Chapter Seventy-Three: This Shit's About To Blow

A/N: Enjoy!

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Joker stood on the roof of the Prewitt building, watching the men and women of the civilization become jammed in a small crowd as they were being pushed and shoved in a line to the ferries. On the other side of the docks were men dressed in orange, being crowded into the opposite ferry. Civilians on each side of these lines hollered, shouted and roared with unfair chance that they'd have to participate in Joker's little game. No matter the outcome, this would surely be entertaining.

The dogs growled from the entrance, and Joker turned his head to see Richard side-stepping the hounds with a nervous aptitude. In his hand, he held a detonator which he quickly passed to Joker as he joined him by his side. Night had fallen, making everyone in the city restless, even Joker, except his nerves weren't as stretched as Richard seemed to be.

Joker noticed the shaky hands when Richard handed him the detonator that was linked to both of the ferries.

"Nervous, Richy?" asked Joker, smiling at him like a father would to a son.

Richard shrugged, "I figured Allegra would be here by now."

"She's visiting old friends, Richy; I wouldn't expect her to finish early." Joker replied. He glanced back at the ferries that were docking and ready to pull out. "I'm not expecting her until midnight, anyhow."

"You don't think something would have happened to her?" asked Richard.

"Gotham city in the middle of the night? A lot can happen to anyone," Joker responded nonchalantly.

Richard nodded; he should have known better than to receive some anxious reply from Joker concerning Allegra. There was a pause as two more men headed up the stairs—it was Gus and Red.

"Each of them has a remote," reported Gus.

"Yeah," said Red.

Joker smiled at them, "You two need an exercising regime if getting up these stairs tires you that much."

"It's the nerves." Gus said in his heavy country accent, flanking his arms as he held an SMG gun; he straightened his scrubs—he, Richard, and Red were dressed in their own medical garb. Allegra had given Joker the idea for a complete mind-fuck; the hostages were all tied downstairs...guns taped between their hands and clown masks pulled over their faces.

Joker looked at the three of them.

"How'd we get all these remotes made in time anyway?" asked Gus, looking at the one held in Joker's hand; the clown placed it in his pocket for safe-keeping...in any case he'd need it.

"She made spares." Joker answered flatly, sounding unhappy with the idea. He gave the ferries a smile when they started out to the ocean, getting across to Blackgate to drop off the criminals, and the ferry holding the civilians was heading off to an isle.

"Don't think she'd have kept one?" Red offered.

Joker, Gus and Richard looked at him curiously, wondering why he offered to say something like that. Red smiled guiltily, but Joker considered this with a light tone.

"Allegra has learned to obey me, boys—I've told her no duplicates." Joker stated. "I hate the idea of other people having more fun than me."

When the sound of the dogs barking drew the men's thought of Allegra and pulled them back to their semi-fun reality, Richard suggested the boys head downstairs for some fun. The SWAT team was about to swing and the real party would soon begin. Gus, Red, and Richard left the Joker to watch the ferries amiably.

He gave them ample amount of time to find the presents he left for them, time for them to realize the several drums of deisel were rigged to blow them out of the water...time to realize that the game would be on the ferries rather than the misleading idea of it being within the city's limits. Joker then took out the cards, minding them with a happy note of his speech. A walkie talkie placed like a phone against his ear, and he began to give the drop-off.

"'Tonight, you all are going to be a part of a social experiment," Joker explained. "Thanks to the magic of Diesel fuel and ammonium nitrade, I'm ready right now to blow you all sky high. Anyone attempts to get off their boat. you all die."

Joker anticipated that they do some of the work and entertain him for a change.

"Each of you has a remote, blow up the other boat. At midnight, I blow you all up. If, however, one of you presses the button, I'll let that boat live. So, who's it gonna be, Harvey Dent's most wanted scumbag collection, or the sweet and innocent civilians. You choose."

As an afterthought, Joker added: "Oh, and you might want to decide quickly because the people on the other boat may not be quite so noble."

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Richard stood over the clowning hostages while his weapon was held loosely in his hand. While he had hidden the best of his anxiety from Joker, that nervousness was easily picked up and reciprocated by Gus and Red. All of them were on the second to top floor, just under Joker's feet, looking apprehensive. They never spoke in front of the clowns; instead, they were glancing at each other uneasily.

"She went after Maroni," explained Richard to the two who asked about why she would not possibly be here. "Guess she hated the idea of him getting away with turning us into Gordon."

"Glad one of us can go after him," said Red. He danced eagerly on his feet, restless; they all were. "But it's been two hours; surely, she'd be done with him."

"Not 'Legra." Richard stated. For some reason, the other two agreed with him.

Allegra liked to play with her food before ending them to the demise.

"Who do you think will blow up the other boat?" asked Richard, wanting a different topic.

Red voted: "The scumbags, probably. They don't change."

"You know," Gus stated, "you do realize that we're one of the 'scumbags' now."

"Oh right," said Red. He looked at Richard. "Would you blow up the other boat?"

"Absolutely." Richard said.

"Me too," Gus said.

"Me three," Red agreed.

They all glanced at each other. Humanity must have been at an all-time low if they could make the decision right then and there. One of the clowns made an angry scream through the tape so Gus kicked him in the jaw; he passed out.

"Where do you think Harvey went?" asked Gus when they had fallen quiet.

"To find Maroni?" offered Red.

"Why?"

"Well," said Red, "He did try to kill him."

"Actually, Weurtz and Ramirez just drove them. We did the rest." Gus corrected.

"What does it matter who did what?" asked Red. He brushed a hand through his spiked red hair, saying, "All I know is that Dent can't be good anymore with his face half-burnt; that man was good looking."

Gus and Richard gazed at him offhandedly, and Red said quickly, "You know from a guy's perspective."

They all laughed at Red.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Richard said quickly. "'Legra and Dent are going after Maroni?"

Gus considered this darkly, saying, "Well, Maroni's gonna have his bad day, ain't he?"

With that, the men nodded in agreement.

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Joker swayed patiently on his feet, watching the people on the ferries—hopefully—getting closer and closer to blowing each other up. It was a matter of time, and patience before one of them was lit with explosive need to save their own skins before midnight. Joker glanced at the clock—thirty minutes til. The dogs behind him were whimpering, so Joker turned to see that they were scratching at a post, attempting to bite off the pieces of wood that poked out at a weird angle.

Animals were so easily entertained. Joker grinned. As was he.

There was a shifting below the deck, as he heard cops shouting—evidently, they'd discovered his location. That was simple, wasn't it?

He knew better—Batman was helping them. Was it not in human nature to ask Batman for help when they needed it most, and then pin him for anything bad that'd happen later in the future?

The dogs were growling again.

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"I think when we're done with this," said Richard, "we need to find Allegra."

"Why? She can take care of herself." Gus said with the utmost confidence.

"Yeah but what if Dent did something to her?" Richard insisted. "It's fifteen minutes til midnight, and she isn't here yet."

"Figure if Dent's on our side, she and him got a couple of drinks and they're pow-wowing it in the bar or something," Gus said carelessly.

"Think she'd pine after Dent?" asked Red, off topic.

Gus placed the gun loosely in his left and he gestured with right on his face saying, "Well, Dent's gonna have some scars—I figure that's like a thing for her."

"Guys, back to the topic!" snapped Richard. "I think she's really in trouble."

"Why?"

"Because," said Richard, "she's told me that if..."

Richard's voice became shot in the dark when Batman shot upward below their feet. He appeared as though out of no where, and the three boys were quick to shout in surprise, not before getting their limbs knocked around. Richard took a shot at the Bat before his arm was pulled behind him, cracked in the elbow, and that brought him in pain to his knees. Gus tried to swing, but like Richard, he was quickly subdued.

Red danced around a few minutes, biding the time until twelve o'clock before Batman snatched his foot, making him fall to his back. He was knocked cold when Batman punched his lights out.

Before Richard passed out when he thought Batman was a terrible, black monster (thanks to the night fall and a slight hallucination), Richard thought of Allegra's words: The only reason I'd be late is if I'm dead.

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Joker hummed softly, not before hearing the dogs barking again. He turned around to tell them to hush before he saw Batman stepping towards him.

"Ah, you made it." Joker greeted cynically. "I'm so thrilled."

Batman lost his manners, saying immediately, "Where's the detonator."

Joker didn't answer him; instead he pulled a switch blade from his pocket, clicking the button so the blade shot out, and he readied the crow bar; he then ordered the dogs to get Batman. At their new master's calling, the dogs jumped on Batman, attempting to tear him limb from limb. As though distracted, Batman looked around as he threw the dogs off but distraction was hard when Joker began to hit him any where he could with the crow bar, taking stabs at him with the knife when the opportunity reached.

In all essence of the moment, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Batman blocked and dodged, fighting back only to be caught off guard when Joker ran out him with the crow bar, striking him on the head; the man dressed in black armor fell back on a balcony, a dazed look about him. Joker didn't waste time; he kicked a beam out of place and the steel bar locked over Batman's neck, trapping him. Joker smiled down at him.

"We ought to stop this fighting," Joker stated, pinning him down, "otherwise, we're gonna miss the fireworks—you can join us, I suppose, even if you are a third wheel."

"There won't be any fireworks!" snapped Batman with conviction.

Joker chuckled, saying, "And Here. We. Go!"

The time waned. The minutes depleted. Two things that didn't happen made Joker frown. The clock was ticking midnight and neither of the ferries had killed each other. The other mind-fuck was that Allegra was no where to be found. He expected her to pop out anywhere...anytime, but nothing.

"What were you trying to prove?" asked Batman cynically. "That deep down, everyone is as ugly as you?"

Joker threw the crow bar in his own irritation.

"You're alone."

Joker glanced down at Batman saying pointedly, "Actually, an associate of mine is running a little late. Makes me wonder if she's not having fun on the ferries herself. Or..." Joker pulled out the detonator from his pocket. "She's probably lying dead in the streets; that's a shame, because I had a lot planned for us in the future."

Batman gave him a look, and Joker smiled.

"I'm kidding, that was supposed to be a joke." Joker stated. "It's sad though; you can't depend on anyone, you have to do everything yourself. But that's alright." He armed the detonator. "I've come prepared."

"Where is she..."

Joker shrugged, "Beats the hell outta me." He chuckled, saying, "Don't tell me you have a thing for her too." He sighed. "Life is full of distractions—All these relationships and jobs—it's hard to find both of them all locked up in a woman who's just on the same playing field as you...well, not you, but things might be looking up for the both of us."

Joker looked at the ferries plainly.

"Guess we'll just watch the fireworks without her." Joker said, chuckling. "It's a funny world we live in. Speaking of which, do you wanna know how I got these scars?"

"No. But I know how you got these." Batman growled; he bent his elbow and three pairs of sharp hinges shot out of the armed gun, scratching his face, and catching the Joker off guard. In his distraction, Batman pushed him over the edge—Joker fell, laughing his head off, with the expectancy of a certain impact.

Batman managed to get to his knees before he pulled out the bat-grapple, shooting it down to wrap its end around Joker's ankle, holding him in mid-air. Batman tied Joker off when he was at his height. Joker chuckled.

"You just...couldn't let me go, could you?" Joker inquired, smirking with knowing. "You truly are incorruptible, aren't you. Hm? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of righteousness; and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun." He chuckled again, adding, "Plus, I think she might like you a bit."

Batman held his side where Joker had stabbed him twice—he really needed a different suit to arm against knives and bullets. Did well against the dogs.

"Where is she?" Batman questioned.

"You and Dent are just all about her—'where is she', 'what have you done with her'." Joker laughed. "Personally, she was supposed to be here at midnight so for all I know, according to her, she's dead."

Batman sighed painfully—maybe it was because of the stabbing, or the idea that Allegra was gone, truly gone—no way of bringing her back to humanity, not even a chance. Joker smiled in spite of this.

"I think you and I are destined to do this forever."

"You'll be locked away in a padded cell forever."

"Maybe we can share one," Joker suggested. He seemed to twirl around with the weight of gravity, smiling at the fall ahead of him if the rope should break loose. "You know they'll be doubling up by the rate Gotham's citizens are losing their minds."

"These city just showed you it's full of people ready to believe in good."

"Until their spirits break completely," Joker offered, "until they get a real look at Harvey Dent, and all the heroic things he's done. You know," he added as an afterthought, "It just occurred to me that he may be the reason why my little Allegra isn't here with us right now."

Batman stared at him unhappily, and strangely—the way Joker called her 'his Allegra' sounded almost affectionate while being equally disappointed; it was weird.

"You wouldn't think I'd risk Gotham's soul in a fist fight with you? No. You need an ace in the hole; Mine's Harvey."

"What did you do," Batman questioned with a pending dismay.

"I took Gotham's White Knight, and I brought him down to our level. It wasn't hard. Because madness as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push!" Joker laughed as Batman began to leave and go after Dent.

At that given moment, a loud echoing explosion brought light and fire on the ocean. As the SWAT team gathered on the balcony, tying off Joker to the ground and handcuffing him, Joker burst out laughing when he saw one of the ferries go up in smoke. At first, he thought one of the groups had made a delayed decision, then, to his surprise—and to the horror of those around him—the other ferry went off in smoke, fire, and heat. Both boats made the rippling oceans grow into waves that splashed over the docks of Gotham's limits.

"How's that fucking possible!" snapped one of the SWAT members, as he held the detonator Batman had given to them as he went to find the missing DA. The light on the detonator was still green, armed, but not pressed.

Joker laughed harder at their confused faces. It was only proof that Allegra had not only defied him about the duplicated detonators, but this also proved, somewhere below him and the SWAT team, she was still alive.

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On the ground, Joker was carried off into a SWAT car, being carted immediately to Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane. What greeted him was a fighting young woman, dressed in scrubs, three men holding her against the car as they attempted to cuff her. She fled briefly, kicking two of the SWAT team in the groin and headbutting another one. It was Allegra in the flesh; blood covered her scrubs but half of it was probably not hers.

Seeing her, Joker grinned broadly.

"Get in." One of the SWAT officers demanded, opening the door to the van that read their titles on the sides.

"What, no dinner and a movie first?" Joker asked.

No response came from that when he was pushed inside the van. Shortly after, Allegra joined him as they shoved her inside.

"That's not how you treat a lady!" Allegra snapped. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners!"

"You're not a lady!" snapped one of the SWAT officers.

"Oh find some manwhore to blow, pigs!" Allegra shouted right back at them. "Don't you have some dead bodies to clean up or something!"

The door was slammed in her face as she balanced on the metal platform, sitting with her hands cuffed behind her back. Joker, whose hands were cuffed in front of him, smirked at her. Allegra winced as she sat down.

"Goddamn fucking pigs," Allegra mumbled. She looked at Joker.

"You went against my rule of having no duplicates," Joker stated.

Allegra shrugged. She said, "I've been shot in the shoulder and leg by what the Gotham's Elite call their 'White Knight'; I was late for the Batman brawl, and I would have missed the fireworks if people in Gotham weren't so diligent with their moral compasses. Don't criticize me for coming prepared."

"I wasn't." Joker returned. "I'm happy you did."

"Stop talking back there!" shouted one of the officers, who was the driver—luckily a bullet-proof window shielded him for Allegra hit the window with her foot.

"Go fuck your sister, you fucking cretin!"

Joker giggled at her language. Allegra looked back at him.

"Suppose they'll let us share a cell, Killer?" asked Allegra.

"Well, if not, I suppose they'll find out about your SRD, won't they?" asked Joker calmly.

"Speaking of which," Allegra said as she scooted closer to him so she could—unstably (hands behind her back was causing her to be unbalanced)—straddle his lap, "I didn't get all of my jollies out from ruining Maroni's life. Maybe you can help that."

"Maybe." Joker replied.

"NONE OF THAT IN THE BACK!"

The door opened and there was Gordon and the SWAT team officers, glaring at them. They all held guns.

"Don't." Gordon told the officer, who'd stepped inside to separate them.

"Why not?" asked the officer. "An eighth of this town's people are dead because of them."

"Actually," Joker stated pointedly, "she pushed the button."

Allegra nodded, "Yeah, if you're going to accuse people, get your facts straight."

"I'm separating them," the officer said. "They're too dangerous together."

"And apart," Gordon stated, taking the man's shoulder and pulling him back, "they're worse."

"How?" the officer insisted.

A voice not part of the conversation interrupted them saying, "I can explain on the way to the Asylum."

Allegra, who was still on Joker's lap, gave the man who stepped into her view a calculated, sinister look that made Joker smile. Dr. Leon looked between Gordon and the commanding officer.

Dr. Leon looked at Gordon.

"I've spoken with Dr. Arkham—he's an old friend of mine; Jeremiah and I go way back. He's taking them in as patients," said Dr. Leon. "I'm going to personally look after Miss Davenheart while she's in our primary care."

"Maybe I should go too." Gordon said uneasily, seeing only one driver and the two passengers who were idly grinning at each other.

"I would love that but I believe you have a more...pending matters at hand." Dr. Leon said lowly, indicating the smoked ferries on the water.

Gordon sighed.

"Of course. Well, I'll be checking in, Dr. Leon. Thank you."

"Commissioner," Dr. Leon returned. He gave Allegra a cool look—she returned it maliciously.

Gordon and the commanding officer spoke in dulcet tones and as they left to attain certain matters, they glanced through the window as the back doors closed. Allegra and Joker were kissing. Gordon looked at the commanding officer.

"What's the deal between the two? Why would they be more dangerous apart?" asked the officer, glaring at them with all the hatred in the world.

"It depends on what you think," said Gordon. "Some people think they're in love and you can't separate lovers. Others believe that Joker is a younger version of Allegra's father and that's the reason why she's attached to him."

"What do you believe?" asked the officer skeptically.

Gordon frowned as the SWAT van was placed into drive and it moved down to the Narrows and towards Arkham Aslyum.

"I believe Allegra is a victim of the games her father played." Gordon uttered quietly.

….

The End.

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A/N: Just kidding. I am planning a sequel; have been all this time. :D Hope you enjoyed this story; please tell me what you think and how you thought it went...your thoughts in general. :D