A/N: Something I thought up a few days ago. Don't know if I will finish it. If I get enough positive feedback I might continue it. :) I don't own these characters so don't sue me!

Joker Wins.

Batman typed furiously on the keyboard as he sat in front of the massive computer system in the Batcave. He had the lone Wayne-Tech Satellite in the region scanning the city below.

"Damn it, where is it hidden?" Batman growled at the screen. He tapped his ear. "Superman see anything?"

"No Batman, I've flown over the city several times and can't see anything. My X-ray vision isn't seeing much, there is too much lead in the sewer systems and buildings." Clark groaned.

Bruce closed his eyes in thought for a moment. He knew that to be true. The city did need a major overhaul of the sewage system and most of the older buildings had lead pipes as well. It would cost tens or possible hundreds of billions to remove all that old piping. Where is he hiding it?

"GL Anything?"

John Stewart was hovering over the city scanning it with his powerful ring. "Having similar results, the city's lead pipes are blocking most of my scans as well."

"Flash?"

"I've checked the west and south districts and haven't detected anything yet!" Flash said as he ran around from street to street with the geiger-counter, it wasn't detecting anything as well.

Diana AKA Wonder Woman spoke up. "Do you think he was lying about it being here?"

Bruce rubbed his chin, it was possible. The man had lied to him in the past.

Shayera also known as Hawkgirl was flying high over the city as well with her own geiger-counter. "We only have two minutes until Midnight."

Come on Bruce you have dealt with this lunatic too many times to count. He started to prioritize the list of things he knew.

J'onn hadn't been able to detect his mind anywhere in the city. Maybe Shayera was right? Or he was dead already? The man was terminally ill. The Venom he was so fond of had given him stage 4 cancer. The type and size of bomb would destroy the city and outer lying subdivisions. The Thermonuclear bomb was in the ten kiloton range.

Bruce thought back to his science classes. Some professor in his college days once said "Maximum damage from a nuclear weapon's explosion is when it's in mid drop. Helping the concussive force to do maximum destruction."

"CLARK! The airships." Bruce screamed.

"ON it." Moments later. "Found it, but it's been rewired. Want me to get you up here?"

"No, tried to move the ship into orbit. FAST! Everyone beam out."

"Like hell." Diana said.

"I'll be there in a moment." Green Lantern said. "I'll move it." GL was about to fly away from Shayera when suddenly a flash in the distance as bright as the sun happened. He had enough time to wrap himself and Shayera in a bubble of the powerful will-power of green. Flash saw the sudden flash lighting up the sky. He was about to run towards it but when he saw the destruction coming his way, he ran off in the other direction.

Diana didn't have much to time shield herself, the blast sent her flying backwards for miles in just a moment. Superman took the hit the hardest. In a second his body hit the bottom of the harbor hard.

Bruce's computer flashed and blinked out. For a moment everything was quiet until the violent shock wave hit the top of the cave. His years-long journey to equip and build up the cave to where it was was done in a thunderous roar. The ceiling of it collapsed on him, destroying everything he ever created. Bruce lost consciousness when a large rock hit his head. Tons of boulders, rocks and earth filled the cave. Including him.

"Superman? Flash? Diana?" Shayera called out over their communicators.

"Yeah I'm fine. What happened?" Flash replied.

"Maybe the bomb triggered when Superman moved the ship?"

"Is the big guy okay?" Flash asked.

Moments later a very bruised Superman flew out of the water. "I'm okay Flash. But the city!" Superman hovered in place as the once large city of Gotham was now just a burning city of nothing.

Diana pulled herself up, damn she was hurting but not enough to worry her. Diana shot up into the sky and looked at where she once was. In the distance she saw Gotham was just one large fireball. A single tear fell from her eye. All those people. Diana shot off towards the destruction.

Green Lantern with Hawkgirl in the protective bubble slowly flew over the once Gothic City and all they saw was death and fire. GL saw Superman hovering there in the distance. Once they reached him the once proper looking back was hunched over as the mighty man crying into his hands.

"All those people..." He choked out "we failed them." Superman weep.

Diana arrived and wrapped the crying man of steel into a hug. Shayera who normally is so strong joined him as she leaned into John Stewart.

Over a static filled communication Flash asked "What happened. Everyone okay?"

John raised his hand and slowly tapped the communicator "No Flash, not everyone is okay. We are fine but the city of.."

Shayera wiped away her tears and spoke to Flash "Stay away, we will come for you."

Diana suddenly pulled away from Clark, "Bruce you still there?" The group listened and got nothing. Both Diana and Clark shoot off in the direction of the Wayne Manor. In moments they stopped in mid-flight. All that was left of it was a large open pit where the grand manor once stood. Using his X-Ray vision Superman saw Bruce's body. Also what remained of Alfred. Ignoring that sight he moved towards the intact body of Batman. Being as gentle as he could be with such a large amount of rocks and debris he managed to free the body. Superman lifted him into the air and started to fly towards Metropolis with the beaten and bloody form of Batman. Diana was hot on his heels.

"Clark is he alive?"

"Barely, hopefully the Metrotower doctors can save him."

Clark called ahead and informed the staff of their request. Once he landed down a gurney was waiting. Superman placed one of his closest friends' body down and watched as the Doctors and Nurses started to work on him as they moved his body into the building towards the mini hospital they had.

Diana landed next to the slumped shoulders of Superman. "We failed them." As Diana reached out Superman flew off and disappeared in a second. Diana not wanting to think of what just happened, focused on the mission of saving Batman.

All the personnel at the Metrotower looked somber as she made her way past them. Diana found a nurse carrying a tray as she rushed by. "Is that for Batman?"

"Yes,"

"How is he?"

"Very bad." the Nurse said as she entered the next door. Diana entered the room and saw that everything was off Bruce except his mask. His body was truly messed up. Dirt and blood covered most of his torso. His left arm was twisted at a unusual angle. Both of his legs looked to be broken.

One of the doctors yelled out "We need more Blood, the man is bleeding internally." Diana watched helplessly, but a thought popped at the forefront of her mind.

Diana tapped her ear and spoke quietly. "Watchtower, one to beam up." Diana disappeared in an instant. She ran towards her room and nearly kicked through the slow moving automatic door in. Diana went over to her desk and removed the cover of a crystal ball looking ornament.

"Mother are you there?" Diana pleaded into it. Moments later the angelic face of her mother appeared in the glass surface.

"My little.. What happened to your face" Diana cut her off.

"I have an urgent need of the purple ray, can I have it."

"NO! Why are you injured?" Hippolyta looked worried at the dirty, bloody and bruised face of her Diana.

"No, but a dear friend is."

"Bring her here."

"It's not a woman."

"You know the rules, no men allowed." Frustrated Diana nearly crushed the globe in her hand.

"Please mother, his life is on the line. He has already lost so much tonight." Diana pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Hippolyta released her breath then nodded "Just this once Diana, never again!"

"Thank you Mother, one more thing. Allow us to beam him down directly?"

Her Majesty sighed "The barrier will be down for one hour." Diana killed the connect and ran from her room. Once at the teleporter she demanded to be sent back to her previous location. Moments later she was back in the same room. The doctors stood back as they removed their gloves.

"The patient is gone." one doctor said as she looked at the clock. She was about to announce the time of death but Diana ran up and started to rip off the instruments attached to Batman's naked torso. She picked up the limp body of his and called out so her communicator would hear.

"Two for transport. Alpha three location magic island. Coordinates 7 miles of start location." Moments later the two body's vanished in a light.

Diana holding the body of Batman several feet away from a building. Diana rushed towards it and pushed open the door. Inside was a single female standing next to a table holding a large circular lamp that had a purple hue to it.

Diana placed the body of Batman's on the table and the woman started up the light. It lit up the bloody and mangled body, the female slowly ran the light up and down his torso.

"He is in bad shape Princess." the female said without looking up at her. "Might be a while before it takes effect."

Diana nodded, hopefully she got him here in time. She then said "I will wait outside so I don't disturb you Io."

Io continued to work the ray up and down his body as Diana turned on her heels and left the room. She sat at the lone bench next to the door and placed her face into her hands and started to cry. All those people dead. Alfred, Tim, Richard. All dead because they were not fast or smart enough.

Diana straightened up and wiped the tears from her eyes. Diana smiled at her approaching mother. Her mother took a seat next to her daughter. And with a simple jester, Diana fell into the open arm of her mother. And cried.

Hippolyta rubbed her head as Diana weep on her shoulder. "What happened my little stars?"

"We failed. We failed to stop the maniac. Millions died because we were not strong or fast enough."

Hippolyta rubbed her daughter's back as she let her get it out of her system. Once Diana stopped sobbing Hippolyta pulled her from her embrace and looked into her eyes deeply.

"Warriors and Heroes don't quit. You may have lost the battle but not the war." Hippolyta said as she smiled lovingly at her daughter.

Diana was about to thank her mother for her support during this stressful moment but was interrupted by the sound of Io's door opening.

Io wiped her hands as she stared stoically at the two royals. Diana held her breath as she awaited her prognoses on Bruce.

The End?