those web mines you’re building?”

Peter nodded and then grinned. “Yeah, I just had an idea.”

The warehouse around them exploded into a mess of splinters. “Jesus Christ you should be glad you work ACE. I don’t think you’d be able to pay for that,” Spider-Man said. He was hiding behind a stack of crates. The mercenaries might as well have walked into a spider’s web. Damn, Peter made himself laugh sometimes.

Two mercs walked in from the front and were immediately enveloped in a web cocoon. 4 left. Two came in from the flank but were snapped back into a tower of crates. They were only two more left. The armoured one and the not armoured one. Spider-Man took a crate from one of the stacks and placed a web mine on it. He threw it up in the air. The men fired their weapons reducing the crate to splinters but the mine got one of the men and he was wrapped up in a cocoon.

“Only one more to go,” Spider-Man muttered to himself. Spider-Man leapt over the crates. The man in the armour tried slamming against him with the Vibranium weapon but Spider-Man ducked.

“Your friends are in a really sticky situation, don’t you think?” Spider-Man said. The mercenary swung his weapon again, Spider-Man ducked and punched him across the torso knocking him only a few feet.

“Man, that’s one steady ass armour,” Spider-Man said. “Did your mum make it for you?”

“My mum’s dead asshole,” the mercenary said firing a Vibranium weapon. Spider-Man dodged it.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Spider-Man said. “Did she die of shame after seeing your face?”

The man growled and fired his weapon.

“Look, there’s clearly a lot of anger,” Spider-Man said. He attached a web mine to one of the crates. “How about we talk about it? It’s not good to keep things inside. My therapist says sometimes it’s great to show some vulnerability. To show some cracks in our armour.”

“Can you shut up?” the man roared, firing another weapon.

“Oh, you’re going to be mad when you hear this,” Spider-Man said, attaching two webs on a pillar on his right and left. “But that’s not what your mum said all those nights ago.”

The man roared and fired. Spider-Man leapt up as the ray reduced stacks of crates to splinters. Using the two webs attached to the pillars he propelled himself forward like a slingshot. He kicked the man across the chest knocking him forward and did a backflip.

“Oh my god, son is that you?” Spider-Man said. “Seeing you up close you look so familiar. Granted you’re not as handsome but we can’t all inherit the good genes.”

The mercenary took a while to regain his bearings. When he did, he growled and charged up with his weapon.

“You’re dead Spider-Man,” the mercenary roared. “Dead, you hear me!”

“You would kill your own father?” Spider-Man said, letting out a mock gasp. “What type of Shakespearean tragedy is this?”

Spider-Man put his hands behind his back and attached a web to the crate his web mine was on.

“Though you’ll find I’m not that easy to kill.”

Spider-Man launched the crate as the mercenary fired. He leapt out of the way as the web mine was set off and the man was wrapped in a cocoon that attached itself to a crate that shattered under the armoured man’s weight. He fell down to the ground unconscious.

“And I didn’t get to use the ace up my sleeve,” Spider-Man muttered. “Bummer.”

He was about to jump back into the battlefield. Look for Dick and Bruce and help them out. Hopefully find Adrian amidst this mess and stop him from doing whatever it was he wanted to do.

But then he heard the sound of a motor humming in the air. His Spider-Sense buzzed as a streak of silver flashed by in front of him. He looked down and saw a metal dagger stuck in the ground. The Vulture’s feathers. Peter felt his stomach churn as he turned around to see the Vulture, a clean blue flame being spewed out of a motor attached to a pair of glistening silver wings. The Vulture was wearing a bright green suit with black armour attached to the chest and torso area. He also wore his signature pilot mask. He removed the mask revealing the face of Adrian Toomes.

“Peter,” Adrian said, he looked like a disappointed father when he stared down at Peter. “You didn’t listen.”

“I’m not going to let you kill someone else, Adrian,” Peter said, taking out his mask. “I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s too late for me, Peter.”

Peter clenched his fist. “God dammit no. It’s not too late. It’s never too late. We can fix you, Adrian. You can get help. You can get rehabilitated. It’s never too late.”

“It is,” Adrian said, his face sombre, almost reflective. “It is for me.”

There was a pause. Peter wanted to say something, anything to save his friend but then Adrian spoke up.

“Peter, you have to understand,” Adrian said. “Everything I did, I did for my family.”

“Were those police officers you killed for your family, huh?” Peter asked. “And what about those ACE Chemical trucks you blew up? Was that for your family? Would Valeria and Chery want this?”

“Don’t you dare say their names,” Adrian growled. “Or I will kill you, you little bastard.”

Peter was taken aback. He could barely mask the sadness in his face. “Was I not family huh? Was I not family to you?”

“No,” Adrian said, lying to both himself and Peter. “No, you never were.”

Peter looked away, feeling his heart break. The memories he shared with Adrian, the things they worked together on, the jokes they shared all melting away being replaced with the pain those words Adrian brought upon him. The love he felt for his friend being replaced with a determination to put down this criminal so he wouldn’t hurt anyone else. Peter put on his mask.

“Well,” Spider-Man said. “I guess this is it, huh?”

…

“So many delicious meals in front of me,” Carnage hissed. “I wonder who…”

Carnage didn’t get any time to finish his sentence as gunfire rained down upon him. He tried to retaliate by forming his hand into a scythe but before he could a shrill sound started tearing into him like a tuning fork in his brain.

Carnage clutched his head in pain. His body twisting and contorting as a shrill sound emitted from the two Batarangs surrounding him. The Joker emerged from the twisted dance of Carnage’s body. Batman and Robin took the opportunity to move in for an attack. Batman threw Batarangs that stuck against the Joker’s arm. Joker let out a yelp of pain as Robin leapt in the air, dropkicking him in the face.

“Can’t a guy get a moment to breathe?” Joker said, wiping his bleeding nose. His left hand, limp and bleeding.

“Officers get him,” Gordon commanded. Two officers immediately started jogging.

“Wait!” Batman shouted but before they had the opportunity to listen the blood in Joker’s left hand twisted and formed into a scythe that sliced through the Officer’s head, turning their bodies into geysers of blood that caked the Joker’s face.

“This is why you should always watch your head, boys,” Joker said, a twisted grin on his face. The blood of the officers rained down upon Joker as the officers started firing. However, their bullets were soon absorbed by Carnage who just grinned. Carnage leaped but Batman went over to meet him, sliding underneath him and spraying explosive gel hoping it hit. Before Carnage could slice at the officers firing at him, Batman detonated the explosive gel and Carnage’s chest was left wide open. Robin sprinted towards Joker, punching open the vulnerable area. As Carnage tried to cover it up, Robin sprayed explosive gel on his face. He did a backflip and detonated the gel leaving his face wide open. Batman used this opportunity to throw two sonic Batarangs that caused the rest of Carnage’s body to twist and contort. Carnage lashed out at the Batarang but before he could reform Batman used the Batclaw to pulled Joker out of the bloody twister. Unfortunately, it followed him like a magnet and before Batman could react, Carnage sliced him across the chest.

Batman stepped back, blood running dripping onto his hands from the three claw marks that sliced across the Bat’s body.

“You’ve become more relentless,” Carnage said, grinning. “You’ll find I am like that too.”

Robin threw two Sonic Batarangs but Carnage whipped them out of the air with a single swipe. He extended his arm into a scythe and sliced at only the air as Robin leapt in the air. Carnage lunged but Robin grabbed his shoulders and backflipped over him.

The police continuously fired at him, providing an annoying background chorus. Carnage tried slicing at them but they avoided it quickly, taking a step back, firing and reloading. Carnage heard a hissing noise behind him and saw Robin spraying gel onto his right knuckle. Carnage swiped at him but Robin dodged with ease. Avoiding each and every one of Carnage’s desperate attempts to attack him with the ease of a professional acrobat. Carnage turned his hand into a palm and tried stabbing Robin but he ducked, sliding on his knees until he was close to his chest. Robin punched against his chest and detonated.

Joker was launched across, his body zooming past the GCPD officers. He landed in front of Commissioner Gordon. The Joker grinned as he saw who was standing over him. Before the Commissioner could react, a spear made of blood lashed out at him.

…

Spider-Man leapt away from the volley of feathers Vulture launched at him. Vulture, using that moment as a distraction dived directly at him, Spider-Man knowing what to expect next leaped over him.

The feathers attached themselves to Vulture as blue energy surged across his Vibranium wings, ready for another launch. But before Vulture could launch them, he zoomed back thanks to the web mine Spider-Man attached to his wings. Spider-Man swung towards him knowing it wouldn’t hold him for long. What he didn’t expect was to tackled across the sky.

There was a tangle of limbs. “You still have annoying tricks up your sleeve, don’t you, Peter?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Spider-Man said. He launched an impact web that separated both Spider-Man and Vulture from each other., propelling Vulture forward and leaving Spider-Man free falling. He didn’t have time to decide what to do next as a volley of feathers circled up in the air headed towards him.

“Shit,” Spider-Man mumbled. He pressed both his wrists against each other and shot out a stream of webs that formed out into the shape of a net. A few of the feathers flew past his web shield but most of them were saved by his net. Spider-Man satisfied stopped the stream and attached two webs to two warehouses that were close by. His foot scraped against the gravel as he felt his webs struggling underneath the tension of his weight. His spider sense buzzed and he saw the Vulture inches away from him. Spider-Man used the tension to leap over him. Turning in mid-air like a ballerina, Spider-Man pressed a button on his web-shooters. A blue light coursed through them and an…

“Electric charge,” Peter said. “I found out that the webs can conduct electricity. I just need something that can charge them as soon as I fire.”

“The electric gun,” Dick said.

“What?”

“Bruce has a gun that fires balls of electricity,” Dick said. “It can temporarily knock down guns, overcharge generators. Sometimes it can get you out if you’re in a pinch. Thing is it doesn’t fire pure electricity, even though it looks like it does. It supercharges the ammo in it which is some type of electric conductor. There’s a special type of battery Bruce uses. I can hook you up with one of those.”

“Thanks, Dick.”

“No problem,” Dick said. “I’ll go look for it right now.”

“You know,” Peter said. Dick stopped. Peter chuckled. “I wouldn’t have found out about half of these if it wasn’t for Barbara. She was smart enough to write down the formula and make adjustments to them. She said she wants to do something in computer science but she’d make one hell of a scientist.”

Peter sighed. “It’s all my fault, Dick. I should have been there for her. If I was, I could have protected her from the Joker. I… I could have done something god dammit.”

Dick, without a word took a seat next to him. “Barbara joined us two years ago.”

“Us?”

“Bruce and I,” Dick said. “She was just fourteen when she joined us. She dressed up as Batgirl for the first time in some party, party got out of hand and she stopped her dad from being shot. Before then, she’d always wanted to be a cop. Her dad wouldn’t let her, even physically stopped her but I always saw Barbara reading forensics books.” Dick chuckled. “Hell, even the Penal Code. She practically has that thing memorised better than most lawyers.”

Dick cleared his throat. “When she became Batgirl, I obviously wanted to stop her. Being Robin for 3 years and almost getting killed by Two-Face showed me how dangerous this can be and every time something happened to her, I blamed Bruce. Every time she got hurt, I blamed Bruce. If it wasn’t for Bruce training her and making her think…” Dick paused, looking ashamed about what he was about to say next. “Making her think she could be Batgirl she wouldn’t be getting hurt this way. She wouldn’t have to risk her life every night against the worst this city had to offer. I blamed Bruce but, in all honesty, I was just throwing all the blame I threw onto myself onto him. I… blamed myself for not being able to protect her.” Dick sighed, looking like he was on the verge of tears. He whispered ‘oh god’ underneath his breath. “It was only now I realised that no matter what I did, no matter what Bruce did she would have still risked her life each night. You know why? Cause she’s stubborn as all hell. I mean.” Dick chuckled. “I’m pretty sure her memorising the entire Penal Code gave it away.”

Dick got up. He turned around and looked Peter in the eye. “It’s not your fault that this happened to her, Pete. It’s not anybody’s. It was just shitty luck that this happened to her, that this happened to all of us.”

“But…”

“No buts,” Dick said. “If Barbara was here right now, she’d be laughing at you. Mark my words, Pete. After she’s done recovering, she’ll be back kicking ass. Probably on a wheel chair but she’ll be kicking ass nonetheless so stop worrying about her, okay. She’d hate that.”

Peter smiled. It was a weak smile but a smile nonetheless. “You’re right.”

“I always am,” Dick said. “Now you need a battery, right? Let’s go look for one.”

Peter got up, following Dick.

“If there’s anybody you should blame, it’s that clown,” Dick said. “But that’s what we’re here for, right? To kick that clown’s ass.”

Dick turned to Peter. “So, stop moping around, we’ve got a clown to beat.”

His web shooters glowed a bright blue as Spider-Man fired an electric web directly at the motor. The Vulture growled in pain as an electric current roared through the motor, blowing out circuits and snapping out wires.

The electric current stopped and the Vulture fell on the floor, on his knees.

“It’s over, Adrian,” Spider-Man said. “So, can we please, please stop fighting?” Spider-Man pleaded. “I hate every second of this, please.”

“It’s not over yet,” Vulture said through heavy breaths. “Not until I have Drexar’s head on a plate.”

“I don’t want to see you like this, Adrian,” Spider-Man said. “They wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

“Shut up!” Adrian growled. “Shut the hell up.”

“Your wings are broken,” Spider-Man said. “You can’t fight me. My webs too care of them.”

Adrian chuckled. “Oh, Peter. That’s where you’re wrong.”

“What?”

Adrian got up, his wings glowing a bright blue. A very, very bright blue. Spider-Man’s spider sense started buzzing like a wildfire. “My wings aren’t broken.” Adrian let out a fit of laughter. “They’re overcharged.”

Spider-Man saw Adrian’s feathers swirling around him like a tornado. Before Spider-Man even had a chance to react a feather caught him right in the gut. The world around him swirled as blood dripped down from his gut.

“Goodbye, Peter,” Adrian said as Spider-Man fell on the ground, clutching a silver feather stained crimson.

…

Gordon dodged just as the tendril slashed through his right sleeve causing a cut. Gunfire echoed in the air as two sonic boomerangs sang a shrill song.

Gordon and the rest of the officers got out of the way as they were aware of the thrashing that would follow after. What they didn’t expect was the Batclaw to attach itself to Carnage.

Joker was pulled out of his cocoon of blood and before he could react, Batman slammed him in the ground in mid-air. The Joker grinned before Batman could land a punch and Carnage wrapped itself around Joker. Carnage pushed Batman aside and swung away from Batman and the cops.

“Come and get me, Batman,” Carnage taunted, leaping his way across the warehouses and into the ACE Chemical warehouses.

“Gordon, Robin,” Batman said. “Tend to the wounded. I’ll go deal with the Joker.”

“You’re wounded,” Gordon said, rushing over to Batman and grabbing his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Robin said. “And there’s no way I’m letting you play this lone wolf act again.”

“The Joker is too dangerous,” Batman said. “I’m the only one who can handle him.”

“’I’m the only one who can handle him’,” Robin said in a mocking voice. “He says, bleeding out of his chest.”

“Besides, I have to get that bastard for what he did to my daughter,” Gordon said.

Batman was silent. He closed his eyes as if pondering and nodded to himself. “Very well. But stay close.”

Dick and Gordon nodded. Batman and Robin started moving towards the main factory but Gordon was pulled aside by a female officer.

“Commissioner what are your orders?” a female officer said.

“Find the wounded, the dead, find anyone and get the hell out of here.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be with those two,” Gordon said, turning his head in Batman and Robin’s general direction.

“You sure you don’t need backup.”

Gordon shook his head. “No, too much of a hassle. Besides.” Gordon paused. “Those two are the only backup I’ll need.”

…

Don’t let this city consume you. Remember when you said that to me? I was having a hard time back then, everything seemed impossible, everything hurt like hell. I felt alone, like I didn’t have anyone and you were there for me. You were the one who said this to me, who listened to all of the pain I felt. You made me feel like I wasn’t alone and god knows how thankful I was for that. You’re also the same person who threw a knife in my stomach but, hey, relationships are complicated.

Spider-Man got up. Trying to ignore the pain in his stomach. Trying to ignore the pain in his heart.

Those times in the junkyard; when we were working on that battery that would destroy the Vulture, I mean your wings. Those times we worked in the junkyard I was reminded of those times my uncle and I would build stuff in our old garage.

Spider-Man ripped the feather out of his gut letting out a pained cry. He webbed up the wound to staunch the bleeding, the webs already being stained crimson and turned to see the Vulture flying off. Thankfully his flight was slow. So, the electric webs didn’t make him stronger, it just gave him a temporary boost.

I sound like a depressed ex-girlfriend but I wonder if you really cared. I mean if you cared you wouldn’t have thrown that knife in my gut. If you knew who I was you wouldn’t have decided to even fight me. And that is, if you cared. I wonder if you really meant it if you said we were family.

Spider-Man attached a web to the Vulture’s wings. But this time he wasn’t holding. He pulled at the wings with all his strength. Vulture noticed and was about to fire his feather but Spider-Man pressed the button and electricity coursed through the wings. Vulture fought through the electrical surge and tried slicing at the web but Spider-Man pressed the button again. Each and every one of Adrian’s screams tugging at his heart strings. He could barely watch his friend in pain but he couldn’t afford to look away either.

I wonder a lot of things really. I wonder if you enjoyed our time together. I wonder if, in our last fight you were as hurt as much as I do. But there’s one thing I wonder more than anything else.

“I hate every single second of this, Adrian,” Peter screamed, trying to fight back the pain in his voice. “You hear me? I HATE THIS!”

Peter started spinning Adrian around like a hammer throw. He spun Adrian around and around, using every last bit of his strength to spin his friend around and then he let go.

Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture went crashing through warehouses splinters flying in the air and crates crashing underneath his metal wings. He stopped, dead centre in the middle of a flowerbed of splinters. He tried to move but Spider-Man stood on top of him, mask off, pain and anger clearly visible all over his face.

I wonder if this city consumed you.

…

The factory was a maze of catwalks over eerie green chemical vats. The metal groaned underneath their heavy footsteps.

Alone, that was what I felt holding little Carny to my chest.

Soon it was only the Bat’s footsteps that echoed, alone across the catwalk as he scurried around looking for them.

I knew this place like the back of my hand owing to the fact that I worked here. Or was it my father who worked here? I don’t know. That’s what keeps it exciting.

He was alone in the dark factory, his only company the sizzling chemicals.

I was alone. Probably for most of my life. I think everybody feels alone in life at least once or twice in their life. But nobody feels alone, alone. You know what I’m talking about Bats.

His heart was beating like a jackhammer. Sweat dripped down his neck. Where were Dick and Gordon?

That loneliness you feel when all hope is lost. When you lose everything that meant the world to you. Those days when it feels like the world has stopped but everybody around you does otherwise. I’m talking about that loneliness.

All the catwalks looked the same. All the rooms, the same. Batman felt like Theseus in the labyrinth. He felt like an ant in a maze.

You’ve felt it before, haven’t you? And it changed you. Changed you enough to wear a bat costume and beat-up people late at night? Beat them up to the brink of death but never kill them. To pretend to be normal. Even though after that loneliness I don’t think you’re quite normal. No, I think you’re just like me.

He finally found them, their bodies dangling over two separate vats of chemicals. The Joker grinning with a revolver pointed straight at his face.

“And I’m going to prove it.”

He thumbed the barrel.

…

“You’re saying this computer has information on everybody,” Peter asked.

Robin nodded. “Yup. Every single person. Very creepy, if you ask me.”

“I feel like Bruce is just one misstep away from making Gotham the next 1984,” Peter said.

“I’m going to pretend I know what that means,” Dick said.

Peter sighed. He stared at the computer, an idea forming in his head. “So, it has information on everybody. Like their residency and stuff. Even people presumed dead.”

“Yeah,” Dick said. “Why?”

Peter typed out the name Toomes on the search bar. “I need to do something for a friend.”

Peter carried Adrian on his back, carrying him past the remains of ACE chemicals. Past the wounded mercenaries and stream of police officers carrying their comrades out of the war zone ACE had become.

Spider-Man took him to a rooftop, making him barely visible from the stream of police officers that were leaving but still allowing him to keep a watch in case things did go wrong.

Peter took out his mask and removed Adrian’s as Adrian came too. Regaining his consciousness. Peter took out a tape from his pocket, throwing it over to Adrian. The tape clattered on the floor. Adrian was stirring.

Peter looked at the police officers. He wondered what Bruce and Dick were up to. He wondered if they were safe. After the police officers left, he’d go look for them.

“Where am I?” Adrian mumbled.

“Listen to the tape,” Peter said.

“What the hell did you do?” Adrian said. “What the hell happened to my wings?”

“Listen to the tape.”

“Peter,” Adrian said, getting up, his wings crying out in defeat as he got up. “What… what happened?”

Peter tensed, turning to him. He was ready if a fight broke out.

“I destroyed your wings,” Peter said. “They don’t work anymore. It’s a shame isn’t it? You built them for your daughter, didn’t you?”

“H-How do you know?”

Peter smiled. It was a sad smile. “It’s a shame what they were used for.”

“How the hell do you know about my daughter, Peter?”

Peter could barely meet Adrian’s eyes. “I saw her diary. She wanted to fly, didn’t she?”

Adrian raised his fist and started moving towards Peter in a threatening manner. “You bastard. Who gave you the right to snoop…?”

“Do you really want to do that?” Peter asked. “After the beating I gave you.”

Adrian’s hand dropped to his side. “What do you want?”

“Listen to the tape.”

Adrian complied. He walked over to the tape and pressed the start button. There was the crackling of static and then a voice. A voice Adrian hadn’t heard in what felt like a thousand years.

“Hey Adrian,” Chery Toomes said. “It’s me. Since this went to voice box, I assume you’re working. As usual. I mean what else should I expect?” Chery let out a sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…” Chery paused and then continued. “Valeria missed you. She always asks me where daddy is and I don’t know how to answer her. She always preferred you over me and she… she looks just like you sometimes. She’s smart like you, too. She’s the top of her class. Our baby is doing fine, too. Doctor says it’s going to be a boy. You never were one for surprises so yeah, 6 months and little Frank Toomes is going to be born. I… I’m telling you this because…” Chery sighed again. This time it was a deep sigh. “I miss you too.” Her voice cracked. “I miss you so much and I wish you weren’t so obsessed with that job so we could spend time together again in that… that crappy restaurant you used to like.” Chery sniffled. “I…”

There was the sound of a door opening and a voice of a little girl’s footsteps. “Is that daddy on the phone?” Valeria Toomes said.

Chery sobbed. “Yeah.”

“Are you crying, mummy?” Valeria asked. “Is daddy making you cry?”

“No, no,” Chery said. “Uh, do you have a… a message for daddy.”

“Yes, I do,” Valeria said. Adrian could hear her jumping up and down like she always did when she was excited. He could hear Valeria climbing up Chery’s lap and could almost imagine them smiling together.

“Daddy’s not on the phone right now,” Chery said. “But he’ll get our message. I’m sure of it.”

“Hey daddy,” Valeria said and Adrian felt his heart tug against his chest. “It’s me. First and foremost, you better not be making mummy cry otherwise I’ll come and beat you up.” Adrian heard Chery let out a soft chuckle behind her. “Second since Mummy says you’re always busy, you better be busy making my wings. I want to fly up and up in the sky like Bloom from Winx Club, okay. If you don’t make those wings, I’ll… I’ll beat you up.”

“Is there anything else you want to say to daddy?” Chery asked. “Before the call cuts off.”

“Yes, I do,” Valeria said. “I miss you so much daddy. I miss having dinner together. I miss the jokes you used to tell us at the dinner table. I miss the chocolate you used to buy me. I miss you so, so much. I love you daddy, please come home.”

“Go on,” Valeria said. “Go play with your toys. Mummy wants to say something to Daddy in private.”

“Okay mummy.’’

Adrian heard her footsteps recede, silently begging her not to go.

‘’You heard that, Adrian,’’ Chery said. ‘’We miss you so much. I know how much you love your work but that doesn’t mean you have to let it consume you. Valeria misses you. I miss you. Please, please come home Adrian. I love you.’’

The tape ended and Adrian was left sitting there on the rooftop. He played back the tape again and again, just to listen to their voices one last time, almost believing that they weren’t dead if only for just a split second.

“W-where did you get this?” Adrian asked.

“Your house,” Peter said. “You told me you forgot how their voices sounded like. I thought hearing them again might… might I don’t know. Save you?”

“Peter,” Adrian said, staring at him. “I don’t know… I don’t know what to say.”

“Just stop this,” Peter said. “Stop this madness. Killing them won’t bring your family back.”

Adrian was silent. There was a silence between them. Peter, exhausted sit on the edge of the building. Adrian decided to sit next to him. He and Peter watched the cops walking alongside the hostages that had survived the Joker’s massacre. Paramedics hauled the wounded mercenaries and police officers. Amidst the crowd, Adrian Toomes saw Otto Drexar who had suspiciously been missing during the Joker’s takeover of ACE.

“Peter,” Adrian said. Peter turned to face him. “Living in this city is a battle. It’s a fight that can only go downhill. Nothing good ever comes out of Gotham, no matter what people like Batman and Bruce Wayne do, Gotham will never change. This city changes people and in this city, you can only find two people. The fighters and the losers.”

Adrian paused, looking at Drexar being interviewed by the GCPD. “People like the criminals, people like the Joker and Two-Face, they’re the losers. The city pushed them too far, the city changed them until they were husks of their former selves. They couldn’t fight the city so they became the worst this city has to offer.”

Otto Drexar walked away from the interviewers and was being checked up by the paramedics. After his check-up he’d be gone for good.

“People like you,” Adrian said. “People like Valeria and Chery, they’re the fighters. They keep going no matter what the city throws at them, they keep moving forward and keep going on. They know they have to keep fighting, they know the city will beat them down but they keep fighting anyway. They know this city will keep throwing the worst shit at them. Things like The Joker but they keep moving forward, never giving up the fight. The city needs people like you. It needs people like you to give it hope so that when things go wrong, the city knows it has people like you to count on.”

A limousine cruised through the gate, ignoring the police officers and paramedics around it. Otto Drexar stood in front of the limousine, ready to leave.

“And me,” Adrian said. He pressed a button. His wings glowed a bright blue. Peter barely had time to react as the wing zoomed through the sky, headed directly for Otto Drexar. “I lost the fight a long time ago.”

The silver feather struck Drexar’s throat. Stained crimson, the Vulture’s feather danced in the sky for the last time.

…

“Here’s your choice, Batman,” Joker said, silver scissors gleaming with glee as it teased the knot, Gordon’s rope was tied to. “Either your one and only friend in the police force or…” Joker turned to Robin. “Your colourful, homoerotic boy partner.”

“Unhand them, now,” Batman said. He took a step forward but red tendrils sprouted from the Joker’s back tickling, slithering across Robin and Gordon’s cheeks.

“Uh, uh, Batman,” Joker said. “If you make one move both of them go bye, bye.”

It was then Spider-Man came crawling behind the Joker. Batman turned, shaking his head. Spider-Man gave him a thumbs up and retreated into the shadows.

A red whip lashed out at the place where Spider-Man was.

“No looking away, Batman,” Joker said. “You pay attention to me.”

In the corner of his eye, Batman saw Robin stirring. Trusting in Robin’s ability to break out of any trap laid out on him, Batman turned to face the Joker.

“You talked about loneliness, right?” Batman asked.

“Yes, but you don’t seem qualified enough to be a psychiatrist,” Joker said. “Both physically and mentally. Now, hurry up, Batman. Clock’s ticking.”

He saw Robin manage to get one arm out and saw Spider-Man in the corner, waiting for any signal to start attacking.

“What makes you think we’re the same.”

Joker laughed. “Pretty obvious. Anyone would have to be insane dressed up like that. But enough talk. What’s your choice?”

“There is one difference you seem to ignore,” Batman said. “After that day. That day I lost hope…”

“We’re not here to share sob stories, Batman,” Joker said. “We’re here for moral dilemmas.”

“Time seemed to stop for me,” Batman said. “I lived with the pain everyday and it never seemed to stop. It never stopped. For the both of us, it never stopped.”

Joker sighed. “I’m going to drop them down right now and say that they both died of boredom.”

Robin managed to break free. Spider-Man was getting increasingly impatient.

“But the difference between me and you, Joker is,” Batman said. “I’m not alone.”

“What?”

Before the Joker had any time to react a sonic Batarang rang. The Joker clutched his head in pain. Batman rushed towards him, ready to land a punch but the Joker was quick and cut the rope Gordon was on. There was a flash of red and

…

Spider-Man took Gordon out of the way, swinging across the vats until he found and crashing through an announcement room. Making sure Barbara’s dad was okay (Gotta impress the in-laws) he swung across the room, back to the Joker.

“And I thought I dressed up funny,” Spider-Man said. “Here you are dressed up as the world’s second most common phobia.”

Joker threw the sonic boomerang aside and soon Carnage formed. Robin rolled out of the way as Carnage extended his arms into two scythes and swiped.

Joker’s face opened up for a split second. “You’ll find I’m not alone, either, Batman,” Joker said, laughing as Carnage covered up his face and grinned.

“Hey, Batman,” Spider-Man said. “You think I can sue him for stealing my…”

Carnage turned to Spider-Man and leapt straight at him.

“Costume idea,” Spider-Man said as he rolled out of the way. Carnage and Spider-Man played a game of cat and mouse, jumping between cat-walks and avoiding each other’s attacks while Robin

…

rendezvoused with Batman.

“That was the last of my sonic Batarangs,” Robin said. He took out his explosive gel gun. “And I’m out of juice too.”

“I only have one sonic Batarang and one last explosive gel charge,” Batman said. “We have to make them count.”

“Peter can only keep him distracted for so long,” Robin said. “We have to do something before anything happens to him.”

“You and Peter distract him,” Batman said. “I’ll look for an opening. Once I find one, you use this.”

Batman took out a container the size of a pringle can in his cloak. “It’s something that can keep Carnage contained. Once I detonate the explosive gel charge, Carnage will separate from his host. Once they’re separated you only have on chance to contain him. Otherwise, there’s no chance we’ll make it out of here alive.”

Robin nodded. “This is for Barbara.”

Robin grappled across the catwalks, making his way towards Peter.

Batman sprayed explosive gel on his right knuckle. “For Barbara,” he whispered to himself.

…

“Can you ease up with the sharp objects?” Spider-Man said as Carnage turned his arms into a blade. “I don’t think children should be around them as much as you are.”

“Very well,” Carnage said, turning his arm into a hammer that crushed the catwalk Spider-Man was on. Spider-Man launched another electric impact web that did nothing.

“I don’t think kids should be around hammers either,” Spider-Man said. “Maybe daddy hit you on the head with one, that’s why you’re so stupid.”

“Being around you probably made him lose a few brain cells,” Robin said, kicking him on the face. Carnage swiped against him but Robin did a backflip avoiding the damage. It continued like this, a battle of swipes and dodges until Spider-Man swung overhead. Carnage sliced upwards, leaving an opening.

“Now, Batman,” Robin called.

Batman emerged from the shadows and

…

threw a sonic Batarang. But this time, Carnage was prepared. Carnage sliced it before it could do anything. Batman was inches away from dealing the fatal blow but Carnage leapt away from it. The explosive gel hit nothing but empty air.

“Fool me once, shame on you,” Carnage hissed. “Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Carnage grinned. “Three tasty meals for me to savour. I’m going to enjoy feeding on you, one by one.”

Spider-Man, Batman and Robin stared at Carnage. All hope lost. Carnage stared back with glee all over his face. Carnage leapt but

…

a shrill frequency played from the speakers. Carnage clutched his head in pain as the sound tore through his skull. On the way to the factory, Gordon was told of the symbiotes two weaknesses by Batman and Robin. All he had to do was turn a few knobs and dials and boom, Carnage was done for.

Batman, with the speed of a bullet grabbed Joker before he could reform and regain his bearings and tossed him up in the air.

“He’s all yours,” Batman said as

…

Spider-Man kicked him across the stomach.

“This is for Barbara asshole,” Spider-Man said. The Joker started falling down to the ground, extending his arm out to Carnage but

…

Robin had grappled forward, he let go of the grappling hook and caught Carnage in the glass container before he could reattach to the Joker. He put on the lid before Carnage could escape and took out his Batclaw, attaching himself to the railings of one of the catwalks.

The railing creaked and almost broke underneath his weight but Robin hung on, the symbiote clutched in his arms like a baby. He turned to see a web reaching out for the Joker and

…

grabbing him by the leg. Spider-Man caught him as much as he hated leaving the bastard alive to kill more people. He attached the web to the side of a catwalk leaving the Joker to dangle on the side like a pendulum.

The shrill sound still continued on, hurting Peter’s senses.

“Hey Commissioner can you stop that noise, please,” Spider-Man said. “It’s hurting my head.”

With the Joker dangling on the side of the web it finally occurred to Spider-Man what had just happened.

They won.

…

Joker dangled from the web. He had his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face. Spider-Man had gone to help the police officers and the wounded leave safely and Robin had joined him. Not before telling Batman that the fluid dissolved in an hour.

“C’mon Commissioner,” Joker said. “It’s rude to leave a man hanging.”

“I should leave you here, to rot,” Gordon said. “After what you did to my daughter, I should let you die.”

“Jim…” Batman said but Gordon raised a hand.

“I know better,” Gordon said. “If I let him die, I’ll be no worse than he is.”

“Yes, yes boys, now kiss,” Joker said. “Would you let me out of here?”

“I’ll do the honours,” Gordon said. He hauled the Joker up using the webs as a pulley. Up and up.

“Oh Jimbo, my boy,” Joker said, holding up a rotted yellow flower. “This clown still has a few tricks up his sleeves.”

The Joker squirted the flower acid shot out of it. Gordon managed to avoid the acid holding up his jacket as the acid sizzled through it but by the time he could even react the Joker had cut through the webbing and was falling to towards a bright green vat of chemicals, having the time of his life.

…

Free falling. Just like the first time he met little Carny. He was falling then, too. Poor Carny must be all alone without him. Must be awfully bored too.

The Joker knew they wouldn’t do anything. They’d just let him die. People loved to act all self-righteous with their codes and their rules but once the chips are down, when push comes to shove, they’ll throw it all aside to preserve themselves.

At least he’d get to die laughing.

Or so he thought.

A black cape spread, and like an angel he descended. Coming after him with reckless abandon. Saving his life. His life even after everything he had done.

He held him in his arms, the Batman and the Joker noticed things he never did before. Just how strong his arms were, just how tight his muscles were. Were his eyes always that blue?

As they landed on the catwalk safely and Batman punched him across the face, the Joker found something he never thought he would.

The Joker found love.