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Description
Batman ran faster than he ever had, ignoring the searing stitch in his ribs and the frantic slamming of his heart. This wasn't supposed to happen...he hadn't meant for this to happen...

Commissioner Gordon and three teams were already waiting in ambush on the roof of the Gotham Hotel building for Gotham's most wanted drug dealer to meet an undercover agent. Batman had gone after the Joker, whom the mob had hired to create a distraction by dispatching one of the precincts with his characteristic dynamite as a distraction. Instead of the Joker, Batman found the dealer, ready to set the charge. He had disabled him in one blow and, grabbing him violently by the collar, beat him until he spoke.

Grotesquely swollen, bloody, and with fewer teeth, the man's sleazy smile made Batman's stomach drop to his feet. They had switched places, at the very last minute. And Joker had no idea.

Batman had no way of contacting Gordon to warn him. So he ran, jumping and swooping across rooftops. He had told Gordon of the mob's plans, had come up with the strategy to catch him...if anything happened to the Joker...

He was only a few building away when Joker stepped out into the open, looking around at the darkness for the client, looking annoyed that he couldn't watch the sparks fly down at the police station. Suddenly, blinding lights were shot into his face. He got in one ringing laugh as scores of officers came into view, before a deafening hoard of shots ripped through the night.

Batman swooped down, toppling five officers over.

"Hold your fire!" Gordon ordered, realizing who it actually was. But it was too late.

Joker stood still, almost comical as his blood pooled through his clothes. Then in slow motion, he keeled over. Batman caught him just before he hit the ground and went down with him. Joker chuckled weakly at his would-be savior, then grimaced as his ripped flesh, bone and muscle rebelled.

"Great timing," said Joker weakly, his grinning lips quivering. Just then, the clouds above, not able to hold onto their burden any longer, let the rain fall. It soaked them in seconds and Joker's grease paint ran at the edges.

"I gotta say..ngh...I'm quite...surprised. Joke's on me, I guess."

"Don't talk, save your strength."

Joker released another painful chuckle, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. Oh, Batman truly was incorruptible. All those times Joker got away, all those times they just barely didn't kill each other, all the chaos he had caused...and here Batman was, soaking in the rain with his arch-enemy, cradling him like a loved one. It was the best joke of all.

"I didn't do this," said Batman finally, his voice having lost most of its characteristic grit.

"I didn't...nhh...think so. You d-don't -ah, have it in ya..."

Bruce's hands tightened around Joker and he was stricken with utter helplessness. Nothing to do with all his strength.

Joker looked up at the dark frown, deepened by that mask, and he smiled, really smiled.

"Why so -gasp- serious, Batsy? You really oughta...learn to...smile...more..."

His taught muscles gave beneath Batman's fingers as his pain and his breath left him forever.

"Joker...Joker!"

Something deep inside Batman, something he couldn't identify, dislodged from his soul and dissolved away into irretrievable eternity. The pain left in its place was fully physical, aching on the inside...a place he couldn't soothe. If he whimpered he didn't hear it through the millions of drops hitting the ground. If he cried he couldn't distinguish his tears from the rivulets washing down his face.

Joker's blood ran warm through Batman's gloves, offering some morbid sense of comfort. His breath was coming out in broken heaves, exhales crystallizing in the air. He looked down at Joker, whom the rain was slowly revealing as a real man. His lips still hung onto the edge of a smile.

Description
Batman ran faster than he ever had, ignoring the searing stitch in his ribs and the frantic slamming of his heart. This wasn't supposed to happen...he hadn't meant for this to happen...

Commissioner Gordon and three teams were already waiting in ambush on the roof of the Gotham Hotel building for Gotham's most wanted drug dealer to meet an undercover agent. Batman had gone after the Joker, whom the mob had hired to create a distraction by dispatching one of the precincts with his characteristic dynamite as a distraction. Instead of the Joker, Batman found the dealer, ready to set the charge. He had disabled him in one blow and, grabbing him violently by the collar, beat him until he spoke.

Grotesquely swollen, bloody, and with fewer teeth, the man's sleazy smile made Batman's stomach drop to his feet. They had switched places, at the very last minute. And Joker had no idea.

Batman had no way of contacting Gordon to warn him. So he ran, jumping and swooping across rooftops. He had told Gordon of the mob's plans, had come up with the strategy to catch him...if anything happened to the Joker...

He was only a few building away when Joker stepped out into the open, looking around at the darkness for the client, looking annoyed that he couldn't watch the sparks fly down at the police station. Suddenly, blinding lights were shot into his face. He got in one ringing laugh as scores of officers came into view, before a deafening hoard of shots ripped through the night.

Batman swooped down, toppling five officers over.

"Hold your fire!" Gordon ordered, realizing who it actually was. But it was too late.

Joker stood still, almost comical as his blood pooled through his clothes. Then in slow motion, he keeled over. Batman caught him just before he hit the ground and went down with him. Joker chuckled weakly at his would-be savior, then grimaced as his ripped flesh, bone and muscle rebelled.

"Great timing," said Joker weakly, his grinning lips quivering. Just then, the clouds above, not able to hold onto their burden any longer, let the rain fall. It soaked them in seconds and Joker's grease paint ran at the edges.

"I gotta say..ngh...I'm quite...surprised. Joke's on me, I guess."

"Don't talk, save your strength."

Joker released another painful chuckle, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. Oh, Batman truly was incorruptible. All those times Joker got away, all those times they just barely didn't kill each other, all the chaos he had caused...and here Batman was, soaking in the rain with his arch-enemy, cradling him like a loved one. It was the best joke of all.

"I didn't do this," said Batman finally, his voice having lost most of its characteristic grit.

"I didn't...nhh...think so. You d-don't -ah, have it in ya..."

Bruce's hands tightened around Joker and he was stricken with utter helplessness. Nothing to do with all his strength.

Joker looked up at the dark frown, deepened by that mask, and he smiled, really smiled.

"Why so -gasp- serious, Batsy? You really oughta...learn to...smile...more..."

His taught muscles gave beneath Batman's fingers as his pain and his breath left him forever.

"Joker...Joker!"

Something deep inside Batman, something he couldn't identify, dislodged from his soul and dissolved away into irretrievable eternity. The pain left in its place was fully physical, aching on the inside...a place he couldn't soothe. If he whimpered he didn't hear it through the millions of drops hitting the ground. If he cried he couldn't distinguish his tears from the rivulets washing down his face.

Joker's blood ran warm through Batman's gloves, offering some morbid sense of comfort. His breath was coming out in broken heaves, exhales crystallizing in the air. He looked down at Joker, whom the rain was slowly revealing as a real man. His lips still hung onto the edge of a smile.