Chapter 8 – The Madness Ends Here

… Authorities say he was found in the abandoned building that was the Axis Chemical Plant. The plant is now believed to have been a hideout for up and coming mobsters that, believe it or not folks, Joel Lucci may have lead. Many Gothamites knew Mr. Lucci and were very trusting of the man that they hoped would help provide Gotham City with a sound and secure financial future. As we mentioned before, he was found by police just two nights ago, hung by an old fashioned noose. Again we have breaking news that the millionaire financial wizard from Bludhaven may have been an up and coming mobster. This is GNN, stay with us for continuing coverage…

Gordon turned off the television that was in his office. His thoughts shifted to Batman and the Menace. He checked his watch. It was only 10:06 am. Leaning over his desk, he brooded in pain, as he felt a headache coming on. Just in time, he thought as Bullock stormed in the office with Officer Renee Montoya.

"Jimbo, Montoya's got some questions for you," Bullock announced heatedly as he sat in a chair.

"Montoya, I already know what you're gonna say," the Commissioner groaned.

"Commissioner, how can you put me on the Menace Task Force?" Montoya inquired, standing boldly at Gordon's desk. "I'm already working on the child porn ring. I don't have time to look for some nutcase kidnapper."

"This isn't just some kidnapper Renee, this guy nabbed the Joker and the Riddler."

"Damn it Jim. Forgive me Sir, but you and the Batman have operated on circumstantial findings and hunches for far too long. Zsasz shows up and the Bat thinks they are connected. And it's been weeks now and you still haven't found the son of a bitch."

"Montoya, we are closer to finding this dirt-bag with Batman than without him. Robin and Nightwing are on this too. If you don't like the way we do things in this city then move to Metropolis. They rely less on their man in tights. If you ever take that tone with me again Detective, I will have your badge."

"Fine, so am I on or off this Task Force?"

"You're on. I need every available man," Gordon informed steadfastly.

"But I'm not available. I'm working the child porn case."

"I consider a child porn case available. You're on, now get the hell out of here. You too, Bullock. Maybe Gotham City cops can actually do some goddamned work for once."

That night, around midnight, the Redbird raced through downtown. Robin and Nightwing were on the trail of Zsasz, who was just ahead in a black sedan, that he had probably stolen from Lucci. From out of the headlights, came two small projectiles. Instantly, they punctured the back tires of the sedan. The black car careened off the road, slamming into a streetlight. All was still, for what seemed like an eternity. Robin and Nightwing watched from inside the Redbird. Suddenly, Zsasz sprang from the driver's seat into a nearby alley. Robin and Nightwing exited the Redbird and each shot a grapple line. They soared like Olympians into the alley. Darkness overcame them. All they could see was Zsasz' glowing yellow eyes.

"Ha, ha, ha. Two birds of justice have come to get me," Zsasz laughed. "Let's dance," he finished pulling two rather large knives from his belt.

"We're taking you in, for the murder of Joel Lucci," Robin notified.

"Ah of course, it must have been so obvious. But haven't you wondered where his boys are? Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I got them too. I dumped their bodies out at Gotham Docks. And now all of those contacts that Joel told me about are going to be furious."

"Enough talk," Nightwing said, charging Zsasz.

They fought calculatedly like two ninja's in mortal combat. Zsasz swayed his knives to and fro. Nightwing dodged and swung his escrima sticks. As the two battled across the alley, Robin swung in from a fire escape, dropkicking Zsasz. Looming forward, Zsasz lost his balance. He went down, but not before plunging a knife into Nightwing's abdominal area.

Nightwing fell to his knees, as Zsasz swiftly returned to his feet. He rushed over to Nightwing and grabbed him by the hair.

"So this is what it feels like to have beaten the great Nightbird," Zsasz pronounced, holding a knife to Nightwing's throat.

"Get off me," Nightwing growled.

"You forgot one thing Zsasz," Robin reminded, sneaking up from behind.

"What's that, birdboy?"

"You didn't count on the Bat."

Zsasz looked to the moonlight. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Batman swooped down, out of the sky like a terrible nightmare. As he descended, he kicked Zsasz hard in the face, sending the madman flying backward. As he went back however, his knife slid across Nightwing's neck, slicing the poor man.

"Nightwing," Robin gasped.

"Back to Arkham Zsasz," Batman replied, finally noticing his partner. "Robin, get him back to the cave. Hurry."

With that, Robin threw Nightwing over his shoulder and carried him out of the alley and out of sight. Batman approached Zsasz, putting his fingers to his neck. There was a pulse, he was merely unconscious. The Dark Knight pulled a remote control from his utility belt. Suddenly the Batmobile pulled up to the alley.

"You're going back to the asylum, but first I'm taking you to the police," he muttered to the comatose body, positioning it into the car. Batman hurled himself in and as the access to the large vehicle closed, the Batmobile sped away to police headquarters.

Later, in a dim interrogation room somewhere in the heart of police headquarters, an angered and groggy Zsasz was in no mood to cooperate. An assembly of psychiatric professionals and Gotham's finest police officers crowded the room, waiting to see what Zsasz did next. Commissioner Gordon, along with Bullock and Montoya were getting nowhere. They had been trying to get anything they could out of the madman ever since he was delivered by the Batman, only an hour ago.

"Victor, we know you are connected with this Menace character. Where is he? Talk to us damn it," Commissioner Gordon screamed, slamming his fist down on the interrogation table.

Zsasz sat coldly, barely blinking, as though he were a statue. The team of Arkham psychiatrists was in the corner of the room, simply recording their observations.

"Vic," Bullock affirmed. "If you're gonna sit here all night, then so are we. Where is Mr. Menace?"

"Zsasz," Montoya chimed in. "Cooperate with us and we'll cooperate with you. Where is he?"

"Forget it," Zsasz finally spoke, sending the room into a quiet chaos. You idiots have obviously already figured out that we're involved, and I've thought it through. The asshole wasn't paying me enough to keep his whereabouts quiet and since I'm caught, I'll bring him down too. I'll tell you everything you want to know, but you need to give me better conditions at Arkham. More freedom."

"Better conditions, a larger cell, sure. But more freedom? You know we can't do that," Gordon informed. "All institutional regulations are handled by the state. That's impossible."

"How dare you use this information as a bargaining chip," Bullock fumed.

A wide smile fell over Zsasz' face. "I'll get out again, and the Batman will find me again and this will go on until either I'm dead, or the Bat is too old to be worth a damn. But, I don't know where this guy lives, I mean he doesn't have a listed address. He busted me out of the asylum and agreed to pay me if I kept you fools distracted. He was gonna do something with Nigma and the Clown, but he wouldn't tell me his plans. Along the way, I got to snuff out Gotham's new crime boss. God was he a rank amateur."

"Okay Zsasz, enough. Can you draw us a map or something? Lead us to the Menace?" Gordon suggested, handing Zsasz a few sheets of typing paper.

"Hmm," Zsasz thought to himself, as he took the paper from Gordon and began constructing directions to the Menace's cottage.

The Batcave seemed colder and darker than usual. The feeling seemed to underscore a depressing mood, that set in immediately when the Redbird raced into the dwelling. Alfred stood ready, having already been contacted about the dire condition of Nightwing. Robin zipped from the car, carrying Nightwing in his arms, to the emergency operating table. Alfred had saved the lives of both Bruce Wayne and the Batman on this table many times.

"Hurry," Alfred instructed, examining the wound on Nightwing's neck.

"Remove his mask," Robin suggested.

"No time now. No major damage to anything, but he may not be able to speak for a while. His vocal cords were bruised."

"That may not be such a bad thing Alfred," Robin joked.

"He'll be alright, but we have to stop the bleeding. The adhesive stitches you applied on the way here helped a bit Master Timothy, but he'll need real stitching. I have to apply pressure to his neck, but I must be careful not to strangle him."

"What can I do?" Robin offered.

"Pray, and see if we can get a direct line to Master Bruce."

"Got it," Robin acknowledged, racing to the central computer, to put in a call to Batman.

"What is it?" a voice sounded over the computer.

"It's Dick. He's gonna pull through."

"Thank God. Isn't Alfred a saint," the Dark Knight uttered through the speakers.

"Where are you now Batman?"

"Doing some last minute patrolling. I'm coming out of Robinson Park. I'll be home shortly Tim."

"Did we get him?"

"I just delivered him to the police about an hour ago."

"You think we'll get it out of him?" Robin wondered eagerly, hoping they would find Mr. Menace's hideout soon.

"Hard to say, Batman out."

"Right," Robin accepted, moving back to the operating table. "Well?"

"There, I'm finished. He's all stitched up. Now all we can do is wait, and pray," Alfred put forward, taking a seat on a bench near the operating table.

Suddenly, the central computer's alert began buzzing and flashing in a dark red color. Robin turned on the com-link to respond.

"Robin here."

"Tim, it's me," the Dark Knight answered. "We've got it. We've finally got it. Mr. Menace has been living in one of those remote properties out by the 605, on the outskirts of the city. Those were sold years ago to for nearly nothing because they were condemned.

"Got it, I'll meet you there,"

"Fine, Gordon's got a squad going there. If you get there before we do, wait. Take no action."

"Understood," Robin assured. "Robin out," he said, turning off the com-link.

"Alfred, I'm meeting Bruce. Hold down the fort," he ordered with a smile, moving to the vehicle storage area. Picking up a Batcycle that had long been in storage, Robin jumped on, revved it up and sped out of the Batcave.

"Good luck Master Timothy," Alfred muttered to himself, looking over Nightwing once more.

Some time later, at an undisclosed location approximately half a mile from the desolate cottage of Mr. Menace, half a dozen police, including Commissioner Gordon, Renee Montoya and Harvey Bullock converged in some nearby woods, beside a road full of parked squad cars. Abruptly, from out of the night, like a ghost approaching a cemetery, the Dark Knight quietly presented himself.

"Do we have a plan?" he questioned, startling the group of officers.

"Oh, it's you," Gordon whispered. "Don't worry he does that," he assured his officers.

"I say we just bust in and raid the place. He's alone in there ain't he?" Bullock said, readying his gun.

"Yes he should be, that is unless the Joker and the Riddler haven't escaped by now," Gordon informed.

"We shouldn't assume anything just yet," Batman advised. "Be ready for anything."

"Always," Montoya spoke up.

"Let's go," Gordon ordered, as the cops began entering their vehicles, like knights mounting their steeds.

The cop cars began moving and with that Batman disappeared. Gordon was confident that his old friend would be right with them, every step of the way. As they approached the cottage, each cop stepped out, arming their weapons. Gordon readied his police megaphone and began shouting towards the house.

"Mr. Menace, this is the police. We've found you. Release the Joker and the Riddler. We've got you surrounded."

Suddenly, lights went on all throughout the house. Someone was in there alright, but nobody wanted to be too hasty, because it could put someone's life in danger.

From out of the moonlight suddenly, the police watched a dark figure soar, pausing briefly in the night sky, and then landing atop the cottage. It was the Batman. Quickly, his hand flashed to his utility belt, pulling a heat laser. He activated it, slicing through the dilapidated shingle roofing. He stomped the roof in, attempting to create an entrance, but quickly found that beneath the roof, were steel reinforcement plates. Batman now realized that entry would be more difficult than expected. Thinking quickly, he pulled a tiny but potent explosive from his belt, latched it to the roof and bolted for safety. Seconds later the bomb went off, demolishing the top and causing massive amounts of shrapnel to fly violently in all directions. Soon, the Dark Knight moved back to the roof and crept like an insect into the gaping hole that now existed.

Once inside, all was darkness as the Batman turned on a flashlight and moved about from room to room. He was surprised at the spaciousness of the cottage, considering the small stature of its exterior. He noticed bare walls lined with garbage and an unpleasant odor coming from behind a door in the hallway. A closet perhaps, he thought to himself as he opened it. Bewildered, he found a flight of stairs. This must have lead to the basement; after all most mad scientists worth their salt had creepy, mysterious basements to work in.

Putting his hand to his left temple, he radioed the police through his cowl. "Jim, I'm inside. The entire place is reinforced with steel. Stay back. Have your men enter only if I radio for help."

"Got it Batman," a voice sounded through the speaker in his mask.

He cautiously began moving slowly down the stairs. As he reached the bottom, he saw what he recognized as a large research lab.

Suddenly a voice spoke, as huge overhead lights engaged, nearly blinding the bat. "Good evening Mr. Batman, I've been expecting you."

"Where are you Menace? Show yourself," the Dark Knight cried out.

"You like what you see Batman," the Menace's voice sounded once more. "Take a good look, it will be the last thing you ever see. Muhawhawhawhaw."

"Your insane," the Dark Knight uttered swiftly, spotting a large speaker system in the corner of the room. Quickly growing impatient, he hurled a batarang toward it, shattering all sound in the room.

Abruptly the entire room lit up, exposing two unconscious men bound to upright examining tables, connected to a large machine on the adjacent wall, in the center of the room. The Joker was on the left, and next to him was the Riddler on the right. Batman had never seen these men looking so feeble.

"What have you done to them? Where are you?" Batman screamed, genuinely concerned for his foes.

"Nothing yet, but all I have to do is push my little red button on this remote control I've got and their brains will be realigned into the machine. You see Bats, it's a simple process that's taken me years to perfect. They're brains are wired to that machine. When I press this switch, their brain patterns and functions will be recorded to it, rendering their physical brains useless. Yes, they will be brain dead, but I then will be able to program specific algorithms of each man's mind into a complete, yet artificial brain. I can then implant this brain into a human skull and create the most sane man alive."

"I've heard enough. Show yourself," the Dark Knight said, getting evermore impatient.

"Here I am," the frail mad doctor popped out from behind an obscure curtain at the far end of the room.

"So, you're really a doctor?"

"Was Batman. Was a doctor. Now I'm just a simple man waiting for the recognition and acceptance that should have been mine from the beginning," he said, unexpectedly pushing the red switch on his handheld remote.

Immediately, lights of all colors and sounds of all kinds began emanating from the machine. The subjects bodies convulsed madly as the machine worked to transplant their minds into the machine.

"No," Batman screamed, fearing for their lives. Rapidly, he threw a large, heavy, exploding batarang into the machine. The batarang contacted, causing the machine to malfunction, then to blow up in a fury of heat and flame.

The Joker and the Riddler's bodies were blown away from the vicinity of the machine, landing at various points of the room.

"No, my work. All my research. Gone forever."

Moving towards the Menace, Batman stayed constant, advancing like an angel of death. "It's over doctor. Your mad scheme is finished."

"No. Not if I can do anything about it," the crazed Menace stated, fumbling a gun in his hands. "Machines can be rebuilt. I lied Batman. My work is not gone forever. It's in my head. I'll rebuild it. But at least I get to kill you now. Say goodbye Batman," Mr. Menace aimed directly at the Dark Knight.

"Stop," a voice halted from behind.

The Menace looked on, noticing the Boy Wonder at the stairs.

"Robin? Ahh. You won't get me. Neither of you will," the Menace howled in a mad panic. Then, before anyone had any time to react, he put the barrel of the gun to his mouth and pulled the trigger.

"If you'd gotten here sooner, we might have saved him," Batman scolded the Boy Wonder.

"Batman I -."

"I know Robin. I know. Let's get the Joker and the Riddler out of here," the Dark Knight muttered sadly.

With that, Batman picked up the body of the Joker and began carrying him upstairs.

Moments later, the scene had grown much busier, as the dynamic duo were outside of the house, having already turned the Joker and Riddler over to the authorities, while police were putting the cadaver of this mysterious Menace into a body bag.

"Well Zsasz is back in Arkham. Lucci is dead and now we've got a suicide and two super-criminals currently out of commission. What the hell happened down there?" Gordon wondered.

"He was too erratic Jim. His panic forced him to pay the ultimate price," Batman declared.

"Did anybody know who this guy was?" Gordon continued.

"Maybe the Joker or Nigma have an idea," Robin proposed.

"I doubt they'll remember anything though," Gordon affirmed. "We've got paramedics that say that the Joker and the Riddler have both fallen into a coma. You think they'll be alright? Do you think Gotham will ever see the Joker or the Riddler again?"

"I wouldn't bet against it," the Dark Knight uttered gruffly, pulling a remote control from his utility belt and pressing a random button. Suddenly the Batmobile sped up the meandering country road.

"After all Commissioner, they've made it through worse," Robin declared, as he and the Dark Knight approached the Batmobile, leapt in, and sped off into the night.

The End