Bats, Birds, and Psychotic Clowns
(Part Two)

by T.J. Keitt

Robin shivered from the fact that he was sick and the fact that the Joker possessed the means of making a toxin that could wipe out Gotham City. He looked over at Batman. Cool as ever, the man never seemed to show his emotions. He was probably just a scared as Robin was, but you could never tell.

The Batmobile twisted its way through the canyons that were the streets of ancient Gotham City. They breezed through the abandoned streets, awaking the homeless that lined the sidewalks in cardboard shanty towns.

Apex Chemical Factory loomed over the Gotham River as it had for the past 30 years. The outside had fallen into disarray from the absence of use of the facilities for the past 18 years. Joker had been holded up in the factory a few times over the past decade and Batman would always flush him out leaving the place to stand unused and to fall further into disrepair. The Batmobile broke through the old chain link fence that guarded the perimeter and skidded to a stop before the south entrance to the lower warehouse area.

Batman hopped out followed by Robin and the Bat quickly took out his telescopic lens to scope the building. There was an infra red dectector on the goggles, and Robin knew this as he watched his mentor scan the building quickly. "He's in the vat area on the upper level. We have to move now."

Batman pulled out his grappling hook and shot it into the air with a loud explosion and he was on his way into the building. Robin was feeling very ill at this time, but he knew he had to follow and so he pulled out his grappling hook and followed suit.

Quickly inside the building, Robin followed Batman as he picked his way through the mountains of boxes left behind when Apex shut down. They made their way to a catwalk that led to a set of stairs. The stairs twisted around the outer edges of the walls and led to a higher level of catwalks that provided a full view of the vats. Batman rushed up the stairs followed by Robin and the two found themselves looking down over two working vats guarded by men dressed in purple and green suits and carrying machine guns.

Steam rose off the vats and met the two crimefighters on the catwalks. It was a strong odor that made Robin reel back and lung over the far side of the walk looking for fresh air.

Joker entered the vat room followed by two more guards. His face bore the smirk of his insanity as he inhaled the fumes and giggled, " Nothing like the smell of mass destruction to clear up the sinuses, hahahahahahahahahah!!"

He walked around the vats and looked at the men guarding them saying, "Hiya Rocco, Bosco. You're looking rather green today, haha." The two men were obviously overcome by the fumes and Joker was making light of their plight.

Robin looked back over the side that Batman was on and said, "Are we going to take them now?"

Batman gleared down at them and replied," Most definatly. We go in hard and fast. I don't want Joker to mix those chemicals and send us all to the morgue." Robin nodded and prepared to move.

Joker climbed up onto the edge of one of the vats and began to parade around the edge laughing and humming. He shouted, " Oh joyous day. I get to make a pretty penny and send Gotham up at the same time.  Hahahahahahahahah!!!!"

With a loud boom, Batman and Robin entered the scene. Robin had braced himself for action and now he and Batsy stood side by side as Joker and his men looked on. Joker growled and said, " Always out to ruin my fun, eh Batsy? Get 'em boys!"

Joker's men opened fire with their machine guns and Batman and Robin scattered. Robin rolled behind a group of steel barrels and pulled some smoke pellets from his belt. He looked around from his cover and them quickly tossed the pellets out. They exploded filling the room with thick smoke. Robin and Batsy emerged from cover and tore into Joker's henchmen, putting them down in a hurry.

The smoke cleared and Joker stood before one of the vats holding two water pistols. He had a snarl on his face as he said, " I'll get you for that Bat-boy!" Batman began to charge Joker and the clown pulled the trigger on one of the guns hitting Batman in the chest with a stream of clear liquid.

The Caped Crusader stopped in his tracks and looked down at his chest, seeing the stain on his costume shirt. Joker fired the second pistol and hit Batman again in the chest with another clear stream of liquid that caused a chemical reaction. Batman was knocked to the ground as a gas errupted from his shirt and swarmed around his head. Robin gasped and ran to help his mentor.

Joker giggled and said, "Welcome to Harlequinn's Death Batman!! You've got 48 hours to live! AHAHAHAHAHA- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Joker turned and ran out of the same door he entered in earlier and Robin stood helpless as Batman gasped for air on the ground.

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